Lending

Lending protocols form the backbone of the decentralized money market, allowing users to lend or borrow digital assets without intermediaries. Using smart contracts, platforms like Aave and Morpho automate interest rates based on supply and demand while requiring over-collateralization for security. The 2026 lending landscape features advanced permissionless vaults and institutional-grade credit lines. This tag covers the evolution of capital efficiency, liquidations, and the integration of diverse collateral types, including LSTs and tokenized RWAs.

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Created: 2026/02/02 18:52
Updated: 2026/02/02 18:52
Won Stablecoins: South Korea’s Crucial Regulatory Blueprint Revealed

Won Stablecoins: South Korea’s Crucial Regulatory Blueprint Revealed

BitcoinWorld Won Stablecoins: South Korea’s Crucial Regulatory Blueprint Revealed South Korea is taking a decisive step to bring clarity and security to the cryptocurrency market. The government has just outlined a comprehensive draft plan to regulate won stablecoins, aiming to transform how these digital assets operate within its borders. This move could set a powerful precedent for other nations grappling with crypto oversight. What […] This post Won Stablecoins: South Korea’s Crucial Regulatory Blueprint Revealed first appeared on BitcoinWorld.

Author: bitcoinworld
Twenty One Capital Lists On NYSE With $3.9B BTC

Twenty One Capital Lists On NYSE With $3.9B BTC

The post Twenty One Capital Lists On NYSE With $3.9B BTC appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Twenty One Capital lists on the NYSE with 43,514 BTC and a $3.9 billion Bitcoin treasury. Jack Mallers says the firm will buy “as much Bitcoin as possible” under ticker XXI. Backers include Tether, Bitfinex, Cantor Fitzgerald, and SoftBank with over $850 million raised. Twenty One Capital, the Bitcoin firm co founded by Jack Mallers, made its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker XXI.  The move immediately placed Twenty One Capital among the largest public institutional Bitcoin holders in the world. Third-Largest Public Bitcoin Holder on Day One The listing follows a business combination with Cantor Equity Partners and launches the firm with a treasury of 43,514 BTC, worth approximately $3.9 billion.  This instantly places Twenty One Capital as the third largest publicly traded Bitcoin holder, behind only MicroStrategy and Marathon. Mallers, speaking live on CNBC, said the mission is to “buy as much Bitcoin as we possibly can”. Meanwhile, he stressed that Twenty One is not merely a BTC holding vehicle.  The company plans to build an entire Bitcoin focused financial ecosystem, including capital markets advisory, lending models, and Bitcoin education media. “Bitcoin is honest money,” Mallers said, adding that the firm’s goal is to give BTC “the place it deserves in global markets.” Institutional Backing The NYSE debut is supported by a heavy slate of institutional partners, including Tether, Bitfinex, Cantor Fitzgerald, and SoftBank.  Twenty One’s PIPE financing included $486.5 million in senior convertible notes and roughly $365 million in common equity commitments. Mitchell Askew, head of Blockware Intelligence, described the launch as a new template for Bitcoin native public companies. He noted that Twenty One’s institutional networks could make the firm “a major player not only in Bitcoin, but in the grand arc of financial history.” Bitcoin Treasury Paired With Operating Businesses…

Author: BitcoinEthereumNews
Seven future trends for 2026: From the resurgence of application blockchains to AI-driven encrypted networks

Seven future trends for 2026: From the resurgence of application blockchains to AI-driven encrypted networks

Author: Archetype Compiled by: Tim, PANews As we approach 2026, the Archetype team is focusing on future technology trends. Application chains are feasible ——Aadharsh Pannirselvam The logic is simple: chains that are meticulously designed, built, and optimized for applications will inevitably deliver amazing experiences. And next year's best application chains will innovate starting from fundamental modules and first principles. The developers, users, institutions, and investors who have recently emerged differ significantly from previous groups entering the on-chain ecosystem: they prioritize practical experience over abstract concepts such as decentralization and censorship resistance. In practice, this cultural demand sometimes aligns with existing infrastructure, and sometimes conflicts with it. For applications like Blackbird or Farcaster, which are geared towards ordinary users and hide the details of encryption, certain aspects of the user experience are particularly important. Even centralized design decisions that were considered unorthodox three years ago, such as node co-location, a single orderer, and a custom database, now seem like reasonable choices. The same applies to projects like Hyperliquid and GTE, whose success or failure often hinges on millisecond-level speed, the smallest unit of price change, and optimal pricing. However, this does not apply to all new applications. For example, while people feel comfortable with centralization, there is a balancing force: a growing number of institutions and individuals are beginning to prioritize privacy. The needs and user experiences of encrypted applications can vary drastically, and therefore their required infrastructure should also differ. Fortunately, creating a specific chain from scratch to meet user needs is now far less complex than it was two years ago. In fact, the process today is similar to assembling a custom computer. Of course, you can choose every hard drive, fan, and cable yourself. But if you don't need that level of customization (which is often the case), you can choose a service provider like Digital Storm or Framework, which offer a variety of pre-installed custom PC solutions for different needs. If you want a compromise, you can add components yourself to the vendor's pre-selected components. These components are all compatibility tested to ensure the final device runs at high performance. This increases modularity and flexibility while eliminating unnecessary components. When integrating fundamental components such as consensus mechanisms, execution layers, data storage, and liquidity, applications build solutions that reflect different cultural characteristics. These solutions consistently reflect differentiated needs (i.e., different definitions of user experience), serve their respective audiences, and ultimately achieve value retention. The degree of differentiation is comparable to the differences between rugged laptops, business laptops, desktops, and MacBooks, but they also integrate and coexist to some extent, since these computers do not each run completely independent operating systems. More importantly, each necessary component is transformed into a knob that applications can freely adjust, allowing developers to iterate and modify it at will without worrying about causing disruptive changes to the underlying protocols. Circle's acquisition of the Malachite team from Informal Systems demonstrates that controlling the sovereignty of customized blockchain space is clearly a broader strategic priority. In the coming year, I expect to see various application and development teams able to define and own their on-chain components based on foundational building blocks and default configurations provided by companies like Commonware and Delta—essentially creating a HashiCorp or Stripe Atlas for the blockchain and blockchain space space. Ultimately, this will enable applications to directly control their own cash flow and leverage the unique advantages of their built model to deliver the best user experience in their own way, thereby creating a lasting competitive moat. Prediction markets will continue to innovate (however, only some of these will come true). —Tommy Hang One of the most notable applications in this cycle has been prediction markets. With weekly trading volumes on major platforms soaring to a record high of $20 billion, prediction markets have clearly taken a substantial step towards becoming mainstream. This momentum has spurred numerous projects in related fields, some aiming to fill gaps in the market where leaders like Polymarket and Kalshi exist, while others attempt to challenge their dominance. However, amidst the market buzz, only by distinguishing genuine innovation from market noise can we truly identify the trends to watch in 2026. From a market structure perspective, I am particularly interested in solutions that can reduce spreads and increase open interest. Although market creation remains licensed and selective, liquidity in prediction markets remains relatively weak for both market makers and traders. There are indeed real opportunities for development through improving routing systems with products such as lending, innovating liquidity models, and enhancing collateral efficiency. Trading volume across different sectors is also a key factor determining the competitiveness of different platforms. For example, in November, over 90% of Kalshi's trading volume came from sports prediction markets, highlighting the inherent competitive advantage of certain platforms in acquiring superior liquidity. In contrast, Polymarket's trading volume in crypto-related and political markets is 5-10 times that of Kalshi. However, on-chain prediction markets still have a long way to go before achieving true widespread adoption. A highly relevant example is the 2025 Super Bowl: this single event generated $23 billion in trading volume in the off-chain betting market in a single day, which is more than ten times the total daily trading volume of all current on-chain markets. Closing this gap requires sharp and insightful teams to address the core challenges of predicting markets. I will be closely monitoring the development of these teams over the coming year. Independent curators will expand the DeFi market size. ——Eskender Abebe The curatorial layer of DeFi currently exists at two extremes: purely algorithmic (hard-coded interest rate curves, fixed rebalancing rules) or purely human (risk committees, proactive managers). Autonomous curators represent a third model: AI agents (large language models + toolchains + decision loops) manage the curatorial and risk strategies of vaults, lending markets, and structured products. They not only execute fixed rules but also reason and judge risks, returns, and strategies. Take curators in the Morpho marketplace as an example: they need to define collateral policies, loan-to-value ratio caps, and risk parameters to design profitable products. Currently, this remains a bottleneck relying on human resources, but AI agents can achieve scalability. At that time, autonomous curators will directly compete with algorithmic models and human managers. When will we see a "divine intervention" in the DeFi field? When I talk to crypto fund managers about artificial intelligence, the responses typically fall into two categories: either they believe large language models are about to take over all trading desks, or they think they're illusionary toys, incapable of surviving in real markets. Both views ignore the architectural shift. Intelligent agents, through emotionless execution, systematic policy adherence, and flexible reasoning, are entering a realm where human interference is present and pure algorithms are too fragile. They are more likely to supervise or integrate underlying algorithms than simply replace them. Large language models act as the chief architects of security barriers, while deterministic code remains in the core areas requiring low-latency responses. When the cost of deep reasoning drops to a few cents, the most profitable crypto vaults will no longer depend on the smartest people, but on who has the strongest computing power. Short videos become a new business model ——Katie Chiou Short videos are rapidly becoming a primary channel for people to discover (and ultimately purchase) the content they love. TikTok Shop generated over $20 billion in gross merchandise volume in the first half of 2025, nearly doubling year-on-year, subtly cultivating a global consumer habit of viewing entertainment content as a new marketplace. In response, Instagram has transformed its Reels short video feature from a defensive product into a revenue engine. This format not only brings higher exposure but also contributes a significant share of Meta's projected advertising revenue growth in 2025. Meanwhile, the live-streaming e-commerce platform Whatnot has already proven that the conversion rate of charismatic, person-driven live-streaming sales models far surpasses that of traditional e-commerce. The core logic behind this phenomenon is simple: when people watch content in real time, their decision-making speed increases significantly. Every swipe of the screen constitutes a decision point. Major platforms are well aware of this, and therefore the boundary between recommendation feeds and the shopping checkout process is rapidly blurring. The information feed is the new shelf, and each creator is a sales channel. Artificial intelligence is pushing this trend even further. It reduces video production costs, increases content output, and allows creators and brands to more easily test ideas in real time. More content means more possibilities for conversions, and platforms are optimizing every second of video to maximize user purchase intent. Encryption technology was born to adapt to this transformation. The accelerated pace of content creation necessitates faster and more economical payment channels. As the shopping process becomes seamless and directly embedded in the content itself, a system capable of settling micro-payments, programmatically distributing revenue, and tracking contributions across a complex chain of collaborations is essential. Encryption technology was created for this model of fund transfer; it's hard to imagine how a truly scalable e-commerce era, deeply integrated with live-streaming scenarios, could be achieved without it. Blockchain will drive a new AI arms race —Danny Sursock In the past few years, the spotlight in the field of artificial intelligence has been focused on the multi-armed race between mega-corporations and startup giants, while DeAI entrepreneurs have been groping in the dark. However, while outside attention is focused elsewhere, several crypto-native teams have made great progress in the field of decentralized training and inference, and they are gradually moving from the theoretical design stage to the testing and production environment. Today, teams such as Ritual, Pluralis, Exo, Odyn, Ambient, and Bagel have entered a golden age of development. A new generation of competitors is poised to emerge, unleashing an explosive, multi-dimensional impact on the fundamental development trajectory of artificial intelligence. Models trained in a globally distributed environment can overcome scalability bottlenecks. These models employ innovative asynchronous communication and parallel processing methods, the effectiveness of which is being validated in production-scale operational tests. The combination of emerging consensus mechanisms and privacy computing components is making verifiable confidential inference a viable option in on-chain developer toolkits. The revolutionary blockchain architecture combines smart contracts with a flexible computing structure, providing an efficient operating environment for autonomous AI agents and using crypto assets as a medium of exchange. The groundwork has been completed. The current challenge lies in scaling these infrastructure layers to production scale and demonstrating why blockchain technology can drive fundamental AI innovation, rather than merely remaining at the level of philosophical, ideological, or metaphysical fundraising experiments. RWA is about to see real adoption. ——Dmitriy Berenzon RWA tokenization is now seeing widespread adoption. Although the concept of tokenization has been discussed for years, this field has finally achieved a breakthrough with the widespread acceptance of stablecoins in the mainstream market, the increasingly convenient and stable fiat currency exchange channels, and the gradually clarifying and supporting global regulatory framework. According to the latest data from the RWA.xyz platform, the total issuance of tokenized assets across all categories has now exceeded $18 billion, compared to only $3.7 billion a year ago. This growth momentum is expected to accelerate further by 2026. It should be noted that tokenization and the asset pool model are two different design patterns for tokenizing physical assets: tokenization creates an on-chain mapping of off-chain assets, while the asset pool model builds a bridge between on-chain capital and off-chain revenue. I'm excited to see tokenization and vault technology giving us access to a wide range of physical and financial assets, from commodities like gold and rare metals to private credit for working capital and payment financing, to private and public equity, and more global currencies. Let's open our minds and go even further. I'd love to see eggs, GPUs, energy derivatives, salary advances, Brazilian government bonds, Japanese yen, and more, all on-chain. It's important to clarify that this is not simply about putting more assets on the blockchain. Its core lies in upgrading the global capital allocation model through public blockchain technology, transforming the previously opaque, inefficient, and fragmented market into a new paradigm that is open, transparent, programmable, and highly liquid. Once these assets are successfully on-chain, we will enjoy the composability advantages they offer when combined with existing DeFi offerings. Finally, these assets will undoubtedly face challenges in terms of transferability, transparency, liquidity, risk management, and allocation, making the infrastructure that can mitigate these challenges equally important and exciting. A product renaissance driven by intelligent agents is on the horizon. ——Ash Egan The influence of the next generation of networks will no longer be determined by the platforms we swipe our fingers on, but rather by the intelligent agents that communicate with us. We all know that the share of bots and intelligent agents in all network activity is growing rapidly. Roughly estimated, this now accounts for about 50%, including both on-chain and off-chain activities. In the crypto space, bots are increasingly performing transactions, planning, assisting, scanning contracts, and handling a wide range of tasks on our behalf, from token trading and fund management to auditing smart contracts and developing games. This is the era of programmable, proxy networks. While we are already in it, 2026 will mark a turning point: the design of cryptographic products (in an active, open, and non-dystopian way) will be more geared towards the needs of robots than humans. While this vision is still emerging, personally, I look forward to reducing the time spent clicking between different websites and interacting more with a simple, chat-like interface to manage on-chain bots. Imagine an experience similar to Telegram, but with smart agents tailored to specific applications or tasks. These agents can formulate and execute complex strategies, gathering the most relevant information and data for me online, and providing feedback on transaction results, risks and opportunities to watch out for, and filtered information. I simply give the commands, and they lock in opportunities, filter out all distracting information, and execute precisely at the optimal time. The infrastructure supporting this vision already exists on the blockchain. By combining default open data graphs, programmatic micropayments with on-chain social graphs and cross-chain liquidity channels, we have everything needed to support a dynamic intelligent agent ecosystem. The plug-and-play nature of cryptocurrencies means less red tape and fewer dead ends for agents. The extent to which blockchain is ready for this compared to Web2 infrastructure cannot be overstated. This is perhaps the most crucial point here. It's not just about automation; it's about liberation from the closed ecosystem of Web2, from friction, and from waiting. We're witnessing this shift happening in the search space: now, about 20% of Google searches generate AI summaries, and data shows that when people see these summaries, their willingness to click on traditional search result links decreases significantly. The process of manually sifting through pages is becoming unnecessary. A programmable, autonomous web ecosystem will further extend this transformation to the applications we use, which I think is a good thing. In this era, we will experience less anxiety and less panicked trading. Time zone differences will become more blurred (the phrase "waiting for Asian markets to open" will disappear). Interacting with the on-chain world will become more convenient and expressive for every developer and user. As more assets, systems, and users are integrated onto the blockchain, this process will snowball. Increased on-chain opportunities → Increased deployment of intelligent agents → Enhanced value release, creating a cyclical pattern. However, the content and methods we use to build this intelligent network will determine whether it degenerates into superficial noise and automation or gives rise to a renaissance of enabling and dynamic products.

Author: PANews
Ethereum (ETH) Price Prediction: ETH Price Action Pushes Investors to New Crypto Coin Under $0.05

Ethereum (ETH) Price Prediction: ETH Price Action Pushes Investors to New Crypto Coin Under $0.05

Ethereum’s latest price action, marked by hesitation near key resistance zones and diminishing short-term momentum, has prompted many investors to look beyond ETH for assets with stronger upside potential. This shift in sentiment has placed Mutuum Finance (MUTM) in the spotlight as the new crypto coin, especially as it remains priced under $0.05 while delivering […]

Author: Cryptopolitan
PA Daily News | The Federal Reserve cuts interest rates for the third consecutive time by 25 basis points; the UK's FCA says stablecoins will be one of the key areas of future regulation.

PA Daily News | The Federal Reserve cuts interest rates for the third consecutive time by 25 basis points; the UK's FCA says stablecoins will be one of the key areas of future regulation.

Today's top news highlights: Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a total net inflow of $224 million yesterday, with BlackRock's IBIT leading the way with a net inflow of $193 million. The UK's FCA has stated that stablecoins will be one of its key regulatory focuses in the future. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points, and is expected to cut rates only once in 2026. Tom Lee: Ethereum has bottomed out, so BitMine is actively buying in. Since the launch of its buyback program, Pump.fun has repurchased 13.8% of the circulating supply of PUMP tokens. Bloomberg analyst: BTC may fall below $84,000 by the end of the year; a "Santa Claus rally" is unlikely. Macro The UK's FCA has stated that stablecoins will be one of its key regulatory focuses in the future. According to DL News, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies such as the US dollar or British pound will be a major focus of future regulation. This move is part of a broader UK initiative to boost economic growth, which also includes digitizing financial services, enhancing international trade competitiveness, and expanding lending to small businesses. In a statement to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, FCA CEO Nikhil Rathi wrote that the FCA plans to "finalize digital asset rules and advance progress on UK-issued sterling stablecoins" by 2026. Rathi stated, "We will continue to take greater risks to support economic growth while remaining committed to protecting consumers and ensuring market integrity." Rathi also stated that in addition to advancing AI application cases, the agency is prioritizing the migration of traditional assets to blockchain. He said, "We will also enable our world-leading asset management industry to tokenize its funds, thereby improving efficiency and competitiveness." CBOE has approved the listing and registration of the 21Shares XRP ETF. According to Cointelegraph, the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) has approved the listing and registration of the 21Shares XRP ETF. The U.S. OCC has warned Wall Street about the "de-banking" of industries such as digital assets, calling such practices "illegal." According to CoinDesk, President Trump's actions against the "debanking" of controversial sectors like digital assets have prompted a new report from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The report further confirms past practices and warns that banks suspected of involvement could face penalties. The brief OCC report reviewed nine of the largest national banks in the US, concluding that "between 2020 and 2023, these banks developed public and private policies that restricted certain sectors from accessing banking services, including requiring escalating reviews and approvals before offering financial services." The report states that some large banks set higher barriers to entry for controversial or environmentally sensitive businesses, or activities that contradict their own values. Financial giants such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup are highlighted, with links to their past public policies, particularly those concerning environmental issues. The report states, "The OCC intends to pursue accountability for any illegal 'debanking' activities by these banks, including referring cases to the Attorney General." However, it remains unclear which specific laws these activities may have violated. The US CFTC has announced the first batch of members of its CEO Innovation Committee, including CEOs from companies such as Gemini and Kraken. According to CoinDesk, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has announced the inaugural members of its "CEO Innovation Committee." This committee aims to delve into the evolving dynamics of the derivatives market structure, particularly focusing on tokenization, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain technology. The full list of new committee members is as follows: Shayne Coplan, CEO of Polymarket; Craig Donohue, CEO of Cboe Global Markets; Terry Duffy, Chairman and CEO of CME Group; Tom Farley, CEO of Bullish; Adena Friedman, Chairman and CEO of Nasdaq; Luke Hoersten, CEO of Bitnomial; Tarek Mansour, CEO of Kalshi; Kris Marszalek, CEO of Crypto.com; David Schwimmer, CEO of London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG); Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Kraken; Jeff Sprecher, CEO of Intercontinental Exchange; and Tyler Winklevoss, CEO of Gemini. In a statement, CFTC Chair Caroline Pham said the committee members assembled quickly within two weeks and will "focus on developments in the derivatives market's structure, such as tokenization, crypto assets, 24/7 trading, perpetual contracts, prediction markets, and blockchain market infrastructure." Pham's term as chair of the agency is expected to end soon, and President Trump's nominee for committee chair, Mike Selig, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate as early as Wednesday. State Street Bank and Galaxy will launch a tokenized liquidity fund on the Solana blockchain next year. According to CoinDesk, State Street and Galaxy Asset Management plan to launch a tokenized liquidity fund in early 2026. This fund will utilize stablecoins to enable 24/7 investor liquidity, expanding the application of public blockchains in institutional cash management. Named the "State Street Galaxy Onchain Liquidity Sweep Fund" (SWEEP), the fund will accept subscriptions and redemptions in PayPal's stablecoin PYUSD, provided the fund has available assets to process related requests. Only qualified buyers meeting predetermined thresholds will be able to invest. Ondo Finance has committed approximately $200 million as seed funding for the product. The two companies anticipate launching the SWEEP fund on the Solana blockchain initially, followed by Stellar and Ethereum blockchains. Galaxy Asset Management plans to leverage Chainlink's tools to facilitate cross-chain data and asset transfers. Trump criticizes the Federal Reserve for its ineffective rate cuts; "another Kevin" undergoes final interview today. According to Global Markets News, US President Trump criticized the Federal Reserve on Wednesday for cutting interest rates too small and said he would meet with former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh that day to interview him for the position of chairman. The president stated that he did not ask Powell's successor to make any pronouncements on rate cuts, but said his view was that "our rates should be much lower." "I'm basically very clear about who I'm looking for. Again, I'm looking for someone honest on interest rates," Trump said on Wednesday, adding that he might announce his decision within the next two weeks. Trump's remarks came shortly after the Fed announced its third consecutive 25-basis-point rate cut. The president called the adjustment "quite small, it should have doubled, at least doubled." He also criticized Powell as "rigid" and "stubborn." The selection process for the new Fed chairman is nearing completion, and Trump said on Tuesday that he was considering "several different candidates, but I'm very clear about who I want." National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett is considered the leading candidate for the position, and Trump has repeatedly hinted at this outcome. However, it is well known that he often makes unpredictable personnel decisions, and any speculation cannot be considered conclusive until the official nominations are announced. Other finalists included current Federal Reserve Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, as well as Rick Reid of BlackRock. Bessant recommended four of the five to Trump. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points, and is expected to cut rates only once in 2026. According to the Securities Times, on December 10th local time, the Federal Reserve announced a 25 basis point cut to its benchmark interest rate, from the current 3.75%-4% range to 3.5%-3.75%. This is the Fed's third consecutive rate cut, bringing the cumulative reduction to 75 basis points. In its statement, the Fed said that current indicators show economic activity is expanding at a moderate pace, but job growth has slowed this year, and the unemployment rate rose before September. Recent indicators are consistent with these developments. Notably, significant divisions emerged again among members of the Fed's Monetary Policy Committee in the vote. This marks the third consecutive time that Fed Governor Milan has voted against the cut, and his term expires in January. Schmid voted against the cut for the second consecutive time. Three members voted against the cut, a situation not seen since September 2019. The closely watched "dot plot" of future policy projections shows that the Fed will cut rates only once in 2026 and again in 2027, after which the federal funds rate will reach its long-term target of approximately 3%. These projections are unchanged from the September update, but the charts reflect the internal divisions within the committee regarding the direction of interest rates. In addition to the interest rate decision, the Federal Reserve also announced it would resume purchasing Treasury bonds. Gemini has received approval from the CFTC to enter the prediction market, and may expand into crypto futures, options, and perpetual contracts in the future. According to The Block, cryptocurrency exchange Gemini Space Station, Inc. (ticker symbol GEMI) has received approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Wednesday to operate a designated contract market (DCM) in the prediction market space. In a statement, Gemini said its prediction platform, named "Gemini Titan," will initially offer classic binary event contracts, which "pose simple 'yes or no' questions about future events." In the future, the platform may expand to other derivatives markets under CFTC regulation, such as cryptocurrency futures, options, and perpetual contracts. Opinion Analysis: The Fed's rate cuts and purchases of short-term Treasury bonds are beneficial to the crypto market, but liquidity remains weak at the end of the year. According to options data analyst [email protected], the recently concluded Federal Reserve meeting announced a 25 basis point interest rate cut and the resumption of purchasing $40 billion in short-term U.S. Treasury bonds, releasing a clear dovish signal to replenish liquidity in the financial system, which is beneficial to the market. However, it is still too early to talk about resuming quantitative easing (QE) to restart a bull market. The crypto market has poor liquidity and low market activity as Christmas and the year-end settlement approach, limiting the bullish momentum. Data shows that at the end of December, the cryptocurrency options market had more than 50% of its options positions piled up. The biggest pain point for Bitcoin was the $100,000 psychological level, and for Ethereum it was $3,200. The implied volatility (IV) of major maturities all showed a downward trend this month, indicating that market expectations for volatility this month are gradually weakening. In addition, the Skew indicator continues to be negatively skewed, and the put price is significantly higher than the call price with the same Delta, reflecting a stable market and the dominance of covered call strategies. At the same time, more traders are using put options to hedge against market declines. Overall, the cryptocurrency market is currently experiencing low sentiment and poor liquidity. The options market generally expects a slow decline, but a sudden positive development could trigger a market reversal, although this possibility is low. Related reading: Interview with a cycle research expert: Bitcoin is finding its bottom and will enter its most bullish seasonal period of the year. Bloomberg analyst: BTC may fall below $84,000 by the end of the year; a "Santa Claus rally" is unlikely. According to CoinDesk, FxPro senior market analyst Alex Kuptsikevich stated that since November 21st, BTC has shown a trend of gradually rising local highs and lows, but for the rebound to confirm the start of capitalized growth, the total market capitalization needs to break through $3.32 trillion. Currently, the global cryptocurrency market capitalization is approximately $3.16 trillion, up 2.5% from the beginning of the week, but still below the previous high of $3.21 trillion. According to CoinGlass data, leverage is the main reason for the BTC price decline. In the past 24 hours, $376 million in long positions were forcibly liquidated, nearly three times the amount of short liquidation. Despite the Federal Reserve's announcement of another rate cut on Wednesday, expectations of fewer rate cuts in the next two years have limited market support. QCP Capital predicts that BTC will fluctuate between $84,000 and $100,000 by the end of the year, while Bloomberg analyst Mike McGlone warned that a new "Santa Claus rally" may not occur, and BTC may fall below $84,000 by the end of the year. The market is currently focused on whether BTC can hold the $90,000-$91,000 support zone. A break below this level could test the bottom of the current range, while a hold above it could lead to another challenge of the $94,000 resistance level. Previous reports and analysis suggest the market is awaiting next week's FOMC meeting, with expectations that leadership changes will lead to a more dovish stance. Tom Lee: Ethereum has bottomed out, so BitMine is actively buying in. According to Decrypt, Fundstrat co-founder and BitMine chairman Tom Lee stated in an interview, "BitMine believes Ethereum has bottomed out, and we've more than doubled our Ethereum purchases compared to two weeks ago." Lee and BitMine are more excited about Ethereum's prospects over the next 10 to 15 years, especially given Wall Street's acceptance of the Ethereum network and its role in future finance. He stated, "The reason we're excited about Ethereum is that Wall Street has chosen to use this blockchain to position itself for the future. It started with stablecoins, which was a major 'epiphany' moment for Wall Street… but that was just tokenizing the dollar. Now Wall Street wants to tokenize everything, and they're not building on Bitcoin—they need a smart contract platform." The company has recently significantly increased its Ethereum holdings, purchasing over 138,452 ETH last week, worth approximately $460 million at current prices. This is the largest single transaction since BitMine purchased over 200,000 ETH in October. As of Wednesday, the company held approximately 3.864 million ETH, representing about 3.2% of the circulating Ethereum supply. Powell: The Fed has shifted to a wait-and-see approach; rate hikes are not currently the base case. According to CLS News Agency, on Wednesday, Eastern Time, after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points as expected, Chairman Powell delivered a speech. He stated that current interest rates are at a good level and can cope with changes in the economic outlook, but he did not provide guidance on whether there would be another rate cut in the near future. Powell pointed out, "It is worth noting that since last September, we have cut rates by a total of 175 basis points, including 75 basis points since this September. Currently, the federal funds rate is in a broad range of neutral levels, and we are in a favorable position to wait and see further developments in the economy." He added, "Monetary policy is not a fixed path set in advance; we will make decisions step by step based on the situation at each meeting." Notably, after Powell stated that no one currently considers a rate hike as a basic expectation, the three major US stock indexes began to rebound sharply. Analysts pointed out that Powell's speech undoubtedly relieved traders, who bought stocks in droves. The optimism stemmed from the market's belief that the Fed would not consider raising interest rates, but rather focus on future easing policies, even if such easing may not materialize in the near future. "The Fed's mouthpiece": Three rate cuts have failed to quell internal disputes; the risk of stagflation needs to be guarded against. According to Jinshi News, Nick Timiraos, a well-known voice within the Federal Reserve, recently wrote that while Fed officials cut interest rates for the third consecutive meeting, there is an unusual division within the Fed regarding whether inflation or the job market should be a greater concern. Therefore, officials have hinted at a low willingness to continue cutting rates. Recent public comments from Fed officials indicate a deep division within the committee, to the point that the final decision may depend on how Fed Chairman Powell wants to proceed. Powell's term expires next May, meaning he will only chair the next three interest rate-setting meetings. Strong price pressures coupled with a cooling labor market present the Fed with an unpleasant trade-off, a situation unseen for decades. During the so-called "stagflation" of the 1970s, when officials faced a similar dilemma, the Fed's stop-and-go approach allowed high inflation to take hold. Jonathan Pingle, chief US economist at UBS, stated, "As interest rates approach neutral, with each rate cut you lose more support from participants, and you need data to incentivize those participants to join the majority in implementing rate cuts." Project Updates Since the launch of its buyback program, Pump.fun has repurchased 13.8% of the circulating supply of PUMP tokens. According to SolanaFloor data, Pump.fun's total buyback of PUMP tokens has exceeded $205 million, surpassing Raydium and currently ranking first in cumulative buyback amount among all Solana protocols. In just five months since the buyback began, the project has already repurchased 13.8% of the circulating supply. io.net plans to implement its demand-driven token economy model, "IDE," in Q2 of next year, and has already released a Litepaper. According to official news, io.net, a decentralized AI computing and cloud platform, has released a simplified white paper (Litepaper) for its Incentive Dynamics Engine (IDE). IDE is a demand-driven token economic model for DePIN, replacing the inflation-based token economic model. The white paper introduces a new token economic model designed specifically for io.net, relying on a unique dual-mode to build a healthy and sustainable DePIN network—the Incentive Dynamics Engine (IDE). Currently, the number of IO tokens in circulation under the old incentive mechanism is 300 million. One of the goals of IDE is to gradually reduce at least 50% of these tokens to ensure the healthy and sustainable development of the network. This white paper is part of an iterative process of collecting community feedback. The initial feedback collection phase will begin on December 11, 2025, and end in February of the following year. The final lightweight white paper is planned for release on March 31, with implementation scheduled for the second quarter of 2026. Polygon plans to increase its TPS to 5,000 within the next 6 months and further to 100,000 within 12 to 24 months. Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon and CEO of the Polygon Foundation, stated on the X platform that the recent Madhugiri hard fork of the Polygon chain increased the chain's TPS by 40%, reaching 1,400 transactions per second. The team has developed a clear strategy to increase TPS to 5,000 within the next six months, making Polygon one of the highest throughput chains in the industry. Following this, a second phase will be launched, aiming to increase TPS to 100,000 within 12 to 24 months, making it the preferred chain for global payments. Tether launches AI-assisted health app QVAC Health According to CoinDesk, stablecoin issuer Tether is expanding its business beyond the cryptocurrency space with a privacy-focused health and wellness app. On Wednesday, the company launched QVAC Health, an app built on its AI development platform, designed to give users control over their fitness, nutrition, and biometric data across devices. Tether stated that the app allows users to monitor health data such as pedometer, sleep tracker, and fitness tracking data, storing this data offline and encrypted on their personal devices without being transmitted through commercial servers or collected for advertising purposes. Binance Alpha will list BeatSwap (BTX) According to an official announcement, Binance Alpha will list BeatSwap (BTX) on December 11th. Eligible users can claim the airdrop using Binance Alpha Points on the Alpha event page after trading opens. More details will be announced soon. Web3 game studio ChronoForge will shut down on December 30 due to funding shortages. According to Cointelegraph, Web3 game studio ChronoForge is shutting down after months of operation with a drastically reduced team. This closure highlights the severe financial pressure the Web3 gaming industry is facing during the current market downturn. On Wednesday, the studio announced it would cease all services by December 30th, citing “numerous adverse factors,” including a shortage of funds. Since July, the funding shortage has forced the founders to personally fund development, and the number of employees has been reduced by 80%. The team stated that despite the immense financial pressure, they continued to operate, releasing patches and new features, “despite no marketing budget, revenue below sustaining levels, the loss of co-developers, and extremely poor sentiment in the Web3 gaming market.” ChronoForge was developed by Minted Loot Studios. Its affiliated entity, the Rift Foundation, oversaw the game's tokens and ecosystem. The foundation raised over $3 million through the sale of RIFT tokens to support game development. The project launched in 2022 with its first NFT collection and began early community building work. Meteora disclosed that it invested 10 million USDC in Q4 to buy back 2.3% of the total token supply and launched the Comet Points points system. Solana's ecosystem liquidity protocol, Meteora, announced on the X platform that in the fourth quarter of 2025, it spent 10 million USDC to buy back MET tokens, representing a cumulative buyback of 2.3% of the total supply. Future buybacks will be conducted using a single wallet. Furthermore, Meteora announced the launch of its "Comet Points" points system, where users can earn points by staking MET tokens and using products. Meteora plans to build a "Comet Points" redemption system where users can use points to obtain airdrop/pre-sale eligibility, shop in the off-chain redemption store, and purchase liquidity mining guidance services. Important data Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a total net inflow of $224 million yesterday, with BlackRock's IBIT leading the way with a net inflow of $193 million. According to SoSoValue data, Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a total net inflow of $224 million yesterday (December 10th, Eastern Time). The BlackRock ETF (IBIT) saw the largest single-day net inflow of $193 million, bringing its total historical net inflow to $62.604 billion. The Fidelity ETF (FBTC) followed with a net inflow of $30.5751 million, bringing its total historical net inflow to $12.281 billion. As of press time, the total net asset value of Bitcoin spot ETFs was $122.431 billion, with an ETF net asset value ratio (market capitalization as a percentage of Bitcoin's total market capitalization) of 6.63%, and a cumulative historical net inflow of $57.932 billion. Maggie reduced his long ETH position by 2,100 coins, incurring a loss of $130,000. According to on-chain analyst @ai_9684xtpa, as ETH fell below $3,200, Maji (Huang Licheng) reduced his ETH holdings by 2,100 ETH, incurring a loss of $130,000. Maji's latest liquidation price for his long positions is $3,193.9, which could trigger liquidation at any time. The remaining 9,000 ETH have already incurred a floating loss of $630,000. The Worldcoin team transferred $8.8 million worth of WLD tokens to Coinbase from their wallet 12 hours ago. According to onchainschool.pro, 12 hours ago, the Worldcoin project team wallet transferred $8.8 million worth of WLD tokens to Coinbase. Just four days prior, the same wallet had received $14 million worth of WLD from another team-linked wallet. A certain whale/institution has converted 1,469 BTC into 43,647 ETH in the past two weeks. According to on-chain analyst Ember, a whale/institution has exchanged 1,469 BTC for 43,647 ETH (US$131 million) through THORChain in the past half month, with an average ETH price of US$3,000. The "1011 Insider Whale" has added approximately 19,000 ETH to its long positions, bringing its latest position to 120,000 ETH. According to on-chain analyst @ai_9684xtpa, as ETH briefly fell to the order book level, the "whale that opened short positions after the October 11 flash crash" has completed its trades and added 19,108.69 ETH. Its latest holdings are 120,094.52 ETH, worth $392 million, with an opening price of $3,177.89 and a floating profit of $10.13 million. A new wallet has received another 300 BTC from Galaxy Digital, worth $27.6 million. According to Onchain Lens monitoring, a newly created wallet received an additional 300 BTC from Galaxy Digital, worth $27.6 million. Currently, the wallet holds a total of 1,200 BTC, with a total value of $110.47 million. Lighter surpassed Hyperliquid to take the top spot in 24-hour trading volume on the Perp DEX. According to Cointelegraph, Lighter surpassed Hyperliquid to take the top spot in 24-hour trading volume on the perp DEX, with a volume of $8.83 billion, compared to Hyperliquid's $8.52 billion. The US government transferred 1,934 WETH and 13.58 million BUSD from the FTX Alameda seizure to a new wallet. According to Onchain Lens, the US government has transferred 1,934 WETH (worth $6.43 million) and 13.58 million BUSD from the seized funds of FTX Alameda to a new wallet. Investment and Financing/Acquisition Crypto AI platform Surf raises $15 million, led by Pantera Capital. According to Fortune, Surf, a crypto AI platform, has raised $15 million in funding, led by Pantera Capital with participation from Coinbase Ventures and DCG. Co-founded by former UC Berkeley AI researcher Ryan Li, Surf focuses on providing more accurate and "illusion-free" crypto market analysis. Currently, the platform has over 300,000 users and annual revenue in the millions of dollars, with a target of reaching $10 million by the end of 2026. Surf plans to launch its upgraded model, Surf 2.0, in February 2026, further solidifying its leading position in crypto AI. Stripe acquires Valora wallet team to expand its stablecoin services. According to The Block, payment giant Stripe has expanded its cryptocurrency business by acquiring the team of crypto startup Valora through an "acquisition-style hiring." On Wednesday, Valora founder Jackie Bona announced that the team would join Stripe to pursue its mission of expanding access to the global financial system. Specific terms of the deal, including the number of Valora employees joining Stripe, were not disclosed. According to Bona, the acquisition does not appear to include the intellectual property behind Valora's technology. She wrote that the app will "return to its birthplace, cLabs, to continue operating, with cLabs leading its future development." Launched in 2021, Valora developed a mobile-first, user-controlled cryptocurrency wallet application, specifically for stablecoins on the CELO blockchain. Valora aims to make sending cryptocurrency as simple as sending a text message and has previously partnered with peer-to-peer applications like M-Pesa to expand into the African market and with stablecoin issuer Tether to promote the global adoption of stablecoins. ETHZilla acquires a 15% stake in digital mortgage platform Zippy for approximately $21 million. According to an announcement on ETHZilla's official website, the company acquired a 15% stake in digital mortgage platform Zippy for approximately $21 million and reached an agreement to tokenize manufacturing housing loans as on-chain Real-Wait Investing (RWA). Zippy focuses on the US manufacturing housing market and raises $14 billion annually. This move will expand ETHZilla's RWA strategic footprint. For the next 36 months, Zippy's on-chain operations will exclusively utilize ETHZilla's platforms, including Liquidity.io, which is expected to provide institutional investors with on-chain access to bonds. Institutional holdings American Bitcoin increased its holdings by 416 bitcoins, bringing its total holdings to 4,783 bitcoins. According to PR Newswire, American Bitcoin Corp. (NASDAQ: ABTC) disclosed that its Bitcoin reserves increased to 4,783 as of December 8, a 19.5% increase from November 5. The company also updated its "Satoshis Per Share (SPS)" to 507, a 17.3% increase within the month. Approximately 416 new Bitcoins were added between December 2 and 8, originating from self-mining and strategic purchases; some Bitcoins are in custody or used as collateral for mining equipment purchases with BITMAIN. BlackRock's IBIT transferred 2,100 BTC to Coinbase Prime. According to Solid Intel monitoring, a few minutes ago, BlackRock's Bitcoin spot ETF IBIT transferred a total of 2,100 BTC to Coinbase Prime, valued at approximately $193.9 million at the current price. The transfer was divided into seven transactions, each containing 300 BTC. Exodus sold a total of 245 BTC and 18,517 SOL in November. According to Globenewswire, cryptocurrency wallet company Exodus Movement (NYSE American: EXOD) updated its vault digital asset holdings as of November 30, 2025. As of November 30, 2025, the company held 1,902 BTC, a decrease of 245 BTC from the end of the previous month; 2,802 ETH, an increase of 18 BTC from the end of the previous month; and 31,050 SOL, a decrease of 18,517 SOL from the end of the previous month. Bitmine purchased another 33,504 ETH from FalconX, worth $112 million. According to Onchain Lens, Bitmine has once again purchased 33,504 ETH from FalconX, worth $112 million.

Author: PANews
Gemini Integrates RLUSD on XRP Ledger for Fast, Low-Fee Payments

Gemini Integrates RLUSD on XRP Ledger for Fast, Low-Fee Payments

The post Gemini Integrates RLUSD on XRP Ledger for Fast, Low-Fee Payments appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Gemini Brings RLUSD to the XRP Ledger — A Game-Changer for Payments and XRP Utility Gemini now supports RLUSD on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), bringing near-instant settlements and ultra-low fees, a move with far-reaching implications beyond the headline. What does this mean? Well, a leading U.S. exchange is now settling stablecoins on XRPL, signaling strong confidence in Ripple’s technology.  For users, it means faster, cheaper transactions and seamless settlement, near-instant payments and minimal fees are becoming the new standard in crypto. The real impact lies beneath the surface. Every RLUSD transaction on XRP Ledger taps XRP’s native routing, liquidity, and network reserves. As RLUSD adoption grows, XRP’s utility rises, transforming a simple stablecoin integration into a network-wide efficiency boost. Notably, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse celebrated RLUSD surpassing a $1B market cap, driven by real-world adoption as high-quality collateral on lending platforms. With regulatory approval in key markets like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and DIFC, RLUSD is now poised for global expansion. With Gemini’s support and key regulatory approvals, RLUSD is evolving from a standard stablecoin into a high-quality, versatile financial instrument. Its integration on XRPL showcases Ripple’s network in action: fast, reliable, and cost-efficient settlement for both institutions and retail users. For XRP holders, this drives network demand, boosting XRP’s role as a settlement and liquidity tool. For the broader crypto market, it reinforces XRPL’s position as a leading infrastructure for real-time, low-cost digital payments. Therefore, Gemini’s RLUSD integration marks a leap for the XRP Ledger, turning potential into mainstream adoption. Stablecoin payments are now faster, cheaper, and more powerful, powered by XRP’s liquidity and efficiency. Conclusion Gemini’s RLUSD integration on the XRP Ledger is a milestone for real-world crypto adoption. It enables near-instant, low-cost transactions while leveraging XRP’s liquidity and network power, accelerating mainstream stablecoin use.  With regulatory approvals, a…

Author: BitcoinEthereumNews
The Future of B2B: XOOBAY’s AI & Web3 Marketplace Guarantees Global Trade Profit via Token Rewards

The Future of B2B: XOOBAY’s AI & Web3 Marketplace Guarantees Global Trade Profit via Token Rewards

Hong Kong – XOOBAY, the pioneering Web3 cross-border e-commerce platform, today announced the launch of its revolutionary token incentive model, designed to directly subsidize global buyers and suppliers. By leveraging a single, unified Web3 wallet, XOOBAY is transforming the prohibitive commission structures of Web2 giants into a profit-sharing ecosystem, fundamentally enabling the principle that “the […] The post The Future of B2B: XOOBAY’s AI & Web3 Marketplace Guarantees Global Trade Profit via Token Rewards appeared first on TechBullion.

Author: Techbullion
Gemini Integrates Billion-Dollar RLUSD into XRP Ledger — Faster, Cheaper Settlements Ahead!

Gemini Integrates Billion-Dollar RLUSD into XRP Ledger — Faster, Cheaper Settlements Ahead!

Gemini Brings RLUSD to the XRP Ledger — A Game-Changer for Payments and XRP UtilityGemini now supports RLUSD on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), bringing near-instant settlements and ultra-low fees, a move with far-reaching implications beyond the headline.What does this mean? Well, a leading U.S. exchange is now settling stablecoins on XRPL, signaling strong confidence in Ripple’s technology. For users, it means faster, cheaper transactions and seamless settlement, near-instant payments and minimal fees are becoming the new standard in crypto.The real impact lies beneath the surface. Every RLUSD transaction on XRP Ledger taps XRP’s native routing, liquidity, and network reserves. As RLUSD adoption grows, XRP’s utility rises, transforming a simple stablecoin integration into a network-wide efficiency boost.Notably, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse celebrated RLUSD surpassing a $1B market cap, driven by real-world adoption as high-quality collateral on lending platforms. With regulatory approval in key markets like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and DIFC, RLUSD is now poised for global expansion.With Gemini’s support and key regulatory approvals, RLUSD is evolving from a standard stablecoin into a high-quality, versatile financial instrument. Its integration on XRPL showcases Ripple’s network in action: fast, reliable, and cost-efficient settlement for both institutions and retail users.For XRP holders, this drives network demand, boosting XRP’s role as a settlement and liquidity tool. For the broader crypto market, it reinforces XRPL’s position as a leading infrastructure for real-time, low-cost digital payments.Therefore, Gemini’s RLUSD integration marks a leap for the XRP Ledger, turning potential into mainstream adoption. Stablecoin payments are now faster, cheaper, and more powerful, powered by XRP’s liquidity and efficiency.ConclusionGemini’s RLUSD integration on the XRP Ledger is a milestone for real-world crypto adoption. It enables near-instant, low-cost transactions while leveraging XRP’s liquidity and network power, accelerating mainstream stablecoin use. With regulatory approvals, a $1B market cap, and growing adoption across lending platforms, RLUSD shows that fast, efficient digital payments are no longer the future, they’re here. For XRP, this means higher network activity, increased demand, and a clear step toward becoming the backbone of modern financial infrastructure

Author: Coinstats
BSP cuts policy rate to 4.5%, lowest in over three years

BSP cuts policy rate to 4.5%, lowest in over three years

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Thursday lowered its benchmark policy rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.5%, marking lowest level in more than three years. The Monetary Board lowered its benchmark lending rate by 25 bps for a fifth straight meeting. At 4.5%, this is the lowest target reverse repurchase rate since […]

Author: Bworldonline
Top 8 Web3 Smart Contract Auditing Firms for 2026

Top 8 Web3 Smart Contract Auditing Firms for 2026

If you are asking yourself who the best Web3 smart contract auditors are, it requires looking past brand familiarity and examining measurable output: which firms repeatedly secure high-value protocols, publish meaningful research, and demonstrate clear technical depth across complex systems.  The organizations in this ranking were selected because they appear

Author: Thenewscrypto