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Mishal Ali

VeChain’s Big RWA Comeback: AI, Tesla, and NFTs Power Its 2025 Vision

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Key Takeaways:

  • VeChain reclaims the spotlight with a renewed focus on real-world assets and behavioral tokenization.
  • AI agents and Tesla-linked NFTs form the backbone of VeChain’s path to true decentralization.
  • CEO Sunny Lu prepares to unveil a decade of progress at Consensus 2025 in Toronto.

Well before the hype over real-world assets (RWAs) was dominating the blockchain headlines, VeChain was already well underway. Founded and led by its CEO, Sunny Lu, it had begun laying the ground as early as 2017.

With initiatives such as dairy traceability in China and carbon tokenization with car maker BYD, it has established a niche most overlooked. Walmart China’s association further legitimized its real-world utility vision.

Today, mainstream industry players such as BlackRock are entering the RWA space, the ground VeChain laid years ago. Now, as the industry finally plays catch-up, VeChain will be announcing its next iteration at Consensus 2025 in Toronto.

Lu’s keynote, “Real Decentralization for Mass Adoption,” promises a new framework based on scalable tokenization, AI-enabled access, and human-centered design.

From Invisible Actions to Measurable Value

The network’s new aim is not only tokenizing physical assets but also quantifying human activities such as recycling, EV usage, and carbon reduction. With its VeBetterDAO program and Tesla partnerships, the company wants to reward environmentally conscious behavior using on-chain values.

This model, initially tested in 2019 with BYD, turns what Lu describes as “invisible assets” into blockchain records that create actual rewards.

Mugshot, a VeChain-based gamified coffee mug recycling app, is close to reaching one million active users, while EVEarn, a Web3 app that turns Tesla EV data into token rewards, has a 98% user retention rate. It goes to prove that it’s use, and not hype, that is keeping users engaged on Web3.

VeChain Launches NFT-Based Staking with Full Custody Control

Usability is one significant barrier to blockchain implementation. Closing the gap, the network is integrating AI into its system. A new assistant, dubbed BMO, will serve as a personal assistant for users accessing VeBetterDAO, staking strategies, and features within the app. Replacing seed phrases and logins through Google or Tesla makes it easier for mass audiences to participate.

On the staking side, VeChain’s new NFT-based system enables users to create tokens for their stake and directly delegate them to node operators without having to give up custody. This feature is included as part of the VeChain Renaissance upgrade and helps mitigate friction while maintaining decentralization.

Related Reading | XRP Price Prediction: XRP/BTC Chart Suggests Imminent Price Explosion 

NEAR Protocol Q1 2025: $3B Cap, Dev Decline & DEX Surge, Full Breakdown

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Key Takeaways:

  • NEAR’s market cap plunged by 47.4% in Q1 2025, closing at $3 billion.
  • Developer activity on NEAR declined sharply, with core developers down 27.7%.
  • Despite the DeFi TVL drop, DEX trading volume doubled, driven by Rhea Finance.

The first quarter of 2025 proved challenging for NEAR Protocol, which followed broader market trends into negative territory. Based on the most recent “State of NEAR” report by Messari, the circulating market capitalization of the project was at $3 billion as of the end of Q1, which was down sharply by 47.4% quarter-over-quarter.

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The native coin also followed suit, declining 48.8% quarter-over-quarter to a price of $2.50. This drastic drop notwithstanding, it retained its 21st ranking on total market capitalization, an indicator that it held its own against other leading cryptos facing the same macroeconomic headwinds.

The network revenue, which is based on fees for transactions minus staking rewards, plummeted 33.3% to $1.4 million. This was attributed to a significant decline in fees for transactions, which averaged only $0.0023 per transaction.

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The protocol still follows its 70/30 burn model for fees, which means 70 percent are burned and 30 percent go to the smart contract creators.

Developer Decline and User Metrics Paint a Mixed Picture

The network activity was uneven for Q1. The daily average number of return addresses increased modestly by 0.8% to 3.8 million, but new daily addresses decreased by 4.7%, while daily transactions decreased by 7.8% to 6.8 million.

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On the development front, the decline was steeper. NEAR’s weekly active core developers decreased from 272 to 196, a 27.7% decline, and ecosystem developers fell 42.4%, from 192 to 111.

In spite of this, the network has also been investing significantly in support for developers. The ecosystem supports an extensive development suite consisting of SDKs for several programming languages, a specific CLI tool, sandbox environments, and governance through NEAR Dev Hub.

NEAR.ai further expands the extent of the project into the world of AI, having more than 940 on-chain agents running under initiatives like the AI Research Hub and AI Assistant.

NEAR DeFi TVL Falls 36.8% Amid Market Downturn

Its decentralized financial (DeFi) space also suffered. Total value locked (TVL) within DeFi plummeted to $155.9 million, declining 36.8% quarter-over-quarter. Liquid staking TVL declined 40.4% to $149.6 million, with LiNEAR Protocol and Meta Pool recording double-digit decreases.

Rather, Rhea Finance became the leading one after absorbing Burrow and Ref Finance, now holding 95.2% of NEAR’s DeFi TVL, valued at $148.2 million.

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On the plus side, decentralized exchange (DEX) daily average volume on NEAR rose 101.1% to $17 million, and Rhea Finance accounted for $16.2 million. Stablecoin activity was a rare bright spot, as its stablecoin market capitalization increased 2% to $697.2 million at the end of Q1.

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Messari: Filecoin’s Bold Shift to Enterprise Storage Lowers Deal Volume in Q1 2025

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Key Takeaways:

  • Filecoin’s active storage deals and raw byte capacity dropped 13% and 8% QoQ, respectively, signaling a shift from quantity to high-value, long-term storage use cases.
  • FIL token activity rose despite a 44% price crash, highlighting deeper integration of decentralized services across enterprise and AI sectors.
  • Network fees plunged 65% QoQ to $457K as onboarding slowed and system optimizations reduced gas costs across the board.

The most recent State of Filecoin Q1 2025 report by Messari showed a significant decline in network activity. Active storage decreased 13% quarter-over-quarter to 1,300 PiB, and daily new deals also decreased by 12% to 2.8 PiB.

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This dip is a conscious shift from volume-focused strategies to enterprise-level rollouts. There were only 38 million active deals for storage, down from 43 million in Q4 2024.

Filecoin’s strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Smithsonian, MIT, and the Internet Archive represented a paradigm shift. These partnerships prioritize long-term archival significance over metrics based on volume.

Supporting this new direction, startups such as Aethir, KiteAI, and Storacha are building on Filecoin for durable data integrity rather than short-term throughput.

Despite declining raw capacity, from 4.2 EiB to 3.8 EiB, Filecoin’s utility as a selective, high-fidelity storage layer continues to grow. The storage utilization rate also edged down to 30%, underscoring the network’s retreat from subsidizing idle storage in favor of verifiable, high-quality datasets.

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New Protocols and Clients Signal Broader Use Cases

The release of Proof of Data Possession (PDP) signifies the move of Filecoin away from stagnant cold storage. PDP enables real-time data verification, and it affords more dynamic storage situations similar to normal cloud systems.

DeStor’s compatibility with Qamcom Decentralized Data Security opened new use cases to customers such as YayPal, Fieldstream, and UC Berkeley’s artificial intelligence programs.

Over 2,340 datasets were brought on board by the end of Q1, an increase of 3% quarter over quarter. Of those, 804 customers loaded data over 1,000 TiB, demonstrating institutional demand for scalable, decentralized data systems.

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AI-oriented ventures like Akave, GhostDrive, and CIDGravity became part of the ecosystem, joining the expanding presence of Filecoin into high-compute and privacy-focused industries.

Filecoin Usage Grows in AI and Web3 Amid Price Slump

Despite the 41% decline in FIL’s market capitalization to $1.8 billion, activity on-chain accelerated. More than 23 million entered the network, an 11% quarter-over-quarter improvement, while outflows increased 17%.

This divergence. Token usage growth amidst decreasing prices. Reveals high activity on Filecoin’s decentralized platform, particularly in AI and Web3 ecosystems.

Total network charges plummeted to $457,000. Down 65%, this was mainly due to reduced deals and trimmed gas operations. Penalty and batch fees also declined, spurred by increased network stability and simplified precommit procedures.

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Liquid staking also suffered, seeing TVL drop 42% to $136 million, as conservative sentiment took hold among token holders dealing with volatility in the market.

Related Reading | Ukraine Set to Create Europe’s First Sovereign Bitcoin Reserve

Solana: Private DEXs Like SolFi and ZeroFi Capture 60% of Jupiter Volume

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Key Takeaways

  • Private execution DEXs like SolFi and ZeroFi now dominate Solana’s swap volume via Jupiter.
  • These DEXs use vault-based liquidity and oracle pricing, sacrificing composability for performance.
  • Upcoming Solana upgrades could level the field for public DEXs once again.

Solana’s decentralized finance ecosystem has entered a new phase marked by a sharp pivot from traditional public AMMs to vault-based private execution.

According to a detailed breakdown by Pine Analytics, decentralized exchanges like SolFi, Obric v2, and ZeroFi, all of which lack user interfaces, already process as high as 60% of trade volume on Solana by channeling all traffic solely through Jupiter, the key liquidity aggregator of the chain.

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Historically, DeFi across any chain started with open and transparent liquidity pools managed by AMMs, where users locked up assets in anticipation of yield. Protocols competed based on incentives and TVL, and the ecosystem lived off of composability.

But Solana’s speed of finality and innovative infrastructure changed the game. With reactive DLLMs such as Meteora and order book protocols like Phoenix already altering liquidity dynamics, the true game-changer arrived in the form of SolFi, Obric v2, and ZeroFi, which came into existence in September 2024 with a completely different approach.

Instead of soliciting retail users, these novel DEXs price internally and only make trades surface using Jupiter’s routing intelligence when price and risk make sense.

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It enables them to stay away from front-running attacks, MEV attacks, and unstable order books. SolFi quotes the most risk-prone ones with memecoins and long-tail assets, whereas Obric v2 and ZeroFi quote reliable ones such as USDC/USDT and SOL.

From Public Pools to Performance Vaults

The architecture of these DEXs is a departure from the norm of DeFi. They have no apparent pools, frontends, or even token rewards.

Rather, they make tight, efficient quotes traded directly by Jupiter using internal treasuries and real-time oracle pricing. This aggregator-first paradigm is more focused on price quality than protocol brand or user experience.

Interestingly, these vaults selectively quote, refraining from unnecessary exposure by taking part only when the market conditions facilitate favorable execution. It is not the most open model but does the job.

Even with limited capital and no community engagement, they’ve outperformed traditional DEXs in execution, a crucial edge in today’s Solana environment.

Solana’s Core Architecture Set for Major Overhaul

However, this benefit might not be long-lived. A whitepaper entitled The Path to Decentralized Nasdaq describes upcoming revisions to Solana’s underlying architecture that encompass concurrent leaders and cancel-before-take ordering.

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These changes seek to make public quoting more secure and competitive, possibly decreasing the attractiveness of closed, isolated vault systems.

They have the potential to bring back a more open and composable DeFi world on Solana. In the meantime, private DEXs will continue to prevail not because they uphold DeFi’s early ideals, but simply because they’ve learned to fit into the Solana of the current era best.

Related Reading | Bitcoin’s Bullish Momentum Faces Setback: How Trade Deals Impact BTC

IOTA’s Innovation Push: New Projects Target Digital Identity, Sustainability & Product Trust

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Key Takeaways:

  • IOTA’s Business Innovation Program is funding and accelerating three startups addressing real-world challenges using its Mainnet.
  • Impierce, Orobo, and SDV Consulting are leveraging IOTA’s infrastructure for digital ID, sustainability, and product traceability solutions.
  • These companies chose IOTA for its scalable, privacy-first, and interoperable technology designed for global compliance and transparency.

IOTA’s Business Innovation Program (BIP), launched to fuel real-world adoption of its upgraded Mainnet, has now onboarded its first trio of startups, each addressing critical global challenges.

Supported with up to €100,000 of funding, access to infrastructure, and technical assistance, these companies seek to transform the way digital identity, supply chains, and product verification work across sectors.

Impierce Technologies’ Jelle Millenaar is driving a decentralized identity approach that is in accordance with the EU’s regulation on eIDAS 2.0.

Impierce’s UniMe wallet, UniCore agent platform, and UniTrust verification layer comprise a comprehensive ecosystem that facilitates secure, verifiable credential issuance in the education, e-commerce, and logistics industries.

By cooperating with Dutch educational organizations, Impierce is already issuing verifiable micro-credentials with IOTA Identities that enhance modularity and learning mobility.

The startup opted for IOTA for its availability in real-time and always on, a requirement for situations such as employment applications or immediate verifications. Its off-chain handling of verifiable credentials with on-chain anchoring offered both privacy and uptime.

Their combination with IOTA Identity and the Gas Station concept enables a gas-free user experience with the assurance of guaranteeing trust without requiring centralized issuers.

Orobo Anchors Green Compliance with Digital Product Passports

Orobo of Sann Carrière is combating fragmented supply chain information and greenwashing with Digital Product Passports (DPPs) that track a product throughout its life cycle, from raw materials all the way to disposal.

Recently showcased at GITEX Asia 2025 as part of Singapore100, Orobo launched its pilot DPP for an electric car battery.

As production costs continue to climb under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, Orobo’s system makes sure that the data of the products is verifiable independently without revealing commercially sensitive information.

Orobo employs IOTA’s distributed ledger technology that is scalable to construct digital replicas of goods and establish immutable checkpoints within a product’s lifecycle. Besides hosting the audit trail, IOTA’s public ledger authenticates corporate digital identities using IOTA Identity.

Its architecture facilitates Orobo meeting enterprise requirements as well as regulatory requirements without compromising privacy and usability.

ObjectID Redefines Product Traceability with IOTA-Powered Twins

SDV Consulting’s ObjectID is combating counterfeiting and gaps in traceability by giving physical objects tamper-proof digital identities.

CEO Stefano Della Valle confirmed the selection of the network after extensive testing based on its costs, scalability, and capacity for cryptographic credentials to bind to physical objects.

Targeting industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to high-end goods, ObjectID connects each of an item’s iterations back to its original maker through its Identity layer.

The transfers are fee-sponsored on IOTA’s Gas Station, with product records stored indefinitely with bespoke Move Contracts and Rust and TypeScript-based SDKs. This framework ensures that provenance information is both decentralized and independently verifiable.

As its Business Innovation Program is extended until December 2025, the network is opening up to more builders interested in scaling verifiable real-world applications on its enhanced infrastructure.

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Ethereum Skyrockets 49% in 6 Days, Surpasses $2,700 as Retail Traders Flip Bullish

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Key Takeaways

  • Ethereum surges 49% in six days, breaching $2,700 for the first time since February.
  • Retail sentiment flips bullish as social chatter fuels rally expectations.
  • Transaction fees remain low, supporting continued network activity.

Ethereum has staged an eye-catching comeback, breaking above $2,700 for the first time since February 23. This marks a 49% gain in just six days, a swift rebound from its recent local bottom near $1,800 on May 7.

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On-chain analytics platform Santiment pointed out the twist that the price action of Ethereum began accelerating when sentiment on social media hit its all-time low. Formerly mocking the token’s halt in action, traders turned around and began seeing entry points as bullish once more, a full turnaround from public sentiment.

Ethereum’s climb resembles the 2017 cycle in that sudden leaps were fueled more by sentiment and network excitement rather than rigorous fundamentals. This time around, however, the underlying forces are perhaps more robust.

Ethereum remains the DeFi and NFT infrastructure leader, with its Layer-2 infrastructure growing exponentially. Although the general altcoin market has had fleeting moments of glory, Ethereum’s sustained utility is the basis for more enduring price movements.

Social sentiments from Santiment show a drastic change. A week back, all the discussion around ETH used to be negative based on relative underperformance against memecoins and other popular assets.

However, price targets surged shortly after the May 8 rally, and most retail traders now look forward towards a $3,500 range. These dynamics are a reflection of the unstable nature of crypto sentiment, particularly among retail traders dealing in a high-reward, high-risk environment.

From “Flippening” Dreams to Present-Day Momentum

Ethereum’s recent uptrend has sparked debate of its long-term potential relative to Bitcoin. In 2016–2017, there used to be the notion of a “flippening” that saw Ethereum overtaking Bitcoin on the market cap list because of its vast potential and active developer community.

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Although that scenario never occurred, the debate that it engendered is one still valid today. Technological flexibility keeps driving ETH’s status as not simply virtual currency.

Since Bitcoin is the clear leader as a store of value, Ethereum’s status as an infrastructure layer for decentralized applications makes it indispensable within the Web3 ecosystem.

Currently, the market cap of ETH is still roughly half of that of Bitcoin, but the current price surge has fueled speculation as to how much that differential might decrease if the current momentum is sustained throughout the month of May.

Ethereum Eyes $3K as Transaction Costs Hit Six-Month Low

Another driver of Ethereum’s recent uptrend is the low transaction fee. The average fee is now $0.84, a significant improvement from the $7+ average six months prior.

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Lower fees are attracting more network activity with little of the bottlenecks that crop up with bull runs. If fees stay low, Ethereum might continue attracting retail interest with little immediate correction.

However, a note of warning is appropriate. The 30-day MVRV ratio has risen to +32.5%, way ahead of the +15% threshold generally used as the starting point of overheating.

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Though this does not indicate a top, it certainly hints at an impending slow-down or short-term plateau. Nevertheless, with Bitcoin potentially looking towards a dip into $110K, Ethereum’s way towards breaking above $3,000 once more might not be far off.

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Bitcoin Whales Load Up 83,000 BTC: October Top Still on Track

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Key Takeaways:

  • Bitcoin whales and sharks added over 83K BTC in 30 days, signaling renewed confidence.
  • Small wallets offloaded BTC, likely cashing out on recent gains amid market uncertainty.
  • Bitcoin’s October peak remains in sight, though sharp volatility is expected before that.

Bitcoin’s heavyweight holders, often called whales and sharks, have quietly resumed accumulation. According to blockchain intelligence platform Santiment, addresses holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC acquired a staggering 83,105 BTC in just 30 days.

This tier of investors now shows increased confidence in Bitcoin’s trajectory, coinciding with calming geopolitical tensions such as the U.S.–China tariff pause.

This recent wave of buying is significant when compared to the total BTC holdings of these wallets, suggesting strategic positioning for a breakout move.

The trend also reflects a typical behavior seen ahead of strong rallies, where larger entities accumulate during sideways or uncertain phases. Many are interpreting this shift as a precursor to Bitcoin’s challenge of the elusive $110,000 price mark, a level yet to be reached but not out of sight.

Retail Wallets Trim BTC Amid Market Uncertainty

As big wallets loaded up, the smallest wallets took the other road. Addresses with under 0.1 BTC in them sold their 387 BTC over the same time.

Although the quantity is small, this is significant considering the relative magnitude of their holdings. This is a retail uncertainly signal, presumably triggered by Bitcoin failing to convincingly move above previous resistance levels in recent weeks.

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Wallets just above the 0.1 BTC level also demonstrated a trend of profit-taking due to the perception that small holders have that the market would turn around at some point. To these investors, the recent stable price may seem more like a plateau than a starting point,particularly in a month that has been associated with surprise changes.

Bitcoin Cycle Intact as October Peak Looms

Joao Wedson, the founder of Alphractal, is firm in her Bitcoin opinion. Of late, Wedson reaffirmed how she believes the Bitcoin cycle remains intact with high potential to peak in the October 12–16 time frame.

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Bitcoin Whales Load Up 83,000 BTC: October Top Still on Track 19

She refuted the possibility that institutional presence or ETF activity has broken the underlying rhythm of Bitcoin, citing that institutional players have been participating for more than a decade, but not always transparently.

Wedson emphasized recurring patterns observed in earlier cycles, including similarities between April 2021 and April 2023, and cautioned that May once more might bring about chaos, much like the shock from the 2021 crackdown in China.

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Paying Dubai Fees Just Got Easier: Crypto.com Enables Crypto Transactions

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Key Takeaways

  • Dubai Finance partners with Crypto.com to enable crypto payments for government services.
  • The initiative aligns with Dubai’s Cashless Strategy and digital economy goals.
  • The MoU marks a global first for comprehensive crypto-government integration.

Dubai Finance (DOF) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Crypto.com, a move that transforms how residents and businesses can interact with public services.

The partnership provides for payment of Dubai government charges in the form of cryptocurrencies. The move is a foundation of Dubai’s overall Cashless Strategy to digitize more than 90% of the city’s transaction volumes by 2026.

The signing ceremony was held at the Dubai FinTech Summit with the attendance of high-level government officials like Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of the Executive Council of Dubai, and Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, Director General of DOF.

The deal was formalized by DOF’s Ahmad Ali Meftah and Mohammed Al Hakim, the UAE President of Crypto.com. Crypto.com’s function is to enable crypto payments, convert the various digital currencies to Emirati dirhams (AED), and transfer the same in a secure way to Dubai Finance accounts.

The initiative is touted to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world, a government-wide institutionalized adoption of cryptocurrency for payment for public services. The partnership is not only going to ease the transaction process but also grow the digital economy through enhanced accessibility, speed, and reliability in public finance.

DOF–Crypto.com Pact Reinforces Dubai’s Digital Economy Goals

Guided by the leadership of Dubai, this alliance points to a greater vision enshrined in the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. This strategic framework seeks to place Dubai in the leading financial and digital economies of the world.

Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh highlighted DOF’s dedication to developing in line with the digital revolution while also aiding the emirate in becoming a cashless society.

Crypto.com representative Mohammed Al Hakim characterized the MoU as a major leap towards integrating traditional government functions with modern digital finance. The VARA-licensed company has promised to guarantee the technical interoperability and user interface comply with international standards for security and efficiency.

Digital Currency to Boost Fintech Sector and Economic Growth

With the infrastructure foundation now in place, Dubai anticipates stimulating the development of new income-generating opportunities and growth in the fintech sector.

President and COO of Crypto.com Eric Anziani pointed to this alliance as a driver for the greater adoption of cryptocurrency for real-life applications. Regulatory endorsement, including the support of Amna Mohammed Lootah, who is responsible for the region’s digital payment systems, is also paving the way for a secure future.

The digital payment channel shall become universally accessible across all government platforms shortly, facilitating people to conduct unfettered, real-time settlements with the help of digital assets.

Related Reading | BitGo Gains EU Approval, Expands Crypto Custody Services Across Europe

Charles Hoskinson Breaks Silence on Cardano’s Future, New Stablecoin Plans Revealed

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Key Takeaways

  • Cardano explores privacy-focused stablecoins with selective disclosure.
  • Hoskinson emphasizes Cardano’s scalability and geopolitical relevance.
  • Real-world utility and defense-tech collaborations are central to its vision.

Cardano’s founder, Charles Hoskinson, has outlined an ambitious shift toward privacy-enabled finance. In his recent appearance on “The Legacy of Cardano” podcast, Hoskinson revealed that the Cardano team is designing a new type of stablecoin.

In contrast to the traditional stablecoins, like the USDC or USDT, that are entirely on-chain traceable, the stablecoin of Cardano seeks to replicate cash using selective disclosure. Under this system, users would have the capability to decide how and when to release their transaction information, balancing privacy against legality requirements like anti-money laundering statutes.

Hoskinson also noted that blockchain’s openness has made it possible for economic activity to permanently record itself onto public ledgers.

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With regulators and institutions looking on carefully, the blockchain network proposes a middle ground. The research-stage privacy-oriented stablecoin will strive to meet the needs of liberty-oriented users while appealing to compliance-oriented frameworks.

Selective disclosure is an exception to the standard, where private coins such as Monero or Zcash have not been successful in securing approval from regulators.

Its framework introduces the concept of an opt-in protocol under which data sharing is an option, not an inherent requirement. That is a subtle but potentially defining leap that may become the standard for decentralized finance infrastructure.

Hoskinson Defends Cardano’s Design as Crypto Faces Global Headwinds

During the conversation, Hoskinson looked back on the network’s long-term vision amidst turmoil throughout the industry. From Bitcoin’s sluggish block speed to the congestion on Ethereum and resultant high fees, the founder analyzed blockchain’s scalability hurdles.

For Cardano, the answer is layered architecture and its novel extended UTXO model that offers predictable transaction flows.

Hoskinson also mentioned the influence of geopolitical tensions, citing the shifting allegiances in the form of Russian-China relations. These macroeconomic shifts, he said, could place cryptocurrencies, particularly deflationary ones, as new contenders for the traditional safe havens like the U.S. dollar.

Concurrently, the discussion probed the regulatory resistance. Hoskinson faulted binary structures of the existing bodies of law for their inability to embrace the intrinsic complexities of crypto products.

He compared this to the staggering punishments that traditional banks are still subjected to, reasoning that decentralized networks, where compliance is in the design, can excel.

Cardano’s Real-World Expansion

Looking past the market dynamics, Hoskinson highlighted that the network is becoming more than a smart contracts platform.

He spoke about its partnerships throughout the tech and the defense industries, with examples of applications such as Book.io, a decentralized publishing platform that provides true possession of online material. This is just an example of Cardano’s move from theory to practical deployment.

Hoskinson also addressed the long-standing misconceptions, particularly the meme-driven or idle perceptions of Cardano. He referenced its involvement in AVS (Authenticated Validation Services) and dedication to governance through on-chain mechanisms to demonstrate materiality of its technology

By this cross-industry cooperation and sheer perseverance, Cardano is establishing itself as a long-lasting presence in the global blockchain ecosystem.

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Ripple’s Hidden IPO Clues? $1.25B Deal and Whales Stir Speculation

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Key Takeaways:

  • Ripple’s abrupt halt to XRP reports may hint at IPO groundwork, despite public denial.
  • Legal clarity from a $50M SEC settlement removes major hurdles to going public.
  • Pre-IPO signs like buybacks and acquisitions fuel speculation, but evidence remains inconclusive.

In a move that caught the crypto world by surprise, Ripple terminated its long-standing XRP Markets Report in early May. The records were being utilized against the firm by the SEC. But based on crypto commentator All Things XRP, who looked at the move in a thorough string, this may not merely be about guarding against regulators but perhaps strategic positioning for an eventual IPO.

The theory takes hold when considered against the backdrop of usual pre-IPO conduct. Would-be public companies frequently cut back on voluntary disclosures to minimize legal risk exposure and align communication procedures with SEC requirements. Ripple’s move is consistent with that playbook.

But Brad Garlinghouse has said publicly several times, most recently in May, that Ripple is not going public in 2025. Despite the bluntness of that statement, some industry voices think there is strategic ambiguity at play here, not a flat denial.

Traditionally, firms have minimized IPO plans prior to their filing to keep regulators at ease or escape a speculative run.

Whales Stir, Valuations Rise, and Moves Multiply

Ripple’s financial conduct gives credence to the IPO theory. With a daring move, the company bought back $285 million of shares, basing its internal value at $11.3 billion. That amount wasn’t arbitrarily tossed around; it was based on Ripple’s own buyback conditions, indicating faith in their market value.

Even more dramatic was the $1.25 billion purchase of prime brokerage firm Hidden Road, a huge strategic expansion. These are not the conservative moves of a firm stepping back from the public stage. Rather, they are representative of the sort of capital deployments late in the run-up to an IPO.

Market indicators also signal a change in sentiment. One of Ripple’s large partners, Japan’s SBI Holdings, made an indirect mention of valuation plays in recent messaging.

As the same time, whales in XRP have been shifting assets according to patterns that are indicating the positioning for situation readiness, possibly in anticipation of future liquidity events.

No IPO Filing Yet, But Ripple Plays Long Game

In spite of the commotion, there is still no SEC Form S-1. No independent board memberships. No whispers from the underwriters. These are the classic signs of an upcoming IPO, and none have been seen. That lack implies that Ripple is gearing up for something down the line instead of a quick entry into the public markets.

For the moment, Ripple’s intentions seem to be aimed at legal protection and disclosure coordination instead of a guaranteed IPO timeline. However, should the official filings show up, the story changes to that of confirmation instead of speculation.

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