Category: crypto

Stablecoins reached a milestone in 2025, becoming essential in global digital finance with transaction volumes rivaling major payment networks. Regulatory clarity and increased adoption by banks, retailers, and tech giants fueled a 72% increase in total stablecoin transaction volumes to $33 trillion last year. USDC led the boom in decentralized finance, while Tether dominated as…

Former Zcash development team resigned from Electric Coin Company to form a new for-profit startup called CashZ. They plan to launch a new Zcash wallet using the existing Zashi codebase to focus on faster development and scaling Zcash adoption. The move was due to disputes with the nonprofit Bootstrap overseeing ECC governance.

Bitnomial has received regulatory approval from the CFTC to launch prediction markets in the U.S. The approval allows Bitnomial to offer event-based contracts without complying with certain swap reporting and record-keeping rules. This regulatory step opens the door for regulated U.S.-based prediction markets, providing traders and institutions with federal supervision.

Optimism is proposing a new model that would tie its token, OP, directly to network activity and Superchain revenue. The proposal involves using 50% of Superchain revenue for OP token buybacks, starting in February pending a governance vote on Jan. 22. This change aims to shift OP from solely a governance token to one with…

JPMorgan predicts that the recent cryptocurrency sell-off is mostly done as ETF outflows slow down and MSCI’s index decision helps stabilize Bitcoin around $94k. The bank believes that forced selling should end by late 2025, with liquidity in the crypto market remaining strong despite the recent downturn.

In 2025, illicit cryptocurrency activity reached $154 billion, driven by sanctioned nation-states using stablecoins and the ruble token A7A5. Chainalysis reported a 162% increase from 2024, with Russia’s A7A5 token processing $93.3 billion. Despite rising scams and hacks, illicit transactions remain under 1% of total crypto use.

Google DeepMind and Boston Dynamics are collaborating to integrate Gemini AI into Atlas robots for industrial use. This partnership aims to enhance the robots’ abilities in navigating, manipulating objects, and performing complex tasks in factory settings. Hyundai is testing Gemini-powered Atlas units to scale intelligent robotics in manufacturing and logistics.

Wyoming has launched the first state-issued stablecoin in the U.S., called FRNT. The token runs on Solana with multi-chain support and reserves managed by Franklin Templeton. Interest earned on reserves funds public schools. FRNT aims to reduce payment processing costs and is seen as a test case for state-backed digital money.

Babylon is expanding from Bitcoin staking to trustless BTC lending with $15M investment from a16z Crypto. The protocol aims to unlock idle Bitcoin for DeFi without bridges or custodians. This move is backed by a prominent venture firm to position Bitcoin for a larger role in on-chain finance.

Bitmine is increasing its Ethereum staking activities, with a total of 19,200 ETH worth $60M staked, bringing their total staked ETH to $2.62B. They now hold over 4 million ETH, making them the largest known corporate ETH holder. Bitmine plans to launch a U.S.-based validator network in 2026.