Chainwire

New York, New York, USA, January 12th, 2026, Chainwire

Mezo's "Bring Bitcoin Home" initiative targets billions in wrapped Bitcoin on Ethereum, offering MEZO token rewards to participants who migrate BTC liquidity back to its home network.

Mezo, a Bitcoin-native financial infrastructure protocol, today announced the allocation of up to 2.5% of the total MEZO token supply to incentivize early depositors in its "Bring Bitcoin Home" pre-deposit vaults. The vaults target the more than $11 billion in wrapped Bitcoin currently sitting on Ethereum DeFi.

Starting today, users can deposit tBTC, cbBTC, WBTC, or USDT into Ethereum-based vaults. At the end of January, assets migrate automatically to Mezo's Bitcoin-native infrastructure—fixed-rate borrowing, a fully Bitcoin-backed stablecoin, and yield from real onchain activity.

“Sixteen years ago today, Hal Finney ran the second Bitcoin node and began articulating a vision of Bitcoin-backed banks—an entire financial system built on hard money,” said Matt Luongo, CEO of Thesis, the venture studio behind Mezo. “Mezo is a Bitcoin-first system designed to support borrowing, saving, and yield directly against BTC, without custodians, wrappers, or variable-rate markets.”

Since its inception, the protocol has launched:

Fixed-rate Bitcoin-backed loans on mainnet

A fully Bitcoin-backed stablecoin, MUSD

BTC-denominated transaction fees

Yield generated from real Bitcoin activity

Bitcoin-native incentive mechanics that reward onchain participation

Direct fiat on-ramps for MUSD

No reliance on wrapped token custodians or variable-rate markets

The system reflects early Bitcoin design principles, including concepts proposed by Hal Finney around Bitcoin-backed banking and redeemable digital currency.

Reward Structure

Up to 2.5% of the total MEZO supply has been allocated to Bring Bitcoin Home. Early depositors earn boosted MEZO rewards starting at 5% incentive APR (~7% estimated total APR including base yield). Rewards are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Key Dates

Today (Jan 12): Vaults open. First deposits get ~7% total APR.

January 26th: Vaults lock, migration to Mezo begins

March 23rd: Vaults unlock on Mezo, depositors get MEZO.

Additional details on the MEZO token and earn mechanics are available in the Mezo Earn whitepaper.

Pre-deposit vaults are live at comehome.mezo.org.

About Mezo

Mezo is the on-chain Bitcoin banking experience controlled by its users. There are no loan officers, no banker hours, and no credit checks—just permissionless banking powered by a decentralized network that provides liquidity without selling Bitcoin. It offers familiar traditional financial services, such as borrowing, lending and saving, delivered through DeFi-native products powered by its Bitcoin-backed stablecoin, MUSD. Bitcoin holders now have a self-custodial banking solution tailored to their needs. Users can learn more at mezo.org.

About Thesis

Thesis is a pioneering venture studio dedicated to building on Bitcoin. Since 2014 Thesis* has committed to building solutions focused on empowering individuals and communities through creation of market leading products including Fold, Mezo, tBTC, Acre and Taho in its core portfolio of brands. Thesis* continues to challenge traditional systems, driven by innovation and a belief in a sovereign digital future shaping the decentralized landscape one project at a time. To learn more, users can visit: www.thesis.co

Contact

Associate Account Manager Andrew Heibeck M Group Strategic Communications [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Davos, Switzerland, January 12th, 2026, Chainwire

Global institutional investors, policymakers, and senior leaders from digital assets and financial services will convene in Davos for the 4th Edition of the Institutional Investor Gathering, an exclusive, invitation-only forum hosted by Blockchain Founders Capital (BFC) and taking place at the historic Panorama Hall, Hotel Seehof.

The closed-door gathering will bring together fund managers, asset managers, family offices, HNIs, fintech leaders, and regulatory stakeholders to discuss the next phase of institutional adoption of digital assets, stablecoins, and blockchain-based financial infrastructure.

The 2026 edition is supported by industry leaders, including Animoca Brands, Qivalis, LI.FI, Injective, Bitvavo, and Smape Capital, reflecting growing institutional engagement across digital finance, payments, and Web3 infrastructure.

As digital assets continue to integrate with global financial markets, the Institutional Investor Gathering has emerged as a Davos platform focused on institutional-grade dialogue, emphasizing regulatory clarity, risk management, and real-world adoption.

“The conversation around digital assets has shifted from experimentation to execution,” said  Sagar Barvaliya, General Partner at Blockchain Founders Capital. “At Davos, our goal is to bring together investors, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss how regulation, capital, and technology can align to support responsible, large-scale adoption.”

Wolfgang Männel, General Partner at Blockchain Founders Capital, will share perspectives on fund investment strategy and market insights informed by BFC’s active investment approach in the digital asset ecosystem. In addition, he will moderate a series of fireside discussions with industry leaders, including Yat Siu, Chairman of Animoca Brands; and Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, focusing on institutional adoption, market structure, and the evolving digital finance landscape.

Attendance will be limited to 70 senior-level participants, ensuring a highly curated and confidential environment. Hosted at Hotel Seehof, a long-standing Davos venue known for hosting world leaders and heads of state, the setting underscores the gathering’s institutional focus.

The event will conclude with a private networking reception that connects investors, policymakers, and executives shaping the future of digital finance. 

The gathering will also feature a curated hospitality experience, with Castle Lieberich providing wines from its own vineyard, a 130-year-old wine garden in Neustadt, Germany, adding a heritage dimension to the event.

About Blockchain Founders Capital

Blockchain Founders Capital is a Germany-based early-stage venture capital fund focused on backing mission-driven founders building at the intersection of Web2, Web3, and digital finance. The fund has made 22 investments to date and operates on an equal partnership model, aligning long-term interests between founders and investors. BFC invests primarily across the United States and Europe.

For more information, users can visit www.bfc.vc.

Contact

Director of PR Alnura Belyalova INPUT Global [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Tel Aviv, Israel, January 8th, 2026, Chainwire

Orbs announced today that Atlantis has integrated Orbs’ Perpetual Hub Ultra to enable onchain perpetual futures trading on Monad. The integration expands Atlantis beyond spot trading, adding a fully managed perpetuals stack powered by Orbs’ Layer-3 infrastructure and positioning Atlantis as a comprehensive DeFi hub on Monad.

Perpetual Hub Ultra is a scalable, capital-efficient perpetual futures protocol that delivers a full perps stack (hedging, liquidation, oracles, and a pro trading interface) through a modular integration layer, enabling decentralized exchanges to aggregate liquidity from multiple sources without building custom infrastructure. Ultra enables fast deployment and intent-based execution, allowing fully decentralized trading venues to offer competitive performance and user experience.

Built on Atlantis’ modular V4 architecture, the integration allows the platform to offer perpetual futures through a plug-and-play framework without requiring custom backend development. Users gain access to deep aggregated liquidity, customizable leverage, and efficient execution, while Atlantis retains flexibility to evolve its trading offering as the ecosystem grows.

“This integration shows how advanced onchain derivatives can be deployed quickly and efficiently without sacrificing decentralization,” said Ran Hammer, head of ecosystem at Orbs. “By powering perpetuals on Atlantis through Perpetual Hub Ultra, Orbs is enabling teams on Monad to offer professional-grade derivatives trading using a modular, turnkey infrastructure.”

Perpetual Hub Ultra builds on Orbs’ earlier Perpetual Hub deployments, which are already live across multiple decentralized trading venues. The Ultra version extends these capabilities by routing liquidity from both onchain and offchain sources, including major centralized exchanges, while maintaining decentralized settlement and execution.

The deployment further establishes Orbs as an execution layer for advanced onchain trading, supporting aggregated liquidity, advanced order types, and decentralized derivatives. By operating as a Layer-3 network secured by a public set of permissionless validators using delegated proof-of-stake, Orbs enables DeFi protocols to deliver execution quality comparable to centralized exchanges.

As intent-based trading continues to grow in spot markets, Perpetual Hub Ultra brings the same model to perpetual futures. The integration with Atlantis demonstrates how decentralized exchanges can compete on performance and user experience while remaining fully onchain and composable within the broader DeFi ecosystem.

About Atlantis

Atlantis is a DeFi hub built on Monad, designed around a modular V4, plugin-based architecture that enables continuous upgrades without migrations. The platform combines swaps, advanced order types, perpetuals trading, cross-chain swaps, fiat on-ramps, and vetted IDO access through Stargate Atlantis in a single interface.

Atlantis also offers farming, staking, bonds, token creation, token and liquidity locking, and DeFAI integrations. By combining AI-driven fee optimization with Monad’s high-performance execution, Atlantis delivers lower gas costs while evolving alongside its community to support next-generation DeFi applications. Learn more at https://x.com/AtlantisDEX_xyz.

About Orbs

Orbs is a decentralized Layer 3 blockchain designed for advanced on-chain trading. Using a Proof of Stake consensus, Orbs acts as a supplementary execution layer that enables complex logic and scripts beyond the capabilities of standard smart contracts. Orbs powered protocols, including dLIMIT, dTWAP, Liquidity Hub, and Perpetual Hub, bring CeFi level execution to decentralized markets. With a global team spanning multiple locations, Orbs continues to innovate at the frontier of blockchain infrastructure. Learn more at www.orbs.com.

Telegram: https://t.me/OrbsNetwork

X: https://x.com/orbs_network

Contact

Ran Hammer [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Mahe, Seychelles, January 08th, 2026, Chainwire

BitMEX, one of the safest exchanges, today announced the launch of Equity Perps, a new derivatives product that allows traders to gain exposure to major U.S. stocks and equity indices using cryptocurrency as collateral. The launch expands BitMEX’s product suite beyond crypto-native markets, enabling 24/7 trading on traditional equity benchmarks, including when U.S. stock markets are closed.
Equity Perps are cash-settled perpetual swap contracts that track the price of individual U.S. stocks or indices and do not have an expiry date. Similar to BitMEX’s existing crypto perpetuals, the contracts use a funding rate mechanism to anchor prices to the underlying reference index. Traders can take long or short positions with up to 20x leverage, using assets such as Bitcoin or Tether as margin collateral.
“Equity Perps give traders a more flexible way to access U.S. equity markets using crypto,” said Stephan Lutz, CEO of BitMEX. “By removing traditional market hours and allowing crypto collateral, we are extending our derivatives expertise to a broader set of global markets while maintaining the reliability and performance BitMEX is known for.”
At launch, Equity Perps are available on a selection of widely traded U.S. stocks and indices, including Amazon, Apple, Circle, Coinbase, Meta, Nvidia, Robinhood, Tesla, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq. BitMEX plans to expand the range of available contracts over time. Trading is open 24/7, with index pricing during U.S. market hours based primarily on real-time equity prices and, outside those hours, supported by tokenized spot prices from multiple exchanges.
All Equity Perps trades on BitMEX feature a maker rebate of 2.5 basis points and a taker fee of 7.5 basis points. Funding is exchanged every eight hours, consistent with BitMEX’s existing perpetual swap products, regardless of U.S. equity market hours. In the event of corporate actions such as stock splits, affected contracts will be settled early and relisted once the action is complete.
To mark the launch, BitMEX is offering a 70,000 USDT prize pool for eligible users who trade Equity Perps, alongside maker rebates on all Equity Perps contracts. Additional educational resources and product guides are available through the BitMEX website and blog.
About BitMEX
BitMEX is the OG crypto derivatives exchange, providing professional crypto traders with a platform that caters to their needs with low latency, deep crypto native and especially BTC liquidity and unmatched reliability. 
Since its founding, no cryptocurrency has been lost through intrusion or hacking, allowing BitMEX users to trade with confidence that their funds are secure and that they have access to the products and tools required to be profitable. 
BitMEX was also among the first exchanges to publish on chain Proof of Reserves and Proof of Liabilities data. The exchange continues to publish this data twice a week, providing assurance that customer funds are safely stored and segregated. 
For more information, users can visit the BitMEX Blog or www.bitmex.com, Telegram and Twitter. For further inquiries, please contact [email protected].

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, January 6th, 2026, Chainwire

The Buck Foundation is launching the world’s first Bitcoin Dollar savings coin, introducing a new category of digital asset designed for predictable rewards, global accessibility, and minute-by-minute earnings. The company’s debut product offers 7% annual rewards that accrue by the minute, with low transaction fees, positioning Buck as a savings-focused complement to today’s stable assets.

Buck, a governance token by design, delivers its rewards by being indirectly backed by Bitcoin via its treasury holdings of STRC, Strategy’s Bitcoin-backed perpetual preferred stock. STRC pays Buck’s treasury a monthly return of capital at a variable annual rate. Buck token holders vote on distributing these earnings directly to holders, creating a transparent savings community supported by STRC’s overcollateralization with Bitcoin and its established financial framework.

Buck’s US based technology company, Buck Labs, is led by founder and CEO Travis VanderZanden, a long-time Bitcoin investor and an experienced operator who has built and scaled many consumer technology companies. As the founder and former CEO of Bird, he managed one of the fastest global expansions in recent tech history while working closely with city governments and regulators across hundreds of jurisdictions. His earlier leadership roles at Lyft and Uber further shaped his expertise in driving consumer adoption at scale and navigating complex operational environments. VanderZanden’s move into digital assets reflects a shift toward building clear, durable financial tools that prioritize user trust and regulatory readiness.

“People want a simple way to earn rewards in crypto without becoming speculators, and that is exactly what Buck is designed to provide,” said Travis VanderZanden, CEO of Buck Labs. “By providing access to the Bitcoin Dollar with 7% rewards, we aim to make saving in crypto intuitive and accessible for everyone.”

Buck, initially priced at $1 a token, enables holders to trade 24/7 rather than being confined to traditional market windows. Buck holders also earn rewards based on the precise time they hold the token.The structure allows individuals to invest and withdraw directly in cryptocurrency without relying on fiat conversions or banking infrastructure. The company believes this reduces friction and makes savings rewards accessible to a wider global audience. By connecting Strategy’s STRC financial foundation with Web3 flexibility, Buck aims to offer a borderless and user-friendly savings experience.

“The crypto market has matured significantly, and users now expect both immediate utility and reliable growth, much like having a checking account for everyday transactions and a dedicated savings account. In this new financial model, stablecoins act as the checking account, providing the easy payment liquidity needed for daily activity.  Meanwhile, Buck is positioned as the high-reward savings coin, delivering dependable, predictable returns and financial discipline,” VanderZanden said.  “Our goal is to make consistent savings a core financial function of crypto.”

About Buck Labs

Buck Labs Inc. is a digital asset technology company with a HQ in Miami, Florida, and the creator of the world’s first Bitcoin Dollar savings coin. Buck offers 7% annual rewards that are calculated by the minute and withdrawable at any time, providing a flexible and globally accessible savings community.  

https://www.buck.io

Legal 

Not intended for US persons. Not an offer of securities or investment advice. Check local regulations for token purchase restrictions. Rewards based upon DAO governance token vote, Cayman Foundation approval, and discretion of BVI Token Issuer, less taxes and fees and subject to change based upon DAO chosen preferred equities rates and distribution decisions. Price floats based upon market demand. Terms and Conditions apply.

Contact

Media Contact [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Las Vegas, NV, USA, January 6th, 2026, Chainwire

Coinhub Exchange, a modern online crypto exchange, announced the grand opening of two new branch locations in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Phoenix, Arizona. The new branches are designed to make crypto easier for everyday customers and active traders by combining online trading with real, in-person support—plus convenient cash access through Coinhub’s nationwide Bitcoin ATM network.

With Coinhub Exchange, customers can buy crypto, sell crypto, store crypto, and convert crypto online—then visit a branch when they want face-to-face help with account setup, funding, and placing their first trade. Customers can also use Coinhub’s connected network to find a Bitcoin ATM near me across 2,000+ Coinhub-connected locations nationwide.

In-person Crypto Support—built for Beginners and Advanced Traders

The Las Vegas and Phoenix branches will provide in-person support for:

Account setup and verification guidance

Funding assistance (crypto deposits and bank wires)

Education on buying and selling crypto, including product walkthroughs

Support for advanced trading and larger orders

Bitcoin Cash Transactions Available With In-Branch Support

Both branches will also offer an in-person cash buy/sell experience, supported by human tellers and Coinhub ATMs located in the lobby—ideal for customers who want a guided alternative to traditional Bitcoin ATMs.

Customers can expect:

Up to $150,000 daily cash limits for eligible customers

Lower fees than many Bitcoin ATMs, with transparent pricing

A faster process (no need to feed bills one at a time)

On-site support for a more comfortable customer experience

This in-branch service complements Coinhub’s online platform and helps customers move between cash and crypto with more flexibility.

Multiple Trading Options Available on Coinhub Exchange

Coinhub Exchange offers 5 trading options for every level:

Quick Trading — simple buy/sell for beginners (no confusing charts)

Pro Trader — advanced charting and order types for active traders seeking lower fees

OTC — for larger orders with live quotes and competitive execution

Credit Card — simply buy any crypto online with a credit or debit card

Cash — Via Branch Teller or any of our 2000+ Bitcoin ATM locations

New Branch Locations

Coinhub Exchange will host the official grand opening for both new branch locations on January 7, 2026. More information about branch locations can be found here.

Las Vegas, NV Branch - 3209 W Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89102

Phoenix, AZ Branch - 2415 E Thomas Rd. Suite 3 Phoenix, AZ 85016

About Coinhub Exchange

Coinhub Exchange is a modern, member-only crypto exchange built to help customers buy, sell, store, and convert crypto online or in-person. With physical branches and 2,000+ Coinhub locations nationwide, Coinhub Exchange combines digital convenience with real human support—helping customers trade with confidence and clarity.

Users can open an account: https://coinhubexchange.com/

Users can find a Coinhub Bitcoin ATM here

Contact

Marketing Director Scott Thompson Coinhub Exchange [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

New York, New York, January 6th, 2026, Chainwire

CertiK, the world's largest Web3 security services provider, and YZi Labs (formerly Binance Labs), a global investment vehicle backing long-term founders in Web3, AI, and Biotech has established a strategic partnership to improve the security architecture of participants in the "EASY Residency Incubation Program," safeguarding their long-term development.

EASY Residency is a global incubation program under YZi Labs, designed to support early-stage startups in the Web3, AI, and biotechnology fields who are committed to long-term value creation.

The partnership states that CertiK will establish a dedicated $1 million auditing grant for YZi Labs’ EASY Residency participants, along with formal verification, Skynet Boosting and AI scanning services. YZi Labs will facilitate connections between CertiK and its incubated projects, deepening the projects’ understanding of CertiK's products and services. 

Ella Zhang, Head of YZi Labs, stated, “Security is the foundation of long-term success, but for early-stage founders, it’s often a high-stakes distraction while they are still chasing Product-Market Fit. Think of it like building a skyscraper: founders should focus on the architecture and the vision, while CertiK acts as the structural engineers ensuring the frame is earthquake-proof.” Professor Ronghui Gu, Co-Founder and CEO of CertiK, added, “We believe that our collaboration with YZi Labs will significantly improve the security level of projects, providing necessary guarantees for their long-term development. This is not only related to the growth of projects but also to the health and sustainability of the entire Web3 ecosystem.” 

This strategic partnership marks a fundamental shift in the Web3 industry from “pursuing speed” to “ensuring security.” The new security incubation model, jointly built with technology and funding, is a clear indicator that security is a must-have in the early stages of startup companies. YZi Labs’ involvement reflects its exploration and upgrading of incubation models and has the potential to set a new security benchmark for the entire blockchain industry.

About CertiK

CertiK is the largest Web3 security services provider, utilizing industry-leading formal verification technology to protect and monitor blockchain protocols and smart contracts. Founded in December 2017 by professors from Yale University and Columbia University, CertiK applies cutting-edge innovations from academia to enterprise, enabling mission-critical applications to scale with safety and correctness.

One of the fastest-growing and most trusted companies in blockchain security, CertiK is a true market leader. To date, CertiK has worked with more than 5,000 enterprise clients, secured over $600 billion worth of digital assets, and detected more than 180,000 vulnerabilities in blockchain code. Our clients include industry-leading projects such as Aptos, Ripple, Sandbox, Polygon, BNB Chain, and TON.

​​Since its inception, CertiK has secured investments from 12 top-tier funds, including Sequoia, Coatue, Goldman Sachs, Shunwei Capital and Insight Partners, with a valuation of more than $2 billion. 

Follow Discord, Telegram, and Twitter for the latest news and announcements.

About YZi Labs

YZi Labs is a global investment vehicle backing long-term builders in Web3, AI, and Biotech. Founded by CZ in 2017 and led by Ella Zhang, YZi Labs manages over $10B in assets worldwide.

Our portfolio spans 300+ projects across 25+ countries and six continents, with over 65 teams graduating from our incubation programs.

For more information, follow YZi Labs on X.

Contact

Elisa Yiting Xu [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

San Francisco, California, January 6th, 2026, Chainwire

Cronos today announced that Upbit has enabled staking support for $CRO on its exchange, giving users a simple way to earn staking rewards directly within the Upbit platform.

With this launch, Upbit users can stake $CRO in just a few clicks while Upbit operates the validator on their behalf. The experience is designed to be simple and familiar, removing the need for users to run infrastructure, navigate wallets or understand validator mechanics.

Upbit currently supports staking for fewer than ten digital assets, with $CRO among those selected. The exchange’s decision to add $CRO follows a cautious and deliberate approach to expanding staking support, signaling confidence in the network while maintaining a tightly curated staking offering for users.

Korea has long been an important market for $CRO, with a strong base of users engaging through leading local platforms. Expanding staking access through Upbit aligns with growing interest among Korean users in participating beyond trading alone and engaging more deeply with the Cronos network.

For users, this means an easier way to put $CRO to work while continuing to use a platform they already trust.

“This partnership with Upbit represents a deliberate step towards expanding participation in the Cronos ecosystem in one of the world’s most active crypto markets”, said Ryan Wyatt, CEO of Cronos Labs. “By enabling staking directly on the exchange, millions of Korean users gain a seamless path into Cronos without the usual onchain complexity.”

The addition of $CRO staking support on Upbit reflects a broader shift toward making onchain participation more approachable for everyday users. As more users look beyond trading toward longer-term engagement, exchange-native staking lowers the barrier to entry and helps bridge everyday usage with deeper network participation.

$CRO staking via Upbit will be available starting January 6, 2026, subject to applicable eligibility and jurisdictional requirements. Additional details are available in Upbit’s official announcement. 

About Cronos Labs

Cronos is a global, vertically integrated network powered by $CRO and deeply integrated with its strategic partner Crypto.com, one of the world's largest platforms for crypto, stocks, and prediction markets.

Cronos Labs serves as the network's core architect, building both the underlying high-performance infrastructure and the critical first-party applications that drive the economy. We prioritize a unified network experience to bridge the gap between retail trading and deep onchain liquidity.

By leveraging the distribution of Crypto.com’s 100 million users, Cronos delivers a cohesive, institutional-grade experience for consumers and institutions alike. We are building the compliant, efficient future of onchain markets, where user activity and revenue contribute directly back to $CRO.

For more information, visit https://cronos.org or follow @cronos_chain on X.

Contact

Danielle Hrin Kuek [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Tel Aviv, Israel, January 5th, 2026, Chainwire

Chainwire, the crypto-native press release distribution platform owned by MediaFuse, today announced a strategic partnership with CULTD, the industry’s first "Attention-to-TVL" engine.

The collaboration provides Web3 projects with an integrated growth stack designed to convert global media visibility into measurable on-chain outcomes, such as liquidity provision, staking, and swaps.

For most Web3 projects, the period following a Token Generation Event (TGE) is characterized by a "Liquidity Vacuum", a sharp decline in community engagement and capital retention once initial hype fades. This partnership addresses the gap by combining Chainwire’s guaranteed homepage visibility on tier-1 crypto outlets with CULTD’s Proof-of-Value scoring system, which rewards real users based on economic intent rather than "vanity metrics" like likes or retweets.

Bridging the Gap Between News and Network Value

Through this integration, projects building in the Web3 ecosystem can now access a streamlined pipeline for growth. While Chainwire ensures a project’s news dominates the homepages of trusted platforms like The Block, Decrypt, and CryptoSlate , CULTD provides the infrastructure to ensure that the resulting attention translates into Total Value Locked (TVL) - sticky users with deposits, stakes and purchased tokens.

“Attention without on-chain impact is noise,” said Bulat K., Founder & CEO of CULTD. “CULTD exists to turn attention into TVL, or it doesn’t get rewarded. By partnering with Chainwire, we are giving founders a way to ensure their story reaches the right people, while our platform ensures those people actually show up on-chain to provide real value.”

Ecosystem Benefits for Web3 Founders

Effective immediately, the partnership delivers enhanced value to the CULTD community:

Full Spectrum Attention: CULTD growth packages now integrate Chainwire’s premium Web3 distribution network. This ensures CULTD users receive improved media exposure on top-tier crypto outlets as a standard part of their growth stack.

Preferred Access: CULTD users who purchase standalone press release distribution outside of a package are eligible for a 10% discount on Chainwire services, lowering the barrier to entry for premium visibility.

Investor-Grade Metrics: A shift from social dashboards to "Economic Intent" data, allowing founders to show investors real conversion from media reach to wallet connections and liquidity.

“We built Chainwire on the principle of 'Certainty', guaranteeing that news gets seen by the people who actually move markets,” said Gil Sanderovich, VP of Partnerships & Sales at Chainwire. “Joining forces with Web3 growth platforms like CULTD completes the loop. We provide the reach, and they provide the conversion engine. Together, we’re turning PR from a 'maybe' into a predictable marketing channel for driving protocol usage.”

About Chainwire

Chainwire is the dedicated press release distribution platform for the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. Integrated with over 100 top-tier crypto media outlets, Chainwire offers guaranteed homepage visibility, instant API-driven distribution, and localized global reach in 25+ languages. Trusted by over 2,000 clients, Chainwire is the industry standard for high-performance crypto PR.

Website: https://chainwire.org

About CULTD

CULTD is a Web3 growth platform designed to convert social attention into measurable on-chain outcomes. By focusing on "InfoFi 2.0," CULTD aligns incentives between projects and contributors, rewarding only the actions that drive TVL, liquidity, and long-term retention. 

Website: https://getcultd.com dApp: https://dapp.getcultd.com

Contact

Chief Marketing Officer Alon Keren Chainwire [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Singapore, Singapore, January 5th, 2026, Chainwire

Taisu Ventures, a global Web3 venture capital firm, today announced Keio ChainHack 2026, a one-day pitch and hackathon co-hosted with the Keio FinTEK Center. The event forms part of Taisu Ventures’ broader initiative to support early-stage builders working at the intersection of blockchain infrastructure, regulation, and real-world adoption.

Keio ChainHack 2026 will bring together students, founders, academics, and investors to explore practical applications of blockchain technology and on-chain economic systems. Participation and attendance details are available at https://luma.com/e0pbv2og.

Alongside the event announcement, Taisu Ventures highlighted several portfolio companies that reflect a broader industry trend toward rebuilding real industries on-chain by addressing structural gaps that traditional systems have not solved.

Helix: Building Institutional RWA and Stablecoin Infrastructure

Helix was founded to address a core challenge facing financial institutions exploring blockchain adoption: while demand for tokenized assets and on-chain money flows exists, the institutional infrastructure required to support compliant issuance, custody, reporting, and distribution has historically been fragmented.

Through partnerships with banks, fintechs, and regulated originators, Helix has evolved into a unified orchestration layer spanning structuring, issuance, tokenization, and distribution of real-world assets (RWAs). The platform has been validated through initiatives such as a Malaysia tokenization whitepaper with Kenanga and Saison Capital, Shariah-compliant invoice financing with SILQFi, and a LATAM private credit pipeline via AmFi.

“Taisu doesn’t just invest; they show up, think with us, and connect us with partners who matter,” the Helix team said. “Their support has been essential to our momentum, and to making our pivot possible.”

Lofty: Expanding Access to Real Estate Ownership

Lofty was founded on the insight that real estate investors often face barriers to access rather than a lack of information. After initially developing an AI-driven analytics platform, the company pivoted toward building a blockchain-based real estate exchange that enables fractional ownership and continuous trading of properties.

To deliver this model, Lofty has integrated multiple parts of the real estate value chain, including sourcing, underwriting, transaction execution, and property management. The company is now focused on enabling on-platform leverage through fractional property-backed lending, with the goal of replicating mortgage-driven economics in an on-chain environment.

“Taisu proactively reaches out, asks how they can help, and connects us with the right partners,” said Lofty CEO Jerry Chu. “It’s the kind of support most investors promise, but very few actually deliver.”

Pruv: Unlocking a Licensed RWA Pathway in Indonesia

Pruv emerged from founder Chung Ying Lai’s experience building digital asset infrastructure during the early growth of Southeast Asia’s crypto markets. After multiple market cycles, the team identified the lack of yield-bearing, regulated assets as a key source of instability.

Indonesia offered a unique opportunity, with regulators developing a digital-asset-specific framework separate from traditional securities law. After more than two years of regulatory engagement, Pruv has received formal approval to operate as Indonesia’s first licensed platform for permissionless real-world asset (RWA) issuance. The company now utilizes a hybrid blockchain architecture and facilitates cross-chain asset integration in collaboration with regulated asset managers.

“Taisu has been one of the most engaged partners we work with, consistently proactive, accessible, and willing to support us in ways that go far beyond capital,” said Chung Ying Lai.

Strengthening the Builder Ecosystem

According to Taisu Ventures, Keio ChainHack 2026 reflects the firm’s broader strategy of supporting founders beyond capital by fostering early experimentation, talent development, and collaboration between academia and industry through specialized research and innovation centers such as the Keio FinTEK Center.

About Taisu Ventures

Taisu Ventures is a global Web3 venture capital firm with over 120 early-stage investments across Infrastructure, DeFi, AI/DePIN, IP & Entertainment, and User Platforms. The firm partners with founders building technically complex and regulated blockchain systems and actively supports the ecosystem through events, founder forums, and academic-industry collaborations, including Keio ChainHack 2026, co-hosted with the Keio FinTEK Center (https://luma.com/e0pbv2og).

Founders and builders interested in engaging with Taisu Ventures or submitting projects for investment consideration can find additional information and submit details via the firm’s project submission form here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekoWOZJwUq-bmKc9j1Gs6FtdTsrIo4zS7rqrl7NeXsgAZWxQ/viewform)

Contact

Raphael Ng [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Abu Dhabi, UAE, January 5th, 2026, Chainwire

The Web2 to Web3 Conference successfully concluded in Abu Dhabi during Abu Dhabi Finance Week, bringing together senior leaders from financial institutions, global Web3 infrastructure providers, public sector representatives, and international ecosystem builders. Hosted in collaboration with Hub71 and stakeholders connected to ADGM, the conference reinforced Abu Dhabi’s role as a leading hub for regulated, business-driven Web3 adoption across the UAE, GCC, and broader MENA region.

The conference agenda was structured around several high-impact panels and key discussions, each addressing a critical pillar required for institutional blockchain adoption.

Panel: Institutional Digital Asset Custody

The opening panel focused on one of the most fundamental questions facing traditional organizations entering Web3: secure and compliant custody of digital assets. The discussion featured senior leaders from Fireblocks, ZenGo, and n.exchange.

Panelists shared practical insights into custody architectures, institutional security standards, and operational considerations for banks and multinational corporations managing digital assets at scale.

“The Web2 to Web3 transition is driven by partnerships, not experimentation alone. Curated side events like this are essential for aligning ecosystems and accelerating real adoption.”

Oleg Belousov, Founder and CEO, n.exchange

Panel: Security and Trust in a Web3 World

The second panel addressed security, compliance, and trust as core enablers of Web3 adoption. The discussion brought together executives from Addressable, eToro, Nominis, and CertiK.

The panel explored evolving regulatory expectations, AML requirements, smart contract security, and how trust in Web3 is built through measurable compliance and enterprise-grade controls.

“At the Web2 to Web3 conference, we explored the real-world challenges facing crypto, from evolving regulatory expectations to effective AML practices. At Nominis, we are committed to bridging that gap so the promise of Web3 can be realized responsibly.”

Snir Levi, Founder, Nominis

One-on-One Session: From Data to Adoption

A dedicated one-on-one discussion was held between Elad Mor, Co-Founder of MarketAcross, and Tomer Sharoni, CEO and Co-Founder of Addressable.

The conversation focused on how data, attribution, and measurable growth are becoming essential for Web3 companies engaging with traditional financial institutions and enterprises, and how Web2 organizations evaluate blockchain adoption through business outcomes rather than hype.

Panel: Global Hubs and Infrastructure Aiding the Web2 to Web3 Transition

The closing panel examined how global ecosystems, legal frameworks, and international cooperation are enabling Web2 organizations to transition into Web3. The discussion featured Gordon Einstein, Michael Amar from Paris Blockchain Week, and Aviad Tamir from Israel’s Economic and Trade Mission to the UAE.

Panelists highlighted the importance of regulatory clarity, cross border collaboration, and trusted global hubs such as Abu Dhabi and Paris in accelerating institutional Web3 adoption.

A Clear Message from the Event

Across all sessions, a consistent message emerged. Blockchain adoption in the UAE, GCC, and MENA region is moving beyond experimentation toward regulated infrastructure, trusted partnerships, and real business use cases. Side events alongside major finance and crypto conferences are proving to be a critical layer where decision makers engage directly, build trust, and move from conversation to execution.

Reflecting on the strategic vision behind the event, Tal Mor, Founder of Web2 to Web3 and More & More, stated:

“Side events alongside major finance and crypto conferences have proven themselves as the right way to create real business outcomes. This is where people shake hands, build trust, and close deals, not just gain exposure. This event marks the beginning of a broader series aimed at making 2026 a year of collaboration between future startups and established corporations that need the infrastructure and solutions to enter the next technological era.”

Looking Ahead

Building on this momentum, Web2 to Web3 and More & More will continue expanding their activity across UAE, GCC, and MENA conferences through curated side events aligned with Token2049 Dubai, Abu Dhabi Finance Week, GITEX, Money20/20 Riyadh, LEAP Riyadh, and additional global platforms.

Organizations interested in hosting or co-creating side events across the region are invited to connect directly with the founding team.

Contact

Founder Tal Mor Web2 to Web3 | More & More [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Marbella, Spain, January 2nd, 2026, Chainwire

The partnership establishes a fully regulated legal and financial framework that enables international investors to acquire properties across Europe (primarily in Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, and Montenegro) using cryptocurrency; safely, transparently, and in full compliance with European law.

Vicox Legal, a pioneering European law firm specialising in legal advisory for real estate transactions involving crypto assets, has partnered with Banxa, a globally regulated stablecoin and crypto payments infrastructure provider. Together, they deliver a seamless and compliant solution that enables investors to purchase real estate across Southern Europe using digital currencies.

This strategic alliance reinforces both companies’ positions as international authorities in legal compliance, fintech innovation, and operational security, bridging the gap between digital finance and traditional real estate investment.

European Market Leadership in Crypto Real Estate

Vicox Legal is recognised as one of Europe’s leading law firms for property transactions conducted with cryptocurrencies (operating primarily in Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, and Montenegro). With extensive experience and numerous successful case studies, the firm provides a comprehensive legal framework covering property due diligence, fiscal and notarial management, AML/KYC compliance, and tax optimisation for both EU and non-EU investors.

Regulatory Assurance & Banxa’s Global Compliance Network

Banxa operates in over 200 countries, under multiple international regulatory frameworks ensuring full legal compliance. Its European entity (EU Internet Ventures B.V.) has recently been granted a MiCA licence in the Netherlands, authorising it to operate as a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) across 30 European Economic Areas.

Banxa also holds key global accreditations, including:

Financial Conduct Authority (United Kingdom) - Registered Cryptoasset Service Provider

AUSTRAC (Australia) – Registered Digital Currency Exchange

FINTRAC (Canada) – Money Services Business Licence

Money Transmitter Licences (MTLs) – Across several U.S. states

With these licences in place, every crypto-to-fiat transaction is handled securely, transparently, and with full regulatory compliance, providing clients with complete confidence.

Transparency, Legal Security and Due Diligence

Vicox Legal ensures 100% compliant processes (from verifying property ownership, urban planning, and registry checks, to validating the source of crypto funds, ensuring AML/KYC compliance, tax planning, and notarial authentication). Clients can also request an independent compliance report certifying the full legality of the operation.

Overview of the Joint Service Structure

Client Onboarding: Secure and fully compliant onboarding process (including personal identification, wallet source verification, and AML/KYC checks) under EU and GDPR regulations.

Legal Due Diligence: Comprehensive property review (registry, urban planning, encumbrances, contract drafting, and tax implications). Vicox Legal leads this phase to ensure full legal protection and transparency.

Regulated Crypto-to-Fiat Conversion: Banxa provides the regulated payment rails and licences required for compliant, instant crypto-to-fiat conversion (mitigating volatility and legal risk).

Notarial Execution, Taxation, and Land Registry: Vicox Legal coordinates the notarial signing, tax filings (ITP, VAT, etc.), and property registration across all five jurisdictions (Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, and Montenegro) while also providing post-acquisition tax guidance for non-resident investors.

Expanding Access to Asian Investors

With the growing interest from Asian markets (including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, and mainland China), Vicox Legal and Banxa are opening secure channels for investors in Asia who wish to diversify their portfolios through European real estate. This partnership acts as a trusted and compliant bridge between Asian capital and the European property market, offering regulatory transparency, secure crypto-fiat conversion, and legal peace of mind.

Context and Relevance

Europe’s southern real estate markets (particularly Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, and Montenegro) are increasingly attracting international buyers seeking stability, lifestyle, and long-term value growth. For crypto investors, this collaboration represents the first truly compliant and operationally secure solution to acquire European properties using digital assets.

About Vicox Legal

Vicox Legal is a leading European law firm specialising in digital economy, fintech, blockchain, and real estate law. With offices and active operations across Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, and Montenegro, the firm has successfully advised multiple real estate transactions settled in cryptocurrency, ensuring regulatory compliance, legal security, and fiscal efficiency for investors worldwide.

Website: www.vicox.legal

About Banxa

Banxa is the leading infrastructure provider for enabling embedded crypto, empowering businesses to embed crypto seamlessly into their existing platforms and unlocking new opportunities in the rapidly evolving crypto economy. Through an extensive and growing network of global and local payment solutions and regulatory licenses, Banxa helps businesses provide seamless integration of crypto and fiat for global audiences with lower fees and higher conversion rates. Headquartered in the USA, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, the Banxa team is building for a world where global commerce is run on digital assets. banxa.com

Website: www.banxa.com

Contact

CEO Vicente Ortiz Vicox Legal Vicente Ortiz Abogados & Asociados SLP [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Seoul, South Korea, December 28th, 2025, Chainwire

On December 26, 2025, MEET48 — the world’s first idol fan economy ecosystem built on a Web3-native architecture and deeply integrating AI and UGC — jointly held the “MEET48 2026 Annual Roadshow For Al Entertainment UGC Platform & Web3.0 Strategy” Launch Event in Seoul, South Korea, together with POChain, an AIGC digital content creator L1 ecosystem; Auditions GO, an AIUGC virtual idol music-and-dance development ecosystem simulation game planned and developed by the original operating market team of Audition; Hash Global; the Web3 Entertainment Alliance; and The Fan, powered by BNB Chain. Centered on the deep integration of AI, UGC, entertainment content, and Web3 technologies, the event systematically showcased MEET48’s future-oriented development strategy and global expansion blueprint.

At the event, MEET48 officially announced strategic partnerships with two major Korean core partners, Zanybros and Gaudio Lab, and jointly released a forward-looking AI Entertainment Strategic Cooperation Declaration. Covering key areas such as AI large models, virtual idols, visual production, interactive games, AI audio technologies, and the Web3 fan economy ecosystem, the collaboration adopts the “AI Co-Creator” model as its core, aiming to build a two-way entertainment bridge between China and South Korea and further establish a globally connected AI × Entertainment × Gaming × Web3 content network.

Notably, through a combination of online live streaming and on-site activities, this launch event presented MEET48’s upcoming product roadmap to millions of users worldwide. Multiple products are scheduled to be released progressively in the first half of 2026, including:

ParoAI: The core LLM of the MEET48 AI UGC ecosystem that understands creative intent to generate multimodal content, powering storytelling, characters, and interactive experiences while lowering the barrier to high-quality creation.

MEET48.ai: An AI UGC social community for idol fans where users create, share, and co-create AI content with ParoAI, turning AI creation into a visible, interactive, and community-driven social experience.

Auditions GO: The world’s first AI-driven virtual idol rhythm and stage performance Web3 game, where players use $IDOL to create, train, and debut on-chain virtual idols whose assets are tradable on BNB Chain. The game is powered by a proprietary training model based on historical performance data and music libraries owned by MEET48 / SNH48.

POChain: A fully sovereign AIGC-focused Layer 1 blockchain for Web3 creators, EVM-compatible with BNB Chain, designed as next-generation infrastructure for AI-native content creation and value settlement. According to the roadmap, the POChain ecosystem will progressively launch the following products in 2026:

POCSee.com: POChain’s content display hub that standardizes the presentation of text, audio, video, and AIGC content while building a trusted, scalable content pool through on-chain authentication.

POCShow.ai: A decentralized virtual idol trainee platform on POChain that enables voting, debut ownership, fan economy participation, and revenue sharing through on-chain consensus mechanisms.

POCmusic.com: A decentralized music creation and distribution platform integrating AI music and MV generation to provide creators with end-to-end solutions from creation and copyright authentication to on-chain distribution.

POCast.ai: A decentralized audio content ecosystem where creators publish and monetize content on-chain with transparent revenue sharing, while users safely support creators and access exclusive content or NFTs.

At the event, seven idols who ranked at the top in the first “MEET48 Best7” and WIPA — Hu Xiaohui, Han Jiale, Liu Zengyan, Zhang Xiaoying, He Linyan, Li Qiuyue, and Zhu Yixin — delivered multiple outstanding live performances and participated in a fan appreciation handshake session, engaging in close interaction with attending audiences.

About MEET48

MEET48 is the world’s first idol fan economy ecosystem built on a Web3-native architecture and deeply integrating AI and UGC, dedicated to transforming fans from passive consumers in traditional entertainment systems into active participants and producers empowered by AI tools. Users can create 3D digital avatars, virtual idols, music, dance, and multimedia content on the platform, directly supplying content for platform dApps and next-generation games. All user-generated content is stored on POChain, MEET48’s proprietary Layer 1 blockchain, and adopts “Proof of Creativity” as its consensus mechanism, allowing content value to continuously accumulate and be returned to creators through community voting and fan interactions. MEET48 is redefining the traditional idol economy by building a global entertainment ecosystem driven by AI and co-created by communities, enabling every act of creation and participation to generate tangible cultural and economic value.

MEET48 Official Website: https://www.meet48.xyz/

Twitter (X): https://x.com/meet_48

Telegram: https://t.me/MEET_48

Contact

MEET48 Official MEET48 [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Zug, Switzerland, December 31st, 2025, Chainwire

New model allows SQD holders by locking SQD for the benefit of the network to earn from real customer demand while supporting network capacity

SQD Network, the decentralized data infrastructure powering large-scale blockchain applications, today announced the launch of SQD Revenue Pools, a new model designed to support growing enterprise demand using real customer payments.

SQD delivers high-performance, blockchain data infrastructure trusted by leading clients and partners worldwide, including Deutsche Telekom and top DeFi protocols such as Morpho and PancakeSwap, which together secure over $8B in Total Value Locked—powering mission-critical platforms with reliable, real-time and historical blockchain data at scale.

Revenue Pools are designed to ensure that as customer usage grows, the infrastructure capacity required to support that demand is funded directly by customer payments, rather than relying primarily on issuing new tokens.

What Revenue Pools Mean in Simple Terms

●       Enterprise customers pay SQD network subscription fees to access blockchain data

●       Running that service at scale requires committed network capacity

●       SQD holders can temporarily lock their SQD tokens to help support that capacity

●       While locked, tokens cannot be sold or moved but remain fully owned by the holder

●       When customers pay, a portion of those payments may be shared with participants for locking the SQD for the benefit of the network, paid in stablecoins

In short:

Real customers pay real money and SQD holders who help support the service for the network may share in the income it generates.

Why This Matters for SQD Holders and Participants

As blockchain data becomes increasingly critical across trading, payments, analytics, AI, and enterprise systems, the way infrastructure is funded matters.

Revenue Pools introduce several important dynamics for the SQD ecosystem:

●       Demand-driven token usage, as SQD is locked to support live services

●       Reduced circulating supply through temporary locking and automated protocol supply management incl. possible buybacks

●       Customer-funded operations, replacing reliance on ongoing token issuance

●       A clearer link between real-world usage and network economics

Over time, these mechanisms are intended to strengthen the relationship between SQD network usage and the role of the SQD token within the ecosystem.

Designed for Stability and Long-Term Growth

The Revenue Pool launch begins with limited capacity and will scale progressively as enterprise customer demand grows. Existing network rewards remain broadly stable during the transition. 

This measured rollout is designed to:

●       Avoid disruption to current participants

●       Ensure capacity grows in line with real demand

●       Support long-term sustainability of the network

Leadership Commentary

“As more large enterprises rely on SQD for mission-critical data, it’s essential that network capacity is supported by real usage and real payments,” said Dmitry Zhelezov, CTO of SQD Network. “Revenue Pools formalise that link between customer demand, capacity and network economics.”

“This is an important step in SQD’s evolution,” added Dan Quirk, Chief Product Officer at SQD. “It allows the token to play a clearer role in supporting real services that customers are actively paying for.”

Market Accessibility

The SQD token is tradable on a number of major digital asset exchanges, including Coinbase and Binance, providing liquidity and price discovery for market participants.

About SQD Network

SQD Network is a decentralized data infrastructure protocol providing high-performance indexing and access to blockchain data across more than 200 blockchains. Its global architecture supports data-intensive applications across trading, analytics, AI, payments and enterprise systems, delivering reliable, low-latency access to real-time and historical data.

Important notice and disclaimer

This publication is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to acquire, hold, use, or dispose of any crypto-asset within the meaning of any laws, regulations or directives in any jurisdiction.

The Revenue Pools is a limited beta initiative and represents an optional participation mechanism operated by independent pool providers. It does not modify the SQD token, does not introduce new token functionality, and does not grant any rights, claims, or guarantees to rewards, returns, income, or value appreciation.

Participation in pools, the receipt of any pool-related distributions, and any automated or supply management mechanisms do not constitute a right, claim, or entitlement by SQD holders against Subsquid, Subsquid Labs GmbH, or any affiliated entity, nor do they create any obligation, liability, or commitment on their part. Subsquid does not act as issuer, operator, counterparty, or guarantor of any pool and is solely supporting the technical and organisational rollout of the pool framework.

Any references to potential fee-funded distributions, incentives, or supply management measures are purely descriptive, non-binding, and subject to change, suspension, or termination at any time. Such references do not constitute a promise of performance, yield, or economic benefit. Participation is voluntary and subject to applicable terms, conditions, and risks.

Nothing in this publication constitutes investment advice, financial advice, legal advice, or tax advice. Prospective participants are solely responsible for conducting their own independent assessment of the technical, legal, regulatory, and economic risks and for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions.

Contact

COO Robert Jung [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Dubai, UAE, December 29th, 2025, Chainwire

Unchained Summit’s upcoming Dubai edition announces first round of speakers and confirms W Dubai – The Palm venue as Aeternum cements the event further as the number one Web 3.0 platform for Deal-Flow and Serious Networking.

Organized by Aeternum, the B2B events firm focused on emerging tech, Unchained Summit will return to Dubai on 1st & 2nd May 2026 with a speaker lineup that reflects the growing maturity of the global Web 3.0 sector. Supported by Official Media Partner Coin Edition, the summit is expected to draw more than 1,500 builders, investors, developers, and policymakers. The first wave of speakers released this week signals the kind of conversations the organizers aim to foster: grounded in real adoption, regulatory clarity, and institutional scale.

The UAE is no longer positioning itself as a digital asset hub. It has firmly established itself as one of the world’s most active and credible markets for digital assets and Web 3.0. With mature regulatory frameworks in place and increasing participation from global institutions, banks, enterprises, and technology providers, the country has become a jurisdiction where meaningful innovation, deployment, and large-scale adoption are actively taking place.

Against this backdrop, Unchained Summit in Dubai is designed to deliver the level of curation, senior participation, and structured engagement that a mature digital asset economy now requires. While the region has seen a rapid increase in industry events, few platforms are built to serve the needs of institutional capital, enterprise innovators, high-growth founders, digital asset treasury teams, and active investors. Unchained Summit addresses this gap by creating a focused environment where founders are connected with investors, Web 3.0 companies engage directly with institutional decision-makers, and enterprise leaders collaborate with the infrastructure builders shaping the next phase of adoption alongside purposeful partnerships.

The 2026 edition in Dubai will feature a highly curated speaker lineup of over 80 leaders across two days, spanning traditional finance, enterprise technology, digital asset infrastructure, venture capital, and high growth startups. Speakers will be announced in phases.

The first round of confirmed speakers include:

Eowyn Chen, CEO, Trust Wallet, UAE

David Norris, CFO & CSO, NEAR Foundation, UAE

Andrew Vranjes, Chief Revenue Officer, Blockdaemon, UAE

Abdulla Al Dhaheri, CEO, The Blockchain Center, Abu Dhabi

Anthony Bassili, President, Coinbase Asset Management

Richard Wang, Partner, Draper Dragon, China

Akshay Dalal, Head of Regional Risk & Compliance, Google, UAE

Jack Platts, Co-Founder, Hypersphere Ventures, USA

Yat Siu, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Animoca Brands

Nic Puckrin, Co-Founder and CEO, Coin Bureau, Dubai

Niraj Pant, Co-Founder, Ritual, USA, among others.

Beyond content, Unchained Summit is built around outcome-driven engagement. The event will include structured investor founder meetings, curated one-to-one introductions, and dedicated spaces for enterprise teams and infrastructure providers to engage in focused discussions. The objective is to move beyond surface-level networking and toward tangible collaboration, partnerships, and deployment.

Akshay Dalal from Google, who will be speaking at the event said, “Web 3.0 represents a pivotal shift in how we interact with data, identity, and trust. As regulatory frameworks begin to catch up, I believe the convergence of Web 3.0 and AI can unlock transformative potential, if we build it with responsibility, resilience, and real-world value in mind. I’m excited to bring a risk and compliance lens to the Unchained Summit in Dubai, helping bridge innovation with integrity.

Reflecting on the previous edition, Yat Siu of Animoca Brands, noted: “Events like Unchained Summit matter because they help people understand why the industry exists in the first place.” He noted that the talks, panels and connections serve a larger purpose, especially in a space that still sits in the early stages of global adoption. He reminded the audience that despite carrying a value in the trillions, Web 3.0 remains a small part of the world economy. That is why collaboration and shared learning are essential. He said “Unchained Summit plays a key role in bringing the community closer and creating the connections that push the industry forward.”

Nic Puckrin, CEO of Coin Bureau, added : “Happy to be speaking at Unchained Summit in Dubai and to share a clear view on where the crypto markets may be heading next. The industry is moving through a defining period, and informed analysis matters more than ever.”

Sharath Kumar, Founder and CEO of Aeternum, organizer of Unchained Summit, said: “Following the success of our first edition, Unchained Summit returns at a time when the UAE has become a place where globally significant developments can be executed, not just discussed. The Summit is built to help companies, investors, and enterprises engage with intent, close meaningful partnerships, and drive real outcomes”.

Tickets are available on the official website: https://unchainedsummit.com/dubai

About Aeternum Consulting Ltd

Aeternum organizes business-to-business events in the emerging tech space, provides strategic consulting, and tailored services to a diverse range of clients, from corporations to governments and startups to individuals. Aeternum specializes in crafting impactful B2B platforms that foster meaningful connections, drive business growth, and facilitate knowledge sharing through conferences, exhibitions, and bespoke networking opportunities.

For more information users can visit: aeternuminc.com

Contact

Partnerships Associate Maya K V Aeternum [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Berlin, Germany, December 24th, 2025, Chainwire

Jumper Exchange today announced an expansion of its cross-chain routing experience designed to reduce common sources of user risk when moving assets between networks, including fragmented liquidity, inconsistent bridge selection, and multi-step execution. The update reinforces Jumper’s focus on making cross-chain activity more predictable for everyday DeFi users by consolidating swap and bridge actions into a single, best-route flow.​

Cross-chain transfers have historically exposed users to avoidable friction and decision risk. Users often need to compare multiple bridges, estimate fees across chains, acquire gas tokens on the destination network, and repeat swaps across different interfaces. These steps increase the chance of failed transactions, incorrect network selection, or unexpected costs during volatile market conditions.​

Jumper Exchange addresses these challenges by routing users through an optimized path that combines bridging and swapping into one streamlined experience. Rather than forcing users to manually select from multiple cross-chain options, Jumper aggregates available liquidity sources and routes to reduce the need for “bridge roulette” while improving clarity on expected outcomes before execution. This approach is designed to help users move capital across chains with fewer steps and less uncertainty.​

In addition to cross-chain routing, Jumper publishes practical educational resources to help users execute common DeFi actions with clearer guidance. Users can learn more via Jumper’s Linea guide to swap tokens on Linea.​

“Everyday users want cross-chain execution that feels straightforward and dependable,” said Jordan Neary, Marketing Lead at Jumper Exchange. “We’re focused on reducing the risk that comes from complexity—so users can move, swap, and deploy assets without juggling multiple apps and assumptions.”​

Jumper Exchange will continue expanding coverage and refining routing logic as new networks grow and liquidity continues to spread across ecosystems. The company’s product roadmap remains centered on reducing cross-chain complexity for both everyday users and active participants who require fast, reliable execution.​

About Jumper Exchange

Jumper Exchange is a multi-chain liquidity aggregator that connects users to dozens of blockchain networks through a single interface. By integrating leading bridges and decentralized exchanges, Jumper provides streamlined cross-chain swaps and asset transfers, focusing on route quality, minimized slippage, and simplified UX for cross-chain strategies.​

Media Contact

Jordan Neary, Marketing Lead at Jumper Exchange

Contact

Nikola Kljajić SERPRise d.o.o [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

George Town, Cayman Islands, December 23rd, 2025, Chainwire

First-of-its-kind DEX eliminates wrapped tokens and centralized exchanges, enabling direct native asset swaps across multiple blockchains

THORChain announced today the public beta launch of swap.thorchain.org, a dedicated DeFi swap interface designed to serve as the protocol's primary front-end for seamless cross-chain cryptocurrency trading. The platform enables users to swap native digital assets directly across blockchain networks without relying on wrapped tokens, bridges, or centralized exchanges.

Built as infrastructure for the decentralized finance community, the new interface represents THORChain's commitment to making trustless cross-chain swaps accessible to both newcomers and experienced traders alike.

With this interface, we're providing the community with a dedicated home base - a place where THORChain is prioritized above all else.

Key Features of the Beta Release

The swap interface introduces several innovative capabilities:

Universal Wallet Compatibility: Users can swap BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, TRX, DOGE, BCH, LTC, AVAX, and ATOM with any self custody wallet.

Optional Wallet Connection: Users are not required to connect their wallet to the website to place a swap.

True Native Asset Swaps: Direct trading between blockchains, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Tron, Dogecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Avalanche, and Cosmos, without bridging wrapped tokens.

Open Source Architecture: Built with transparency for the entire ecosystem

Streamlined User Experience: Clean, intuitive interface designed to minimize friction

The platform is designed to drive transaction volume directly to THORChain while giving the development team control over user experience and routing logic - enabling active protocol growth aligned with community values.

Roadmap and Official Launch

The current beta release allows early users to test the platform and provide feedback ahead of the official launch planned for Q1 2026.

Planned enhancements include:

Expanded support for thousands of additional tokens across multiple chains

Enhanced user interface with improved onboarding and routing visibility

Integration of additional THORChain protocol features, including bonding and liquidity providing

Community-driven iterations based on user feedback

Availability

The THORChain swap interface is available now at swap.thorchain.org and accessible via any standard web browser.

This release marks a beta version of the platform, which is expected to undergo further development ahead of the planned Q1 2026 launch. Community feedback is being collected to inform ongoing improvements.

About THORChain

THORChain is a decentralized exchange protocol that enables native cross-chain asset swaps without wrapped tokens or centralized intermediaries. As trustless infrastructure, THORChain powers swaps for wallets, aggregators, and exchanges across the cryptocurrency ecosystem, facilitating seamless interoperability between blockchain networks.

For more information, users can visit thorchain.org.

Media Contact:

THORChain Community

[email protected]

Contact

THORChain [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Bandung, Indonesia, December 23rd, 2025, Chainwire

Libere, a Web3 infrastructure provider for digital book distribution, has secured second place at the Infinity Hackathon organized by Indonesia’s Ministry of Creative Economy in collaboration with the Financial Services Authority (OJK). The achievement follows the founders’ recent admission as participants in Protocol Camp 2025, a selective Web3 builder program admitting only 20 builders from across Asia.

Libere was recognized for its technical rigor and its focus on applying blockchain infrastructure to real-world public digital services, strengthening cultural infrastructure and open access to information. Libere’s core purpose centers on the development of an on-chain public library system, leveraging blockchain and NFTs to manage digital ownership, creator royalties, and institutional governance. Following its success at the Infinity Hackathon, Libere is exploring a pilot initiative with ITB and the Bandung City Government.

Protocol Camp is co-hosted by Hashed, a global Web3 investment firm founded in 2017, and ShardLab, its research and development arm working with regional partners including SCBX. The program supports individual builders developing early-stage decentralized technologies with practical use cases, emphasizing system design, technical depth, and long-term impact.

Since joining Protocol Camp, Libere’s founders have continued to advance the project through active development and early-stage collaborations with Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) and the Bandung City Government. These collaborations are exploring the application of blockchain technology within public institutions, with a focus on improving transparency, governance, and access to digital knowledge.

“Protocol Camp reflects our belief that good systems begin with careful thinking,” said Simon Seojoon Kim, CEO and Managing Partner of Hashed. “Seeing builders like Libere engage thoughtfully with real-world use cases is exactly what we aim to support through the program.”

Protocol Camp participants take part in a series of in-person sessions held across major Asian cities. Joining protocol design discussions, technical mentoring, and peer exchange, builders engage with researchers and experts shaping the region’s decentralized technology landscape. Libere is scheduled to present its work at the program’s final showcase in Tokyo in January 2026.

“Libere showcases the innovation and capability of Indonesian talent on the world stage,” said Teuku Rifky, Indonesia’s Minister of Creative Economy. “We are proud to see young Indonesian builders creating solutions that strengthen both our creative economy and public services.”

About Libere

Libere is a Web3-native infrastructure for publishers, libraries, and institutions to distribute digital books securely with transparent and programmable royalty mechanisms. It enables publishers to gain new revenue through bulk and CSR-driven distribution while helping libraries expand their collections legally and sustainably. Libere addresses piracy, opaque royalty systems, and limited digital access by aligning incentives across all stakeholders.

About Protocol Camp

Protocol Camp is a Web3 builder program co-hosted by Hashed and ShardLab, dedicated to accelerating early-stage founders through protocol research, mentorship, and cross-border ecosystem engagement. Serving as a launchpad for Asia’s next generation of decentralized networks, Protocol Camp brings together visionary teams committed to building real-world Web3 impact.

Contact

Community Lead Wooster Han Hashed [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

London, United Kingdom, December 22nd, 2025, Chainwire

Following governance approval, the sixth upgrade has activated on the Tezos EVM, Etherlink, capping a year of significant growth that saw total value locked surge from $1.46M at the beginning of the year to over $82.73M in November, major protocol integrations, and the establishment of a rich DeFi and gaming ecosystem.

Farfadet is the latest in a rapid run of upgrades to be activated on Etherlink in 2025, including Calypso, Dionysus, and Ebisu, which all ushered in major technical infrastructure advances. It builds on a number of radical enhancements made to date this year, including the introduction of fast withdrawals, which reduced transfer times from 15 days to under a minute. Farfadet nearly doubles chain capacity, enabling the network to handle more than 1,000 native transfers per second with no impact on the transaction cost, kept at a fraction of a cent. It also unlocks features like instant confirmations, which can be of particular value to audiences, including DeFi traders seeking to deploy time-sensitive strategies, and gamers who expect the best performance without typical blockchain lag. The new features introduced with Farfadet will be warmly welcomed by Etherlink users who will now benefit from a faster and better network. 

"Farfadet represents our commitment to staying ahead of network usage and keeping the Tezos platform open and accessible for projects requiring the most up-to-date EVM compatibility," said Thomas Letan, Core Developer at Nomadic Labs. “This is the first time we are in a position to activate a new EVM version only a few days after an Ethereum hardfork, and we aim at making it the standard moving forward.”

Recent months have seen user numbers on Etherlink swell significantly, due in part to the launch of Apple Farm, a $3 million incentive program that catalyzed explosive ecosystem growth. Now two seasons in, the program has contributed to the growth of a thriving DeFi ecosystem on Etherlink, with protocols including Oku, Morpho, Superlend, Hanji, Jumper Exchange, Curve Finance, and Gearbox Protocol all integrating with the chain during the year. 

Oku brought Uniswap v3, Morpho functionality, and DeFi aggregation to Etherlink users, while Lombard Finance introduced Liquid Bitcoin (LBTC), and Midas deployed institutional-grade tokenized assets backed by leading VCs like MEV Capital and Re7. Gaming also blossomed, with the biggest announcement of the year being the AAA open-world extraction shooter, REAPER ACTUAL, developed by Distinct Possibility Studios, which uses Etherlink infrastructure in its web3 endeavors. 

Etherlink is ending the year as a top-tier EVM-compatible decentralized infrastructure that has already attracted millions in protocol TVL, attracted 438,500 unique gaming users, and democratized uranium access.

About Etherlink

Etherlink is an EVM-compatible blockchain powered by Tezos Smart Rollups technology. It empowers developers to smoothly deploy any EVM codebase and migrate users and assets from Ethereum and other interoperable chains, enabling seamless interaction and asset transfers across different networks. Learn more: https://www.etherlink.com/

Contact

Sara Moric [email protected] Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Johannesburg, South Africa, December 15th, 2025, Chainwire

VALR, the largest crypto exchange in Africa by trade volume, today announced its integration with Checkout.com, one of the world's premier global payment providers. This partnership enables VALR's international customers to fund their accounts and purchase cryptocurrencies seamlessly using local currencies and familiar payment methods, including credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
The integration expands VALR's on- and off-ramp capabilities, allowing users outside South Africa to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and more instantly, without the friction of traditional bank transfers. Supporting over 150 fiat currencies, deposits and purchases are credited in stablecoins such as USDC, or any other selected crypto asset. Customers benefit from instant purchases, with crypto credited directly to their VALR wallet in seconds; local currency support for seamless conversions; familiar convenience through everyday payment methods; and enhanced security powered by Checkout.com's regulated infrastructure alongside VALR's industry-grade protections.
"This partnership with Checkout.com represents a significant step in democratising access to crypto, empowering individuals worldwide to participate in a more inclusive financial system," said Badi Sudhakaran, Chief Product Officer of VALR. "By enabling instant deposits and purchases via a wide range of local currencies via trusted methods like cards and digital wallets, we're simplifying the entry into crypto and aligning with our vision of a just financial future that bridges traditional and digital economies for the benefit of all humanity."

About VALR
Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Johannesburg, VALR is backed by leading investors including Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures, and Fidelity’s F-Prime Capital. As a global crypto exchange, VALR offers a comprehensive suite of products—including Spot Trading, Spot Margin, Perpetual Futures, Staking, Crypto Bundles, Lending, Borrowing, OTC services, VALR Invest, and VALR Pay. Licensed by South Africa’s FSCA and with regulatory approval in Europe, VALR serves over 1.5 million users and 1,800 corporate and institutional clients worldwide. The exchange is dedicated to advancing a just financial future that upholds human dignity and the unity of mankind. For more information, visit valr.com.

Contact
VALR
[email protected]