Crypto Breaking

Block’s Square unit is quietly expanding Bitcoin acceptance at its point-of-sale terminals across the United States. The rollout, described by Miles Suter, Block’s Bitcoin product lead, as an automatic feature for eligible US merchants, begins today and will ramp up over the coming weeks. The move marks a tangible step toward treating Bitcoin as everyday money in commerce, with cash-like clarity for merchants and customers alike.

Under the new program, eligible US sellers will have Bitcoin payments enabled by default. When customers pay in BTC, merchants will receive US dollars by default, and they will also have the option to automatically stack Bitcoin from daily sales. Square said the system converts transactions instantly to cash at checkout, eliminates extra setup for merchants, and promises near-instant settlement. Importantly, merchants do not need to hold Bitcoin themselves, and Square is waiving processing fees through 2026. The feature does not currently extend to New York, with verification requirements in place for eligible merchants. Square first sketched out this rollout in May, signaling a broader strategy to normalize Bitcoin in everyday retail flows.

Block’s leadership highlighted the effort as part of a broader push to integrate Bitcoin into conventional commerce. In a post on X, Suter described the feature as a step toward “Bitcoin as everyday money,” while Jack Dorsey—an early advocate of Bitcoin—reposted the update. Square’s plan aims to enable millions of businesses to accept Bitcoin without the typical custody and volatility friction that has historically deterred merchants from adopting crypto payments. By design, the system keeps Bitcoin away from the merchant’s balance sheet, converting receipts to USD and delivering cash-like settlement promptly.

From a risk and cost perspective, the arrangement is notable for its simplicity and potential to unlock new liquidity channels for merchants who want exposure to Bitcoin without taking on balance-sheet obligations. The company’s messaging emphasizes that, despite the Bitcoin payments option, merchants are not required to hold BTC, and there will be zero processing fees through 2026. The rollout aligns with Block’s broader belief that Bitcoin can function as a reliable form of everyday money in a retail setting, a philosophy echoed by other fintechs and traditional finance players exploring crypto-backed credit and payment rails.

Block’s balance sheet and Bitcoin footprint add another layer of context to this rollout. According to BitcoinTreasuries.net, Block ranks as the 14th-largest publicly traded holder of Bitcoin, holding 8,883 BTC on its balance sheet, with an average cost per coin around $32,939. This position underscores Block’s willingness to align its corporate strategy with Bitcoin exposure as the payments giant tests consumer-facing use cases that could broaden BTC’s merchant and consumer footprint over time.

Key takeaways

Square begins automatic Bitcoin payments at its U.S. point-of-sale terminals for eligible merchants, with USD payouts by default and a phased rollout expected to complete within the month, including a target of all Square merchants by Nov. 10.

The feature promises instant conversion to cash at checkout, near-instant settlement, no extra merchant setup, and zero processing fees through 2026, while allowing merchants to opt to stack Bitcoin from daily sales.

Block sits among the largest corporate Bitcoin holders with 8,883 BTC, placing it as the 14th-largest publicly traded holder, according to BitcoinTreasuries.net, and illustrating a strategic alignment between its payments business and digital-asset exposure.

The broader Bitcoin-adoption trend continues to expand beyond payments into lending and credit, with major fintechs and traditional lenders piloting BTC-backed financing and crypto-collateral programs that could reshape how users access liquidity and funding.

Square’s rollout and its implications for merchants

At its core, Square’s initiative lowers a number of traditional barriers to crypto acceptance. Merchants will not need to manage private keys, wallets, or crypto custody. Instead, the system handles the integration, converts BTC to USD at the point of sale, and settles funds into conventional cash flows with minimal delay. The approach mirrors a broader trend in which crypto rails are being repurposed to improve merchant cash flow and reduce friction for everyday commerce.

From a strategic standpoint, the move could act as a proving ground for broader merchant adoption of Bitcoin payments, especially if the model proves scalable across varying industries and geographies within the United States. While the NY exclusion remains a procedural note, early adopters may serve as a bellwether for how merchants perceive Bitcoin’s role in cash flow management and consumer payments. The emphasis on automatic enabling, zero fees through 2026, and optional Bitcoin stacking is designed to give merchants confidence that cryptos can function as a financial feature rather than a speculative risk on their balance sheets.

Industry observers will be watching closely to see whether consumer demand aligns with merchant uptake. If customers increasingly prefer to pay with BTC, the combination of instant settlement and streamlined processing could create a feedback loop that nudges more merchants to participate, potentially accelerating Bitcoin’s merchant utility beyond a niche use case.

Bitcoin-backed lending and the widening financial web

The Square development sits within a larger wave in which Bitcoin is increasingly woven into credit and financing infrastructures. In January, Nexo rolled out a zero-interest lending product that allows holders of BTC and ETH to borrow against their assets through fixed-term, predefined repayment schedules. The offering previously existed in a more limited form within private and OTC channels, and Nexo reported that it facilitated more than $140 million in borrowing in 2025.

Also in January, Coinbase reintroduced Bitcoin-backed loans in the United States, enabling users to borrow up to $100,000 in USDC against BTC held on the platform. In February, Kraken followed suit with fixed-rate crypto loans for Pro users, offering loans collateralized by digital assets at 10%–25% APR for terms up to two years. These moves highlight a broader willingness among crypto and traditional finance platforms to leverage crypto holdings as adaptable collateral and liquidity sources.

Beyond crypto-native platforms, banks and lenders are experimenting with crypto-backed credit in more conventional forms. Rate, a US mortgage lender, launched a program that allows borrowers to use verified cryptocurrency holdings to meet underwriting requirements without liquidating assets. And recently, Coinbase and Better Home & Finance introduced a structure enabling borrowers to pledge crypto as collateral for down payments on mortgages aligned with Fannie Mae standards. Taken together, these developments signal a convergence of crypto capital markets with mainstream lending, potentially expanding access to capital for crypto holders while introducing new risk management and regulatory considerations for lenders and borrowers alike.

What these developments suggest is a market-wide tilt toward treating Bitcoin and other digital assets as usable financial tools—collateral, collateral-backed credit, and even everyday payment rails—rather than solely as stores of value or speculative instruments. For investors and builders, the trajectory indicates increasing demand for robust, regulated, and user-friendly interfaces that bridge crypto assets with conventional financial products, plus ongoing scrutiny from regulators as products scale.

Looking ahead, observers will want to see how Square’s merchants respond in the next cycle of adoption, whether more payment processors adopt similar automatic BTC features, and how state regulations—especially in jurisdictions excluded from early access—shape the pace of rollout. The broader question remains: can Bitcoin payments become a reliable everyday utility for mainstream merchants, and will lenders’ willingness to extend credit against crypto tighten or loosen as the ecosystem matures?

As the market tests these rails, readers should monitor both merchant feedback and the evolving regulatory landscape to gauge how quickly crypto-enabled payments and credit lines might become mainstream components of everyday finance.

This article was originally published as Square unveils instore Bitcoin payments for eligible U.S. merchants on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

This bulletin previews a market-wide snapshot and notable moves in the crypto space as macro and regulatory developments influence sentiment. The release reports that crypto assets declined to multi-week lows amid higher oil prices, rising bond yields, and a hawkish stance from policymakers, while traders monitor upcoming US payroll data. Despite the broader decline, Chiliz (CHZ) posted a sizable weekly gain tied to fan-token momentum ahead of the FIFA World Cup and a deflationary mechanism. The document also notes progress on US stablecoin regulation, the expansion of tokenised ETFs by Franklin Templeton, and leadership changes in crypto policy circles.

Key points

Crypto assets declined to multi-week lows as macro pressures and rising yields weighed on risk assets.

Chiliz (CHZ) surged about 27% on renewed fan-token activity ahead of the FIFA World Cup, aided by a deflationary buyback/burn mechanism.

The CLARITY Act progressed with an agreement in principle on stablecoin yield provisions, restricting passive yields while allowing activity-based rewards; the committee targets mid-April for markup.

Franklin Templeton and Ondo Finance announced tokenised ETFs spanning US equities, gold, and fixed income, accessible via wallets and tradable 24/7 across multiple regions.

David Sacks stepped down as White House AI and Crypto Czar after a 130-day term, moving to a co-chair role at the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

Why it matters

The mix of macro pressure, regulatory exploration, and product innovation helps frame short-term crypto volatility and potential policy direction. CHZ’s rally shows tokenomics and fan engagement can influence prices even in a broad downturn. Regulatory advances around stablecoins and the growth of tokenised ETFs point to evolving infrastructure and adoption, while leadership changes in policy circles may affect the trajectory of US crypto oversight in the near term.

What to watch

Upcoming US non-farm payrolls and unemployment data.

Mid-April markup for the CLARITY Act and any regulatory refinements.

Rollout details and market reception for Franklin Templeton’s tokenised ETFs via Ondo Finance.

CHZ price action and fan-token activity ahead of major events.

Disclosure: The content below is a press release provided by the company or its PR representative. It is published for informational purposes.

Crypto markets hit multi-week lows amid macro pressure and regulatory developments

Abu Dhabi, UAE – March 30, 2026: Crypto markets declined to multi-week lows this week, as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East dampened investor confidence and triggered a broader risk-off sentiment across global markets.

Simon Peters Crypto Analyst Etoro

According to Simon Peters, Crypto Analyst at eToro, rising oil prices have led traders and investors to scale back expectations for interest rate cuts this year. “Bond yields have been climbing, with the benchmark 10-year US Treasury returning to levels last seen in July 2025, adding further pressure on risk assets, including crypto,” he said.

Looking ahead, markets are closely watching the upcoming US non-farm payrolls and unemployment data. Peters noted that regardless of the outcome, volatility may persist. “A strong labour market could reinforce a hawkish Federal Reserve stance, while weaker data may heighten stagflation concerns—both scenarios potentially prompting further rotation out of risk assets,” he added.

Chiliz (CHZ) Surges on World Cup Momentum

Despite the broader downturn, Chiliz (CHZ) emerged as one of the week’s top performers, rising 27%. The move is largely attributed to renewed speculation around fan token activity ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

Chiliz, the company behind Socios.com, operates a blockchain-based fan engagement and rewards platform. The recent introduction of a deflationary mechanism—where 10% of fan token sales revenue is used to buy back and burn CHZ—may continue to support price growth as the ecosystem expands.

CLARITY Act Advances in the US

On the regulatory front, the proposed CLARITY Act saw a significant breakthrough, with an agreement in principle reached between the White House and key US Senators regarding stablecoin yield provisions.

The latest draft prohibits passive yield on stablecoin balances, limiting direct competition with traditional bank deposits, while still allowing rewards linked to specific activities such as payments and trading.

Senator Tim Scott, Chair of the Senate Banking Committee, confirmed that bipartisan support is in place, with further discussions ongoing with industry stakeholders. The Committee is targeting the second half of April for markup, after which the bill would need to be reconciled with existing legislation before proceeding to a full Senate vote.

With US midterm elections approaching, pressure is mounting to advance the legislation swiftly.

Franklin Templeton Expands into Tokenised ETFs

Institutional adoption of blockchain technology continues to accelerate, with Franklin Templeton announcing a partnership with Ondo Finance to launch tokenised versions of its exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

The initial rollout will include five ETFs covering US equities, gold, and fixed income. These tokenised assets will be accessible via crypto wallets and tradeable 24/7 across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Following the announcement, Ondo Finance’s native token (ONDO) rose to a weekly high before retracing in line with broader market declines.

Leadership Shift in US Crypto Policy

In parallel, David Sacks has stepped down from his role as White House AI and Crypto Czar after completing his 130-day term. During his tenure, Sacks played a key role in advancing the GENIUS Act, which established a regulatory framework for stablecoins in the US.

He also supported initiatives including the creation of a strategic bitcoin reserve and a digital asset stockpile. Sacks will now serve as co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

This article was originally published as Crypto markets dip to multi-week lows amid macro pressure and regulation on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Bitcoin’s purpose and value proposition are once again under the microscope as veteran crypto commentator Ran Neuner weighs the asset’s enduring narrative. In a recent Cointelegraph interview, Neuner candidly questions Bitcoin’s core identity, admitting he struggles to articulate a clear reason for people to buy it at this moment.

“I don’t know how to answer that question. That’s the problem,” he said, underscoring what he describes as an ongoing identity crisis for the flagship cryptocurrency. Once pitched as peer-to-peer money and later reframed as digital gold, Bitcoin’s alignment with traditional stores of value has become less straightforward in the current cycle, prompting questions about what truly drives its value. “And so the biggest crisis that I have at the moment is justifying to myself what Bitcoin is and where Bitcoin derives its value from,” Neuner added.

Rather than chasing bold price forecasts, Neuner argues that investors should abandon directionally guessing the market and instead build data-driven theses that incorporate risk management. The conversation soon widens into macro territory, where broader economic forces appear to shape crypto markets just as much as on-chain data.

“I don’t know how to answer that question. That’s the problem.”

Neuner points to a confluence of macro factors as the real market-moving forces behind crypto activity. He notes that developments such as the ongoing tensions related to Iran, shifts in oil prices, and inflation patterns are actively shaping market behavior. In his view, capital flows—rather than headlines—offer a more reliable signal in an information environment that is increasingly distorted.

Looking ahead, Neuner sketches a provocative scenario in which artificial intelligence agents transact autonomously, potentially birthing a new digital economy built on crypto infrastructure. While speculative, the idea underscores a broader theme: the crypto market may be evolving toward deeper automation and decentralization in how value is exchanged.

Key takeaways

Bitcoin’s core identity remains contested, with observers noting it has drifted from its original narratives and has not always tracked traditional stores of value in recent cycles.

Investors should shift from price guessing to constructing data-driven theses and formal risk controls, according to Neuner.

Macro dynamics—such as geopolitical tensions, energy prices, and inflation—are increasingly influential in crypto market behavior, with capital flows highlighted as a more reliable signal than headlines.

The future could see AI-enabled agents participating in crypto-enabled transactions, signaling a potential shift toward autonomous, infrastructure-driven digital economies.

Bitcoin’s narrative in flux and what it means for traders

The interview frames Bitcoin not merely as a price instrument but as a durable question about what it stands for in a world where macro volatility and information asymmetry are amplified. Neuner’s stance reflects a broader industry debate: can Bitcoin reassert a unique value proposition, or will it remain a continuously evolving hypothesis about digital scarcity and trust in a rapidly changing financial system?

From forecasts to evidence: building resilient theses

Rather than chasing cyclical highs or defending specific targets, Neuner advocates for building investment theses that are testable against data and embedded with downside protection. In practice, this means focusing on long-run adoption signals, network health, and the interplay between traditional finance and crypto liquidity, rather than sensational short-term moves.

Macro signals and the crypto market’s direction

The conversation highlights that external forces—geopolitics, energy markets, and inflation—play a decisive role in shaping crypto flows. In a landscape where information can be noisy or distorted, watching capital allocation and cross-asset correlations may offer clearer directional cues than headlines alone.

A potential future: autonomous crypto-based commerce

Neuner’s speculative outlook envisions AI-driven agents that transact autonomously, leveraging crypto rails to execute and settle deals. While not a concrete forecast, the idea aligns with ongoing trends toward automation, programmable money, and the broader push to embed crypto infrastructure within everyday digital commerce.

For readers tracking the evolving crypto narrative, the conversation underscores a simple takeaway: the market’s next phase may hinge less on price bets and more on how convincingly Bitcoin and related ecosystems demonstrate intrinsic value amid macro shifts and technological advances.

Stay tuned for more insights as market participants weigh whether Bitcoin can reframe its value proposition and how the integration of automation and AI might reshape the crypto economy in years to come.

This article was originally published as Ran Neuner Questions Bitcoin’s Identity, Crypto Narrative Shifts on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

How experienced AI services professionals think about positioning, pricing, and execution. Why most people never reach $10K/month and how to immediately jump ahead of the curve.

The tactics in Parts 1-3 are foundational. But tactics don’t close deals. Frameworks close deals. A framework is the mental model that shapes how you position solutions, how you communicate value, and how you navigate objections.

The difference between professionals earning $2,000 monthly and those hitting $20,000+ is not superior technical skills. It’s that they’ve internalized these five frameworks and apply them consistently to every conversation.

Framework 1: Sell Problems, Not Solutions

Nobody cares about your technology stack. They don’t want to hear about n8n, Make, Zapier, or Claude. They care that their receptionist drowns in calls, leads evaporate when unanswered, proposals consume three hours, or data lives in scattered systems.

The professional approach: diagnose the problem. Quantify its cost. Then present the fix. The tooling is irrelevant.

Example: Instead of ‘I build AI automation using n8n,’ say: ‘You’re losing 15 leads monthly because nobody answers the phone on job sites. That’s $75,000 in lost annual revenue. I built a system for three other contractors where every lead gets a response within 60 seconds. It costs $400/month and typically pays for itself in one week.’

Notice the difference? The second approach is diagnostic. It’s specific to their business. It’s quantified. It doesn’t mention a single tool. This closes deals. The first approach doesn’t.

Framework 2: Amplification, Not Replacement

The moment you suggest replacing someone, the conversation ends. Business owners value their teams. Nobody wants to fire people. When you shift the framing, psychology changes completely.

Bad framing: ‘This replaces your admin. She’ll be able to focus on higher-value work.’ Translation in their mind: ‘You want to eliminate my admin.’

Good framing: ‘This makes your admin 3x more productive. Instead of managing cold leads and data entry, she’s handling real customer relationships where her judgment actually matters.’ Translation: ‘Your admin just became way more valuable to your business.’

Same outcome. Completely different psychology. One closes. One doesn’t. This is the difference between a conversation that ends in Let me think about it and one that ends in a signed contract.

Framework 3: Make Value Visible

Invisible automation gets questioned and cancelled. Clients forget it exists. At month three, they question the retainer. Are we still using that system?

Visible automation gets renewed and referred. Build simple interfaces. Show dashboards with real metrics. 107 leads processed this month. 94 qualified and followed up within 60 seconds. 23 turned into meetings. Let clients click and watch systems execute.

The dashboard doesn’t need to be sophisticated. It needs to show what’s happening. Create a simple Google Sheet showing daily metrics. Email it weekly. Screenshot and post on social media. When value becomes tangible, it becomes undeniable.

Invisible systems disappear in client minds. Visible systems become indispensable.

Framework 4: Speed to Learning Over Perfection

Most professionals spend three weeks perfecting a system before deploying to clients. They want it flawless. They want to impress with sophistication. This is a mistake.

Ship the minimal viable solution. Get real feedback. Iterate with the client. You earn the right to build complex systems by first reliably delivering simple ones.

This has three benefits: First, you start generating revenue faster. Second, you learn what clients actually need rather than what you imagined they need. Third, clients feel ownership. When they participated in building the solution, they don’t want to get rid of it.

Perfect is the enemy of deployed. Deployed is the path to revenue.

Framework 5: Communication Is Your Moat

As AI commoditizes technical execution, whoever translates technology into business outcomes wins. Technical skills are becoming irrelevant. Communication skills are becoming everything.

The professional who sits across from a business owner and makes them feel genuinely understood—that’s the moat. Not your code. Not your automations. Your capacity to listen, diagnose, and explain complex things in simple language.

This is why industry-specific knowledge matters more than AI expertise. A person who knows real estate inside and out but is learning AI will outperform an AI expert who doesn’t understand real estate. The former can communicate. The latter can’t.

Invest in becoming genuinely knowledgeable about your chosen industry. Learn their language. Understand their workflows. Sit with them and ask questions until you could sell their products if you wanted to. That knowledge becomes your unfair advantage.

How These Frameworks Work Together

You walk into a real estate office. You diagnose the problem: agents waste 2 hours daily on administrative work. That’s $100,000 in productivity annually (Framework 1).

You position the solution: agents become 3x more productive, focusing on actual deals instead of paperwork (Framework 2).

You promise a dashboard showing hours saved weekly (Framework 3).

You ship the MVP in week one, not after three weeks of perfectionism (Framework 4).

You speak fluent real estate. You understand their day. You’ve spent time in their world (Framework 5).

The deal closes. The system delivers. The client refers you to three other agents. The cycle repeats. This is how $20,000 monthly becomes achievable.

Your Next Move

Pick one service model from Part 2. Pick one sales method from Part 3. Choose one unsexy industry. Execute against these frameworks consistently for 30 days.

You don’t need massive marketing budgets. You don’t need a huge social following. You needn’t be a technical genius.

You need to find businesses with expensive problems, prove you solve them, and make that value visible and undeniable.

The AI services market represents the most accessible major opportunity most professionals will encounter in their careers. The intelligence gap—the distance between early adopters and everyone else—is unprecedented. And it’s not closing anytime soon.

The question isn’t whether the opportunity exists. The question is whether you’ll execute against it.

This concludes the four-part series on The AI Services Opportunity. Start with Part 1 to understand the market gap. Use Parts 2-4 as your operational playbook.

This article was originally published as The Five Frameworks That Actually Close Deals on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Die Zukunft der Politik ist weiterhin unklar

Bei der zweiten Sitzung in Folge hielt die Federal Reserve die Zinssätze stabil bei 3,5 % bis 3,75 %. Diese Entscheidung führte dazu, dass Aktien und digitale Vermögenswerte instabil wurden. Auch einige große Banken änderten ihre Prognosen, was die Erwartungen an eine Lockerung zurückdrängte. Steigende Ölpreise wirken sich weiterhin auf die Inflationserwartungen und politische Entscheidungen aus. Der Preis für Brent-Rohöl stieg auf fast 115 $, was die wirtschaftliche Perspektive verschlechterte. Powell sagte jedoch, dass es kurzfristige Risiken für die Inflation gibt, aber er spielte die Sorgen über eine langfristige Stagflation herunter.

BitGo has expanded Canton Coin coverage to include trading and settlement on top of its custody offering, marking a notable step in the development of institutional-grade rails for tokenized assets. The move positions BitGo among the first US-regulated providers to bundle custody, over-the-counter trading, and on-chain settlement for Canton Coin within a single platform.

BitGo had already added Canton Coin custody in October, enabling institutions to hold the asset with a qualified custodian. The latest update lets clients trade Canton Coin electronically or through BitGo’s OTC desk, and settles transactions directly on the Canton Network, bringing on-chain finality to institutional workflows.

Key takeaways

BitGo now offers custody, OTC trading, and on-chain settlement for Canton Coin in a single platform, a relatively rare bundled offering among US-regulated providers.

Canton Coin’s market capitalization sits around $6 billion, according to CoinMarketCap data, underscoring growing institutional interest in tokenized assets.

The Canton Network is designed for institutional adoption, emphasizing privacy and compliance features in its architecture.

US regulatory momentum—such as the GENIUS Act for stablecoins and prospects for broader crypto market structure legislation—could accelerate institutional participation in digital assets.

Industry players including Fireblocks and JPMorgan are pursuing parallel tokenized settlement rails, signaling a broader push toward regulated on-chain settlement for tokenized finance.

BitGo’s integrated Canton Coin offering marks a milestone for tokenized rails

BitGo’s Monday announcement frames the expansion as part of a broader push to bring traditional-market workflows into the digital-asset space. By enabling electronic trading and on-chain settlement alongside custody, Canton Coin can now circulate with a level of operational parity with conventional securities and cash markets. BitGo notes that this integrated approach mirrors how institutional desks execute and settle trades in traditional asset venues, a shift that could reduce friction for institutions evaluating Canton Coin exposure.

The development also reflects Canton Coin’s growing role in a sector-wide movement toward tokenized finance. Canton Coin is the utility token of the Canton Network, a layer-1 blockchain developed by Digital Asset aimed at regulated use cases. The network’s design prioritizes privacy and compliance, features that many banks and institutions say are prerequisites for broad adoption of on-chain settlement and asset issuance. CoinMarketCap data indicate Canton Coin’s market cap near $6 billion, a sign of notable market interest in tokenized rails built for institutions.

Industry observers have pointed to parallel efforts by other major players to build regulated on-chain settlement, including Fireblocks’ work with the Canton Network. A related report highlighted Fireblocks’ integration as part of expanding regulated tokenization and settlement rails, illustrating a pattern where custody, trading, and settlement increasingly converge in a single ecosystem for institutional users. Fireblocks integrates Canton Network for regulated on-chain settlement.

Institutional adoption accelerates amid regulatory momentum

The broader context shows rising institutional interest in digital assets, supported by policy and regulatory developments in the United States. A 70-page Coinbase report released in December described institutional adoption approaching an inflection point, citing evolving legislation and policy frameworks that could accelerate involvement from traditional finance players. In particular, the GENIUS Act on stablecoins and potential progress on a broader crypto market structure bill were highlighted as potential accelerants for institutional participation.

Meanwhile, a January Binance Research report echoed the sentiment, noting that institutional capital is playing an increasingly prominent role in digital asset markets and that activity has shifted away from retail-driven trading in certain segments. Together, these assessments frame a market where infrastructure providers—custodians, trading desks, and settlement rails—are actively building the plumbing that could support greater institutional issuance and activity.

BitGo’s Canton Coin expansion sits squarely at that intersection of infrastructure and adoption. It signals a tangible step toward the kind of end-to-end solutions institutions are increasingly asking for: custody that is trustworthy and compliant, trading venues that operate with the speed and transparency of traditional markets, and settlement rails that complete on-chain transactions securely and efficiently.

As Canton Coin and similar tokenized assets gain traction, expect continued experimentation around who offers what combination of services, how settlement finality is achieved, and how regulators respond to on-chain processes in regulated contexts. The coming quarters will likely reveal whether a handful of platform-level ecosystems can become the de facto rails for institutional tokenization, or if a fragmented landscape prevails with competing standards and interoperability requirements.

What remains uncertain is how quickly broader market participants will migrate liquidity onto these rails and how regulators will address on-chain settlement in practice. Investors and institutions should watch for further moves from custodians and trading desks, updates on cross-chain interoperability, and any official guidance that clarifies the pathway for regulated tokenized assets to scale in real-world use cases.

This article was originally published as BitGo Adds Canton Coin Trading and On-Chain Settlement on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Geopolitics and energy constraints shaped Bitcoin’s landscape in March as a notable drop in hashrate coincided with a geopolitical flare-up tied to Iran. Analysts estimated Iran accounts for a meaningful slice of global mining activity, with some figures placing it around 6–8% of hashrate, while military-linked operations reportedly account for a large portion of mining. Following a late-February cross-border operation involving the United States and Israel, the network’s total hashrate slid about 6% over the month, underscoring how disruptions to energy infrastructure and competing strategic priorities can ripple into crypto production.

Against this backdrop, Bitcoin’s price movement remained muted. Bitcoin traded near the $67,000 level as five-year U.S. Treasury yields rose roughly 4% in March, sharpening a risk-off mood and encouraging cash preservation among traders. In parallel, the ecosystem’s appetite for crypto-native forecasting marketplaces surged, with March transactions on prediction platforms hitting a record pace of about 192 million—an uptick of 24% from February and a staggering 2,880% year over year, highlighting a growing, crypto-adjacent activity thread even as regulatory headwinds persist.

Beyond price and hashrate, drivers of liquidity shifted toward euro-denominated stablecoins. A March report found that euro-backed stablecoins now account for about 85% of non-dollar stablecoin transfer volume, with participation by users also concentrated in euros (roughly 78%). The shift is widely interpreted as institutional comfort with euro-pegged coins growing under the Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, which has elevated regulatory clarity for euro-focused crypto liquidity.

On the corporate side of the crypto economy, Robinhood’s stock price weakened in March, sliding about 16% as uncertainty around new regulatory regimes and softer crypto trading revenues weighed on sentiment. The company’s crypto business has faced headwinds in recent quarters, with reports indicating a notable year-over-year decline in crypto-related revenue and app volumes. In response, Robinhood announced a $1.5 billion stock buyback program to be executed over the next three years, a move aimed at bolstering investor confidence amid a broader market pullback.

Within the alt-crypto strategies space, Strategy reported an 11% drawdown on its Bitcoin holdings for March, with an average entry cost near $75,669 and Bitcoin trading around $67,800 at the time of writing. Yet the firm pressed on with purchases, revealing two substantial Beaufort-style adds in March—about 17,994 BTC on March 9 and 22,337 BTC on March 16, totaling roughly $2.7 billion at the relevant prices. Financing these acquisitions, Strategy has leaned on high-yield stock issuances such as Stretch (STRC) to avoid diluting its primary common shares. Chairman Michael Saylor has highlighted that retail investors make up a large share of STRC buyers, framing the instruments as a way to access high-yield digital credit with relatively low volatility.

Key takeaways

Bitcoin’s hashrate declined about 6% in March, reflecting Iran’s pivotal yet strained role as a mining hub amid energy and security pressures following the February operation against Iran.

The BTC price hovered near $67,000 as five-year U.S. Treasury yields rose around 4% for the month, contributing to a cautious risk posture among traders.

Prediction markets posted a record March, with roughly 192 million transactions—up 24% from February and about 2,880% year over year—indicating rising interest in crypto-native forecasting tools.

Euro-stablecoins now dominate non-dollar liquidity, accounting for about 85% of non-dollar stablecoin transfer volume, with strong user participation, aided by MiCA-aligned regulatory clarity.

Robinhood’s stock weakness continued into March amid crypto-revenue headwinds, even as the firm advanced a sizable buyback. Strategy’s ongoing BTC accumulation remained sizable but came with an 11% month-long drawdown on holdings.

Hashrate, geopolitics, and the mining cliff

March’s mining dynamics underscored how geopolitical shocks can directly influence the security and economics of Bitcoin’s network. The U.S.–Israel operation in Iran, dubbed by some observers as a pivotal event for regional stability, coincided with a sustained drag on Iran’s mining capacity. Bloomberg’s crypto and digital assets coverage has highlighted Iran as a major mining contributor—estimated at roughly 6–8% of global hashrate—with a large portion of mining activity tied to state or military entities. When energy infrastructure is strained or redirected toward defense, the country’s ability to sustain large-scale Bitcoin mining tightens, creating ripples across the global hashrate figure and potentially affecting network difficulty and block times in the near term.

As miners contend with energy constraints and shifting priorities, the broader mining landscape remains sensitive to policy and geopolitical developments. The global network’s resilience, measured by hashrate, continues to reflect a balance between mining economics, energy costs, and regulatory conditions across jurisdictions. While the immediate impact is a modest hashrate pull for March, it is a reminder of how external forces ultimately shape Bitcoin’s security fabric and the distribution of mining power around the world.

Macro currents, markets, and the march of crypto demand

Bitcoin’s price path in March did not showcase a strong breakout even as macro conditions shifted. The yield curve’s repricing—five-year Treasuries climbing toward a 4% monthly gain—fed a preference for cash or less risky yield assets, weighing on new capital inflows into high-volatility assets like BTC. The combination of macro pressure, a cautious risk stance, and a sense of regulatory caution contributed to a lack of sustained upside for Bitcoin during the month. Yet, the same environment also drew attention to non-price-driven activity, such as prediction markets, where participants speculate on outcomes across events and often use these markets as hedges against broader macro risk. The March surge in such activity indicates a growing appetite for crypto-native financial primitives beyond spot and futures trading.

Stablecoins, MiCA, and strategic balance sheets

The euro-dominated stablecoin footprint—now representing about 85% of non-dollar stablecoin volume and a dominant share of participant activity—reflects a notable shift in liquidity preferences. The trend is closely tied to regulatory clarity introduced by the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, which has elevated institutional comfort with euro-pegged tokens and cross-border use cases. Market participants point to MiCA as a catalyst for more predictable, compliant stablecoin operations, encouraging institutions to integrate euro-denominated liquidity into their crypto rails while reducing some of the regulatory ambiguities that previously constrained non-dollar activity.

On the corporate side, Robinhood’s ongoing struggle with crypto trading revenue underscores the challenge of sustaining a diversified platform in a regulatory-tightening environment. The firm’s decision to deploy a $1.5 billion buyback program signals an attempt to shore up equity value despite a softening revenue trajectory. Meanwhile, Strategy’s Bitcoin program continues to reflect a high-stakes approach to crypto accumulation, funded through high-yield instruments that offer an alternate route to expand BTC holdings without diluting existing equity. The company’s commentary on STRC buyers—where a large portion are retail investors—frames a broader narrative about retail participation in crypto-linked structures and the perceived advantages of branded digital credit offerings in volatile markets.

What to watch next is how MiCA’s rollout further shapes non-dollar liquidity and whether tail risks—ranging from geopolitical shifts to regulatory changes—alter the trajectory of euro-stablecoins and related market activity. Additionally, with prediction markets facing ongoing regulatory scrutiny at the state and federal levels, observers will be watching for any concrete moves that could curb or clarify their role in the broader financial ecosystem.

Markets continue to react to a blend of macro signals, geopolitical developments, and evolving regulatory regimes. The coming weeks will be telling for Bitcoin’s leadership in a climate where liquidity, risk appetite, and institutional confidence are being recalibrated in near real time.

Readers should stay tuned for updates on Iran’s energy and mining dynamics, the pace of MiCA implementation and its practical impact on euro-denominated liquidity, and the evolving regulatory stance on prediction markets in U.S. states. These factors will help determine whether the current risk-off tone persists or shifts toward renewed crypto demand driven by macro reorientation and regulatory clarity.

This article was originally published as Bitcoin Hashrate Dips After Iran Tensions; HOOD Down 16% This Month on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Binance kündigt heute den Beta-Start von Binance Ai Pro an, einem KI-Agenten, der workflow-orientierte Handelsunterstützung zu seinem KI-Toolkit hinzufügt. Die Funktion ermöglicht es den Benutzern, ihre eigenen Handelsparameter zu konfigurieren, während die KI die Ausführung und Routineoperationen übernimmt, mit einer Aktivierung, die ab dem 25. März 2026, 7:00 Uhr UTC verfügbar ist. Ein dediziertes virtuelles Unterkonto wird erstellt und mit einem API-Schlüssel verknüpft, isoliert vom Hauptkonto und ohne Abhebeberechtigungen, um das Risiko zu begrenzen. Basierend auf dem OpenClaw-Ökosystem und angetrieben von mehreren KI-Engines verbindet Binance Ai Pro KI-Fähigkeiten und externe LLM-Tools, um Forschung, Marktüberwachung und automatisierten Handel über Plattformen hinweg zu unterstützen. Benutzerfeedback ist eingeladen, zukünftige Verbesserungen zu gestalten.

A pair of industry voices argue that Web3 payment rails could redefine financial inclusion for women creators, offering a path around the gatekeeping that has long constrained access to banking and capital. In their view, crypto-based revenue infrastructure can turn creativity into a globally scalable, permissionless endeavor, especially for those in emerging markets who rely on online work as their primary income.

The authors contend that traditional finance underestimates or misclassifies the earnings of women creators—often treating them as non-standard income with limited collateral. They point to broader systemic barriers, including unequal venture-capital funding and credit scoring models, that continue to suppress women-led ventures. Axios data cited in the discussion notes that only a small share of 2024 VC funding went to female-founded companies, underscoring the kind of bias that persists in legacy finance.

Key takeaways

Legacy finance has historically undervalued women creators, with Axios reporting only 2.3% of 2024 venture capital funding going to female-founded companies.

Platform revenue models can act as gatekeepers, with claims that up to half of earnings can be siphoned off before reaching a creator’s wallet.

Smart contracts enable real-time, automatic revenue splits at the point of sale, potentially transforming how creators monetize collaborations and long-term value.

Stablecoins and cross-border crypto rails offer a borderless, permissionless payments backbone that can empower creators in volatile markets without bank gatekeeping.

From gatekeeping to programmable revenue

The piece frames a financing paradox: while the internet makes it possible for a Lagos-based creator to reach millions, cross-border payments still carry prohibitive fees, delays, and capital controls that erode a creator’s ability to sustain a business. The authors argue that the intersection of the creator economy with crypto payment infrastructure provides a genuine path to financial autonomy—one that doesn’t require prior permission from traditional gatekeepers.

In a world where code can handle the work traditionally performed by banks, the value created by a creator can flow more directly to their own wallet. The article points to smart contracts as a practical mechanism for distributing revenue instantly when a sale clears, rather than tying earnings to a later, platform-controlled payout schedule. In this view, programmable revenue unlocks a form of “participatory capitalism” where the success of the ecosystem benefits the people who built it, not just the platforms that host it.

For context, the piece notes that platforms historically charged significant take rates and fees before creators ever saw funds. While the exact figures vary across marketplaces, the broader argument is that platform tolls have too often eaten into earnings, leaving creators dependent on the terms set by a handful of intermediaries.

On-chain royalties and the end of Net-90

The authors argue that smart contracts can reimagine how royalties work in digital art, music, and other creative outputs. Rather than relying on post-sale royalties negotiated with marketplaces, on-chain royalties can be embedded into the sale itself. In practice, that could mean automatic, hardcoded payments to multiple contributors the moment a transaction clears, ensuring creators retain a larger share of the long-term value of their work.

In parallel, the piece points to changes in royalty policies at major marketplaces. OpenSea and others have moved toward optional royalty enforcement, a shift some view as a step toward a more flexible, user-driven marketplace. The broader implication is a move toward a system where creators are less hostage to a single platform’s policy and more able to capture value across networks and marketplaces over time. The discussion frames this as a shift toward “participatory capitalism”—the growth of the ecosystem should lift the people who built it.

Open questions remain about how broadly such on-chain royalties will be adopted and how they will interact with existing metadata standards, licensing frameworks, and consumer-facing experiences. Still, the logic is clear: when revenue splits occur at the moment of sale rather than after the fact, creators can benefit from the long-term appreciation of their work, even as it changes hands across markets and platforms.

Infrastructure as the foundation of family

Beyond royalties, the authors emphasize the importance of a robust payments backbone—what they describe as infrastructure that goes beyond community to become an engine. For millions of women entering the creator economy, crypto rails can offer a global passport that sidesteps currency volatility and biased banking systems.

Stablecoins are highlighted as a practical bridge for creators who must hold value in volatile regions. By enabling creators to hold the purchasing power of their work without applying for a bank account or awaiting payment rails, stablecoins reduce friction and risk at both ends of the transaction. This, in turn, can accelerate monetization and enable more ambitious cross-border projects.

The piece also notes that reliable payment rails are a crucial factor in turning audience-building into a sustainable business. When creators can monetize globally and promptly, they’re less constrained by local banking restrictions or slow settlement times, a dynamic that disproportionately affects women in emerging markets seeking to scale. The authors point to real-world examples where payments infrastructure has mattered for creators’ ability to participate in global value chains.

Moving toward ownership

Ownership, the authors argue, is not a gift but a status earned through access to the system itself. The pivot to Web3 payment infrastructure is portrayed as a move toward giving creators a deed to their own revenue, reducing dependence on legacy systems that historically have controlled access to capital and markets. The call is for creators—not gatekeepers—to shape the payment rails on which the ecosystem runs, a shift the authors believe is already underway in practice as more projects explore on-chain payments, royalties, and decentralized marketplaces.

As the authors put it, “The infrastructure is ready. The only thing left is for the creators to lead.” The broader implication is clear: if the creator economy is to become truly inclusive and globally scalable, it will rely on decentralized payment paradigms that empower individuals to monetize their work without requiring permission from traditional financial institutions.

Opinion by Ashna Vaghela, chief customer officer at Mercuryo, and Vi Powils, CEO of World of Women, underscores a broader narrative: a future where financial inclusion is shaped by code, not by compliance bottlenecks, could unlock unprecedented opportunities for women creators worldwide.

This article reflects the authors’ viewpoints and has undergone editorial review to ensure clarity and relevance for readers navigating the evolving intersection of crypto, payments, and creative economies. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research before taking action related to the topics discussed.

This article was originally published as Web3 rails enable women creators to reclaim ownership on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Bitcoin nähert sich dem monatlichen Schluss im März mit einem potenziellen sechsten Monat in Folge im Minus, der sich im mittleren $60.000-Bereich bewegt, während die makroökonomischen Schlagzeilen die Risikoaversion in den Vordergrund rücken. Die jüngsten Preisbewegungen zeigten, dass BTC zu Beginn der Woche die $65.000-Marke testete, wobei Händler die $67.500 bis $68.000 als kurzfristigen Widerstand im Auge haben und einen Mangel an nachhaltiger Nachfrage feststellen, um eine dauerhafte Erholung auszulösen. Der Hintergrund kombiniert geopolitische Spannungen rund um den Iran mit Inflations- und Wachstumsbedenken, während Aktien nach unten tendieren und die Erwartungen an aggressive geldpolitische Lockerungen der Fed zurückgehen.

Morgan Stanley bereitet sich darauf vor, einen Bitcoin-ETF mit einer Gebühr von 0,14 % einzuführen, und unterbietet damit große Wettbewerber. Der Fonds zielt darauf ab, direkt mit BlackRocks IBIT-Dominanz zu konkurrieren. Der Fortschritt bei der Notierung deutet auf ein wahrscheinliches Debüt im April hin, da der Wettbewerb intensiver wird.

Wichtige Highlights

Morgan Stanley setzt eine Gebühr von 0,14 %, um mit BlackRocks Dominanz im Bitcoin-ETF zu konkurrieren

Die Einreichung von MSBT signalisiert eine aggressive Preisstrategie vor dem Launch im April

Die kostengünstige Struktur könnte sowohl Berater als auch externe Kapitalflüsse anziehen

Der Fortschritt bei der Genehmigung von ETFs deutet auf ein bevorstehendes Debüt an der NYSE Arca Börse hin

A government app released this week has ignited a debate over location-tracking, data collection and security, with researchers and privacy advocates urging closer scrutiny of the permissions it requests. The White House rolled out the app on Friday, framing it as a direct line to the administration for breaking news, livestreams and policy updates.

Critics say the app’s permission model raises questions about privacy, especially since store listings on Google Play and Apple’s App Store do not display explicit warnings about the requested access. The White House privacy policy describes data handling that appears broader than the app’s stated use, noting it automatically stores information such as the originating IP address and other basic data, and that it may retain subscriber names and email addresses—even though providing that information is not required to use the app.

On its face, the app is marketed as a transparent communications channel, but independent analyses have flagged unusual data-collection aspects, particularly the inclusion of location services in a tool that shows no obvious location-based features such as maps, geofenced content or weather. A software developer who uses the X handle Thereallo, together with Adam, a security engineer and infrastructure architect, identified code that could enable GPS access on the device. They argue that GPS usage in this context is atypical and merits closer examination. For context, their observations have not been independently verified.

Adam noted that the mere presence of location capabilities could introduce risk, particularly if such functionality can be activated by an update or is exploited by a malicious actor. “There is no map, no local news, no geofencing, no events near you, no weather. Nothing in the app that requires location,” he said, underscoring the mismatch between expected use and the permissions being requested.

Security assessment and risk vectors

Thereallo published a deeper analysis suggesting the app could contain code that would allow tracking a device every 4.5 minutes when foregrounded and every 9.5 minutes in the background, though this claim has not been independently validated. The researchers emphasized that while the app still requires permissions, the underlying tracking infrastructure could be activated with a minimal trigger in the right conditions. In addition to GPS data, they flagged the collection of notification interactions, in-app message clicks and phone numbers.

“No servers were probed. No network traffic was intercepted. No DRM was bypassed. No tools were used that require jailbreaking. Everything described here is observable by anyone who downloads the app from the App Store and has a terminal.”

The discussions have also touched on broader security concerns. Adam warned that the app’s security may be vulnerable to interception or manipulation by skilled actors on the same Wi‑Fi network, such as in public spaces, or by users with jailbroken devices capable of runtime modification. He cautioned that the combination of permissive data access and weak defenses could open doors to data leakage or altered behavior if an attacker gains foothold in the device’s communications stack.

Researchers have cited external posts and analyses to support their findings. For example, a detailed security write-up by Thereallo references a decompilation of the app and points to potential telemetry and data-access pathways. Additional context has circulated around accompanying discussions on social media, including posts that surfaced on X.

Policy gaps and broader implications for users and markets

Within the crypto and broader digital-privacy communities, the episode underscores a recurring theme: the trust users place in digital tools—whether a government app or a crypto wallet interface—depends on clear, auditable data practices and minimal, justified permissions. While the White House app is not a crypto product, the situation matters to builders and users who rely on public-facing platforms for custody, identity verification and timely communications. It highlights how privacy-by-design considerations—especially around location data and telemetry—are increasingly front and center for any digital service that touches sensitive information.

From a regulatory perspective, the divergence between what is stated in privacy policies and what is visible in store listings can become fertile ground for scrutiny. Google Play indicates that personal data may be collected during download and use, while Apple’s App Store directs users to the White House privacy policy for further details. The absence of visible, explicit warnings about location permission on the storefronts could be interpreted as a disclosure gap, prompting calls for clearer consent and more transparent user notifications in government apps and similar public-interest deployments.

As policymakers and technologists digest the incident, several questions loom: Why is location access required at all for a news-and-updates app with no geolocation features? Will the administration publish an independent security assessment or a clearer privacy-by-design pledge? And how might these disclosures influence future digital-government projects and the adoption of privacy-enhancing technologies in more sensitive domains?

Industry watchers may also consider the broader market implications. The episode touches on a tension that resonates across the crypto ecosystem: the need for robust, transparent security postures in any platform that handles user data or communications. For users, the key takeaway is to monitor disclosures around permissions and to expect clearer explanations about why location data is being requested, especially for government-run software that arrives with high public visibility.

In the near term, observers should watch how the White House and its contractors respond. Clarifications on the necessity of location permissions, any forthcoming security audits, and possible revisions to privacy disclosures will be important signals about how seriously authorities intend to uphold privacy as public digital services scale.

For readers and market participants, the episode reinforces a practical takeaway: privacy and security commitments in public-facing tech—whether for government apps or crypto services—are only as credible as the transparency and accountability that accompany them. Continued scrutiny and independent testing will likely shape how such apps evolve and how users balance convenience with data safety in an increasingly digital world.

This article was originally published as White House app sparks privacy worries over location data for crypto on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Ethereums Ether (ETH) könnte in den kommenden Wochen in Richtung der $1.200-Region abrutschen, da ein fraktalgetriebenes Setup, das vom Trader Leshka.eth hervorgehoben wird, auf einen potenziell tieferen Rückgang hinweist, wenn die wichtige Unterstützung nachgibt. Der Analyst betont ein tägliches Supertrend-Muster, das großen Rückgängen vorausging, wenn bärische Umkehrungen nicht gehalten haben.

Historisch gesehen hat das Muster bemerkenswerte Umkehrungen produziert: bullische Umkehrungen, die es nicht geschafft haben, die Gewinne im Oktober 2025 und Januar 2026 aufrechtzuerhalten, führten zu scharfen Rückgängen von etwa 45 % und 48 %, respektive. Die aktuelle Formation bildet sich nahe $1.990, und der Trader warnte, dass ein Bruch unter diesem Niveau den Weg in die $1.200-Zone ebnen könnte. Wie Leshka.eth es ausdrückte: „Wenn dieses Niveau bricht, ist das nächste Ziel die $1.200-Zone.“

OKX’s Ethereum layer-2 network, X Layer, has welcomed Aave to its DeFi roster, marking the 21st chain integration for the largest decentralized lending protocol by cumulative lending volume. Aave’s milestone of surpassing $1 trillion in cumulative lending volume was reached in late February, a development widely noted in market coverage. On X Layer, Aave adds about $23.5 billion in total value locked (TVL) across its lending and borrowing activities. X Layer, which launched in May 2024, previously carried a modest TVL around $25 million, illustrating how high‑profile integrations can accelerate growth for Layer-2 ecosystems. The deployment enables OKX Wallet and X Layer users to lend, borrow and earn yield directly on the network, eliminating the need to bridge assets to other chains.

Aave’s entrance into X Layer comes as part of a broader push to diversify DeFi access on a scaling-focused platform. OKX officials described the integration as a versatile expansion of its DeFi ecosystem that should benefit the full spectrum of X Layer users, from retail to developers. X Layer’s emphasis on speed and cost efficiency positions it as a practical on‑ramp for DeFi activity, offering roughly $0.0005 per transaction and one‑second block times. This combination of cheap, rapid transactions aims to reduce a key obstacle in cross-chain DeFi usage: friction and latency.

Key takeaways

Aave expands to X Layer, marking its 21st chain integration and broadening DeFi access on OKX’s Layer-2 network.

Aave’s cumulative lending volume tops $1 trillion, reinforcing its leadership in decentralized lending and its cross-chain appeal.

X Layer’s on‑chain DeFi suite now includes major platforms such as Uniswap for swaps, Chainlink for oracles, and Stargate for cross‑chain transfers.

Aave reports about $23.5 billion in total value locked, with net deposits on the platform exceeding $40 billion, outpacing competitors like Morpho (roughly $10 billion).

The collaboration highlights ongoing cross‑chain DeFi expansion and the competitive dynamics among Layer-2 ecosystems as users seek cheaper, faster access to liquidity.

X Layer expands DeFi capabilities with Aave integration

The move integrates Aave’s lending and borrowing rails directly into X Layer, allowing users to deposit collateral, borrow against it, or earn interest on deposits without leaving the Layer-2 environment. For OKX Wallet holders and other X Layer participants, the integration reduces bridging costs and latency, delivering a more seamless DeFi experience on a network designed for high throughput and near-instant settlement. OKX emphasized that this integration broadens the DeFi toolkit available to its user base, potentially attracting both new users and existing DeFi participants seeking a more efficient on-chain experience.

X Layer launched amid a crowded Layer-2 market, positioning itself on scalability as a primary differentiator. Its stated proposition—low-cost transactions in a sub-second finality window—appears well-aligned with Aave’s need for fast, responsive liquidity access. By anchoring Aave to X Layer, the ecosystem gains a broader base of user activity that can tap into Aave’s treasury management, liquidity provisioning, and yield opportunities without the overhead of cross-chain messaging or bridges.

Aave’s historic milestone and cross-chain expansion

The Aave milestone of surpassing $1 trillion in cumulative lending volume underscores the protocol’s durable traction within DeFi. While the figure represents on-chain borrowing and lending activity rather than price or utilization metrics alone, it signals sustained engagement and capital allocation across the protocol’s markets. In parallel, Aave’s cross-chain footprint remains extensive; the protocol is deployed on more than 20 networks—including Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Base—continuing to monetize deposits and liquidity across multiple ecosystems.

Defi metrics reflect Aave’s market position as well. The protocol currently reports about $23.5 billion in TVL, a figure that positions it well ahead of near peers in the DeFi lending space. On a revenue and growth front, Aave has generated roughly $6.2 million in revenue over the last 30 days, a level that outpaces its closest competitor, Morpho, by a meaningful margin. These figures—TVL, net deposits, and revenue—highlight an established, profitable DeFi incumbent expanding its reach into Layer-2 networks like X Layer.

For context, Aave’s scale is complemented by a broad partnership network on X Layer. The platform joins other major DeFi players already integrated on the network, including Uniswap for swaps, Chainlink for price feeds and oracles, and Stargate for cross‑chain money transfers. The presence of these protocols signals a maturing liquidity fabric on X Layer, one that could attract more users who seek consolidated DeFi services on a single Layer‑2 chain.

The broader significance extends beyond a single deployment. As Layer-2 ecosystems compete to host robust DeFi primitives, expansions like Aave’s help validate the viability of on‑chain liquidity and lending on L2s. They also illustrate how leading protocols are differentiating themselves not just by features, but by the ease with which users can access and deploy liquidity in a multi-chain world.

Implications for investors, builders and users

For investors, the Aave–X Layer integration highlights the ongoing trend of cross‑chain DeFi maturation. The ability to access a leading lending market directly on an L2 reduces bridging costs and may spur higher utilization of capital across Layer-2 ecosystems. For builders and developers, the collaboration reinforces the importance of interoperability and modular DeFi stacks. As Uniswap, Chainlink, and Stargate join the mix on X Layer, developers gain a more cohesive environment to deploy and test new liquidity, pricing, and cross‑chain services without repeatedly migrating across chains.

As with all Layer‑2 expansions, observers will want to watch sustained user adoption, TVL trajectory, and the rate at which new DeFi services leverage Aave’s liquidity across X Layer. The balance between Layer‑2 efficiency gains and the continued demand for cross‑chain liquidity will shape how quickly X Layer moves from a niche option to a mainstream DeFi rail.

In the near term, the market will likely monitor whether X Layer can sustain its initial momentum as more users and protocols migrate to or experiment with Aave’s lending rails. The broader takeaway is that DeFi’s growth engine—efficient access to liquidity across networks—remains intact, with major protocols like Aave continuing to push the envelope on where and how users can borrow, lend, and earn yield.

Readers should keep an eye on subsequent updates from OKX and Aave regarding additional optimizations, expanded asset support, and any new DeFi partnerships on X Layer, which could further diversify the network’s liquidity and yield opportunities in the coming months.

This article was originally published as Aave Joins OKX’s Ethereum L2 X Layer, Broadening DeFi Reach on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Lido DAO’s decentralized autonomous organization is weighing a one-off $20 million buyback of its governance token, LDO, in a bid to address a pronounced price dislocation relative to Ether. The plan would swap 10,000 stETH tokens from the treasury for LDO, with proponents arguing that the governance token is undervalued given the protocol’s fundamentals.

The proposal, submitted on Friday, outlines a staged approach: the treasury would acquire up to 10,000 stETH in smaller batches of 1,000 and swap each batch for LDO. Lido argues this move could restore alignment between LDO’s market price and the underlying health of the protocol, a gap it says has widened to historically large levels. As part of the process, each batch would require tokenholder approval, and results would be reported before the next tranche proceeds.

“This is not a routine fluctuation. It represents one of the most significant dislocations between LDO’s market price and its underlying protocol fundamentals in the token’s history.”

The time to act comes as LDO sits at an extended discount to Ether. Lido DAO notes LDO trades at about 0.00016 ETH, roughly 63% below its two-year median. At the same time, Lido remains the dominant force in Ethereum’s liquid staking market, holding about 23.2% of staked Ether, according to Dune Analytics data. That leadership has not come without controversy; previous assessments flagged the potential centralization risks tied to a single protocol’s dominance in securing a large share of the network’s staking.

Price and market metrics underscore the scale of the challenge. LDO is currently trading around $0.30, down about 95.9% from its peak near $7.30 in August 2021. Its market capitalization sits near $255 million, placing it around the 141st-largest token by value. The plan’s proponents argue that the proposed buyback could shore up sentiment by demonstrating active governance-driven capital allocation tied to the protocol’s real-world performance.

Key takeaways

The Lido DAO proposal would execute a one-off $20 million buyback by swapping up to 10,000 stETH from the treasury for LDO, in batches of 1,000 stETH each, using limit orders or dollar-cost averaging to manage volatility.

Approval for each batch would be required from tokenholders, and results would be disclosed after every tranche before proceeding.

LDO trades at a steep discount to ETH (approximately 0.00016 ETH per LDO, about 63% below the two-year median), despite Lido’s leadership in Ethereum’s liquid staking sector.

Lido’s dominance has been cited in the past as a potential centralization risk for the network, though the current governance move focuses on price alignment and treasury management.

Revenue and fee dynamics in 2025 show Lido’s take rate rising to 6.1% even as staking fees declined, with total staking revenue dipping amid a broader market retrenchment.

Mechanics, governance, and investor considerations

The proposed buyback plan hinges on a staged governance process. If approved, Lido would execute batches of 1,000 stETH each, swapping them for LDO until the 10,000-stETH target is reached. The strategy emphasizes price discipline: Lido intends to use limit orders or a dollar-cost averaging approach to smooth entry and avoid abrupt price moves. Each batch would require a new round of tokenholder approvals, and the DAO would report results after every step to maintain transparency and accountability.

The broader context includes a look at Lido’s earnings trajectory. In 2025, Lido’s revenue declined by about 23% to roughly $40.5 million, driven largely by a drop in staking fees to about $37.4 million. Despite the revenue dip, the protocol’s take rate—defined as the percentage of staked ETH rewards retained as fees—improved from about 5% to just over 6% in 2025. Lido argues that the core fundamentals remain robust even amid a wider market pullback and a 13% cost improvement in 2025 versus 2024.

The idea of a buyback is not entirely new within Lido’s ecosystem. In November, a member proposed an automated buyback mechanism to support LDO’s price, but that proposal has not been implemented. The current plan reframes the concept as a one-off, governance-driven initiative tied directly to the treasury’s assets and the DAO’s long-term interests.

Implications for holders and the broader ecosystem

If the proposal advances, the immediate effect could be a temporary lift in LDO’s trading dynamics, especially if the market interprets the buyback as a signal that the DAO is willing to put treasury-backed resources toward balancing token price with protocol fundamentals. For investors, the move highlights a visible attempt to align incentives between token economics and the platform’s operational strength, particularly given Lido’s entrenched position in Ethereum staking and its influence on validator economics.

However, the plan also introduces governance risk and execution risk. The need for multiple rounds of tokenholder approvals means outcomes will be contingent on community sentiment and turnout. Moreover, the market’s reaction will hinge on how the buyback intersects with broader SEC-like scrutiny, market liquidity conditions, and the pace at which LDO could absorb new supply without dampening demand for the token’s governance role.

Looking ahead, observers will be watching whether the DAO proceeds with the proposed schedule, how each batch performs relative to market conditions, and whether this approach invites further debates about token economics, centralization concerns, and the resilience of Ethereum’s staking architecture as it evolves post-merge.

Readers should monitor Lido DAO’s governance votes and the market’s reaction to any announced results from each tranche, as these steps will illuminate how the community weighs treasury-backed interventions against the need to maintain decentralization and protocol integrity in a challenging macro environment.

This article was originally published as Lido DAO Plans $20M LDO Buyback to Stabilize After Historic Decline on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Der Versuch von Ethereum, den Nr. 2-Platz auf dem Markt zurückzuerobern, steht in diesem Jahr vor einem anderen Hindernis: einer boomenden Stablecoin-Wirtschaft. Während Bitcoin nach wie vor der dominierende Maßstab bleibt, verändert der schneller wachsende Sektor von dollarbasierten Krypto-Assets, wie Kapital durch den Raum fließt, wobei USDT die Führung übernimmt und Liquidität von ETH am Rand abzieht.

Fünf Jahre Daten zeigen eine auffällige Divergenz in den Wachstumsmustern. Die Marktkapitalisierung von ETH stieg in den letzten fünf Jahren um etwa 11,75 % auf etwa 240 Milliarden Dollar, während USDT einen viel größeren Anstieg verzeichnete, der um rund 622,5 % auf mehr als 184 Milliarden Dollar an Marktkapitalisierung anwuchs. XRP und USD Coin haben ebenfalls ETH im Wachstum über denselben Zeitraum übertroffen. Diese Dynamik hilft zu erklären, warum die Wetten der Händler sich entwickeln, ob ETH seine Nr. 2-Rangfolge im Jahr 2026 halten oder zurückerobern kann. Auf Polymarket prognostizieren derzeit mehr als 59 % der Wetten, dass ETH 2026 von der Nr. 2-Position fallen wird, im Vergleich zu rund 17 % zu Beginn des Jahres, was auf einen Stimmungswechsel hinweist, während die Stablecoin-Wirtschaft stärker wird.

Ein neues kollaboratives Rahmenwerk, das von Entwicklern aus Gnosis und Zisk vorgeschlagen wurde und von der Ethereum Foundation unterstützt wird, zielt darauf ab, das weitläufige Layer-2-Ökosystem von Ethereum in ein kohärenteres Ausführungsgewebe zu integrieren. Die Initiative, die als Ethereum Economic Zone (EEZ) bezeichnet wird, sieht Interaktionen über Rollups hinweg vor, die es Smart Contracts auf verschiedenen Rollups ermöglichen würden, synchron miteinander zu laufen und in einer einzigen Transaktion an Ethereum zurückzusetzen—ohne die Notwendigkeit traditioneller Brücken.

In einer Ankündigung, die mit Cointelegraph geteilt wurde, würde die EEZ eine zentrale Spannung im Skalierungsansatz von Ethereum mildern: Dutzende von Rollups haben den Durchsatz erhöht, aber Liquidität, Infrastruktur und Benutzeraktivität bleiben über separate Netzwerke fragmentiert. Wenn realisiert, könnte das Rahmenwerk eine gemeinsame Infrastruktur über Rollups hinweg ermöglichen und die Abwicklung an Ethereum vereinfachen, wodurch Duplikationen und die Belastung durch Cross-Chain-Transfers für Entwickler und Benutzer gleichermaßen verringert werden.

OnePay, die von Walmart unterstützte Fintech-Initiative, hat ihre neuartige Krypto-Plattform mit mehr als einem Dutzend neuer Token erweitert. Die Expansion folgt einem schnellen Rollout zu Beginn des Jahres, der BTC und ETH einführte und das Bestreben des Unternehmens signalisiert, eine kuratierte, nutzungsorientierte Krypto-Erfahrung für seine breite US-Kundschaft anzubieten.

In seinem neuesten Schritt hat OnePay SUI, POL und ARB zur wachsenden Liste der Plattform hinzugefügt, nur wenige Tage nachdem zehn andere Token, darunter Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), Bitcoin Cash (BCH) und PAX Gold (PAXG), gelistet wurden. Ron Rojany, der Geschäftsführer von OnePay für Core App & Crypto, sagte gegenüber Cointelegraph, dass die Ergänzungen eine „hohe Hürde“ erfüllen, die von den Kunden der Plattform und der breiteren Fintech-Mission, die OnePay verfolgt, gesetzt wurde.

Bitcoin challenges the conventional wisdom of institutional custody. As a bearer asset, its security model hinges on cryptographic keys rather than account credentials, and every on-chain transaction is final. That fundamental design—one where there is no central authority that can reverse, freeze, or recover funds—forces a rethink of how institutions should hold and govern large crypto positions. In this perspective, Kevin Loaec, CEO of Wizardsardine, argues that policy-driven, on-chain custody offers a more resilient framework than traditional custodial outsourcing, which often hides risk behind insurance and service-level agreements.

Loaec maintains that outsourcing risk to large custodians creates a hidden concentration of risk: assets pooled under a single governance umbrella, guarded by layers of internal controls, with off-chain governance and policy enforcement. When trouble hits, the absence of on-chain, protocol-enforced constraints can complicate recovery and liquidation. The result, he says, is a mismatch between the safety institutions expect from custodians and the actual safety Bitcoin beneficiaries gain from controlling the asset directly on the blockchain.

Key takeaways

Bitcoin’s bearer-asset nature means control is located in cryptographic keys, not in multi-party account permissions, making external intervention impossible once funds move on-chain.

Policy-driven, on-chain custody can embed governance into the wallet itself—requiring multi-signature approvals, time delays, and defined recovery paths that are executed deterministically by code.

Traditional custodial insurance often comes with caps, exclusions, and conditional payouts; on-chain custody can offer a more transparent and bounded risk model for insurers and clients alike.

Vendor dependence introduces outages, withdrawal freezes, and access restrictions that can impede timely actions; open, on-chain custody helps preserve access even if a service provider falters.

Institutions should reassess custody architecture to align risk management with the protocol’s guarantees, moving away from the illusion of safety toward engineered resilience.

Rethinking custody: from delegated control to protocol-level governance

Traditional finance treats custody as a delegated responsibility: assets are held by a large, regulated custodian, and responsibility for risk management is externalized through contracts, insurance, and service-level commitments. In Bitcoin, however, governance cannot be outsourced in the same way. Keys hold the asset, and the network enforces the rules; there is no central authority that can step in if something goes wrong off-chain.

Loaec notes that when institutions pool keys or rely on shared access models, they inadvertently create concentrated risk points. A single compromised key, misconfiguration, or a regulatory action affecting the custodian can jeopardize many parties at once. History provides cautionary examples where centralization in custody led to lengthy recovery processes and opaque outcomes for creditors and users alike. The argument is not to abandon custodians entirely, but to reframe governance so that the asset itself—via the protocol—enforces the rules of control, authorization, and recovery.

What changes, then, is not the need for robust service providers, but the architecture of control. If governance lives outside the asset, it remains vulnerable to external shocks, audits, and updates that may not align with a custodian’s business cycle. Embedding governance into the wallet, on-chain, makes the controls resilient to provider-specific failures and shifts risk toward systems that can be audited, tested, and iterated independently of any single institution.

Policy-driven custody: enforcing rules at the protocol level

The core idea is practical: Bitcoin scripting enables custody models that reflect real organizational needs. Multisignature schemes can require several stakeholders to approve transactions, preventing unilateral movements. Time-delayed spending features can create a window for review, accident recovery, or dispute resolution. Recovery paths for lost keys can be encoded so that funds remain recoverable under predefined conditions, without exposing the asset to a single point of failure.

In effect, policy-driven wallets separate daily operations from emergency controls, while ensuring that the enforcement mechanism remains transparent and deterministic. These capabilities are not theoretical—on-chain rules operate independently of any service provider’s back-end or a particular vendor’s interface. The result is a governance model that is structural rather than procedural: the network enforces the rules, not a custodial dashboard.

As such, institutions can design custody that aligns with their internal risk appetite and regulatory expectations, without relying solely on external assurances. This shift does not eliminate the need for sound risk management or for prudent risk transfer tools, but it reframes what “control” means in a way that is more faithful to Bitcoin’s mechanics.

Insurance and risk transfer: rethinking the safety net

Custodial insurance has long been pitched as the ultimate safeguard against losses. Yet, Loaec emphasizes that coverage is frequently capped, conditional, or subject to exclusions, with payouts depending on the specifics of an incident and the custodian’s internal controls. In practice, insurance often distributes a portion of risk rather than eliminating it entirely. This dynamic can leave clients exposed in systemic events or scenarios where coverage does not scale proportionally with assets under custody.

By contrast, individually controlled, policy-driven wallets offer a more predictable underwriting landscape. When risk is bounded and controls are transparent, insurers can model exposure more accurately, and risk remains tied to well-defined on-chain rules. The insurance narrative, therefore, should be understood as a complement—not a substitute—for robust, on-chain governance. The aim is to reduce reliance on external guarantees and to ensure that the most critical risk controls live on the asset itself.

Historical episodes underscore the tension between custodial trust and real-world outcomes. Notable episodes, including the FTX collapse and other centralized-brokerage stress events, have exposed the fragility of relying solely on third parties for asset safety and access. These events have fed the argument for reimagining custody through on-chain policy, where safeguards are built into the protocol and verification occurs in a verifiable, auditable manner.

Sovereignty is operational, not philosophical

Vendor dependence introduces another layer of operational risk that institutions may underestimate. Custodial outages, shifting policies, or regulatory interventions can render funds temporarily inaccessible, complicating cross-border operations or time-sensitive actions. In the wake of withdrawal freezes and access restrictions seen in past episodes, the case for a governance model anchored in the asset itself grows stronger.

Open-source custody systems paired with on-chain control offer a different risk landscape. If a service provider disappears or alters interfaces, the asset remains accessible because control resides on the blockchain. Interfaces may evolve or providers may be replaced, but the asset’s operability endures. This is not a blanket rejection of custodians, but a call to reduce their centrality in the critical path of asset control and to rely more on protocol-level guarantees.

Trust the protocol, not the promise

Bitcoin presents a rare asset class where governance, recoverability, and control can be designed into the holding mechanism itself. In practice, many institutions still default to login screens, brand reputations, or insurance narratives as proxies for safety. While those signals carry comfort, they do not replace the certainty offered by on-chain rules that are independent of any single counterparty.

The critique is not anti‑custodian; it is anti‑risk management by proxy. By adopting policy-driven wallets and on-chain governance, institutions can reduce the likelihood of catastrophic failure in the first place, rather than relying on post hoc compensation after a breach. The technology to enact this shift exists today, supported by mature tooling and a growing ecosystem of practitioners focused on designing custody that aligns with Bitcoin’s native security model. What remains is the willingness to move beyond custody models rooted in another financial era.

By Kevin Loaec, CEO of Wizardsardine.

For readers tracking the broader implications, the industry has precedent in centralized custody failures and the ongoing debate over how best to align risk management with the decentralized realities of crypto markets. The path forward involves a measured blend of on-chain governance design, prudent risk transfer where appropriate, and a clear understanding that trust in the protocol must come before trust in any single service provider.

This article was originally published as Institutions Pay Premium for Higher-Risk Bitcoin Custody on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Die Mutterstiftung von Worldcoin, die World Foundation von Sam Altman, gab einen Verkauf von 65 Millionen Dollar über den Tresen ihres nativen WLD-Tokens bekannt, der von ihrer Emissionsabteilung World Assets über vier Gegenparteien durchgeführt wurde. Die erste Abrechnung fand am 20. März statt, wobei die Tokens zu einem Durchschnittspreis von etwa 0,27 $ angeboten wurden, was darauf hindeutet, dass ungefähr 239 Millionen WLD den Besitzer wechselten. Die Mittelbeschaffung wird von der Stiftung als Unterstützung der Kernoperationen, Forschung und Entwicklung, Orb-Produktion und breiteren Ökosysteminitiativen beschrieben.