Upheaval at the Ethereum Foundation has some of crypto’s biggest names feeling bullish
In this week's edition of The Protocol Newsletter, we're looking at Ethereum's eventful week that started off with the launch of EthLabs, plus the layoffs at the Ethereum Foundation, and what this all means for the network.
7:48 PM
Positive
Kalshi targets a massive $40 billion valuation, widening lead over rival Polymarket
The prediction market operator, which is eyeing a potential public debut in 2027, could close a new funding round in Q3, according to a Financial Times report.
5:18 PM
Binance withdraws Greek MiCA bid but vows to remain in Europe
The crypto giant must find a home base in the EU by July 1 or regulators will force the company to shut down operations for millions of regional users.
4:01 PM
Negative
BTC0.00%
Bitcoin falls below $60,000 as AI trade continues to draw investor interest and capital
South Korean memory chip giant on Wednesday filed to raise nearly $30 billion in a U.S. offering.
4:00 PM
BTC0.00%
Crypto Long & Short: Infrastructure is the prevailing currency in digital assets
In this week's Crypto Long & Short, Nonco’s Caue Teixeira makes the case that regardless of which coin ultimately wins, infrastructure is the prevailing currency in digital assets. Then, using CoinDesk's liquidation feed, Liquibit Capital's Alen Pavlović finds that June's forced selling peaked near $68,000, days before bitcoin actually bottomed.
3:45 PM
Negative
SecondFi loses $2.4 million in Cardano wallet exploit
SecondFi was hit by three separate attacks exploiting a flaw in its wallet generation software. A further 129 million ADA was secured by the team before attackers could reach it.
3:42 PM
Negative
Trump's refusal to sign housing bill could delay Congress and imperil Clarity Act
As Congress prepared to celebrate the president's signing of the bipartisan housing bill that contains a CBDC prohibition, Trump abruptly cancelled the event.
3:23 PM
Neutral
Ex-FCA policy insider explains the ‘great divide’ in the UK’s crypto ambition
Former FCA policymaker and Hedera Global Policy VP, Isadora Arredondo says there is a gap between the U.K.'s crypto ambitions and how policy is carried out in practice.
2:47 PM
Negative
Bitcoin just broke below the floor of its famous Rainbow Chart into the ‘BTC is dead’ zone
A 50% drop from recent highs has pushed the asset into a zone historically labeled as a dead end, sparking a debate among crypto analysts.
1:48 PM
Negative
Gold, silver and bitcoin tumble as 'debasement' trade unwinds
Precious metals have fallen sharply from their 2025 highs as markets price in Fed rate hikes.
1:42 PM
Negative
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Bitcoin could fall to $55,000 before finding a bottom, 10x Research says
A strengthening U.S. dollar and the Fed's hawkish turn under new chair Kevin Warsh may keep pressure on crypto through the summer.
1:19 PM
Positive
CoinDesk 20 performance update: Aave (AAVE) gains 5.9% as index moves higher
Internet Computer (ICP), up 2% from Tuesday, joined Aave (AAVE) as a top performer.
1:00 PM
CZ, Binance founder, wants to clear up 'misunderstandings' about who he is
The former CEO of the world's largest crypto exchange is seeking to redefine himself to the world on his own terms.
12:48 PM
Positive
BTC0.00%
+2 Assets
Aave could soar to $3,500 by 2030 on DeFi revival, says StanChart
Geoff Kendrick said Aave has moved past April's cyberattack-related market disruption and is well positioned to benefit from growth in tokenized assets and DeFi.
11:36 AM
Positive
BTC0.00%
+1 Asset
This forgotten coin could surprise everyone before its next halving
Your day-ahead look for June 24, 2026
11:04 AM
Negative
BTC0.00%
+6 Assets
Bitcoin clings to $62,500 as bears tighten grip on crypto market
Bitcoin held above $62,500 and ether near $1,665, but sluggish price action and widening put skews signal bears remain firmly in control.
10:47 AM
Positive
YZi Labs ends proxy war with BNB treasury company CEA Industries
Partner Alex Odagiu will serve as an interim president, pending a search for a new chief executive, while head of YZi Labs Ella Zhang and Matthew Roszak also appointed directors of CEA.
10:38 AM
Positive
Cboe revives S&P 500 binary options, chasing a market popularized by Polymarket, Kalshi
One of the largest U.S. derivatives exchanges is bringing back yes/no bets on the S&P 500 after pulling them a decade ago, moving onto turf that Polymarket and Kalshi turned into one of the internet's fastest-growing corners.
9:47 AM
Positive
The Runes revival: Bitcoin traffic hits a two-year high as transactions blast past 820,000
A surge in Rune protocol activity is pushing Bitcoin transaction counts and fee generation to multi year highs.
OG Fan Token (OG), e-sports organization OG’s exclusive cryptocurrency, is used on the Socios.com platform. In this article, you will find answers to two frequently asked questions: what is OG Fan Token (OG) and how to buy OG Fan Token (OG) with TRY.
What is OG Fan Token (OG)?OG Fan Token is a limited cryptocurrency designed for fans of the e-sports organization OG, known for its success in Dota 2, operating on the Chiliz Blockchain. It serves as a Fan Token on the Socios.com platform, allowing fans to establish a more interactive connection with their favorite teams. As a Fan Token, OG represents ownership or membership and enables fans to participate in various team-related activities.
The OG Fan Token economy relies on the Socios.com platform and the underlying Chiliz Blockchain. Fan tokens like OG are distributed among fans, giving each token holder the ability to influence decision-making processes within the organization. OG Fan Token enhances direct fan participation in their teams, promoting more interaction and engagement within the community. OG Fan Token provides fans with numerous advantages, including voting rights, access to exclusive events, and the opportunity to influence the team’s future strategies. Through these tokens, fans can actively engage with their favorite clubs, contributing to a more vibrant and participatory fan culture.
The main advantage of the OG Fan Token is its ability to foster a stronger sense of community, enhancing fan interaction and engagement with their teams. However, the value of the OG Fan Token may fluctuate based on factors such as the club’s popularity and fan engagement levels.
How to Buy OG Fan Token (OG) with TRY?Binance TR is the most suitable cryptocurrency exchange for investors in Turkey who want to buy OG Fan Token (OG). On Binance TR, where you can quickly create an account, you can buy and sell over 100 cryptocurrencies, including OG. To buy OG Fan Token (OG) with TRY on Binance TR, you can follow these steps.
How to Open an Account on Binance TR?Opening an account on Binance TR is quite easy. You need to go to trbinance.com and proceed from the “Create Account” step. In the first step of account creation, you will be asked to enter basic information such as your email address, phone number, name-surname, date of birth, nationality, and T.C. identity number.
After entering the requested information completely and accurately, an email/SMS verification will be done to confirm the information. After completing this process, you will proceed to the second step, identity verification (KYC).
How to Verify Your Account on Binance TR?Identity verification on Binance TR is one of the security procedures that must be completed before starting cryptocurrency trading and during account creation. This process is also necessary to protect both the user and the cryptocurrency exchange. You can choose to perform the verification process from your phone or through the official Binance TR website. Note that you will need your mobile phone to verify your identity from the website.
On the Binance TR website, hover over the “Profile” option at the top right, click on “Identity Verification and Limits” from the drop-down menu, and then click on “Verify.” After this step, you will need to scan the QR code that appears with your phone’s camera and continue the process on your phone. If you cannot scan the QR code, you can click on “Copy URL” to send the identity verification address to your phone via SMS.
When you enter the address on your phone or scan the QR code, a screen like the one below will open on your phone. First, tap on the “Identity” option to continue.
Then a screen like the one below will appear. To continue the verification process, first select the document type that suits you.
After selecting the document type, tap on the “Upload Front Side” option to continue. After taking a photo of the front side of the document according to the selected document type, tap on the “Upload Back Side” option and take a photo of the back side of the document and upload it. Ensure that the images are clear and the information in the photo is easily readable when taking photos of the front and back sides of your ID card or driver’s license.
Then tap on the “Selfie” option to continue. At this point, your phone’s front camera will open, and you will need to scan your face. Ensure that your face fills the camera area as much as possible once the camera opens.
After completing all these steps accurately and completely, your identity verification process will be completed shortly.
How to Deposit TL on Binance TR?You can easily deposit TL into your Binance TR account through all banks. You can deposit TL 24/7 and make uninterrupted transactions from your Vakıfbank, Ziraat Bankası, İş Bankası, Akbank, Fibabanka, Şekerbank, and Türkiye Finans accounts. Deposits up to 50,000 TL can be made 24/7 from other banks via FAST. Deposits over 50,000 TL from other banks are processed during EFT hours.
To deposit money into your Binance TR account, first go to trbinance.com, hover over the “Wallet” option at the top left of the homepage, and click on “Deposit” from the drop-down menu.
Then a page like the one below will open, and you can continue the deposit process by selecting your preferred bank from this page. If your preferred bank does not yet have Binance TR integration, you should continue by clicking on the “Other Banks” option.
In this example, we will continue using Vakıfbank, but the process is the same for all other banks. When you click on the Vakıfbank option, you will see an account name and IBAN address where you can make a transfer, EFT, or FAST to that bank. Now, all you need to do is use the information displayed on your preferred bank’s page to transfer the amount you want to deposit into your Binance TR account via transfer, EFT, or FAST.
Once your bank completes the transfer process, the funds you sent will automatically be reflected in your Binance TR account wallet.
How to Buy OG Coin on Binance TR with TL?After the deposit process, you can proceed to the TL to OG coin purchase step by clicking on the “Buy-Sell” option in the top left menu on the Binance TR website.
After clicking on this option, the following page will open. On this page, type “OG” in the search section on the right side and click on the OG/TRY option from the results to go to the TL to OG purchase page.
Now the following OG purchase page will open. On this page, in the area marked with a red box, you need to enter the price at which you want to buy OG in the first box and the number of OG you want to buy in the second box. After entering the amount, you can complete your purchase by clicking the “Buy OG” button.
What is Binance TR?Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, officially launched its platform Binance TR for cryptocurrency investors in Turkey in 2020. The cryptocurrency exchange, headquartered in Istanbul, can be accessed at trbinance.com.
Binance TR leverages Binance’s technology, security measures, and liquidity provided through Binance Cloud infrastructure to offer trading services from fiat to cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency to cryptocurrency. Users in Turkey can seamlessly deposit and withdraw Turkish Lira (TRY) through direct bank channels and trade various cryptocurrencies with TRY trading pairs via Binance TR.
Users can access market-leading spot trading liquidity, a powerful matching engine, advanced security protocols, custody solutions, and risk controls supported by Binance’s core functionalities through Binance TR.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Binance Futures announced the launch of the USDⓈ-margined OGUSDT Perpetual Contract, which will offer up to 50x leverage
Binance Futures announced the launch of the USDⓈ-margined OGUSDT Perpetual Contract, which will offer up to 50x leverage. The contract is based on the OG Fan Token, a utility token that allows fans of the OG Esports Team to have a tokenized share of influence on team decisions through the Socios application and services. The launch was scheduled for May 12, 2025, at 09:00 UTC. Additionally, HTX Global listed the UFD token, with deposits opened and trading starting shortly after the announcement.
This is an AI-generated article powered by DeepNewz, curated by The Defiant. For more information, including article sources, visit DeepNewz.
Live streaming services, where content creators can broadcast their talents to a worldwide live audience, have taken social media by storm in recent years. By 2022, it’s expected that up to 82% of all internet traffic will be video-based, most of which will be live-streamed content.
Andy Tian, CEO of Gifto and Asia Innovations Group In Asia, the popularity of live-streaming services is sky-high. User demand for live-streaming platforms is expected to grow the industry to over US$71 billion by 2023 in the Asian markets alone.
Despite this, monetizing live streaming services has remained particularly problematic, especially when attempting to make payments fair and transparent for content creators.
Blokt caught up with Andy Tian who is the CEO of Gifto and Asia Innovations Group, a blockchain project that is challenging current content creation monetization models, to discuss what makes virtual gifting such a unique value proposition, and find out Gifto’s vision for the future.
Creating the Gifto Protocol Established in Taiwan in 2017, Gifto is a decentralized virtual gifting protocol, which incentivizes its users to buy and send gifts to content creators worldwide. By building a large pool of content creators, Gifto aims to be the world’s most widely-used application token.
Gifto is accomplishing this by making it fun and simple for mainstream internet users to acquire and use GTO, the native token of the Gifto platform, in popular social and streaming apps; especially to reward content creators through virtual and e-commerce gifts.
On what makes the Gifto unique, Tian explains:
“We’re different from most projects in that we’re backed by the Asia Innovations Group, the company behind Uplive, a global live streaming platform with over 100 million users, so we already have the user base to drive mass adoption with.”
Gifto aims to take the current gifting model within its popular live streaming partner app Uplive, and implement it across platforms globally, including on huge industry giants like Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat.
Current Flaws in Content Monetization Although there are currently ways for online creatives and talented content creators to monetize their content online, Gifto believes that most current models of content monetization are flawed.
Of Regarding the current monetization models, Tian comments:
“Simply put, it’s impossible for most content creators, even fairly popular ones, to make a consistent living from their outstanding shared content.”
Instead, Tian explains, most content creators are heavily dependent on view-based advertising revenue from streaming platforms such as YouTube. As these platforms reward content creators with the largest audiences in a merit-based system, the algorithms which dictate monetization make it very difficult for creatives who are just starting out.
Platforms such as Instagram and YouTube generate high revenue and profit margins through their content creators, while only significantly rewarding the top percentile of their content publishers.
Explaining how Gifto is different, Tian says:
“Gifto’s virtual gifting in UpLive not only rewards content creators, but deepens the connection between fans and creatives, by making gifting fun and memorable.”
So, what is virtual gifting with Gifto, and how exactly does it differ from traditional content monetization?
The Gifto Token (GTO) The Gifto token (GTO) is the native token of the Gifto Protocol, and features especially highly within the Gifto Wallet, a user-friendly web wallet integrated into Uplive, Gifto’s Universal Gifting protocol, the Giftomon blockchain collectibles game, and the CoinUP Network.
Explaining how Gifto works on the Uplive platform, Tian says:
“Users can send an animation to their favorite broadcaster, and the content creator will receive 80% of the cost of the animated gift deposited directly to their Gifto wallet, in the form of Gifto tokens.”
As blockchain based Gifto transactions incur lower fees than the pre-existing virtual currency of Uplive, called ‘uDiamonds,’ it has been successfully integrated as a superior transfer of value from the audience to the broadcaster.
The Gifto token is currently listed on major crypto exchanges such as Binance, Bittrex, OKEx, Bithumb, UpBit and more.
Universal Gifting with Gifto Virtual Gifts are essentially tokens of appreciation, sent to support artists and content creators for their work. Instead of creators asking for donations, or trying to monetize their channels through adverts as is currently common, creatives can instead use Gifto’s virtual gifts to receive tangible value for their content.
Types of Virtual Gifts Virtual gifts come in many shapes and sizes, and also – many values. Users can buy virtual gifts, and send them to their favorite content creators.
Gifts include animated virtual gifts, 3D gifts, or gifts which have a special theme. Eventually, the Gifto wallet will also support the gifting of virtually anything that can be gifted online, for example, gift cards, or limited-edition digital collectibles.
Most importantly, with blockchain technology integration, virtual gifts have intrinsic value as non-fungible assets, tied to the value of the Gifto token.
Content creators can then view their virtual gifts including the fan who sent them, and if they choose, turn the gifts into Gifto tokens to trade on secondary markets. Through the Gifto Wallet, creators can spend their GTO from gifts on entertainment apps, or real products via Gifto’s e-commerce plugin, which is currently being tested for Taiwanese users.
Commenting on the viability of the virtual gifting business model, Tian adds:
“Virtual gifting is a proven business model popular in live streaming. Uplive brought in over $122 million during 2018, mostly from tens of millions of virtual items gifted by Uplive users to streamers each month.”
Tian also added that virtual gifting is more than just a form of monetization, it’s fun too – as users aren’t just giving money, but personalized gifts.
Multi-Platform Gifting Gifto is aiming to allow virtual gifting on any social, sharing, or streaming platform, including existing social media giants like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram.
Asked how Gifto will integrate with existing platforms, Tian explains:
“Our virtual gifting is powered by the Gifto wallet, which is web-based and works across platforms. Content creators simply send a link to their Gift Dashboard to receive gifts, regardless of platform.”
Tian added that Gifto is constantly exploring ways to make gifting easier for users, including by adding more fiat top-up options for its users.
Uplive will be one of the first streaming platforms to integrate Gifto Giftomon – Crypto Collectibles Giftomon is another element of the Gifto protocol, and was the first cryptocurrency based online collectibles game, reaching several thousand daily average users.
Giftomon allows users to spend GTO to train Giftomon creatures and compete in battles to acquire more GTOs, which has proven to be a successful proof of concept for GTO holders to develop their holdings while testing the network.
On developing Giftomon, Tian remarks:
“Becoming one of the first highly engaging games for the crypto-community taught us a lot about what users really want out of blockchain in their games, and Giftomon will benefit from further development of the Gifto Wallet and our collectibles infrastructure”
Gifto’s Outlook for the Future Moving forward, Gifto has a detailed roadmap for the future and a positive view of the wider blockchain industry.
Commenting on the crypto bear-market through most of 2018, Tian says:
“Overall we’re happy to see that a lot of the noise has died down as crypto markets have gone through a correction, with real projects deployed and usable tech, such as the Gifto Wallet, getting more of the attention.”
Tian continues that despite this, some of the major challenges for the widespread adoption of cryptos, such as regulatory issues or risk aversion by payment gateways, remain major barriers for new capital and new users entering crypto among many jurisdictions.
On navigating cryptocurrency regulation, Tian explains:
“Like many projects, this has impacted our roadmap, but we are pioneers and see several paths forward for mainstream adoption. For example, we expect our strategic partnership with InfiniteX Exchange in Australia will open up new fiat-to-Gifto gateways for mainstream users.”
Gifto believes that by facilitating the easy purchase of crypto for everyone, it can drive adoption, and make it easier for content creators and fans to send and receive unique gifts.
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Is the BNB Token a security or a utility token? It’s a question that Binance appears keen to answer, if a recent blog post and a new hashtag, #UseBNB, are anything to go by.
In the post, Binance published an exploration of its multiple use-cases for BNB, which already number over 120 in total.
In SIMETRI’s recently-updated BNB report, researchers highlighted that the number of use cases had “increased substantially”: although BNB began as a means to receive discounted trading fees, it cam now be used throughout the Binance ecosystem as well as with dozens of external providers.
“Since its inception, BNB has increasingly developed its functions and use cases, and has cemented its role as one of the most widely-used utility tokens in the blockchain space,” said a Binance spokesperson.
“BNB has been added and applied in various use cases, both within and beyond the Binance ecosystem.”
BNB can now be used in multiple products including a lending platform, derivatives, margin trading, staking program and futures. The Binance Chain ecosystem has also expanded dramatically, and with it, opportunities for BNB holders to participate in payments across many merchants.
Among the use-cases detailed by Binance in the post:
Merchant payments with BNB. People can pay for goods and services in BNB via TravelbyBit or Pundi X merchant POS systems around the world. In the last month, about 12% of the merchant transactions were in BNB via TravelbyBit POS system. Traveling with BNB. On travel booking platforms such as TravelbyBit and Trip.io, people can use BNB to pay for hotels and flight bookings. On TravelbyBit alone, more than US$700,000 worth flights and hotels were booked between 2018 and 2019. Buying virtual gifts. People can use BNB to pay for virtual gifts on websites such as Gifto. Hiring freelancers. Using platforms like CanWork (with the CanYa coin), you can hire freelancers and pay the fees in BNB. Earning in-game rewards. Get rewarded or pay in BNB for games on VIBEHub Buying property. Pay for real estate assets using BNB on property listing websites such as Propy. Storing BNB using major smartphones. You can store and use BNB through built-in wallets on some of the latest smartphones from Samsung and HTC. But why now discuss BNB utility now? Reading between the lines, Binance seems to be looking to avoid a security classification in the US for BNB.
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Following a recent no-fault agreement between EOS and the SEC, which resulted in a $24M fine, it could be argued that Binance sees this as the perfect time to illustrate that it’s grown into a genuine network in which the BNB token drives true utility beyond speculation.
In a report published late last year, eToro’s senior market analyst, Mati Greenspan, wrote that the coin “may contain elements of a Security Token” and although he accepted the coin had certain utilities, he pointed out that the “value of BNB is tied to the performance of the company” with the token burn process comparable to a stock buyback.
Although the contraction in supply may be intended to reduce the concentration of BNB ownership, SIMETRI researchers also suggested that it “may actually increase the likelihood of BNB being considered a security in the US, as token holders directly profit from Binance’s actions.”
However, SIMETRI analysts also noted that utility alone is not the only element examined the by the SEC: the DAO Report represented a watershed moment for cryptocurrency offerings in the USA: those that came before its issuance on July 25th 2017 appear to have been treated more leniently than those that ignored its findings: Binance’s BNB token was offered prior to the DAO Report.
Marc Powers, a partner at BakerHostetler who specializes in blockchain and securities law, told Crypto Briefing that “It was not an active ICO at the time of the SEC report, which to me is critical in analyzing which ICOs the SEC will likely give a pass on unregistered securities offerings.”
EOS, it should be noted, continued to conduct their ICO after the DAO Report guidance.
Binance And The US Market Binance has always been sensitive to the US market. It designed its Binance.US platform, which only opened last month, to be fully compliant with the country’s strict securities laws; seeking approval from state financial regulators, and listing coins that appear likely be classified as utility tokens under American law.
In September, the exchange announced its dollar-backed stablecoin in the U.S, which received regulatory approval from the New York Department of Financial Services.
In addition, unlike many tokens that the SEC has taken action against, Binance does not appear to have explicitly promoted BNB as a speculative asset: the white paper does not mention the possibility that it might rise in value; and it has already been listed on Binance.US – operated by BAM Trading Services.
Against the backdrop of turning Binance.US from a toehold into a major subsidiary, the publication of a report delineating every one of BNB’s use cases appears designed to hone their argument that BNB is not a security.
Should the SEC concur, the exchange will be able to begin introducing all of its other services, through its subsidiary, to the American market.
What does this all mean? It’s no secret that the exchange game isn’t as big as it used to be. Trading volumes are a shadow of what they used to be in 2017, meaning many platforms have taken a hit to their profits.
In a saturated market, providers, including Binance, have generally attempted to diversify their offerings, such as by adding derivatives or lending facilities.
Today’s development shows a new tactic on display: by looking to disarm regulatory intervention in the US, Binance is seeking to capture and hold onto a prize markets
Binance has always had a reputation for outflanking its competitors.
Focusing on the utility of the BNB token shows they’re still working to build the world’s #1 crypto ecosystem.
The full BNB Token Digital Asset Report Update by SIMETRI is available without charge.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Paddy Baker. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao made international news headlines recently when he announced he was issuing his own cryptocurrency, the PAC token. Now, the PAC token is following the 2019 crypto crowdfunding trend by engaging in an initial exchange offering (IEO), courtesy of Singaporean exchange GCOX. The sale will open on November 12.
Pacquiao initially declared his intentions to release a digital token at a free concert for fans in Manila during early September. In between serenading his fans with love songs, the boxer informed them that they could soon buy his merchandise and interact with him on social media using the PAC token.
At this point in 2019, conducting an IEO is a well-proven method of drumming up support and interest in a project. Although Binance first kicked off the trend back in 2017 with IEOs for Bread and Gifto, it was in the first quarter of this year that the idea really took hold. The high-profile launch of Bittorrent ignited a new era of crowdfunding, with a reported $3.4 billion now raised through IEOs to date.
An Exchange for Celebrity Tokens Although many exchanges now offer the opportunity for projects to launch their tokens via an IEO, GCOX provides a slightly different twist on the average launchpad. The exchange is the first to offer an IEO platform specifically for celebrities wanting to launch their own digital currencies. Although Pacquiao is one of the first to blaze a trail in this regard, it seems that there are others likely to follow, with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki and singer Jason Derulo reportedly set to follow in his footsteps.
GCOX is providing a full suite of services for these “celebrity tokens” which includes the creation and listing of tokens on the exchange itself. It will also allow fans to trade their tokens for products such as branded merchandise, or services including exclusive live streaming of events, or shout-outs on social media. There will also be a service whereby fans can donate to charitable causes endorsed by their favorite celebrities, with funds allocated on the blockchain for added transparency and security.
Old Concept, New Twist Although it seems like a novel idea, a celebrity-backed cryptocurrency isn’t necessarily so much a new idea as the next iteration in the long and successful marriage of celebrities and merchandise. All the way back in 1850, the “Greatest Showman” P.T. Barnum was promoting a Swedish opera singer named Jenny Lind with branded clothing, including gloves and bonnets.
This evolved into the ubiquity of band tour t-shirts, and then into celebrity-brand partnership, such as Nike and Michael Jordan. Eventually, the advent of social media introduced a digital element to the idea of celebrity branding and endorsements, ushering in the age of the influencer. Now, with the rising popularity of cryptocurrencies and all the possibilities that blockchain brings, celebrity-branded tokens seem to be the inevitable next step of this evolution.
Of course, Pacquiao isn’t the first celebrity to jump on the crypto train – or even the first boxer for that matter. The SEC fined Floyd Mayweather last year for having promoted scam ICO Centratech in exchange for $100,000.
However, other celebrities have made more successful forays into the space. Rapper Akon has launched his own cryptocurrency and blockchain-based ecosystem called Akoin. Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher operates his own investment company for blockchain startups, and Lionel Messi has served as brand ambassador for Sirin Labs, the Israeli blockchain phone producer.
That said, Manny Pacquiao is one of the first to market with his own branded cryptocurrency token. GCOX clearly believes in the long-term potential of celebrity tokens. If Pacquiao and GCOX make a success of the endeavor, then other celebrities may start to follow the lead. Based on the long and successful history of celebrity branding, it’s entirely possible that celebrity tokens end up being one of the next big trends in crypto.
Binance, a leading cryptocurrency exchange has announced plans to remove Gifto (GFT), IRISnet (IRIS), SelfKey (KEY), OAX (OAX), and Ren (REN) from all trading pairs. The decision follows a routine review to ensure listed assets maintain high standards and meet evolving industry requirements.
The announcement has triggered 25 to 40% price drops for the affected tokens. The exchange remains committed to fostering a secure and transparent trading environment, adapting to dynamic market and regulatory conditions.
Binance to Remove GFT, IRIS, KEY, OAX, and REN Binance announced on November 26 that it would delist multiple tokens, including Gifto (GFT), IRISnet (IRIS), SelfKey (KEY), OAX (OAX), and Ren (REN). This announcement triggered a 25 to 40% decline in the prices of these coins as traders rushed to liquidate their positions, fearing further losses.
The impacted pairs, such as GFT/USDT, IRIS/USDT, KEY/USDT, OAX/BTC, OAX/USDT, REN/BTC, and REN/USDT, will cease trading as of the scheduled cutoff. One of the top crypto exchanges has warned users that pending orders will be automatically canceled once trading ends. Furthermore, deposits for these tokens will not be credited to accounts after the delisting date, while withdrawals will cease after February 2025.
This decision follows Binance’s routine asset review process, which evaluates factors like trading volume, project development, and network stability. The move reflects its commitment to maintaining high listing standards while adapting to shifting market conditions. Traders holding these tokens are encouraged to act before the delisting deadline to avoid potential disruptions in their portfolios.
Price Movements and Volume Trends Amid Delisting Following the Binance delisting announcement, prices of affected cryptocurrencies have seen significant drops. Gifto (GFT) is currently trading at $0.01212, down 32% in the past 24 hours. Its 24-hour low and high range from $0.01176 to $0.01814. IRISnet (IRIS) dropped to $0.01058, crashing 36% since the announcement. Its 24-hour low reached $0.009892, and the high hit $0.01735.
SelfKey (KEY) has dropped 30% in 24 hours, trading at $0.002651, with a range of $0.002565 to $0.004157. OAX has also suffered a 31% drop, now at $0.114, with its low at $0.1096 and high at $0.1692. Ren (REN) is priced at $0.03942, down 32%. Its 24-hour range is $0.0352 to $0.05911. Despite this drop, Ren has gained 15% over the past month.
Binance’s delisting decision triggered a broader market sell-off. Investors reacted quickly, causing significant price drops across multiple tokens.
The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has announced the removal of five major tokens from its trading platform as part of a routine evaluation of listed assets. In a blog post, Binance revealed that the affected tokens are Gifto (GFT), IRISnet (IRIS), SelfKey (KEY), OAX (OAX) and Ren (REN).
The delisting will involve multiple trading pairs, including GFT/USDT, IRIS/USDT, KEY/USDT, OAX/BTC, OAX/USDT, REN/BTC and REN/USDT. This decision, according to Binance’s announcement, reflects its ongoing commitment to maintaining the quality and relevance of the exchange's offerings by periodically reviewing listed digital assets against strict performance and compliance benchmarks.
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The impacted projects vary widely in their purpose and functionality within the blockchain ecosystem. Gifto, launched in 2017 via Binance Launchpad, focuses on creating and distributing blockchain-based virtual gifts.
IRISnet is a decentralized platform aimed at enabling small and medium-sized businesses to offer services through interconnected blockchain networks. SelfKey provides a decentralized identity management system, featuring a noncustodial wallet that lets users manage their digital identities and assets securely.
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OAX, known for its contributions to the Polkadot ecosystem, developed the OAX layer-2 protocol and parachains. Meanwhile, Ren operates as a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol that aims to facilitate interoperability between Ethereum, Bitcoin and ZCash. Its ERC-20 token, REN, plays a role in enabling integration between the mentioned networks.
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Binance said that it delists tokens when they no longer meet its high standards or keep up with changing market conditions. By removing assets that do not meet its standards, the black-and-yellow exchange aims to keep users safe and make its offerings more up-to-date.
These delistings show that Binance is taking a proactive approach to making sure its platform is a trusted and competitive space for cryptocurrency trading. Users are advised to finalize any trades involving the affected pairs before they are removed to avoid any issues.
Allegations surfaced against Gifto’s team for secretly minting 1.2 billion tokens, doubling the supply a day after Binance announced GFT’s delisting.
Concerns over Gifto’s transparency intensified this week as market dynamics shifted abruptly following a controversial move by the project’s team. The price of Gifto (GFT) plunged 35% on Thursday, Nov. 28, following allegations that the token’s supply was abruptly doubled, just a day after Binance announced plans to delist the asset.
It was announced that Binance would delist GFT on Nov 26, 2024.
A few hours ago the Gifto team minted another 1.2B GFT on BSC which more than doubled the total supply.
GFT was then deposited to Kucoin, MEXC HTX, Bitget, Binance, OKX, & Gate.
Binance… pic.twitter.com/buvG9l88Yc
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) November 28, 2024 In an X post, blockchain sleuth ZachXBT revealed that the Gifto team quietly minted 1.2 billion in new GFT tokens on BNB Chain (formerly Binance Smart Chain), increasing the total supply to over 2.2 billion. The newly minted tokens were subsequently deposited on multiple exchanges, including KuCoin, OKX, Gate.io, and Binance itself, as well as MEXC, HTX, and Bitget.
As of press time, Gifto had not issued a public statement, with its most recent X post dated Nov. 24, two days before Binance announced GFT’s delisting. In a press release, Binance said that GFT and four other tokens would be delisted by Dec. 10 due to concerns over development activity, liquidity, and project commitment.
Founded in 2017 by Andy Tian, Gifto is a blockchain protocol focused on digital gifting and content monetization. In January 2023, the decentralized cross-chain IDO platform Poolz invested $2.5 million in Gifto tokens to back its updated roadmap. A month later, reports emerged that Tian had passed away suddenly at the age of 47. The project’s official X account remained silent on the matter, leaving questions about leadership and the project’s future unresolved.
Binance, a prominent crypto exchange, recently announced a strategy to delist the crypto token Gifto ($GFT). As per Lookonchain, a well-known on-chain analytics provider, the news of $GFT’s delisting from Binance because of the controversy regarding the token minting has shocked the entire crypto community. The analytics platform took to social media to disclose the details of this development.
Gifto’s Controversial Minting Pushes Binance to Delist the Token, Raising Concerns about Its Future Lookonchain pointed out that Binance’s move to delist the $GFT token has raised concerns around the market. After the delisting news, Gifto team made abrupt controversial move to mint and dump huge amount of coins which is making the coin fall more. They reportedly minted up to 1.2B $GFT tokens in the recent hours. These tokens account for a huge figure of $8.6M. Such a large $GFT issuance targeted the exchanges, igniting apprehensions about a wide market sell-off.
The respective dump has paralleled a sheer plunge in the market value of the $GFT token. It has reportedly dropped by almost 40% within just a few hours. The token may keep dropping till the final delisting date, 10th of Decemeber.
On the other hand, Binance frequently conducts reviews on the projects that it has listed. In this respect, it guarantees significant standards for community engagement, development activity, and security. Projects facing failure in meeting the respective standards have a risk of delisting. Although Binance has not revealed the particular reasons for the delisting, this often occurs due to apprehensions about a project’s tokenomics, community trust, or financial stability.
According to Lookonchain, this development is considerably alarming as such broad-scale mint and dump moves can minimize trust, leading to damage in its long-term development. The dramatic downfall of the token signifies the hazards concerning the projects lacking clear governance or unexplained tokenomic changes. As a result of this, some traders have also quit $GFT positions, further exacerbating the price dip.
The Move Might Lead Investors to Look for Other Options for Recovery The $GFT minting controversy and its delisting have triggered several questions about the token’s future viability. The outcomes like the price decline and the lack of trust in the token might push the investors to leave $GFT. Hence, they might pursue other options for the recovery of their investment losses. This scenario highlights the significance of the careful decisions by the investors.
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Umair Younas is a cryptocurrency-related content writer linked with this work since 2019. Here, at Blockchainreporter, he serves as a news and article writer. He is a crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, and FinTech enthusiast. He has strong command over writing authentic reviews about brokers and exchanges and he has collaborated with our education team to write educational content as well. He has a dream to raise awareness among people about digital currencies. His works are well-researched and brimmed with information hence they provide fresh insights. Stay tuned to his posts if you want to stay up-to-date with the crypto-verse.
Gifto, a blockchain-based gifting platform, has come under severe scrutiny on social media following its move to mint and dump 1.2 billion GFT tokens, worth approximately $8.6 million, after Binance announced that it would delist the token.
On November 29th, Binance announced that it had suspended GFT token deposits on the platform and would delist it entirely by December 3rd, citing potential security issues with the GFT smart contract.
“To protect users, deposits for Gifto (GFT) were suspended on 2024-11-29 due to a potential security issue involving the GFT smart contract. Binance may reopen deposits for GFT if it is deemed to be safe, but no separate announcement will be issued,” Binance said.
The announcement caused GFT’s price to fall by around 25%. The token is down 32% in the past 24 hours and 75.29% in the last week.
GFT PriceAftermath of the DelistingAs expected, the Binance delisting announcement triggered a wave of panic selling among GFT holders, causing its price to fall by around 25%.
However, the real drama began when Lookonchain, a blockchain analyst, revealed that the GFT team had potentially dumped massive amounts of its own token.
In an X post, Lookonchain said that the Gifto team minted 1.2 billion GFT tokens worth $8.6 million and deposited them into various crypto exchanges, causing the token to drop by 40%.
At the time of writing, the Gifto team has not commented on the matter.
Ethereum (ETH) down 4.8 percent and hanging Bosch, Samsung, and Amazon see potential in Ethereum Vitalik zeroed in on Augur and Kleros as two projects that would eliminate human verification, as Bosch said they are trialing projects in Ethereum. Prices are stable, down 4.8 percent. But bills still have control.
Ethereum Price Analysis Fundamentals On April 30th, Elon Musk tweeted, “Ethereum” and that was enough for Ether prices to move, jolting bulls and could have been the precursor to what we are currently witnessing. What we have seen is a near 50 percent jump in a coin that was even immune to Bitcoin gains of early April.
Well, of the many application brought by its smart contracting capability is moving identity to the immutable blockchain. That shift alone would cut off fraud, and it is something Vitalik, the “no-giver of ETH”, is pretty excited about.
During 2019’s Blockchain Week, the innovative co-founder highlighted two projects that are planning to revolutionize verification. The two, Augur and Kleros, Vitalik said will replace human verification. Through their decentralized protocols, the Ethereum co-founder expects for industries to benefit from their innovation.
While Vitalik heaped praise on these Ethereum based projects, Bosch, it is emerging, is running trials on the Ethereum platform:
“The Ethereum platform allows such projects, including for example, in the case of Bosch applications, autonomously charging and paying EV. There is no strategic favor for any existing technology. We have evaluated Ethereum, Hyperledger, and IOTA in small prototypes before.”
Candlestick Arrangement
Overly, big corporations are settling for Ethereum in a move that cements the platform’s position as a go-to smart contracting platform. Meanwhile, Ethereum Foundation is accelerating development towards Serenity that will, without a doubt, support ETH prices.
The coin, at the time of press, is down 4.8 percent and hanging. Even if prices drop, there is an opportunity for traders to find entries in lower time frames as long as prices are above the $170 as per our previous ETH/USD highlights. It’s easy to see why.
ETH is trading within a bullish breakout against the USD. Typical of these patterns, prices often retrace in a retest before prices snap back to trend. In any case, any dip below $230 could see ETH sink to $190 in a retest. On the other hand, any expansions above $270 with above-average volumes open up doors for $300 and $450 in a bull trend continuation phase.
Technical Indicator As a result, our reference bar is May 19th. It is wide-ranging with high participation. Any surge or drop below $230 canceling our outlook ought to be at the back of a volume spike exceeding 271k and preferably 822k of May 16th.
Chart courtesy of Trading View. Image Courtesy of Shutterstock
Dubbed by many the fastest growing Ponzi scheme on Ethereum, the smart contract FairWin has emptied its account, according to data from Etherscan. Just a few days ago, the account possessed almost 50,000 ETH (~$9 million).
While the nature of the withdrawal has not been confirmed, the total volume of withdrawing addresses suggests that concerned users had taken their funds out after multiple crypto-users on social media speculated that the smart contract was actually a Ponzi scheme.
It is unclear whether the contract was drained by its owner, some malicious actors or concerned users, but the multitude of withdrawing addresses suggests the latter.
According to Horizon Games’ Blockchain Researcher & Developer Philippe Castonguay, the “scheme” contains critical vulnerabilities which put the funds at risk.
The https://t.co/1HHnXNCWsL Ponzi Scheme contains critical vulnerabilities that put all funds at risk.
Spread knowledge (especially in Asia) ? Users need to withdraw their funds and stop interacting with the contract ASAP.
Details on the exploits will be published soon.
— Philippe Castonguay (@PhABCD) September 27, 2019
Later, Castonguay expanded on the details of the three main vulnerabilities he’d discovered on the Ethereum smart contract. One allowed the owner or administrator to drain the account and another allowed the admin to lock withdrawals. The third vulnerability allowed anyone to steal the deposits.
CTO of Kleros, Clement Lesaege, also posted a detailed explanation concerning the vulnerabilities on Reddit.
After the vulnerabilities were publicly announced, FairWin’s team responded to Lesaege by stating,
“Thank you for your suggestion. We have already found the vulnerability, but we don’t think it is a vulnerability. The contract is judged and the invitation code generated by the user for the first time will be used as the final invitation code. So the loophole is invalid.
In addition, we have real-time monitoring on our side. Once it is entered, it will be invalid. The intruder, we will alert at the first time, and then exclude the intruder.”
According to Castonguay’s more detailed blog post on the matter, there is no evidence to say that the funds were withdrawn by malicious attackers. The last successful withdrawal took place yesterday at around 9.21pm +UTC.
Fairwin, a gambling platform, has been running one of the biggest contracts on the entire Ethereum network. In the last 30 days, the platform has spent more than 51 percent of all gas, the fuel that powers Ethereum, according to ETH Gas Station. That’s almost double the funds spent by the stablecoin network Tether, which has used 28 percent of gas supplies.
Fairwin claims it’s a provably-fair gambling platform. Users bet on rudimentary games of chance, like coin flips and dice rolling. When you gamble, four percent of your funds go towards “ecological construction,” which Fairwin says will be returned to the investors. But many security researchers think the whole thing is a scam. Over the past few weeks, white hat hackers have revealed vulnerabilities in the Fairwin contract on Ethereum that put millions of dollars of customer funds at risk. According to analysis by Ethereum developer Philippe Castonguay, Fairwin received a total of 687,598 ETH, or around $125,000,000. But as of Monday this week, all the funds have been drained from the contract.
It’s unclear whether this is a massive exit scam, or if the white hatters were successful in raising awareness about the scam and spooked investors have pulled all their cash out. A message on Fairwin’s website said it “expressed strong condemnation” for “false news reports,” and that it’s restarting the game within the next three days. Daniel Luca, a security auditor who helped discover the vulnerabilities, said the owner managed to remove most of the funds before investors could withdraw. But it was “impossible for everyone to withdraw their funds. Some people got burned,” he told Decrypt.
White hat hackers caught wind of the project earlier this month and have been working on it since. A vulnerability disclosure by Clément Lesaege, a CTO at blockchain start-up Kleros who got wise to the project through an Ethereum security Telegram chat, showed that the contract is unsustainable; the more money that people keep adding to it, the higher the dividends to be paid out. But here’s the problem: Once new people stop putting money in it, the contract won’t be able to pay participants, and everyone will eventually lose everything. That’s right; September’s hottest app on the Ethereum blockchain, according to many, looks and smells like a Ponzi scheme. Here’s how it works.
A few days ago, white hat hackers found a vulnerability that allows the contract operators to drain users’ wallets of funds. As Lesaege wrote: “The execution of the reward, dividends, and sending of awards can only be done by the operator. The operator can choose which users get rewarded. The operator can steal the funds from the contract by not executing the rewards of other users but executing the rewards of accounts they control.”
Lesaege said the contract also runs something called a “frontrunner” attack. Under Fairwin’s dodgy contract, investing in the scheme generates a code as part of a referral program. But Fairwin’s payouts always go to the first person who redeems the code. An attacker, having conned a victim into joining, can according to Lesaege, easily work out their invite code: “An attacker can see your "invite code" when your transaction is in the mempool before it gets executed and "invest" in the scheme with the same "invite code" as you,” wrote Lesaege, netting any rewards from their victims’ investments.
That means that all the funds in the contract were at risk. White hatters spent the last few days trying to spread the word about Fairwin to its customers, many of whom they believe live in Asia. But, for better or worse, the swamp has been drained: ten days ago, the contract held $10 million at once. Now, zilch.
How Fairwin is Unfair
Fairwin first started work on a gambling platform back in January 2018. But in December, the team tweeted—in perfect English—that they didn’t raise enough money for the ICO, and had since abandoned the project. But in July 2019, despite no announcement on any of Fairwin’s social media channels, a Fairwin clone launched a new contract to haunt the Ethereum network. Since then, the contract has grown to peaks of $10.5 million.
It’s nigh impossible to work out who runs it. Emails from Decrypt bounced back, Fairwin’s Twitter shut down a year ago, its London office is now a coffee shop, and a couple of days ago, Fairwin’s team members were compressed stock images of businessmen. Now...cartoon puppets.
There’s reason to believe it isn’t the original Fairwin team. For starters, Fairwin’s whitepaper is a Google-translated mess. “Chain of the underlying technology of FW based on Ethernet fang,” reads one section. “Based on the block chain technology, FW will achieve the global gambling industry circulation, break the data island, and digitalize the global asset circulation,” reads a section titled “Ecology Construction.”
Fairwin’s promotional videos are narrated by computer-generated voices. But no human voice, computationally generated or no, can make sentences like “The platform again realized excess accumulation” sound natural. (The videos, though, are amazing: seriously, watch them).
The code, too, is similarly incomprehensible. According to experts, it’s full of useless rubbish, and much of it doesn’t even work. “This contract is the contract with the lowest code quality I've ever seen (and I've seen really bad contracts),” said Lesaege. He said there were no comments on the code–a feature common in codebases–the names are full of typos, entire portions are of the code aren’t accessible, and a lot of it simply doesn’t work.
Harry Denley, a security researcher who created a dashboard that queries Fairwin data, told Decrypt he discovered that the six admin addresses needed huge amounts of capital to keep calling contract methods. The reason? Because the contract is “poorly written,” these method calls can cost upwards of $30. “And these calls are being done multiple times a day,” he said.
So the question remains unanswered: Was Fairwin created by evil geniuses, who’ve corrupted and robbed from over half of the Ethereum blockchain. Or is Fairwin the result of a Ponzi scheme, poorly coded, and fronted by cut-price actors in blockchain’s latest get-rich-quick scheme?
“The simplest and most likely explanation is that it was just badly coded,” wrote Lesaege. Lesaege said he first disclosed the vulnerability to the Fairwin team on Saturday. “Since FairWin had had some vulnerability in the past but fixed it, I thought that they would not try to hack their own contract,” he told Decrypt. But Fairwin denied the vulnerability, and money kept flowing into the contract. Lesaege said he received the following message from Fairwin: “We have already found the vulnerability, but we don't think it is a vulnerability. The contract is judged and the invitation code generated by the user for the first time will be used as the final invitation code. So the loophole is invalid.” A message on their site today said that the game will be restarted, and vehemently denies allegations of scams. “They might not be intentional, but they can still drain the contract at any time,” said Daniel Luca, a security auditor who helped discover the vulnerabilities.
Over the past week, top security experts have been raising awareness to get FairWin shut down, or at least to help users take control of their funds. “Avoid interacting with this contract and withdraw funds in it, if any,” advised Philippe Castonguay, who also took part in the discovery. “All users funds are at risk, especially newly deposited funds,” he told Decrypt. The awareness campaign is working; in the last 24 hours, FairWin has lost all of its volume, major blockchain explorers like Etherscan have flagged it as vulnerable, and no funds remain in its wallet. Is it a White Hatter Victory, or Ethereum’s latest exit scam?
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The agreement marks a groundbreaking progression in the modernization of the judicial process in Argentina.
Kleros, the decentralized arbitration protocol, has officially signed a framework agreement to collaborate with the Supreme Court of Mendoza, one of Argentina’s largest provinces.
The partnership aims to leverage Kleros’ decentralized dispute resolution system to expedite conflict resolution and ratify citizen engagement in the judicial process. Through Kleros, the Supreme Court of Mendoza hopes to provide a fairer approach to conflict resolution while allowing citizens of Mendoza to participate as jurors.
Select cases from the Peace and Contraventional Court of Lavalle were used to test Kleros’ platform, with the first case involving a complex traffic incident. After this testing phase, it was found that Klero’s decentralized jury system’s decision aligned closely with the findings of the traditional court, lending weight to Klero’s potential as a viable jury.
This decentralized jury mechanism allows jurors to remain anonymous and confidential while still participating in their civic duty. Further pilot testing is set to take place. If fully implemented, the Supreme Court of Mendoza will be able to create a network of Mendoza residents to participate in the decentralized judicial system.
The integration of the decentralized juror system aims to not only provide a fairer juror juror base, but can also prove to be a more cost-effective judicial management system for governments, streamline dispute processes to resolve complex cases quickly, and take an innovative approach to the age-old court process.
Kleros was founded in 2017 by Federico Ast and Clément Lesaege to focus on financial decisions, particularly related to cryptocurrency. After discovering a potential product market fit, the protocol began work towards providing an efficient and decentralized alternative to the modern judicial system. It raised $4 million in 2021, led by Snapshot Labs, to further its development.
In an interview with Criptotendencias, co-founder Federico Ast said, “The tool is designed to solve cases that usually do not find a solution in traditional justice or that require very long waiting times. Kleros offers an affordable and accessible model that allows citizens to be involved in the resolution of their own conflicts.”
Ahmed Balaha is a journalist and copywriter based in Georgia with a growing focus on blockchain technology, DeFi, AI, privacy, digital assets, and fintech innovation.
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June 22, 2026
A tax proposal posted to the Ethereum Research forum by Kleros founder Clément Lesaege would let ETH validators vote to redirect up to 10% of staking rewards to public goods funding. If a majority of validators signal above zero, that rate becomes mandatory for every validator on the network, including those who voted for none.
For Bitmine (BMNR), which has staked 4.72 million ETH through its MAVAN platform and projects $258 million in annual net staking revenue, the exposure range is $50–100 million in lost income per year.
Ethereum Validators Face 10% Staking Reward Redirect Plan for Ecosystem Funding
A new proposal on Ethereum's $ETH research forum wants validators to redirect up to 10% of their staking rewards toward ecosystem funding. If a majority signals support, the contribution becomes… pic.twitter.com/16PgRfEBd5
— BSCN (@BSCNews) June 22, 2026 That figure is not speculative padding. It represents the direct arithmetic of applying a forced yield reduction to the single largest ETH staking position held by any public company. The proposal is still a forum post, not an EIP. That distinction matters – but so does the direction of travel.
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The ETH Validator Redirected Revenue Tax ProposalLesaege’s post, titled “Validator Redirected Revenue,” frames the mechanism as a solution to a coordination failure. According to his ETH tax proposal, Ethereum’s shared infrastructure generates value for everyone but is funded by no one in a structured, protocol-level way.
His proposed fix is a signaling system embedded in the consensus layer. Each validator declares a preferred redirect rate between 0% and 10% of their staking rewards. If more than 50% of total staked ETH signals are above zero, a single rate is selected and applied universally.
Ethereum ResearchNow, a validator that voted for 0% redirection does not retain its full yield if the majority crosses the threshold, as it gets swept into the mandatory rate alongside everyone else. Funds flow automatically to an allocation smart contract, with a splitter routing capital to designated recipients such as Gitcoin, Octant, and audit organizations.
Lesaege explicitly described the post as a conversation-starter: “We seek further feedback before working on a technical implementation to put forth as an Ethereum Improvement Proposal.” As of now, no EIP number has been assigned.
A parallel mechanism called Validator Revenue Redistribution (VRR), presented by Ethereum Foundation researcher Devansh Mehta at EthCC, provides the technical plumbing layer. Mehta described the threshold dynamically, “If 51% put their flag up, all 100% of stakers have to part with a portion of their rewards.”
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Bitmine’s MAVAN Platform: The $258M Revenue Thesis Exposed to Protocol GovernanceBitmine’s May 8-K reported 4,718,677 ETH staked via MAVAN, or 87% of its 5.42 million ETH total holdings and 4.49% of total ETH supply. The 7-day annualized yield at that date was 2.73%, against a CESR benchmark of 2.81–2.84%. At full deployment, Bitmine projects $296 million in gross staking rewards and $258 million in net staking revenues annually.
Photo by Brett Sayles on PexelsThe math for a protocol-level redirect is straightforward. Each 1 percentage point reduction in effective annual yield on 4.72 million ETH costs approximately $94 million per year in gross rewards at an ETH price around $2,000.
However, a 10% redirect of the current 2.73% yield diverts 0.27 percentage points, translating to $25 million per year flowing away from BMNR’s validators. At this rate alone, the direct hit is meaningful but not existential.
The $50–100 million exposure range reflects a wider scenario set. If the mandatory redirect rate compounds with any secondary compression in overall validator economics like reduced participation incentives, institutional validators exiting to restaking or L2 yield strategies, or ETH price movement, the effective yield impact on 4.72 million ETH staked.
Staking revenue is not a secondary income line for Bitmine. It constituted more than 93% of quarterly revenue in Q2 FY2026, and the company declared a $0.01 annual dividend in January 2026. Bitmine is the first large-cap crypto company to do so, funded directly by staking income.
A material yield cut would pressure that commitment in a way that no operational decision by management can offset. The ETH validator tax is not a cost Bitmine can engineer around; it is a protocol-level deduction from the asset class itself.
[PRESS RELEASE – Houma, LA, US, November 27th, 2024]
FIO Protocol, the blockchain usability layer, has teamed up with MetaMask, the self-custodial digital wallet and Web3 gateway developed by Consensys, by integrating FIO Handle Resolution. This powerful new functionality makes sending and receiving crypto simpler and more secure by replacing complex public addresses with easy-to-remember human-readable FIO Handles.
MetaMask users can now send any digital asset from their MetaMask wallet by simply typing a FIO Handle, rather than having to copy and paste long, complex public wallet address, FIO Handles replace cumbersome wallet addresses with recognizable names like “bob@wallet”, providing a much simpler and secure method to interact across any and all blockchain networks. To use this feature, MetaMask users must install the latest version of the FIO Wallet Snap within MetaMask. Once installed, the Snap allows MetaMask users to claim their Web3 names, link all of their wallet addresses to their own personalized Handle.
Integration Features:
Ability to register FIO Handles for Metamask users Users can send and receive all types of wallet supported crypto and FIO Handles Crypto transactions on Metamask are now as simple as sending an email Wayne Marcel, Head of Growth, FIO: “This integration marks a major milestone in our mission to make crypto easier for everyone. FIO Handle resolution simplifies the user experience making sending any digital asset from Metamask simple, secure, and stress-free. Focusing on the user experience is a major key to mass user adoption.”
Christian Montoya, Snaps Product Lead, MetaMask: “Enabling MetaMask users to use FIO handles to simplify blockchain transactions is aligned with our vision to make the blockchain easier to understand and access for all. We are excited to see our users benefit from this improvement which has been made possible through the Snap platform. “
The MetaMask digital wallet supports a number of leading blockchains and is viewed as being the main gateway for the broader public to engage with it. The wallet provides its users with a key vault, login, and token wallet for managing assets for the decentralized web. The integration of the FIO protocol will transform the current user experience and ensure more people can have as easy an experience as they would with the Web2 online service providers. The partnership with FIO forms part of its commitment to bringing easier, more secure cryptocurrency transactions for MetaMask users looking to navigate the Web3 economy.
About FIO
FIO, the Foundation for Interwallet Operability, is a decentralized consortium that supports the ongoing development, integration, and promotion of the FIO Protocol. The protocol, built on the FIO Chain, a dPoS blockchain, serves as an open-source, decentralized usability layer solution that works across all blockchains. FIO Protocol uses human-readable Handles to replace the complexity, risk, and inconvenience associated with blockchain-based transactions. Fueling the ecosystem utilization is the FIO Token ($FIO), which powers transactions and incentivizes network participants.
Demo Video: FIO Handle Resolution on Metamask
About Consensys
Consensys is the leading blockchain and web3 software company. Since 2014, Consensys has been at the forefront of innovation, pioneering technological developments within the web3 ecosystem. Through our product suite, including the MetaMask platform, Infura, Linea, Diligence, and NFT toolkit Phosphor, we have become the trusted collaborator for users, creators, and developers on their path to build and belong in the world they want to see. Whether building a dapp, an NFT collection, a portfolio, or a better future, the instinct to build is universal. Consensys inspires and champions the builder instinct in everyone by making web3 universally easy to use and develop on. To explore our products and solutions, users can visit https://consensys.io/.
Through the integration of the FIO Protocol into the Neo X ecosystem, its collective objective is to bring user experiences that are intuitive. Because of this arrangement, users of Neo X will soon be able to register and maintain their own FIO Handles. Neo X is thrilled to announce its partnership with the Foundation for Interwallet Operability (FIO), which is part of its objective to make blockchain technology more accessible and to reduce the obstacles that exist between Web2 and Web3. Through the integration of the FIO Protocol into the Neo X ecosystem, its collective objective is to bring user experiences that are intuitive to the forefront of the cryptocurrency industry.
The FIO Protocol is a decentralized, open-source usability layer that was designed with the intention of functioning without any interruptions across all blockchains, tokens, and crypto apps available. This protocol is built on the FIO Handle, which is a human-readable identifier (for example, yourname@neo) that enables users to map all of their public wallet addresses to a single name that may be customized. As a result, the crypto experience is transformed from complicated strings of characters to straightforward, well-known usernames, which increases the level of convenience and confidence for day-to-day users.
Because of this arrangement, users of Neo X will soon be able to register and maintain their own FIO Handles, which will ease the process by which they may send, receive, request, or sign blockchain transactions inside the Neo X ecosystem.
John Wang, Head of EcoGrowth at Neo stated:
“Neo has always believed that for Web3 to truly take off, it must feel as intuitive and seamless as Web2 — without sacrificing decentralization. By integrating FIO Protocol into Neo X, we’re taking another step toward that goal, making blockchain more approachable for everyone, regardless of technical experience.”
This partnership demonstrates a commitment to user empowerment that is shared by both parties. A more streamlined and uniform experience not only makes it simpler for current users to browse Web3, but it also makes it possible for newbies to discover and prosper in the decentralized world.
Head of Growth at FIO, Wayne Marcel stated:
“Previous technology adoption cycles have shown that usability is key to ensuring mass adoption and provides the guiding star for our team at FIO as we work to remove complexities in crypto and Web3. We are excited to be collaborating with Neo, as we work together to make digital assets accessible and easy to use for everyone.”
The anticipation is high as the firm looks forward to implementing this integration and building a future with FIO that is more user-friendly. There will soon be a campaign to register FIO Handles; keep tuned for further information!
Content writer by profession. A crypto lover and has passion for writing. Follows the developments of digital currency right from its launch, years ago.
BigWater Protocol today made a strategic collaboration with FIO protocol, making a substantial move to broaden the adoption of virtual coins for sustainable day-to-day payments. This alliance led to the integration of the FIO network into the ecosystem of the BigWater Protocol, providing FIO users with a more seamless trading experience.
The alliance aligns with BigWater protocol’s dedication to environmental initiatives, driving a future where on-chain protocols and virtual tokens power sustainable practices across financial market sectors.
FIO protocol is a Web3 network designed to simplify digital asset transactions by replacing sophisticated wallet addresses with human-readable handles while improving composability across decentralized chains. On the other hand, BigWater Protocol is not just a cryptocurrency (BIGW), but a blockchain and DePIN network that aims to reward people for protecting the earth.
🚀 Big News: FIO Protocol is partnering with @BigWProtocol !
🌊 BigWater will now offer FIO Handles to their users, making it easier than ever for users to connect their Web3 identity with real-world Impact.
💧 Together, we’re linking Digital Identity + Climate Action.
Stay… pic.twitter.com/FIxZ4Sx5it
— FIO Protocol (@joinFIO) August 20, 2025 BigWater’s Role in Powering This Partnership This collaboration between BigWater and FIO seeks to create trust and accountability across the Web3 ecosystem. According to the data reported above, FIO integrated into BigWater’s decentralized identity system, allowing FIO users to manage their personal assets and data independently while ensuring privacy. This system provides users with on-chain credentials to engage in real-world sustainable practices to improve the environment and, as a result, support and get rewards from the BigWater Protocol.
BigWater Protocol is a holistic platform aiming to draw in many users into its ecosystem, allowing millions of real, identity-verified users to utilize its DePIN network. Partners (like FIO Protocol and several others) gain access to the huge and engaged community, including multiple institutions and consumers who are already contributing within the BigWater network across nations internationally.
With 816.177 million out of 839.242 million FIO in circulation, the incorporation of FIO into BigWater’s decentralized identity system enables FIO users to manage their digital assets seamlessly. People interacting with sustainability-driven dApps through the BigWater Protocol promote increased usage of both FIO and BIGW. This partnership illustrates how BigWater Protocol’s rewarding model encourages stakeholders, from people to organizations, to actively contribute to sustainability commitments.
Developing New Identity, Relationship, and Value Addition This partnership aligns with BigWater Protocol’s biosphere focus, illustrating how blockchain can resolve sustainability concerns across the world. The network leverages blockchain, AI, and DePIN to empower people and businesses to drive positive environmental impact. Based on its rewards initiative that pays people and companies to act sustainability, this protocol embraces a dedication to developing the globe’s biggest network of humanitarians and building a green world.
By integrating FIO into everyday transaction applications through BigW, BigWater Protocol not only encourages the mainstream adoption of crypto assets but also promotes people to proactively engage in real-life sustainable practices. This alliance indicates an international change towards ESG initiatives, particularly in regions such as Europe, where strict laws like MiCA authorize transparency levels to be done through blockchain.
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Nicholas Otieno is a fintech writer specializing in cryptocurrency markets. Since 2019, he has written articles to educate readers about cryptocurrency and its substantial positive impact on global prosperity. Nicholas is a Bitcoin holder, believing firmly in its fundamentals. His work has been featured in publications such as Finance Magnates, Blockchain.News, Bitcoin Magazine, Coincub, and among others. When he's not writing, Nicholas enjoys performing domestic tasks, spending time with friends, listening to music, and watching football.
Binance will delist BIFI, FIO, FUN, MDT, OXT, and WAN.
PANews reported on April 9th that, according to an official announcement, Binance has decided to suspend trading and delist the following cryptocurrencies on April 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM (UTC+8): Beefy.Finance (BIFI), FIO Protocol (FIO), FunToken (FUN), Measurable Data Token (MDT), Orchid (OXT), and Wanchain (WAN). Binance emphasized that it will regularly review the digital assets listed to ensure a high standard of cryptocurrency quality.
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Crypto exchange Binance has officially announced the delisting of six tokens, Beefy.Finance (BIFI), FIO Protocol (FIO), FunToken (FUN), Measurable Data Token (MDT), Orchid (OXT), and Wanchain (WAN), as part of its routine asset review process.
The move will remove all spot trading pairs associated with these tokens, mainly affecting traders currently holding positions or using related services on the platform.
Also Read : Binance Coin (BNB) Price Prediction 2026, 2027 – 2030: Will BNB Price Hit $2000?
Gradual Restrictions Begin Before DelistingBefore the final removal, Binance will introduce a series of restrictions across its ecosystem. Futures trading for these tokens will be halted earlier on April 15, with positions automatically settled shortly after.
Margin trading will also be suspended, and users will no longer be able to borrow or transfer these tokens into margin accounts. Other services like copy trading, staking (Simple Earn), and trading bots will be discontinued in phases leading up to the delisting.
These steps are designed to give users time to exit positions while preventing new exposure, similar to a controlled wind-down process.
Also Read : Binance Gold & Silver Futures Soar: Why Traders Are Swapping BTC for Bullion
Final Delisting Scheduled for April 23The official delisting will take place on April 23, 2026, at 03:00 UTC, when all spot trading pairs will be removed.
Users are strongly advised to close positions and cancel pending orders before the deadline. If not, Binance may automatically cancel orders, settle positions, or force-sell assets at market price.
What Happens to Remaining Assets?After trading ends, deposits will be disabled from April 24, while withdrawals will remain open until June 23, 2026. If users fail to withdraw their holdings, Binance may convert remaining balances into stablecoins after June 24, although this is not guaranteed.
Overall, the move reflects Binance’s effort to maintain quality listings, while users must act early to avoid forced actions and potential losses.
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Binance flagged seven tokens with its Monitoring Tag on April 14, triggering an immediate selloff across all affected assets.
The tokens include Harvest Finance (FARM), Highstreet (HIGH), Enzyme (MLN), Resolv (RESOLV), Syscoin (SYS), TrueFi (TRU), and Velodrome Finance (VELODROME). The designation signals elevated volatility and potential removal from the exchange.
7 Altcoins at Risk for Binance DelistingMarket reaction was swift following the announcement. SYS dropped 11.53% within minutes, leading the decline. MLN fell 6.89%, while VELODROME shed 6.09%.
HIGH lost 5.69%, RESOLV declined 4.99%, and TRU slipped 3.80%. FARM recorded the smallest drop at 2.00%.
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Altcoins Decline After Binance Adds Monitoring Tags. Source: TradingViewBinance’s Monitoring Tag has previously served as a warning signal for full removal. The exchange placed Beefy.Finance (BIFI) and Measurable Data Token (MDT) under the tag in June 2025.
FunToken (FUN) and Orchid (OXT) received it in March 2026. All four were confirmed for delisting on April 23, alongside FIO Protocol (FIO) and Wanchain (WAN).
That April 9 delisting notice triggered even sharper losses, with FUN crashing 27% and MDT dropping 22% within minutes.
“Tokens with the Monitoring Tag exhibit notably higher volatility and risks compared to other listed tokens. These tokens are closely monitored, with regular reviews conducted. Keep in mind that tokens with the Monitoring Tag are at risk of no longer meeting our listing criteria and being delisted from the platform,” Binance wrote.
Traders who wish to continue accessing the flagged tokens must now pass a quiz every 90 days on the Binance Spot or Margin platforms and accept the updated Terms of Use.
“The quizzes are set up to ensure users are aware of the risks before trading tokens with the Monitoring Tag or Seed Tag,” the exchange said.
In the same update, Binance also announced it will remove the Seed Tag from Tether Gold (XAUT). The Seed Tag designates newer, higher-risk listings and differs from the Monitoring Tag. Its removal signals that XAUT has met the exchange’s criteria.
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Brazil’s Largest Bank Expands Bitcoin and Ether Trading to All Customers
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Brazil-based Itaú Unibanco, one of the largest private banks in Latin America, has announced expanding its Bitcoin and Ether trading services to all customers.
The bank with over 60 million customers, started offering to buy and sell cryptos through its investment platform – ‘Ion’ – in December 2023. Initially, the bank offered the services to selected clients, slowly opening to wider customer base who download the platform’s app.
Guto Antunes, head of Itaú Digital Assets, confirmed the move during an interview with a local publication on Monday. He noted that the bank has been carrying out weekly surveys with customers for whom cryptocurrency operations were permitted.
The survey found high degree of acceptance and that clients had huge trust in Itaú’s custody. Notably, the financial institution did not hire third-party services to keep customers’ crypto wallets safe, but created a tool internally. However, the bank received support from tokenizer Liqi for the development of the solution.
“We have a stake and a partnership with Liqi, but nothing in terms of custody. The entire custody solution, since it was conceived, was created with architecture and fiduciary duty within Itaú.”
In Align With the Central Bank of Brazil Further, the bank created a separate digital wallet for each client, Antunes added. This would satisfy the asset segregation requirements, required by Brazil’s Central Bank (BC) in the infra legal regulation of cryptos.
Brazil’s central bank has planned to divide crypto regulation process into segments, with regulatory proposals expected by the end of this year.
The bank’s ‘Ion’ app saw over 3.5 million downloads both in Android and iOS, per Antunes’ statement. “Even in the staggered phase it was a relevant number for the crypto universe and a surprise,” he noted.
The bank currently supports Bitcoin and Ether trading, with plans to expand it to other cryptocurrencies as customer demand rises. This also depends on the process of regulatory risk analysis, he said.
Additionally, Itaú is anticipating the BC to present a set of rules that provide clarity on stablecoin operations in Brazil.
“We are aligned with the BC in the development of regulation, we want to grow in the right way.”
Antunes said that the real challenge during the testing was training managers on advising clients regarding the new asset type. “We created a network-first solution, an AI chatbot, that experts and managers have access to to understand key customer questions,” he added.
The bank’s 60 million customers can now buy BTC and ETH through the firm’s Ion app.
The largest banking institution in Latin America has opened the doors for all of its clients to get exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Itaú Unibanco, Brazil’s largest bank by assets under management, is now offering BTC and ETH trading to its more than 60 million clients. Users can access both tokens through the company’s Ion app.
In December 2023, Itaú launched the cryptocurrency trading platform for select clients. According to the firm’s Head of Digital Assets, Guto Antunes, the bank decided to expand its operations due to weekly surveys showing high demand for crypto services.
Although the company is only offering the two largest assets by market capitalization, the idea is to add support for other tokens in the future. "It starts with bitcoin, but our overarching strategic plan is to expand to other crypto assets in the future," Antunes said last year.
Institutions in Brazil have been relentlessly pushing the envelope when it comes to crypto services in the country. Alongside Itaú’s crypto trading platform unveiled last year, Brazilian neobank Nubank partnered with Circle to offer USDC access to the company’s 80 million customers.
Latin America is quietly becoming a regional powerhouse in terms of crypto adoption. Recently, a grassroots Argentinean organization called Crecimiento revealed plans to create a Crypto Silicon Valley in Buenos Aires. Across the Andes, Chile has been paving the way for friendlier regulation in terms of fintech companies, with the country approving a new financial technologies law in 2023.
And the region is one that desperately needs more financial inclusion. It is home to more than 650 million people, of which 122 million are unbanked, while citizens of several nations grapple with double and triple-digit inflation.
Ion Protocol secures $7 million to develop its Nucleus platform, aimed at improving monetization for rollups and appchains. Nucleus will enable networks to offer native yields for assets backed by ETH, BTC, and USD, incentivizing deposits and maximizing the value of bridged assets. The platform addresses a common limitation of Ethereum rollups by providing default yields and optimizing liquidity through infrastructure products and loans.
Ion Protocol has successfully secured a $7 million investment to support the development of its innovative native yield platform, Nucleus. The funds come from various investors, including Gumi Capital Cryptos, Robot Ventures, BanklessVC, NGC Ventures, Finality Capital, and SevenX Ventures. The raised capital will be used to enhance the platform, which aims to address monetization challenges for rollups and appchains while promoting new decentralized use cases.
Nucleus is a key solution designed to improve the yield of assets transferred to rollup and appchain networks. Through this platform, any network will be able to offer its users native yields for assets backed by ETH, BTC, and USD. The system provides financial incentives for making deposits into the networks, allowing users to generate returns on a wide range of assets simply by integrating into the network environment.
The Ion team is proud to announce Nucleus, the 1st step in transforming how users interact with networks.
The Nucleus vision is one where networks can bring safe yield to their users at scale.
Join us in our journey with Nucleus as we expand the scope of what Ion will enable! https://t.co/xOz2SNZlHS
— Ion Protocol (@ionprotocol) August 12, 2024
Nucleus co-founder Chunda McCain stated that participating in the staking and restaking ecosystem to generate yield is becoming a powerful economic incentive for everyone involved in the crypto economy. He noted that networks failing to offer their users the option to maximize the value of their bridged assets are missing out on revenue opportunities.
Nucleus Breaks the Limitations of Rollups Nucleus’s plug-and-play platform allows rollups to innovate on their existing business models and ecosystem designs, making deposits genuinely attractive to users. Additionally, it addresses a common limitation in Ethereum rollup solutions, which often provide cheaper and faster transactions but require users to forgo staking yields on the mainnet, where returns are around 3-4%.
Bridged assets typically do not earn interest, representing a significant opportunity cost. Nucleus aims to provide default yields for users across more than 20 rollups and appchains in the coming months.
The platform sources its yield from infrastructure products like bridges and oracle networks, transferring the revenue to networks, apps, and users. Additionally, Nucleus uses capital lent on its lending platform and reallocates unused borrower liquidity to facilitate smooth liquidity movement between chains. This strategy aims to minimize risks and optimize performance for users and networks.
Ion Protocol plans to use the fresh capital to build its native yield protocol called Nucleus. Nucleus is designed to address rollups and appchain issues related to monetisation. The platform gets its yield by securing other platforms like Oracle networks and bridges. Ion Protocol has secured $4.8 million in a funding round backed by Gumi Capital Cryptos, Robot Ventures, BanklessVC, NGC Ventures, Finality Capital and SevenX Ventures.
Ion Protocol is building a rollups and appchains layer that allows decentralised apps, networks and users to earn yield by depositing any staked or restaked asset.
According to the announcement, Ion gets its yield by securing other platforms like Oracle networks and bridges, which are then passed on to depositors.
The company plans to use the fresh capital to accelerate the development of its native yield platform dubbed Nucleus.
Explaining how Nucleus works, the team told The Block that any network can use the platform to provide its users with native yield for ETH, BTC and USD-backed assets, providing a financial incentive for users to make deposits on the networks.
Commenting on the fundraising Nucleus co-founder Chunda McCain said in a statement: “Participating in the staking and restaking ecosystem to generate yield has become and will only become a more powerful economic incentive for every stakeholder in crypto.”
“Any network unable to provide their users with the option to maximise the value of their bridged assets and bring new sources of revenue to their ecosystem is leaving money on the table. Our plug-and-play platform allows rollups to innovate on their pre-existing business models and ecosystem design while making depositing truly compelling for users.”
Ion Protocol also claims its platform can be used to lend or borrow against any staked or restaked asset with no exposure to price-based liquidation risk. It has built a zero-knowledge machine learning framework, which underwrites the credit risk thus enabling “hyper-efficient loans” with minimal liquidation risk.
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Business leader and consultant Jake Claver recently shared insights into the potential price trajectory of XRP during a discussion on YouTube.
Claver suggested XRP could experience dramatic growth, possibly reaching prices in the four-digit range. He provided a breakdown of the key factors that could fuel this XRP value surge.
XRP Role in Global Financial Infrastructure First, Claver pointed to the growing global financial infrastructure around digital assets. He highlighted Project Ion by R3 and the DTCC, which aims to streamline financial markets through real-time settlement using digital assets.
According to Claver, this infrastructure is already in place and could serve as the foundation for XRP’s widespread adoption. With the possibility of settling transactions in real-time using tokens like XRP, Claver asserted that the digital asset is in a promising position within global finance.
Furthermore, Claver discussed XRP’s potential in a hypothetical scenario where it could rival SWIFT in global transaction processing. He noted that if XRP could capture just 10% of SWIFT’s market share, prices could rise to between $50 and $100. He pointed out that this market handles over $5 trillion daily transactions.
“If you had 10% of SWIFT, a $50 to $100 XRP makes a lot of sense,” he said.
Claver emphasized that both supply and demand would play a major role in driving the surge. He explained that the available supply of XRP is limited, with a large portion already allocated in escrow.
Impact from Institutional Adoption and ETFs Another significant factor driving the potential for XRP’s growth is the surge in institutional interest. Claver discussed how the filings of 17 ETFs related to XRP could pave the way for massive institutional liquidity to flow into the market.
He believes these ETFs could create an environment where XRP becomes a central asset in broader financial markets.
Meanwhile, Claver noted that the resolution of Ripple’s lawsuit with the SEC is crucial for this institutional potential.
Host Zach Rector suggested that, just from ETFs and broader institutional adoption, XRP could rise to around $20 or $30 by the end of this year and into the next.
Crisis Scenario Could Push XRP’s Price to Four Digits One of the more extreme scenarios Claver proposed was the potential for a global financial crisis that could send XRP’s price soaring to four-digit levels. He theorized that if there was a market-wide liquidity crunch, such as exchanges becoming illiquid or issues with Tether, XRP could serve as a mechanism to stabilize the markets.
In this crisis scenario, XRP would drain liquidity from exchanges and the broader financial system.
Claver suggested that as institutional demand for XRP rises due to the need for real-time settlement in a turbulent market, its price could rapidly increase as buyers scramble to secure the limited supply. In his words:
“…if they rolled out these ETFs at the same time exchanges were pushing the value up, I think you could see prices driven to four digits in a very short period of time, with the demand placed on the limited supply that’s still out there.”
Essentially, Claver’s insights paint a picture of an XRP that could far exceed its current price range, with the potential for prices ranging from $100 to $9,999 in the future. However, these predictions remain purely hypothetical.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
An official from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has confirmed that El Salvador is complying with an agreement to back away from using Bitcoin (BTC) as a reserve asset.
In a new press briefing, the IMF addresses a question from financial software company Ion Group asking how El Salvador is still accumulating BTC despite agreeing to stop making any more purchases as part of a loan agreement.
[adinserter block="1"]
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele pushed back against those conditions earlier this year, saying,
“’This all stops in April.’ ‘This all stops in June.’ ‘This all stops in December.’
No, it’s not stopping.
If it didn’t stop when the world ostracized us and most ‘Bitcoiners’ abandoned us, it won’t stop now, and it won’t stop in the future.
Proof of work > proof of whining.”
Data from the blockchain “de-anonymizer” Arkham shows that the El Salvador government has been acquiring one BTC every single day for some time.
But Rodrigo Valdes, the director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, says that despite these purchases, the country is still working within its “performance criteria” set forth by the IMF.
“In terms of El Salvador, let me say that I can confirm that they continue to comply with their commitment of non-accumulation of bitcoin by the overall fiscal sector, which is the performance criteria that we have. But on top of that, I think this is very important for the discussion in El Salvador.
The program of El Salvador is not about bitcoin. It’s much more, much deeper in structural reforms, in terms of governance, in terms of transparency. There is a lot of progress there. And also, on fiscal. And authorities have been making a lot of progress implementing the reform.”
PANews reported on April 22 that NeoCognition, an AI research lab founded by Ohio State professor Yu Su, announced the completion of a $40 million seed funding round. The round was co-led by Cambium Capital and Walden Catalyst Ventures, with participation from Vista Equity Partners, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, and Databricks co-founder Ion Stoica, among others. NeoCognition focuses on developing self-learning AI agents, aiming to enable intelligent agents to continuously learn and build "world models" in any vertical domain, transitioning from general-purpose to rapidly specialized "expert" agents. The company plans to primarily provide enterprise and SaaS companies with agent systems that can be used to build AI employees or enhance existing products. The team currently consists of approximately 15 people, most of whom hold PhDs.
Key Takeaways GM shares declined 3.8% to $80.60 following the reveal of multiple battery energy initiatives The automaker unveiled a collaboration with Peak Energy focused on sodium-ion battery technology for grid storage Additional announcements included bidirectional charging capabilities and a new electric vehicle charging application UBS analysts reaffirmed their Buy recommendation with a $102 price objective for GM shares May inflation reaching 4.2% likely contributed to negative market sentiment Shares of General Motors tumbled close to 4% on Tuesday following the automaker’s rollout of multiple battery energy initiatives that didn’t generate the market excitement Ford experienced with its energy business launch in the previous month.
General Motors Company, GM
During midday trading sessions, GM shares traded at $80.60, representing a 3.8% decline, contrasting sharply with the S&P 500’s modest 0.1% dip. The sell-off occurred despite the company’s efforts to generate positive headlines.
The battery initiative announcements encompassed bidirectional charging technology, enabling electric vehicles to supply power to residences or feed electricity back into the power grid. Additionally, GM introduced a new electric vehicle charging application and revealed that battery recycling company Redwood Materials plans to utilize decommissioned EV batteries to energize one of its facilities.
The centerpiece announcement involves GM’s strategic collaboration with Peak Energy, an emerging company specializing in grid storage solutions. The partnership will concentrate on developing sodium-ion battery cells designed for large-scale energy storage purposes. GM Ventures has made a strategic capital investment in Peak Energy, while GM secures exclusive manufacturing privileges for cells created in its Michigan battery research facilities.
The Sodium-Ion Advantage Sodium-ion battery technology offers lower production costs compared to lithium-ion alternatives. While they provide less energy density per volume unit, this limitation becomes negligible for fixed storage applications such as utility grids and data center operations.
“When engaging with utilities, hyperscalers, or other electricity providers requiring energy storage capabilities, their main concern isn’t maximizing range or reducing weight,” explained Kurt Kelty, GM’s vice president overseeing battery and sustainability operations. “Their focus is providing dependable, cost-effective power across extended timeframes.”
Following the announcement, UBS analyst Joseph Spak maintained his Buy recommendation and $102 price objective for GM. He emphasized that the sodium-ion technology remains in early development stages, with only laboratory testing facilities operational and no manufacturing plant established. GM hasn’t disclosed the investment size or provided deployment schedules regarding gigawatt capacity.
UBS noted that GM Ventures historically avoids substantial investments, suggesting the Peak Energy stake likely won’t significantly impact GM’s financial statements. The company indicated this venture aligns with its previously announced spending framework.
Ford Set a High Bar GM shareholders may have anticipated a response similar to Ford’s market reaction. Ford shares surged from approximately $12 to $17 in May following the introduction of Ford Energy, its utility-scale battery storage division. Wall Street analysts projected Ford Energy could contribute around $500 million in operating profits by decade’s end.
Ford shares also experienced downward pressure on Tuesday, falling 2.9% to $14.50, indicating some cooling of the earlier investor enthusiasm.
Broader market conditions also worked against GM. U.S. inflation registered at 4.2% in May, marking the highest level in years, which appeared to dampen overall market sentiment.
GM stock has appreciated 73% over the trailing twelve months and currently trades above its Fair Value according to InvestingPro analysis. UBS maintains its $102 price target for the stock.