Coinbase Moves Closer Toward Rolling Out ‘Custom Stablecoins’
Coinbase is conducting backend tests of Flipcash’s USDF, a custom dollar‑backed stablecoin that will let businesses issue their own branded tokens. The feature, announced in December, uses Circle’s USDC as collateral and currently supports no trading, deposits or withdrawals. If successful, the service could extend to partners like Solflare and R2, broadening Coinbase’s stablecoin ecosystem. The exchange reported $247 million in stablecoin‑related revenue in Q4, underscoring the financial stakes of this rollout.
Silver, Gold Hype Overtaking Crypto on Social Media: Santiment
Santiment’s social‑media analysis shows retail chatter on precious metals has overtaken cryptocurrency throughout January, with gold leading when it hit new highs and silver dominating both early‑month and after reaching a record $117 per ounce. Crypto briefly reclaimed attention during...
Trustless AI Agent Standard Could Hit Ethereum Mainnet on Thursday
Ethereum is set to launch ERC‑8004, a new smart‑contract standard that enables trustless communication between AI agents, on mainnet Thursday around 9 AM ET. The protocol introduces a unified method for registering, discovering, and validating AI agents without altering the underlying network....
Steak ‘N Shake Adds $5M in Bitcoin to Reserve as In-Store Sales Grow 18%
Steak ’n Shake announced a $5 million addition to its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, bringing total holdings to roughly $15 million (about 168 BTC). The chain attributes an 18 % same‑store sales increase in 2026 to its Bitcoin‑payment program. It also unveiled a Bitcoin bonus...
Nearly 40% of US Merchants Now Accept Crypto at Checkout: PayPal
PayPal’s latest survey shows that nearly 40% of U.S. merchants now accept cryptocurrency at checkout, up from earlier experimental phases. The study of 619 payment‑strategy leaders reveals that 84% of merchants believe crypto payments will become mainstream within five years,...
Morgan Stanley Appoints New Head of Digital Asset Strategy
Morgan Stanley has appointed long‑time executive Amy Oldenburg to head its newly created digital‑asset strategy unit. The move follows the bank’s recent filings for spot Bitcoin and Solana ETFs, a staked Ether ETF, and plans to launch a crypto wallet...
Blockchain Investigator Identifies Crypto Theft Network Linked to US Government Seizure Funds
TRM Labs disclosed a sophisticated crypto‑theft operation that has siphoned over $90 million, including $24.9 million tied to the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, after a Telegram “band‑for‑band” challenge inadvertently revealed wallet addresses. The network employed advanced laundering tactics—cross‑chain bridges, mixers, and both...
USDAI Gears Up for Token Launch and Airdrop
USDAI, a GPU‑backed stablecoin protocol, announced its native CHIP governance token will launch in Q1 2026 with an ICO and airdrop slated for April. The platform, which grew to $658 million total value locked after a November peak of $701 million, previously bootstrapped...
PUMP Surges 15% as Memecoin Market Picks Up
Solana‑based launchpad pumpfun saw its native PUMP token rally 15% in the past 24 hours as memecoin activity resurges. Despite an 80% drop in overall trading volume from its peak, the protocol’s 100% revenue‑to‑buyback policy sparked renewed investor interest. On...
US Marshals Confirm Probe Into $40M Theft Claims Involving Seized Crypto
US Marshals confirmed an investigation into allegations that John Daghita, son of a federal contractor CEO, stole more than $40 million in cryptocurrency seized by the government. Crypto analyst ZachXBT traced two wallets linked to Daghita, holding roughly $23 million and $36 million...
South Dakota Lawmaker Takes Another Run at Bitcoin Reserve Bill
South Dakota Representative Logan Manhart re‑introduced HB 1155, allowing the State Investment Council to allocate up to ten percent of public funds to Bitcoin. The bill mirrors his unchanged 2025 proposal and would place the state alongside Texas, Arizona and New Hampshire,...
USDCx Appears on Aleo as Privacy-Focused Blockchains Seek Stablecoin Access
Circle and Aleo announced that USDCx, a privacy‑focused version of the USDC stablecoin, is now live on Aleo through Circle’s xReserve model. The token is fully 1:1 backed by USDC held in xReserve and interoperable with USDC on Ethereum and...
Ethereum Ecosystem Grew in 2025 Even as ETH Price Lagged: Everstake
Everstake’s 2025 report shows that roughly 30% of Ethereum’s supply—about 36.5 million ETH—is now staked, marking a net increase of 1.8 million ETH over the year. Layer 2 networks pushed throughput past 300 TPS, while Layer 1 transactions rose 30% to 1.5‑1.6 million daily. Despite these...
BNB Rises 2.5%, Nears $900 Mark as Prediction Market Growth Signals Utility Expansion
BNB surged 2.5% to $893, closing in on the $900 resistance level. The rally coincided with Virtune’s launch of a physically backed BNB exchange‑traded product on Nasdaq Stockholm, offering direct exposure with a 1.95% annual fee and Coinbase custody. Meanwhile,...
Anthony Scaramucci-Linked AVAX One Tumbles 32% on Uncertainty Around Shareholder Sales
AVAX One, a digital‑asset treasury firm linked to Anthony Scaramucci, saw its stock plunge more than 32% after filing that nearly 74 million insider shares are now registered for resale. The company, which holds AVAX tokens and other Avalanche ecosystem assets, disclosed...
Overcoming 26 Rigorous Tests: Why Is Bullbit’s App Rollup Architecture Highly Rated by Security Experts?
Bullbit’s App Rollup architecture passed a rigorous Hacken audit, clearing 26 security findings. The team resolved 19 issues, accepted five with mitigations, and mitigated two external risks, achieving 93.23% code coverage. A redesigned verifier contract with unique nonce tracking prevents...
🎙️ Ep 16: Stablecoins Make Global Expansion a Single Integration W/ João Del Valle (EBANX)
The Money Code episode with João Del Valle of EBANX frames stablecoins as an “always‑on” interoperability layer that lets payment service providers (PSPs) add global coverage with a single integration. By routing around fragmented domestic rails, stablecoins can reduce prefunding and settlement...
BitAccelerate Leads the Bitcoin Accelerator Market in 2026
BitAccelerate has become the leading Bitcoin transaction accelerator in 2026, offering both free and premium services through its integration with the BitRef explorer. The platform rebroadcasts pending transactions to mining pools that control over 83 % of Bitcoin’s hash rate, delivering...
Bcon Global Launches Non-Custodial Crypto Payment Gateway
Bcon Global has introduced a non‑custodial crypto payment gateway that lets merchants receive digital assets directly into their own wallets without custodial oversight. The platform supports major blockchains and stablecoins, offers API‑driven invoicing, and provides ready‑made plugins for WordPress and...
UniversePro Launches a One-Stop Decentralized Trading Platform Focused on Transparency and System-Level Design
UniversePro is launching a next‑generation decentralized exchange that consolidates spot trading, perpetual derivatives, meme‑asset markets, analytics and launchpools into a single on‑chain platform. The platform adopts a fully non‑custodial, transparent architecture where all execution and settlement are verifiable on the...
OBook Holdings and Arta Global Markets Team on Digital Assets On/Off Ramp
OBook Holdings (NASDAQ: OWLS) and Hong Kong‑based Arta Global Markets have partnered to launch OwlPay, a digital‑asset on/off‑ramp and cross‑currency payment platform. The solution combines OwlTing’s payment, trading, settlement and custody infrastructure with AGML’s SFC‑regulated network of over ten banks...
WH Advisor Patrick Witt: Davos 2026 Was ‘Turning Point’ for Global Crypto Normalization
White House advisor Patrick Witt told CoinDesk that the World Economic Forum in Davos 2026 was a turning point for normalizing digital assets. He reiterated the administration’s pledge to make the United States the “crypto capital of the world” and to...
HFDX vs Paradex: Comparing Market Share as On-Chain Perpetuals Capture More CEX Volume
HFDX.xyz and Paradex are the latest contenders in the on‑chain perpetual futures arena, each pursuing market share through distinct strategies. HFDX pairs perpetual trading with Liquidity Loan Note (LLN) instruments that offer fixed‑rate returns tied to protocol activity. Paradex, by...
Privacy-Focused Miden, Korea Digital Asset Agree to Build Crypto Infrastructure for Institutional Adoption
Miden, a privacy‑focused blockchain firm, has signed an MOU with Korea Digital Asset (KODA), South Korea’s largest institutional crypto custodian. The collaboration will develop privacy‑preserving, compliance‑ready infrastructure and standards for regulated digital‑asset adoption in the country. The deal aligns with...
How Dubai Lawyers Are Shaping the Legal Future of Crypto and Digital Assets
Dubai’s legal sector is emerging as a pivotal force in the global crypto ecosystem, offering specialized guidance as the UAE refines its virtual‑asset regulations. Lawyers are translating fragmented frameworks into actionable compliance strategies for token issuers, platform operators, and investors....
Passey Announced as Secondary Exhibition Sponsor for Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2026
Passey has been named a Secondary Exhibition Sponsor for the Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2026, scheduled for April 20‑23 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The AI‑driven platform brings Bitcoin and Ethereum options trading to retail users via...
Tether Takes the Fight to Circle with a New 'Made in America' Stablecoin
Tether has launched USAT, a U.S.-regulated dollar‑backed stablecoin issued through Anchorage Digital Bank, aligning with the GENIUS Act. The token is overseen by the OCC and backed by Cantor Fitzgerald as reserve custodian, positioning it as a domestic alternative to...
Trump Family-Backed American Bitcoin Lifts Bitcoin Holdings to Nearly 5,900 Coins
American Bitcoin, the Trump‑family‑backed mining firm, raised its bitcoin reserves to roughly 5,843 BTC, positioning it as the 18th‑largest corporate holder worldwide. The company posted a 116% bitcoin yield from its September 2025 Nasdaq debut through January 2026, achieving this...
Animoca, RootstockLabs Partner to Bring Bitcoin DeFi to Japanese Institutions
Animoca Brands Japan has teamed up with Rootstock Labs to launch Bitcoin‑native DeFi tools for Japanese corporations and institutions. The partnership will localise Rootstock’s institutional program, allowing firms to manage Bitcoin treasury assets via the rBTC token and RIF utility...
BNB Smart Chain Rolls Out Fermi Hard Fork Upgrade
BNB Smart Chain has launched the Fermi hard fork, cutting block production time from 0.75 seconds to 0.45 seconds. The upgrade, delivered via BSC client v1.6.4 and refined in v1.6.5, introduces new Blockchain Enhancement Proposals to boost efficiency. Faster block...
G_Wagon NPM Package Exploits Users to Steal Browser Credentials with Obfuscated Payload
Security researchers identified a malicious npm package, ansi-universal-ui, that houses the G_Wagon infostealer. The package pretends to be a UI component library but delivers a Python‑based payload that extracts browser passwords, cryptocurrency wallets, cloud credentials, and messaging tokens. Over ten...
Tucker Carlson Presses Peter Schiff on Bitcoin as New Global Reserve Currency
Gold advocate Peter Schiff appeared on Tucker Carlson’s program to reiterate his criticism of Bitcoin, labeling it a purely speculative instrument with no intrinsic use. He dismissed proposals for a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve as a taxpayer‑funded bailout and contrasted...
Bitcoin Trend Line Cross Mimics 2022 Amid ‘Insane’ BTC Vs. Silver Breakdown
Bitcoin’s weekly chart showed a bearish crossover as the 21‑week exponential moving average slipped beneath the 50‑week EMA, mirroring the pattern last seen in April 2022. The crossover marks the first long‑term trendline reversal in four years, reinforcing the notion of...
Stablecoins Are Real Threat to Bank Deposits, Says Standard Chartered
Standard Chartered warns that stablecoins could erode a third of U.S. bank deposits, equating to roughly $100 billion of the $301.4 billion stablecoin market. The analysis highlights that regional banks are disproportionately exposed because deposits fund net interest margin (NIM) revenue. Tether...
Wemade Taps Chainlink for Korean Won Stablecoin Infrastructure
South Korean gaming platform Wemade has brought Chainlink Labs into its Global Alliance for KRW Stablecoins (GAKS), adding oracle capabilities to the consortium’s infrastructure. The alliance, which already includes Chainalysis, CertiK and remittance firm SentBe, aims to build a compliant,...
Bitcoin to Silver Ratio Nears Levels Last Seen During the FTX Capitulation
Silver’s price has surged roughly 300% over the past year, but recent volatility sparked a sharp intraday swing, pulling back from $117 to $112 per ounce. The bitcoin‑to‑silver ratio now sits around 780, aligning with the low levels seen during...
He Leaked the Secrets of a Southeast Asian Scam Compound. Then He Had to Get Out Alive
A former employee of a crypto‑romance scam compound in Laos, calling himself Red Bull, leaked extensive internal documents exposing how pig‑butchering operations function. He described forced‑labor conditions, daily quotas, and a reward system that celebrates six‑figure fraud wins. After being captured...
What to Expect at American Banker's Inaugural On-Chain Summit
American Banker’s inaugural On‑Chain Finance Summit on March 19‑20 brings together senior banking executives and crypto‑industry leaders to discuss the accelerating integration of stablecoins, blockchain infrastructure, and tokenization. The event follows the passage of the GENIUS Act, which gave U.S....
Trading 212 Let UK Retail Trade Crypto ETNs without FCA Approval: FT
Trading 212, a major European investment platform, allowed UK retail customers to trade cryptocurrency‑linked exchange‑traded notes (ETNs) without the FCA’s required permission. The FCA lifted its 2021 ban on crypto ETNs in October 2025, but firms must obtain specific debenture...
As Bitcoin Miners Cut Unprofitable Production, Hash Ribbon Metric Points to BTC Price Rebound
An intense U.S. storm forced Bitcoin miners to shut down equipment, slashing the network hashrate by roughly 20% and prompting a projected 17% difficulty cut—the steepest since July 2021. The drop triggered a miner capitulation signal on Glassnode’s Hash Ribbon, where...
Panic Selling Bitcoin on Coinbase Triggers a Binance Price Gap that Reveals a “Messy” Institutional Market Failure
Coinbase’s Bitcoin price slipped below Binance, pushing the Coinbase‑Binance premium into negative territory for the first time this year. The divergence coincided with more than $1.3 billion of net outflows from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, indicating waning institutional demand. Mechanical factors,...
ECB Paves the Way for the Use of DLT-Based Assets as Eligible Collateral
The European Central Bank announced that, starting 30 March 2026, the Eurosystem will accept marketable assets issued by central securities depositories (CSDs) using distributed‑ledger‑technology (DLT) as eligible collateral for its credit operations. This marks the first formal recognition of tokenised securities as...
KuCoin Taps Former LSEG Exec Sabina Liu to Lead MiCA Expansion in Europe
KuCoin has appointed former London Stock Exchange Group executive Sabina Liu as Managing Director of its European unit, overseeing the exchange’s expansion under the EU’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets (MiCA) framework from Vienna. The move follows KuCoin’s recent acquisition of a...
ASIC Wins $9.3M Penalty Against BPS Financial over Misleading Qoin Wallet
Australia’s securities regulator ASIC secured a Federal Court order forcing BPS Financial to pay AU$14 million after finding the firm operated the Qoin Wallet without a licence and made misleading statements about its crypto token. The penalty includes a AU$1.3 million fine...
Australia's Corporate Regulator Flags Risks From Rapid Innovation in Digital Assets
Australia’s corporate regulator ASIC warned that rapid growth in digital assets and artificial intelligence is exposing consumers to unlicensed services. Its 2026 Key Issues Outlook highlighted regulatory gaps in crypto, payments and AI, urging the government to clarify whether these...
60% of Top US Banks Are Geared up for Bitcoin: River
River reports that 60% of the top 25 U.S. banks are either offering or planning Bitcoin‑related services such as trading, custody, or loans. JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup are among the three Big Four banks moving toward crypto offerings, while...
Hyperliquid HIP-3 Open-Interest Hits $793M on Commodities Surge
Hyperliquid’s permissionless market‑creation framework HIP‑3 has pushed open interest to an all‑time high of roughly $790 million, up from $260 million a month earlier. The surge is driven by a commodities rally, especially gold breaking the $5,000 barrier and silver reaching new...
Bitcoin and Ether Volatility Trading Gets Easier with Polymarket's New Contracts
Polymarket has launched two new prediction contracts linked to Volmex’s 30‑day implied volatility indices for Bitcoin and Ethereum. The contracts pay out if a one‑minute candle on the volatility index reaches a preset target before year‑end, letting users bet on...
Bitwise to Launch Onchain Vaults via Moprho
Digital asset manager Bitwise has partnered with DeFi lending protocol Morpho to roll out non‑custodial on‑chain vaults, starting with a strategy that aims for a 6% annual percentage yield by allocating capital to over‑collateralized lending pools. The vaults are curated...
Bitcoin Job Listings Rise 6% in 2025, Led by Non-Technical Roles
Bitcoin‑focused job listings rose 6% in 2025, reaching 1,801 positions. Non‑technical roles now account for 74% of openings, up from 69% last year, with product managers leading demand. The United States remains the largest market, while Singapore’s postings surged 158%...