Industry News

Tracks company news, strategic changes, funding activities, and personnel adjustments across the blockchain and crypto industries, delivering a full-spectrum industry overview for our users.

Ex-Ripple Director Shares 4 Crypto And Blockchain Predictions For 2026

Former Ripple director and current Evernorth CEO Asheesh Birla predicts that by 2026, institutional adoption will move beyond speculation and become embedded in everyday financial infrastructure. His four key forecasts include: 1) Corporate treasuries will become programmable through DeFi and AI, reducing manual processes and middlemen. 2) Local stablecoins will proliferate and challenge the traditional $9.6 trillion FX market via on-chain exchanges. 3) Stablecoins will achieve mainstream use in corporate and bank settlements for real-time liquidity analytics and faster transactions, potentially growing from $300 billion to $100 trillion in market cap. 4) NFTs will rebrand as digital access tokens for membership, combining ticketing, loyalty, and collectibles. Birla emphasizes a shift toward practical, institutional use cases for blockchain and crypto.

bitcoinist12/24 19:05

Ex-Ripple Director Shares 4 Crypto And Blockchain Predictions For 2026

bitcoinist12/24 19:05

Ethena's Stablecoin USDe Plunges by Half Following October Crypto Market Crash

The stablecoin USDe, issued by Ethena, experienced a significant decline, with its market capitalization plummeting by more than half from its October peak, dropping by $8.5 billion. This sharp decrease followed the major cryptocurrency market crash on October 10, which triggered record trader liquidations nearing $20 billion in nominal futures positions. Analysts from 10x Research noted that the crash eroded investor confidence in USDe's synthetic backing mechanism during periods of market stress. USDe, the fourth-largest stablecoin by market cap, is not directly backed by the US dollar but instead relies on a delta-neutral strategy involving positions like simultaneous long and short trades on assets such as Bitcoin. Despite being one of the sector's most profitable protocols with nearly $400 million in earnings since the beginning of the year, USDe's supply fell from a peak of $14.8 billion in early October to $6.3 billion by December 24. Ethena's native token, ENA, also suffered, declining 60% since October and nearly 80% year-to-date. In contrast, other major stablecoins in the top five saw growth or only minor, temporary declines during the same period.

RBK-crypto12/24 16:48

Ethena's Stablecoin USDe Plunges by Half Following October Crypto Market Crash

RBK-crypto12/24 16:48

Is RWA Entering the 'Equity Era'? The Backstory Behind Securitize, Ondo, and Coinbase's Simultaneous Moves

RWA is entering an "equity era," marked by a significant shift in focus from major players Securitize, Ondo, and Coinbase toward equity tokenization (Equity RWA). This synchronized move is not coincidental but is driven by clear regulatory direction. In December 2025, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins stated that the U.S. financial markets would migrate to blockchain within two years, a sentiment echoed by Nasdaq's plans for on-chain stock trading. Industry consensus is converging on an on-chain capital market future, with leaders from Maple Finance and Binance emphasizing RWA's potential to bridge blockchain with real-world assets. While private credit and U.S. Treasuries currently dominate RWA due to their regulatory clarity and stability, large institutions are now progressing toward equities. Each platform offers a distinct approach: Ondo provides tokenized stocks with liquidity directly backed by Nasdaq and NYSE-listed shares, targeting non-U.S. investors. Securitize is developing a fully compliant, native on-chain equity model where tokens represent direct shareholder rights. Coinbase is integrating stock trading into its platform, aiming to create a unified financial super-app for diverse assets. This collective pivot signals that on-chain equity is transitioning from an exploratory concept to a structurally significant component of the future financial system, representing a major milestone in RWA's evolution.

marsbit12/24 12:08

Is RWA Entering the 'Equity Era'? The Backstory Behind Securitize, Ondo, and Coinbase's Simultaneous Moves

marsbit12/24 12:08

Kraken IPO, M&A deals to reignite crypto's 'mid-stage' cycle: fund manager

A potential Kraken IPO and increasing M&A activity could reignite the crypto bull market's "mid-stage" cycle, according to fund manager Dan Tapiero. This may attract fresh capital from traditional finance (TradFi) investors. Despite Bitcoin's recent 6% drop to around $87,000, Tapiero remains bullish. However, analysts are divided. Fidelity's Jurrien Timmer predicts a "year off" for Bitcoin in 2026, with a potential drop to $65,000-$75,000. Others argue the market is now driven by broader macroeconomic forces like global liquidity, suggesting the four-year cycle is evolving. Data shows "smart money" traders are currently net short on most major cryptocurrencies, indicating short-term bearish sentiment.

cointelegraph12/24 11:20

Kraken IPO, M&A deals to reignite crypto's 'mid-stage' cycle: fund manager

cointelegraph12/24 11:20

AI Outperforms Humans in Cryptocurrency Trading Tournament. What Were the Results?

An AI vs. human crypto trading tournament, organized by the Aster exchange, concluded with AI models collectively outperforming human traders. The human team suffered aggregate losses exceeding 32% of their initial capital ($225k), while the AI team lost less than 4.5% ($13.5k). The competition featured 70 selected human traders and 30 AI models, including Claude Sonnet 4.5, ChatGPT 5, Grok 4, and DeepSeek 3.1. Each participant was given $10,000 to trade futures contracts. The AI models operated solely on prompts without additional training, code, memory of past trades, or access to external data. The overall top performer was a human trader, ProMint, with a profit of $13.6k. The best AI, an aggressively configured Claude Sonnet 4.5, earned $8.09k, placing 8th in the overall standings. Only 8 AI models were profitable, with 4 earning over $1k. In contrast, 30 human traders lost almost their entire deposit, though 21 others profited over $1k. The results contrast with a previous AI-only experiment in October, where most models also finished with losses, and DeepSeek and QWEN3 were the winners.

RBK-crypto12/24 11:13

AI Outperforms Humans in Cryptocurrency Trading Tournament. What Were the Results?

RBK-crypto12/24 11:13

Texas Poker Bluffing Battle | The Key to Victory in WPT Global High-Stakes Cash Game: AK vs 99

An analysis of a high-stakes cash game hand on WPT Global between Alan Keating (A♠K♥) and Nik Airball (9♠9♦). The hand demonstrates how player image and credibility are often more critical than raw hand strength in deep-stack play. Keating, known for a loose and aggressive style with a wide range, 3-bet pre-flop. Airball, a skilled player adept at reading opponents, responded with a 4-bet. Keating then made a large 5-bet, a polarized move representing either a very strong hand or a pure bluff. Airball called, taking position to the flop (J♠4♦6♠). With his A-K missing the flop, Keating moved all-in with a massive overbet, attempting to maximize fold equity by representing a very strong range. However, Airball instantly called. His decision was a strategic read based on Keating's image; he calculated that Keating’s line was more likely a bluff with overcards. The board ran out twice with no A or K, and Airball's pocket nines held. The hand underscores a key high-stakes concept: betting power is determined not just by the cards, but by how opponents perceive your image and credibility. Keating’s aggressive play lost its effectiveness against an opponent who correctly adjusted his calling frequency to exploit it.

bitcoinist12/24 10:22

Texas Poker Bluffing Battle | The Key to Victory in WPT Global High-Stakes Cash Game: AK vs 99

bitcoinist12/24 10:22

67% Of Ethereum Stablecoin Transfers Are P2P, Yet Institutions Dominate Volume

A new analysis of Ethereum stablecoin transactions reveals that while peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers dominate in frequency, institutional activity accounts for the vast majority of transaction volume. According to data shared by an Ethereum Foundation member, 67% of USDT and USDC transfers on the Ethereum network from August 2024 to 2025 were P2P, typically associated with retail users. However, these transfers represented only 24% of the total volume. In contrast, business-related transactions—including business-to-business (B2B), internal business moves, and person-to-business (P2B) transfers—made up just 33% of transaction count but a dominant 76% of the volume. The data, sourced from Artemis, focused exclusively on USDT and USDC transfer transactions, excluding mints, burns, or cross-chain transfers. Ethereum remains the leading network for stablecoins, hosting over 50% of the global supply. Meanwhile, ETH’s price briefly recovered above $3,000 before pulling back to around $2,950.

bitcoinist12/24 10:04

67% Of Ethereum Stablecoin Transfers Are P2P, Yet Institutions Dominate Volume

bitcoinist12/24 10:04

Trend Research quietly becomes one of Ethereum’s largest whales with 46K ETH buy

Trend Research, associated with LD Capital founder Jack Yi, has become one of the largest Ethereum whales after purchasing 46,379 ETH, bringing its total holdings to around 580,000 ETH. This accumulation surpasses most public companies except SharpLink Gaming and BitMine Immersion Technologies, which hold larger amounts. Yi announced plans to invest another $1 billion in ETH, urging traders not to short. Meanwhile, BitMine aims to control 5% of ETH's supply, staking much of its holdings to earn yield and dominate Ethereum's consensus. In contrast, some firms like ETHZilla and FG Nexus are selling ETH to manage debt or fund stock buybacks, creating what analysts call a "transfer of wealth" to strategic accumulators.

cointelegraph12/24 09:54

Trend Research quietly becomes one of Ethereum’s largest whales with 46K ETH buy

cointelegraph12/24 09:54

HashKey secures $250M for new crypto fund amid ‘significant interest’

HashKey Capital has secured $250 million in the first close of its fourth crypto fund, targeting a final size of $500 million. The fund attracted institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals despite shifting market conditions. It will use a multi-strategy approach to invest in blockchain infrastructure and scalable use cases. The firm, which manages over $1 billion in assets, recently debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after a $206 million IPO. Meanwhile, market makers are pulling back from crypto following the October market crash, and ETF outflows suggest reduced institutional participation as liquidity tightens.

cointelegraph12/24 09:19

HashKey secures $250M for new crypto fund amid ‘significant interest’

cointelegraph12/24 09:19

2026 Kicks Off a Major Financial Year: Prediction Markets Are Becoming the Next Frontier for DeFi

The article "2026: The Grand Opening of Finance – Prediction Markets Emerge as DeFi's Next Frontier" discusses the rise of prediction markets in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. It highlights how prediction markets, after achieving product-market fit, are gaining mainstream traction, similar to Bitcoin and stablecoins. These markets exhibit a natural platform monopoly effect, forming a layered ecosystem of core platforms, peripheral services, and external applications. Prediction markets are characterized as deterministic yet uncertain, dealing with events like U.S. elections or the World Cup, where outcomes are influenced by real-time information and participant sentiment. Major platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi are becoming centralized hubs for information discovery, backed by significant capital investment due to their maturity and compliance advantages in Western markets. The article identifies four emerging models around prediction markets: 1. Clone platforms facing high entry barriers and compliance costs. 2. Asset-layer innovations, such as DeFi integration for betting assets (e.g., using positions as collateral or adding leverage). 3. Specialized tools for arbitrage, data aggregation, and analysis. 4. KOL-driven referral and佣金 platforms. The most promising opportunity lies in DeFi-izing prediction market assets, particularly leveraging idle funds during the betting period until outcomes are determined. The author proposes a cross-market arbitrage mechanism inspired by e-commerce discount platforms, where users place discounted bets on platforms like Polymarket, while their funds are deployed in DeFi protocols (e.g., Morpho) for yield. This approach benefits all parties: users get better prices, platforms gain volume, and liquidity providers earn returns without disrupting the core betting experience. The conclusion emphasizes that prediction markets' true value is in their locked capital with clear expiration dates. As 2026 approaches with major events like the U.S. midterm elections and the World Cup, regulatory tailwinds and market enthusiasm could make it a pivotal year for prediction markets and DeFi convergence.

marsbit12/24 08:15

2026 Kicks Off a Major Financial Year: Prediction Markets Are Becoming the Next Frontier for DeFi