Category: crypto

Solana is forming a Blockchain Payments Consortium with competitors like Polygon, TON, Sui, Monad, and Fireblocks to create a unified framework for blockchain-based payments. The goal is to address interoperability issues and develop a common standard for compliance across different blockchain networks to facilitate institutional capital flow.

Cathie Wood of Ark Invest has reduced her bullish Bitcoin forecast for 2030 from $1.5 million to $1.2 million. She attributes this change to the rising adoption of stablecoins, which are taking over some of Bitcoin’s market role. The current Bitcoin price is around $100,000, with various forecasts ranging from $120,000 to $170,000 in the…

Despite Binance joining Sei Network as a validator, Sei’s price fell by 4% to $0.16. This drop is part of a wider trend in the bearish market conditions affecting altcoins, with Sei experiencing a 12% decrease in the past week and 44% in the past month. The overall altcoin market cap has also decreased.

The Burner Terminal, launched by Arx Research, is a point-of-sale device that supports stablecoin payments through tap-to-pay functionality. It also includes support for traditional EMV card swipes, offering merchants a single solution for both payment methods. The device eliminates gas fees and offers an offramp to bank accounts.

Securitize has expanded VanEck’s tokenized fund to Aave’s real-world assets platform. The VBILL tokenized treasury fund is now available on Horizon, allowing institutions to use it as collateral. This partnership aims to bring decentralized finance benefits to traditional finance, with plans to unlock institutional DeFi in the future.

OKX, a major cryptocurrency exchange, is launching a digital dollar wallet and Mastercard card in Brazil to simplify access to global finance and challenge the high-cost dollar broker market. The products allow users to convert Reais to digital dollars, earn APY, and spend globally without foreign transaction fees, aiming to replace traditional dollar brokers.

After the October crypto crash, venture capital investors are now more focused on infrastructure rather than risky crypto products. Higher interest rates and market maturity have made investors more selective. VCs are prioritizing capital efficiency, risk analytics, and real-time transparency. The market is consolidating around proven managers and infrastructure projects.

Sui blockchain upgraded its consensus engine to reduce latency and improve efficiency in transaction handling. The new version integrates transaction validation into the consensus process, eliminating redundant work and reducing confirmation time for transactions. A new submission path also reduces bandwidth and CPU usage. Future work aims to further improve transaction commit speeds and address…

Ripple raised $500 million in funding led by Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities, reaching a $40 billion valuation. The company expanded into custody, stablecoins, and prime brokerage through six acquisitions in two years. Its RLUSD stablecoin surpassed a $1 billion market cap and is used in Ripple Prime.

Top Ethereum protocols, including Aave, Uniswap, and Lido, have launched the Ethereum Protocol Advocacy Alliance to focus on global crypto policy. The initiative aims to push for pro-crypto regulation as crypto adoption increases. Retail investors are showing interest in decentralization, with growing support for clear rules in the emerging industry.