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 End of the 'Talk-to-Earn' Era? X Delivers Heavy Blow, Bans InfoFi, Cutting Off Funding for a Batch of Projects

On January 15, X (formerly Twitter) revoked API access for InfoFi applications, effectively ending the "post-to-earn" model. The platform cited concerns over AI-generated spam and low-quality replies as the reason for the policy change, prioritizing user experience over the significant revenue these apps generated. Major InfoFi platforms like Kaito and Cookie DAO are now pivoting to alternative models, such as content marketing tools and market intelligence services. The move triggered sharp declines in related token values and NFT floor prices, with some teams accused of insider trading prior to the announcement. The crackdown is seen as a necessary step to combat spam and improve content quality on the platform, though it also reflects broader challenges in the crypto content ecosystem.

比推01/16 08:15

The End of the 'Talk-to-Earn' Era? X Delivers Heavy Blow, Bans InfoFi, Cutting Off Funding for a Batch of Projects

比推01/16 08:15

X Personally Terminates InfoFi Incentive Model, The Era of 'Mouth Farming' Comes to an End

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has officially terminated the API access for InfoFi applications that reward users for posting, effectively ending the "post-to-earn" model. This decisive move, announced by X product lead Nikita Bier, targets what the company identifies as a primary source of AI-generated spam and low-quality replies flooding the platform. The policy shift immediately impacted several prominent InfoFi projects. Tokens like KAITO and COOKIE experienced significant double-digit price drops. Projects such as Cookie DAO's Snaps platform have ceased operations, while Kaito has shut down its Yaps incentive program and is pivoting to a new, more traditional creator marketing model called Kaito Studio. X's core objection was not to the content itself, but to the fundamental structure of external, unpermissioned incentives directly driving platform engagement. This model was seen as compromising content quality and, crucially, undermining X's sovereignty over its own content ecosystem and user experience. The platform emphasized that it does not need the revenue generated from these API fees. The event signals a major recalibration, forcing InfoFi projects to either retreat to a pure data/tooling role or completely reinvent their business models to align with platform policies. The era of easily farming rewards for social media posts ("嘴撸时代") is over, as content control is firmly reclaimed by the platform itself.

Odaily星球日报01/16 04:35

X Personally Terminates InfoFi Incentive Model, The Era of 'Mouth Farming' Comes to an End

Odaily星球日报01/16 04:35

Cross-Border Collaboration: Tom Lee Invests $200 Million, Partnering with Global Top Streamer MrBeast

Wall Street analyst Tom Lee's BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) is investing $200 million in MrBeast's holding company, Beast Industries, which plans to integrate DeFi into its upcoming financial services platform. MrBeast, whose YouTube channels have over 4.6 billion subscribers, has built a massive but costly content empire, with single videos often costing $3-5 million to produce. His company, Beast Industries, generates over $400 million in annual revenue but operates with thin margins due to high content expenses. Its profitable chocolate brand, Feastables, brings in $250 million in sales. Despite a valuation around $5 billion, MrBeast has described himself as "cash poor," reinvesting nearly all earnings back into the business. The partnership with Tom Lee signals a strategic move to explore decentralized finance solutions, potentially creating a programmable financial infrastructure for creators and fans, though specific plans remain undisclosed.

marsbit01/16 04:02

Cross-Border Collaboration: Tom Lee Invests $200 Million, Partnering with Global Top Streamer MrBeast

marsbit01/16 04:02

Rumor: Coinbase to Acquire Farcaster, Still an Acquihire

In Silicon Valley, a common unwritten rule suggests that when a tech giant shows sudden interest in a startup—especially one with a similar product—the goal is often not to eliminate competition or acquire technology, but to acquire talent. This practice is known as an "acqui-hire." Recent rumors about Coinbase's potential acquisition of Farcaster likely follow this logic. Similar to Meta's acquisition of Manus, the focus is on the elite engineering team rather than just the product. Coinbase’s Base app already integrates Farcaster content, and Coinbase has no shortage of wallet products, indicating that the real target is Farcaster’s founder, Dan Romero. Dan Romero, who spent five years at Coinbase as a key executive overseeing international operations and backend systems, understands Coinbase’s compliance framework intimately. Since leaving, he has built Farcaster, demonstrating deep expertise in decentralized, community-driven Web3 ecosystems. Farcaster’s team, under Merkle Manufactory, remains small despite significant funding. It includes former Coinbase engineering lead Varun Srinivasan and other full-stack experts who efficiently developed a decentralized social protocol even used frequently by Vitalik Buterin. The acquisition could also create token opportunities: - DEGEN, Farcaster’s community currency, might become a core asset within Coinbase’s ecosystem. - ZORA, key for NFT minting, could strengthen as Base’s primary asset issuance layer. - CLANKER, an AI-driven token issuance tool, may evolve into a standard financial interface. - BANKR, an emerging DeFi project, could play a central role in future "social wallet" integrations.

marsbit01/16 04:02

Rumor: Coinbase to Acquire Farcaster, Still an Acquihire

marsbit01/16 04:02

Twitter Makes Consecutive Reforms in the Crypto Sector Within a Week, What Does Musk Want to Do?

X (formerly Twitter) has made significant changes to its cryptocurrency ecosystem, cutting off API access for several prominent Web3 "InfoFi" projects like Kaito and Cookie, despite their substantial annual fees. Led by growth product head Nikita Bier, the move aims to eliminate what he calls "AI slop"—low-quality, incentivized replies and engagement farming driven by external token rewards. This purge is part of a broader strategy to reclaim control over content monetization and user attention. X is shifting its creator incentives to prioritize engagement from verified Premium users rather than artificial interactions. The goal is to foster higher-quality, authentic content. Simultaneously, X is rolling out smart ticker tags for cryptocurrencies and stocks, integrating real-time price data and financial information directly into the platform. This reduces friction between information and action, allowing users to view and potentially execute trades without leaving the app. Elon Musk’s vision for X is evolving into an "Everything App"—a fusion of a real-time financial terminal (like Bloomberg) and a public square. By cleaning up low-value noise and integrating seamless transactional features, X aims to become the central platform where news breaks and financial transactions happen instantly.

marsbit01/16 02:34

Twitter Makes Consecutive Reforms in the Crypto Sector Within a Week, What Does Musk Want to Do?

marsbit01/16 02:34

Crypto Morning Brief: X Revokes API Access for 'Reward Posting Apps', Bitmine Invests in MrBeast

Crypto Morning Brief: X Revokes API Access for 'Reward Posting Apps', Bitmine Invests in MrBeast Key market developments include better-than-expected US jobless claims and the Senate Banking Committee canceling a meeting amid Coinbase controversy. CME Group announced new futures for Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar. X (formerly Twitter) revoked API access for applications that reward users for posting, citing a flood of AI-generated spam. Interactive Brokers now supports 24/7 USDC deposits for accounts, with plans to add more stablecoins. State Street launched a new digital asset platform. In notable closures, MilkyWay Protocol is shutting down permanently, and Polygon laid off nearly 30% of its staff as it pivots to a payments-focused strategy. CoinGecko's co-founder responded to acquisition rumors, stating the platform is operating normally while evaluating strategic opportunities. Finally, Bitmine announced a $200 million investment into MrBeast's Beast Industries.

marsbit01/16 01:24

Crypto Morning Brief: X Revokes API Access for 'Reward Posting Apps', Bitmine Invests in MrBeast

marsbit01/16 01:24

Global Top Streamer MrBeast Becomes a Major Card for Tom Lee

This article details the strategic $200 million investment by BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR), led by Wall Street analyst Tom Lee, into Beast Industries, the holding company of global YouTube phenomenon MrBeast. The deal signals a major move to explore integrating DeFi into Beast's upcoming financial services platform. MrBeast, whose main channel has over 460 million subscribers, built an empire on ultra-high-cost, viral video content, often spending millions per video. His business, Beast Industries, now generates an estimated $400 million in annual revenue across content, consumer goods (like his profitable Feastables chocolate brand), and licensing, with a valuation around $5 billion. Despite this, MrBeast operates with minimal personal cash flow, reinvesting nearly all profits back into content to fuel growth and maintain his massive audience reach. The partnership with Tom Lee and BMNR is framed as a necessary evolution. Facing the limits of a high-cost, ad-reliant model, Beast Industries aims to build a more sustainable economic relationship with its audience through decentralized finance (DeFi). Potential applications include a lower-cost payment layer, a programmable account system for creators and fans, and decentralized asset tracking. The article positions this as a high-risk, high-reward experiment in transforming a vast attention economy into a new financial infrastructure, all while being mindful of not eroding the immense trust MrBeast has built with his audience.

比推01/16 01:06

Global Top Streamer MrBeast Becomes a Major Card for Tom Lee

比推01/16 01:06

Crypto card payments overtake P2P stablecoin transfers: Artemis report

According to a blockchain analytics report by Artemis, crypto card payments have surpassed peer-to-peer (P2P) stablecoin transfers as the primary driver of on-chain stablecoin activity. The data shows that crypto card payments now operate at a monthly run rate exceeding $15 billion, compared to approximately $11 billion for P2P transfers. This shift indicates that stablecoins are increasingly being used through traditional card networks rather than through direct on-chain transactions. Visa dominates this segment, accounting for over 80% of the tracked volume, while Mastercard holds a smaller but growing share. The growth is attributed to expanding merchant acceptance and integration with existing payment infrastructure, allowing users to spend stablecoins without requiring merchants to directly accept crypto. Although P2P transfers remain important for remittances and cross-border settlements, their growth has been slower. The report highlights a structural evolution in stablecoin usage—from infrastructure-led to interface-led adoption—where cards act as the primary user-facing access point, embedding crypto liquidity into global commerce and driving mainstream adoption.

ambcrypto01/15 23:57

Crypto card payments overtake P2P stablecoin transfers: Artemis report

ambcrypto01/15 23:57

Is Bank Of America Currently Running Tests With Ripple’s XRP? Here’s What We Know

Crypto pundit X Finance Bull claims Bank of America is testing cross-border payments using Ripple's XRP, suggesting XRP is becoming core financial technology. This follows earlier comments from Ripple President Monica Long noting BofA was an early partner, though current status is unclear. BofA had filed a related patent but abandoned it; however, it now allows wealth clients crypto exposure and is exploring its own stablecoin. Ripple has secured partnerships with institutions like BNY Mellon, AMINA Bank, Absa, and SBI, providing payment and custody services. XRP price was around $2.10, down 3% in 24 hours.

bitcoinist01/15 23:01

Is Bank Of America Currently Running Tests With Ripple’s XRP? Here’s What We Know

bitcoinist01/15 23:01

Crypto Goes Davos: Ripple And Hedera Step Into WEF Week

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse will participate in a World Economic Forum (WEF) panel titled "Is Tokenization the Future?" during Davos 2026, alongside leaders from Coinbase, Standard Chartered, and the ECB. The discussion will focus on tokenization's transition from pilots to mainstream financial infrastructure. Ripple is also a sponsor of the privately organized USA House venue. Hedera is an official sponsor of USA House and will contribute to high-level discussions on digital assets, AI, and central banking. It is also sponsoring the Global Blockchain Business Council’s "Blockchain Central Davos." Additionally, Hedera's carbon-market initiative, EcoGuard Global, will launch at Davos, offering end-to-end digital infrastructure for high-integrity carbon markets, built on the Hedera network.

bitcoinist01/15 20:01

Crypto Goes Davos: Ripple And Hedera Step Into WEF Week

bitcoinist01/15 20:01

活动图片

Популярные категорииright-arrow

Популярные тегиright-arrow

Regulatory Policy

Project Updates