Another market oberver, though, challenged this thesis, indicating that ETH might have already found its bottom during this cycle.
Ethereum’s native token rode the sub-CPI crypto rally like very few did, pumping toward a six-week peak of roughly $1,950. This means that it had recovered nearly 30% in value since its multi-year peak at $1,510 was reached weeks ago.
However, its run was halted at that level, and the asset now stands below $1,900. According to popular analyst Crypto Rover, this minor rejection might be just the beginning.
Another Major Leg Down? While observing ETH’s more macro picture, the market commentator outlined a rather interesting pattern that the asset tends to follow – a very precise 1,369-day repeating occurrence that drives it up and down.
Rover speculated that “Ethereum may be heading for its biggest crash yet,” as this historical pattern maps out two “devastating sell-offs” incurred at approximately this time of each cycle. They both began after similar rallies like the 30% surge in the past couple of weeks, but the subsequent rejections pushed the altcoin south to new local lows.
If the analyst’s scenario plays out again, ETH could dump again to and even below $1,500, which would mark a new multi-year low. The other side of the coin of this pattern shows a spectacular long-term run would be in the making following this capitulation. Rover’s analysis outlined some massive targets of somewhere around five-digit territory at $10,000.
ETHEREUM MAY BE HEADING FOR ITS BIGGEST CRASH YET.
This chart shows the exact same 1,369-day pattern repeating for a third time.
The previous two cycles ended with devastating selloffs.
If this fractal holds…
The worst may still be ahead. pic.twitter.com/jMYhpiUgZ5
— Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) July 16, 2026
Maybe Bottom Is In, Though Fellow analyst Michaël van de Poppe also weighed in on ETH’s impressive move above $1,900, calling it “phenomenal.” However, he doesn’t see such a doomsday scenario as Rover. Instead, he said he doubts there will be “a lot more new lows coming in on the markets,” as the on-chain data he reviews points in the opposite direction.
You may also like: Arthur Hayes Buys ETH Above $1,900 Weeks After Selling at $1,700 Ethereum Tops $1,900 in a Six-Week High, Where to Next For ETH? XRP and ETH Traders Turn Bullish as FOMO Surges to 5-Week High: Santiment “There’s a lot more upside going to come on this one, and I think it’s simply in a ‘buy-the-dip’ regime,” he added.
His focus was more on ETH’s short-term performance, and the chart he listed envisions targets of around $2,500-$2,700 by the start of Q4.
16 July 2026 | 16:51 Ethereum is retesting key Fibonacci level after a breakout attempt, with bullish momentum and whale profitability supporting continuation while overhead moving averages keep nearby reversal risk elevated.
Ethereum broke above two resistance levels on July 15 but failed to secure a daily close above the second, triggering a pullback toward the breakout area. ETH is now trading near $1,876 on July 16, almost directly on the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement at approximately $1,872.
The level has shifted from resistance into potential support. Holding it could confirm that buyers remain in control after the breakout, while losing it will probably expose the former July consolidation ceiling near $1,810.
Key Takeaways $1,872 now defines breakout confirmation. $1,940-1,960 is the first upside target. Losing $1,810 reopens lower support. Whale profitability supports, but cannot confirm, reversal. The Breakout Now Depends on $1,872 The failure to close above the second resistance level does not invalidate the breakout on its own. Price has returned to the first important support created by the move rather than falling immediately back into the previous range.
According to post on X from Filip Vantchev, owner of Coindoo, successful retest of $1,872 would establish the 0.382 Fibonacci level as support and increase the probability of another advance. The first upside area sits between $1,940 and $1,960, followed by a stronger confluence between $1,985 and $2,000, where the 0.5 Fibonacci retracement meets the 100-day simple moving average.
Daily Ethereum technical chart. The $1,810 level previously capped ETH for nearly 10 days before the breakout. A daily close below it is able place price back under the July consolidation ceiling and open a deeper pullback toward $1,720–1,745, where the 0.236 Fibonacci level aligns with the 50-day SMA.
Momentum Favors Buyers Without Looking Overheated The 14-day Relative Strength Index stands at 60.9 and remains above its signal line. Momentum therefore favors the bullish scenario, but the reading is not yet high enough to indicate an overheated market.
That gives ETH room to continue higher if the retest succeeds. Momentum alone cannot establish a broader trend reversal, particularly with the 100-day SMA near $2,000 and the 200-day SMA around $2,100 still above price.
Those moving averages form the more important structural test. ETH can confirm a short-term breakout above $1,872 while still remaining inside a broader downtrend until it begins reclaiming the resistance clustered around $2,000 and $2,100.
Whales Have Returned to Unrealized Profit CryptoQuant data shared by analyst Darkfost adds support to the bullish case. Ethereum whales holding more than 100,000 ETH have returned to an unrealized-profit state following the rebound, while their holding ratios have reached record highs.
ETH whales’ unrealized profit ratio chart. Historically, periods in which this cohort moved into unrealized losses were rare and appeared near cycle bottoms. Previous returns to profitability coincided with either a broader rally or a shorter-term market rebound.
The metric suggests that the recovery has moved large holders back above their estimated cost basis. That can reduce immediate financial pressure on the cohort and is consistent with an improving market structure.
The historical sample is limited, however. The pattern is based on roughly three previous episodes, too few to establish that whale profitability reliably identifies a lasting bottom. It also cannot override the technical resistance created by the 100-day and 200-day moving averages.
ETH’s Breakout Has a Narrow Window to Prove Itself The cleanest confirmation would be a daily close holding above $1,872 within the next days.
A daily close below $1,810 would deny the setup. Price could return beneath the July consolidation ceiling, repeating the failure pattern that restricted ETH through early July and shifting attention toward the $1,720-1,745 support zone.
Until either condition is met, the setup remains constructive but unconfirmed. Momentum and whale profitability favor buyers, while the broader downtrend and overhead moving averages continue to limit how far the current rebound can be interpreted as a structural reversal.
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment or trading advice.
Author
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coindoo and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
Ethereum’s relative strength index (RSI) has moved above 65, reaching a level that previously signaled local tops in past rallies. This development places the ongoing rebound at a pivotal moment, as traders watch for any repeat of the pattern that led to price pullbacks within the current downtrend.
RSI crosses overbought threshold, echoing earlier topsThe RSI, a key technical indicator used by traders to measure market momentum, often signals overbought conditions when values rise above 65 or 70. In Ethereum’s case, this threshold has repeatedly appeared just before the asset peaked over the last year. Analysts noted that previous occasions saw Ethereum’s price top out within two or three days after the RSI crossed above 65.
These warnings typically occurred near lower price highs, marking weaker rallies against the backdrop of a broader downtrend that took root after the August 2025 peak. If this pattern repeats, Ethereum could face another swift rejection, suggesting that buyers are still struggling to sustain upward momentum at elevated levels.
Several previous rallies in Ethereum ended shortly after the daily RSI rose above 65, underscoring the signal’s importance in the current context.
Despite this history, analysts say the current scenario might unfold differently if Ethereum’s price consolidates instead of selling off. In that case, the RSI could ease lower without causing significant damage to the recovery, signaling that buyers are absorbing any overhead supply from profit-takers.
ETH/BTC pairing approaches key resistanceEthereum is also displaying renewed strength against Bitcoin, with the ETH/BTC pair approaching the top boundary of an 11-month descending channel. This level has acted as persistent resistance since September, capping multiple recovery attempts.
Recently, ETH/BTC bounced from the channel’s lower limit and reclaimed horizontal support at 0.026 BTC. The pair now trades near the descending trendline, raising expectations that a clear breakout might signal a shift in market dynamics.
Technical observers cautioned that a temporary move above the resistance is not enough to confirm a breakout. Instead, ETH/BTC needs to close above the channel and hold the level on higher timeframes, supported by stronger trading volumes. Failure to establish this breakout could see the ratio drop back toward the 0.026 BTC support.
A sustained move above the trendline would indicate that Ethereum is starting to outperform Bitcoin after months of lagging performance. Such a reversal could also provide a boost to the broader altcoin market, as traders often allocate more capital to alternative cryptocurrencies during periods of Ethereum strength.
Mini dictionary: Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a momentum oscillator used to evaluate whether an asset is overbought or oversold, typically on a scale of 0 to 100. Values above 70 are often interpreted as overbought, while those below 30 are viewed as oversold.
IndicatorPrevious PatternCurrent LevelImplicationETH Daily RSILocal top within 2–3 days above 65Above 65Potential for another peak or breakoutETH/BTC ChannelLower highs since SeptNear upper boundaryPossible reversal if breakout holdsSupport Level0.026 BTCReclaimedKey for maintaining bullish momentumIf Ethereum breaks out against Bitcoin on strong volume and holds above the trendline, it could signal a broader shift in sentiment across the altcoin sector.
If resistance holds and Ethereum is rejected again, the descending structure would remain intact, likely sending the ETH/BTC pair back toward the 0.026 BTC area. A loss of that level could increase the risk of further declines to the channel’s lower boundary.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
Roughly $1.45 billion worth of Bitcoin and Ethereum options are set to expire on Deribit.
Traders will be closely watching this event since it could trigger more volatility.
According to Deribit, approximately $1.23 billion in Bitcoin options and $218 million in Ethereum options will expire at 08:00 UTC on Friday.
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What an options expiry meansOptions are derivative contracts that make it possible for traders the right to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price before a specified expiration date.
Traders often close, roll over, or hedge their positions when options contracts expire. Hence, this repositioning can potentially increase volatility.
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Deribit noted that the event could create favorable conditions for traders using short-dated options. "This floods the market with liquidity and volatility, creating prime conditions for trading short-dated options on Deribit."
What the metrics showTraders typically pay close attention to the put-to-call ratio, which compares bearish put options with bullish call options.
Bitcoin's ratio of 0.86 indicates there are more call options than puts outstanding. Market players remain relatively bullish on BTC heading into expiry.
Ethereum, by contrast, has a 1.54 put-to-call ratio. This shows greater demand for downside protection or bearish positioning.
For this expiry, Bitcoin's max pain level stands at $62,500 (Ethereum's is $1,750). Markets do not necessarily gravitate toward these levels, but traders often monitor them due to the fact that prices can sometimes drift toward max pain.
Short-dated options gain popularityDeribit has also noted that there is growing activity in weekly contracts. "Big open interest is building into tomorrow's weekly expiry on Deribit."
The exchange added that short-dated options have become increasingly popular among traders employing gamma scalping. This is a strategy involving buying and selling the underlying asset to hedge options exposure and profit from sharp price movements.
The Coinbase executive is refocusing the largest Ethereum Layer 2 on trading, payments and AI agents after conceding its onchain-social push failed
Jesse Pollak, the Coinbase executive who created Base, handed the consumer Base app back to Coinbase and named crypto investor Jordan Fish, known as Cobie, to lead it, while admitting that his two-year bet on onchain social products and creator coins was a mistake.
Pollak said in a post on X on Tuesday that he had made a "two pronged bet" to grow Base: that builders would drive the next wave of crypto adoption, and that the adoption would come from onchain-native social experiences. He said the first bet was right and the second was wrong. "the entire social side of the market that many of us had been building towards - farcaster, zora, miniapps, and yes, creator coins - disintegrated completely," he wrote. "i was definitively wrong."
Base ranks as the fifth-largest blockchain by total value locked, at $4.54 billion, and is the largest Ethereum Layer 2 by that measure, ahead of Arbitrum's $1.23 billion, according to DefiLlama data on Wednesday. Zora's ZORA token, tied to the creator-coin experiment Pollak singled out, trades about 95% below its August 2025 peak, at roughly half a cent, with a market value near $31 million, CoinGecko data show.
A Retreat From Onchain SocialThe handoff marks the clearest reversal yet of a strategy Coinbase spent more than a year promoting. Pollak said the focus on social had left Base trailing scaled competitors in perpetuals and prediction markets, and with ground to make up in tokenization and enterprise payments. "the collateral damage was pretty bad," he wrote. "and this year has been an exercise in eating shit."
Pollak said he had shifted his own attention back to Base's blockchain, away from the app, and questioned his prior assumptions. "I thought for a long time that social was the only thing that could drive the sort of viral growth to get crypto to a billion people," he wrote. "It's clear that better money is more than enough - we are seeing this live with stablecoins, predictions, perpetuals, tokenization."
He set three priorities for Base in 2026: "winning trading, payments, and agents." He said Base would aim to be "the place that the world's money settles over the next century," and named Robinhood and Stripe as competitors he welcomed.
Cobie Takes the Trading SurfacePollak said he had handed the app "back to the coinbase mothership," where Fish would run it and expand it "beyond the base ecosystem in ways that tbh i won't love as the leader of base." Coinbase brought Fish in-house last year when it acquired his fundraising platform Echo for a reported $375 million in cash and stock.
Fish framed his new remit more broadly than the Base app alone. "I am responsible for trading products at Coinbase (CB app / Pro / Baseapp / etc)," he said in a post on X on Wednesday. He described the decision in characteristically self-deprecating terms: "I cant explain why I did this except I like the opportunity to make something actually good more than I like playing Factorio. So ye maybe I'm an idiot, let's find out."
The Broader PivotThe move lands amid an industry-wide shift away from consumer social apps toward trading, payments and tokenization. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said days earlier that the company's content coins "didn't work" and that Coinbase had "pivoted early this year," adding that its priorities had been "trading, payments, and agents (in that order)."
The timing also follows Robinhood's launch of its own Ethereum Layer 2 last week, built around tokenized stocks and meme trading, adding a well-capitalized rival in the same trading-first lane Base now says it will contest.
Top-Five NetworkPollak is reframing the app, not retreating from the chain. Base remains a top-five network by TVL and continues to process meaningful onchain trading, with about $886 million in decentralized exchange volume over the past 24 hours and $25.6 billion over the past 30 days, DefiLlama data show. Pollak said Base has posted quarterly growth in DEX market share and payment volume, though he did not provide supporting figures.
Fish's mandate also consolidates Coinbase's trading surfaces, the main Coinbase app, Coinbase Pro and the Base app, under one leader, suggesting the reshuffle is less a demotion of Base than a bet on unifying how Coinbase sells trading. Armstrong has framed the trading focus as a continuation rather than a reversal, saying most of Base's resources already go toward trading infrastructure.
Whether the reset closes Base's gap in perps and prediction markets will show up in onchain volume and market-share data in the coming quarters.
Pi Network price held above $0.075 on Thursday as buyers defended the lower boundary of a falling channel. Selling pressure eased near $0.073, while broader market weakness limited recovery momentum.
Bitcoin price traded near $64,000, Ethereum stayed above $1,870, and XRP held $1.10. Meanwhile, traders focused on the Protocol v25 upgrade scheduled for July 22 across the expanding ecosystem.
Upcoming Protocol v25 Upgrade Brings New Features Pi Coin price confirmed Protocol v25 will launch on July 22 after several weeks without a major development update. The launch focuses on enhanced network stability, reliability, and smart contract performance throughout its mobile-first blockchain ecosystem.
On July 22, Pi is scheduled to upgrade to Protocol v25, which primarily focuses on improving network stability and reliability, and supports new capabilities for more efficient, privacy-preserving smart contracts.
Go to the Pi mining app to learn more! pic.twitter.com/Btg8aEFAFh
— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) July 15, 2026
The protocol release will provide developers with BN254 cryptography and Poseidon hashing. The tools facilitate zero-knowledge applications and secure user information throughout the execution of the contract and blockchain interactions.
Smart contracts that are privacy-preserving may assist applications to handle sensitive data without revealing personal information on public records. The protocol v25 can also be used to facilitate faster transactions as Pi Network targets wider ecosystem milestones.
Adoption will however, be pegged on the activity of the developers, the growth of the applications, and also the stable performance once it is fully activated.
Pi Network Price Outlook Shows Rebound Potential Pi Network price is within a falling channel, but the recent stagnation indicates bearish consolidation is weakening. The support is being defended by buyers at around $0.073 and may give support to a short term recovery.
A long-term push beyond $0.075 can lead to the buyers attacking the middle level of the channel.
However, the crypto market remains pressured after losing 1.67% and falling toward a $2.21 trillion valuation. Bitcoin price consolidation near $64,000 has also reduced risk appetite across smaller digital assets.
Pi Network has a chance to recover in case Protocol v25 becomes more confidence-enhancing and the situation with the wider market stabilizes. The inability to hold $0.073 could put the token at risk of renewed selling and further downside force.
PI Coin Price Consolidates at $0.077: Is a Major Recovery Ahead? PI coin price stood at 0.077 on Thursday and was near a major four-hour support zone. The MACD line has crossed above the signal line, creating a small positive histogram reading.
This crossover indicates that selling pressure is weakening, but both lines are below the level of the neutral. The Chaikin Money Flow is close to less than 0.01, indicating that the selling and buying flows are almost equal.
PI needs to regain the $0.080 level to solidify its emerging recovery and draw new purchasing attention. A prolonged rally beyond the $0.080 level would reveal the recent swing zone between the $0.083 to $0.085. Additional gains can be then aimed at $0.090 that once served as a significant support level.
Source: Tradingview Breaking $0.090 could open the path toward the major psychological resistance at $0.10 as per the future Pi coin outlook. But any failure to hold $0.074 may undermine the recovery and pressure it more towards $0.070. Further depreciation can bring the recent market minimum of around $0.066 back into the focus of traders.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
T. Rowe Price, which manages nearly $2 trillion in assets, has launched the first active crypto ETF, which provides exposure to crypto assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Hyperliquid. Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas had previously said that this launch was notable because the asset manager was the largest active manager to enter the crypto space.
T. Rowe Price Unveils First Active Crypto ETF In a press release, the asset manager announced the launch of the first active crypto ETF, which began trading on the NYSE Arca today under the ticker TKNZ. “The fund is the first actively managed multi-token spot exchange-traded product* offered in the marketplace,” the firm noted.
The T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF notably offers exposure to Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB, XRP, Solana, and Hyperliquid. The Fund will also hold top meme coins Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, making it the first U.S. Fund to offer spot exposure to SHIB.
The asset manager also noted that the crypto ETF is designed to capitalize on emerging trends, momentum-driven rallies, and market rotations among crypto assets. Meanwhile, the Fund will offer a net fee waiver, which will be effective until May 31, 2027. The management fee during this period will be 0.75%.
The T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF joins a host of other crypto ETFs that have launched this year, including the Hyperliquid ETFs. As CoinGape reported, Morgan Stanley’s Ethereum and Solana ETFs are about to launch, with the Wall Street giant filing amendments to its S-1.
‘Smart Timing’ For The ETF Launch Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas commended T. Rowe Price for the timing of the launch of its active crypto ETF. “I think they were smart with the timing- waiting till the Oct selloff dust settled a bit,” he said in an X post.
T Rowe Price’s Active Crypto ETF $TKNZ is ready for launch. Any day now, I’d guess Thursday. I think they were smart with the timing- waiting till the Oct selloff dust settled a bit. pic.twitter.com/5LZO5WHrqn
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) July 14, 2026
It is worth noting that the SEC had approved the crypto ETF last month but waited until now to launch the Fund. The asset manager had first filed for the month in October last year, around the time of the infamous crypto crash.
Meanwhile, Balchunas had previously said that the T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF was notable because the asset manager was “by far the biggest active manager to apply their active prowess to this space.”
Dogecoin (DOGE) is trading close to $0.074, holding a critical support zone as traders monitor a bullish pennant pattern forming on the weekly chart. This technical formation has caught the attention of market participants after Dogecoin’s decline from its 2025 high.
Weekly bullish pennant sets the stageThe weekly chart for Dogecoin is displaying a bullish pennant, according to Trader Tardigrade, a well-known cryptocurrency analyst. In his analysis, he pointed to clear signs of tight price compression alongside dropping trading volumes — indicators commonly associated with consolidation ahead of a potential breakout.
A bullish pennant typically emerges when price action tightens following a significant move upward, and is often interpreted by chart watchers as a possible precursor to further gains if a breakout occurs.
When Dogecoin compresses this tightly inside a bullish pennant, it tends to exhibit strong moves, with textbook structure, reduced volume, and clean consolidation—all elements currently visible on the DOGE weekly chart.
Trader Tardigrade also indicated that although volume has decreased during this period of consolidation, clear confirmation of a breakout above resistance is still required. Until DOGE convincingly moves above key levels, the pattern remains a setup rather than a certainty.
His analysis remains rooted in technical chart structures. As a result, buyers need to demonstrate renewed strength by pushing prices past immediate resistance to validate bullish expectations.
Mini dictionary: Trader Tardigrade is a prominent pseudonymous analyst known for sharing cryptocurrency chart patterns and technical analyses on social media platforms, focusing primarily on digital assets and behavioral market signals.
Key support and resistance levelsOn the daily chart, Dogecoin is maintaining position above the $0.074 to $0.070 support range, which now serves as a critical area following the recent decline. If DOGE holds this level, the recovery attempt remains in play. Meanwhile, if the coin drops below support, additional selling pressure could target the $0.065 and $0.060 zones.
At the time of reporting, Dogecoin is trading at approximately $0.07427 on Coinbase, representing a narrow stabilization phase rather than a confirmed trend reversal. Buyers remain cautious, watching to see if DOGE can stay above this defensive zone.
If the support gives way, the market could shift its focus to even lower historical levels. For now, trading activity suggests neither buyers nor sellers are asserting clear dominance, putting technical zones at the center of attention.
Momentum indicators and technical outlookDogecoin faces immediate resistance between $0.085 and $0.090. A breakout above this range would be the first signal of a strengthening bullish posture, closely aligning with the pennant pattern seen on the weekly timeframe. The next resistance areas lie at $0.100 and $0.11013, the latter marking a significant Fibonacci retracement level on the daily chart.
Moving beyond $0.11013 could reinforce the case for a broader recovery, but momentum signals remain restrained. The MACD histogram, a tool used to spot trend strength, currently reads slightly positive and may indicate that recent selling pressure has eased.
At the same time, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is registering at 41.88, which stays below the neutral 50 mark, further illustrating the cautious tone among traders. Until these momentum indicators pick up, the potential for a decisive directional move remains uncertain.
LevelPriceSignificanceImmediate support$0.070Critical zone for buyersFirst resistance$0.085-$0.090Key breakout areaNext resistance$0.100Intermediate targetFibonacci level$0.11013Major recovery levelDisclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
Dogecoin has completed a golden cross on its hourly charts, but the timing of the formation has traders watching closely for what comes next.
The MA 50 rose above the MA 200 on the hourly chart, completing a golden cross. This signal comes as the market faces fresh selling pressure, with Dogecoin itself trading in the red on a daily basis.
DOGE/USD Hourly Chart, Image By TradingViewThe crypto market extended selling on Thursday, after Bitcoin rose to a monthly high of $65,500 on Wednesday, prompting some traders to take profits. On Thursday, investors will be monitoring retail sales data and jobless claims for further signs on the health of the economy.
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Two levels in focusDogecoin sharply rose to $0.075 on Tuesday, but has since retreated. At the time of writing, DOGE was down 1.45% in the last 24 hours to $0.072 and up 0.62% weekly, according to CoinMarketCap.
The RSI stays below 50 on most timeframes; on the hourly chart, the RSI is at 37, a negative level which suggests a slight advantage to the bears.
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With the market flashing mixed signals, Dogecoin price might trend in either direction. Two levels come into focus: the resistance at $0.081 and the support at $0.069.
CoinMarketCap's "Altcoin Season" indicator remains range-bound, currently at 48/100 after dropping from 58/100 on Monday as investors moved focus back to Bitcoin.
Traders are watching out for a potential death cross on the weekly chart, which is set to appear in the coming weeks. The last weekly death cross appeared in February 2023, with traders now watching for a potential repeat of history.
In recent news, the Dogecoin Foundation's official corporate arm, House of Doge, has announced its Board of Directors. This includes leaders in institutional asset management, global consumer operations, and the digital asset industry.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
TLDR DeltaDeFi suspended operations indefinitely after exhausting its available operational runway. Development and active platform maintenance will remain paused until further notice. Remaining funds will return to users once sufficient minimum UTXO becomes available. Hydra technology supported sub-second settlement and high-speed order execution on the exchange. Cardano’s ecosystem faces broader sustainability pressures involving funding, expenses, governance, and developer support. DeltaDeFi has suspended operations indefinitely after exhausting its operational runway, creating another challenge for the Cardano ecosystem. The announcement removes the first Hydra-powered decentralized exchange from active development and raises fresh questions about project sustainability across Cardano. The team confirmed immediate operational changes while outlining plans for future fund distributions and possible recovery efforts.
DeltaDeFi Halts Operations After Funding Runs Out DeltaDeFi announced that it has paused development and maintenance because available operational resources have been exhausted. The decision takes effect immediately and remains in place until further notice. The team said it will review possible strategies before considering any future restart.
Operational update for the DeltaDeFi community.
Due to the lack of operation runway, DeltaDeFi operation will be paused effectively today, until further notice.
During this pause, development and active maintenance will be suspended. Our team will explore different options…
— DeltaDeFi (@DeltaDeFi) July 15, 2026
The developers also confirmed plans to return remaining user funds when sufficient minimum UTXO becomes available. Users who do not receive automatic withdrawals can contact the team through X or Discord. The project said those support channels will remain available during the suspension period.
DeltaDeFi operated as the first Hydra-powered decentralized exchange on Cardano. Its suspension removes one of the ecosystem’s most visible demonstrations of Hydra-based decentralized trading. The announcement focuses on operational limits rather than technical failures or security issues.
Hydra-Based Trading Loses an Active Platform Unlike many decentralized exchanges, DeltaDeFi adopted an order-book model instead of relying primarily on automated market makers. Hydra enabled faster settlement while supporting high-speed trade execution. The design aimed to provide a trading experience closer to traditional financial markets.
The platform promoted sub-second transaction settlement and improved trading efficiency through Layer-2 technology. Those features distinguished the exchange from several existing decentralized trading platforms. However, operational sustainability ultimately became the deciding factor behind the suspension.
Hydra recently released version 2.2.0 with improvements supporting practical applications across Cardano. The update emphasized benchmarking enhancements and optimized snapshot latency for network performance. Those protocol improvements remain separate from DeltaDeFi’s operational decision.
Sustainability Pressures Continue Across the Ecosystem DeltaDeFi joins several Cardano projects that have reduced operations or exited during recent months. Previous examples include JPG Store, TapTools, and contributor Chicken. Each project cited different circumstances while identifying financial and operational pressures.
Several common themes have emerged across Cardano ecosystem projects despite their differing situations. Teams have pointed to limited funding opportunities, rising operating costs, governance challenges, and prolonged market weakness. Those conditions have affected long-term development planning for multiple builders.
The latest announcement leaves Cardano without its first active Hydra-powered decentralized exchange for the foreseeable future. Cardano continues advancing its protocol while individual projects address separate operational realities. DeltaDeFi said it will evaluate recovery options and distribute remaining user funds when withdrawal conditions permit.
Verifying a thousand signatures on a blockchain typically sounds like a recipe for a massive gas bill. On Cardano, it is becoming a routine operation.
The Cardano Foundation has highlighted how Plutus smart contracts can now verify thousands of signatures natively using BLS12-381 elliptic curve cryptography, without routing the computation through external services or sacrificing cost predictability.
What BLS12-381 actually does BLS12-381 is a specific elliptic curve used in cryptography, most famously deployed by Ethereum’s beacon chain for validator signatures. The curve has a useful property: signatures created with it can be aggregated.
In English: instead of verifying one thousand individual signatures one by one, you can compress all one thousand into a single proof and verify that instead. The math checks out, and the on-chain cost stays flat regardless of how many signers were involved.
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CIP-0133, the Cardano Improvement Proposal driving these changes, proposes extensions for efficient multi-scalar multiplication over BLS12-381. The implementation is tied to Protocol Version 11, which is scheduled for rollout by May 2026 and will introduce five new Plutus built-in functions to support these operations.
Cardano’s deterministically executed eUTXO model does a lot of the heavy lifting on the cost side. Because execution costs are calculated before a transaction is submitted, users know exactly what they will pay. Adding new cryptographic primitives does not break that predictability.
Why this matters beyond the technical specs Cardano added native support for ECDSA and Schnorr signatures in 2023, which opened the door to improved multi-signature functionality and better cross-chain interoperability. The BLS12-381 work builds on that foundation, extending the cryptographic toolkit available to developers building on Plutus.
For developers, the removal of off-chain verification requirements is significant. Off-chain computation introduces trust assumptions: you need to rely on external services to do the work honestly and report results accurately back to the chain. Bringing verification fully on-chain eliminates that dependency and the attack surface that comes with it.
Market reaction and what investors should watch The honest read on the market response so far: muted. No significant price movement in ADA followed the announcement, which fits the pattern of infrastructure upgrades that take time to translate into visible ecosystem activity.
What investors should actually watch is developer uptake after Protocol Version 11 goes live. Multi-signature custody platforms, cross-chain bridge operators, and governance-heavy DeFi protocols are the categories most likely to respond first.
The risk, from an investor standpoint, is timing. May 2026 is still a development milestone on the horizon, and protocol upgrades have historically taken longer than initial projections across the industry. CIP-0133 and Protocol Version 11 are on the roadmap, but the gap between roadmap and mainnet deployment is where uncertainty lives.
Longer term, the accumulation of cryptographic primitives in Plutus, from Schnorr and ECDSA in 2023 to BLS12-381 arriving in 2026, represents a deliberate strategy of building serious infrastructure before optimizing for headline metrics.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Cardano (ADA) price is down by 1.68% today, July 16, despite the upcoming Van Rossem upgrade on the Cardano network on July 18. This hard fork will be the biggest upgrade on Cardano since the Vasil hard fork occurred on July 18.
Still, futures data suggests that buyers remain hesitant as short sellers dominate the market.
Cardano Van Rossem Hard Fork Set for July 18 The Cardano governance ratified the Van Rossem hard fork on July 13, and according to Intersect, the upgrade will go live on July 18. Infrastructure providers on Cardano are being urged to upgrade so that they can cross the hard fork.
Van Rossem will be the biggest upgrade on Cardano since the Vasil hard fork in 2022. It will reduce execution costs on Cardano so that the network becomes cheaper to use.
This upgrade is also laying the groundwork for Cardano to conduct the Leios upgrade before 2026 ends. Leios will be the next major upgrade on Cardano that could make the network 60 times faster.
The Van Rossem upgrade comes as Cardano whales increase their holdings of ADA. A previous Cardano price analysis by CoinGape noted that the wallets that have between 100,000 and 100 million ADA tokens have reached the highest level since 2023.
These purchases could signal bullish positioning ahead of this upcoming upgrade.
Cardano Price Remains Under Bearish Pressure The looming Van Rossem upgrade has not boosted the sentiment around Cardano, because the price was down by 2.72% today, July 16.
That drop comes amid high selling pressure as suggested by the volume histogram bars that have been red for two straight days.
Cardano price is now testing resistance at the middle Bollinger band of $0.164. If it closes above this resistance, the price could move to the 61.8% Fib of $0.176.
But such gains might not occur unless buyers return because the AO bars that are red support a bearish long-term Cardano price forecast.
ADA/USDT: 1-day Chart (Source: TradingView) The AO bars have also turned negative, suggesting that bears are tightening their grip, and they could pull the price of ADA down to the lower Bollinger band of $0.137.
ADA Short Sellers Increase Their Positions Ahead of Van Rossem Data from Coinglass shows that Cardano has a negative weighted funding rate of -0.0067. This negative rating suggests that there are more traders betting that Cardano price will drop than there are traders betting that it will increase.
Cardano Weighted Funding Rate (Source: Coinglass) The long/short ratio of 0.58 further shows that there is aggressive positioning by short sellers who are betting that ADA price will drop despite the upcoming Van Rossem hard fork.
The open interest has also increased by 4% to $421 million per Coinglass data, with this also suggesting that short sellers are still opening new positions betting that Cardano will keep dropping.
Stablecoin giant Tether reportedly invested $20 million in the Argentine neobank Ualá, as part of its broader push in Latin America.
The investment formed part of a $197 million equity funding round announced by Ualá in March and led by Allianz X, according to Bloomberg. Ualá disclosed Tether as a participant in the round at the time but did not reveal the size of its investment.
Cointelegraph contacted Tether for confirmation but had not received a response by publication.
Earlier in July, Tether announced a $20 million investment in Brazilian crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin to support the expansion of its onchain infrastructure across Latin America.
In April, Tether led a $14 million Series A funding round for the Argentine crypto platform Belo, with participation from Titan Fund, The Venture City, Mindset Ventures, G2 and other existing investors.
Tether issues USDt (USDT), the world’s largest stablecoin, which had a market capitalization of $184.4 billion at the time of writing, according to CoinMarketCap.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Stablecoin giant Tether reportedly invested $20 million in the Argentine neobank Ualá, as part of its broader push in Latin America.
The investment formed part of a $197 million equity funding round announced by Ualá in March and led by Allianz X, according to Bloomberg. Ualá disclosed Tether as a participant in the round at the time but did not reveal the size of its investment.
Cointelegraph contacted Tether for confirmation but had not received a response by publication.
Earlier in July, Tether announced a $20 million investment in Brazilian crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin to support the expansion of its onchain infrastructure across Latin America.
In April, Tether led a $14 million Series A funding round for the Argentine crypto platform Belo, with participation from Titan Fund, The Venture City, Mindset Ventures, G2 and other existing investors.
Tether issues USDt (USDT), the world’s largest stablecoin, which had a market capitalization of $184.4 billion at the time of writing, according to CoinMarketCap.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Tether, the company behind the world’s largest stablecoin, has invested $20 million into Ualá, an Argentine neobank that now carries a valuation of roughly $3.2 billion. The investment was part of a broader $197 million funding round that Ualá announced in March.
Here’s the thing: Ualá’s CEO Pierpaolo Barbieri has said that current regulations in both Argentina and Mexico make immediate USDT integration on the platform a non-starter. So Tether isn’t buying a distribution channel for its stablecoin. It’s buying a seat at a table it thinks will matter a lot more in a few years.
What Ualá brings to the table Ualá has grown into one of Latin America’s most prominent neobanks, serving more than 11 million customers across Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia. The $197 million round puts Ualá in some rarefied company. Its investor roster already includes Tencent, SoftBank, and Allianz X. Tether’s $20 million slice represents roughly 10% of the total raise, a meaningful but not dominant position.
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Tether’s Latin American playbook The Ualá investment isn’t an isolated bet. Tether led a $14 million Series A for belo, another Latin American fintech startup, in April. Together, these moves paint a picture of a company systematically deploying capital into regulated financial infrastructure across the region.
Tether generated enormous profits from its stablecoin operations, largely by holding US Treasuries and other reserve assets backing USDT’s roughly $140 billion market cap. Increasingly, the answer to what Tether does with those profits appears to be: invest in the financial plumbing of emerging markets.
The regulatory reality check Barbieri’s candid acknowledgment that regulatory conditions prevent USDT integration on Ualá underscores a tension at the heart of Tether’s expansion strategy. The company is investing in platforms that serve millions of users in stablecoin-hungry markets, but the regulatory gates aren’t open yet.
Argentina has been navigating a complex economic reform agenda, and its approach to crypto regulation remains in flux. Mexico’s fintech law similarly creates hurdles for direct stablecoin integration within licensed financial platforms. Neither country has outright banned crypto, but the compliance requirements for regulated entities like Ualá make casual USDT adoption impractical for now.
What this means for investors For the broader crypto ecosystem, this matters because it blurs the line between traditional venture capital and crypto-native capital allocation. When Tether sits alongside SoftBank and Tencent on a cap table, it normalizes crypto-adjacent firms as legitimate financial actors.
Circle, the issuer of USDC, has been pursuing its own partnerships in Latin America and recently filed for an IPO. Tether’s aggressive deployment into the region’s fintech infrastructure could create a moat that’s difficult for competitors to replicate, particularly if those equity positions eventually convert into distribution partnerships once regulations allow stablecoin integration.
A $20 million position in a $3.2 billion company isn’t going to move the needle for Tether’s balance sheet on its own. The value proposition depends entirely on what comes next. The $34 million it has deployed across Ualá and belo in recent months suggests it’s willing to be patient about the payoff.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Tether has reportedly invested $20 million in Argentine digital bank Ualá, adding another Latin American financial platform to its growing list of stablecoin-focused investments.
Summary
Tether has reportedly invested $20 million in Argentine digital bank Ualá through its $197 million funding round. The investment adds to Tether’s recent backing of Mercado Bitcoin and Belo as it expands across Latin America’s financial sector. Alongside these investments, Tether has continued promoting stablecoins for payroll, treasury payments and other real world financial use cases. According to a Bloomberg report, the investment was part of Ualá’s $197 million equity funding round announced in March and led by Allianz X.
Although Ualá identified Tether as one of the participating investors at the time, it did not disclose how much the stablecoin issuer contributed. Bloomberg reported that Tether’s investment totaled $20 million.
Latin America remains central to Tether’s investment strategy The latest investment continues a series of deals that have expanded Tether’s presence across Latin America’s financial and digital asset sectors.
Earlier this month, Tether invested $20 million in Brazilian cryptocurrency exchange Mercado Bitcoin to support the expansion of its blockchain infrastructure, tokenized assets, lending services, and on-chain capital markets across the region.
A few months earlier, the company also led a $14 million Series A funding round for Argentine crypto platform Belo, alongside investors including Titan Fund, The Venture City, Mindset Ventures, and G2. According to Tether, the funding was intended to support Belo’s crypto payment products and financial services.
Outside its investment activity, Tether has also continued promoting USDT for practical payment use cases across Latin America.
Earlier this week, reports from Bolivia said government officials were evaluating a proposal to recognize USDT alongside the boliviano and the U.S. dollar within the country’s payment system as authorities respond to a prolonged shortage of foreign currency. Local banks Banco Unión and Banco FIE already provide services connected to USDT, according to previous reports.
Enterprise payments become another focus Alongside its regional expansion, Tether has been increasing its investment in enterprise payment infrastructure.
Last week, the company led a $7 million funding round for Pact Labs to integrate its USAT stablecoin into U.S. payroll systems. According to Tether, the partnership is designed to bring blockchain-based settlement into a payroll market that processes more than $11 trillion annually by allowing businesses to pay wages using stablecoin payment rails.
Corporate treasury has also become part of that strategy. Earlier this month, Hyundai Motor America and Hyundai Motor Mexico completed a pilot cross-border treasury payment using USDT on the Avalanche blockchain. According to Tether, the companies settled a $20,000 transfer in about seven minutes through settlement infrastructure provided by Axiym, while Hyundai Card handled the compliance, accounting and operational framework for the pilot.
Tether’s investment activity comes as USDT remains the largest stablecoin by market value. According to CoinMarketCap, the token’s market capitalization stood at about $184.4 billion at the time of reporting.
Tether has invested $20 million in Ualá, a leading Argentine neobank, marking a significant move in the company’s strategy to expand its reach in Latin America.
Investment detailsUalá included Tether’s participation in a $197 million equity funding round that closed in March, with Allianz X as the lead investor. Although Ualá publicly named Tether as an investor at the time, the exact sum was not disclosed. Bloomberg has now reported that Tether contributed $20 million to the round.
Tether is known for issuing USDt (USDT), the world’s largest stablecoin with a market capitalization of $184.4 billion, as reported by CoinMarketCap.
Ualá, established in 2017, offers digital banking services to millions of users in Argentina and has expanded its product line to include savings accounts, investments, and cryptocurrency trading.
Mini dictionary: Ualá is a prominent Argentine neobank that provides mobile banking services, facilitating payments, savings, and currency exchange for millions of users in Latin America.
Tether’s $20 million investment in Ualá highlights the growing focus on digital financial infrastructure in Latin America, with neobanks and stablecoin issuers seeking to strengthen regional operations through strategic funding.
Tether’s regional strategyThe $20 million investment in Ualá comes just weeks after Tether announced a similar-sized commitment to Mercado Bitcoin, a major Brazilian crypto exchange. That investment aims to support the expansion of onchain technological infrastructure across the region.
In addition, Tether led a $14 million Series A funding round in April for Belo, another Argentine crypto platform. Other participants in that round included Titan Fund, The Venture City, Mindset Ventures, and G2, as well as existing investors.
These moves are part of Tether’s broader plan to strengthen its footprint in burgeoning Latin American economies by investing directly in financial technology firms and cryptocurrency platforms.
Company/PlatformCountryInvestment DateInvestment AmountUaláArgentinaMarch 2024$20 millionMercado BitcoinBrazilJuly 2024$20 millionBeloArgentinaApril 2024$14 millionTether overviewTether serves as a key issuer of USDT, currently the largest stablecoin in circulation. The company’s stablecoin facilitates USD-pegged transactions and is widely adopted across crypto exchanges worldwide.
With these new investments, Tether is focused on reinforcing the adoption of stablecoins and digital banking within Latin America, a region where regulatory developments and economic instability have spurred demand for alternative financial services.
Ualá’s latest funding round, which raised a total of $197 million, demonstrates continued investor interest in fintech and digital finance across Argentina and the broader region.
Tether has not yet publicly commented on the reported $20 million investment in Ualá.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Tether invested $20 million in Ualá, an Argentine neobank with more than 11 million customers across Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia.Ualá’s CEO clarified Tether is acting solely as a financial investor, citing current regional regulations preventing any immediate USDT integration.This deal follows Tether's recent Latin American expansion, including investments in Belo, Adecoagro, and Mercado Bitcoin.Leading stablecoin issuer Tether invested $20 million in Argentine neobank Ualá, taking an equity stake in a financial platform with more than 11 million customers across Argentina, Mexico and Colombia.
The investment was part of Ualá’s $197 million funding round announced in March, led by Allianz X at a $3.2 billion post-money valuation.
Tether was initially mentioned in Ualá’s announcement, and only later on unveiled the $20 million investment figure. Given the headline valuation, the investment should represent a rough 0.6% stake in the neobank’s post-money equity though the terms may differ.
Ualá offers accounts, cards, lending and investments to more than 11 million customers across Argentina, Mexico and Colombia.
The company’s CEO Pierpaolo Barbieri, according to Bloomberg, has said regulations in Argentina and Mexico prevent a near-term USDT integration and that Tether joined the round solely as a financial investor.
Tether has made several bets in Argentina and the South American region. It led a $14 million round for payments wallet Belo in April and controls 70% of agricultural and energy producer Adecoagro, which operates across Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Earlier this month it invested $20 million in Brazilian crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin.
Tether funds its investments with excess capital generated by income earned from the reserves that back the USDT stablecoin, which now has $184 billion in circulation. It posted a $1.04 billion profit in the first quarter.
Bankless Co-founder: Bitcoin may have entered a sideways consolidation phase, with the bottom largely in place.
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Tether just wrote a $20 million check to Ualá, the Argentine neobank that now serves over 11 million customers across Latin America. The investment completes a $197 million equity funding round led by Allianz X and values Ualá at $3.2 billion.
Tether’s $20 million represents roughly 10% of Ualá’s total funding round. Ualá’s investor roster includes Tencent, SoftBank, and Allianz X.
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Founded in 2017 by Pierpaolo Barbieri, Ualá has built a full-stack financial services platform across Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia. The company holds banking licenses in all three markets and offers debit cards, credit cards, payments, loans, and investment products through its mobile app.
The funding round was first announced on March 4, 2026, with Allianz X leading the charge. Tether’s involvement was disclosed at the time, but the specific $20 million figure only surfaced through Bloomberg reporting on July 15, 2026.
Latin America has become ground zero for stablecoin adoption, and Tether knows it. Argentina alone has been one of the most active USDT markets in the world, driven by persistent inflation and currency instability that make dollar-denominated assets deeply appealing to everyday consumers.
The competitive landscape in Latin American fintech is heating up considerably. Nubank, the Brazilian giant, has already crossed 100 million customers and launched its own crypto trading features. MercadoLibre’s Mercado Pago continues to expand digital payment capabilities across the region. Ualá, with $3.2 billion in valuation and fresh capital, is positioning itself as a serious contender in the tier just below those regional behemoths.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
TLDR Tether invested $20 million in Argentine neobank Ualá through its latest funding round. Ualá raised $197 million at a $3.2 billion post-money valuation. The neobank serves more than 11 million customers across three Latin American countries. Regulations currently prevent a near-term USDT integration in Argentina and Mexico. Tether joined the funding round solely as a financial investor. Tether has invested $20 million in Argentine neobank Ualá as it expands its presence across Latin America. The deal gives the stablecoin issuer an equity stake in a platform serving more than 11 million customers. The investment also strengthens Tether’s wider strategy across financial services, payments, agriculture, and digital assets.
Investment Forms Part of Ualá Funding Round The investment formed part of Ualá’s $197 million funding round announced in March. Allianz X led the round, which valued the neobank at $3.2 billion after the financing. Tether joined several participants and later disclosed the size of its contribution.
Based on the announced valuation, the investment represents roughly 0.6% of Ualá’s post-money equity. However, the final ownership percentage could differ because the companies did not publish detailed terms. Neither company disclosed voting rights, governance arrangements, or other conditions linked to the stake.
Ualá provides accounts, payment cards, lending products, and investment services through its digital platform. The company operates in Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia, where it serves a broad retail customer base. Tether gains exposure to a growing regional financial platform through the minority investment.
Regulations Limit Near-Term USDT Integration Ualá chief executive Pierpaolo Barbieri said local regulations currently prevent a near-term USDT integration. Rules in Argentina and Mexico restrict how the company could introduce stablecoin services across its platform. Therefore, Tether entered the funding round solely as a financial investor.
The arrangement does not include an immediate plan to add USDT payments, deposits, or transfers. Ualá will continue operating its existing products under the regulatory frameworks of its three markets. Any future stablecoin integration would require changes in local rules or additional regulatory approvals.
The separation between ownership and product integration keeps the investment focused on financial exposure. It also allows Ualá to retain its current operating model while expanding its regional business. Tether can support the company’s growth without changing the neobank’s services in the near term.
Latin America Strategy Continues to Expand Tether has increased its investments across Argentina and the wider South American market. It led a $14 million funding round for Argentine payments wallet Belo in April. The company also controls 70% of agricultural and energy producer Adecoagro.
Adecoagro operates across Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay and gives the issuer exposure beyond digital finance. Earlier this month, Tether also invested $20 million in Brazilian crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin. These deals show a broader regional investment strategy across technology, payments, and traditional industries.
Tether funds these investments with excess capital generated from assets backing USDT. USDT currently has about $184 billion in circulation, while the issuer reported $1.04 billion in first-quarter profit. Tether’s $20 million Ualá investment now adds another financial platform to its expanding Latin American portfolio.
Key HighlightsUalá receives strategic capital from TetherLatin American stablecoin infrastructure gains momentumCorporate payment infrastructure emerges as strategic priority Tether has committed $20M to Argentina-based neobank Ualá in a strategic funding round.
The investment bolsters Tether’s expanding presence throughout Latin America’s fintech landscape.
Previous investments include Brazilian exchange Mercado Bitcoin and crypto platform Belo.
Stablecoin infrastructure deployment continues as core focus of Tether’s regional approach.
Corporate payment solutions and digital financial services anchor Tether’s expansion efforts.
The world’s leading stablecoin issuer has reportedly allocated $20 million toward Argentine digital banking platform Ualá as part of the fintech company’s recent capital raise. This strategic deployment deepens Tether’s commitment to Latin America’s rapidly evolving financial technology landscape. Furthermore, the investment represents another significant milestone in the company’s stablecoin integration strategy throughout the region.
Ualá receives strategic capital from Tether According to Bloomberg’s reporting, the capital injection was part of Ualá’s substantial $197 million equity financing unveiled in March. Allianz X served as the lead investor in this round, with Ualá confirming Tether’s participation. Nonetheless, the specific $20 million figure attributed to Tether was not publicly disclosed when the round was initially announced.
This reported investment marks Tether’s strategic evolution from purely cryptocurrency-focused platforms toward broader digital financial services providers. The stablecoin giant has been systematically developing collaborative relationships with fintech enterprises throughout the Latin American region. This approach facilitates wider stablecoin adoption through well-established local financial infrastructure and distribution channels.
Ualá has successfully scaled its digital banking offerings across multiple Latin American territories over recent years. The neobank’s platform delivers comprehensive payment processing, savings accounts, consumer credit, and investment products via user-friendly mobile applications. Consequently, this partnership could potentially enhance blockchain-powered payment capabilities integrated into mainstream digital banking experiences.
Latin American stablecoin infrastructure gains momentum This Ualá investment arrives on the heels of another substantial regional commitment disclosed earlier in the month. Tether deployed $20 million into Brazil’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, Mercado Bitcoin, targeting blockchain infrastructure enhancement and tokenized financial product development. These funds aim to advance lending capabilities and on-chain capital markets throughout the region.
In previous months, Tether spearheaded a $14 million Series A investment in Argentine cryptocurrency platform Belo. The financing round attracted participation from multiple venture capital firms, including Titan Fund, The Venture City, Mindset Ventures, and G2. This capital injection fuels Belo’s cryptocurrency payment infrastructure and expanded financial service capabilities.
Beyond direct equity investments in technology platforms, Tether has actively advocated for functional stablecoin payment adoption across Latin American markets. Recent reports from Bolivia suggest that regulatory authorities are examining USDT integration alongside the boliviano and US dollar within national payment frameworks. Additionally, financial institutions Banco Unión and Banco FIE currently offer customer services incorporating USDT functionality.
Corporate payment infrastructure emerges as strategic priority Tether has substantially increased its attention toward enterprise-level payment systems, extending beyond retail financial services. Recently, the stablecoin issuer spearheaded a $7 million investment round in Pact Labs. This funding facilitates USAT stablecoin implementation within payroll infrastructure serving major corporate payment networks.
The company has simultaneously advanced stablecoin utilization in corporate treasury management through experimental cross-border payment initiatives. Earlier in the month, Hyundai Motor America and Hyundai Motor Mexico successfully executed a treasury transaction using USDT on the Avalanche blockchain. The test transaction reportedly processed a $20,000 transfer in roughly seven minutes utilizing technology infrastructure supplied by Axiym.
The Ualá investment underscores Tether’s comprehensive regional expansion strategy spanning digital banking, payment systems, cryptocurrency exchanges, and enterprise financial solutions. The stablecoin leader persistently extends its blockchain-based infrastructure through strategic alliances with established financial institutions across Latin America. This latest reported capital commitment further reinforces Tether’s long-term vision of embedding practical blockchain payment capabilities throughout the region’s financial ecosystem.
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]
Tether, the company most people associate with the world’s largest stablecoin, just released an open-source brain-to-text engine that runs entirely on your device. No cloud. No data leaving your hardware. No third party reading your neural signals.
Tether has been quietly building out its AI division, Tether EVO, and the latest release slots into its broader QVAC framework, a privacy-first toolkit designed to keep sensitive data exactly where it belongs: with the user.
What Tether actually built The project is called BrainWhisperer, and it does what the name suggests. It decodes brain signals into text, running entirely on local hardware through the QuantumVerse Automatic Computer (QVAC) ecosystem.
QVAC launched on April 9, 2026, as a cross-platform, fully open-source software development kit for on-device AI inference and application development.
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The brain-to-text component leverages OpenAI’s Whisper architecture, specifically through whisper.cpp, a lightweight implementation that handles speech-related tasks. But instead of transcribing audio from a microphone, BrainWhisperer applies similar decoding principles to neural signals.
Tether EVO placed fourth out of 466 participants in the Brain-to-Text ’25 Kaggle Competition on February 12, 2026. The team achieved a word error rate of just 1.78%. For context, that means roughly 98 out of every 100 words were decoded correctly from brain signals.
Why privacy matters more here than anywhere else QVAC keeps everything local. CEO Paolo Ardoino has emphasized that full control of neural data remains with the user, a design philosophy baked into the architecture rather than bolted on as an afterthought.
The open-source component adds another layer of accountability. When the code is public, anyone can audit it, verify that data isn’t being exfiltrated, and fork the project to build their own implementation.
Tether’s bigger play: the machine economy The QVAC framework is designed to support what the company calls a “Machine Economy,” a network of autonomous agents that can transact in Bitcoin and USDT across decentralized applications.
The QVAC SDK extends beyond brain-computer interfaces to support robotic toolkit applications, suggesting Tether EVO envisions a world where local AI doesn’t just decode your thoughts but also controls physical systems and manages financial transactions autonomously.
What this means for investors and the crypto market For developers, the open-source QVAC SDK represents an opportunity to build applications that combine AI inference with crypto-native payment rails without relying on centralized cloud infrastructure. The competitive showing at the Kaggle competition serves as a credibility signal that the underlying technology actually works at a high level.
The QVAC GitHub presence continues to evolve, suggesting active development rather than a one-time announcement.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The US sanctioned four crypto wallets tied to Iran’s Central Bank this week. Within hours, Tether froze $131 million in USDT sitting inside them.
It took one Treasury update and one flip of the Tether kill switch. USDT now doubles as a US sanctions weapon, and the industry is split over how issuers should police their coins.
How the Tether Kill Switch Became a US Sanctions WeaponTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the freeze. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) simply added four Tron addresses to its existing Central Bank of Iran designation.
No new sanctions were needed. The bank has been blocked since 2019 over its support for the IRGC-Qods Force and Hezbollah.
“We will continue to aggressively follow the money and deny the Iranian regime access to the proceeds of its illicit revenue schemes,” Bessent said the campaign targets Iran’s abuse of digital assets.
The wallets had taken in more than $165 million in stablecoins, Chainalysis data shows. About $34 million slipped out first. Tether locked the remaining $131 million, nearly 80% of the total.
Here is what the freeze does. The tokens stay visible on-chain, but the addresses cannot spend or send them. It is not a seizure. Iran still holds the wallets. It just cannot use them.
The mechanics are simple and fast. OFAC names the addresses. Tether flips the switch at the token level. No court order is needed. A private offshore company now enforces US foreign policy in hours, through the third-largest crypto asset, worth $184 billion.
Tether helped block $344 million the same way in April. Frozen Central Bank funds now near $475 million. Seized Iranian crypto overall has reached roughly $1 billion.
OFAC also sanctioned Nobitex and other Iranian exchanges in June for facilitating the transfer of the bank’s stablecoins.
The fine print carries a warning, too. OFAC says its published wallet lists are not exhaustive. Any other address the bank controls is already considered blocked property.
That changes the game for Tehran. Washington is dismantling Iran’s $7.7 billion crypto network. Every remaining USDT holding sits one listing away from a freeze.
Why Circle Refuses to Do What Tether DoesTether moves fast. Circle does not. The USDC issuer faces a Wisconsin criminal complaint for defying a court order in a romance scam case. The order required recovering roughly 381,000 stolen USDC for the victim.
Tether says it has frozen about $4.7 billion tied to crime. It has returned $1.1 billion to victims, per ICIJ. Circle only acts under a strict legal process. Policy chief Dante Disparte called that gap a policy problem in an April post.
“Circle is a regulated company that complies with sanctions, law enforcement orders, and court-mandated requirements… Regarding seizure requests, the legal structures that would authorize stablecoin issuers to act faster—while preserving due process and property rights—do not yet fully exist,” a Circle spokesperson told BeInCrypto.
For now, USDT still dominates the $310 billion stablecoin market, with about 59%, DefiLlama data shows.
Tether’s Volume in Total Stablecoin Market Cap. Source: DefiLlamaThe open question is simple. Will sanctioned actors keep using a coin that can be switched off?
Tether has transferred $500 million USDT to Binance via the Solana blockchain, as reported by social media user @martypartymusic. The transaction, which occurred on June 2, 2026, underscores Solana’s capacity for handling large-scale stablecoin movements with minimal fees. This substantial inflow of liquidity to Binance is expected to bolster its capabilities, particularly in the Solana corridor, where high-frequency demand is strong. The native SPL token USDT, backed by Tether’s reserves, facilitates swift settlements, enhancing market activity for key assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
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Key Takeaways The $500 million USDT transfer appears to bolster Binance’s liquidity on Solana, suggesting increased market activity. Solana’s efficiency in processing large transactions is consistent with increased demand for high-frequency activity. Market pricing suggests participants view this development as potentially supportive of Solana price increases. What to Watch Observers should monitor if this liquidity enhancement leads to increased volumes on Binance, potentially affecting Solana’s price trajectory. Key indicators include Solana’s ability to maintain its efficiency in processing large transactions and any subsequent liquidity movements. Developments such as the Alpenglow upgrade and ETF inflow resumption could further influence market dynamics, potentially impacting Solana’s price targets, including the possibility of reaching $90 in July.
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Term Structure
Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h August 1 2026 11.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.4% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 1.4% — — View market → August 1 2026 1% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.9% — — View market → August 1 2026 3.8% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.4% — — View market → August 1 2026 8.5% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 1.3% — — View market → August 1 2026 0.1% — — View market → August 1 2026 39.5% — — View market →
Many new users transferring USDT for the first time encounter issues that stem from misunderstandings of how stablecoins function. Unlike traditional banking apps, stablecoin transactions are irreversible; once funds are sent, there is no support line or mechanism to recover them if a mistake occurs.
Essential checks before sending USDTCommon errors in USDT transfers often occur before the final confirmation. New users are advised to focus on three key steps to prevent losing their assets.
Network selection is the first critical decision. USDT operates on several blockchains, including Tron, Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana. These tokens are not interchangeable. It is important for the sender to confirm with the recipient which network is acceptable. If the recipient cannot provide this information, users are strongly advised to refrain from proceeding.
The format of the wallet address further verifies the correct network. Tron addresses begin with a “T” and are 34 characters long, while Ethereum and BNB Chain addresses start with “0x” and contain 42 characters. If the recipient supplies a “0x” address and asks for a TRC-20 USDT transfer, this indicates a mismatch that must be resolved before proceeding.
The cryptocurrency used to pay transaction fees is the third point of attention. On most networks, users need a balance of the network’s native coin—such as TRX for Tron or ETH for Ethereum—to cover fees. Verifying this before the final step prevents interruptions during the transaction process.
Mini dictionary: IronWallet is a non-custodial, multi-chain cryptocurrency wallet that facilitates gasless stablecoin transfers and supports over 10,000 assets. It allows users to send USDT on Tron without holding TRX for fees, making the process easier for beginners.
Step-by-step guide to USDT transfersThe following steps outline a typical USDT transfer using IronWallet, though the process is similar for other popular wallets:
Open the wallet and select USDT. Choose the correct network that matches the recipient’s requirements.Tap Send and paste the recipient’s address. Always paste rather than type, and confirm the first and last four digits to guard against address-swapping malware.Check the network label. Ensure the network, such as TRC-20, ERC-20, or BEP-20, matches the intended recipient’s preference.Enter the amount and review the fee. In IronWallet, fees are deducted from the USDT itself on Tron; other wallets may require TRX or ETH.Make a test transfer first. Sending a small amount (one or two USDT) helps confirm everything is set up correctly before transferring a larger sum.Save the transaction hash. This serves as public proof of the transaction and is useful for tracking or support queries. A test transfer with a small sum can help prevent costly mistakes and absorbs any one-time token account setup fees charged by the network.
Irrecoverable errors and network selectionSending USDT on the wrong blockchain is the most common and severe error. Tokens mistakenly sent to an incompatible address may become inaccessible unless the recipient controls the private key for both networks, which is uncommon, especially with exchange deposit addresses.
Exchanges are generally not obligated to recover misdirected transfers. Ensuring the correct network is selected—by verifying the recipient’s deposit screen rather than relying solely on the address—effectively prevents this issue.
Understanding transaction fees and special wallet featuresBeginners are often surprised to discover that holding USDT alone is insufficient to complete a transaction. A network’s native cryptocurrency is required to pay the fee, such as TRX for TRC-20 transfers or ETH for ERC-20 ones. Not having this can halt the process, even if the account is otherwise funded.
Some wallets, such as IronWallet, allow users to pay network fees using USDT directly, removing the need for a second token. Alternatively, regular Tron users may consider staking TRX for Energy, reducing per-transaction costs.
NetworkNative Coin for FeeSample Wallet Fee MethodTron (TRC-20)TRXIronWallet: fee in USDT; others: fee in TRXEthereum (ERC-20)ETHFee always in ETHBNB Chain (BEP-20)BNBFee always in BNBCosts for new addresses and monitoring your transferSending USDT to an address for the first time can incur a higher fee, as the network establishes a token account. For example, on Tron, the initial transaction may require 13 TRX compared to 6 TRX for subsequent transfers. This additional cost applies only once. Conducting a test transfer with a small amount helps absorb this setup fee before moving larger amounts.
Once the transaction is confirmed, it cannot be reversed. Users can check transaction status using blockchain explorers like TronScan or Etherscan by entering the transaction hash. If confirmation is delayed, common causes include low fees or network congestion. Failed transactions still consume the fee and may require a retry with an adjusted fee.
Summary: Safe USDT transfers for beginnersA safe USDT transfer requires careful attention to network choice, address accuracy, and transaction fees. Sending a small test amount offers an extra layer of protection, especially for those new to stablecoins. Correct network selection is the most important factor, as it can prevent irreversible losses.
Matching the network, double-checking the address, and sending a small test amount are the key steps for a secure first USDT transfer.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Cardano exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have attracted stronger investor inflows than TRON, underscoring growing institutional confidence in the Cardano ecosystem.
According to data compiled by Blockworks, Cardano-linked ETFs recorded $37.2 million in net inflows during 2025. The momentum has continued into the current year, with the products already attracting over $6.9 million in additional net inflows.
In contrast, investment products tied to TRON experienced substantial capital outflows over the same period. Blockworks data shows that TRON ETFs lost $33.38 million in 2025, while investors withdrew another $17.47 million from TRX-linked funds this year.
The contrasting performance suggests that institutional and professional investors continue allocating capital to Cardano despite broader market volatility.
Cardano and TRON ETFs Cardano ETFs Outperform TRON in AUM and Monthly Flows Cardano’s ETPs currently manage $48.3 million in assets under management (AUM) across eight active investment products. Some of the top offerings include 21Shares Cardano ETP (AADA), WisdomTree Physical Cardano, and Bitwise Physical Cardano ETP (RDAN)
These regulated investment products trade outside the United States, allowing investors in multiple international markets to gain exposure to ADA without directly buying or holding the cryptocurrency.
Moreover, recent investment activity also favors Cardano. Over the past 30 days, the eight Cardano ETPs attracted $1.17 million in fresh capital. Meanwhile, TRON’s exchange-traded investment products brought in just $534,000 during the same period.
The gap also extends to overall assets under management. While Cardano’s eight ETPs oversee $48.3 million in AUM, TRON currently has only two active ETPs with a combined $29 million in AUM.
International Demand Grows Ahead of Potential U.S. ETF The latest inflows have drawn attention across the Cardano community because they originate entirely from markets outside the United States.
Although U.S. investors still lack access to a spot Cardano ETF, Grayscale has already filed an application for one. Market observers expect the U.S. SEC to decide on the proposal later this year.
Current expectations point to a potential decision by October 2026, provided the regulatory timeline remains on schedule. The process gained momentum after CME Group launched Cardano futures in February 2026, triggering the SEC’s six-month regulated market observation period. Once that requirement concludes on August 9, 2026, ADA will satisfy a key eligibility criterion for consideration for spot ETFs.
If the SEC reviews Grayscale’s application under its streamlined 75-day approval framework, the agency could issue a final decision as early as October 23, 2026.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author's personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.
The U.S. Treasury added four wallets linked to Iran’s central bank to its sanctions list, leading Tether to freeze $131 million in USDT.The freeze targets TRON-based addresses that previously held over $165 million, preventing those specific funds from being transferred or redeemed.This action brings the total amount of blocked USDT linked to Iran's central bank to roughly $475 million.The U.S. added four crypto wallets linked to the Central Bank of Iran to its sanctions list after a ceasefire agreement between the two countries broke down and air and drone strikes resumed.
The four Tron-blockchain wallets had received more than $165 million in stablecoins, according to Chainalysis. Tether blocked $131 million in USDT held by the accounts, though some of the funds had moved before the freeze.
Sanctioning the wallets gives exchanges, custodians and compliance firms a clear set of addresses to screen for. Iran’s central bank has accumulated at least $507 million in USDT, according to Elliptic, using the token to support the rial.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has said its published wallet lists are not exhaustive, meaning other addresses controlled by the bank may still qualify as blocked property.
Tuesday’s OFAC update expands on an existing designation rather than imposing new sanctions. The Central Bank of Iran has been blocked under U.S. counterterrorism authorization since 2019 over its support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force and Hezbollah.
The action follows OFAC’s June sanctions on Nobitex and other Iranian exchanges accused of helping the central bank move in and out of stablecoins.
In April, Tether froze $344 million in USDT linked to the bank, bringing the total blocked across both actions to roughly $475 million.
Chainalysis said the four addresses received funds from an institutional liquidity provider and an Asia-based payment processor,
The frozen tokens remain visible onchain, but the addresses can no longer transfer or redeem them. The freeze, however, does not amount to a seizure as the funds remain under the control of the wallets belonging to Iran’s central bank.
TL;DRBNB Chain hosts more registered AI agents than any other network under ERC-8004, the standard for onchain agent identity: about 200,000 ERC-8004 agents, roughly 60% of all agents across 26 chains and more than every other network combined (8004scan, 16 July 2026).An agent economy needs four things to work: identity, capability, payment, and accountability. This piece maps each to what exists on BNB Chain today.Open standards (ERC-8004, BAP-578, x402) plus about $13.7B in stablecoins (DefiLlama, 29 June 2026) let agents identify themselves and pay onchain.For builders, that means starting from the largest agent base already in place, instead of trying to build one from zero.The shift from AI apps to AI agentsSoftware agents are starting to do things that used to need a person: call an API, book a service, pay for compute, settle a bill. The open question is where that activity settles. An agent that only drafts text can run anywhere, but an agent that holds funds, proves who it is, and pays for what it uses needs infrastructure underneath it.
That is what this piece looks at: what an AI agent economy actually requires, and where BNB Chain sits against it today. We last mapped AI on BNB Chain at the end of 2024, when the story was AI apps. The story now is agents, and the most widely accepted measure BNB Chain leads, it holds the most onchain agents of any network under the ERC-8004 agent-directory standard (8004scan, 16 July 2026). The sections below set out a simple framework for the category, then show which pieces exist on BNB Chain and which are still early.
What an agent economy actually needsAn autonomous agent needs four things to operate on its own. The framework applies to any chain or platform, not only BNB Chain, which is what makes it a useful lens.
Identity. A way to prove which agent is acting, and a record of how it has behaved.Capability. The means to do useful work, from reaching an AI model to executing onchain.Payment. The ability to pay and get paid without a person approving each charge.Accountability. A verifiable trail of what an agent did, so other parties can trust or dispute it.The rest of this piece maps BNB Chain against these four.
Why this becomes an infrastructure problemMost AI work does not need a blockchain. An agent summarizing your inbox runs fine on a company server. A chain becomes relevant only when agents start handling value and need to be trusted by parties that have never met them. At that point you need an identity no single company controls, payments that settle without a card on file, and a record anyone can check. Those are the conditions under which an agent economy reaches for onchain infrastructure, and they are where the standards below fit in.
Where BNB Chain fits todayThe most concrete grounding is the agent count, and the key is what you count it against. ERC-8004 has become the widely accepted decentralized standard for an agent directory: the discoverability and reputation layer that agents register on so other software can find them and check their track record. BNB Smart Chain carries more than 200,000 ERC-8004 agents (as of 16 July 2026), roughly 60% of all such agents across 26 networks and more than every other network combined. The second-largest chain, holds under 40,000. The lead is also widening: about 72,800 of those agents registered in the past 30 days, more than any other network added over the same period (16 July, 8004scan).
For a builder shipping a tool, a model-access gateway, or a payment rail for agents, that's not a vanity metric, it's distribution. It means the agents that would use your product, subscribe to your API, or route payments through your rail are already registered and operating here in volume, well ahead of any other chain.
The settlement layer is deep as well. BNB Chain holds about $13.7 billion in stablecoins (DefiLlama, 29 June 2026), the money agents would actually move.
Keep the quantitative and qualitative separate. The agent count and the stablecoin base are measured onchain. The projects named in the next section are qualitative signals: they show builders choosing BNB Chain for agent work, which is different from a measure of category leadership.
How the pieces compose on BNB ChainMapping the four-part framework onto what exists today shows where BNB Chain is built out and where it is still early.
Identity and accountabilityERC-8004 is the widely accepted standard for decentralized agent identity, discovery, and reputation: each agent gets an onchain identity and a track record other software can look up. The BNB Attestation Service (BAS) records attestations about what an agent is and what it has done, surfaced through an Agent Passport that an agent can carry between apps. BAP-578, BNB Chain's native Non-Fungible Agent standard, goes a step further by making the agents themselves ownable, tradable, and upgradable onchain. Together these cover the identity and accountability legs of the framework.
Capability: tools and model accessBefore an agent can act, it needs to reach and pay for AI models without running on a person's API key. Several projects on BNB Chain rebuild that layer so the agent holds the credential and the cost is metered onchain, grouped under the Agent Survival Pack, an ecosystem showcase of six projects (BNB Chain does not operate them). WorldClaw routes requests across 300+ models with stablecoin settlement on BNB Chain. Bankr runs an LLM Gateway that reaches 30+ models through one endpoint, charging per token in stablecoins on BSC. Alt AI, built by the AltLayer team, settles model access in BNB or BEP-20 tokens.
PaymentPayment is where the framework becomes real. The x402 standard lets an agent settle a charge as part of a normal request, with no card on file and no human in the loop. AEON runs an x402 facilitator on BNB Chain and connects agents to real-world spending, including QR payments at physical merchants. Binance Pay brings programmable, HTTP-native payments to BNB Chain through its own x402 integration, launched with Trust Wallet’s AgentKit, the self-custodial wallet layer that lets agents pay from a wallet a user controls and that is integrated with BNB Agent Studio. Pieverse adds gasless payments tied to ERC-8004 identity. The stablecoins agents settle in, $U and USD1, are both live on BNB Chain. Consumer crypto spending sits next to this and is worth keeping distinct: Oobit, for example, lets a person tap to pay with BNB at Visa and Mastercard terminals, which is a person spending, not an agent settling its own bills.
The wider ecosystemUnderneath the agents is a full AI stack on BNB Chain: storage, compute, data, developer tools, and verification. The shift in 2026 is that projects which grew up elsewhere are building here too. Virtuals Protocol, a well-known agent platform, extended its agent-commerce layer to BNB Chain in March 2026, alongside the tools already settling on the chain.
Where it is still earlyTwo gaps are worth stating plainly. First, the identity base is large but application-level demand, the volume of real work agents pay for, still has to be proven. Second, some pieces are not settled: a consumer-style payment product that issues agents their own card is not yet part of the picture, and the exact naming and timing of an MPP-based payments SDK are still being confirmed internally. Naming the gaps is part of reading the data honestly.
Building on BNB ChainFor a builder deciding where to put an agent product, the case is straightforward: BNB Chain already has the largest registered agent base of any network, and the infrastructure to reach it is live, not planned.
For builders, the on-ramp is the BNBAgent SDK, a Python toolkit now live on mainnet and the first live implementation of ERC-8183, the standard for onchain agent commerce. It bundles identity, payment, and execution in one place, and BNB Agent Studio lets a builder stand up an agent from a prompt, with Trust Wallet’s AgentKit integrated so the agent can pay from a self-custodial wallet. The BNB Hack: AI Trading Agents, run with CoinMarketCap and Trust Wallet, is a current place to put the SDK to work (dates to confirm before publishing).
ConclusionBNB Chain already holds the largest base of onchain AI agents of any network, and it's the only chain where identity (ERC-8004, BAP-578), payments (x402, live stablecoins), and commerce (ERC-8183, the BNBAgent SDK) are all live at once, not split across roadmaps. That combination is why builders shipping agent infrastructure are choosing BNB Chain today. The scale is already here, what's ahead is agents putting it to work, and that's a growth curve, not an open question.
Beyond AI and regulatory clarity, one key theme is taking center stage in 2026: Stronger tokenomics.
The logic is simple: While deflationary mechanisms can support price by creating scarcity-driven rallies, the bigger picture goes beyond short-term price action. Instead, they are increasingly becoming a key factor in improving long-term value capture for token holders.
Notably, BNB’s latest burn cycle is a clear example of this shift. According to the official report, the BSC chain burned 1.62 million BNB tokens during its 36th quarterly burn, worth around $931 million at the time. This reduced BNB’s circulating supply to 133 million, putting it behind only Ethereum’s [ETH] 120 million and Bitcoin’s [BTC] 21 million among the top 10 crypto assets by supply.
Source: X More importantly, the market reaction after the burn showed growing investor interest in assets with in-built deflationary mechanics. The narrative quickly picked up momentum on social media, with many investors arguing that Binance Coin [BNB] is entering Q3 with a strong bullish setup.
However, the thesis may still seem a bit too early. From a technical standpoint, despite the burn and the surrounding hype, BNB is up only 1.5% this week, trailing Ethereum’s 6% rally. That said, compared to Solana’s [SOL] 0.5% gain, BNB is showing stronger relative momentum. With Solana’s liquid supply being over 5x larger than BNB’s, this divergence doesn’t look random.
Instead, it suggests investors are starting to favor assets with tighter supply dynamics. However, when it comes to long-term value capture, Solana is still in the race, driven by its growing RWA momentum. The bigger question now is whether Solana’s RWA growth can eventually outperform BNB’s stronger tokenomics, revealing which narrative has the stronger long-term edge.
BNB’s burn meets Solana’s RWA momentum Both tokenomics and tokenization have emerged as major growth themes in the 2026 cycle.
While Solana still trails BNB when it comes to deflationary mechanics, its tokenization narrative is clearly gaining momentum. According to RWA.xyz, Solana is now the leading blockchain by RWA holders, with over 300k real-world asset holders, a new all-time high, and far ahead of BSC’s 118k holders. Notably, this surge has been fueled by tokenized equities, with Solana recording $3.47 billion in tokenized equities trading volume in June 2026, also marking a new all-time high.
However, price action tells a different story. SOL/BNB remains in a steady downtrend, failing to reclaim key support levels since Q4 2023’s 227% rally. Since then, each cycle has followed a similar pattern. Around two quarters of consolidation before another breakdown, underscoring that Solana’s strong fundamentals have yet to fully translate into relative strength against BNB.
Source: TradingView (SOL/BNB) Naturally, this shifts the focus back to BNB’s recent 1.62 million token burn.
With supply tightening further and the gap widening against Solana’s 582 million liquid supply, Solana’s RWA momentum has yet to show up in the SOL/BNB ratio. Moreover, investors appear to be placing more weight on stronger tokenomics as a more reliable driver of long-term value capture.
In this context, a SOL/BNB breakout in Q3 still looks like a tough challenge.
Final Summary BNB’s 1.62 million token burn is boosting its deflationary narrative, as investors focus more on assets with stronger supply control. Solana’s RWA growth is strong. But BSC’s tighter supply keeps the SOL/BNB breakout uncertain.
Alchemy Brings Full Infrastructure Stack to StellarAlchemy has gone live with RPC endpoints, WebSockets, and three indexed Data APIs for the Stellar network, covering both mainnet and testnet. The move hands Stellar developers a production-grade infrastructure layer without the overhead of running custom tooling.
The three indexed APIs give developers access to transfer histories, consolidated token balances through a single request, and NFT holdings spanning both traditional Stellar assets and Soroban-based assets. According to Build on Stellar, the APIs merge classic Stellar and Stellar Smart Contract assets into a single response, cutting out a step that has historically added complexity to application development.
Alchemy provides 99.99% uptime with global redundancy, RPC and WebSocket support, and battle-tested infrastructure with SOC 2 Type II certification. Developers can access all of this using the same API key they already use for other chains supported by the platform.
Why It Matters for Stellar BuildersBefore this integration, retrieving a full picture of a user's on-chain activity on Stellar typically required developers to build or maintain a custom indexer, a time-consuming task that pulls resources away from core product work. With Alchemy's Stellar Data API, developers can query indexed Stellar data across native, classic, and Soroban assets, including transfer history, account balances, and NFT holdings, without running their own indexer.
Stellar is a Layer 1 blockchain purpose-built for real-world payments and asset movement, combining high-performance smart contracts, sub-5-second finality, and native access to institutional financial rails. MoneyGram and PayPal integrate directly with Stellar for production settlement and payment flows, and the network currently supports approximately $2 billion in on-chain real-world assets.
The Alchemy integration adds to a growing list of developer tooling arriving on Stellar. SushiSwap V3 launched on Stellar in February 2026, with other key protocols including Blend for lending, Aquarius for AMM liquidity, Upshift for vault infrastructure, and Rails for perpetuals. The arrival of institutional-grade API infrastructure from a provider of Alchemy's scale is likely to lower the barrier further for teams evaluating Stellar as a build target.
Sources
Alchemy: Stellar Support Is Live on Alchemy
Alchemy Docs: Stellar Data API Overview
Tradable, a leading private asset marketplace and tokenization platform, today announced an integration with the Stellar network to tokenize up to $1 billion of private credit assets onchain.
The integration builds on Tradable’s mission to bring blockchain technology to traditional asset managers through tokenized institutional-grade investment opportunities across high-quality asset classes including private credit. The platform supports workflows that matter in real markets, including deal lifecycle management, compliance controls, investor onboarding, and ongoing operations.
“We’re excited to partner with institutionally oriented ecosystems like Stellar,” said Alex Cordover, CEO of Tradable. “By bringing assets onto the Stellar blockchain network, Tradable is continuing to work toward its goal of building the next generation of alternative asset infrastructure.”
In addition to bringing a significant amount of private credit assets into the Stellar blockchain ecosystem, the integration will also help to ensure the assets are interoperable and composable, maintaining the ability to increase liquidity, and enhance user engagement across numerous platforms. Purpose-built to enable adherence to strict data security and regulatory guidelines, the Stellar network has unique buy-in from institutional adopters. The Stellar network’s native asset controls, privacy, and operating cost advantages can all drive significant institutional demand for tokenized private credit assets.
“Stellar is the network regulated institutions choose to tokenize real-world assets, and Tradable's decision to bring up to $1 billion in private credit to the network is a clear signal that enterprises are choosing Stellar to bring financial assets onchain at scale.” said Denelle Dixon, CEO of Stellar Development Foundation. “Tradable and the Stellar network are showing that institutional-grade assets can move on public blockchain infrastructure with the compliance, security, and efficiency real markets demand.”
Tradable previously announced in 2025 that it had fully tokenized $1.7 billion of assets across close to 30 institutional-grade private credit positions.
About Tradable
Tradable’s technology platform helps leading asset managers (originators) adopt web3 technology and grow AUM by reaching a new on-chain investor audience. Investors are able to access institutional quality opportunities via an intuitive interface built to simplify asset discovery and due diligence. Tradable has developed secure smart contracts for deal representation and AML/KYC/KYB/KYT compliance. Tradable’s blockchain-based systems improve on traditional marketplaces by enabling on-chain investments and programmatic execution of key tasks while maintaining a high bar of asset quality. Tradable is led by seasoned fintech operators with backgrounds spanning payments, marketplaces, AI, web3, trading, and private credit. For more information, visit tradable.xyz.
About The Stellar Network
The Stellar network is a decentralized, fast, scalable, and uniquely sustainable blockchain built for financial products and services. It offers builders smart contracts functionality and a protocol optimized for payments, with a design intended to keep fees low and to provide transaction speeds that can scale with increased adoption. Financial institutions and innovators worldwide issue assets and settle payments on the Stellar network, which has processed billions of operations with millions of accounts since the network was first launched.
Stellar (XLM) has continued to gain traction as the fast-growing altcoin remains one of the top-performing cryptocurrencies that have been barely overwhelmed by the extreme market volatility.
With XLM consistently projecting strong price movements even on days when the market seems uncertain, traders are beginning to weigh in on its possible future outcome against its rival, XRP.
XLM gains edge over XRPData showcased on the crypto prediction market Kalshi shows that traders are giving XLM a bit of an edge over XRP as the former continues to pull stronger price moves even amid the weak market conditions.
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Under the category that allows traders to bet on which cryptocurrency will end the year with a positive return, 36% of traders on the platform believe XLM will finish the year in the green. Meanwhile, only 31% showed confidence in XRP.
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Although the difference is relatively small, it suggests that market sentiment is a bit in favor of XLM and traders are showing more confidence in Stellar's performance over the remainder of the year despite XRP's growing social hype.
What does history say?While the odds appear to be pretty close, historical data further backs XLM's chances of outperforming XRP for the remaining part of the year.
So far in 2026, XLM has only decreased by 5.99%, while XRP is down by a massive 39.8%, positioning the former way ahead in terms of their year-to-date price performance.
Further data has also shown that XLM has been more resilient over the past three months, posting an increase of 17.8% in its price while XRP declined by 21.4% over the same period.
Quick Overview UnitedHealth delivered Q2 adjusted EPS of $6.38, significantly exceeding the $4.91 consensus estimate Quarterly revenue totaled $112 billion, surpassing Wall Street’s $110.8 billion projection Company increased full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $19.50–$20.00 range Medical-cost ratio dropped to 86.7%, improving from 89.4% in the prior-year period Competing health insurers including Humana, Centene, and Molina saw premarket gains UnitedHealth Group shares surged approximately 7% during premarket hours Thursday following the healthcare giant’s release of second-quarter earnings that exceeded expectations and an upward revision to its annual forecast.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UNH
The company’s adjusted earnings per share reached $6.38, significantly surpassing analyst projections clustered around $4.85–$4.91. This represents an earnings beat exceeding $1.50 per share — a substantial outperformance.
Quarterly revenue totaled $112 billion, topping the $110.8 billion consensus forecast from Wall Street analysts. This figure represents growth from the $111.6 billion recorded during the comparable quarter last year.
BREAKING: UnitedHealth stock, $UNH, surges over +8% after posting stronger than expected Q2 earnings.
The stock is now officially up over +75% since its March 27th bottom. pic.twitter.com/csc1kAX4NL
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) July 16, 2026
The medical-cost ratio — representing the portion of premium revenue spent on medical care — declined to 86.7%. This marks an improvement from the 89.4% ratio posted in Q2 2025 and outperformed analyst expectations of 88.4%. Company leadership attributed the enhancement to refined benefit structures, more disciplined pricing strategies, and improved cost controls in medical spending.
Operating earnings climbed to $8.0 billion, a substantial increase from the $5.2 billion generated in the second quarter of 2025.
Annual Projections Enhanced Leveraging the momentum from its impressive quarterly performance, UnitedHealth elevated its 2026 full-year adjusted earnings guidance to a $19.50–$20.00 per share range. The midpoint of $19.75 substantially exceeds the analyst consensus hovering around $18.48–$18.49. The company’s previous guidance had established a floor of $18.25.
Additionally, management boosted its annual cash flow projection to roughly $24 billion, representing an increase from the earlier target of over $18 billion.
Operating cash flows totaled $11.1 billion during the quarter, equating to 1.9 times net income. The company has already executed $4 billion in share repurchases through mid-July and anticipates buying back a minimum of $5 billion throughout the entire year.
Business Unit Performance UnitedHealthcare provided coverage to 48.5 million members throughout the quarter while generating revenues of $86 billion and earnings of $3.9 billion. The division’s operating margin improved to 4.6%, advancing from 2.4% in Q2 2025.
Optum, the organization’s healthcare services division, produced revenues totaling $65.7 billion alongside earnings of $4.0 billion, demonstrating 160 basis points of year-over-year margin improvement.
Chief Executive Stephen Hemsley noted the results demonstrate “continuing progress in our work to simplify how we operate, improve both affordability and the health care experience for patients and care providers.”
The impressive financial performance created positive spillover effects for competitor health insurance companies. Humana climbed 4.8% in premarket activity, while Centene advanced 4.6% and Molina Healthcare increased 2.9%.
UnitedHealth’s approximately 7% premarket surge positioned the stock near $448.50, compared with its previous closing price of roughly $418.52.
Three Industry Names Join Stellar's Validator CoreThe Stellar Development Foundation (@StellarOrg) has added three new organizations to its Tier 1 validator set: @MoneyGram, @Figure, and @range_org. The additions bring together institutions spanning global money movement, capital markets, and blockchain security infrastructure, deepening the network's decentralization at its most consequential layer.
Tier 1 organizations bear the safety and liveness of the Stellar network, meaning most other validators on the network require agreement from them to commit to a new ledger. The role is not self-appointed. To become a Tier 1 organization, a team must convince enough other organizations to trust them. Each Tier 1 member is also required to run three geographically dispersed full validators to ensure redundancy in the event that one node goes offline.
The new entrants bring real-world institutional weight. @MoneyGram has long been embedded in Stellar's payments ecosystem, using the network to process cross-border remittances. MGUSD, its dollar-pegged stablecoin issued via Stripe's Bridge, connects digital dollars to roughly 500,000 physical cash locations in MoneyGram's global remittance network. @Figure is a fintech firm active in capital markets, issuing YLDS, a yield-bearing dollar asset, on the Stellar network. @range_org adds blockchain security infrastructure expertise to the group.
Why the Expansion Matters for $XLMThe move is part of a broader push by SDF to raise the number of Tier 1 organizations and improve the network's fault tolerance. Since April 2025, there had been seven Tier 1 organizations, each operating three full validators, including Blockdaemon, Creit Technologies, Franklin Templeton, LOBSTR, Public Node, SatoshiPay, and SDF. Adding three more organizations meaningfully expands the quorum and reduces the risk of a network halt caused by a small number of participants going dark.
Tier 1 organizations bear the safety and liveness of the Stellar network on their shoulders. That accountability is also what makes them attractive to institutions. Under the Stellar Consensus Protocol, there are no monetary rewards for validators, who operate the network via Proof-of-Agreement through a system of federated voting. Validators participate because they have a direct operational stake in the network's health, not because they earn block rewards.
SDF has emphasised that its approach to decentralization is not about maximizing node count, but fostering trust, mission alignment, and resilience in real-world scenarios. The profiles of @MoneyGram, @Figure, and @range_org reflect exactly that philosophy: each has an active business reason to want Stellar running reliably.
Validator nodes on Stellar increased 13% since year-end, and the latest additions signal that institutional participation in network infrastructure is accelerating alongside growing stablecoin and asset issuance activity on the chain.
Sources:
Stellar Docs: Tier 1 Organizations
Stellar Development Foundation: Q1 2026 Network Update
Messari: State of Stellar Q1 2026
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Keyrock acquires BlockFills' institutional trading and brokerage business for $3.25 million
Keyrock has completed the acquisition of BlockFills' institutional trading and brokerage business, with the deal covering its trading technology, institutional client relationships, and derivatives trading team. The acquisition will also expand Keyrock's regulatory scope, including an entity registered with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and another UK entity seeking authorization from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Keyrock did not disclose the transaction price in its announcement. Per prior court documents and disclosures from company representatives, the total acquisition value is $3.25 million, payable in two installments, with certain arrangements subject to regulatory approval. BlockFills suffered major losses during the February 2026 crypto market crash, after which it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Keyrock was ultimately selected as the buyer in the firm's bankruptcy proceedings.
5 minutes ago
Serenity: Declines in storage and AI-related crypto assets likely stem from deleveraging and cascading margin liquidations.
Serenity noted that Micron Technology announced today it has signed a long-term memory agreement with Qualcomm, but Micron’s stock price still fell by 5.37% following the announcement. He believes that, with multiple structural agreements continuing to take effect, the current decline does not appear to stem from issues with storage or AI stocks themselves. The related drop is more likely due to the winding down of deleveraging and margin call liquidation chains.
5 minutes ago
1inch co-founder Anton Bukov stated he was fired at the end of November 2025 and announced the launch of a new project, Second Tier.
1inch co-founder Anton Bukov published a statement saying he was fired at the end of November 2025. While he remains a co-founder of the decentralized exchange aggregator and holds a 50% stake, he is no longer involved in the company’s operations, product architecture, security design, or related oversight duties. Since co-founding 1inch in May 2019, Bukov led work on protocol architecture, security, and economic model design, and contributed to launching key products including the 1inch Router, 1inch Fusion, cross-chain atomic swaps, and shared liquidity automated market makers (AMMs). Bukov noted that feedback from users and team members over the past year led him to realize he could not stay on the sidelines of the company’s management and operations. He subsequently spent months learning leadership and communication skills and driving internal changes, before being dismissed in late November 2025. He also announced the launch of a new project called Second Tier, with plans to collaborate with like-minded teams to build secure, efficient systems that bridge the gap between economic intent and real-world execution.
5 minutes ago
Loss-making small-cap stocks in the Russell 2000 Index have risen 154% since mid-2025, while profitable companies have gained only 34%.
The Kobeissi Letter stated that companies in the Russell 2000 index with negative earnings per share (EPS) have risen a cumulative 154% since mid-2025, while those with positive EPS have only gained 34% over the same period. So far this year, unprofitable companies in the Russell 2000 have climbed 45%, outperforming profitable firms' 18% rise. Driven by this trend, the Russell 2000 has rallied 20% year-to-date, on track to post its best annual performance since 2003. In comparison, the S&P 500 has gained 11% over the same period, while the US tech "Magnificent Seven" has risen just 4%. The top-performing small-cap stocks are mainly tech and infrastructure firms poised to benefit from AI spending. The market is rewarding AI-related exposure, regardless of whether the companies are profitable or not.
5 minutes ago
Injective has submitted a transfer agent registration application to the U.S. SEC.
Injective has submitted a transfer agent registration application to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a move to bring core traditional financial market functions onto the blockchain. If the application is approved, the Injective network plans to maintain official ownership records for tokenized securities and real-world assets (RWA) directly on-chain.
5 minutes ago
Bank of America CEO joins ranks of banking executives warning about risks of Mythos AI
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan has joined a host of Wall Street leaders in voicing serious concerns over AI models such as Mythos developed by Anthropic. “This marks a huge shift in workload, and also relates to how quickly these tools can impact system vulnerabilities, as well as how fast we need to respond,” Moynihan said. In recent months, the rapid evolution of AI models has prompted the financial industry and the U.S. government to begin assessing potential threats. Anthropic claims that Mythos, which launched earlier this year, excels at identifying system vulnerabilities. Bank of America is among the Wall Street institutions granted access to Mythos; the bank has used the model to test its own systems and share information with peers. The model is not yet open to the public. Earlier this week, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned that widespread public access to the system would be “as dangerous as handing a ballistic missile to an individual.” (Jinshi)
ZachXBT advised users with some experience in crypto to use a smartphone for storing their wallets instead of a hardware wallet. In his opinion, the development of the software ecosystem at Ledger was an example of growing danger for crypto wallets’ security. The new wave of phishing and fraudulent apps increased worries about the safety of crypto wallets. This week, the topic of crypto security became a relevant one because of blockchain researcher ZachXBT’s remarks on the reliability of hardware wallets in relation to self-custody of funds. In fact, his views were in contrast to the current practices and drew attention to the issue of crypto wallets’ protection in general, rather than that of hardware only. ZachXBT recommended using an iPhone instead of a hardware wallet for experienced users.
Source: ZachXBT (Telegram) Security Threats Extend Beyond Hardware Wallets Ledger transitioned from Ledger Live to Ledger Wallet, adding buying, swapping, staking, and yield management features. ZachXBT noted that the most serious accusation was against Ledger. Too many software updates complicate normal activities while posing additional security threats. Critics argue that every new feature expands the attack surface. It poses security threats owing to software vulnerabilities, while making no addition to the security of transactions.
These positions were justified by hacking events in which attacks did not take place on hardware but on its users. The fake Ledger application available in the Apple App Store is claimed to have stolen about $9.5 million from the accounts of its users who have revealed their recovery phrases. Another case of a social engineering attack resulted in the loss of more than $282 million by one cryptocurrency holder while interacting socially during the security procedure of a hardware wallet. Other cases involved losing USDC in an air-gapped Ledger and phishing letters with references to quantum computing breakthroughs.
Dedicated iPhones Join the Discussion about Self-Custody ZachXBT claimed that a factory-reset iPhone specifically for storing cryptocurrencies is very safe due to the use of Secure Enclave, biometrics, and app sandboxing by Apple. Also, anonymous purchase of such a phone does not allow user data to be exposed after previous database breaches at Ledger. Yet, smartphones are online devices that will never be able to compete in terms of isolation from the Internet with traditional cold wallets. The researchers mentioned the existence of phishing crypto apps in the Apple App Store.
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Zama says a lending vault that accepts only confidential USDC has grown into one of the largest USDC vaults on Morpho’s Ethereum deployment, weeks after opening to depositors.
Summary
Zama says confidential USDC deposits reached $23.23 million, ranking eighth among Ethereum Morpho USDC vaults. The vault lets users earn DeFi yield while keeping individual balances and deposit positions encrypted. Morpho’s growing institutional use shows privacy tools are entering established onchain lending infrastructure at scale. According to a July 16 post from Zama, the Steakhouse Confidential Prime USDC vault held $23.23 million at Ethereum block 25,544,806. The company said that placed it eighth by total deposits among Morpho V1 and V2 USDC vaults on Ethereum. The ranking and deposit figure reflect Zama’s stated snapshot and can change as users deposit or withdraw funds.
Confidential USDC moves into established DeFi infrastructure The Steakhouse Confidential Prime USDC vault opened on June 23. Steakhouse Financial curates the strategy, Morpho provides the lending infrastructure, and Zama supplies the confidentiality technology.
Users deposit confidential USDC, or cUSDC, rather than standard USDC. Zama uses Fully Homomorphic Encryption to keep individual balances and transaction amounts encrypted while allowing the assets to interact with applications on Ethereum. Deposits ultimately enter a strategy using Morpho lending markets backed by collateral including cbBTC, WBTC and wstETH.
Zama points to $23.23M TVL as a demand signal Zama described the vault’s growth as evidence that users are willing to place capital into confidential financial infrastructure. The company said “capital is ready to flow through confidential rails,” while acknowledging that an ongoing incentive program has also helped attract deposits.
The vault launched with a 12-week reward program on top of the yield generated by its underlying Morpho strategy. Zama said the native strategy was producing about 4% when the product launched, while additional incentives rewarded early depositors. The company had reported more than $14 million deposited by July 2, before the total reached the $23.23 million figure reported on July 16.
Morpho attracts more institutional-style vault products The confidential vault arrives as Morpho attracts asset managers, wallets and professional curators. Bitwise launched its first onchain vault on Morpho in January, targeting stablecoin lending through a non-custodial structure.
Morpho has also expanded through consumer wallet integrations. As reported by crypto.news, Trezor added access to Steakhouse-curated USDC and USDT vaults in May. Those developments place Zama’s product within an existing lending market rather than requiring users to move liquidity to a separate blockchain.
Confidential finance still faces compliance questions Zama’s confidential USDC system has already faced a test involving the underlying stablecoin. In May, a US court order led Circle to temporarily freeze a Zama contract holding about $12.5 million in USDC. The order was later lifted, and Zama said the funds returned to normal operation.
As previously reported, the episode prompted Zama to accelerate work on compliance and controlled disclosure tools. The company says its system encrypts transaction details rather than making users anonymous and plans tools that can respond to legal and regulatory requirements.
Zama argues that its cross-chain confidentiality model can add privacy where liquidity already exists instead of requiring a new Layer 1 or Layer 2. The $23.23 million vault provides an early test of that approach, although continued deposits after the incentive program ends will offer a clearer measure of lasting demand.
Fireblocks and Circle just made moving USDC across blockchains feel less like navigating a maze and more like sending a text. The two companies announced a strategic collaboration on September 9, integrating Circle Gateway directly into the Fireblocks platform to give institutional users a single, unified USDC balance that works across chains in under 500 milliseconds.
What the integration actually does Circle Gateway, now embedded in Fireblocks, provides customers with real-time, unified balances for USDC and EURC across supported blockchains. No separate chain-specific setups required.
For institutional players, this is more than a convenience upgrade. Pre-positioning capital across multiple chains ties up liquidity that could be deployed elsewhere. Eliminating that requirement frees up working capital and reduces the operational overhead that has kept some traditional finance firms from going deeper into digital assets.
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The integration builds on an earlier April 2025 connection between Fireblocks and Circle’s Payments Network, known as CPN, which established the interoperability backbone that makes this latest move possible.
Circle’s Arc and the institutional play The collaboration goes beyond Gateway. Fireblocks is a Day 1 launch partner for Circle’s Arc, an enterprise-grade Layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for stablecoin finance. Arc is built to handle the compliance and security requirements that banks and asset managers demand before they’ll touch crypto infrastructure.
By combining Fireblocks’ custody and transaction infrastructure, which has secured over $10 trillion in digital asset transactions across more than 120 blockchains, with Circle’s stablecoin ecosystem, the two companies are constructing what amounts to a turnkey institutional stablecoin stack.
Market reaction and what investors should watch The market’s verdict was swift and decisive. Circle’s stock, trading under the ticker CRCL, jumped 17% following the announcement.
In a market where Tether’s USDT has historically dominated by sheer volume, this kind of distribution advantage through institutional infrastructure could meaningfully shift the competitive landscape. USDC doesn’t need to overtake USDT in total supply if it becomes the default stablecoin embedded in every major institutional platform.
The risk side of the equation matters too. Concentration of institutional stablecoin activity within a single integration stack creates dependency. If Fireblocks or Circle experiences technical issues, compliance setbacks, or regulatory changes, institutions using this unified balance system could face disruptions that wouldn’t affect those with diversified stablecoin strategies.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Keyrock acquires BlockFills' institutional trading and brokerage business for $3.25 million
Keyrock has completed the acquisition of BlockFills' institutional trading and brokerage business, with the deal covering its trading technology, institutional client relationships, and derivatives trading team. The acquisition will also expand Keyrock's regulatory scope, including an entity registered with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and another UK entity seeking authorization from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Keyrock did not disclose the transaction price in its announcement. Per prior court documents and disclosures from company representatives, the total acquisition value is $3.25 million, payable in two installments, with certain arrangements subject to regulatory approval. BlockFills suffered major losses during the February 2026 crypto market crash, after which it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Keyrock was ultimately selected as the buyer in the firm's bankruptcy proceedings.
5 minutes ago
Serenity: Declines in storage and AI-related crypto assets likely stem from deleveraging and cascading margin liquidations.
Serenity noted that Micron Technology announced today it has signed a long-term memory agreement with Qualcomm, but Micron’s stock price still fell by 5.37% following the announcement. He believes that, with multiple structural agreements continuing to take effect, the current decline does not appear to stem from issues with storage or AI stocks themselves. The related drop is more likely due to the winding down of deleveraging and margin call liquidation chains.
5 minutes ago
1inch co-founder Anton Bukov stated he was fired at the end of November 2025 and announced the launch of a new project, Second Tier.
1inch co-founder Anton Bukov published a statement saying he was fired at the end of November 2025. While he remains a co-founder of the decentralized exchange aggregator and holds a 50% stake, he is no longer involved in the company’s operations, product architecture, security design, or related oversight duties. Since co-founding 1inch in May 2019, Bukov led work on protocol architecture, security, and economic model design, and contributed to launching key products including the 1inch Router, 1inch Fusion, cross-chain atomic swaps, and shared liquidity automated market makers (AMMs). Bukov noted that feedback from users and team members over the past year led him to realize he could not stay on the sidelines of the company’s management and operations. He subsequently spent months learning leadership and communication skills and driving internal changes, before being dismissed in late November 2025. He also announced the launch of a new project called Second Tier, with plans to collaborate with like-minded teams to build secure, efficient systems that bridge the gap between economic intent and real-world execution.
5 minutes ago
Loss-making small-cap stocks in the Russell 2000 Index have risen 154% since mid-2025, while profitable companies have gained only 34%.
The Kobeissi Letter stated that companies in the Russell 2000 index with negative earnings per share (EPS) have risen a cumulative 154% since mid-2025, while those with positive EPS have only gained 34% over the same period. So far this year, unprofitable companies in the Russell 2000 have climbed 45%, outperforming profitable firms' 18% rise. Driven by this trend, the Russell 2000 has rallied 20% year-to-date, on track to post its best annual performance since 2003. In comparison, the S&P 500 has gained 11% over the same period, while the US tech "Magnificent Seven" has risen just 4%. The top-performing small-cap stocks are mainly tech and infrastructure firms poised to benefit from AI spending. The market is rewarding AI-related exposure, regardless of whether the companies are profitable or not.
5 minutes ago
Injective has submitted a transfer agent registration application to the U.S. SEC.
Injective has submitted a transfer agent registration application to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a move to bring core traditional financial market functions onto the blockchain. If the application is approved, the Injective network plans to maintain official ownership records for tokenized securities and real-world assets (RWA) directly on-chain.
5 minutes ago
Bank of America CEO joins ranks of banking executives warning about risks of Mythos AI
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan has joined a host of Wall Street leaders in voicing serious concerns over AI models such as Mythos developed by Anthropic. “This marks a huge shift in workload, and also relates to how quickly these tools can impact system vulnerabilities, as well as how fast we need to respond,” Moynihan said. In recent months, the rapid evolution of AI models has prompted the financial industry and the U.S. government to begin assessing potential threats. Anthropic claims that Mythos, which launched earlier this year, excels at identifying system vulnerabilities. Bank of America is among the Wall Street institutions granted access to Mythos; the bank has used the model to test its own systems and share information with peers. The model is not yet open to the public. Earlier this week, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned that widespread public access to the system would be “as dangerous as handing a ballistic missile to an individual.” (Jinshi)
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Keyrock acquires BlockFills' institutional trading and brokerage business for $3.25 million
Keyrock has completed the acquisition of BlockFills' institutional trading and brokerage business, with the deal covering its trading technology, institutional client relationships, and derivatives trading team. The acquisition will also expand Keyrock's regulatory scope, including an entity registered with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and another UK entity seeking authorization from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Keyrock did not disclose the transaction price in its announcement. Per prior court documents and disclosures from company representatives, the total acquisition value is $3.25 million, payable in two installments, with certain arrangements subject to regulatory approval. BlockFills suffered major losses during the February 2026 crypto market crash, after which it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Keyrock was ultimately selected as the buyer in the firm's bankruptcy proceedings.
5 minutes ago
Serenity: Declines in storage and AI-related crypto assets likely stem from deleveraging and cascading margin liquidations.
Serenity noted that Micron Technology announced today it has signed a long-term memory agreement with Qualcomm, but Micron’s stock price still fell by 5.37% following the announcement. He believes that, with multiple structural agreements continuing to take effect, the current decline does not appear to stem from issues with storage or AI stocks themselves. The related drop is more likely due to the winding down of deleveraging and margin call liquidation chains.
5 minutes ago
1inch co-founder Anton Bukov stated he was fired at the end of November 2025 and announced the launch of a new project, Second Tier.
1inch co-founder Anton Bukov published a statement saying he was fired at the end of November 2025. While he remains a co-founder of the decentralized exchange aggregator and holds a 50% stake, he is no longer involved in the company’s operations, product architecture, security design, or related oversight duties. Since co-founding 1inch in May 2019, Bukov led work on protocol architecture, security, and economic model design, and contributed to launching key products including the 1inch Router, 1inch Fusion, cross-chain atomic swaps, and shared liquidity automated market makers (AMMs). Bukov noted that feedback from users and team members over the past year led him to realize he could not stay on the sidelines of the company’s management and operations. He subsequently spent months learning leadership and communication skills and driving internal changes, before being dismissed in late November 2025. He also announced the launch of a new project called Second Tier, with plans to collaborate with like-minded teams to build secure, efficient systems that bridge the gap between economic intent and real-world execution.
5 minutes ago
Loss-making small-cap stocks in the Russell 2000 Index have risen 154% since mid-2025, while profitable companies have gained only 34%.
The Kobeissi Letter stated that companies in the Russell 2000 index with negative earnings per share (EPS) have risen a cumulative 154% since mid-2025, while those with positive EPS have only gained 34% over the same period. So far this year, unprofitable companies in the Russell 2000 have climbed 45%, outperforming profitable firms' 18% rise. Driven by this trend, the Russell 2000 has rallied 20% year-to-date, on track to post its best annual performance since 2003. In comparison, the S&P 500 has gained 11% over the same period, while the US tech "Magnificent Seven" has risen just 4%. The top-performing small-cap stocks are mainly tech and infrastructure firms poised to benefit from AI spending. The market is rewarding AI-related exposure, regardless of whether the companies are profitable or not.
5 minutes ago
Injective has submitted a transfer agent registration application to the U.S. SEC.
Injective has submitted a transfer agent registration application to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a move to bring core traditional financial market functions onto the blockchain. If the application is approved, the Injective network plans to maintain official ownership records for tokenized securities and real-world assets (RWA) directly on-chain.
5 minutes ago
Bank of America CEO joins ranks of banking executives warning about risks of Mythos AI
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan has joined a host of Wall Street leaders in voicing serious concerns over AI models such as Mythos developed by Anthropic. “This marks a huge shift in workload, and also relates to how quickly these tools can impact system vulnerabilities, as well as how fast we need to respond,” Moynihan said. In recent months, the rapid evolution of AI models has prompted the financial industry and the U.S. government to begin assessing potential threats. Anthropic claims that Mythos, which launched earlier this year, excels at identifying system vulnerabilities. Bank of America is among the Wall Street institutions granted access to Mythos; the bank has used the model to test its own systems and share information with peers. The model is not yet open to the public. Earlier this week, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned that widespread public access to the system would be “as dangerous as handing a ballistic missile to an individual.” (Jinshi)
