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.

The Day CZ Missed the Best Investment of His Life, Crypto Missed AI

CZ, the founder of Binance, famously sold his Shanghai apartment in 2014 to buy Bitcoin—a move that would have yielded nearly $190 million at its peak. But an even bigger opportunity came years later, one that he ultimately walked away from. In November 2021, amid a liquidity crisis at FTX, Binance signed a non-binding letter of intent to acquire the rival exchange. The deal fell through within days, accelerating FTX’s collapse. Unbeknownst to many, FTX held a hidden gem in its portfolio: a $500 million lead investment in AI startup Anthropic, acquired in April 2021 for a 13.56% stake (later diluted to 7.84%). At the time, AI had not yet entered its explosive growth phase. But after the launch of ChatGPT and the rise of Anthropic’s Claude models, the company’s valuation soared. Recent reports suggest Anthropic is raising funds at a valuation as high as $350 billion. At that level, FTX’s stake would have been worth approximately $27.44 billion—more than enough to cover the exchange’s infamous shortfall. After FTX’s bankruptcy, its Anthropic shares were sold off in court-approved transactions totaling over $1.3 billion to traditional financial firms and Abu Dhabi-based investors—not to crypto companies. The article reflects on what could have been: had CZ acquired FTX, or had SBF held on, a major crypto-native entity could have held influence in one of AI’s top firms, potentially fostering deeper integration between crypto and AI. Instead, that opportunity slipped into traditional finance’s—a missed chance for both CZ and the crypto industry.

Odaily星球日报02/09 04:17

The Day CZ Missed the Best Investment of His Life, Crypto Missed AI

Odaily星球日报02/09 04:17

Financing Weekly | 16 Public Financing Events, Crypto Compliance Company TRM Labs Completes $70 Million Series C Financing, Valuation of $1 Billion

Last week (Feb 2-8) saw 16 blockchain funding rounds totaling over $332 million. Major deals included TRM Labs raising $70 million in Series C funding at a $1 billion valuation, led by Blockchain Capital. Tether Investments made a $100 million strategic equity investment in Anchorage Digital. In DeFi, Jupiter secured a $35 million strategic investment from ParaFi Capital. The prediction market sector was active, with Opinion raising $20 million in Pre-Series A funding and BLUFF securing $21 million. Web3+AI project FeltSense completed a $5.1 million round. Infrastructure deals were prominent, featuring Relay Protocol's $17 million Series B and Euclid Protocol's $3.5 million seed round.

marsbit02/09 03:17

Financing Weekly | 16 Public Financing Events, Crypto Compliance Company TRM Labs Completes $70 Million Series C Financing, Valuation of $1 Billion

marsbit02/09 03:17

The Underestimated Advantages of Prediction Markets: Counter-Cyclical, Anti-Volatility, Always Something to Play

Amidst a crypto market gripped by "extreme fear," with Bitcoin and altcoins stagnating, prediction markets are experiencing a surge in activity, driven by real-world events rather than crypto price volatility. Platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi are seeing record-high weekly trading volumes and user growth, with Kalshi's iOS app even ranking #2 in US App Store downloads. This resilience is attributed to the constant stream of new betting opportunities from sports, politics, and entertainment. Crucially, the sector is still in its early token phase: Polymarket has filed a trademark for a "POLY" token and confirmed a future airdrop, while BNB Chain's Opinion has completed a $20M funding round and is nearing its TGE. The upcoming World Cup is anticipated to be a major catalyst, potentially dwarfing the $700M+ wagered on the Super Bowl and solidifying prediction markets as a dominant, event-driven force in crypto.

Odaily星球日报02/09 02:22

The Underestimated Advantages of Prediction Markets: Counter-Cyclical, Anti-Volatility, Always Something to Play

Odaily星球日报02/09 02:22

Crypto Morning Brief: New Virtual Currency Regulations Introduced, Major Unlocks for AVAX, APT, STRK, and Other Tokens This Week

Cryptocurrency Daily Digest: Key regulatory and market developments occurred. China's central bank and seven other ministries jointly issued a notice explicitly banning all virtual currency transactions and Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization businesses, declaring such activities illegal financial operations. In other news, the White House will hold its next stablecoin policy meeting next Tuesday. Illinois proposed a state-operated Bitcoin reserve program. Michael Saylor hinted at potential Bitcoin purchases by MicroStrategy following his social media post. Significant token unlocks are scheduled this week: AVAX ($15.2M unlock on Feb 11), APT ($12.3M on Feb 10), STRK ($6.3M on Feb 15), among others. Additional updates include: 21Shares filed for an Ondo ETF, Bithumb announced full compensation for a major BTC distribution error, and Li Bin denied rumors about investment and token sales. The Nikkei 225 index surged 4%. Market analysts suggest potential consolidation among Solana treasury firms amid current conditions.

marsbit02/09 01:22

Crypto Morning Brief: New Virtual Currency Regulations Introduced, Major Unlocks for AVAX, APT, STRK, and Other Tokens This Week

marsbit02/09 01:22

Must-Watch Next Week｜Double Whammy of Nonfarm Payrolls and CPI Data; Robinhood and Coinbase to Release Earnings (Feb 9-15)

**Key Events to Watch (Feb 9-15):** The upcoming week is packed with significant events and announcements. Major economic data releases include the US Nonfarm Payrolls (Feb 11) and CPI inflation data (Feb 13), both of which are critical for market sentiment. In the crypto space, Robinhood and Coinbase will release their full-year 2025 financial reports on Feb 10 and Feb 12, respectively. MegaETH’s public mainnet launches on Feb 9, while Aztec enables token transfers on Feb 12 following a passed TGE proposal. Other notable events: CME Group introduces Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar futures (Feb 9); the White House holds another stablecoin meeting (Feb 10); Consensus Hong Kong takes place (Feb 10–12); and Pendle initiates sPENDLE buybacks (Feb 9). Regulatory and tax developments include PayPal issuing crypto tax forms by Feb 15 per IRS rules, and a hearing in Nevada regarding Coinbase’s prediction markets. Several altcoins will be delisted from Binance on Feb 13.

marsbit02/08 02:56

Must-Watch Next Week｜Double Whammy of Nonfarm Payrolls and CPI Data; Robinhood and Coinbase to Release Earnings (Feb 9-15)

marsbit02/08 02:56

Bithumb Issues Statement Over Reward Payment Error – Details

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb has addressed a significant internal error that resulted in the accidental distribution of 620,000 BTC (worth billions) to 695 users during a promotional event, instead of the intended 2,000 KRW reward. The mistake caused a flash crash of approximately 10% on the exchange as some recipients immediately sold the Bitcoin. Bithumb responded by freezing affected accounts within 35 minutes and has since recovered 99.7% of the overpaid BTC. The exchange confirmed the incident was an operational error, not a security breach, and assured users that all customer assets remain safe. The broader crypto market is also noted to have recovered slightly, with its total capitalization rising to $2.34 trillion.

bitcoinist02/07 17:32

Bithumb Issues Statement Over Reward Payment Error – Details

bitcoinist02/07 17:32

Tether Bets Big On Gold With $150 Million Investment In Gold.com

Tether has made a strategic investment of approximately $150 million to acquire a 12% stake in Gold.com, signaling a major move to bridge physical gold markets with digital assets. The deal grants Tether a board seat and includes plans for a $100 million gold leasing facility. As part of the collaboration, Gold.com will accept Tether’s stablecoins, including USDT and USAT. The partnership aims to enhance the usability of Tether’s gold-backed token XAU₮ and streamline gold trading using crypto infrastructure. While some see this as a step toward greater token credibility, others raise concerns about custody, audits, and regulatory scrutiny. The shares were acquired at a discount, indicating a negotiated strategic purchase.

bitcoinist02/07 03:02

Tether Bets Big On Gold With $150 Million Investment In Gold.com

bitcoinist02/07 03:02

Tether expands USD₮ into institutional payments infrastructure with t-0 network investment

Tether has made a strategic investment in the t-0 network, a USD₮-powered settlement platform designed for licensed financial institutions. This initiative aims to facilitate near-instant, net-settled fiat-to-fiat transfers between banks and fintechs, using Tether's stablecoin as the underlying settlement layer. The non-custodial system records and matches transactions before settling net balances on-chain, targeting inefficiencies in international payments. This move signals a shift in Tether's role from providing crypto trading liquidity to enabling institutional settlement and treasury functions. The timing is notable as USD₮ supply expanded even during a broader crypto market contraction, reinforcing its role as a defensive liquidity layer. Unlike retail-focused applications, the t-0 network is built for regulated institutions, reducing prefunding needs and foreign exchange exposure through a single API. While stablecoin-based settlement is gaining traction as an alternative to correspondent banking, adoption will be gradual, dependent on regulatory clarity and proven reliability. Tether did not disclose investment size or rollout timeline.

ambcrypto02/06 19:44

Tether expands USD₮ into institutional payments infrastructure with t-0 network investment

ambcrypto02/06 19:44

Bithumb’s Bitcoin glitch explained: balance error, forced selling, and a contained flash crash

On February 6, a system error at South Korea's Bithumb exchange caused a localized Bitcoin flash crash. Approximately 2,000 BTC was mistakenly credited to hundreds of user accounts during an internal process. While users could not withdraw the erroneously credited funds due to insufficient reserves, many quickly sold the Bitcoin on the exchange. This resulted in over 500 BTC being dumped into Bithumb's order books within minutes, overwhelming local liquidity and causing Bitcoin's price to drop over 17% to around ₩81.5 million before partially rebounding. The incident was confined to Bithumb, with global Bitcoin markets remaining stable. The exchange suspended deposits and withdrawals and initiated a system review. On-chain data showed significant outflows from Bithumb but no broader market impact, confirming the event was an internal operational failure rather than a systemic market crisis.

ambcrypto02/06 16:40

Bithumb’s Bitcoin glitch explained: balance error, forced selling, and a contained flash crash

ambcrypto02/06 16:40

RWA Perpetuals Record $15B in Volume, Putting LiquidChain’s $LIQUID Presale in Focus

RWA perpetuals have reached a significant milestone of $15 billion in trading volume, signaling a shift from a niche narrative to a major liquidity flow in DeFi. This growth reflects a demand for instruments that mirror real-world markets with efficient execution and reduced friction. Amid Bitcoin's price volatility and a potential crypto winter, traders are prioritizing utility and infrastructure quality over speculation. LiquidChain ($LIQUID) is positioned as a key infrastructure solution, focusing on unifying fragmented liquidity across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana into a single execution layer. Its presale has raised over $529K, indicating investor interest in cross-chain utility during a risk-off market. The project aims to address challenges like complex settlement and wrapped asset risks, though it faces competition and technical execution risks. The trend suggests a growing focus on liquidity efficiency and professionalized DeFi infrastructure.

bitcoinist02/06 13:32

RWA Perpetuals Record $15B in Volume, Putting LiquidChain’s $LIQUID Presale in Focus