Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Key Facts CertiK announced on 25 June 2026 that it has joined the XDC Network as an institutional masternode validator. Under an agreement between the two organisations, CertiK will deploy and operate validator nodes via its enterprise node solution, CertiK SkyNode. The deployment uses a multi-region sentry node architecture with redundant failover, 24/7 vulnerability scanning, automated threat mitigation and node-level penetration testing. XDC Network’s hybrid architecture combines public transparency with private subnetwork capabilities, targeting institutional settlement, trade finance and RWA tokenisation. Quoted are Atul Khekade, Co-founder of XDC Network, and Ronghui Gu, Co-Founder and CEO of CertiK; other XDC institutional validators include Deutsche Telekom, SBI Holdings, Animoca Brands and HashKey Cloud. CertiK has joined the XDC Network as an institutional masternode validator, the Web3 security firm announced on 25 June 2026. Under an agreement between the two organisations, CertiK will deploy and operate validator nodes through its enterprise node solution, CertiK SkyNode — embedding security controls directly into the infrastructure layer that underpins XDC’s push into enterprise blockchain, trade finance and real-world asset tokenisation.

What CertiK brings as a validator As an institutional masternode validator, CertiK leverages its SkyNode infrastructure to run continuous, proactive defences rather than passive node operation. That includes 24/7 vulnerability scanning, automated threat mitigation and node-level penetration testing — applying the auditing and security discipline CertiK is known for to the validator role itself.

The operational architecture is built for institutional uptime requirements. CertiK is deploying a multi-region sentry node setup with redundant failover protection, engineered to maintain uninterrupted consensus continuity and high availability during peak network congestion. SkyNode already operates validator or full nodes across more than 11 chains, with the nodes it hosts securing over US$1.2 billion in staked tokens — a track record CertiK now extends to XDC.

Why XDC’s architecture fits the use case XDC Network is an enterprise-grade, EVM-compatible Layer 1 designed specifically for trade finance and the tokenisation of real-world assets. Its hybrid architecture combines public-chain transparency with private subnetwork capabilities, allowing institutions to settle and tokenise assets with the auditability of a public ledger but the confidentiality controls that regulated finance requires.

By participating as a validator, CertiK embeds security directly into that infrastructure layer, mitigating operational and network-related risks. The fit is logical: trade finance and RWA settlement demand rigorous risk management and operational resilience, and CertiK’s core competency is precisely the security assurance that institutional counterparties scrutinise before committing to a network.

Executive comments Atul Khekade, Co-founder of XDC Network, framed CertiK’s participation as a credibility signal to institutions weighing long-term infrastructure decisions. “CertiK is one of the most recognized names in blockchain security, and having them validate our network is a meaningful signal to institutions,” he said. “This is not just a technical partnership. It is a statement about the standard of infrastructure we are building for enterprise finance. The institutions moving into trade finance and asset settlement are making long-term infrastructure decisions, and we want XDC Network to be the answer they keep coming back to.”

Ronghui Gu, Co-Founder and CEO of CertiK, positioned the move around the convergence of traditional and digital finance. “CertiK is honored to join the XDC Network as an Institutional Masternode Validator,” he said. “Traditional trade finance and RWA tokenization require rigorous risk management, strong security foundations, and operational resilience. Through this collaboration, we are bringing our security and infrastructure expertise to help strengthen the network and support the trusted infrastructure needed for institutional adoption.”

Validator identity as the new benchmark The partnership reflects a shift in how enterprise blockchain adoption is being measured in 2026. Where earlier cycles tracked wallet growth, transaction counts and pilot announcements, the emerging benchmark is validator identity — who actually operates the networks that institutions may rely on for settlement and tokenisation. Financial institutions and regulators increasingly assess governance standards, operator accountability and jurisdictional alignment alongside raw technical performance.

XDC has leaned into that model deliberately, prioritising recognised operators with institutional standing over a large anonymous validator base. Beyond CertiK, its institutional validators include regulated financial institutions, global telecoms and Web3 leaders such as Animoca Brands, BCW Group, Blueprint, Clearpool, Credora, Deutsche Telekom, HashKeyCloud, Hivemind Digital Group, InvestaX, IXS, RedStone, Republic Crypto, SBI Holdings, StakeFi and UOB Venture Management. CertiK’s addition strengthens that roster with a security specialist — arguably the most directly relevant discipline for a network targeting regulated finance.

Context: CertiK’s infrastructure expansion The XDC role continues CertiK’s expansion from audit-led security toward operational blockchain infrastructure. The company has been building out node and validator services through SkyNode while extending into AI-focused security, including its recent Skill Scanner for AI agents and ongoing regulatory research such as its Skynet stablecoin threat reports. The throughline is a move from assessing security after the fact toward operating secure infrastructure directly.

For both parties, the logic is complementary: XDC gains a security-specialist validator that reinforces its institutional positioning, and CertiK extends its node business onto a network purpose-built for the regulated trade finance and RWA use cases where its security expertise carries the most weight.

FAQ What does CertiK joining XDC Network as a validator involve?
CertiK has joined XDC Network as an institutional masternode validator, deploying and operating validator nodes through its enterprise CertiK SkyNode solution. The setup runs continuous vulnerability scanning, automated threat mitigation and node-level penetration testing, using a multi-region sentry node architecture with redundant failover to maintain consensus continuity and high availability.

Why is XDC Network focused on institutional validators?
XDC Network targets trade finance, institutional settlement and real-world asset tokenisation, use cases that require governance standards and operator accountability closer to traditional financial markets than open retail networks. By prioritising recognised institutional validators — including Deutsche Telekom, SBI Holdings and now CertiK — rather than an anonymous validator base, XDC aims to give banks, enterprises and regulators confidence in the network’s operational integrity.

What is CertiK SkyNode?
SkyNode is CertiK’s enterprise blockchain node and validator service. It operates validator or full nodes across more than 11 chains, applying CertiK’s auditing and penetration-testing expertise to validator operations through security hardening, continuous monitoring, encryption, key management and geographic redundancy.

CertiK’s addition to XDC’s validator set is a small but telling marker of where institutional blockchain competition is heading: not toward the networks with the most transactions, but toward those whose operators can satisfy the governance, security and resilience standards that regulated finance demands. As validator identity becomes a primary signal of institutional readiness, partnerships pairing security specialists with enterprise-focused chains are likely to become a defining feature of the next adoption cycle. This article is informational and does not constitute investment advice.

TLDR: Native NEAR wallets integrated Intents functionality, enabling advanced cross-chain swap capabilities for users. Goldsky, The Graph, and Allium received funding to strengthen indexing services and historical data access. Community teams completed Pagoda wind-down transition, assuming control of Big Query dataset and Data Lake framework. The 2026 roadmap prioritizes expanded MPC networks, sharded RPC nodes, and privacy-focused infrastructure components. The NEAR Infrastructure Committee has released its annual review, detailing substantial progress made throughout 2025 in strengthening network foundations. 

The report highlights key developments in chain abstraction technology, data infrastructure, and community ownership transitions. 

Looking ahead, the committee outlined ambitious plans for 2026, focusing on scaling existing capabilities and introducing privacy-centered infrastructure components for the expanding ecosystem.

Chain Abstraction and Wallet Integration Drive Network Evolution The NEAR ecosystem achieved meaningful progress in chain abstraction during 2025, transforming theoretical concepts into functional reality. 

Chain signatures technology reached full generalization, while NEAR Intents experienced rapid market adoption across multiple platforms. 

The infrastructure committee supported this transition by funding critical components that enabled seamless cross-chain operations.

Few protocols have pioneered more foundational blockchain infrastructure than NEAR, from sharding to chain abstraction to confidential computing.

This recap from NEAR Infrastructure Committee highlights key infra work from 2025 and what's next for 2026. https://t.co/Chsztsjzmi pic.twitter.com/B7ukACk5qG

— NEAR Protocol (@NEARProtocol) January 15, 2026

Native wallet providers, including Meteor, HOT, Intear, Near Mobile, and Nightly, successfully integrated NEAR Intents functionality. 

These integrations delivered advanced cross-chain swap capabilities to end users, representing one component of broader wallet infrastructure improvements. 

The committee also backed proposals to modernize Fast Auth and OneClickConnect systems, enhancing user authentication processes across the network.

Tachyon emerged as the winning solution in the Chain Abstracted Relayer request for proposals. The multi-chain relayer utilizes NEAR chain signatures technology to facilitate cross-chain transactions. 

Meanwhile, the committee approved funding for a new wallet selector and supported Privy integration to reinforce chain-agnostic user experiences.

The wallet infrastructure developments align with NEAR’s broader vision of removing technical barriers for mainstream users. 

Universal authentication systems now allow users to interact with blockchain applications without understanding the underlying chain mechanics. 

This approach positions the network for increased adoption in 2026 as agentic commerce applications emerge.

Data Infrastructure and Community Ownership Transitions Accessing blockchain data remained a priority throughout 2025, particularly given NEAR’s sub-second block times and multi-sharding architecture. 

The infrastructure committee funded comprehensive indexing solutions and analytics tools to ensure data transparency for developers. 

Goldsky and The Graph received support for indexing services, while Allium’s data lake solution enables historical blockchain data access.

NEARBlocks explorer continued receiving funding, expanding its multi-chain indexing capabilities to support NEAR Intents visibility. 

The committee also approved proposals bringing institutional-grade analytics providers Token Terminal and Chainspect onto the network. 

These integrations provide detailed data granularity required by advanced developers and institutional participants.

The completion of Pagoda’s wind-down initiative marked a significant milestone for decentralized infrastructure management. 

Community teams assumed responsibility for previously centralized services, with Meteor maintaining the Big Query public dataset and Aurora managing the Data Lake framework. 

Legacy components like Kit Wallet underwent orderly discontinuation, with user migration to modern alternatives.

For 2026, the committee plans to scale chain abstraction capabilities through an expanded MPC network and multi-chain verifiable execution via trusted execution environments.

Infrastructure preparation for network sharding will require new components, including sharded RPC nodes and cloud archival solutions. 

Privacy-focused infrastructure will support confidential user-owned AI applications through novel wallet tools and emerging standards.

TLDR: US Bank tests Stellar stablecoin issuance with PwC while Marshall Islands deploys UBI payments on network  Dell joins Hedera’s AI integrity platform alongside NVIDIA and Intel for Verifiable Compute initiative  Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin gains regulatory approval in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for legal operations  XDC Network becomes first public blockchain member of Alternative Investment Management Association
Recent market conditions have led many observers to question the viability of cryptocurrency assets. However, beneath the surface of declining prices, enterprise blockchain adoption continues to accelerate.

A comprehensive analysis from Web3Alert highlights seven substantial developments across major blockchain networks during the past three months.

These advancements demonstrate that institutional interest and real-world implementation remain strong regardless of price volatility.

Most people assume crypto is dead because of how the markets are looking.

But time & time again, this industry proves that progress is the loudest when price is most quiet.

We've been in a downtrend for ~3 months now

But even then… Progress isn't just visible.

It's clear as… pic.twitter.com/rEqAQKRa9P

— Web3Alert (@theweb3alert) January 30, 2026

Financial Giants Enter Blockchain Infrastructure Stellar has secured partnerships with two major institutional players in recent weeks. US Bank, among America’s largest financial institutions, now tests stablecoin issuance on Stellar alongside PwC.

The Marshall Islands government has deployed universal basic income payments through the network. These moves strengthen Stellar’s position in both tokenization and payment systems.

Hedera’s collaboration with technology leaders continues to expand. Dell and EQTYLabs released a report on Verifiable Compute technology.

This initiative builds on Hedera’s AI integrity platform developed with NVIDIA and Intel. Accenture previously joined the effort, and Dell’s participation as a Hedera council member adds credibility.

Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin has gained regulatory approval across multiple jurisdictions. Dubai and Abu Dhabi financial authorities have authorized the token for legal use.

The stablecoin now integrates with leading real-world asset infrastructure platforms. These approvals mark progress in Ripple’s expansion strategy beyond its initial market.

Quant’s selection for the UK Finance GBTD program extends its work in British banking infrastructure. The project targets official bank deposits following Quant’s role in the UK RLN.

Banking institutions, FinTech providers, and external services rely on Quant’s blockchain backbone. The technology now serves as essential infrastructure for on-chain banking operations.

Global Trade and Institutional Asset Management IOTA’s ADAPT program advances Africa’s trade modernization efforts alongside the World Economic Forum. The initiative follows TLIP and TWIN projects focused on continental trade systems.

Digital identities, data exchange protocols, and payment innovations form the program’s core. African trade organizations and global leaders collaborate on rebuilding trade architecture through IOTA technology.

Ondo Finance launched an on-chain fund with State Street and Galaxy Digital. The asset management platform previously established Global Markets and achieved institutional adoption.

State Street’s involvement signals growing traditional finance participation in blockchain-based funds. The collaboration combines expertise from established asset management and digital finance sectors.

XDC Network became the first public distributed ledger technology member of the Alternative Investment Management Association.

The organization develops regulations and frameworks for alternative asset classes. XDC’s focus on trade receivables, agribusiness tokenization, and global trade aligns with AIMA’s mission. The membership places XDC among elite institutional finance organizations.

Web3Alert emphasized that these developments occurred during three months of downward price trends. The tweet noted that progress remains visible despite market conditions that drive retail participants away.

Enterprise blockchain adoption continues independent of short-term price movements across digital asset markets.

Why Brazil and XDC Network Are Winning the RWA Race

XDC Network [XDC] token shed 0.76% of its value over the last 24 hours. However, on the weekly charts, it was still up 6.13%. This compared favorably to the 12% loss Bitcoin [BTC] recorded over the past week, hinting at hidden XDC strength.

There seemed to be no clear coin-specific catalysts at work. In fact, the network has not been stellar lately. A recent AMBCrypto report even highlighted that the Layer 1 network may be one of the chains with a high market cap but low active users.

With a respectable $706 million in market cap, the chain’s daily active users plunged by 84% from 2021 to just 45k. This signaled low demand due to on-chain utility.

CryptoQuant data showed that the spot volume bubble map was in a cooling phase, signaling a decline in trading volume. It was the opposite of overheated conditions that tend to accompany market tops. However, this does not mean that an XDC bottom may be in.

Additionally, the spot taker cumulative volume delta shifted to neutral over the past three weeks, after being in a taker-sell-dominant phase since October. This could be another sign that the selling pressure might be easing.

Infrastructure upgrade and RWA issuance milestone highlight XDC’s growth On the other hand, the network announced a successful hardfork on 30 January. The upgrade strengthens XDC’s core infrastructure, which focuses on real-world asset tokenization.

Brazilian fintech Liqi Digital Assets and XDC Network announced a strategic partnership in April 2025. Aimed at bringing RWAs, DeFi, international payments, and trade finance, they recently reached the milestone of $100 million in tokenized RWAs on the XDC network.

In 2026, they target $500 million in issuances, further reinforcing the ease of tokenization as a way to manage debt and credit.

The partnership with Brazil’s VERT Capital is a sign of how XDC Network focuses on enterprise and institutional utility and is not a retail-centric chain. This deal’s aim is to tokenize $1 billion in debt and receivables on the XDC Network.

Source: XDC/USDT on TradingView On the price front, the XDC token was valued at $0.037. The prevailing bearish trend would likely see the $0.022-support level tested in a few weeks. This demand zone has been respected since June 2022.

A retest of $0.0227 is likely to be followed by a consolidation phase where the price could form a range below $0.03. Once such a range is established, long-term investors can look to buy and hold XDC once more.

Final Thoughts Ghost chain fears due to daily active addresses have been diluted by the strong RWA narrative being established around XDC Network. On-chain metrics revealed that selling pressure might be easing, but a price bottom could be weeks or months away.

XDC Network (XDC) Tests Its Momentum: Break Free or Face Resistance?

Validator Identity as the Next Test of Institutional Blockchain Adoption

Crypto has spent years chasing its grand institutional moment. Most of the attention has gone to Bitcoin ETFs, tokenized funds, stablecoins, and the promise of Wall Street moving on-chain. Yet one of the clearest use cases may sit in a far less glamorous corner of finance: trade finance.

That is the market Travis John, Head of Institutional DeFi at XDC Network, believes blockchain can improve in a practical way. 

Speaking at Consensus Miami, Travis described a global trade system still dependent on fragmented records, slow bank coordination, paper-heavy processes, and expensive financing.

“Since 2019, we’ve been building these rails,” Travis said. The goal, he explained, is “a better, faster, cheaper, more transparent way to track global commerce.”

Global Trade Still Runs on Broken Records The problem is easy to understand. A shipment of coffee can involve nine parties. Copper can involve eleven. Banks, exporters, importers, logistics providers, and financiers all touch the same transaction, yet they often work from separate records.

That creates delays and mistrust. When banks cannot see the full picture, they price risk higher. When smaller importers or exporters cannot prove their records clearly enough, they may lose access to financing altogether.

Travis pointed to the scale of the problem. 

“The trade finance industry is about $15 trillion, give or take,” he said. Within that market, he cited “a $2.5 trillion plus gap” where businesses cannot access the financing they need.

That gap affects real companies moving real goods. Many exporters and importers cannot close deals because lenders do not have enough trusted data to underwrite them fairly.

XDC Wants to Make Trade Finance Visible This is where XDC’s pitch becomes more interesting than another generic real-world asset story. The network is focused on trade documents, shipment details, certificates, invoices, and other proofs that multiple parties need to trust.

Travis described blockchain as the record layer that brings those moving parts into one shared view. If every party can see the same verified information, financing can become cheaper and faster.

The opportunity is especially strong for smaller companies locked out of traditional trade finance. Travis said many are forced into high-cost funding because lenders cannot underwrite them properly.

With better records, he said, costs can fall sharply. In some cases, he suggested the improvement could be around 50%.

A great way to close out Consensus Miami.

Under The Stars with @StJude & @NolchaShows brought together builders, institutions, investors, creators, and supporters from across both the XDC ecosystem and the broader digital asset industry for an incredible evening of conversation,… pic.twitter.com/0Pmnn43YsW

— XDC USA (@XDC_USA) May 11, 2026 Stablecoins Were the Missing Payment Layer XDC has been building trade finance rails for years, but Travis said the market needed a practical payment mechanism before the system could scale.

“The thing that really needed to be in place that was missing was stablecoins,” he said.

A blockchain ledger can track the transaction, but stablecoins can move the money. Travis described a “stablecoin sandwich,” where fiat enters on one side, stablecoins move through the middle, and fiat comes out at the other end.

A process that can take seven days through traditional channels could happen in closer to 24 hours, depending on the parties involved. That means faster settlement, lower costs, and better cash flow for businesses that depend on cross-border trade.

The Real Asset Is Cash Flow For investors, Travis frames trade finance as something more grounded than speculative crypto yield.

“This is a claim on cash flows. This is real businesses, real goods that are moving from point A to point B with real purchase orders, real invoices.”

That may be the real hook. Trade finance is dull. It is paperwork, shipping, settlement, and funding. Travis admitted as much: “It’s kind of a boring business.”

But boring markets are often where infrastructure matters most. If crypto can reduce friction in a $15 trillion market, it does not need hype to prove its value. 

It needs cheaper financing, faster settlement, and records people can trust. And XDC is betting on this version of institutional DeFi: better rails for global commerce.

XDC Network has been gaining traction thanks to its real-world asset tokenization framework. Following its debut in 2019, the network, which was designed to address asset gaps across multiple niches, from cross-border payments to trade finance, now holds over $870 million in RWA assets as of May 2026.

Weaving RWA Narratives Across Multiple Fronts The current amount that XDC Network holds as tokenized real-world assets weaves RWA narratives across multiple fronts.These include corporate bonds, US treasuries, institutional funds, stablecoins, government securities, and private credit.Due to the narrative coherence and an ecosystem with strong infrastructure, XDC’s price action has not been subject to pure speculation.

RWA Gains Narrative Dominance in Consensus Miami 2026 The recent Consensus Miami 2026 was an event that saw over 20,000 attendees, companies that combined manage over $4 trillion in assets. According to Fintech TV, most of them focused on RWA.

According to reports, the RWA tokenization market currently tops $33 billion, and it does not include stablecoins. A three-month high, the surge in market value seems to have shifted the conversation from purely speculative assets to infrastructural ones.

Part of the reason RWA has been getting noticed is reportedly because of XDC Network’s growing popularity.

More Visited than Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP: CoinMarketCap CoinMarketCap’s search data revealed that XDC Network has secured a higher ranking than three key cryptos: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP, in terms of most visited tokens. While this is only a sentiment indicator, as it has had no impact on trading volume, it has made the community interested in what the network may have in store.

interested in what the network may have in store.

Source: CoinMarketcap

The indicators highlight a larger disconnect between XDC’s live infrastructure activity and people’s preference to search for a stronger infrastructure token over crypto’s largest assets.

From US Treasuries to Asset-Backed Credit: RWA Tokenization is Growing It was recently revealed on Bitget that the RWA tokenization market has grown past the $33.7 billion mark.

US treasuries hold the biggest chunk of this total market capitalization. Commodities like gold hold second place, and asset-backed credit holds third.

It is noted that rising institutional interest has been the vehicle that strengthened the RWA narrative, especially since giants like BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and JPMorgan have shown significant interest.

These all have their own tokenized products, which means they may now be all in on the RWA narrative and are seeking to support infrastructures that can scale with the growing demand.

Other factors that institutions are looking into are settlement speed, which is the core feature that determines how digital assets translate into the real world. Compliance architecture is the second factor, and the infrastructure’s ability to interact with the traditional financial ecosystem is the third.

These growing talks have put XDC in the headlines. The RWA crypto recently crossed the $750 million market cap, and according to CoinMarketCap’s community sentiment bar, 86% of crypto enthusiasts are bullish on XDC.

XDC Network [XDC] ranked as the day’s second‑highest gainer, even as the broader crypto market stayed flat. At press time, XDC was up more than 14% in 24 hours, reversing its weekly loss into a 9% gain.

Fundamental and on-chain drivers of XDC Network XDC’s short‑term surge was driven by its strategic partnership with Animoca Brands, a leading gaming and venture firm that will serve as an institutional masternode validator. According to Shanlong James Chen, Head of Asia at XDC Network, the partnership brings funding support, particularly for builders on the chain.

Alongside this collaboration, network expansion was also crucial. For instance, the number of transactions in the past two weeks rose to 749K, as per XDC Explorer. However, account growth has fallen sharply to zero from an average of 853K since mid-April.

The total stablecoin market cap on the network has also jumped by 49% in a week as of writing. It stood at $118 million, an addition of $39 million in this period. USDC dominates this cap with 98%.

Source: DefiLlama The Total Value Locked (TVL) was also up by 12.40% to around $14.78 million in the past 24 hours. Its daily DEX volume was slightly higher than that of the previous day by around $40K, clocking in at about $356K.

XDC breaks out but stalls on lower timeframes The price charts showed the altcoin had broken out of a descending trendline pattern on the daily timeframe. Even after the breakout, the XDC price entered a range consolidation.

Source: XDC/USDT on TradingView On the 4‑hour chart, XDC has been trading between $0.02890 and $0.03305 since mid‑March. Earlier this month, an upside breakout was rejected, sending the price back into the range.

At press time, however, XDC broke  out again, with the trend appearing stronger as the Choppiness Index (CHOP) sits at 42 and declining, a signal of potential momentum.

Moreover, the Advance/Decline Ratio rose to 8, suggesting the price was moving up consistently. It has, however, started to decline as XDC potentially forms a double top around $0.03700.

Source: XDC/USDT on TradingView Overall, the price action had broken out of a bearish pattern on the bigger timeframes but was still stalling on the lower ones. It’s worth noting that these lower timeframes were showing a shift in momentum to the upside, suggesting the altcoin could escape the consolidation.

Final Summary XDC Network rallies 14% in a day after Animoca Brands partnership and network growth.  XDC was bullish on bigger timeframe charts but slow on the smaller ones, though momentum was shifting. 

Cardano’s total stablecoin market cap has climbed to roughly $54.88 million, a 15% jump from where it stood in early March 2026. That figure captures just how quickly liquidity has been building on the network over the past several weeks.

USDCx Drives the Surge Circle’s USDCx now commands the largest share of Cardano’s stablecoin market at 45.20%, with USDM at 26.90%, USDA at 15.45%, and DJED at around 5.90%. Data from Cexplorer shows that nearly 8 million USDCx were minted within just the last two days of the reporting period.

According to Messari data, Cardano recorded a 61% rise in stablecoin market cap over the past seven days — the highest among major blockchain networks tracked during that period. Polygon came in second at 36%, followed by World Chain at 10.3%, HyperEVM at 7.4%, and XDC Network at 3.5%.

Source: Messari Net stablecoin flow for the current epoch on Cardano has reached approximately $8.55 million. Reports indicate that around $9.57 million worth of stablecoins were minted during this stretch, while roughly $1 million were burned.

A Gap That Still Remains The minting surge has been concentrated in USDCx, which is Circle’s on-chain representation of USDC on the Cardano blockchain. That product has seen consistent minting activity throughout the week, with activity accelerating in the final two days.

ADAUSD currently at $0.23. Chart: TradingView Despite the momentum, Cardano has not yet secured a direct integration of a Tier-1 stablecoin such as Circle’s native USDC or Tether’s USDT.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has raised this point repeatedly, saying that such an addition would significantly strengthen the network’s DeFi activity and liquidity depth.

What The Numbers Reflect The figures point to rising on-chain activity across the Cardano ecosystem, even as the network continues working toward deeper stablecoin infrastructure.

Analysts generally treat stablecoin inflows as a signal of expanding financial activity and wider DeFi adoption on a given chain.

Cardano’s one-week performance puts it well ahead of the other networks in Messari’s rankings for stablecoin market cap growth.

Whether that pace holds will likely depend on how quickly new stablecoin integrations and minting activity continue across the ecosystem.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Kepler Cheuvreux raises ASML’s European share price target from €1,460 to €1,830.

Kepler Cheuvreux has raised the target price for ASML’s European shares from €1,460 to €1,830.

7 minutes ago

Stifel: U.S. economy in "overheated expansion" as AI investment cycle outweighs consumer pressure

U.S. large diversified financial services holding company Stifel has raised its year-end S&P 500 target and rolled out a stock allocation framework for a "high-growth, high-inflation" environment. The firm lifted its year-end S&P 500 target to 7,800 points, noting the U.S. economy is entering a "running hot" state—where economic growth is strengthening alongside mounting inflationary pressure. Stifel’s models show U.S. growth momentum is picking up while inflation momentum is clearly overheating, a trend that will reshape the market’s leading sector structure in the second half of the year. Instead of traditional consumer sectors, Stifel’s top picks are investment-led cyclical industries, including banks, transportation, materials, energy, semiconductors, software and equipment. The firm adds that fixed-asset investment in AI remains on the rise: large tech firms including Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Google are projected to combine for roughly $725 billion in total capital expenditures in 2026, some $100 billion higher than prior estimates. This means the AI investment chain is likely to continue outperforming the consumption chain squeezed by inflation. Stifel advises investors to reduce exposure to discretionary consumer, consumer staples, communication services and some financial services sectors, as these areas see weaker earnings revisions. Conversely, the firm favors cyclical value stocks and hedges with defensive value sectors such as insurance, autos, energy and banks.

7 minutes ago

Analyst: Micron's earnings boost overall market sentiment for the tech sector

Chris Strazzeri, Financial Trading Manager of Moomoo’s Australia and New Zealand branch, stated: “The targeted sell-off indicates that following a sustained, strong rally in AI-related and speculative growth stocks, investors are enforcing strict valuation discipline. This serves as a warning to the market that actual earnings levels must now rise to support the currently overvalued price-to-earnings ratio. Micron Technology’s post-market earnings results largely confirm this, and its robust performance has lifted overall market sentiment in the tech sector.”

7 minutes ago

2x Leveraged Long DRAM ETF (RAM) Records $383 Million in Trading Volume on Its First Day of Listing

According to Bitget market data, the Roundhill T-REX 2X Long DRAM Daily Target ETF (Nasdaq ticker: RAM) officially launched trading yesterday. On its first trading day, the fund recorded a total turnover of $383 million, and rose 29.47% in after-hours U.S. stock trading to hit $30.8. Note: RAM’s underlying exposure covers companies engaged in memory-related technologies, including DRAM, NAND and storage solutions, targeting active traders seeking leveraged exposure to the memory chip theme and artificial intelligence infrastructure development.

7 minutes ago

BCA Research raises its S&P 500 target to 8,100 points, with AI remaining a core variable.

BCA Research has become the latest strategy firm to raise its US stock market target, reflecting Wall Street’s growing optimism about earnings support for US equities in the second half of the year. The institution lifted its year-end S&P 500 target from 7,700 points to 8,100 points. BCA’s core view is that first-quarter corporate earnings exceeded expectations in both strength and breadth, and the US economy has re-entered an expansion phase. Similar to JPMorgan Chase, BCA believes this stock rally is not only driven by valuation expansion—earnings themselves are delivering the index’s gains. AI remains the core variable in this assessment. Large tech firms including Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Oracle continue to increase capital spending on data centers and AI infrastructure, driving growth in orders for chips, servers, construction, power and related industrial chains. This provides a clearer fundamental basis for upward revisions to 2026 and 2027 earnings. The institution points out that risks exist: the earnings expansion brought by AI investments has already been quickly priced into the market. If subsequent returns on capital spending are questioned, or interest rates remain elevated, further upside for the index will require more earnings confirmation rather than relying solely on investor risk appetite.

7 minutes ago

Tom Lee: Markets have nearly priced in two interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve this year, and the rise in US Treasury yields is weighing on market sentiment.

Tom Lee said the market is still digesting Kevin Warsh’s remarks from his first press conference last week and repricing the macro environment. Over the past week, oil prices have pulled back, with war premiums contracting. Current oil prices are not far from the roughly $65 level seen before the conflict, indicating the market views related war risks as declining. On the other hand, 10-year U.S. Treasury yields continue to rise, now around 4.5%, higher than the pre-conflict level of roughly 4.2%. The main headwind the market has faced recently has shifted from oil prices to yields. Tom Lee noted that the market is not only focused on 10-year U.S. Treasury yields but also starting to price in potential additional interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. According to federal funds futures, the market is currently pricing in nearly two rate hikes this year. Bank of America further projected today that the Fed will raise rates three times this year, in September, October, and December respectively. Jeffrey Gundlach often emphasizes the importance of monitoring 2-year U.S. Treasury yields, as they typically lead the Fed and signal the central bank’s policy direction. Between 2023 and 2025, the relationship between 2-year U.S. Treasury yields and the federal funds rate indicated that the Fed’s policy was overly tight, requiring interest rate cuts. However, this relationship has recently reversed, meaning the Fed would need two rate hikes to catch up with 2-year U.S. Treasury yields. He believes that, at least for now, yields have become a headwind for the market.

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2024 Coinstore Premiere Brand Conference Has Completed Successfully

Ondo Finance continues solidifying its name in the RWA space, with the network’s TVL soaring past the $500 million threshold.

It comes as real-world assets tokenization gains mainstream attention, with crypto-focused companies, global bankers, and asset managers front-running this interest.

ONDO Thrives on Real World Assets Tokenization BuzzOndo Finance’s Total Value Locked (TVL) has exploded 43% since May, moving from $352.67 million on May 1 to $506 million on June 6.

TVL is an important metric used to measure the adoption and success of decentralized finance platforms. The surge in Ondo Finance TVL indicates a significant increase in assets deposited into the protocol. It highlights growing interest, market confidence, increased activity, and the potential for ONDO price increase.

According to CoinGecko, ONDO stands out as the leader in RWA coins, boasting a market capitalization of $2 billion, which represents 21% of the $9.3 billion sector. Other prominent tokens include Pendle (PENDLE), MANTRA (OM), XDC Network (XDC), and Polymesh (POLYX).

Read More: What Are Tokenized Real-World Assets (RWA)? Everything You Need to Know

ONDO TVL. Source: DefiLlamaThe recent surge in TVL can be attributed to the growing interest among crypto-focused companies, global bankers, and asset managers in bringing traditional financial instruments such as bonds, funds, or credit to blockchains. Among them, BlackRock launched its tokenized treasury bond, BUIDL, on the Ethereum network.

Recognizing the fundamental potential of tokenizing securities to transform capital markets, the US Congress is acknowledging TradFi’s integration into the blockchain. In a Wednesday hearing, the US House Financial Services Digital Assets Subcommittee discussed the tokenization of RWAs, highlighting divergent views on the topic.

Read More: What is The Impact of Real World Asset (RWA) Tokenization?

ONDO Price OutlookOndo’s native token is trading with a bullish bias, with immediate support at $1.36, defending the 23% gains made in the last seven days. In the previous 24 hours, the RWA token price is up almost 3% amid ongoing bullish efforts toward further upside. Notably, the next directional bias is contingent on how ONDO bulls play their hand as they contend against the $1.44 roadblock that has held as resistance for six consecutive days.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) positions at 69, sustaining the higher low points to strong bullish momentum. If the RSI holds above the ascending trendline, the Ondo Finance price could extend a neck higher.

A stable candlestick close above $1.44, where the ONDO price effectively closes above the centerline of the ascending parallel channel, would increase the chances for further upside. This could potentially lead the token to reach a new all-time high of $1.60.

Read more: Real World Asset (RWA) Backed Tokens Explained

ONDO/USDT 1D Chart. Source: TradingViewThe Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is notable above the signal line (orange band). This indicates that the short-term moving average is above the long-term moving average, which usually suggests a bullish momentum in ONDO’s price.

However, a closer look reveals a dropping RSI and a weak MACD, indicating seller momentum. Therefore, a price correction could happen. If the $1.36 support level breaks, ONDO Finance could drop to test the $1.16 support level, but only a daily candlestick close below $0.98 would invalidate the bullish outlook.