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San Diego, CA, Dec. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Presearch (https://presearch.com/), the privacy-centric, non-profiling engine, today announced that it has sold out its inaugural landmark Presearch Node NFT Auction. All 142 Nodes up for sale sold out on the first day, with twice the bids anticipated. The total reserve price for the whole collection was set at 2 Million tokens but the auction sold at more than double the amount for over 4 million tokens.

The auction introduced a community-driven model connecting digital art, network participation rights, and decentralized infrastructure. Each NFT stands alone as art, while also granting holders the ability to activate a node and earn network rewards once Presearch’s orchestration system goes live in a matter of weeks. The Presearch Node NFT auction is the first of many sales intended as the search volume increases on Presearch.com, while both the network and the demand for it expands. Continuing auctions will improve Presearch’s overall tokenomics and scarcity value as it adds utility and the tokens go back to treasury, essentially closing the PRE tokenomic loop.

“This auction was about mission meeting earning power and we are glad that the Presearch community and beyond responded so enthusiastically,” said Tim Enneking, CEO of Presearch. “That we were able to sell out twice the reserve in just one day wildly exceeded even our most optimistic expectations.”

Presearch Node NFTs give community operators and new participants a straightforward way to help power the network and earn rewards in return.  Each Node NFT in the Wasteland Web collection, created by artist Smokenmirrors, allows the holder to run a Presearch Node, earn rewards, and power the decentralized search network that’s redefining the web. It features 142 unique NFTs from the Wasteland Web collection by digital artist Smokenmirrors, illustrating a vision of the internet free from algorithmic control.

Unlike traditional digital art drops, each NFT doubles as a license key for operating a node under Presearch’s new Node Orchestration layer, the backbone of the upcoming Presearch 3.0 architecture. The orchestration system, detailed in Presearch’s latest technical blog and Nodenomics webinar, will expand the network’s global crawling and indexing capabilities of its innovative, decentralized, independent index named Indee, making it easier for users to operate nodes and contribute to the network.

The Node NFT Auction marks the first phase of a broader rollout for Presearch 3.0, the project’s next major architecture update. The release includes a decentralized system for real-time crawling, indexing, and retrieval intended to support what the team refers to as the “Frontier Intelligence,” or high-value, underrepresented content often overlooked by mainstream search engines. By tying node licenses to NFTs, Presearch is testing a new model for permissionless participation, one that blends network operations, art culture, and economic incentives.

The node sale marks the first in an ongoing series designed to scale Presearch’s infrastructure as search demand grows, while strengthening PRE tokenomics by adding real network utility, returning tokens to the treasury, and establishing a sustainable economic cycle for PRE.

To learn more, please visit https://news.presearch.io.

About Smokenmirrors:
Smokenmirrors, known for world-building in the digital art underground, created The Wasteland Web as a narrative backdrop depicting an imagined “post-algorithmic internet.” Each piece functions as a story fragment within that universe, reflecting themes of open networks and online resilience.

About Presearch
Presearch.com offers a privacy-focused, non-profiling search experience with results comparable to leading search engines. Its search-to-earn model rewards users with PRE tokens for every search, creating a unique value proposition. Powered by a decentralized node infrastructure, Presearch promotes fairness and mitigates biases in search outcomes unlike conventional platforms that may prioritize self-serving content and suppress others. With a loyal community, the platform serves nearly 10 million searches per month.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of capital. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.

Markets Insider and Business Insider Editorial Teams were not involved in the creation of this post.

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Popular cryptocurrency game Hamster Kombat has started token listing on big markets including OKX and ByBit. Still, the continuous community turmoil around the recent HMSTR token airdrop has tempered the enthusiasm around the release.

Hamster Kombat: ‘Unfair’ Token Distribution The Hamster Kombat crew has been alleged of unfair airdrop distribution of the HMSTR tokens. Many players who invested a lot of time and money in the game got only a meager fraction of the projected tokens; some barely had $50 worth.

The community is particularly upset about the role of referrals in determining token allocations. The amount of tokens received by the player was comparatively higher in proportion to the number of referrals they have compared to the other regular players. Additionally, the team did not host over 2 million people in an airdrop after terming the users as “cheaters.”

✍️ HAMSTER MATH ✍️

🔥 The results of Season 1 have been finalized:

🚀 Over 300 million people have joined Hamster Kombat since March 26, 2024, 131 million qualified for the airdrop on September 26th and around 2.3 million were banned as cheaters.

📤 30.6 million of qualified… pic.twitter.com/LH5eD3i8al

— Hamster Kombat (@hamster_kombat) September 22, 2024

Lack Of Transparency And Broken Promises Other criticism of Hamster Kombat is a perceived failure to be more open and lack fulfillment of some promises to the community. The team promised several large incentives to players, such as an “equally important” reward system which was never met.

The use of “keys” during the final weeks of Season 1 also caused confusion since no clear information was issued regarding importance, with some players focusing just on collecting keys to later find out they are banned for shortchanging.

Source: OKX Boycott Threats And Community Backlash The community’s dismay of the token distribution has resulted in a notable pushback. Many of the players labeling the airdrop a “scam” have expressed their wrath on social networking sites. Some have even promised to sell their tokens right away after listing and abstain from the game.

Total crypto market cap currently at $2.197 trillion. Chart: TradingView The Hamster Kombat team has not yet provided a clear explanation or resolution for the community’s concerns. With millions of players potentially selling their tokens, the listing could face significant volatility and downward pressure on the HMSTR price.

Those who follow the project actively and invest in the premarket should know that the price of the token may skyrocket to its correct value and drop to low levels. Most of the players and investors are seeing great hope in the listing, but this issue that came recently should make them take cautious steps.

Meanwhile, Hamster Kombat will have to answer the complaints of the community and rebuild confidence when the dust settles if it is to keep its success and appeal over the long haul.

Featured image from Protos, chart from TradingView

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The cryptocurrency market saw several tokens post impressive gains on October 19, with some experiencing double-digit increases. Leading the charge was LUMIA ($LUMIA), which surged by an outstanding 42.9%. According to Phoenix, a well-known crypto media outlet, the rise signals growing interest in the project. It seems to have a lot of potential which is why investors seem to be ok with its fast rising price.

https://twitter.com/pnxgrp/status/1847579787755155716

MATH Gains 21.0%, Following LUMIA At A Distance After LUMIA’s good showing, MATH ($MATH) was up 21%. Such an upward movement of the token proves the sustained faith of investors in the ecosystem it represents. Moreover, Smooth Love Protocol ($SLP) surged by 18.7% as more people flocked to decentralized finance (DeFi). The focus of the project to motivate the users has contributed to its sustainability in the market.

Other gainers included Humans.ai ($HEART) it rose by 16.4% on the day. Being an AI-based blockchain project, it further keeps on drawing interest with its approach to integrating artificial intelligence with the blockchain. Another one was Bniaryx ($BNX), which rose by 14.6%, as more people are getting attracted to its platform.

Crypto Market Sees Strong Gains Across Multiple Tokens Yield Guild Games ($YGG) rose by 13.9% proving that the play-to-earn genre of games is gaining traction. With more players coming to the platform, the need for the token has gone up, thus, having a positive effect on the token’s value. Likewise, Worldcoin ($WLD), which went up by 12.4%, because the sharing of data for tokens model of the project still generates interest among the crypto community.

Other tokens also gave other good results. Axie Infinity ($AXS) increase by 11.8% and remains one of the leading blockchain games available on the market. Tars Protocol ($TAI) was up 11.6%, as the community embraced the firm’s decentralized services. Radix ($XRD) also gained 11.6% as the project continues to push further into the DeFi space.

Altogether, these tokens give a positive signal for the crypto market as many investors are willing to invest in new projects. In the current trading session, the market appears to be in the bullish trend; its direction of trading will be worth watching in the next few days.

AUTHOR

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.

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In a crucial month for crypto markets, October has seen several projects standing as the top performers. As per Phoenix Group, $VISTA, $VIRTUAL, $STFX, $CVP, $WELL, $INSP, $TROY, $RAY, $HEART, and $MATH led the market in October. The crypto analytics firm provided the details about their performance in its latest list on social media.

$VISTA Leads the List of Top Crypto Projects Based on 1-Month Price Performance $VISTA leads the market with a 968.6% price change over the month. It has a market capitalization of $55.3M. $VIRTUAL is the 2nd project on the list with a 694.7% price change. At present, its market capitalization stands at nearly $385.1M. $STFX takes the 3rd spot as its price witnessed a 478.1% change over the last month. In addition to this, its market capitalization has touched $24.0M over the month.

The 4th player on Phoenix Group’s list is $CVP which has seen a 330.2% spike in price. Along with that, the market capitalization thereof has reached $4.2M. Subsequently, $WELL occupies the 5th place in the list with a 1-month price change of up to $184.9%. Additionally, its market capitalization is almost $263.1M. Following that, $INSP obtains the 6th position as it has seen a 136.6% price change over the month.

The list moves on to include $TROY in the 7th place. The respective project has experienced a 121.8% price surge over the recent month. Apart from that, the project possesses $29.9M in terms of its market capitalization. $RAY takes the 8th position by witnessing a 30-day price change of approximately 103.3%. Moreover, its market capitalization has reportedly touched $890.9M in total. The 9th player in Phoenix Group’s list is $HEART. It has made a price change of up to 89.4% over the last thirty days, with its market capitalization touching $71.1M.

$MATH Bottoms the Market with a 30-Day Price Change of 86.3% Coming after that, $MATH secures the 10th spot in the list with an 86.3% price jump throughout the month. The market capitalization of the project now stands at the figure of nearly $58.7M. The rise of these projects mirrors the increase in market sentiment apart from an expansion in the appreciation concerning blockchain technology’s real-world applications.

AUTHOR

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.

PANews reported on August 25th that Zeus Network has officially announced a strategic liquidity partnership with Metalpha (NASDAQ: MATH), enabling Bitcoin deposits through APOLLO, the first decentralized application (dApp) on Zeus Network. Metalpha, an institutional asset management firm focused on digital assets, has begun accepting Bitcoin deposits through the Zeus Network on Solana.

As part of this partnership, Metalpha will leverage Zeus Network's permissionless infrastructure as a liquidity provider, supporting network security through decentralized verification. The Metalpha team chose Solana to deploy Bitcoin liquidity because of its high-performance DeFi environment and highly active community. By providing Bitcoin to Zeus Network, Metalpha injects liquidity into Solana and strengthens the security of cross-chain Bitcoin transactions, seeking new avenues for sustainable on-chain yield generation. As Solana becomes a major hub for institutional-grade digital asset innovation, Zeus Network is expanding its ecosystem to ensure that Bitcoin liquidity remains fundamental to DeFi growth. Leveraging Metalpha's expertise in structured financial products and risk management, this partnership is expected to enhance the financial capabilities of the Solana network and Bitcoin as an asset, adding fuel to the already booming DeFi market.

Justin Wang, co-founder and CEO of Zeus Network, said: “With Metalpha joining Zeus Network as a liquidity provider, we can leverage their experience in digital asset management to continue developing more accessible and scalable Bitcoin liquidity solutions for institutional Bitcoin holders.”

Metalpha will allocate up to 20% of its annual net profit to purchase Bitcoin.

TLDR The SEC granted Fuse Crypto a no-action letter, confirming its FUSE token is not a security. Fuse Crypto uses blockchain to reward customers for participating in green energy initiatives like rooftop solar installation. The SEC’s decision highlights a shift toward clearer regulations for crypto tokens under the current administration. Fuse’s argument that its token is not an investment contract aligned with the SEC’s stance, avoiding security classification. The SEC has issued two no-action letters for tokens in recent months, signaling evolving regulatory clarity for the crypto sector. The SEC has granted Fuse Crypto a no-action letter, confirming that its FUSE token is not a security. This marks a key moment in the regulatory landscape for cryptocurrency in the United States. The approval allows Fuse to offer and sell its token without facing enforcement action from the SEC.

SEC’s Position on FUSE Token The SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance issued the no-action letter in response to Fuse Crypto’s request. The company had asked the SEC to confirm that the FUSE token, used for rewarding customers in energy programs, is not a security. The SEC stated that it would not recommend enforcement action based on the representations made in Fuse’s letter.

The SEC clarified that any change in facts or conditions could lead to a different conclusion. This conditional relief underscores the importance of accurate representations when seeking such clarity. Fuse’s token operates within a blockchain framework designed to incentivize sustainable energy practices.

Fuse Crypto operates in the electricity sector, offering products like electric vehicle chargers and solar setups. Through its green energy initiatives, customers earn FUSE tokens for participating in energy-efficient programs. The SEC’s decision highlights the potential for blockchain to intersect with sustainability efforts in the energy sector.

The SEC’s Evolving Stance on Crypto Tokens This decision marks the second no-action letter issued by the SEC in recent months. The first letter was granted to DoubleZero, a DePIN project, for its 2Z token in September. Both rulings are seen as part of a shift toward clearer regulatory guidance on token offerings.

The SEC has been evolving its approach to digital assets under the current administration. The agency has hosted crypto roundtables and launched “Project Crypto” to review rules for the industry. This move signals a more open stance toward crypto businesses seeking regulatory clarity.

As reported by Blockonomi earlier, the SEC’s chair, Paul Atkins, also introduced plans for a “token taxonomy.” This effort aims to better define which cryptocurrencies are considered securities. The Fuse crypto no-action letter may contribute to these discussions by offering further clarification on what constitutes a non-security token.

Fuse Crypto’s Commitment to Green Energy Fuse Crypto focuses on green technology, such as solar panels and smart grid systems, to optimize energy use. The company believes that blockchain can drive innovation in energy systems by providing scalable rewards for sustainable consumption. The FUSE token serves as an incentive for customers to install eco-friendly devices like rooftop solar panels.

The firm explained in its letter that the token is earned based on individual consumption, not investment. Fuse argued that customers do not expect profits from the efforts of Fuse or others, which is key to avoiding classification as a security. This reasoning aligns with the SEC’s stance, which uses the Howey Test to determine securities. Fuse’s blockchain approach aims to solve challenges in modernizing the energy grid.

By rewarding customers for their sustainable actions, Fuse plans to incentivize smarter energy consumption. The FUSE token is part of a larger effort to integrate decentralized energy generation and technology into the grid. This decision from the SEC provides regulatory certainty for Fuse crypto, allowing it to continue expanding its green energy initiatives. It marks a shift toward clearer and more predictable guidance for blockchain-based tokens in the energy sector.

25.11.2025 - 10:51

Update: 25.11.2025 - 10:51

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which has taken more moderate steps for the cryptocurrency sector after Gary Gensler left and was replaced by crypto-friendly Paul Atkins, has made a more positive decision for an altcoin.

Accordingly, the SEC ruled that the Solana (SOL)-based Fuse Energy token is not a security.

The SEC issued its second no-action letter to cryptocurrency projects in recent months, DePIN, after sending a similar no-action letter to DoubleZero a few months earlier, providing regulatory protection for the altcoin from sanctions.

The SEC sent a similar no-action letter to Solana-based DePIN project FUSE as it did to DoubleZero.

Accordingly, the SEC sent a no-action letter to Fuse Energy stating that its native token, FUSE, does not constitute an investment contract under securities law.

The SEC's decision to close the case without taking any action or imposing any penalties indicates that the FUSE token is not considered under federal securities laws.

“Incredible news: The SEC today issued a Letter of No Action for Fuse Energy's token. It is the native utility token for The Energy Network, built on Solana. Full details can be found in the project whitepaper published today. This milestone is the culmination of months of productive work with the SEC, and Fuse is proud to play a role in ensuring regulatory clarity for cryptocurrencies in the US. Momentum is building,” Fuse Energy said in a statement.

At this point, the decision also stands out as a step that reduces uncertainty for cryptocurrency projects and investors.

Cryptocurrency journalist Eleanor Terrett commented that this decision was based on the finding that the token's value is tied to its actual utility within the network rather than investors' expectation of profit.

*This is not investment advice.

Follow our Telegram and Twitter account now for exclusive news, analytics and on-chain data!

Fuse Energy is preparing to launch the ENERGY token to meet the rising demand for energy driven by artificial intelligence.

Summary

The SEC issued a no-action letter for Fuse’s Energy token launch AI is creating a rising demand for energy-intensive data centers Data centers could account for 20% of global energy needs by 2030 AI is driving rising energy demand, and crypto firms are taking note. On Tuesday, November 25, UK-based energy company Fuse Energy announced that it received a green light from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the launch of its Energy Dollars token, according to a press release shared with crypto.news.

“Our goal at Fuse Energy is to build an innovative and credible network, coordinating onchain incentives to build resiliency into our grid systems” said Alan Chang, CEO and Co-Founder of Fuse Energy.

The firm, co-founded by former Revolut executives, revealed that the SEC issued a no-action letter about the token launch. According to Fuse, the token will help scale the energy grid, which is needed due to rising demand for AI data centers and other uses.

“Receipt of this no-action letter underlines the SEC’s continued commitment to engage with crypto projects and provide clarity in the space. We hope that this paves a path forward for more teams to build truly useful blockchain products, tackling problems as significant as ours,” Alan Chang, Fuse Energy.

AI is creating a rising demand for energy AI is contributing to a significant rise in energy demand. The demand for advanced AI models is rising, and with it, energy demand is increasing as well. Notably, newer large language models require exponentially more energy for both training and regular operations.

For this reason, AI is expected to consume more energy in the near future. So much so that, according to a report by the Penn State Institute for Energy and the Environment, data centers could account for 20% of global energy use by 2030–2035.

Weekly Crypto Regulation Roundup: SEC Clears Solana’s Fuse Token and Trump Eyes Crypto-Friendly Fed Chair

Tanzeel Akhtar

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Tanzeel Akhtar

Part of the Team Since

Feb 2018

About Author

Tanzeel Akhtar has been reporting on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology since 2015. Her work has appeared in leading publications including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CoinDesk, Bitcoin...

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November 28, 2025

It’s been another consequential week in Washington and beyond, with U.S. regulators sending mixed but meaningful signs across crypto, AI, and financial policy. From the SEC greenlighting a Solana-based token to the prospect of a crypto-friendly Federal Reserve chair, the regulatory climate is shifting fast—particularly as policymakers grapple with emerging technologies that are outpacing existing frameworks.

SEC Grants Fuse a Rare No-Action LetterThe big headline came from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which issued a no-action letter to Solana-based DePIN project Fuse—an unusual step for a blockchain project looking for clarity around token sales.

Fuse asked the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance on Nov. 19 to confirm it would not recommend enforcement action over the offer and sale of its FUSE token. The project emphasized that FUSE isn’t pitched as a speculative asset: it’s strictly a network participation token, distributed as a reward to users who maintain the protocol’s decentralized infrastructure. The SEC agreed.

In a letter signed by deputy chief counsel Jonathan Ingram, the regulator stated it would not pursue enforcement “based on the facts presented” if Fuse adheres to the guardrails it outlined.

Additionally, the token can only be redeemed through third-party venues at market rates, showing the SEC’s focus on removing any investment-like characteristics.

This marks the second DePIN-related no-action letter in recent months. While not precedent-setting, the decision is a useful datapoint: when tokens are tightly scoped to utility and distribution is controlled, the SEC appears more open to relief. For projects building real-world infrastructure on-chain, it’s one of the clearest regulatory signs we’ve seen in months.

Trump’s Top Fed Pick Has Deep Crypto TiesCrypto markets may soon have a sympathetic voice at the very top of U.S. monetary policy. Kevin Hassett—director of the White House National Economic Council and longtime Trump ally—has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair.

What’s striking is Hassett’s history with digital assets. He has publicly engaged with the crypto sector, consulted with policy groups connected to the space, and indicated openness to digital-asset innovation.

Trump’s advisers describe him as someone whom the president trusts deeply on interest-rate policy—particularly on the question of cutting more aggressively than Powell. Hassett has also reportedly indicated he would accept the role if selected.

If appointed, this would be the most crypto-friendly Fed chair in U.S. history. While the Fed is not a crypto regulator, its stance on dollar liquidity, stablecoins, and payment systems has enormous downstream effects. A pro-innovation chair could spur greater openness across other agencies—or at the very least, reduce friction.

Bipartisan Bill Targets Rising AI-Powered FraudAI-generated scams are surging, and Congress is taking notice. This week, lawmakers introduced the AI Fraud Deterrence Act, a bipartisan proposal from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL). The bill seeks to impose tougher penalties on crimes committed using artificial intelligence—particularly impersonation schemes, deepfakes, automated theft, and coordinated fraud rings.

The legislation is also explicitly tied to financial markets and crypto, where AI-powered fraud is growing at an alarming rate. High-profile cases involving deepfake video scams, impersonation bots, and automated phishing rings have intensified pressure on lawmakers to intervene.

The bill’s broader message is clear: manipulation, impersonation, and automated fraud using AI tools will face harsher federal consequences. Expect this framework to evolve quickly, given the sharp rise in AI-driven schemes across exchanges and Web3 platforms.

CFTC Pushes for New Prediction Markets FrameworkFinally, at the CFTC, Commissioner Caroline Pham is making moves to bring prediction markets into sharper regulatory focus.

Pham announced that the agency is seeking nominations for its new CEO Innovation Council, a body designed to advise on emerging markets and frontier financial technologies. One of the council’s early priorities will be the rapidly evolving prediction markets sector—a space that has grown too large and too influential for federal regulators to ignore.

Through a Nov. 25 press release, Pham invited public nominations and encouraged industry stakeholders to propose topics the council should prioritize. With prediction markets increasingly touching politics, finance, sports, and crypto, the CFTC is clearly preparing a more structured approach.

This comes as platforms like Polymarket continue to expand and attract mainstream attention, forcing regulators to reconsider how forecasting markets fit within existing derivatives law.

The Big PictureFrom the SEC’s cautious openness to utility-focused tokens, to Congress tightening the screws on AI-based crime, to the CFTC’s attempt to modernize its oversight, the regulatory ecosystem is shifting in real time.

But the most consequential development may be Trump’s apparent interest in appointing a Fed chair aligned with crypto innovation. That appointment would reverberate through every corner of financial policy—from stablecoins to global dollar rails to payments innovation.

3 Crypto Narratives Surge in December 2025—Top Picks for 2026?

Rubio: US and Iran to continue technical consultations at the end of this month

Multiple foreign media outlets reported on the 24th that US Secretary of State Rubio said technical teams from the United States and Iran will hold further talks in Switzerland by the end of June. (Xinhua News Agency)

6 hours ago

Over the past 24 hours, total crypto market liquidations hit $606 million, with more than 130,000 traders liquidated.

According to Coinglass data, the global cryptocurrency market recorded $606 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours, including $542 million in long-position liquidations and $68.22 million in short-position liquidations. A total of 135,785 traders worldwide were liquidated in the same period, with the largest single liquidation order occurring on Binance’s BTCUSDT trading pair, valued at $12.0111 million.

6 hours ago

Bitcoin falls below $60,000

According to HTX market data, Bitcoin has fallen below $60,000, with a 4.3% drop in the past 24 hours.

6 hours ago

US Treasury Secretary: AI boom may boost productivity and help curb inflation.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent told CNBC in an interview that he hopes the Federal Reserve will remain "open-minded" about the inflation pattern after the reversal of Iran-related energy price hikes. Bessent noted that the U.S. could enter an economic environment marked by high GDP growth without a corresponding rise in traditional inflation. He cited that in the 1990s, Alan Greenspan foresaw that office modernization and the internet could drive non-inflationary growth, and allowed the economy to keep expanding. Bessent believes the U.S. has a strong chance of seeing a similar scenario again. When asked whether the Fed still needs to worry about potential inflation and whether interest rate cuts are possible this year or next, Bessent declined to comment. However, he argued that it is necessary to stay open-minded about the price or inflation impacts from the Iran conflict, and monitor inflation performance after those effects subside. Bessent also said an open mind is needed, as the AI boom could boost productivity and deliver disinflationary effects, helping inflation return to the Fed’s target level. He added that he believes Kevin Warsh will choose the optimal path that meets both the Fed’s inflation and growth mandates. Bessent also noted that Warsh previously took a hawkish stance on inflation.

6 hours ago

US stocks' intraday storage sector sees broad declines, with Western Digital and Seagate Technology both falling over 4%.

According to Bitget data, during U.S. stock trading hours, the storage sector saw broad declines: Western Digital (WDC) fell 4.47%, Seagate Technology (STX) dropped 4.17%, SanDisk (SNDK) declined 2.31%, and Micron Technology (MU) edged down 0.96%. Most optical communication concept stocks rose, with Corning (GLW) leading the gains at 9.75%, followed by Ciena (CIEN) up 3.24%, Coherent (COHR) rising 2.93%, Lumentum (LITE) gaining 2.61%, and Nokia (NOK) advancing 1.82%. Additionally, Marvell Technology (MRVL) fell 2.59% and Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) declined 1.90%.

6 hours ago

During intraday trading in U.S. stocks, crypto-related concept stocks fell broadly, with MSTR dropping more than 7%.

According to Bitget market data, the three major U.S. stock indexes rose broadly: the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.94%, the S&P 500 increased 0.60%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.63%. Crypto-related stocks fell across the board, with declines as follows: Strategy (MSTR) down 7.33%; Circle (CRCL) down 4.35%; Bitmine (BMNR) down 3.97%; Coinbase (COIN) down 3.73%; Robinhood (HOOD) down 3.70%; Gemini (GEMI) down 3.27%; Bullish (BLSH) down 3.25%; Sharplink (SBET) down 3.19%.

6 hours ago

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Today, market analyst CryptoDep highlighted the performance of the crypto fundraising sector last week. According to the data, several crypto startups engaged in multiple funding rounds and raised a total of $310.6 million during the week. In the week of December 14 to December 20, 2025, 10 prominent crypto projects attracted funds through strategic fundraising events, with the funds raised showing resilience in investor confidence despite current heightened market conditions.

Crypto markets have remained in the extreme fear phase despite the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut less than two weeks ago. Typically, interest rate cuts often favor risky assets like cryptocurrencies. However, this time the rate reduction came with a cautionary stance that confused investors’ sentiment. For now, digital tokens including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and several others are trading down due to fear-driven trading and profit-taking as investors anticipate fresh optimism next year.

Despite the drastic declines in crypto prices, the week’s fundraising performance suggested resilient investor appetite for digital assets and blockchain ventures.

Top Crypto Fundraising Events Last Week RedotPay RedotPay, a Hong Kong-based stablecoin-focused payment fintech, is at the top of the list because it raised the largest amount of money from crypto investors last week. On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, RedotPay raised $107 million in a series B funding round led by Goodwater Capital, with various crypto investors, including Pantera Capital, Blockchain Capital, Circle Ventures, and others, participating in the investment drive event. RedotPay, which was established to simplify the use of stablecoins in day-to-day financial activity, disclosed that it plans to utilize the new funding to support strategic acquisitions focused on broadening its product lines and infrastructure capabilities.

Fuse Second on the list is Fuse, a London-based decentralized renewable energy company that aims to redefine the global energy grid by operating a DePIN energy network that enables people to produce, trade, and consume energy through a peer-to-peer approach. It is building a decentralized P2P energy marketplace that allows direct energy exchanges among community members, thus eliminating the need for traditional energy providers. As per the data, Fuse raised $70 million in a series B funding round, organized by major venture companies, including LowerCarbon Capital and Balderton Capital. Fuse said it will use the new funding to advance the effectiveness of its DePIN energy project built on Solana.

METYA METYA, an AI-powered Web3 dating platform, followed the list. On Wednesday, December 17, METYA secured $50 million in a strategic funding round led by Century United Holdings Group and participated in by other investors, including Castrum Istanbul, Alpha Capital, M2M Capital, and Vertex Capital. METYA disclosed that it intends to use the new funding to expedite its global advancement plans in MePay (payment services), AI-powered social networking, and international liquidity interconnectivity.

DAWN DAWN, a DePIN network built on Solana that enables users to access the web from user-owned broadband nodes, also conducted a significant funding event last week. On Thursday, December 18, DAWN raised $13 million in a series B funding round organized by Polychain Capital. As per the announcement, DAWN will utilize the funds to broaden the coverage of its DePIN network across the US and launch global deployments.

ETHGAS Fifth on the list is ETHGAS, a market trading platform and an infrastructure Layer for the Ethereum economy. On Wednesday, December 17, ETHGAS secured $12 million in a seed funding round led by Polychain Capital and participation from Amber Group, SIG DT, Lafayette Macro Advisors, BlueYard Capital, and Stake Capital. As per the data, ETHGas plans to utilize the newly raised capital to develop an Ethereum blockspace futures market.

Other Projects with Top Crypto Funding Activity Last Week Other crypto startups that raised outstanding fundraise last week include digital trade finance platform Olea, crypto yield optimization protocol YO Labs, Bitcoin and stablecoin payments infrastructure company Speed, AI-driven blockchain security company TestMachine, crypto fintech firm SocialGood, and AI agent platform HolmesAI, as further illustrated in the analyst’s data. 

AUTHOR

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.

PANews reported on April 2 that, according to SolanaFloor, the Drift protocol vulnerability has affected multiple DeFi protocols, including Reflect Money, Ranger Finance, Neutral Trade, Elemental DeFi, Project 0, Lulo Finance, Asgard Finance, DeFi Carrot, Pyra, xPlace, and Fuse Wallete. Some protocols have suspended minting, redemption, or deposit/withdrawal functions.

Ranger Finance confirmed approximately $900,000 in risk exposure, representing about 6% of its total locked value of $14.6 million. Pyra stated that user funds were affected due to earning yield through Drift and has suspended the Pyra Card function. Asgard Finance stated that the risk exposure related to Drift is not significant, has disabled this credit source, and has contacted affected users. Fuse Wallet suspended deposits from its Earn product to Drift, but the wallet itself was not affected. DeFi Carrot suspended minting and redemption functions; Boost and Turbo products were unaffected. xPlace's Savings product suspended deposits and withdrawals, and its credit mode and lending functions were temporarily disabled. Protocols such as Elemental DeFi and Project 0 stated that related fund allocations have been suspended, pending the resumption of Drift operations. Lulo Finance warned that Classic deposit users may be affected, but Protected and Boosted products have no risk exposure.

Tel Aviv, Israel, May 12th, 2026, Chainwire

Seven-year-old L1 chain unveils infrastructure roadmap positioning the chain as the settlement layer for AI-native commerce and last-mile payments.

Fuse Network just published its roadmap, built around a single conviction: the missing piece in last-mile payments isn’t regulation, isn’t adoption. It’s the right infrastructure. And AI agents are what finally makes that infrastructure viable at scale.

The end game of blockchain payments was never cheaper rails for Visa. It was giving every business and every person a private key, and letting them interact directly with financial infrastructure without paying a cut to anyone in the middle. The long tail of the global economy, the street vendor, the freelancer, the local delivery network, has always been the real market. They just never had access to the technology, and integrating it required developers, budgets, and technical expertise that most of them will never have.

AI changes that last part. The development bottleneck that kept blockchain infrastructure out of reach for smaller players is gone. For the first time, the average business can plug into programmable payments, loyalty tools, and on-chain settlement without a technical team. That is what last-mile payments on blockchain actually means, and that is what Fuse is building for.

That alignment is not incidental. The same rails that serve a local business serve an AI agent settling a microtransaction in under 200ms for fractions of a cent. 

Fuse is integrating native support for the emerging agentic payment standards, including x402, MPP, UCP, ACP, and ERC-8183, and is developing a dedicated Fuse MCP server to expose this infrastructure to any AI tool or agent built on the network.

“What we want to enable on Fuse is a business that gets a point of sale for free, an e-commerce storefront for free, the ability to sell online with zero friction, and no dependency on centralized platforms taking large percentages,” said Mark Smargon, CEO and Co-Founder of Fuse Network. “The end game isn’t onboarding institutions. It’s giving every business and every user a private key. That changes everything.”

Powering the consumer demand layer is Solid, Fuse’s non-custodial neobanking application combining stablecoin and Ethereum yield with a Visa debit card accepted in 49 countries. Every Solid user generating yield, spending with their card, or accessing any financial product on the platform produces sustained on-chain activity on Fuse. The roadmap extends Solid into lending, insurance, index funds, and equities, all on the same non-custodial stack.

Doubling down on the L1

Fuse Chain has run without a single hour of downtime since 2019. Seven years, through every market cycle. The validator network is currently doing a major upgrade, and transaction fees remain consistently cheap.

The infrastructure cycle of the past two years produced more chains than users and pushed major networks toward L2 architectures. Fuse explored that path and made a deliberate choice: L2 technology remains insufficiently decentralized and operationally unstable for the use case Fuse is building toward. The L1/L2 distinction is collapsing anyway as sovereign chains converge on execution, ownership, and economics. The market is returning to where Fuse has been.

Fuse is doubling down on its L1 because the infrastructure for programmable, agent-native, last-mile commerce requires exactly what Fuse Chain already is: fast, cheap, seven years live, and built for real payments.

More information at: https://news.fuse.io/fuse-network-roadmap-update/

About Fuse Network

Fuse Network is the first EVM-compatible blockchain built for real-world payments, launched in 2019 with a vision to make stablecoins practical for everyday businesses and their customers. Fuse built a vertically integrated stack designed for the last mile of payments, enabling SMBs, everyday users, and AI agents to transact seamlessly on the same rails.

Xai, the layer-3 gaming network built on Ethereum scaler Arbitrum, kicked off 2024 with a bang, launching its XAI token to early supporters and then announcing that noted NFT game studio Laguna Games will bring Crypto Unicorns and related titles to the network.

So what’s next? More games, of course.

Ex Populus, which co-founder and CEO Tobias Batton described to Decrypt’s GG as the “labs company that serves the Xai Foundation,” is a game studio—and its games are set to be the first out the gate in the coming months as the Xai ecosystem takes shape.

The first, called Final Form, is a card-battler game with NFTs. According to its official website, the game will support NFT cards previously released on Solana via a bridge to Arbitrum. Batton said that the game is “penciled in for April,” but that the ETA could change. He said the game is playable and “moving into a polish phase,” so it can’t be far off.

LAMOverse is the other game from Ex Populus, and it’s a long-in-development online action game with colorful, cartoonish environments. Tied into physical LAMO toys based on gaming influencers like Ninja and Dr. Disrespect, LAMOverse is set to debut sometime after Final Form, and the game studio says it’s likewise playable and nearing a proper launch on Xai.

Batton recounted that Ex Populus spent substantial time seeking an ideal gaming chain for its projects and said that it explored building on other Ethereum scaling networks like Polygon or Immutable X. But, he said, each chain the studio tried had trade-offs that made the team “not enthusiastic” about committing to those ecosystems.

Ultimately, Arbitrum creator Offchain Labs proposed building a custom gaming chain that would suit the needs of Ex Populus while also providing a home for other studios in the future. Thus Xai was born.

In this team-up, Batton said, Ex Populus built the software that powers the Sentry Nodes that early users have purchased to support the Xai network. It also makes games and works in a publisher-like role to help other studios onboard to Xai and get their games in front of players.

That’s the kind of role that Ex Populus will serve for Laguna Games as it migrates its Crypto Unicorns games and associated NFTs from Polygon to Xai this year. And Batton said that he’s seen a “massive influx” of other studios reaching out since the airdrop to get involved with Xai, whether they’re building new games or migrating from existing chains.

In this dual role of game developer and distribution partner, Batton said that Ex Populus is attempting to be the Web3 version of Valve. That gaming powerhouse is known not only for operating the popular Steam PC gaming store, but also developing iconic games like Half-Life, Portal, and Counter-Strike. Fortnite maker Epic Games has charted a similar path.

Ex Populus doesn’t yet have the storied gaming legacy of those long-running giants, of course, but it also faces the immense challenge of trying to convince traditional gamers that user-owned NFT assets and crypto-driven economies are beneficial. And gamers have broadly not been too receptive to such overtures in the past.

What could make that easier is the way that the Xai network abstracts away the complexities of wallet use and asset handling for users who don’t want to get deep into the “crypto” of it all. Your average player doesn’t have to worry about self-custody of NFTs or tokens, plus Xai provides a gas-free experience for players.

“We had this crazy idea that if you remove wallets and remove gas from everything, that you can experience large growth,” Batton explained. “Really, the benefits of blockchain are the ability to trade items and own items—all the stuff we always hear about—but there's a tremendous amount of friction that stands in the way of that.”

There still are wallets, but for traditional gamers, they’re managed in the back end by the Xai team. And if you’d rather bring in your own wallet and self-custody your assets, that option is certainly available for veteran crypto users.

“As a traditional gamer who maybe isn't familiar with crypto or is a little averse to it, these games just seem like a normal game,” said Batton, who added that there would be wallet management features in the settings. “And then you're like, ‘Oh, I have a wallet. I didn't even know it.’ So it sort of breadcrumbs people into this experience in a way that doesn't seem so obtuse.”

our competitors aren't treasure, imx, ronin, or beam.

our competition is nintendo and valve.

decentralized gaming is inevitable.

— XAI (@XAI_GAMES) January 29, 2024

It’s been a busy couple of months for Xai. The Sentry Node sale, which let users invest in supporting the network and receive an allocation of XAI tokens, was a sizable success with about $30 million in sales. And the XAI airdrop that followed certainly made waves, putting over $150 million worth of tokens (at peak value) into users’ wallets.

But as Batton described, the journey dates back to 2022. It’s been a steady rise in prominence and buzz, in his view—and the biggest moves are still yet to come as games start going live on the network.

“It’s a grassroots approach—it didn't happen overnight,” he affirmed. “It took months and months and months of building this hype and this community and excitement.”

“Having Laguna agree to deploy their games is a big deal, because before this news, it was just hype. It's just an empty chain,” Batton added. “But now it's not an empty chain. It's got real games coming.”

Edited by Ryan Ozawa.

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November 27, 2024

Andreas Brekken, the founder of SideShift.ai, a platform offering direct-to-wallet trading, sat down (in his hammock) for an exclusive interview with the Cryptonews Podcast.

Talking with host Matt Zahab, Brekken recalled how difficult it was for people to buy BTC in 2011, noting that the ease of purchase today contributes to its adoption.

He remarked that meme coins are actually great for the crypto space because they are fun, cheap to get, and generally harmless. Importantly, they are stress-testing the biggest chains in the sector.

The crypto veteran talked about multiple markets happening simultaneously and the potential significance of the Ethereum Dencun upgrade.

Brekken also touched upon the necessity to re-examine our interaction with centralized exchanges and the need for services like SideShift.

In this interview, Brekken discussed:

Buying BTC in 2011 vs. today; Multiple markets currently happening at the same time; Rethinking how we interact with crypto exchanges — particularly as the bull run ushers in a new wave of mainstream adoption; How products like SideShift encourage mass adoption; The Ethereum Dencun upgrade; If meme coins are generally good or bad for the crypto space; How increased meme coin trading will show us the limits of current protocols, forcing chains to compete with each other to show who can handle the most traffic.

Brekken gave a wide-ranging exclusive interview, which you can see above or read below.

How the Bitcoin Times Have Changed!
Brekken discovered Bitcoin in 2011.

At that time, he said, there were very few routes for people to get BTC. One option was dark web markets, including the infamous Silk Road.

“But in my case, I’m just too much of a nerd,” Brekken remarked. He didn’t know about this avenue at the time.

But he had an advantage over an average Joe: he was a programmer.

Therefore, Brekken discovered information on BTC online and started learning about the novel technology.

Notably, at the time, anyone interested in BTC needed to install a program on their PC to get it. This program would create addresses and allow users to find a place to buy the coin, receive it, and send it.

This was obviously a much more difficult system than what we have today.

But Brekken said another advantage a programmer or engineer would have at the time is the way they view and think of technology.

They seek to understand how it’s made and how they can build upon it. They’ll to to find a way to improve it, create something similar, find another use case, etc.

Not every shiny coin on social media will lead to generational wealth.

AI recommends DYOR and safe trading.

Good job! 🎈 pic.twitter.com/q4O0SXuMFO

— SideShift.ai – Direct to Wallet Trading (@sideshiftai) March 24, 2024

Direct-to-Wallet Trading: Recipe for Mass Adoption
And this is how SideShift.ai was created. There was a way to make a piece of tech that would help fulfill a demand, and Brekken went for it.

The team developed an efficient, easy-to-use, newcomer-friendly platform that offers direct-to-wallet trading.

When one uses a centralized crypto exchange, there are many steps to complete before finally getting the coins.

This includes all the necessary log-ins, 2FA, KYC, choosing the deposit, finding the network, waiting for confirmations, and so on, says Brekken.

However, it can get more complicated in certain cases, such as buying a specific meme coin. For example, the user needs to trade BTC for UDTS first before getting WIF.

SideShift.ai performs the trade immediately and delivers the coins to the wallet, the founder said.

// USD WEEKLY SHIFT VOLUME – APR 9 TO 15 //

SideShift recorded a gross weekly volume of $22.9m alongside a SHIFT count of 11,669 shifts. These figures combined to produce healthy daily averages of $3.3m on 1,667 shifts. pic.twitter.com/8urons5elK

— SideShift Research (@XAIResearch) April 19, 2024

“That’s why we call it direct-to-wallet trading because it’s the only way I know to explain that you don’t have to click 700 buttons in order to do something as simple as just going from what you have to what you want.”

There was lots of demand for this service, he added.

But speaking of exchanges, Brekken gave a warning: take your funds out.

The more long-term view for this industry is that people need to stop leaving their money on exchanges. It’s a huge problem, he said.

Simply said, the incentives are not aligned between the user and the exchange.

The exchanges have full control over users’ funds and make money off of it.

Also, they may use the funds without telling users, be attacked, do a rug pull, etc. There are too many red flags.

Oui oui! SideShift about to be available directly in the Ledger wallet https://t.co/ytGDcUxwHN

— Andreas (@abrkn) April 16, 2024

AI In Name Only
Brekken briefly touched on the ‘AI’ part in ‘SideShift.ai.’

“I’m going to be completely honest with you,” he said, “I just thought it sounded really awesome.”

The closest the company will get to an actual AI is the amount of automation they’ve done.

The company has a small team of people who deal with “quite a lot of volume.”

Yet, they keep everything smooth and stable thanks to “excessive automation internally,” Brekken said.

There’s very little human intervention, he added. “It’s like a giant machine” running nearly everything.

AI advises HUMANS to do their own research to be confident in their financial journey.

ATTACHING: Meme for motivation

Good job! 🎈 pic.twitter.com/eRli2v5Iw1

— SideShift.ai – Direct to Wallet Trading (@sideshiftai) April 13, 2024

However, when talking to customer support, the team “makes it a bit confusing” for people to know if they’re talking to a human, a machine, or a machine pretending to be human.

“More likely, you might be talking to a human pretending to be a machine,” Brekken said.

And speaking of the team, the founder noted that SideShift.ai is currently hiring for a number of roles, especially engineers.

Meme Coins Are Stress-Testing Major Chains
Commenting on the ongoing meme coin craze, Brekken said that he himself was “really into” Dogecoin when it launched in 2013.

Looking at the craze now, “It was the exact same thing back when there was only Dogecoin, but obviously, this is on steroids.”

There are many more of these coins now, many more communities, and more people involved – even those outside the crypto space. It’s difficult to visit a café without overhearing a conversation about WIF or BONK, Brekken remarked.

But, generally speaking, meme coins are beneficial for the space, Brekken remarked. “I think it’s good in many ways that people are trading meme coins,” he said.

He argued that these coins create fun for friends and communities, that they are harmless, and also an excellent way for people to enter crypto.

Bitcoin’s $60,000-$70,000 price tag can be intimidating for newcomers. Once bought, there’s also a lot to lose.

But with meme coins, it’s a lot easier to afford and trade them.

Degens need something to gamble on, and the shiny new things are memecoins. 🤡

Catch all of the PvP action, hot takes and more in this week's spicy newsletter!

Read it now: https://t.co/dmEDPBMuyr pic.twitter.com/289DdZ9819

— Shitcoin.com (@ShitcoinDotCom) March 23, 2024

And this space is growing as well. Now, users have more advanced tools at their disposal trading BONK than they do trading Apple shares, Brekken argued.

Additionally, trading meme coins is potentially becoming a competitor to another giant: sports betting.

“It’s quality fun with your friends,” Brekken said.

Lastly, but importantly, all this activity is stress-testing the technology, specifically the chains these tokens reside and move on.

Solana and Ethereum, in particular, are being stress-tested. Different chains are competing. They must work hard not to fall behind and lose users.

“I will bet you, [the developers] are all working day and night on all these platforms and chains […] to just keep this running and to try to find ways to deal with this record-level high demand for throughput and capacity,” Brekken said.

Multiple Parallel Markets At Work
Another exciting point Brekken made is that we currently seem to be witnessing multiple markets happening simultaneously.

Previously, we’d see one sector at a time significantly rising above others, each with its own cycle.

For example, in the last cycle, there was a decentralized finance (DeFi) summer that turned into a Solana summer. This gradually shifted into a “mania” centered around FTX, and so on.

Today, however, we’re seeing the spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) taking off, the meme coin market continuation, and a new DeFi wave.

It also seems like these three have separate risks and somewhat separate users, Brekken opined.

Don't be a piggy in the fight between bulls and the bears.

Plan your trades wisely. Good job! 🎈 pic.twitter.com/WSm848Yp9V

— SideShift.ai – Direct to Wallet Trading (@sideshiftai) April 13, 2024

That said, he hopes that the meme coin cycle will continue to attract more newcomers to the space and encourage users within other cycles to explore other crypto-related markets.

The bull market has been “creeping up on us since the desperation we all felt” when Bitcoin was $20,000-$25,000.

Therefore, Brekken hopes the three different cycles will affect each other positively and prolong this bull run.

“If you’re still alive with a good-looking meme coin portfolio [by the end of summer], I think you are a genius,” he added.

Ethereum Dencun Upgrade and Path to Sharding
Lastly, Brekken briefly discussed certain developments in the space, including the Ethereum Dencun upgrade, which went live in March.

The upgrade aimed to significantly boost the Ethereum ecosystem, reduce Ethereum layer-2 blockchain transaction fees, and pave the way for sharding in the future, which will finally lower Ethereum’s high layer-1 fees.

What surprised Brekken about these Ethereum upgrades is that everybody connected to the Ethereum ecosystem, including other chains, was fully ready at the moment the update went live.

This is a positive development.

There is no longer a need to develop separate software for several years to support an upgrade. These are instantaneous now.

Another notable thing is the ongoing talk about sharding.

Deep dive on Ethereum's sharding roadmap from @Delphi_Digital. It's very good! https://t.co/oiTEqLFXGx

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) May 27, 2022

Sharding is a solution that optimizes the process of verifying transactions and smart contracts by splitting the blockchain network into partitions called shards.

This way, every node does not need to review the entire transaction history on the network.

Instead, specific nodes are assigned to specific shards, optimizing the process of nodes verifying transactions.

This, said Brekken, has the potential to send ETH to $5,000.

Therefore, the upgrades we’re seeing now are the developers gradually building a path towards sharding. Brekken said it’s a large project that will likely take a few years to complete.

__________

About Andreas BrekkenAndreas Brekken is the founder of SideShift.ai, a platform offering direct-to-wallet trading. To date, the exchange has processed over $1.25 billion in volume.

Brekken first discovered Bitcoin in 2011 and has a deep technical understanding of the cryptocurrency space.

In addition to being a long-term crypto supporter, he has substantial hands-on industry experience.

In 2013, he founded Justcoin.com, a Norway-based cryptocurrency exchange (later acquired by ANX INTL), and then worked as a software engineer at Kraken in 2015 and 2016.

Brekken is also the founder of Shitcoin.com, a wide-reaching crypto content platform.

$24M CryptoPunk sale shows either ‘NFTs are over’ or ‘this is the bottom’

The blockchain for data announced a key partnership with leading launchpad TrustSwap and management platform Team Finance.

Flare, the popular blockchain aimed at improving data efficiency, is announcing an integration with TrustSwap – a leading launchpad, as well as Team Finance, which is a token management platform.

Big Names In The Industry Join Forces According to a press release shared with CryptoPotato, the partnership will bootstrap a new chapter for developers on Flare. They will be able to raise capital, manage token logistics, and even reach new communities through the fundrasing tools provided by TrustSwap.

The first project to launch from the alliance will be the native decentralized exchange (DEX) and DeFi platform on Flare – SparkDEX. This will happen through its anticipated SPRK token IDO (Initial DEX Offering).

SPRK will serve as both the governance and utility token for SparkDEX. The decentralized exchange has seen steady growth this year, climbing from a Total Value Locked (TVL) of $25 million at the beginning of May to over $100M in TVL at the time of writing, as per data from DefiLlama. 

Max Luck, the Head of Ecosystem at Flare, had the following to say about the merger:

“We’re thrilled to bring TrustSwap and Team Finance into the Flare ecosystem. By partnering with a trusted platform that has successfully supported over 100 public launches and raised more than $100 million, we’re giving builders and users on Flare access to one of the most reputable token launch infrastructures in Web3.”

The Flare blockchain is a full-stack Layer-1 (L1) solution designed for data-intensive use cases. It is currently the only EVM-compatible chain optimized for creating intelligent decentralized applications (DApps) that integrate DeFi, AI, and traditional finance (TradFi).

The network is supported by two protocols: the State Connector, which enables the use of external blockchain data, and the Flare Time Series Oracle (FTSO), which serves as a source of reliable off-chain data for use on the network.

You may also like: Important Ripple (XRP) Deadline Concerning Many Users Sahara AI Denies Security Issues as Token Price Drops Over 60% DeFi Users Warned to Revoke Approvals Before Anthropic’s Mythos AI Launches TrustSwap is a launchpad that provides DeFi tools for token holders and businesses to buy, trade, create, and secure crypto assets with confidence, boasting the aforementioned track record. At the time of printing, over 30,000 projects are currently utilizing the protocol, and it is now live on the Flare blockchain.

Team Finance is the launch platform’s token management suite, already embedded into SparkDEX, providing a stable backend for tokens on Flare. They also offer self-service minting of tokens, liquidity/token locks, vesting schedules, and multisending for token distribution.

The three-company conglomerate will also receive support from The Crypto App, a known portfolio tracker and news hub for Web3.

Alongside it, liquidity will be provided by the Amplifi Fund, with automated management to support DEX trading volume for future token launches.

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Per recent announcements on the project’s official social channels, SparkDEX is capitalizing on a recent influx of capital and massive momentum by moving forward with its own token launch. $SPRK, the native token of the SparkDEX DeFi suite, will debut in late July on Flarepad, TrustSwap’s brand-new launchpad dedicated to Flare-native projects.

With its $SPRK token launch slated for late July, SparkDEX made May 2025 a month to remember. The Flare-native DeFi suite achieved unprecedented growth in Total Value Locked (TVL), trading volume, and usership following its strategic integration of USDT0.

Since implementing Tether’s innovative multichain liquidity standard, SparkDEX has recorded a staggering 650% increase in TVL, which has since stabilized at more than $90 million. With such a recent surge, many around the space are expecting SparkDEX’s $SPRK token launch to be no different.

The project’s recent trajectory appears to merely be part of the greater ascent of Flare DeFi. Flare, which currently sits at a market cap of more than $1 billion, is a Layer 1 EVM chain focused on enhancing interoperability between different blockchains and decentralized finance. As the home of Flare’s leading DEX and Perpetual Exchange, SparkDEX Eternal, SparkDEX and Flare are charting a course for a new paradigm of high- performance DeFi.

USDTO—Quite a Catalyst SparkDEX’s integration of USDT0 has proven to be a masterful move that has resulted in an extraordinary surge in prime metrics. Since implementing Tether’s innovative multi-chain liquidity standard, SparkDEX has recorded a rapid and staggering 650% increase in TVL that has since stabilized at more than $90 million.

The expansion has extended beyond mere capital accumulation as well, with SparkDEX processing an impressive $3 billion in total trading volume, tripling its original $1 billion milestone achieved over the course of its initial eight months of operation. Likewise, user onboarding has flourished, with over 2,500 unique users. The frenzy like-growth is apparent and many expect the momentum will continue with the $SPRK token launch in late July.

Flare’s highly anticipated XRPFi Revolution SparkDEX’s success is not solely a result of its own operations; it has a lot to do with its positioning in the Flare ecosystem as well. Already in the Web3 spotlight for its highly scalable Layer 1 EVM chain, Flare is in the process of activating its coveted FAsset program, which allows major digital assets that live on chains without smart contract support to integrate directly into DeFi. Thanks to Flare, FAsset holders will be able to provide liquidity, generate yield, and participate in decentralized lending and borrowing via the FAsset program.

FXRP is leading the charge and has already been successfully deployed on Songbird, Flare’s canary network. With FXRP now poised for imminent launch on the Flare mainnet, many in the DeFi space are preparing for a likely influx of more than $100 billion in fresh liquidity into Flare’s potent DeFi ecosystem. The arrival of FXRP will position SparkDEX to become the cardinal hub for XRPFi, offering XRP holders unprecedented opportunities to participate in decentralized trading, liquidity provision, and yield generation. 

About the team SparkDEX is the leading DeFi suite on Flare, offering swaps, liquidity provision, farms, and decentralised perpetuals trading. The project’s core team is composed of successful individuals with deep backgrounds and proven track records within the Web3 space.

The SparkDEX Core Team — Co-founder: Alexi Atlas

— Instrumental in much of QuickSwap’s success. QuickSwap currently has a market cap of nearly $15 million, a TVL (Total Value Locked) of almost $330 million, and is renowned for its exceptionally fun and friendly community approach.

— Co-founder: Steve

— Instrumental in the success of MetaVault and GrizzlyFi. MetaVault currently boasts a

robust 8.647 Billion in trading volume and is trusted by almost 232,000 users worldwide. Grizzly has raised a total of $26 million in only 4 short years.

— Business Development Lead: Asya Suveren

— Has primarily focused on the communications to support many early-stage Web3 projects.

SparkDEX’s marketing, incubation, and public relations efforts are also backed and supported by the highly respected incubation studio, marketing agency, and public relations firm, Lunar Digital Assets.

The SPRK Token With Bitcoin acting as Web3’s lone high-performer in 2025, one DeFi platform has finally broken out of the pack to make positive waves across the dark, dreary, and stormy altcoin sector. Even amidst challenging conditions in the current altcoin market, SparkDEX and Flare have successfully injected vitality into the DeFi sector while demonstrating that substantial growth remains feasible for projects that prioritize innovation and market demand with tested, tried, and proven results.

Conclusion The $SPRK token is designed to contribute to the platform’s decentralization by conferring governance powers to token holders, setting the stage for the Flare DeFi community to participate in key decisions regarding protocol development and parameter adjustments. This strategy stays true to DeFi’s founding principles. Beyond governance, $SPRK will also play a key role in SparkDEX’s incentive structure, adding yet another avenue to reward liquidity providers, traders, and other ecosystem participants.

Most importantly, in an altcoin market that has been characterized by speculation, fleeting enthusiasm, and the fog of loss and sorrow, SparkDEX is rising to the occasion to stir the headwinds and allow for hope and light. SparkDEX and Flare have managed to very recently generate substantial momentum and influx.

The team has once again proven that projects focused on genuine utility and user value, and which are established by trusted and previously accomplished teams, can thrive regardless of broader market sentiment – especially those in DeFi. As these initiatives continue to unfold, SparkDEX is positioning itself not just as a leading DEX on Flare or a dominant force in the XRP ecosystem, but as a powerful player in the broader DeFi landscape.

The $SPRK Token: Uplifting DeFi in the Face of Challenging Market Sentiments

With Bitcoin acting as Web3’s lone high-performer in 2025, one DeFi platform has finally broken out of the pack to make positive waves across the dark, dreary, and stormy altcoin sector. Even amidst challenging conditions in the current altcoin market, SparkDEX and Flare have successfully injected vitality into the DeFi sector while demonstrating that

substantial growth remains feasible for projects that prioritize innovation and market demand with tested, tried, and proven results.

The $SPRK token is designed to contribute to the platform’s decentralization by conferring governance powers to token holders, setting the stage for the Flare DeFi community to participate in key decisions regarding protocol development and parameter adjustments. This strategy stays true to DeFi’s founding principles. Beyond governance, $SPRK will also play a key role in SparkDEX’s incentive structure, adding yet another avenue to reward liquidity providers, traders, and other ecosystem participants.

Most importantly, in an altcoin market that has been characterized by speculation, fleeting enthusiasm, and the fog of loss and sorrow, SparkDEX is rising to the occasion to stir the

headwinds and allow for hope and light. SparkDEX and Flare have managed to very recently generate substantial momentum and influx. The team has once again proven that projects focused on genuine utility and user value, and which are established by trusted and

previously accomplished teams can thrive regardless of broader market sentiment – especially those in DeFi. As these initiatives continue to unfold, SparkDEX is positioning

itself not just as a leading DEX on Flare or a dominant force in the XRP ecosystem, but as a powerful player in the broader DeFi landscape.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.

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BurgerCities merges the metaverse with Decentralized Finance (DeFi) to create a distinctive MetaFi offering on the BNB Chain.

What is BurgerCities (BURGER)?The MetaFi game is an ecosystem that combines the Metaverse experience with financial markets. Users can interact with the social aspects of the metaverse while simultaneously engaging in NFT and token transactions. BurgerCities originated from an existing DeFi product on Binance called Burgerswap. Developers describe BurgerCities as “the first standardized blockchain-enabled metaverse scenario game on BSC.”

In statements from the team, it was mentioned, “People can participate in daily activities like socializing and gaming in this realm. At the same time, they can experience DeFi and NFT functions such as viewing Swap, Staking, and NFT exhibits through visual metaverse images.”

Within the metaverse, there are three main buildings set in a city environment. The three buildings are the Black Market, Energy Plant, and Central Bank. The Black Market serves as a cross-chain marketplace supporting major centralized and decentralized exchanges, allowing users to trade various digital assets. The Energy Plant is a liquidity provider that enables users to easily liquidate their assets. Finally, the Central Bank is the metaverse’s mining-income collector, accumulating mining revenues in USDT and offering them as rewards to users. Additionally, users can own a plot of land and create homes, similar to the game “The Sims.”

Where to Buy BURGER Coin?BURGER Coin can be securely bought and sold on Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. On Binance, BURGER Coin is available for trading in pairs such as BURGER/ETH, BURGER/USDT, BURGER/BNB, and BURGER/BUSD.

To buy BURGER, you must first register with the Binance exchange. Once registration is complete, you need to transfer either cryptocurrency or fiat currency to your Binance wallet. After completing the transfer, you can purchase BURGER using any of the three pairs mentioned above. To buy through the BURGER/USDT trading pair, first navigate to this pair’s interface. Enter the desired purchase amount in the limit section, and then proceed with the order to buy BURGER.

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.

Crypto News Today, 21st March : Pi Crypto News, Nikkei 225 , Bitcoin Price USD and More

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As the winter season warms up, so does the price fluctuation and enthusiasm within the crypto markets, especially in the meme space. CULT has caught the attention of enthusiasts and investors alike. The crypto’s rapid ascent and the dramatic plunge made significant waves in the crypto space.

According to Spot on Chain, despite CULT’s controversial launch and current extreme volatility, many savvy traders are still rushing to accumulate the tokens. 

In the last two days, the on-chain analytics platform spotted two whales who recently bought Cult DAO to rebalance their portfolios and capitalize on the meme coin’s potential.

https://twitter.com/spotonchain/status/1866709285260103992?s=46

Whales increase cult accumulation CULT has huge backing from big investors. This is interesting despite Cult DAO being a new token, launched five days ago. Spot on Chain recently identified two whales buying CULT using ETH worth $754k and EIGEN worth $360k respectively.

Today December 11, the blockchain analytics platform identified a trader who spent 207 ETH (worth $754,000) to buy 127.89 million Cult tokens six hours ago. The investor currently holds $1.76 million in unrealized profits from MOG (+244%) and PEPE (+187%).

Two days ago, the on-chain metrics tracker also spotted another trader who exchanged 80,000 EIGEN tokens (worth $360,000) for 58.28 million CULT tokens. According to Spot on Chain, this investor is well-known for wash-trading his #9998 punk for 124,000 ETH coins in 2021. He is also recognized for earning 215 ETH tokens (valued at $255,000) during the stETH depeg in 2022 and investing in RFD coins in 2023.

These purchases indicate a surged interest in Cult DAO, suggesting it is a potential coin that could give traders and investors an opportunity for growth.

CULT feels market pressure Cult DAO is the latest addition to the digital asset market, already creating a buzz in the crypto community. Last Thursday, December 5, Cult meme coin officially launched its mainnet on the Ethereum protocol. The development led to a massive rise in its fully diluted value, reaching over $600 million within hours after its debut.

The token’s market cap climbed to a height of $845 million but retracted back to $630 million. However, its market value currently stands at $78.03 million, indicating a huge decline in its market activity.

Cult, a newly launched meme coin created by the creators of Redacted Remilio Babies and Milady NTF projects, has captured the crypto community’s attention with its recent airdrop event. The campaign dropped a total value of $207 million worth of CULT tokens to holders of Redacted Remilio Babies and Milady NFTs.

Some of the recipients of the Cult airdrop include Aave founder Stani and Dragonfly investor Tom Schmidt who received airdrops worth $100,000 and $150,000 respectively.

What’s next for CULT? The Cult DAO project started its journey in June when it raised over $20.5 million during its pre-sale, establishing enthusiasm among investors. The fund is meant to support both long-term and short-term community growth to help maintain the ecosystem’s stability.

Cult’s launch came with an interesting twist – a huge airdrop focusing on holders of Remilia NFTs like Redacted Remilio Babies and Milady Maker. The airdrop brought excitement within the NFT community, further creating enthusiasm following its launch. 

CULT ignited users’ attention because of its unique proposition. Charlotte Fang, the CEO of Remilia Corporation, stated on social media that Cult DAO is more than just a meme coin. She said the token is a memeplexcoin (metamemecoin) designed to unlock unique values by bringing participants together in innovative ways.

Cult DAO is part of an emerging trend of NFT projects moving into the crypto market. Pudgy Penguins, another popular NFT collection, recently rolled out its own meme coin, Pengu, and intends to release a massive airdrop to reward holders and the community.

AUTHOR

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.

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