Binance Academy

Key Takeaways

Zama is an open-source cryptography project building a Confidential Blockchain Protocol powered by Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE).

The protocol allows smart contracts to compute on encrypted data without decrypting it, enabling privacy-preserving applications on public blockchains.

Zama's technology works as a cross-chain solution, allowing developers to build confidential applications on top of any Layer 1 or Layer 2 blockchain (like Ethereum or Solana).

The ZAMA token is the native utility asset used for gas fees, governance, and incentivizing the network of validators and provers.

Introduction

Public blockchains like Ethereum and Bitcoin are transparent by design. While this transparency ensures trust and verifiability, it also means that all data is visible to everyone. This lack of privacy limits the types of applications that can be built, especially for industries like finance, healthcare, and enterprise.

Zama addresses this challenge by introducing Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) to the blockchain. This cryptographic technique allows data to remain encrypted even while it is being processed. By building a protocol that enables confidential smart contracts, Zama aims to bring true privacy to the decentralized web without sacrificing the benefits of public verifiability.

What Is Zama?

Zama is an open-source cryptography company and protocol focused on making FHE accessible to developers. Its flagship product is the Zama Confidential Blockchain Protocol, which enables privacy-preserving smart contracts.

The core idea is simple but powerful: instead of revealing sensitive data to a blockchain (or a centralized server) to process it, users encrypt their data locally. The blockchain then processes this encrypted data and produces an encrypted result, which only the user can decrypt. This ensures end-to-end confidentiality for on-chain applications.

How Does Zama Work?

Zama's architecture leverages FHE to solve the "privacy vs. transparency" dilemma.

1. Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE)

FHE allows computations to be performed directly on encrypted data. In a typical blockchain transaction, data must be public to be processed (e.g., checking if a user has enough funds). With Zama's FHE, the smart contract can check the funds and other things while the data remains encrypted. The network validates the transaction without ever seeing the actual balance or amount.

2. Confidential smart contracts (fhEVM)

Zama has developed the fhEVM (Fully Homomorphic Ethereum Virtual Machine). This allows developers to write confidential smart contracts using standard Solidity, the same programming language used on Ethereum. Developers can specify which parts of the contract should be public and which should be private (encrypted), making it easy to integrate privacy into existing DApps.

3. Cross-chain compatibility

Zama is designed to be a "layer" that sits on top of other blockchains. It works with Ethereum, Layer 2 networks, and others. This means a developer doesn't have to leave their favorite blockchain to get privacy; they can just use Zama's technology on top of it.

Potential Use Cases

Zama's technology opens up new possibilities for blockchain applications that require data protection.

Confidential DeFi: Users can trade, lend, and borrow without revealing their positions or strategies to the public, preventing front-running and copy-trading.

On-chain identity: You can prove you are over 18 or a citizen of a certain country without uploading a photo of your ID card.

Encrypted voting (DAOs): Governance proposals can use secret ballots where votes are counted correctly, but individual choices remain private, preventing coercion and bribery.

Gaming: On-chain games can use Zama’s technology to hide certain information (e.g., "fog of war" mechanics or hidden card hands).

The ZAMA Token

The ZAMA token is the native utility asset of the Zama ecosystem. It plays a central role in securing and operating the network.

Gas fees: Users pay ZAMA tokens to execute confidential transactions and smart contracts.

Governance: Token holders can vote on protocol upgrades and parameter changes.

Incentives: Network operators who perform the computationally intensive FHE tasks (proving and verifying) can get rewarded in ZAMA tokens.

Zama (ZAMA) on Binance

Binance listed the Zama (ZAMA) token for trade on February 3, 2026 with the Seed Tag applied. Trading pairs available at launch included ZAMA/USDT and ZAMA/USDC. The announcement also included a spot trading campaign from February 3 to February 17. Eligible users will have a chance to share a total prize pool of 45,000,000 ZAMA in token vouchers.

Closing Thoughts

Privacy is one of the final frontiers for blockchain adoption. For institutions and regular users to fully embrace Web3, they need the ability to keep certain data private. Zama’s use of Fully Homomorphic Encryption offers a promising solution to data privacy. By allowing blockchains to compute on data without seeing it, Zama is laying the groundwork for a more secure, private, and usable decentralized internet.

Further Reading

What Is Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE)?

What Is ZKsync and How Does It Work?

What Is zkPass (ZKP)?

Disclaimer: This content is presented to you on an “as is” basis for general information and educational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind. It should not be construed as financial, legal or other professional advice, nor is it intended to recommend the purchase of any specific product or service. You should seek your own advice from appropriate professional advisors. Products mentioned in this article may not be available in your region. Where the article is contributed by a third party contributor, please note that those views expressed belong to the third party contributor, and do not necessarily reflect those of Binance Academy. Please read our full disclaimer for further details. Digital asset prices can be volatile. The value of your investment may go down or up and you may not get back the amount invested. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and Binance Academy is not liable for any losses you may incur. This material should not be construed as financial, legal or other professional advice. For more information, see our Terms of Use and Risk Warning.

Disclaimer: This content is for general information and educational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind. It should not be construed as financial, legal or other professional advice, nor is it intended to recommend the purchase of any specific product or service. Products mentioned in this article may not be available in your region.

Key Takeaways

Binance Futures has expanded beyond cryptocurrencies to include traditional assets. You can trade gold and silver under the tickers XAUUSDT and XAGUSDT.

These contracts offer unique advantages over traditional commodity markets, including 24/7 trading hours and lower capital barriers to entry.

You can also use leverage to trade with more money than you actually have. This can lead to bigger profits, but also bigger losses. It’s important to do proper risk management.

A feature called "Funding Rates" helps keep prices fair, and in certain conditions, traders can get paid just for keeping a position open.

Introduction

Historically, trading precious metals like gold and silver was done mostly through large financial institutions. It often required navigating complex traditional futures markets with high capital requirements and rigid trading hours. Fortunately, the increasing integration of TradFi assets into cryptocurrency exchanges is making these assets more accessible to all sorts of traders.

Binance Futures now offers contracts for gold (XAU) and silver (XAG), allowing users to trade these traditional stores of value with the flexibility and technology of the crypto ecosystem. This article explores how these contracts work, their benefits compared to traditional finance (TradFi), and some of the risks involved.

What Are Gold and Silver Futures on Binance?

On Binance, gold and silver are traded as USDT-margined perpetual contracts. This means that while the price tracks the real value of ounces of gold or silver, the settlement is conducted in the stablecoin USDT.

Gold Futures: Ticker XAUUSDT

Silver Futures: Ticker XAGUSDT

Unlike physical settlement, where a trader might eventually take delivery of the metal, these contracts are cash-settled. Traders speculate on the price movements of the metals without needing to worry about storage, insurance, or logistics.

In other words, when you trade these contracts on Binance, you are not buying physical bars of gold or silver. Instead, you are trading a digital contract that tracks the real-world price of the metal.

The concept is simple: If you think the price will go up, you buy (Long). If you think the price will go down, you sell (Short). All profits and losses are paid in USDT.

Benefits of Trading Metals on a Crypto Exchange

The digitization of commodity trading offers several improvements over the "old way" of trading futures.

1. 24/7 market access

Old-school commodity markets have opening and closing times, and they take weekends off. If major political or economic news breaks on a Saturday, traditional traders are stuck until Monday morning. On Binance, the market is open 365 days a year. If news breaks at 3:00 AM on a Sunday, you can react and trade immediately.

2. Lower barriers to entry

In traditional markets, a single futures contract for gold is very expensive. It often requires thousands of dollars just to open a trade. This keeps most regular people out. Binance Futures allows you to trade fractions of an ounce, so you can start with a small amount of capital.

3. Leverage

Futures contracts allow traders to gain exposure to larger positions with a smaller amount of upfront capital (margin). While leverage varies by asset and market conditions, it allows for capital efficiency. For example, using 10x leverage means a trader can control $10,000 worth of gold contracts with roughly $1,000 of margin.

Understanding Funding Rates

If you are new to crypto futures, the concept of Funding Rates might sound confusing, but it’s actually quite simple. Since these futures contracts never expire (you can hold them forever), the system needs a way to make sure the contract price stays close to the real price of gold.

The funding payment: This is a payment exchanged between traders (buyers and sellers) every few hours. Note that this is not a fee paid to the exchange.

The opportunity: If the funding rate is positive, longs pay shorts. If negative, shorts pay longs. In certain market trends, holding a position (such as a short during a period of high bullish sentiment) may result in the trader earning passive income from these funding fees.

Risk Management

Trading these assets is easier than ever, but that means you can lose money faster than ever, too.

Leverage risk: Remember that leverage is a multiplier. If you use high leverage, a tiny price drop can wipe out your entire account. Example: If you use 20x leverage, and the price of gold drops by just 5%, you can lose 100% of your money. This is called forced liquidation.

Market volatility: While gold is generally considered a stable "safe haven" asset, the crypto-derivative markets can be volatile.

How to stay safe

To stay safe, traders often employ risk management strategies, including:

Setting strategic stop-loss orders to cap potential losses.

Managing position size to ensure account longevity.

Avoiding excessive leverage.

How to Trade Gold and Silver on Binance Futures (Web)

1. Log in to your Binance account, navigate to the [Futures] tab, then go to [USD(S)-M Futures].

Note: this product may not be available in certain regions.

2. Next, open the drop-down menu and search for XAUUSDT (for gold) or XAGUSDT (for silver).

You can also find these and other contracts under the [TradFi] category.

3. At the bottom right, you can check your Futures account balance. If your balance is zero, you can use the [Transfer], [Buy Crypto], or [Swap] features to add funds.

If this is your first time using Binance Futures, you will be required to open a Future Account.

You may also be required to complete a Futures Quiz before getting started.

4. When you are ready, you can use the order panel to buy or sell futures contracts.

5. If you click or tap [Cross] at the top right, you can switch between Cross Mode and Isolated Mode.

The Cross Margin Mode will consider all the assets in your futures account and all futures positions when calculating your margin and liquidation levels. This means that your open positions can affect each other, even if they are in different assets. For example, your gold position could be liquidated to cover losses on your silver position, even though they are different trading pairs.

The Isolated Margin Mode allows you to manage your risk on individual positions by restricting them to a specific asset. This means that your isolated position won’t be affected by fluctuations in other open positions you might have.

For more information, check out the following article: What Are Isolated Margin and Cross Margin in Crypto Trading?.

6. On the bottom of your screen, you can check your Positions, Open Orders, Order History, and much more.

For more detailed information, please check the FAQ: Perpetual Futures on Traditional Assets.

Closing Thoughts

The launch of XAUUSDT and XAGUSDT pairs on Binance Futures is closing the gap between traditional finance and the crypto space. Without the common barriers related to capital and trading hours, Binance Futures offers a convenient way to get precious metal exposure. Still, remember to respect the risks and make sure you understand how the product works before getting started with futures trading.

Further Reading

What Are Funding Rates in Crypto Markets?

What Are Isolated Margin and Cross Margin in Crypto Trading? 

Bitcoin Spot ETF vs. Bitcoin Futures ETF: What's the Difference? 

Disclaimer: This content is presented to you on an “as is” basis for general information and or educational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind. It should not be construed as financial, legal or other professional advice, nor is it intended to recommend the purchase of any specific product or service. You should seek your own advice from appropriate professional advisors. Where the content is contributed by a third party contributor, please note that those views expressed belong to the third party contributor, and do not necessarily reflect those of Binance Academy. Digital asset prices can be volatile. The value of your investment may go down or up and you may not get back the amount invested. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and Binance Academy is not liable for any losses you may incur. For more information, see our Terms of Use, Risk Warning and Binance Academy Terms.

Principais Conclusões

Sentient é uma plataforma de Inteligência Geral Artificial (AGI) de código aberto projetada para competir com sistemas fechados como os da OpenAI e do Google.

A rede opera através da "SENTIENT GRID", uma estrutura que coordena dados, modelos e poder computacional para funcionar como uma entidade descentralizada unificada.

O objetivo do projeto é reduzir os riscos da IA centralizada, garantindo que o desenvolvimento seja transparente, responsável e não controlado por uma única corporação.

Introdução

Neste momento, os modelos de inteligência artificial (IA) mais poderosos são controlados por apenas algumas grandes empresas. Embora tenham criado ferramentas incríveis, o cerne de sua tecnologia permanece escondido atrás de portas fechadas. Isso significa que um grupo relativamente pequeno de pessoas pode decidir o que a IA aprende e quem pode usá-la.

Principais Conclusões

Ripple USD (RLUSD) é uma stablecoin lastreada em USD na proporção de 1:1 emitida pela Ripple, projetada especificamente para utilidade empresarial e pagamentos transfronteiriços.

A stablecoin é totalmente lastreada por reservas segregadas de depósitos em dólares americanos, títulos do governo dos EUA de curto prazo e outros equivalentes de caixa.

RLUSD é emitido nativamente em ambos os blockchains XRP Ledger (XRPL) e Ethereum para maximizar a liquidez e a interoperabilidade em todo o ecossistema DeFi.

A Ripple enfatiza a conformidade regulatória, emitindo RLUSD sob uma Carta de Companhia Fiduciária do Departamento de Serviços Financeiros de Nova York (NYDFS).

Principais Conclusões

Fogo é uma blockchain de Camada 1 construída na Máquina Virtual Solana ([SVM](https://www.binance.com/en/academy/articles/what-is-the-solana-virtual-machine-svm)), especificamente otimizada para negociações descentralizadas e aplicações financeiras.

A rede integra o cliente validador Firedancer para alcançar alta capacidade, baixa latência e confiabilidade. O objetivo do projeto é reduzir a lacuna entre as trocas centralizadas e descentralizadas em termos de desempenho e experiência do usuário.

Fogo apresenta um livro de ordens de limite "incorporado" e infraestrutura de oráculo nativa diretamente no nível do protocolo, reduzindo a fragmentação e a dependência de serviços de terceiros.

Principais Pontos

O zkPass é um protocolo voltado para privacidade para verificação de dados, atuando como uma ponte entre dados Web2 e o ecossistema Web3.

O protocolo zkPass utiliza Computação de Vários Participantes (MPC) e Provas de Conhecimento Zero (ZKP) para permitir que os usuários provem fatos sobre seus dados sem revelar informações detalhadas.

Uma das inovações centrais do zkPass é o "TransGate". Ele permite que os usuários gerem provas a partir de qualquer site HTTPS usando um handshake TLS de Três Partes (3P-TLS) modificado.

O zkPass resolve questões críticas sobre soberania de dados, eliminando a necessidade de APIs centralizadas ou processos de KYC invasivos para aplicações descentralizadas.

🗞️ Notícias em Destaque
O preço do Bitcoin recua para a região de 90.000 dólares após um rápido aumento acima de 94.000 dólares.

O S&P 500 fecha acima de 6.966 pela primeira vez na história.
O volume de transações de stablecoins atinge um novo recorde de 33 trilhões de dólares em 2025.

O déficit comercial dos EUA cai para seu nível mais baixo desde 2009.
A China ordena às empresas de tecnologia que interrompam as compras dos chips H200 da Nvidia.A estratégia de Michael Saylor compra 1.286 BTC no valor de 116 milhões de dólares.📖 Conhecimento da Binance AcademyWhat Is Brevis (BREV)?Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade: All You Need to Know

Principais Pontos

Brevis é um coprocessador de zero conhecimento (ZK) que permite que contratos inteligentes acessem e processem dados históricos e omnichain de forma completamente livre de confiança.

Blockchains tradicionais tendem a ter dificuldades com cálculos pesados ou acesso a dados históricos sem comprometer a segurança ou incorrer em altos custos.

Brevis é projetado para descarregar essas tarefas intensivas para uma rede off-chain (ProverNet). Ele verifica os resultados on-chain usando provas ZK concisas.

BREV é o token utilitário nativo usado para taxas de prova, staking de provadores, governança e, eventualmente, como gas para o rollup planejado Brevis.

🗞️ Nas Notícias
O preço do Bitcoin permanece relativamente estável em torno de $87.000.

O PIB dos EUA do Q3 aumenta para 4,3%, acima das expectativas.
S&P atinge um novo recorde histórico acima de 6.900.

Ouro e Prata atingem novos recordes históricos, acima de $4.500 e $79, respectivamente.
O Banco da Rússia está considerando permitir que indivíduos não qualificados comprem cripto.A Estratégia de Michael Saylor aumenta sua Reserva em USD para $2,19 bilhões.📖 Conhecimento da Binance AcademyStaking vs. Yield Farming: Which One Is Better?Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade: All You Need to Know

Principais Conclusões

A rehypothecation ocorre quando um credor usa a garantia prometida por seus usuários para garantir seus próprios empréstimos ou gerar rendimento com terceiros.

Embora aumente a liquidez e permita que as plataformas ofereçam altas taxas de juros, também cria uma cadeia complexa de dependência financeira.

O principal risco da rehypothecation ocorre quando um mutuário de terceiros entra em default, fazendo com que o credor primário se torne insolvente e deixando os depositantes incapazes de retirar seus fundos.

Os investidores podem mitigar riscos por meio da auto-custódia. Também é importante entender os termos de serviço e reconhecer a troca entre alto rendimento e segurança.

🗞️ Nas Notícias
O preço do Bitcoin permanece relativamente estável em torno do nível de $90.000.

O Fed reduziu as taxas de juros em 0,25%, mas cortes futuros nas taxas permanecem incertos.
O YouTube agora permite que criadores dos EUA recebam pagamentos em stablecoins de criptomoeda.

A SEC aprova o plano da Depositary Trust and Clearing Company (DTCC) para tokenizar ações, títulos e tesourarias.
O fundador da Terra Luna, Do Kwon, foi oficialmente condenado a 15 anos de prisão.A CFTC anuncia a retirada de orientações desatualizadas sobre criptomoedas.A Revolut faz parceria com a Trust Wallet para oferecer pagamentos em criptomoeda na Europa.

Principais Conclusões

Transações baseadas em intenções permitem que os usuários definam um resultado desejado em vez dos passos específicos para alcançá-lo.

Este modelo transfere a complexidade da execução do usuário para agentes de terceiros especializados conhecidos como solucionadores ou preenchimentos.

Transações baseadas em intenções podem tornar sua experiência de trading mais suave, economizar algum dinheiro em taxas e protegê-lo de certos bots de trading.

Mas há algumas limitações, como potenciais riscos de centralização e opacidade sobre como os intermediários (solucionadores) executam as negociações.

Principais Conclusões

Os CLMMs permitem que os provedores de liquidez definam faixas de preço específicas para seus ativos em vez de espalhá-los por todos os preços possíveis.

Este modelo pode oferecer melhor eficiência ao concentrar fundos onde as negociações realmente acontecem, o que significa que os provedores podem ganhar mais taxas com a mesma quantidade de capital.

Ao contrário dos modelos tradicionais, os CLMMs exigem que os usuários monitorem o mercado com mais frequência. Se o preço sair da faixa definida, eles param de ganhar taxas.

Embora os retornos potenciais sejam maiores, o risco de perda impermanente também pode ser maior se o mercado se mover rapidamente contra sua posição.

🗞️ Nas Notícias
O preço do Bitcoin recupera $90,000 após fazer um fundo mais alto em torno de $83,600.

O Índice de Sentimento do Consumidor dos EUA para dezembro está em 51.0, enquanto o Índice de Preços PCE Core para o período anterior mostrou um aumento de 0.2%.
O conselheiro da Casa Branca, Hassett, diz que é hora de o Federal Reserve começar a cortar taxas com cautela.

A Strategy Inc. estabelece uma reserva de $1.44 bilhões para apoiar pagamentos de dividendos e confirma que possui 650,000 Bitcoins em 1 de dezembro de 2025.
A Autoridade Europeia de Valores Mobiliários e Mercados (ESMA) atualiza seu registro interino MiCA para white papers de criptoativos e prestadores de serviços.