Chainge, a cross-chain liquidity protocol, has received $13 million in funding from two crypto-focused investment companies to expand its business offerings and make cross-border trading more accessible to users across the world through artificial intelligence (AI) solutions.
In an announcement on Monday, the decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol said it received a $10 million investment from GEM Digital and $3 million from Alpha Token Capital (ATC) bringing the total funding to $13 million.
💥 Chainge has secured $13Million in investment from GEM Digital & Alpha Token Capital to supercharge our AI-Trading Protocol's Expansion!
This leap is poised to drive sustained growth, bringing cutting-edge AI-driven solutions to a global audience
Chainge initially floated the idea of raising the funds from unnamed investment companies to its community members on April 1, 2024. The platform which had about $100 million in total value locked (TVL) at the time sought the approval of its token holders on its decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) to raise the funds.
Chainge’s Expansion Plans Part of the proposal included the unlocking of 50 million of its native token called XCHNG into the market. Once released, the figure represents about 10% of the token’s current circulating supply.
While the network did not announce the outcome of the proposal, the community appears to have accepted the deal. Hence, the announcement that it has secured funding from two investment companies.
The new capital will be used to support the network’s development and growth. The platform plans to use the funds to make Chainge more visible to global audiences by investing in advertising to attract more users.
Additionally, part of the funding will go into recruiting top talents to enable the fusion of artificial intelligence with cutting-edge technologies.
The cross-chain protocol plans to stick with its proposed plan of making the platform one of the leading liquidity providers in the industry. The funds will also go into providing support for other partnerships and rewards for token holders.
Chainge Adds Support for Kaspa Chainge, launched in 2021, aims to redefine standards in cross-chain trading, seizing emerging opportunities in the burgeoning crypto economy.
With Najam Kidwai, Mike Lempress, and Dejun Qian on its board, the platform equips users with the tools needed to access various cryptocurrencies across any blockchain.
Chainge has been making significant strides in the industry, becoming the most liquid cross-chain crypto trading platform. The platform touts itself as the most “advanced DEX aggregator ever developed.”
Last year, the platform integrated with Kaspa, the world’s first blockDAG focused on building an open and scalable payment network.
Chainge CEO Dejun Qian stated that both platforms share a vision for a more open and decentralized financial system.
He further noted that this shared vision attracted Kaspa to collaborate with them, emphasizing that integrating Kaspa’s network into Chainge will offer users a more “seamless and secure experience
Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.
Chimamanda is a crypto enthusiast and experienced writer focusing on the dynamic world of cryptocurrencies. She joined the industry in 2019 and has since developed an interest in the emerging economy. She combines her passion for blockchain technology with her love for travel and food, bringing a fresh and engaging perspective to her work.
Chainge Finance has received a $13 million investment capital from two digital asset investment firms Gem Digital and Alpha Token Capital to augment cross-chain trading. The firm first announced plans to raise the fund in April.
Also read: DeFi Blue Chips: Which Tokens Doubled Their Volumes After Ethereum ETF Approval?
Of the two investors, Gem Digital Limited based in the Bahamas committed $10 million, while Alpha Token Capital (ATC) has vowed to pour in $3 million towards Chainge’s “mission to change the long tail exchange market.”
Chainge Finance Wants To Disrupt the Market Under the leadership of Najam Kidwai, Mike Lempress, and Dejun Qian, Chainge is looking at leveraging the investment to disrupt the long-tail market.
In an announcement on Monday, the cross-chain liquidity protocol revealed it received the funding to expand its services and make trading more accessible to users globally by leveraging AI.
“Our goal is to create a seamless trading experience across multiple blockchain platforms.”
Chainge CEO Dejun Qian
According to Chainge, the investment is also a thumbs-up of its vision of affording users seamless access to digital assets across numerous chains. This comes as interoperability has been cited as a key enabler in decentralized finance.
💥 Chainge has secured $13Million in investment from GEM Digital & Alpha Token Capital to supercharge our AI-Trading Protocol’s Expansion!
This leap is poised to drive sustained growth, bringing cutting-edge AI-driven solutions to a global audience
Plans To Break Blockchain Technologies Complexities Chainge has also indicated the $13 million investment will help it focus on breaking barriers in the digital assets space.
Also read: Chainage Set To Raise $13 Million Amid Expansion Plans
One of the major concerns in the industry is lack of interoperability, and this investment seeks to address that challenge.
Chainge says the new investment should enhance its ability to provide the necessary tools to navigate the complexities of blockchain technology “effortlessly.”
With the investment, the platform also seeks to capture the emerging opportunities in the digital asset industry and redefine cross-chain trading standards.
The Initial Expansion Initiative Initially, Chainge reportedly floated the idea to its community members to fund-raise from investment companies beginning of April.
The platform, which had about $100 million in total locked value, approached its token holders for approval to raise the funds.
A part of Chainge’s proposal entailed unlocking 50 million of its tokens called XCHNG into the market, which would represent an estimated 10% of its circulating supply.
Chainge did not declare the outcomes of the proposal although its community seems to have accepted the proposal hence the $13m investment.
Also read: PEPE’s Price Action: Are We Headed for a Hard Consolidation?
Apart from supporting Chainge’s growth and network expansion, the latest funding will increase the company’s visibility to global audiences.
Chainge also plans to channel part of the funding towards recruiting experts to guide the fusion between AI and emerging technologies.
Since 2021, the firm has made strides in the industry, growing into the most liquid cross-chain crypto trading platform, calling themselves the most “advanced DEX aggregator ever developed.”
In 2023, the platform integrated with Kapsa, a blockDAG focused on developing an open and scalable payment network.
Today the crypto market sees various digital assets experience significant price advancements, with Self Chain ($SLF) topping the list with a rise of 40.1 percent to close at $0.09. $IDEX trailed slightly behind with a 38.5% increase that brought its share to $0.02. $REX, funded on KuCoin, increased in value by 36.5%, reaching the mark of 0.02. These growths were also matched by fairly small market capitalizations, with $SLF representing $15.3 million, $IDEX registering $24.7 million, and $REX with its 43.4 million.
Hyperlane ($HYPER) also saw bullish signs, rising from 27.0% to $0.56. It has a current market capitalization of $98.3 million. $SYRUP rose to $0.59 and registered a higher price increase of 24.7% and a much bigger market cap of 715.2 million, which shows great liquidity and investor interest in the crypto market to yield the maximum profits.
Mid and Established-Cap Tokens Show Profits Other assets recorded a moderate increase in the same direction. Centrifuge ($CFG), which trades on MEXC, added 23.0% to $0.27, with a market cap of 151.5 million. StaFi ($FIS) gained 18.5% on Binance, raising its price per share to $0.12 and market cap to 19.1 million.
Axelar ($AXL) increased by 16.0% to $0.40 and boasted a much higher market capitalization of $418.5. Another token supported by Binance that gained 13.8% was DIA ($DIA), which experienced a price of $0.94 and a market cap of 114.0 million.
$ILV Emerges Among Larger-Cap Gainers The popular asset in the gaming and metaverse segment, Illuvium ($ILV), increased in price by 12.6% and crossed the line to $14.42. It has a huge market worth of $136.7 million. Even though ILV is listed as the minimum top gainer in percentage change, its total valuation makes it one of the most capitalized tokens in the day ranking.
Each of the tokens is open to trade on well-known exchanges such as Binance, KuCoin, and MEXC, which affects the visibility and accessibility of the tokens.
AUTHOR
Crypto journalist with years of experience providing in-depth analysis and news on blockchain and decentralized finance. With a keen eye for detail, Shahzaib delivers insightful articles that explore the latest trends, market movements, and innovations within the crypto and blockchain ecosystem. His work focuses on educating readers while offering expert commentary on the evolving landscape of digital assets, DeFi protocols, and the broader impact of blockchain technology.
IDEX price rose sharply as whales showed renewed interest in the token. Will it face a pullback or see more gains ahead?
Summary
IDEX price has hit a five-week high of $0.039 today. With no immediate catalysts at play, the rally was fueled mainly by whale buying. Technical indicators are in support of more gains in the short-term. According to data from crypto.news, IDEX (IDEX) rallied as high as 50% to a five-week high of $0.039 on Sep. 1 morning Asian time, before settling at $0.036 at press time.
The surge came in a high-volume trading environment. Its trading volume was up nearly 550% over the last 4 hours at nearly $66 million, while its market cap stood at $36 million.
While there were no major catalysts such as significant developments or new partnerships driving the gains, the surge appears to have been fueled by renewed interest from whale investors.
According to data from Santiment, the number of whale wallets holding 10,000 to 100 million IDEX tokens has increased over the last two days. Such whale accumulation often increases token visibility and signals confidence from large investors, factors that also tend to attract retail traders, who often follow due to FOMO and momentum-driven sentiment.
A jump in the number of whale addresses has been recorded over the last 2 days | Source: Nansen Demand from derivatives traders also appears to have played a significant role in IDEX’s gains today. According to data from CoinGlass, open interest in IDEX futures surged by 185% to $5 million as of press time. Meanwhile, the token’s weighted funding rate has turned negative. This indicates that short sellers are paying long positions to keep their trades open—signaling that many traders are anticipating a short-term pullback in IDEX’s price.
However, if the IDEX price continues to rise, this imbalance could trigger a short squeeze, potentially fueling further price appreciation for the token.
Despite this, the token’s rally remains at risk owing to the absence of any strong potential drivers, such as any major developments or partnerships in the short term.
IDEX price analysis On the daily chart, IDEX has formed a descending triangle pattern over the last 5 weeks. Such a bearish structure is typically defined by a flat support base and a series of lower highs, which reflect sustained selling pressure and signals more decline ahead.
IDEX price has formed a golden cross on the daily chart — Sep. 1 | Source: crypto.news However, IDEX invalidated the bearish setup as it broke above the upper trendline of the triangle yesterday, marking the beginning of a potential trend reversal.
Momentum indicators support this bullish breakout. Both the MACD lines and the Relative Strength Index are trending upward, indicating growing positive momentum.
IDEX MACD and RSI chart — Sep. 1 | Source: crypto.news More importantly, IDEX has also confirmed a golden cross, as the 50-day simple moving average crossed above the 200-day one. The classic bullish signal typically marks the beginning of a longer-term uptrend.
Based on the height of the triangle and the strength of the breakout, the next likely target for IDEX stands at $0.048, which would represent the projected move based on the breakout from the triangle pattern and implies a 33% jump from current levels. A decisive move above that level could pave the way for a rally toward the $0.050 psychological resistance.
On the contrary, if the hype around whale accumulation fails, IDEX could likely drop to $0.023, which has stood as a strong support level for the last couple of weeks.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
Key Takeaways IDEX rallied over 30% in the past seven days, with the potential to extend the rally to 70% under positive conditions. The DEX’s perpetual trading volume expanded 3x in 2025 to $1.5B.
Decentralized exchanges (DEXes) are making a killing as crypto trading volumes recover.
In particular, hybrid ones that mix user friendliness seen in centralized exchanges (CEXes) and security of DEXes like Hyperliquid [HYPE], IDEX (now known as Kuma), amongst others.
In fact, the IDEX token has pumped 34% in the past seven days, reinforcing the market interest in hybrid DEXes. This raises the question: Is there more upside for IDEX after last week’s gains?
Can bulls hunt for an extra 40%? Source: IDEX/USDT, TradingView On the daily price charts, the upper wick after the recent rally suggested a brief cool-off.
However, the OBV (On Balance Volume) has been in an ascending channel while price action was above the Q3 trendline support (yellow).
In other words, bulls have a market edge unless the price slips below the trendline support. The immediate overhead hurdle was $0.045.
That would be a potential 42% gain if hit, especially if trading volumes increase ahead of September rate cut expectations.
If so, the $0.031 and $0.024 could be buying opportunities for the above target. However, a price drop below the trendline support (yellow) would invalidate the bullish thesis.
IDEX triples perps volume According to DeFiLlama data, collectively, IDEX and Kuma versions have done $1.5B in cumulative perpetual volume as of September. That’s a 3x growth from the $500M seen in early 2025.
Source: DeFiLlama The traction could further boost the demand for IDEX, further reinforcing the bullish thesis if broader crypto trading rebounds.
Even so, the speculative appetite for IDEX dropped by nearly 50%.
According to CoinGlass, the Open Interest (OI) rate slumped from over $4 million to $2.4 million, underscoring a decline in demand in the derivative market.
Source: CoinGlass Overall, the price chart suggested that IDEX’s uptrend could stretch to $0.045 under positive market conditions.
However, the speculative interest seen over the weekend had faded, and the next move could depend on Bitcoin’s [BTC] next direction.
Disclaimer: The information presented does not constitute financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice and is solely the writer’s opinion
This is a general Binance Exchange Notice. Products and services referred to here may not be available in your region. Fellow Binancians, At Binance, we periodically review each digital asset we list to ensure that it continues to meet a high level of standard and industry requirements. When a coin or token no longer meets these standards or the industry landscape changes, we conduct a more in-depth review and potentially delist it. Our priority is to ensure the best services and protections for our users while continuing to adapt to evolving market dynamics. When we conduct these reviews, we consider a variety of factors. Below are the updated metrics we look at that influence whether we decide to delist a digital asset: Commitment of team to projectLevel and quality of development activityTrading volume and liquidityStability and safety of network from attacksLevel of public communication, community engagement, and transparencyResponsiveness to our periodic due diligence requestsEvidence of unethical/fraudulent conduct or negligenceNew regulatory requirementsMaterial/unjustified increase in token supply or changes to tokenomicsImpact from changes to the project’s ownership structure or to the core team membersCommunity sentiments Based on our most recent reviews, we have decided to delist and cease trading on all spot trading pairs for the following token(s) at 2026-04-01 03:00 (UTC): Arena-Z (A2Z)Ampleforth Governance Token (FORTH)Hooked Protocol (HOOK)IDEX (IDEX)Loopring (LRC)Neutron (NTRN)Radiant Capital (RDNT)Solar (SXP) Please note: The delisting schedule may or may not apply to the products listed below, depending on their association with the token(s) being delisted.There may be discrepancies in the translated version of this original article in English. Please reference this original version for the latest or most accurate information where any discrepancies may arise. Spot The spot trading pair(s) of the aforementioned token(s) will be removed.All trade orders will be automatically removed after trading ceases in each respective trading pair. Binance will terminate Trading Bots services for the aforementioned spot trading pairs at 2026-04-01 03:00 (UTC), where applicable. Users are strongly advised to update and/or cancel their Trading Bots prior to the cessation of Trading Bots services to avoid any potential losses. Binance Spot Copy Trading will delist the aforementioned spot trading pairs on 2026-03-25 03:00 (UTC) - After this time, any outstanding assets will be force-sold at market price or moved to the Spot Account if the amount is unsellable. Users are strongly advised to update or cancel their Spot Copy Trading portfolios prior to Binance Spot Copy Trading delisting time to avoid potential losses. Accounts The token's valuation will no longer be displayed in users’ accounts after delisting. To view their assets after trading ceases, users should ensure they have not selected “Hide Small Balances” in all of their accounts.Deposits of these token(s) will not be credited to users’ accounts after 2026-04-02 03:00 (UTC). Withdrawals of these token(s) from Binance will not be supported after 2026-06-01 03:00 (UTC). Delisted tokens may be converted into stablecoins on behalf of users after 2026-06-02 03:00 (UTC). Please note that the conversion of delisted tokens into stablecoins is not guaranteed. A separate notification will be made before the conversion where applicable, and the stablecoins will be credited to users’ Binance accounts after the conversion. In situations where token conversion is not feasible, Binance will keep withdrawals open, subject to network availability. Futures Binance Futures will close all positions and conduct an automatic settlement on the contracts of the aforementioned token(s) at 2026-03-24 09:00 (UTC). The contracts will be delisted after the settlement is complete. Users are advised to close any open positions prior to the delisting time to avoid automatic settlement. Users are not allowed to open new positions for the contracts of the aforementioned token(s) starting from 2026-03-24 08:30 (UTC). In order to protect users and prevent potential risks in extremely volatile market conditions, Binance Futures may undertake additional protective measures toward the contracts of the aforementioned token(s) without further announcements, including but not limited to adjusting the maximum leverage value, position value, and maintenance margin in each margin tier, updating funding rates, such as the interest rate, premium and capped funding rate, changing the constituents of the price index, and using the Last Price Protected mechanism to update the Mark Price. Funding Rate Arbitrage Bot At 2026-03-24 09:00 (UTC), Binance Funding Rate Arbitrage Bot will close all arbitrage strategies and conduct an automatic settlement on the symbols of the aforementioned token(s). The pairs will no longer be available for opening new arbitrage strategies upon delisting. Simple Earn Binance Simple Earn will delist the token(s) mentioned above after 2026-03-25 07:00 (UTC). Users may choose to redeem their Flexible and Locked Products positions beforehand. Otherwise, these Flexible and Locked Products positions will be automatically redeemed at the above-mentioned time, and subsequently transferred to users’ Spot Accounts, together with any accrued rewards. Dual Investment Binance Dual Investment will cease support for the aforementioned token(s), and users will not be able to subscribe to these products starting from the subsequent Friday at 08:00 (UTC). Unsettled subscriptions will be refunded on the subsequent Friday at 08:00 (UTC). The asset, including rewards, will be distributed to users’ Spot Accounts within 4 hours. The rewards will be calculated based on the actual subscription period. Mining Pool Binance Pool will cease support for mining the token(s) mentioned above at 2026-03-24 3:00 (UTC). Your final payment will be settled on the following day. We strongly advise all users to stop mining the token(s) before Binance Pool ceases mining support for the token(s) to avoid any potential losses. Loan At 2026-03-24 07:00 (UTC) VIP Loan and Flexible Loan will close all outstanding loan positions for the aforementioned token(s) as loanable token(s) and collateral token(s). Users are strongly advised to repay their outstanding loans before the automatic closure to avoid any potential losses, where applicable. Margin Cross Margin & Isolated Margin Binance Margin will delist the aforementioned token(s) from Cross and Isolated Margin at 2026-03-24 10:00 (UTC) (the “Margin Scheduled Delisting Time”). The cross and isolated margin pair(s) of the aforementioned token(s) will be removed from Margin. Effective immediately, users will no longer be able to transfer any amount of the aforementioned token(s) via manual transfers and Auto-Transfer Mode for Cross and Isolated Margin into their Margin Accounts. If users hold outstanding liabilities of said tokens, these users may only manually transfer up to the amount of liabilities of that token into their Margin Accounts, less any collateral already available.At 2026-03-19 06:00 (UTC), Binance Margin will suspend borrowings on the aforementioned cross margin token(s) and isolated margin pair(s). At the Margin Scheduled Delisting Time, Binance Margin will close users’ positions, conduct an automatic settlement, and cancel all pending orders on the aforementioned isolated margin pair(s), which will then be removed from isolated margin.At the Margin Scheduled Delisting Time, if users hold both collateral and liabilities of the aforementioned token(s) on cross margin, the collateral will be used to repay the respective liabilities. If there are remaining collateral or liabilities of the aforementioned token(s), one of two options below will occur:If users only hold the aforementioned token(s) in the form of collateral: If the Collateral Margin Level (CML) is above 2, the aforementioned token(s) will be transferred to users’ Spot Accounts, up to the point when the CML reaches 2. The remaining token(s) in their Cross Margin accounts that are to be delisted will then be fully sold. If the CML is below 2, the remaining token(s) in users’ Cross Margin Accounts that are to be delisted will be fully sold. If users only hold the aforementioned token(s) in the form of liabilities:If CML is at or above 2, pending orders will not be affected. If the CML is below 2, all pending orders in their Cross Margin Accounts will be canceled. The system will then sell other collateral tokens to buy and fully repay the delisting token(s)’ liabilities.Please note that users will not be able to update their positions during the delisting process, which may take approximately 3 hours. Users are strongly advised to close their positions and/or transfer their assets from Margin Accounts to Spot Accounts prior to the cessation of margin trading. Binance will not be responsible for any potential losses. Portfolio Margin If the aforementioned token(s) remain in the Portfolio Margin Account after the Margin Scheduled Delisting Time, they will be automatically liquidated. The delisted margin assets will be sold for USDT, and the proceeds will be added to the user's Portfolio Margin balance. Binance is not liable for any losses incurred.Portfolio Margin users are advised to transfer the aforementioned token(s) out of their Margin Accounts to their Spot Accounts and to top up their margin balance before the Margin Scheduled Delisting Time where applicable. Users should monitor the Unified Maintenance Margin Ratio (uniMMR) closely to avoid any potential liquidation that may result from the removal of the aforementioned token(s) from the Margin Account. Please Note: For futures perpetual contracts, please refer to the relevant Futures announcements. Refer to this FAQ for more information on how any remaining balances of the aforementioned token(s) in Portfolio Margin users’ Margin Accounts will be treated. Convert Binance Convert will subsequently delist the aforementioned token(s) and all associated pair(s) at 2026-04-01 02:00 (UTC)Convert Low-Value Assets will delist the token(s) mentioned above at 2026-03-31 02:00 (UTC). Users may choose to convert the low-value assets beforehand. Buy & Sell Binance Buy & Sell Crypto will delist the aforementioned token(s) and all associated pair(s) at 2026-03-19 03:00 (UTC). Gift Card Binance Gift Card will delist the token(s) mentioned above at 2026-04-01 03:00 (UTC). Users are encouraged to manage Gift Cards containing these token(s) in advance to avoid any inconveniences. Pay Binance Pay will delist the aforementioned token(s) at 2026-03-24 03:00 (UTC). We thank you for your support as we continue to build the crypto ecosystem in a way that promotes transparency and long-term, sustainable growth. Thank you for your support! Binance Team 2026-03-18
PANews reported on March 18th that Binance will delist all spot trading pairs of A2Z, FORTH, HOOK, IDEX, LRC, NTRN, RDNT, and SXP starting at 11:00 AM (UTC+8) on April 1st, and will also cease related Trading Bots services. Contracts for the aforementioned tokens will be automatically settled and delisted at 9:00 AM (UTC) on March 24th. Margin, Simple Earn, Dual Investment, Mining Pool, Loan, Convert, Buy & Sell, Gift Card, and Binance Pay services will be gradually discontinued according to their respective schedules. Deposits of these tokens will cease to be credited after 3:00 AM (UTC) on April 2nd, while withdrawals will be supported until 3:00 AM (UTC) on June 1st. After that, the tokens may be converted to stablecoins, but this is not guaranteed.
Jiang Zhuoer: This round of Bitcoin bear market may bottom out in Q4 2026, with a target range of $42,000 to $44,000.
BTC.TOP founder Jiang Zhuoer wrote in a post that Strategy’s modified net asset value (mNAV) has fallen to 0.72, near the 0.7 low hit in May 2022 during the last bear market. Citing recent market sentiment events including STRC’s depegging, he noted that mNAV is now in the bottom zone of this cycle. mNAV usually bottoms roughly six months before Bitcoin’s price. Using the "four-year cycle" and volatility decay model, Jiang projected that this Bitcoin bear market will likely bottom between October and December 2026, with a target price range of $42,000 to $44,000. He added that his recent medium-short term strategy remains focused on selling spot assets and holding short positions, and will switch to buying spot and going long once the expected bottom arrives.
1 seconds ago
The VIX Fear Index for the US stock market stands at 18.63 today, with fear sentiment intensifying in the crypto market.
According to Cboe data, the U.S. stock market's VIX Fear Index stands at 18.63 as of today, down 0.86 points from the prior reading of 19.49, marking a decline of approximately 4.41%. Separately, per Alternative data, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index is at 12 today (compared to 17 yesterday), indicating intensifying extreme fear sentiment.
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Bank of Japan Board Member: Should Accelerate Pace of Interest Rate Hikes If Upside Inflation Risks Intensify
Bank of Japan (BOJ) Policy Board member Naoki Tamura stated that if upside risks to price growth intensify further, the BOJ should not hesitate to accelerate the pace of interest rate hikes or raise rates by a larger margin. He projected that the BOJ will implement interest rate hikes every few months until its policy rate reaches the neutral level of around 2%. (Golden Ten)
1 seconds ago
Crypto token M plunged over 80% in a short period, hitting a low near $0.5.
According to HTX market data, the token M saw a sharp short-term price plunge, with its decline once exceeding 80% and hitting a low of around $0.5, and is now trading at $0.54.
1 seconds ago
Blockchain data infrastructure firm Cambrian has closed a $6 million funding round, jointly led by Franklin Templeton and Polychain Capital.
Blockchain data infrastructure project Cambrian has closed a $6 million seed round, co-led by Franklin Templeton and Polychain Capital, with participation from Flow Traders, Selini Capital, and other investors. The project previously raised a $5.9 million pre-seed round led by a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator, bringing its total funding to $11.9 million. Cambrian currently provides institutional investors and AI Agents with real-time and historical data APIs covering on-chain yields, risks, lending markets, and trading activities, and plans to further build a verifiable data oracle network. Official data shows it has indexed over $4.5 billion in lending TVL, tracks more than 320,000 DEX liquidity pools, and currently supports Base and Solana, with plans to expand to additional ecosystems including Ethereum. The funds will be used to expand on-chain data coverage, accelerate oracle network development, and team recruitment.
1 seconds ago
Whale 0xbilly pulled off another "buy high, sell low" move, exiting with a $220,000 loss in a single day.
According to EmberCN’s monitoring, whale address 0xbilly liquidated 2,409 ETH in the early hours of today when ETH fell to around $1,569.5, worth approximately $3.78 million, with a total loss of roughly $220,000. Notably, this batch of ETH was purchased just one day ago for about 4 million USDC, at an average price of approximately $1,660.2. The address also previously bought 7,768.5 ETH at a high of $2,254 in March this year, valued at around $17.51 million, and exited via stop-loss four days later, incurring a loss of roughly $800,000.
Binance announced that it has delisted eight altcoins: A2Z, FORTH, HOOK, IDEX, LRC, NTRN, RDNT, and SXP.
18.03.2026 - 09:57
Update: 18.03.2026 - 09:57
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, continues its altcoin delisting. This time, Binance announced the delisting of eight more altcoins.
Accordingly, Binance announced that the following altcoins will be delisted: Arena-Z (A2Z), Ampleforth Governance Token (FORTH), Hooked Protocol (HOOK), IDEX (IDEX), Loopring (LRC), Neutron (NTRN), Radiant Capital (RDNT), and Solar (SXP).
“Based on our latest assessments, we have decided to discontinue trading and delist the following token(s) in all spot trading pairs on 01.04.2026 at 03:00 (UTC):”
A2Z, FORTH, HOOK, IDEX, LRC, NTRN, RDNT and SXP
Spot trading pairs for these altcoins will be discontinued.
All trading orders will be automatically deleted after the transactions in the relevant trading pairs have ended.
The token’s value will no longer be displayed in user accounts after delisting. Deposits of these tokens will not be credited to users’ accounts after 03:00 (UTC) on 02.04.2026.
Withdrawals of these tokens from Binance will no longer be supported after 01.06.2026 at 03:00 (UTC).
Binance had signaled its delisting for these eight altcoins just a week ago. In its statement, Binance announced that it would expand its Watch Label to include Automata Network (ATA), Arena-Z (A2Z), FIO Protocol (FIO), Gitcoin (GTC), Neutron (NTRN), Phoenix (PHB), BENQI (QI), and Radiant Capital (RDNT).
*This is not investment advice.
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Jiang Zhuoer: This round of Bitcoin bear market may bottom out in Q4 2026, with a target range of $42,000 to $44,000.
BTC.TOP founder Jiang Zhuoer wrote in a post that Strategy’s modified net asset value (mNAV) has fallen to 0.72, near the 0.7 low hit in May 2022 during the last bear market. Citing recent market sentiment events including STRC’s depegging, he noted that mNAV is now in the bottom zone of this cycle. mNAV usually bottoms roughly six months before Bitcoin’s price. Using the "four-year cycle" and volatility decay model, Jiang projected that this Bitcoin bear market will likely bottom between October and December 2026, with a target price range of $42,000 to $44,000. He added that his recent medium-short term strategy remains focused on selling spot assets and holding short positions, and will switch to buying spot and going long once the expected bottom arrives.
1 seconds ago
The VIX Fear Index for the US stock market stands at 18.63 today, with fear sentiment intensifying in the crypto market.
According to Cboe data, the U.S. stock market's VIX Fear Index stands at 18.63 as of today, down 0.86 points from the prior reading of 19.49, marking a decline of approximately 4.41%. Separately, per Alternative data, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index is at 12 today (compared to 17 yesterday), indicating intensifying extreme fear sentiment.
1 seconds ago
Bank of Japan Board Member: Should Accelerate Pace of Interest Rate Hikes If Upside Inflation Risks Intensify
Bank of Japan (BOJ) Policy Board member Naoki Tamura stated that if upside risks to price growth intensify further, the BOJ should not hesitate to accelerate the pace of interest rate hikes or raise rates by a larger margin. He projected that the BOJ will implement interest rate hikes every few months until its policy rate reaches the neutral level of around 2%. (Golden Ten)
1 seconds ago
Crypto token M plunged over 80% in a short period, hitting a low near $0.5.
According to HTX market data, the token M saw a sharp short-term price plunge, with its decline once exceeding 80% and hitting a low of around $0.5, and is now trading at $0.54.
1 seconds ago
Blockchain data infrastructure firm Cambrian has closed a $6 million funding round, jointly led by Franklin Templeton and Polychain Capital.
Blockchain data infrastructure project Cambrian has closed a $6 million seed round, co-led by Franklin Templeton and Polychain Capital, with participation from Flow Traders, Selini Capital, and other investors. The project previously raised a $5.9 million pre-seed round led by a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator, bringing its total funding to $11.9 million. Cambrian currently provides institutional investors and AI Agents with real-time and historical data APIs covering on-chain yields, risks, lending markets, and trading activities, and plans to further build a verifiable data oracle network. Official data shows it has indexed over $4.5 billion in lending TVL, tracks more than 320,000 DEX liquidity pools, and currently supports Base and Solana, with plans to expand to additional ecosystems including Ethereum. The funds will be used to expand on-chain data coverage, accelerate oracle network development, and team recruitment.
1 seconds ago
Whale 0xbilly pulled off another "buy high, sell low" move, exiting with a $220,000 loss in a single day.
According to EmberCN’s monitoring, whale address 0xbilly liquidated 2,409 ETH in the early hours of today when ETH fell to around $1,569.5, worth approximately $3.78 million, with a total loss of roughly $220,000. Notably, this batch of ETH was purchased just one day ago for about 4 million USDC, at an average price of approximately $1,660.2. The address also previously bought 7,768.5 ETH at a high of $2,254 in March this year, valued at around $17.51 million, and exited via stop-loss four days later, incurring a loss of roughly $800,000.
Katana, a decentralized finance blockchain developed under the guidance of Polygon Labs and GSR Markets, has acquired IDEX and introduced Katana Perps, a unified onchain perpetual futures and spot trading platform, according to a statement shared by the team on Monday.
The deal is the first major strategic action under newly installed chief executive Matthew Fisher, who aims to consolidate more of Katana’s trading infrastructure and revenue under one stack.
“As always-on markets become the default venue for real-time price discovery and the regulatory environment opens a path for onchain perpetuals, the infrastructure layer needs to be in place now. That is what we are building,” Fisher said in a statement.
IDEX launched in 2017 and was among the first decentralized exchanges to pair a high-speed order matching engine with onchain settlement. It held the top position among Ethereum-based DEXs by trading volume and transaction count through 2019.
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That operational history now provides the backbone for Katana Perps.
The platform is live with backing from market makers including GSR, Selini Capital, and Auros, offering leveraged trading, directional exposure tools, and integrated liquidity for both crypto-native traders and institutional participants seeking round-the-clock access to derivatives markets.
Decentralized perpetual futures have grown quickly The announcement comes as regulatory signals in the US suggest increasing acceptance of crypto perpetual futures and as the markets continue to shift toward always-on, 24/7 trading environments.
According to CoinGecko, cumulative trading volume across decentralized perpetuals venues reached roughly $6.7 trillion during 2025, a 346% increase over the prior year.
Hyperliquid, the market leader, accounted for roughly $2.9 trillion of 2025’s decentralized perps volume and commands more than 55% market share among top DEXs, driven in part by a widely discussed token airdrop.
When geopolitical tensions involving Iran rattled energy markets earlier this month, oil futures trading on Hyperliquid surged to $7.3 billion by March 13, illustrating how participants increasingly turn to 24/7 decentralized platforms for real-time price discovery.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Key Highlights Strategic IDEX acquisition enables Katana to launch native derivatives trading platform. Platform delivers institutional-grade execution speed and sophisticated charting capabilities. vKAT token holders gain fee distribution rights and governance over market incentives. Inaugural Points Program incentivizes active trading and liquidity provision. IDEX’s proven technology infrastructure enables continuous, professional-grade futures markets. Katana has finalized its strategic acquisition of IDEX, enabling the debut of Katana Perps—a fully native perpetual futures trading platform operating on its decentralized finance chain. The new platform is accessible at perps.katana.network and features seamless integration with the main Katana application. This strategic decision allows Katana to maintain direct control over essential trading infrastructure rather than depending on external service providers.
The deal brings IDEX’s ten years of specialized knowledge in blockchain-based trading systems to Katana’s ecosystem. Katana Perps delivers high-speed trade execution, sophisticated order management capabilities, and institutional-quality charting interfaces. This integration enhances Katana’s capacity to facilitate both spot market and derivatives trading operations natively within its infrastructure.
Katana Perps caters to sophisticated traders, institutional investors, and liquidity providers demanding performance-optimized perpetual futures trading environments. The platform launch responds to increasing global demand for continuously available, high-throughput derivatives marketplaces. Additionally, the system incorporates liquidity reward mechanisms and revenue distribution throughout Katana’s broader ecosystem.
Expanding Katana’s DeFi Infrastructure with Native Derivatives Katana Perps becomes the fifth pillar of Katana’s comprehensive DeFi offering, complementing Sushi for spot trading, Morpho for credit markets, and Kensei for token generation events. By offering perpetual futures as a native feature, the platform removes dependency on third-party derivatives solutions. Participants can now access spot markets, lending facilities, token launches, and perpetual futures contracts through a single consolidated platform.
This acquisition reinforces Katana’s objective to unify trading technology under centralized control. Katana Perps enables vKAT governance token holders to allocate market incentives and collect revenue from derivatives activity. This framework establishes a direct connection between trading volumes, liquidity depth, and platform governance with overall ecosystem performance.
The platform simultaneously introduced its inaugural Points Program during Season 1, designed to reward active trading, liquidity deposits, and community engagement. This initiative promotes consistent user activity and sustainable expansion within the perpetual futures marketplace. Katana Perps maintains regulatory compliance by restricting access to United States residents.
IDEX Technology Foundation Drives Platform Performance IDEX’s proprietary on-chain order matching system provides centralized exchange-level performance capabilities for Katana Perps. The system accommodates complex order types, programmatic trading interfaces, and comprehensive chart-based trading featuring profit-taking and loss-mitigation tools. This technological foundation ensures Katana Perps can process institutional-scale trading activity effectively.
The development team at IDEX brings approximately a decade of specialized experience building decentralized trading platforms. Katana Perps leverages this accumulated expertise, merging rapid order matching with blockchain-based settlement finality. The technological integration facilitates round-the-clock trading operations and supports perpetual futures contracts across diverse digital assets.
Established market makers including GSR, Selini Capital, and Auros supply foundational liquidity for Katana Perps operations. This institutional support enables leveraged position taking and directional trading instruments for both cryptocurrency-native users and traditional finance participants. The perpetual futures infrastructure reinforces Katana’s competitive position as continuous trading markets achieve global adoption.
Oliver Dale
Editor-in-Chief of Blockonomi and founder of Kooc Media, A UK-Based Online Media Company. Believer in Open-Source Software, Blockchain Technology & a Free and Fair Internet for all. His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. Contact [email protected]
Polygon‑incubated Katana has acquired veteran DEX IDEX to launch Katana Perps, folding a decade of exchange tech into its DeFi stack as it races Hyperliquid and dYdX for onchain derivatives volume.
Summary
Polygon‑incubated DeFi chain Katana has acquired veteran DEX IDEX to power Katana Perps, a new perpetual futures platform that natively integrates spot and derivatives trading. CEO Matthew Fisher says the goal is to “own more of the trading stack and the revenue that comes with it” as onchain derivatives volumes and always‑on markets surge. Market makers including GSR, Selini Capital, and Auros are seeding liquidity, positioning Katana as a full‑stack DeFi chain spanning spot, lending, launches, and perps. Katana, a DeFi‑focused Ethereum scaling chain incubated by Polygon Labs and trading firm GSR, has acquired decentralized exchange IDEX, using its infrastructure to launch Katana Perps, a perpetual futures venue built directly into the Katana app. The deal, announced on March 23, 2026, brings nearly a decade of exchange technology from the 2017‑founded DEX into Katana’s stack, with IDEX now “relaunching as Katana Perps” and serving as the native derivatives engine for the chain. “The goal is to own more of the trading stack and the revenue that comes with it,” Katana CEO Matthew Fisher said, calling the acquisition the “first major step” of his tenure as he formalizes the strategy he has led since joining the project.
Fisher argued that as crypto trading migrates to always‑on venues, infrastructure that blends CEX‑like performance with onchain settlement will define winners. “We’re building for 24/7 markets where price discovery happens onchain, not during bank hours,” he said, pointing to U.S. regulators’ recent signals about a path for crypto perpetual futures as an inflection point for the sector. Under the new setup, IDEX’s order book and AMM architecture becomes the backbone for Katana Perps, which routes spot liquidity, perps, and order flow through a single interface rather than siloing derivatives as a separate product.
A full DeFi stack with native perps Katana’s broader DeFi stack now spans four pillars: Sushi for spot trading, Morpho for lending, Kensei for token launches, and Katana Perps for leveraged derivatives, all coordinated by the KAT and vKAT token model. Over time, vKAT holders will be able to direct incentives toward perps markets and earn a share of fees, folding derivatives revenue into the same flywheel that powers spot and lending on the chain. At launch, Katana Perps is supported by major market makers GSR, Selini Capital, and Auros, which Fisher said were drawn by IDEX’s “nearly a decade” of live infrastructure and the chain’s performance‑oriented design.
Founded in 2017, IDEX was “the first decentralized exchange to combine a high‑performance matching engine with onchain settlement” and, through 2019, “consistently ranked first by trading volume and transaction count among all DEX protocols,” Katana noted. Bringing that stack in‑house lets Katana offer a more CEX‑like experience — deep API support, higher throughput, and tighter spreads — while keeping custody and settlement onchain.
Onchain derivatives arms race The acquisition lands as perpetuals DEXes are seeing rising volumes and attracting more professional flow, with venues like Hyperliquid, dYdX, and GMX competing to lock in whales and market makers. Recent crypto.news coverage has highlighted how new onchain products — from Hyperliquid’s HIP‑4 proposal for outcome markets to high‑stakes perps traders posting multi‑million‑dollar PnL — are pulling structurally sticky liquidity into derivatives rails. In that context, Katana’s decision to acquire rather than simply integrate a third‑party DEX is a clear statement: the chain wants to control its own economic engines instead of renting them.
As Fisher put it, “Owning perps is not just owning a product, it’s owning the heartbeat of your chain,” a line that neatly captures where the DeFi race is headed.
Katana, a DeFi blockchain backed by Polygon Labs and GSR, has acquired IDEX and launched a perpetual futures trading platform, entering one of crypto's most competitive markets just as regulatory signals in the US suggest onchain derivatives may be moving closer to legitimacy.
The IDEX acquisition, announced Monday, gives Katana a matching engine and settlement infrastructure with nearly a decade of operating history. IDEX was founded in 2017 by brothers Alex and Philip Wearn and was, at its peak in 2019, the most actively traded decentralized exchange on Ethereum. The exchange raised $2.5 million in seed funding in 2020 to develop its second-generation platform, but has since faded from relevance as Uniswap and newer AMM-based competitors captured the DEX market. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
The newly launched Katana Perps platform, seeded with liquidity from GSR, Selini Capital, and Auros, integrates spot trading and leveraged derivatives within a single onchain environment. Katana has also formally appointed Matthew Fisher, who has been running strategy for the project, as CEO.
Onchain perpetuals volume hit $739 billion in January 2026, with decentralized venues now accounting for 10.2% of total crypto perpetuals trading, up from just 2% two years ago, Katana said, citing a Coingecko report. Decentralized perpetual exchanges now process over $1.2 trillion in monthly trading volume, according to Coinbase Institutional's 2026 market outlook. US regulators are also signaling a potential path to permitting crypto perpetual futures domestically, which could substantially expand the addressable market.
The competitive challenge is formidable, however. Hyperliquid commands over 70% of open interest in decentralized perpetuals as of March 2026, operating on a custom Layer 1 blockchain purpose-built for high-speed, gas-free trading. Challengers including Aster and Lighter have collectively eroded Hyperliquid's volume share, but open interest, which is the more meaningful indicator of genuine capital deployment, remains heavily concentrated at the top. Katana enters a market where the infrastructure bar has been set by a platform processing hundreds of billions in monthly volume.
Katana's bet is that integration — combining spot liquidity, routing, and perpetuals in one place — gives it a structural advantage over platforms that handle derivatives in isolation. Whether that proves sufficient differentiation in a market already crowded with well-capitalized competitors remains the central question for the project.
Jiang Zhuoer: This round of Bitcoin bear market may bottom out in Q4 2026, with a target range of $42,000 to $44,000.
BTC.TOP founder Jiang Zhuoer wrote in a post that Strategy’s modified net asset value (mNAV) has fallen to 0.72, near the 0.7 low hit in May 2022 during the last bear market. Citing recent market sentiment events including STRC’s depegging, he noted that mNAV is now in the bottom zone of this cycle. mNAV usually bottoms roughly six months before Bitcoin’s price. Using the "four-year cycle" and volatility decay model, Jiang projected that this Bitcoin bear market will likely bottom between October and December 2026, with a target price range of $42,000 to $44,000. He added that his recent medium-short term strategy remains focused on selling spot assets and holding short positions, and will switch to buying spot and going long once the expected bottom arrives.
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The VIX Fear Index for the US stock market stands at 18.63 today, with fear sentiment intensifying in the crypto market.
According to Cboe data, the U.S. stock market's VIX Fear Index stands at 18.63 as of today, down 0.86 points from the prior reading of 19.49, marking a decline of approximately 4.41%. Separately, per Alternative data, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index is at 12 today (compared to 17 yesterday), indicating intensifying extreme fear sentiment.
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Bank of Japan Board Member: Should Accelerate Pace of Interest Rate Hikes If Upside Inflation Risks Intensify
Bank of Japan (BOJ) Policy Board member Naoki Tamura stated that if upside risks to price growth intensify further, the BOJ should not hesitate to accelerate the pace of interest rate hikes or raise rates by a larger margin. He projected that the BOJ will implement interest rate hikes every few months until its policy rate reaches the neutral level of around 2%. (Golden Ten)
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Crypto token M plunged over 80% in a short period, hitting a low near $0.5.
According to HTX market data, the token M saw a sharp short-term price plunge, with its decline once exceeding 80% and hitting a low of around $0.5, and is now trading at $0.54.
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Blockchain data infrastructure firm Cambrian has closed a $6 million funding round, jointly led by Franklin Templeton and Polychain Capital.
Blockchain data infrastructure project Cambrian has closed a $6 million seed round, co-led by Franklin Templeton and Polychain Capital, with participation from Flow Traders, Selini Capital, and other investors. The project previously raised a $5.9 million pre-seed round led by a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator, bringing its total funding to $11.9 million. Cambrian currently provides institutional investors and AI Agents with real-time and historical data APIs covering on-chain yields, risks, lending markets, and trading activities, and plans to further build a verifiable data oracle network. Official data shows it has indexed over $4.5 billion in lending TVL, tracks more than 320,000 DEX liquidity pools, and currently supports Base and Solana, with plans to expand to additional ecosystems including Ethereum. The funds will be used to expand on-chain data coverage, accelerate oracle network development, and team recruitment.
1 seconds ago
Whale 0xbilly pulled off another "buy high, sell low" move, exiting with a $220,000 loss in a single day.
According to EmberCN’s monitoring, whale address 0xbilly liquidated 2,409 ETH in the early hours of today when ETH fell to around $1,569.5, worth approximately $3.78 million, with a total loss of roughly $220,000. Notably, this batch of ETH was purchased just one day ago for about 4 million USDC, at an average price of approximately $1,660.2. The address also previously bought 7,768.5 ETH at a high of $2,254 in March this year, valued at around $17.51 million, and exited via stop-loss four days later, incurring a loss of roughly $800,000.
Abdul Rafay Gadit made a move that is still seldom done in the banking world: He jumped from traditional finance, or TradFi, to decentralized finance, or DeFi.
TradFi is highly regulated and emphasizes protecting consumers. Yet, it can be slow, costly, and restricted to money movers with access to banking services. With DeFi, anyone with internet access can participate. And while it’s generally faster and more accessible, it carries risks such as smart contract bugs, hacking, and little to no regulation.
“I believe we’re at a pivotal moment where the two worlds are beginning to converge,” Gadit tells crypto.news.
After spending six years in corporate banking at Standard Chartered, Gadit launched Zignaly (ZIG) in 2018. Since then, the platform amassed over 500,000 users and 150-plus portfolio managers. It also has a decentralized blockchain called ZIGChain in the works.
Read on for Gadit’s thoughts about the latest trends in social trading and how it can bridge the divide between TradFi and DeFi.
How have your experiences in TradFi influenced your approach to ZIGChain? Gadit: My transition from corporate banking to blockchain was driven by a desire to innovate and challenge the traditional financial systems I had been part of for six years. Working at Standard Chartered gave me deep insight into the inefficiencies and limitations within traditional finance, especially regarding accessibility, transparency, and opportunities for wealth generation.
Blockchain presented an entirely new paradigm — one that empowers individuals to control their assets, make decentralized decisions, and participate in open financial ecosystems. Co-founding Zignaly allowed me to bring my banking background into action, focusing on creating a platform where everyone, regardless of their background, could invest alongside experienced traders and benefit from the opportunities in web3.
My experiences in traditional finance significantly influenced our approach. We aimed to take the best practices from the banking world — like risk management, compliance, and user protection — and merge them with the innovation and openness of blockchain. Our goal was to create an infrastructure that enables wealth generation in a more democratized, transparent, and accessible way for all users.
What is your long-term vision for ZIGChain? Our long-term vision is to create a robust, scalable Layer 1 blockchain that powers a truly decentralized wealth generation ecosystem — a platform where builders, fund managers, and users can collaborate to create and utilize next-generation DeFi tools, dApps, and infrastructure that promote financial inclusion and wealth creation.
Our goal is to not only drive adoption but also establish ZIGChain as a cornerstone of the web3 financial landscape — where builders, fund managers, and users alike can thrive in a transparent, secure, and high-performance environment. With the backing of industry leaders and a clear focus on sustainability and innovation, we’re well-positioned to make this vision a reality.
ZIGChain launched a $100-million ecosystem development fund in August. Where will that capital go? The $100 Million Ecosystem Fund — backed by DWF Labs, UDHC Finance, and Disrupt — is critical to realizing our vision. We plan to deploy these funds to attract top-tier developers and projects, offering them the resources and support needed to build innovative tools natively on ZIGChain. This funding will help accelerate the growth of our ecosystem by fostering innovation, expanding our infrastructure, and creating incentives for key participants.
What are the most significant challenges in managing such a large social investment platform? One of the key challenges we’ve faced with Zignaly is the limited access to asset classes. As of now, fund managers on our platform can only invest in tokens listed on centralized exchanges, which restricts the investment opportunities available to our users. However, with ZIGChain, we’re opening the doors to a much broader range of assets, including DeFi, real-world assets, NFTs, perpetual contracts, and tokens across multiple chains. This flexibility not only offers fund managers more options but also creates more diverse and profitable investment strategies for our users, ultimately increasing yield potential.
We’ve also encountered limitations within centralized finance, or CeFi, such as mandatory KYC processes and restricted access based on users’ nationality. These requirements can limit the participation of global users and create scalability concerns. ZIGChain, being a decentralized blockchain, circumvents many of these barriers. It enables a more inclusive and scalable system that allows users to participate without the stringent restrictions often imposed by centralized platforms. This makes ZIGChain accessible to a broader audience, ensuring that we can scale the platform to meet the growing demand.
Another limitation we’ve faced on Zignaly is the reliance on CeFi traders. Currently, we’re limited to fund managers and traders within centralized exchanges, but with ZIGChain, we unlock a whole new realm of DeFi traders. This opens up access to innovative DeFi strategies and products that weren’t previously available on Zignaly. By tapping into the DeFi space, we can significantly improve yield potential for our users, increase overall profitability, and diversify revenue streams for the business. This not only enhances the user experience but positions ZIGChain as a more dynamic and adaptable platform in the ever-evolving web3 landscape.
Given your background in corporate banking, how do you see the intersection of TradFi and DeFi evolving? My background in corporate banking has given me a unique perspective on the potential synergy between traditional finance and decentralized finance. I believe we’re at a pivotal moment where the two worlds are beginning to converge, and this intersection presents immense opportunities for innovation and financial inclusion.
TradFi has long been the backbone of the global economy, with established frameworks for risk management, compliance, and trust. However, it also comes with limitations—restricted access to wealth-generating opportunities, high barriers to entry, and slow innovation. DeFi, on the other hand, offers openness, inclusivity, and decentralization, providing users with direct control over their assets and access to a broader array of financial products like staking, lending, and tokenized real-world assets.
As this synergy evolves, I see traditional institutions increasingly integrating DeFi solutions to improve efficiency and offer new services to their clients. This could include everything from tokenized assets and decentralized lending to programmable smart contracts for automating complex financial processes.
By building an ecosystem that combines the security and regulatory rigor of TradFi with the innovation and transparency of DeFi, we can create a more accessible and flexible financial system. I envision a future where users seamlessly move between traditional and decentralized financial products, unlocking new opportunities for wealth creation and financial empowerment on a global scale.
Does Zignaly compete with other social investing platforms? At Zignaly, we don’t see ourselves in direct competition with other social investing platforms. Instead, we focus on competing with our vision to continually evolve and expand access to fund management for everyone. Our goal is to democratize wealth generation, ensuring that anyone, regardless of their financial background, can connect with professional fund managers and access a broad range of asset classes.
While other platforms may limit themselves to centralized systems or traditional investment assets, we’re pushing the boundaries by integrating DeFi, RWAs, NFTs, and more through ZIGChain. Our mission is to break down the barriers that have long excluded people from managing their wealth and open up a world of opportunity where access to financial growth is no longer a privilege, but a right for all.
So, in essence, our biggest competition is our own ambition to redefine what’s possible in the world of decentralized finance and fund management
What trends do you foresee in social investing? Over the years, we’ve seen a strong demand for transparency, performance-driven strategies, and diversified asset classes. The key trend we’re observing in social investing is a shift toward decentralized platforms and more innovative investment opportunities, especially as users become increasingly aware of the benefits of DeFi and tokenized assets.
In the coming years, I foresee a growing demand for personalized investment strategies, where users won’t just follow a portfolio manager based on their past performance but will have access to real-time, dynamic strategies tailored to individual risk profiles, preferences, and goals. We also expect more integration with decentralized asset classes offering users an unprecedented level of diversification.
How does one stay ahead of the web3 curve? To stay ahead in the web3 space, we’re constantly innovating. With ZIGChain, we’re creating a platform that not only offers access to a much wider range of assets beyond centralized exchanges but also introduces features like automated, trustless smart contract-based fund management, which significantly enhances security and transparency. We’re also building our infrastructure to accommodate more DeFi portfolio managers, allowing them to bring strategies and tools to our users. This will not only improve profitability for our users but also attract a new generation of traders to the platform.
Our goal is to lead the way in the evolution of social investing by staying decentralized, offering access to new and diverse asset classes, and continuing to prioritize security, transparency, and user experience.
Zignaly, the premiere platform for connecting users with top digital asset managers, has announced that its founders have made the strategic decision to extend the lock-up on their $ZIG tokens until January 2026, a year later than originally planned.
This decision underscores their unwavering commitment to ZIGChain, the Layer-1 blockchain designed to democratize wealth generation, making investment opportunities accessible to everyone.
“By extending the lock-up on our $ZIG tokens, we emphasize our commitment to the community and the mission of ZIGChain,”
said Bartolome R. Bordallo, Co-Founder and CEO of Zignaly.
“This decision is about fostering equal investment opportunities and ensuring long-term sustainability for all stakeholders. Together, we are building a more inclusive financial future that benefits everyone.”
ZIGChain, Zignaly’s Layer 1 blockchain, represents the next evolution in democratizing wealth-generation opportunities. By offering an infrastructure for developers to build decentralized wealth-generation protocols and fund managers to deploy advanced strategies, ZIGChain is disrupting the way institutions and retail investors can invest. The Blockchain’s $100M Ecosystem Fund, supported by DWFLabs and UDHC Finance, aims to drive further innovation within the WEB3 space.
The choice to maintain the lock-up also aligns with the company’s focus on creating equal financial opportunities for all participants within the ZIGChain ecosystem, ensuring that the project’s core values remain intact. It also significantly changes the company’s tokenomics, leading to lower supply in the market as founder tokens remain locked.
This extension excludes the founders’ donation of 100 million $ZIG tokens to the ZIGChain Foundation. Starting January 2025, these tokens will continue to vest over a 30-month period, following a linear release schedule. The vesting plan aims to empower the ZIGChain ecosy
Oliver Dale
Editor-in-Chief of Blockonomi and founder of Kooc Media, A UK-Based Online Media Company. Believer in Open-Source Software, Blockchain Technology & a Free and Fair Internet for all. His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. Contact [email protected]
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Oroswap, founded by a team of Zignaly Community OGs, announced that it has been building in stealth on ZIGChain – the upcoming purpose-driven blockchain for wealth generation. Giving first-hand visibility to the massive developer ecosystem that ZIGChain has.
A full-fledged DEX with Standard AMM & CLMM capabilities together with a robust feature-rich roadmap, Oroswap (“Oro” Spanish for “gold”) is more than the promise of an on-chain marketplace.
It is the first DEX being built with conversational AI experience & execution capabilities. At the moment, no DEX in the blockchain space offers this capability.
AI discussion and uses have been growing over the past few years throughout the Crypto space, but 2025 really brought agentic AI as the future of blockchain & AI confluence – especially within DeFi which remains extremely complex despite advances in improving UI/UX.
“As community OGs of the $ZIG ecosystem, building on ZIGChain was a no-brainer. However, we didn’t want just another DEX. Having past experience in AI & machine learning, we wanted to deliver a product that would supremely improve the user experience for the community and set a standard for all dApps building on ZIGChain – build great products but with superior UI / UX in mind. With Oroswap, we aim to deliver that,” the OROSwap team shared,
The Oroswap DEX will be a major dApp on the ZIGChain blockchain and an innovative decentralized exchange experience for wealth managers.
Abdul Rafay Gadit, Co-Founder of Zignaly and ZIGChain said, “The team behind Oroswap are some of the brightest developers in the Web2 & Web3 space with an amazing journey that spans AI, Machine Learning, Gamification & even the Bitcoin ecosystem! For us to have such seasoned developers choosing ZIGChain to build on as a way for them to give back to the community is a testament to all the work we have been putting in. Extremely excited by the product vision and looking forward to supporting all innovative ideas on ZIGChain especially those with AI in the core flows”
Disclaimer: The information found on NewsBTC is for educational purposes only. It does not represent the opinions of NewsBTC on whether to buy, sell or hold any investments and naturally investing carries risks. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use information provided on this website entirely at your own risk.
TRON founder Justin Sun has offered a hypothetical plan for Ethereum and the Ethereum Foundation (EF) under his leadership. His remarks come amid controversy over EF’s leadership transformation.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined the reforms’ goals and progress. He highlighted improvements in technical expertise, ecosystem engagement, and operational efficiency.
Justin Sun Outlines Blueprint for Ethereum LeadershipThe TRON executive shared ambitious remarks on how he would lead the Ethereum Foundation if given the opportunity. Sun’s vision, shared on X, outlined a four-point plan to radically restructure EF operations, optimize Ethereum’s economic model, and drive the price of ETH to $10,000.
“If EF and Ethereum were under my leadership, ETH would hit $10,000,” Sun claimed.
Sun proposed an immediate halt to ETH sales for three years to stabilize supply and boost market confidence. He suggested covering EF’s operational costs through DeFi protocols like Aave, staking yields, and stablecoin borrowing, aligning with Ethereum’s deflationary goals.
A key component of his plan involves imposing significant taxes on Layer 2 (L2) solutions, aiming to generate $5 billion annually. The collected taxes would go toward exclusively repurchasing and burning ETH, further enhancing its scarcity and value.
Sun also called for a drastic downsizing of EF staff, retaining only top performers and offering them significant salary increases. This merit-based approach, he argued, would streamline operations and improve efficiency.
Finally, Sun emphasized adjusting node rewards and increasing fee burns to reinforce Ethereum’s deflationary narrative. He proposed redirecting all resources toward Ethereum’s core L1 development, focusing on scalability, security, and adoption. Justin Sun’s plan sparked a mixed response, with some applauding the bold vision.
“These are all very practical suggestions. Please pay attention to them and refer to them, Vitalik Buterin,” core developer 0xSea.eth posed.
Meanwhile, others challenged Sun to focus on TRON and explore bringing decentralized finance (DeFi) to its ecosystem.
“Maybe start with how to make DeFi great on TRON – you should ask your exec team (and yourself), “Why is DeFi nonexistent on TRON despite it being the chain with the most stable coins on it?” If you answer this, maybe TRON can beat eth one day,” ZIGChain co-founder Abdul Rafay Gadit remarked.
Vitalik Buterin Defends Leadership Amid CriticismSun’s proposed solution aligns with Vitalik Buterin’s recent post discussing ongoing changes over the past year, some of which have already been implemented. Buterin emphasized goals such as strengthening the EF’s technical leadership and improving collaboration with ecosystem participants. He also addressed concerns, rejecting the notion that the EF might adopt centralized or politically motivated roles.
“…these things aren’t what EF does and this isn’t going to change. People seeking a different vision are welcome to start their orgs,” Buterin articulated.
Aya Miyaguchi, an EF executive, confirmed the ongoing efforts, expressing excitement about forthcoming announcements. She noted that the reforms aim to solidify Ethereum’s position as a global neutral platform while embracing decentralized and privacy-preserving technologies.
The announcement has stirred controversy within the crypto community. Critics argue that the current leadership has failed to manage Ethereum effectively.
“Respectfully, just let new blood take over. You guys can’t even make a simple Twitter account work—how can you be trusted to lead the second biggest blockchain,” Wazz posed.
Another user, Coinmamba, suggested that pressuring Miyaguchi to resign could result in Ethereum reaching new all-time high. Buterin strongly condemned these comments, defending Miyaguchi and calling out the toxicity of such social media rhetoric.
“No. This is not how this game works,” Buterin retorted. “The person deciding the new EF leadership team is me. If you ‘keep the pressure on,’ then you are creating an environment that is actively toxic to top talent. YOU ARE MAKING MY JOB HARDER,” the Ethereum co-founder lamented.
Buterin also refuted specific claims against Miyaguchi, pointing out inaccuracies in translations and misinterpretations of her statements. He reiterated the need for a “proper board” within EF to enhance governance.
ETH Price Performance. Source: BeInCryptoEthereum’s ETH token was trading at $3,305 as of this writing, representing a modest 0.2% surge since Wednesday’s session opened.
ZIGChain and Nomad Fulcrum have inked an MOU to collaborate in integrating blockchain and real-world asset tokenization. This partnership aims to expand access to tokenized assets and bring long-term investment solutions to more people. Nomad Fulcrum is an expert in using artificial intelligence (AI) in the management of tokenized assets. Low risk has been recorded with a 27% return in 2024. By integrating with ZIGChain, the vision is to increase liquidity and provide equal opportunities to RWAs to wealth managers and individual investors.
The proposed ZIGChain will work on the creation of an efficient and secure means of managing tokenized assets. This integration helps ease the process of gaining and trading RWAs, to the advantage of both retail and institutional investors. ZIGChain has witnessed this strategic collaboration through its official social media platform, X account.
Role of Nomad Fulcrum’s Tokenization Platform This collaboration is based on the concept of Nomad Fulcrum, which specializes in the tokenization of traditional assets. This approach enhances liquidity and the market and enables investors to easily manage their risks through diversification.
ZIGChain will also provide an architecture that will make tokenized assets easily available for everyone and with faster processing and better management of assets. Thus, a partnership between the investment company and AI-driven strategies integrated with blockchain will create positive changes in the investment process increasing its sustainability and efficiency.
AI-Powered Strategies and Blockchain Integration The partnership will help wealth managers provide diversified and unique ideas and solutions to clients. ZIGChain will provide a secure and scalable blockchain that provides an efficient asset tokenization and trading platform. The MOU signed between ZIGChain and Nomad Fulcrum is a major achievement in integrating blockchain into finance. Combining this with RWA tokenization on ZIGChain will open up new possibilities for investors looking to obtain sustainable returns.
This collaboration is an example of the increasing integration of blockchain technology with conventional finance to offer new approaches to wealth management. These two companies are looking forward to improving the blockchain environment and giving investors a broader platform for diversified and sustainable investment.
AUTHOR
Crypto journalist with years of experience providing in-depth analysis and news on blockchain and decentralized finance. With a keen eye for detail, Shahzaib delivers insightful articles that explore the latest trends, market movements, and innovations within the crypto and blockchain ecosystem. His work focuses on educating readers while offering expert commentary on the evolving landscape of digital assets, DeFi protocols, and the broader impact of blockchain technology.
ZIGChain, the layer-1 blockchain developed by social investment platform Zignaly, has announced that its testnet is now live.
The testnet will allow developers to explore, build and test decentralized finance and real-world asset tokenization solutions aimed at democratizing wealth generation and access, the L1 noted.
The price of ZIGChain (ZIG) token rose following the announcement. Data from crypto.news showed that ZIG’s price was up more than 11% at the time of writing, hovering near $0.11. The token previously reached highs of $0.17 in December 2024, a rally fueled by the platform’s massive buyback and burn program.
Recently, ZIGChain revealed its 44th burn event had permanently removed 43,771,804 ZIG tokens from circulation.
According to Zignaly, ZIGChain, built with the Cosmos SDK, enables developers to leverage features such as Token Factory and a decentralized exchange
The former offers support for asset creation while the DEX feature allows for liquidity operations, with these optimized for scalability. The testnet also supports interoperability via compatibility with the Inter-Blockchain Communication protocol.
ZIGChain will implement a phased approach for the testnet, introducing new features and capabilities over time. This approach aims to provide developers with expanded functionality and integrations as they experiment with DeFi and RWA solutions.
The testnet goes live days after blockchain security platform SCV Secuity announced they had completed an audit of ZIGChain’s pre-testnet blockchain. SCV said the successful audit meant the Cosmos-SDK build L1’s public testnet wasn’t far off.
ZIGChain celebrated a major milestone today, flipping the switch on its mainnet beta and officially entering what the team calls “Genesis Day.” After weeks of rigorous testing—and plenty of late nights for developers—the blockchain is now live, ready to power everything from decentralized exchanges to real-world asset tokenization. If you’ve ever tried to navigate traditional finance or shoehorn it into a blockchain context, you know how messy it can get.
Abdul Rafay Gadit, ZIGChain’s co-founder, said, “Accessing reliable and transparent investment infrastructure has historically been difficult, not just for retail users, but even for experienced managers. With ZIGChain, we’re taking a meaningful step toward changing that by focusing deeply on real-world assets as the foundation for long-term, scalable wealth generation. We aim to equip developers with the tools they need to start building programmable protocols designed to align with applicable law that bridge traditional assets with blockchain technology.”
From Vision to Reality Behind the scenes, there’s serious firepower: a $100 million ecosystem fund fueled by DWF Labs, UDHC Finance, and Disrupt.com, plus the pedigree of Zignaly—the social investment platform that already connects over 600,000 users with more than 150 fund managers. Those users, Gadit points out, helped shape ZIGChain’s core features, like native staking, cross-chain bridges, and an institutional-grade validator network.
Co-founder and CEO Bart Bordallo sums it up: “This mainnet beta launch represents a shift from vision to foundation. We’ve built a high-performance, interoperable architecture that can handle the complex requirements of DeFi, RWA tokenization, and automated investment protocols at scale. The infrastructure includes our validator network, cross-chain bridge capabilities, and native staking mechanisms – all designed for institutional-grade security and compliance. We’re excited to see developers leverage these technical foundations to build the next generation of financial applications.”
Over the next few weeks, you’ll see ZIGChain roll out its Hub for staking and validation, connect its bridges for seamless $ZIG migration, and fire up its full validator roster. Even before the dust has settled, a handful of eye-catching projects are gearing up to go live:
Oroswap, a DEX you can literally chat with—thanks to its AI-driven conversational interface.
Valdora Finance, offering liquid staking natively on ZIGChain, so you can earn rewards without locking your tokens away forever.
Permapod, a lending protocol that accepts tokenized real-world assets as collateral—think art, property, or even specialty equipment.
Nawa Finance, designed from the ground up to meet Shariah-compliance standards for users seeking ethical DeFi. These projects aren’t just shiny demos; they’re the first wave of builders betting their reputations on ZIGChain’s promise: a legal-ready, high-performance Layer 1 that plays nicely with existing regulations and institutional demands.
Back in April, at the ZIGChain Summit in Dubai, the team also unveiled Zamanat—the world’s first Shariah-compliant real-world asset tokenization platform—and launched a $25 million DeFAI Innovation Fund. That event highlighted the chain’s dual focus on ethical finance and on-chain programmability, setting the tone for an ecosystem that welcomes everyone, regardless of income, tech skills, or location.
Today’s launch isn’t the finish line, but it’s a big first lap. As more applications go live and the network fills with real assets, ZIGChain hopes to prove that decentralized wealth generation can be both powerful and inclusive. If you’re curious to see what comes next, keep an eye on their GitHub—and maybe clear your calendar for a few late-night coding sessions.
AUTHOR
Mushumir Butt is a seasoned crypto journalist with over three years of experience reporting on the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. At Blockchain Reporter, he delivers insightful news, in‐depth project reviews, and precise price analysis and predictions. With a strong background in SEO and digital marketing, Mushumir excels at breaking down complex trends into clear, accessible content, ensuring readers stay ahead in the fast‐paced crypto space.
ZIGChain price jumped double digits to hit highs of $0.11 amid a major digital asset treasury announcement by Europe-based firm BTCS.
Summary
ZIGChain price rose by more than 22% as price broke to highs of $0.11. The token’s value jumped as BTCS announced a $100 million raise and $30 million allocation to its ZIG digital asset treasury strategy. ZIGChain, the layer 1 blockchain aimed at the democratization of wealth generation through real-world asset tokenization, saw its native token’s price soar by more than 22% to hit highs near $0.11.
The surge to the intraday high, the highest price level for the altcoin in over a month, came amid an announcement by publicly-traded firm BTCS. In an update, BTCS, the largest European digital asset treasury company, said it had raised $100 million in a new funding round.
BTCS plans to use proceeds of this Series G raise for its crypto treasury strategy, with $30 million going into a ZIGChain (ZIG) treasury strategy.
BTCS eyes ZIG yield An expansion to the company’s diversified treasury strategy will also see 60% of the funds deployed towards exposure to Bitcoin (BTC) and 10% to Core (CORE). Deployment into BTCS’s active treasury strategy, unlike the passive “buy and hold” playbook popularized by Strategy.
BTCS’ approach aims to deliver operational revenue and yield – even during episodes of flat markets.
“The inclusion of ZIGChain in BTCS’s treasury strategy highlights a broader shift toward productive digital asset treasuries,” said Abdul Rafay Gadit, co-founder of ZIGChain and member of BTCS’s Supervisory Board.
He added:
“Unlike passive holdings, validators and staking rewards create recurring revenue streams while directly strengthening the networks themselves. We see this model as a sustainable path forward for listed companies seeking transparent and resilient exposure to digital assets.”
ZIGChain price last traded above current levels in late August, while its year-to-date highs of $0.13 came on January 18. The ZIG token traded at the all-time peak of $0.22 in April 2021. Notable ecosystem platforms for the layer 1 chain includes Zignaly, a regulated social investment platform and Zamanat, a Shariah-compliant RWA tokenization platform.
The VIX Fear Index for the US stock market stands at 18.63 today, with fear sentiment intensifying in the crypto market.
According to Cboe data, the U.S. stock market's VIX Fear Index stands at 18.63 as of today, down 0.86 points from the prior reading of 19.49, marking a decline of approximately 4.41%. Separately, per Alternative data, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index is at 12 today (compared to 17 yesterday), indicating intensifying extreme fear sentiment.
11 minutes ago
Bank of Japan Board Member: Should Accelerate Pace of Interest Rate Hikes If Upside Inflation Risks Intensify
Bank of Japan (BOJ) Policy Board member Naoki Tamura stated that if upside risks to price growth intensify further, the BOJ should not hesitate to accelerate the pace of interest rate hikes or raise rates by a larger margin. He projected that the BOJ will implement interest rate hikes every few months until its policy rate reaches the neutral level of around 2%. (Golden Ten)
11 minutes ago
Crypto token M plunged over 80% in a short period, hitting a low near $0.5.
According to HTX market data, the token M saw a sharp short-term price plunge, with its decline once exceeding 80% and hitting a low of around $0.5, and is now trading at $0.54.
11 minutes ago
Blockchain data infrastructure firm Cambrian has closed a $6 million funding round, jointly led by Franklin Templeton and Polychain Capital.
Blockchain data infrastructure project Cambrian has closed a $6 million seed round, co-led by Franklin Templeton and Polychain Capital, with participation from Flow Traders, Selini Capital, and other investors. The project previously raised a $5.9 million pre-seed round led by a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator, bringing its total funding to $11.9 million. Cambrian currently provides institutional investors and AI Agents with real-time and historical data APIs covering on-chain yields, risks, lending markets, and trading activities, and plans to further build a verifiable data oracle network. Official data shows it has indexed over $4.5 billion in lending TVL, tracks more than 320,000 DEX liquidity pools, and currently supports Base and Solana, with plans to expand to additional ecosystems including Ethereum. The funds will be used to expand on-chain data coverage, accelerate oracle network development, and team recruitment.
11 minutes ago
Whale 0xbilly pulled off another "buy high, sell low" move, exiting with a $220,000 loss in a single day.
According to EmberCN’s monitoring, whale address 0xbilly liquidated 2,409 ETH in the early hours of today when ETH fell to around $1,569.5, worth approximately $3.78 million, with a total loss of roughly $220,000. Notably, this batch of ETH was purchased just one day ago for about 4 million USDC, at an average price of approximately $1,660.2. The address also previously bought 7,768.5 ETH at a high of $2,254 in March this year, valued at around $17.51 million, and exited via stop-loss four days later, incurring a loss of roughly $800,000.
11 minutes ago
Two whales opened a short position worth approximately $90 million on the S&P 500.
According to monitoring by Onchain Lens, two whale addresses are building short positions on the S&P 500, with a combined position of approximately $90 million. Details are as follows: Whale address "0x469" has opened 6,500 S&P 500 short positions, using 20x leverage, valued at around $48 million, with a liquidation price of $8,413.66. Whale address "0x4ff" has opened 5,686.66 S&P 500 short positions, using 7x leverage, valued at around $42 million, with a liquidation price of $8,358.13.
PANews reported on December 15th that Bybit has officially launched ZIG asset deposit services on ZIGChain. Users can now easily deposit ZIG assets into the Bybit platform. ZIG withdrawal services will be available after liquidity requirements are met; please refer to the Bybit platform's withdrawal page for details.
ZIGChain is the world's first Layer 1 blockchain designed specifically for wealth creation. Through a secure and transparent infrastructure, it successfully connects institutional finance, DeFi, and real-world assets, enabling everyone to easily build, manage, and grow their own wealth.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
ZIGChain announces an integration with Ondo Finance to bring Ondo’s tokenized stocks and ETFs to users across ZIGChain’s ecosystem
ZIGChain, the blockchain built to bring investment products onchain for institutions and everyday users, today announced an integration with Ondo Finance, which pioneered the tokenization of institutional-grade real-world assets, to bring Ondo tokenized stocks & ETFs to ZIGChain, extending their shared vision of accessible onchain exposure to publicly traded US securities to a new generation of users through ZIGChain.
Ondo Finance has done something genuinely difficult: taking securities and making them available as programmable, onchain products. That breakthrough matters most when it reaches the widest possible audience. ZIGChain provides infrastructure through which that reach expands by bringing Ondo-tokenized products to users across the GCC and beyond on the ZIGChain ecosystem.
For ZIGChain, this integration is a direct expression of its founding mission. Not to build new financial products for those who already have access, but to take the best existing ones — the instruments that generate real, reliable yield — and make them available onchain, to anyone.
“The next phase of onchain finance is not about replicating access that institutions already have. It is about taking those instruments and making them genuinely accessible to a broader universe of participants, through transparent, scalable onchain infrastructure, without the minimums and intermediaries that have always stood in the way,” said Abdul Rafay Gadit, Co-Founder, ZIGChain. “Ondo has done the hard work of bringing these products onchain. ZIGChain is the infrastructure through which that reaches a new generation of users. For us, this is deeply aligned with our mission: to make high-quality financial opportunities more open, more programmable, and more globally accessible.”
“Bringing tokenized US stocks and ETFs to new ecosystems and user bases is core to what the Ondo Global Markets platform enables. ZIGChain’s infrastructure gives investors across the GCC onchain exposure to the world’s most in-demand securities, with the execution quality and transparency that institutional markets demand. This is exactly the kind of distribution that expands the reach of tokenized finance where it matters most” said Oya Celiktemur, EMEA Director, Ondo Finance.
Access to Ondo-tokenized products through ZIGChain will roll out in phases beginning at the end of May, with initial availability across selected ecosystem applications and partners, expanding over time.
The integration does not constitute a token launch or guarantee of yield or returns. Underlying assets are issued by Ondo Global Markets (BVI) Limited. ZIGChain does not custody underlying real-world assets. All investments carry risk.
Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.
Key Facts ZIGChain announced an integration with Ondo Finance to bring Ondo’s tokenized US stocks and ETFs to users across the ZIGChain ecosystem, with a focus on the GCC region. Access rolls out in phases starting from late May 2026, with initial availability across selected ecosystem applications and partners. The integration deepens ZIGChain’s real-world asset stack, alongside Valdora Finance’s Liquid RWA Vaults and Beehive’s tokenized SME private credit pipeline. Underlying assets are issued by Ondo Global Markets (BVI) Limited; ZIGChain does not custody the underlying real-world assets, and the integration is not a token launch or a guarantee of yield. Quoted are Abdul Rafay Gadit, Co-Founder of ZIGChain, and Oya Celiktemur, EMEA Director at Ondo Finance. ZIGChain has integrated Ondo Finance’s tokenized US stocks and ETFs, bringing onchain exposure to publicly traded US securities to users across its ecosystem and, in particular, the GCC region. Announced on 8 June 2026, the integration deepens ZIGChain’s real-world asset stack and positions the network as a regulated onchain layer through which institutional-grade financial products reach everyday users at scale.
What the integration brings The integration connects ZIGChain to Ondo Global Markets, the platform that pioneered the tokenization of institutional-grade US securities. Through it, ZIGChain ecosystem users gain access to Ondo’s catalogue of tokenized stocks and ETFs — programmable, onchain representations of publicly traded US equities — without the account minimums and intermediaries that have traditionally gated access to those markets.
Access rolls out in phases from late May 2026, with initial availability across selected ecosystem applications and partners and broader expansion over time. The structure mirrors how Ondo has distributed its tokenized securities elsewhere: the assets are issued by Ondo Global Markets (BVI) Limited, and the integrating platform — in this case ZIGChain — provides the distribution and access layer rather than custodying the underlying real-world assets.
Deepening the RWA stack For ZIGChain, the Ondo integration slots into a broader real-world asset strategy. It sits alongside Valdora Finance’s Liquid RWA Vaults and Beehive’s tokenized SME private credit pipeline, giving the network three distinct RWA verticals: tokenized public equities through Ondo, liquid yield vaults through Valdora, and private credit through Beehive.
The combination reflects ZIGChain’s positioning as infrastructure for bringing existing, high-quality financial products onchain rather than minting novel crypto-native instruments. As the network frames it, the strategy is not to build new products for those who already have access, but to take the instruments that generate real, reliable yield and make them available onchain to anyone.
Executive comments Abdul Rafay Gadit, Co-Founder of ZIGChain, framed the integration as a direct expression of the network’s founding mission. “The next phase of onchain finance is not about replicating access that institutions already have. It is about taking those instruments and making them genuinely accessible to a broader universe of participants, through transparent, scalable onchain infrastructure, without the minimums and intermediaries that have always stood in the way,” he said. “Ondo has done the hard work of bringing these products onchain. ZIGChain is the infrastructure through which that reaches a new generation of users.”
Oya Celiktemur, EMEA Director at Ondo Finance, positioned the deal as a distribution expansion into a strategically important region. “Bringing tokenized US stocks and ETFs to new ecosystems and user bases is core to what the Ondo Global Markets platform enables,” she said. “ZIGChain’s infrastructure gives investors across the GCC onchain exposure to the world’s most in-demand securities, with the execution quality and transparency that institutional markets demand. This is exactly the kind of distribution that expands the reach of tokenized finance where it matters most.”
Ondo’s widening distribution The ZIGChain deal continues a rapid expansion of Ondo Global Markets’ distribution footprint through 2026. The platform — the largest tokenized equities venue by total value locked since its September 2025 launch — has integrated with a string of major wallets and platforms, including MetaMask, Trust Wallet, and most recently KuCoin Web3 Wallet, which added more than 260 Ondo-tokenized securities in late April.
ZIGChain’s contribution to that network is geographic specificity. Where most prior integrations targeted broad crypto-native user bases, the ZIGChain deal explicitly aims at the GCC and surrounding markets — regions where demand for US equity exposure is strong but traditional brokerage access has historically been constrained by intermediaries, minimums and cross-border friction. The move also lands amid a broader surge in tokenized US equity access, with Binance launching its own equities and bStocks products the same month.
The risk framing ZIGChain was explicit about the limits of the integration. It does not constitute a token launch, nor a guarantee of yield or returns. The underlying assets are issued by Ondo Global Markets (BVI) Limited, ZIGChain does not custody the underlying real-world assets, and all investments carry risk. That framing is consistent with how tokenized equity products are typically structured — the token confers economic exposure to the underlying security rather than direct legal ownership of the share itself.
FAQ What does the ZIGChain and Ondo Finance integration provide?
The integration brings Ondo Finance’s tokenized US stocks and ETFs to users across the ZIGChain ecosystem, with a particular focus on the GCC region. It gives users onchain exposure to publicly traded US securities through Ondo Global Markets, rolling out in phases from late May 2026 across selected ecosystem applications and partners.
Does ZIGChain custody the underlying stocks?
No. The underlying assets are issued by Ondo Global Markets (BVI) Limited, and ZIGChain does not custody the underlying real-world assets. The integration is not a token launch and does not guarantee yield or returns; all investments carry risk.
How does this fit ZIGChain’s broader strategy?
The Ondo integration deepens ZIGChain’s real-world asset stack, joining Valdora Finance’s Liquid RWA Vaults and Beehive’s tokenized SME private credit pipeline. Together they give ZIGChain three RWA verticals — tokenized public equities, liquid yield vaults and private credit — supporting its positioning as a regulated onchain layer for distributing high-quality financial products to everyday users.
The ZIGChain–Ondo integration is another datapoint in one of 2026’s clearest trends: tokenized US equities are no longer confined to a handful of crypto-native venues but are spreading rapidly across wallets, chains and regional ecosystems. By targeting the GCC specifically, ZIGChain is betting that the next wave of tokenized-equity adoption comes not from deepening access where it already exists, but from extending it into regions where demand has long outstripped supply. This article is informational and does not constitute investment advice.
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London, 10th July, 2025 – Leading enterprise blockchain platform, VeChain, announces the launch of its first-ever cross-chain bridge with Wanchain, the industry’s longest-running decentralised interoperability solution. The bridge connects the VeChain ecosystem with over 40 major blockchains.
VeChain is an enterprise blockchain platform that ranks among the top 50 most valuable chains, with a market cap exceeding $1.8 billion and has initiated significant changes in 2025. With VeChainThor as its Layer 1 blockchain, VeChain is creating a new DeFi ecosystem utilizing its tokens, VET, VTHO, and B3TR.
VeChain has also formed a partnership with Visa to introduce the Stella Pay card, allowing users to spend their tokens at any point of sale. The company has achieved MiCAR compliance to operate in Europe and launched a new staking platform with over $84 million in assets, following SEC guidelines. All these moves are aimed at achieving greater adoption while complying with the regulations of each region.
Powered by its partnership with Wanchain, VeChain plans to enhance its DeFi capabilities by enabling interoperability across various chains and increasing liquidity within its ecosystem. The Wanchain Bridge is estimated to compete in volume with the top 10 most-used bridges, according to DefiLlama.
Commenting on the cross-chain bridge launch, Sunny Lu, CEO of VeChain, said:
“Thanks to the Wanchain Bridge integration, VeChain is breaking down the barriers of blockchain isolation, connecting VeChainThor to 40 major chains like Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Solana.
“This milestone unlocks unprecedented liquidity and DeFi opportunities for $VET, $VTHO, $B3TR, and beyond, enabling enterprises and users to engage seamlessly in a truly interconnected Web3 ecosystem. We are not just bridging chains, we are building the future of global tokenized adoption.”
With the support of Wanchain’s cross-chain interoperability solutions, VeChain integrates with the most prominent DeFi applications, including swaps, lending, staking, liquidity pools, and more, from 40 different chains. All the DeFi apps currently have a total value locked (TVL) of more than $116 billion and are now connected to VeChain thanks to the Wanchain Bridge.
Wanchain is a platform of interchain bridges that powers interoperability by connecting over 40 major networks, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and now VeChain. Its secure, non-custodial bridges, built with Secure Multiparty Computation and Shamir’s Secret Sharing cryptography, enable seamless asset transfers for DeFi and Web3 ecosystems. It boasts an industry-leading security track record, with zero exploits reported since its launch in 2017. Wanchain has processed hundreds of thousands of transactions and billions in cross-chain volume to date.
Commenting on the VeChain integration, Temujin Louie, CEO of Wanchain, said:
“Partnering with VeChain to launch their first-ever cross-chain bridge is a game-changer for blockchain interoperability. This integration connects VeChainThor to the most used chains, unlocking seamless asset transfers and fueling DeFi innovation.
We’re thrilled to empower VeChain’s ecosystem with Wanchain’s secure, battle-tested infrastructure, driving real-world adoption and creating new opportunities for users and enterprises alike.”
These integrations mark a milestone for VeChain, solidifying its position as a leading enterprise blockchain platform committed to regulatory compliance and seeking widespread adoption.
With Wanchain’s secure and robust cross-chain technology, VeChain is poised to unlock new opportunities in the DeFi industry, fostering a more interconnected and accessible blockchain ecosystem.
About Wanchain
Wanchain is a global leader in decentralised blockchain interoperability and creator of the blockchain industry’s first decentralised cross-chain bridge. Since its founding in 2017, Wanchain has remained committed to driving blockchain adoption by establishing a unified decentralised network of blockchains built on industry-wide standards and specifications. Wanchain’s cross-chain infrastructure, renowned for its engineering rigor and industry-best uptime, empowers developers to build truly decentralised cross-chain applications to power the future of Web3. Today, this decentralised infrastructure supports countless products across dozens of EVM and non-EVM networks.
For more information, visit wanchain.org.
About VeChain
VeChain is a leading blockchain Foundation for enterprise applications. VeBetterDAO, VeChain’s new sustainability app platform, is unleashing a revolution for how society drives action on sustainability, from end-users to enterprise to institutions.
For more information, please visit: https://vechain.org.
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
Oliver Dale
Editor-in-Chief of Blockonomi and founder of Kooc Media, A UK-Based Online Media Company. Believer in Open-Source Software, Blockchain Technology & a Free and Fair Internet for all. His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. Contact [email protected]
VeChain’s layer-1 blockchain platform VeChainThor is integrating Wanchain as a cross-chain bridge partner, allowing it to connect to over 40 blockchains as it eyes liquidity expansion.
The integration brings Wanchain’s decentralized interoperability infrastructure to VeChainThor, with VeChain (VET) and other native tokens set to benefit from further adoption across decentralized exchanges, staking platforms, and liquidity pools.
VeChain said in a post on X that it is also eyeing adoption for its tokens across lending protocols and other ecosystems in the rapidly expanding decentralized finance market.
“Partnering with VeChain to launch their first-ever cross-chain bridge is a game-changer for their blockchain interoperability,” said Temujin Louie, chief executive officer of Wanchain. “This integration connects VeChainThor to the most used chains, unlocking seamless asset transfers and fuelling news kinds of real-world focused innovation.”
As well as VET, other VeChain assets that could get a boost from the cross-chain integration include VTHO and B3TR, the VeChain team noted.
Wanchain bridge to connect VeChainThor to 40 blockchains VeChainThor is an enterprise-ready layer-1 smart contracts blockchain that launched its mainnet in 2018 and has seen significant adoption since. The platform is eyeing further growth via the Wanchain cross-chain bridge.
Specifically, integrating Wanchain’s bridge allows VeChainThor to connect to more than 40 blockchains. The interoperability of Ethereum Virtual Machine and non-EVM support includes top chains such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP Ledger, and BNB Chain.
The VeChain-Bitcoin bridge will support BTC, while the VeChain-Ethereum bridge will support ETH, USDC, USDT, VET, VTHO, and B3TR.
“This initial, extensive coverage opens up substantial liquidity channels and integration pathways across a wide range of DeFi markets and use cases,” the platform wrote.
According to VeChain, this broad support could be a major move for VET, VTHO, and B3TR.
The partnership with Wanchain comes days after the launch of StarGate, an institutional-grade staking platform. It adds to VeChain’s key upgrades and web3 growth initiatives.
Notably, StarGate’s unveiling on July 1, 2025, has helped the total value locked on VeChain increase by more than $100 million.
Wanchain deployed a direct USDC bridge connecting VeChain and Sui blockchains on August 27, 2025. This enables seamless stablecoin transfers between the enterprise-focused network and the high-performance DeFi platform. VeChain's corporate users now have access to Sui's $2 billion total value locked and connections to global USDC liquidity networks processing trillions in annual volume.
VeChain officially celebrated the launch by retweeting Wanchain's announcement. The company highlighted connections to substantial stablecoin liquidity and "new users and growth opportunities." This marks a practical bridge between enterprise blockchain applications and high-yield DeFi protocols.
How Does the Wanchain USDC Bridge Work?Users connect wallets to Wanchain's portal at bridge.wanchain.org. They select USDC from either VeChain or Sui, then confirm transactions with fees typically under $1. Transfers complete within minutes using decentralized validators rather than centralized custodians.
Wanchain maintains a perfect security record. Seven years and $1.5 billion in bridged volume with zero incidents. This track record contrasts sharply with the $2.17 billion in bridge exploits that hit other platforms in 2025 alone. Currently, Wanchain connects 42 networks and supports 134 assets.
What DeFi Opportunities Open Up for VeChain Users?Sui's DeFi ecosystem doubled its value throughout 2025. Native USDC integration and protocol expansions drove this growth. VeChain users can now access double-digit yields through lending platforms like Suilend and Navi.
Several key opportunities await users:
Lending protocols offer USDC integration for yield generationDecentralized exchanges like Cetus enable token swappingBTCfi initiatives include wrapped Bitcoin strategiesGaming protocols leverage Sui's object-centric architectureNative USDC on Sui has grown to approximately $580 million in circulating supply as of August 2025, demonstrating rapid adoption since its October 2024 launch. This outpaced established chains like Algorand and Hedera. Sui also reportedly reached over 3 million daily active users in August 2025, with some metrics indicating it is competing closely with Solana for user engagement. USDC inflows exceeding $500 million partly drove this growth.
How Does This Impact Enterprise Users?Corporate partners can now leverage stablecoin rails for international settlements. No more foreign exchange risks. Companies like Walmart China have used VeChain for supply chain tracking since 2019. They now gain access to new payment infrastructure.
Several practical applications emerge from this connectivity:
Carbon credit settlements can occur in USDCSupply chain payments reduce expenses versus traditional bankingBitcoin yield strategies become accessible through Sui's BTCfi protocolsEthereum's congested infrastructure becomes less necessary. Average gas fees reached $5 in mid-2025 compared to VeChain's sub-cent transaction costs.
Why Does This Bridge Matter Now?VeChain's July 2025 Wanchain integration already connected it to over 40 chains. This demonstrates accelerating interoperability adoption. However, this direct Sui bridge specifically targets DeFi access rather than general connectivity.
Cross-chain infrastructure addresses a major problem. Liquidity fragmentation spans over 100 competing layer-1 blockchains. Global USDC transactions are trending toward $20 trillion annually in 2025, based on quarterly volume patterns. Regulatory clarity from the US stablecoin framework supports cross-chain usage.
Market projections look promising. Some analysts suggest VeChain's total value locked could potentially triple by year-end 2025. Cross-chain capital inflows will partly drive this growth. Sui's institutional partnerships with Grayscale and Amina Bank signal the maturation of its infrastructure, ready for integration with traditional finance.
Wanchain benefits from deflationary tokenomics. The platform burned 900,000 WAN tokens by August 2025, creating economic incentives tied to bridge usage. Both networks can now benefit from 2025's trend toward hybrid blockchain usage. Projects are increasingly leveraging multiple specialized networks rather than remaining confined to a single ecosystem.
Sources:Wanchain Official Bridge Launch Announcement (August 27, 2025)VeChain Official Social Media Confirmation (August 27, 2025)Sui Network DeFi Analytics and Performance Data (2025)Cross-Chain Bridge Security Analysis (2025)
Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin is now available in the Cardano ecosystem through an integration by the cross-chain bridge Wanchain. This development comes amid the Cardano ecosystem’s plans to integrate more stablecoins on the network, while Ripple is also eyeing expansion of its stablecoin beyond the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Ethereum.
Ripple’s RLUSD Now Available On The Cardano Network In an X post, Wanchain revealed that its cross-chain bridge now supports the RLUSD stablecoin. With the integration, users will be able to bridge the stablecoin directly from the XRPL network to the Cardano network. Furthermore, they can bridge the stablecoin from Ethereum to Cardano.
Additionally, users can bridge Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin on XRPL or Ethereum to Wanchain and then route it from the bridge to the Cardano network. The bridge also enables bridging from the XRPL to the top Layer-1 network, Ethereum.
It is worth noting that RLUSD is currently issued natively only on the XRPL and Ethereum networks. However, Ripple announced plans last year to expand the stablecoin to Ethereum layer-2 networks, including Base, Optimism, Unichain, and Ink. The firm also noted that testing on these chains will begin in partnership with Wormhole.
RLUSD currently ranks as the 8th largest stablecoin, with a market cap of $1.5 billion. Most of the stablecoin’s supply currently sits on the Ethereum network, while 382 million tokens are in circulation on the XRP Ledger.
Boost For Cardano’s Ecosystem Ripple’s RLUSD becomes the second tier-1 stablecoin available to Cardano users, following USDC’s launch on the network earlier this year. It is worth noting that Cardano’s stablecoin market cap has climbed to $50 million following the launch of USDC.
The network’s DeFi TVL had also climbed when USDC launched on the network and could rise again, with network users now able to access RLUSD through the cross-chain bridge. Interestingly, Cardano’s founder, Charles Hoskinson, has long teased plans to integrate RLUSD natively into the network, though that has yet to happen.
Meanwhile, amid RLUSD gaining access to the Cardano ecosystem, Cardano stakeholder Input Output has put nine proposals forward in a bid to scale the network. Notably, none of them focuses on stablecoin integrations, with the highlight being the Leios upgrade, which developers aim to use to scale the network to 27 million monthly transactions by 2030.
