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Buying Seafood with USDT in Vietnam: Has Web3 Truly Achieved Mass Adoption?

In Vietnam, a country consistently ranked among the top in global cryptocurrency adoption, the author explores whether Web3 and crypto payments have achieved mass adoption beyond reports and whitepapers. During a two-week trip, the author avoided formal industry events and instead tested crypto payments in everyday scenarios like spas, street food stalls, and taxi rides. Key observations include: - Many local merchants prefer cash over international cards due to high fees and tax avoidance, creating an opening for stablecoins like USDT. - Using Bitget Wallet, the author successfully paid via VietQR—Vietnam’s ubiquitous payment QR system—at many locations, with transactions feeling nearly as seamless as Alipay. - However, a failed payment at a seafood restaurant revealed compatibility issues between crypto wallets and older, non-standard QR systems, highlighting remaining technical barriers. - Public perception of crypto remains mixed: in northern cities like Hanoi, it is often associated with crime and gambling, while southern hubs like Ho Chi Minh City show more enthusiasm, with young people trading or developing crypto projects in cafes. - Despite low visible crypto infrastructure (e.g., few Bitcoin ATMs), underlying adoption is significant, driven by a young, tech-savvy population eager for financial mobility. The author concludes that Vietnam’s combination of demographic youth, high mobile internet use, and informal financial vitality makes it a fertile ground for Web3 growth, though real-world usability and cultural acceptance vary widely. The journey continues into southern Vietnam for deeper exploration.

深潮12/22 08:50

Buying Seafood with USDT in Vietnam: Has Web3 Truly Achieved Mass Adoption?

深潮12/22 08:50

Bitcoin Momentum Builds In Brazil As Average Investment Breaks $1,000

Cryptocurrency trading activity in Brazil surged by 43% year-over-year in 2025, with the average investment exceeding $1,000. Bitcoin remained the most traded asset, followed by USDT, Ether, and Solana. Stablecoin transaction volumes tripled, indicating increased use for trading and as cash-like holdings. Tokenized fixed-income products saw 108% growth in volume, reflecting a shift toward yield-seeking strategies. Younger investors under 24 drove significant growth, with participation rising 56%. The market shows signs of maturation, with broader asset diversification and growing use of stablecoins.

bitcoinist12/22 07:02

Bitcoin Momentum Builds In Brazil As Average Investment Breaks $1,000

bitcoinist12/22 07:02

Tether-backed Northern Data sold mining firm to Tether execs: FT

Northern Data, a Tether-backed data center operator, sold its Bitcoin mining business, Peak Mining, for up to $200 million to three companies run by Tether executives, including its co-founder and CEO. The sale occurred just before Rumble, a video-sharing platform in which Tether holds a major stake, agreed to acquire Northern Data. This is the second attempt to sell the mining unit to a Tether-linked entity. Northern Data is under investigation in Europe for suspected tax fraud and has a complex financial relationship with Tether, including a €610 million loan. The sale highlights Tether's expanding interests beyond stablecoins into mining, AI, and other ventures.

cointelegraph12/22 05:39

Tether-backed Northern Data sold mining firm to Tether execs: FT

cointelegraph12/22 05:39

Why Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin is betting on prediction markets as ‘truth-seeking’ tools

Prediction markets are gaining significant traction in crypto, with Ethereum's Vitalik Buterin endorsing them as "truth-seeking" tools and an antidote to misinformation, despite acknowledging potential manipulation risks. The segment saw a major breakthrough in 2025, highlighted by Polymarket's partnerships with NYSE parent ICE for data distribution and with social media platform X, driving its daily trading volume to a record $179 million. However, competition has intensified as Kalshi, which tokenized its contracts and partnered with Solana-based platforms, now controls 73% of the market volume, partly due to Polymarket's prior U.S. ban. Although Polymarket has resolved regulatory issues and plans to re-enter the U.S. market, its recent downtime on Polygon has prompted moves to accelerate its Layer-2 solution. The upcoming POLY token launch may help volumes through airdrop farming. Buterin and other market experts view prediction markets as a more reliable source of truth than traditional surveys due to their financial incentives.

ambcrypto12/22 05:01

Why Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin is betting on prediction markets as ‘truth-seeking’ tools

ambcrypto12/22 05:01

When Prediction Markets No Longer 'Predict', But 'Leak the Truth': BlockBeats Officially Launches Prediction Market Coverage

For a long time, prediction markets were seen as rational arenas where people bet on future outcomes based on public information, with prices reflecting collective consensus. However, over the past year, it has become increasingly clear that many prediction markets are not actually "predicting the future." Instead, they are exposing outcomes that have already been determined and are known to a select few, even before official announcements. When an outcome is certain but not yet public, prediction markets become a powerful and unsettling mechanism for leaking information. The movement of money itself acts as a signal—no explicit爆料, anonymous tips, or statements are needed. Key signals include unusually large bets on specific options, addresses consistently placing winning bets during critical periods, and accounts that repeatedly "predict" correctly ahead of time. This phenomenon is changing how secrets are kept and revealed. Examples include plot twists in TV shows, results of award selections, upcoming product launches or regulatory decisions, and governance votes in crypto protocols. In traditional contexts, this would be considered insider information. But in prediction markets, the mere act of betting can reveal what is known to a few. The article also highlights how prediction markets can influence reality itself, not just reveal it. A notable example is from a Coinbase earnings call where CEO Brian Armstrong used specific words that were the subject of active prediction market bets. His utterance led to immediate market settlements, rewarding those who had bet on those words being spoken. This shows that prediction markets can create a "reality distortion field," where betting activity may actually shape outcomes. As platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi grow, the issues raised by prediction markets—information leakage, insider advantage, and potential manipulation—will have increasingly significant real-world impacts.

marsbit12/22 04:04

When Prediction Markets No Longer 'Predict', But 'Leak the Truth': BlockBeats Officially Launches Prediction Market Coverage

marsbit12/22 04:04

Tokenized stocks are the big winner of 2025 – Here’s why!

Tokenized stocks have emerged as the standout performer of 2025, with a remarkable 2,695% year-to-date growth in market capitalization, far outpacing other tokenized assets like commodities (225%) and funds (148%). While Ethereum remains the dominant blockchain for issuance, its market share is increasingly challenged by newer chains such as Solana, BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Base, and Polygon. This expansion reflects a broader competitive race among blockchains to capture a segment of the massive traditional financial markets—stocks and funds each represent over $100 trillion, while commodities add another $30 trillion-plus opportunity. The growth is driven by the ability of blockchain to reduce costs, accelerate settlement, and reach new users, making tokenized assets a critical area for infrastructure development and long-term relevance.

ambcrypto12/22 04:01

Tokenized stocks are the big winner of 2025 – Here’s why!

ambcrypto12/22 04:01

Video game mods are spreading new ‘Stealka’ crypto infostealer: Kaspersky

A new malware called "Stealka" is targeting cryptocurrency wallets and browser extensions by disguising itself as video game cheats, mods, and software cracks, according to Kaspersky. The infostealer, discovered in November, is distributed through legitimate platforms like GitHub and Google Sites, and sometimes via fake professional-looking websites. It primarily targets Chromium and Gecko-based browsers—including Chrome, Firefox, and Edge—and steals autofill data, login credentials, and payment details. It also specifically targets 115 browser extensions related to crypto wallets, 2FA services, and password managers, including Binance, MetaMask, Trust Wallet, and Coinbase. Kaspersky advises using reliable antivirus software, avoiding pirated software and unofficial mods, and refraining from storing passwords in browsers.

cointelegraph12/22 03:58

Video game mods are spreading new ‘Stealka’ crypto infostealer: Kaspersky

cointelegraph12/22 03:58

Wang Chun Also Fell Victim: A $50 Million 'Tuition' - Why Do Address Poisoning Attacks Keep Succeeding?

On December 19, a cryptocurrency user fell victim to an address poisoning attack, losing 50 million USDT (approximately $50 million). The attacker first sent a small test transaction of 50 USDT from a Binance exchange wallet. Hours later, the victim transferred 49,999,950 USDT to what they believed was their own address but was actually a hacker-controlled wallet with a similar beginning and ending character sequence. The hacker quickly laundered the funds by converting USDT to DAI, then to ETH, and finally moving most of the assets into the privacy tool Tornado Cash. The victim, likely an institutional entity given transaction patterns and rapid response, publicly offered the hacker a $1 million reward for returning 98% of the funds and threatened legal action. Address poisoning attacks exploit user carelessness by creating deceptive addresses that mimic legitimate ones. Such attacks have been rising since 2022, with one Bitcoin incident alone involving 49,000 cases since 2023. High-profile figures like F2Pool’s Wang Chun have also suffered similar losses. While some victims have recovered funds through negotiation, this case remains unresolved as the hacker has not responded. The incident underscores the critical need for double-checking addresses in crypto transactions.

marsbit12/22 03:35

Wang Chun Also Fell Victim: A $50 Million 'Tuition' - Why Do Address Poisoning Attacks Keep Succeeding?

marsbit12/22 03:35

Funding Weekly Report | 18 Public Funding Events, Hong Kong Stablecoin Payment Platform RedotPay Completes $107 Million Series B Funding Led by Goodwater Capital

Last week (Dec 15-21) saw 18 blockchain funding rounds totaling over $299 million. Key deals include RedotPay, a Hong Kong-based stablecoin payment platform, raising $107 million in a Series B led by Goodwater Capital. In DeFi, ETHGas raised $12 million for an Ethereum block space futures market. The AI sector had one deal with TestMachine securing $6.5 million. Infrastructure & tools saw 4 deals, including Speed's $8 million round led by Tether. CeFi was active with 6 deals, highlighted by Hilbert Group's $32 million acquisition of Enigma Nordic. DePIN projects Fuse Energy and DAWN raised $70 million and $13 million respectively. Prediction markets worm.wtf and Space raised $4.5 million and $3 million.

marsbit12/22 03:04

Funding Weekly Report | 18 Public Funding Events, Hong Kong Stablecoin Payment Platform RedotPay Completes $107 Million Series B Funding Led by Goodwater Capital

marsbit12/22 03:04

Average Age 'Post-95s', Over a Billion USD in the Books: MiniMax Knocks on Hong Kong Stock Exchange's Door

MiniMax, a leading Chinese AI startup founded in December 2021 by former SenseTime executives, has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong, potentially becoming one of the fastest AI companies to go public. Specializing in full-spectrum AGI technologies—spanning text, voice, video, and music—MiniMax operates on a dual-strategy of "large model + AI-native applications." As of September 2025, it serves over 212 million individual users across more than 200 countries and regions, along with 100,000+ enterprise clients. Notably, over 70% of its revenue comes from overseas markets. Its AI-native products, including Haiduo AI, Xingye/Talkie, and MiniMax Voice, saw average monthly active users grow sharply to 27.6 million in the first nine months of 2025. Financially, MiniMax reported revenue of $53.4 million for the first three quarters of 2025, a 174.7% year-on-year increase. Despite an adjusted net loss of $186 million during the same period, the company demonstrated improved operational efficiency, with R&D expenses growing only 30% while sales and marketing costs fell 26%. Technologically, MiniMax has released several cutting-edge models: the voice model Speech 02, video generator Video 01 (and its upgrade Hailuo 02), and the open-source MiniMax-M2 text model—ranked among the top five globally. Its M2 model incorporates "Interleaved Thinking" for enhanced reasoning and agentic capabilities. The company is highly R&D-focused, with nearly 80% of its 385 employees in technical roles. The executive team is notably young, with an average age of 32. MiniMax plans to allocate 70% of IPO proceeds to R&D over the next five years to further advance its models and AI-native products.

深潮12/22 02:45

Average Age 'Post-95s', Over a Billion USD in the Books: MiniMax Knocks on Hong Kong Stock Exchange's Door