Cryptopolitan

Internet Computer’s token ICP broke out to become the top AI narrative asset. Despite the slow altcoin and token performance, ICP joined the list of recently awakening assets. 

Internet Computer (ICP) rallied to a three-month high, breaking out to $8.60 from recent lows. The token was down to $2.92 at the end of October after the month’s deep correction. 

Over the past three months, ICP is up a net 51%, though still below its yearly peak from January at over $15.30. ICP reacted to the newly active AI narrative, causing a near-vertical price rally. 

ICP rallied to a three-month peak, boosted by increased derivative trading and a short squeeze. | Source: CoinGecko

Internet Computer aimed to become one of the go-to chains, but was displaced by Solana and the new DeFi boom on Ethereum. Now, the token is trending along with a recovery for other AI tokens. As a whole, the AI token space expanded to a total valuation of $27B. 

The current ICP rally has been in the making for a few days, with mindshare growing by 191%. ICP is still far from the leading networks, as the platform did not carry the latest trends in DeFi and DEX trading. 

ICP rallies with inflow of derivative traders

As with other mostly inactive tokens, ICP reawakened on a sudden growth of derivative trading. Open interest spiked overnight to $162M. The market is relatively small compared to other assets. 

Despite the delay of a real altcoin market, specific assets meet the conditions for strong directional moves. The widely available derivative markets take over, magnifying the rallies. For now, the fundamentals of ICP have not changed, but the token saw additional liquidity inflows. 

The Internet Computer chain only locks in around $23M in liquidity, with limited usage in app creation. At one point, Internet Computer had claims on challenging Solana and becoming the go-to chain for apps, but never managed to create the same community.

ICP climb got a boost from a short squeeze

Most of the additional open interest for ICP is on Binance, the token’s main trading venue. Unlike other tokens, in the case of ICP, only around 30% of positions are short. In the past day, around $5M in short positions were liquidated, leaving traders to rebuild. 

ICP rose on a mix of general AI hype and a short squeeze. After a long slide in the past months, ICP was attracting short traders. Since the end of October, it has become harder to hold short positions, as ICP saw consistent negative funding. The negative funding trend continued during the latest price rally, further challenging the holders of short positions. 

As of November 7, ICP already burned through most of the short liquidity. Despite this, the rally is expected to continue, copying the model of ZEC. Potentially, ICP is seen as reaching $20 in the case of an ongoing short squeeze and more active trading.

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Wall Street analysts cautioned that renewed strain in US money markets could prompt the Fed to step in sooner to contain another surge in short-term borrowing costs.

This week, short-term funding rates have leveled off, following jitters in late October that raised red flags within the financial system’s core operations.

Just last week, the tri-party repo rate rose to levels not seen since 2020, despite the central bank’s confirmation that it will pause balance-sheet runoff on December 1. Now, tri-party repo rates have settled closer to the Fed’s rate on reserves, reflecting calmer market conditions. However, many still see the potential for renewed volatility in the weeks ahead.

Deirdre Dunn, head of rates at Wall Street bank Citigroup, and chair of the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee, commented, “I don’t think it was a one-off anomaly of just a few days of volatility.” 

Analysts say the central bank may have to continue asset purchases

Curvature Securities’ Scott Skyrm noted markets have “normalized” for now, as banks tapped a Fed facility to ease strain. Still, he cautioned that funding pressures will likely resurface at the turn of the month and again at year-end.

Echoing those concerns, Samuel Earl, a US rate strategist at Barclays, emphasized that funding conditions remain vulnerable to change. Some analysts and policymakers believe the Fed may eventually need to resume asset purchases if the strain doesn’t subside. Lorie Logan, head of the Dallas Fed and a former market expert at the New York Fed, particularly noted that the central bank may need to consider asset purchases if repo rates remain elevated.

Meanwhile, Dunn advocated that the central bank consider additional solutions. He remarked: “One could argue that we’re not in an ample reserve environment anymore and these events could continue to happen . . . It would be prudent for the Fed to think about what other tools they have in their back pocket.”

Analysts warn of a possible credit crunch

Some analysts have pointed to growing indicators of a potential global credit crunch, almost similar to the one that occurred in 2008. They argued that the central bank’s move to inject liquidity shows that market strains are building. On October 31, the Fed Reserve added an astounding $50.35 billion into the US financial system.

Henry Jennings, a senior portfolio manager at Marcus Today, said the Fed was right to intervene, as liquidity had been draining from the US system and needed to be topped up. He added, “We need to keep an eye on further moves, but, for now, the market is more concerned with earnings than plumbing.”

Likewise, RBA Governor Michele Bullock said she does not expect a credit crunch, noting that it is precisely what the Fed aims to prevent. Still, some analysts are uneasy that the Federal Reserve had to intervene at all.

The US government is still issuing Treasuries to fund its expanding fiscal gap, something analysts believe is tightening liquidity worldwide and may explain the Fed’s decision to pause balance-sheet reductions. Analysts believe stress in global money markets may have influenced the Fed’s decision to stop QT. However, some argue the central bank acted too late, as secured borrowing rates in the US and UK have already surged to multi-year peaks.

Investors worldwide are closely monitoring the situation as dollar funding costs set the tone for global liquidity. And the central banks of many emerging markets, which borrow in dollars to an extraordinary degree, may find credit conditions more constricting if short-term rates stay high in the United States.

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Dogecoin plummeted 8% to $0.1697 in a rapid market change and analysts have identified that whales sold 440 million of the tokens amid high volumes. This cryptocurrency indicates there is selling pressure among market institutions. Nonetheless, shrewd investors diversify to affordable alternatives with stability. 

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is identified as the top cryptocurrency to buy now with more than 17, 790 subscribers because of its current presale collection of $18,450,000. Prudent ones have identified it as the top cryptocurrency to buy now because they have escaped the volatile meme currency.

Dogecoin Sees Intense Selling Pressures

Dogecoin is still struggling because of the intense activities of whales that caused the price to drop. Whales offloaded enormous amounts of the cryptocurrency, leading to it falling below critical levels of $0.18. Volume increased by 426% against averages to validate bearish dominance. A total of $22.27 million in dogecoin left on-chain per day. 

The open interest in futures contracts decreased by 4% to $1.67 billion. This is a reflection of the vulnerabilities associated with meme-based cryptocurrencies. A revival is not guaranteed unless there is stabilization above $0.165. Key indicators are close to oversold.

Mutuum Finance Pushes Presale Momentum

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is quickly pacing its presale to Phase 6, in which 85% of the tokens had been bought at just $0.035. This defi crypto reward price is well above 250% of Phase 1’s initial price of only $0.01. But more importantly, there had been just over 770 million tokens sold out during this promotion to encourage support. Phase 6 is quick to close with little time to get in at current prices before they increase. The next phase calls for nearly a 20% increase to a price of $0.04. Launch prices target $0.06 for 412% profit potential.

Phase 6 is close to exhaustion, causing FOMO among those left out. All those holding back will miss the last chance with prices at $0.035. This defi crypto requires urgent attention to prevent remorse.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) creates engagement with a new dashboard that includes a leaderboard of top 50 token holders. A 24-hour leaderboard rewards those who contribute with the top contributor rewarded with $500 in MUTM every day if they have made at least one trade during that day. The leaderboard is reset at 00:00 UTC every day to spark another day of engagement.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) provides two liquidity layers to maximize revenue. Peer-to-Contract markets allow users to aggregate their assets such as ETH or USDT to automatically generate revenue as borrowers borrow against the pooled assets. Also, Peer-to-Peer products support borrowing contracts for less liquid assets. For the deposited assets, users receive their equivalent value in mtTokens that can be redeemed in return with interest.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is utilizing a buy-and-distribute model with the help of protocol fees to buy tokens on open markets. This distribution is done to stakers of mtToken, leading to a direct relationship between usage and increased demand for tokens. This ensures that demand is always increasing. As part of the celebration of the presale of Mutuum Finance, the team announces a prize giveaway of a total of $100,000 in MUTM tokens to 10 winners with each prize amounting to $10,000. 

Mutuum Finance Builds Strong Foundations

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) underwent a security audit rating 90/100 against token security. It also established a bug bounty reward of $50,000. It rewards up to a maximum of $2,000 for critical bugs. It is attractive to serious money looking for trustworthy defi cryptos.

Dogecoin’s fall highlights the danger of investing in media-perpetuated alternative cryptocurrencies when there is transparent advancement and reward offered. The best cryptos to buy today have to offer not only accessibility to their users but also strong game mechanics.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

The Netherlands is ready to drop its emergency control over Nexperia next week, if China finally unblocks the flow of critical chip exports, according to a report by Bloomberg, which cited unnamed government officials familiar with the situation.

The whole standoff has pushed Europe’s car factories to the edge, as chip shipments from China have been frozen for weeks, slashing the supply of basic but vital components used by companies like BMW and Volkswagen.

The Dutch move would involve shelving a ministerial order that gave them the power to block or rewrite key decisions at Nexperia, a chipmaker based in Nijmegen but owned by Wingtech Technology, a company out of Shanghai.

But this rollback won’t happen unless two things line up: one, China needs to resume shipping chips, and two, the money drama between Nexperia and its Chinese unit must get cleaned up.

A few signs suggest movement; Wingtech’s stock shot up almost 10% in late trading in Shanghai just hours after Dutch officials hinted at a deal.

Karremans signals chip supplies may resume soon

Vincent Karremans, the Dutch Economic Affairs Minister, issued a statement late Thursday that added more fuel to the speculation.

“Given the constructive nature of our talks with the Chinese authorities, the Netherlands trusts that the supply of chips from China to Europe and the rest of the world will reach Nexperia’s customers over the coming days,” he said.

The trouble began back in September, when Dutch officials took control of Nexperia over fears that Wingtech’s founder, Zhang Xuezheng, was misusing company cash to enrich himself and funnel funds to his other companies in China.

Those claims led to Zhang getting booted as CEO by a court in Amsterdam on October 7, after a petition from Nexperia’s management. Since then, Wingtech has denied every allegation and demanded that Zhang be brought back.

That court-backed intervention gave the Dutch government a one-year window to block or override any executive changes, strategic relocations, or internal decisions.

China didn’t take that lightly. In response, it slammed the brakes on Nexperia’s chip exports, creating a ripple effect that’s now messing with Europe’s entire car supply chain.

By October 29, Nexperia was forced to alert clients that it had stopped sending wafers to its Chinese factory. That site alone used to process half of the company’s production volume before all hell broke loose.

Without that supply, automakers in the region are stuck relying on their dwindling chip reserves. Some are even bracing for full shutdowns if deliveries don’t restart immediately, warned the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.

Nexperia accuses China unit of sabotage

On October 13, Nexperia made it clear that it had lost all trust in its China-based factory, stating it could no longer guarantee the technology, intellectual property, or authenticity of the components being shipped from that plant.

The company said, “We cannot oversee if and when products from our facility in China will be delivered,” blaming a total breakdown in transparency and oversight.

Then came a stronger accusation. On Wednesday, Nexperia said its Chinese unit didn’t only refuse to pay for wafer deliveries, it also took actions that were completely out of line.

The company said its official corporate seals were misused without valid explanation and that fake letters were sent to customers, subcontractors, and suppliers, all without approval.

This isn’t being treated as a one-off, either. Nexperia called it part of a broader pattern of misconduct.

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Jensen Huang, the head of Nvidia, said he is not talking with any firms in China about selling the company’s new Blackwell AI chips.

He spoke on Friday in Tainan, a city in southern Taiwan, where he made it clear the company is not preparing shipments and is not arranging any return to the Chinese market.

“There’re no active discussions. Currently, we’re not planning to ship anything to China,” Jensen said. He added that it will depend on China to change its own position if the market wants the company’s hardware again. “It’s up to China when they would like Nvidia products to go back to serve the Chinese market. I look forward to them changing their policy.”

Jensen flew into Taiwan ahead of meetings with TSMC, a long-time manufacturing partner. He is set to attend TSMC’s annual sports day event on Saturday. His visit to Taiwan is one more stop in a global tour. Last week, he held meetings in Washington and South Korea, where he met companies that want access to Nvidia’s artificial intelligence hardware expertise. The 62‑year‑old founder has been traveling as demand for advanced computing systems continues to build across industries and regions.

Huang continues world tour as Nvidia leads AI race

The company has added about $1 trillion to its market cap within a few months, becoming the first $5 trillion company in history.

Even though the stock has lost momentum recently, Nvidia still ranks as the most valuable company in the world, ahead of Apple and Microsoft.

Jensen is working to widen the use of AI hardware and reduce fear that the current wave of investment might form a bubble.

Many firms are building data centers and buying specialized chips, and Huang wants to show that the spending will produce real results.

At the same time, competition is growing. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Broadcom are both developing their own hardware to profit from the AI boom.

These companies are aiming at the same corporate buyers looking to deploy faster training systems and large‑scale computing clusters.

Nvidia remains blocked from selling high‑end AI chips in China. A recent trade agreement between the U.S. and China did not include approval for Blackwell chip sales. Officials in the Trump administration have said that allowing such shipments is not being considered at this time.

During an earnings call in August, Jensen explained that if the chips could be shipped into the Chinese market, the company could pursue a $50 billion opportunity. He said demand for AI computing in China is growing fast, at a rate of about 50% per year.

The setback has led to concerns among investors on Wall Street.

Some are worried that heavy spending on hardware, data centers, and AI infrastructure may not deliver new revenue large enough to justify the investments.

They fear that the expectations placed on AI systems may be ahead of real commercial results, especially with major markets such as China not currently available for Nvidia’s strongest chips.

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Market analysts believe the deUSD depeg was caused by Elixir protocol’s exposure to Stream Finance, a DeFi yield aggregator whose external fund manager lost almost $100 million in user funds earlier this week.

Elixir’s dollar-pegged stablecoin lost 98% of its value and tanked to a low of $0.03 early Friday morning, according to blockchain security firm PeckShield. 

According to on-chain analysis by Nansen AI, Elixir had allocated roughly 65% of deUSD’s collateral to Stream Finance, which is around two-thirds of the stablecoin’s total backing. The loan to Stream DeFi left Elixir heavily dependent on the asset manager to maintain its dollar peg.

deUSD drop was caused by Stream Finance exploit

As reported by Cryptopolitan on Monday, Stream Finance admitted that a fund manager overseeing its investments lost approximately $93 million in user assets. The platform has since suspended all withdrawals and deposits while hiring attorneys from Perkins Coie LLP to investigate the loss. 

“Until we are able to fully assess the scope and causes of the loss, all withdrawals and deposits will be temporarily suspended,” Stream said in its official statement on X last Tuesday.

The decision left Elixir unable to access the majority of its backing reserves, although the protocol claimed it retained redemption rights at $1 per token. Stream reportedly informed the company that no payouts could be processed until attorneys determined creditor priority, according to a report by DeFi research collective Yields and More (YAM).

Technical flaws on Balancer prove costly to Stream Finance

According to security auditing firm Decurity, there was a vulnerability within DeFi protocol Balancer, which is integrated into Stream’s liquidity strategy. PeckShield and Decurity confirmed a bug in Balancer’s internal swap logic, within its batchSwap function, allowed attackers to use a rounding-down flaw and drain funds.

A faulty access control mechanism in Balancer’s manageUserBalance function compounded by a logic flaw in the validateUserBalanceOp process failed to verify message senders properly. This allowed unauthorized withdrawals through the UserBalanceOpKind.WITHDRAW_INTERNAL operation, giving attackers a direct route to siphon assets from Balancer’s vaults.

The breach caused Staked Stream USD (xUSD), another Stream-linked asset, to depeg and plunge to $0.50 and later to $0.14 within a day, per CoinGecko’s records.

Yields and More’s analysis identified nearly $285 million in direct debt exposure on lending protocols Euler, Morpho, Silo, and Gearbox. Creditors most affected include TelosC, Elixir, MEV Capital, and Varlamore, which all maintained significant collateral positions intertwined with Stream’s operations.

Stream, which held nearly 90% of the loan positions tied to deUSD, could no longer repay Elixir or unwind collateral positions. This left Elixir facing a severe redemption crisis as users rushed to exit the stablecoin.

Blockchain data on Wednesday revealed that Stream’s wallets began dumping large volumes of deUSD on decentralized exchanges. PeckShield traced one wallet, 0xcb4a7b790edb7fa3e2731efd7ed85275f92fc74a, as it sold huge chunks of deUSD against USDT in Curve Finance pools.

The sell-off caused deUSD’s price to collapse from $1 to $0.40 first, before it briefly regained its peg back to $0.99. Subsequent liquidations then pushed it further down to $0.03, wiping out nearly all market value. 

Per the sentiments of zKPass contributor and ETH smart contract developer Param.eth, the Curve-based dumping is a desperate attempt by Stream or associated wallets to liquidate holdings before insolvency proceedings begin. 

Elixir responds to the community, claims ‘hands are tied’

In response to the 90% depeg in its stablecoin deUSD, Elixir wrote a statement on X late Thursday, insisting it had processed redemptions for around 80% of deUSD holders before the price collapse. 

The company mentioned it could not do anything further to solve the devaluation because Stream holds approximately 90% of the remaining supply, valued at roughly $75 million.

“To protect the interest of these holders (and remove any risk of Stream liquidating deUSD before repaying their loan), a snapshot has been taken of all remaining deUSD and sdeUSD holder balances, and a claim page will go live later today,” the protocol stated.

Elixir said it is collaborating with other decentralized lenders like Euler, Morpho, and Compound, to pay out users and restore partial stability to its ecosystem.

“We still believe this will be honored 1 for 1,” Elixir wrote, confident that deUSD holders will eventually be compensated in full. 

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Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, has increased its Bitcoin reserve holdings after performing two large transactions from Bitfinex’s hot wallets to its Bitcoin reserve wallet. Based on on-chain data, the issuer transferred roughly $1 billion, increasing its reserve holdings to 87,296 BTC, which makes it the sixth largest Bitcoin holder globally. 

According to public on-chain data by Arkham Intelligence, Tether withdrew roughly 961 BTC valued at $97.18 million first. Shortly after, the firm transferred another 8,888 BTC, approximately $1 billion, from Bitfinex, which is owned by Tether, to its Bitcoin reserve address. So far, Tether’s Bitcoin reserve wallet holds 87,296 BTC, valued at $8.9 billion, and ranks the stablecoin issuer as the sixth-largest Bitcoin reserve company. 

Tether USDT buys into the dip after a short-term pullback in BTC price

Tether’s strategy since 2023 includes allocating 15% of its net profits into Bitcoin reserve allocation. The USDT issuer uses the reserve as a hedge against inflation and to strengthen its balance sheet. The recent transfer mid-quarter, unlike the firm’s trend of allocating BTC to the reserve address at the end of each quarter, signifies a potential buy into the dip.

USDT 发行商 Tether (泰达) 在最近的下跌里抄底了 BTC 吗？
他们的 BTC 储备地址在 1 小时前从 Bitfinex 提取了 961 枚 BTC ($9718 万)。

这个钱包存放的 BTC 是他们从 2023 年以来用 15% 的公司利润购买的，之前只在每个季度的最后一天从 Bitfinex 提出当季度购买的 BTC。

目前他们的 BTC… https://t.co/Y3dZBa33Br pic.twitter.com/6I54OqNWZB

— 余烬 (@EmberCN) November 7, 2025

At the beginning of this week, BTC traded below $100,000, marking a short-term pullback following a sustained outflow from BTC and ETH ETFs. Bitcoin has so far regained roughly 3% from the dip, currently trading above $102,000. At the time of publication, the token was up 1.65% trading at $102,065. Tether’s recent transfer to its reserve showed its long-term confidence in Bitcoin assets despite the short-term drop. 

The USDT issuer’s total holdings have increased to 87,296 BTC, worth approximately $8.9 billion based on the current market price. The issuer’s reserve has claimed the sixth position globally as a Bitcoin holder among other firms accumulating BTC, including MicroStrategy, Galaxy Digital, and several exchange-linked cold wallets. Tether is also ranked as the second-largest holder among private entities, just behind Block.one, which currently holds 140,000 BTC.

Based on on-chain data, Tether’s average acquisition price of its total BTC in the reserve portfolio is roughly $49,121 per BTC. This means, at the current price levels, the firm’s unrealized profit is approximately $4.55 billion. 

Tether’s BTC unrealized profits jump to $4.55 billion

According to data delivered by Bitcoin Treasuries, Strategy is the largest holder so far, with 641,205 BTC valued at approximately $65.39 billion, representing 3.053% of BTC’s total supply. ETFs constitute the largest holders of BTC, with approximately 7% of the total supply, or 1,534,219 BTC. 

Tether’s USDT currently has a total market capitalization of $183.3 billion, making it the largest stablecoin issuer, surpassing Circle’s USDC, which has a market capitalization of $75 billion. Most of USDT’s supply is concentrated on the Ethereum and Tron blockchains, with 47.92% and 42.08%, respectively. 

According to a recent Cryptopolitan report, Tether’s attestation report showed a record net profit of over $10 billion by the end of September. Reserves accounted for roughly $181.2 billion at the end of Q3, and liabilities were $174.4 billion, resulting in an excess of $6.8 billion. 

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Lugano, Switzerland, Nov. 7, 2025 – Chainers, the multi-genre Web3 gaming universe developed by 51.games, today announced the upcoming listing of its $CHU token, marking a major milestone in the project’s mission to redefine blockchain gaming through immersive gameplay, sustainable tokenomics, and community-driven growth.

Built on Polygon and Immutable, Chainers merges the best of Web2 game design with blockchain ownership, delivering a universe where fun comes first and rewards follow naturally. The $CHU token serves as the backbone of this expanding ecosystem — powering governance, staking, marketplace activity, and premium content — while supporting the project’s long-term goal of bringing mass adoption to Web3 gaming.

From Playability to Ownership: A New Standard for Web3 Games

Chainers is built around a simple but powerful philosophy: “Fun-First. Earn-Based.” Unlike most blockchain titles focused on speculation, Chainers integrates blockchain technology seamlessly into the gameplay experience. The result is a universe where players are entertained first — and empowered along the way.

Developed by 51.games, a studio dedicated to making Web3 games actually playable, Chainers offers a fully interactive world where users can farm, build, craft, battle, and create. Every player owns a Chainer NFT character and can reuse, trade, or upgrade assets across multiple interconnected games — forming a genuine player-driven economy that grows with participation.

“Our goal is to make blockchain gaming enjoyable for everyone — not just profitable,” said the Chainers team. “We’re building an ecosystem where players love the games they play, developers thrive, and ownership truly means something.”

A Growing Market and Proven Traction

The global NFT market is projected to surpass $700 billion by 2034, while blockchain gaming is expected to exceed $615 billion by 2030, expanding at an annual rate of over 21%. Within this fast-growing space, Chainers stands out by operating at the intersection of three dominant genres: RPGs, collectibles, and multiplayer games.

The project has already achieved significant traction, recording:

1M+ daily blockchain transactions

550K+ active wallets

600K+ total players (30K DAU / 90K MAU)

Community strength: 115K+ X followers, 100K Discord members, and 60K Zealy participants

These figures highlight not hype, but genuine adoption — a rare milestone in the Web3 gaming industry.

About the $CHU Token

The $CHU token underpins the entire Chainers economy. It enables governance, staking, and premium gameplay functions while supporting interoperability and long-term ecosystem stability.

Total Supply: 3.33 billion $CHU

Initial Circulation (TGE): ≈10.5% (~350 million tokens)

Emission Schedule: 60 months with dynamic inflation tied to player growth

Total Raise: $7.5 million  

FDV: ≈ $40 million

The token’s structured release model minimizes early inflation while ensuring sustainable liquidity. In addition to $CHU, Chainers operates an in-game soft currency — $CFB — which fuels crafting, farming, and upgrades. While $CHU connects the broader economy, $CFB sustains day-to-day gameplay.

Early supporters and $CFB holders will also receive dedicated $CHU rewards through the Early Supporters Recognition Program, designed to acknowledge the community’s contribution and smooth the transition into the new token economy.

📢The Web3 Gaming Token Sale of the Year is Coming!📢

Whitelist is NOW OPEN for $CHU — the token powering Chainers, one of the top Web3 games on Immutable Play.

Why us?
🏆 Winners of Polygon Village Startup Support
🫶 People’s Choice 2025 Finalists by @GAM3Sgg_
🎮 500K+… pic.twitter.com/q1AHEF8F6b

— Chainers (@ChainersGame) November 6, 2025

Token Distribution Overview

Private Sale: 500M (0% TGE / 6M cliff / 18M linear)

Community Sale: 500M (20% TGE / 12M linear)

Public Sale: 167M (40% TGE / 6M linear)

Team: 400M (12M cliff / 36M linear)

Ecosystem & P2E: 600M (≤3% monthly emission)

Marketing: 267M (linear)

Treasury: 300M (linear)

Staking: 266M (≤3% annual inflation)

Prior to the listing, whitelist participants will also receive a 10M $CHU airdrop (<1% of supply), rewarding early supporters while maintaining token balance.

Roadmap and Launch Outlook

Chainers’ multi-year roadmap charts its evolution from early beta to full-scale ecosystem expansion:

2025: PvP testing, Immutable Passport integration, expanded farming and crafting systems, and a community sale.

2026: Public token sale, marketplace launch, CEX listings, DAO governance, UGC tools, and open-world gameplay.

Each phase introduces new mechanics, events, and ecosystem integrations, driving continuous engagement and player retention.

Strategic Partnerships and Infrastructure

Chainers’ infrastructure is designed for scalability and performance, featuring a modern stack (Node.js, Go, React.js, MongoDB, Kubernetes, Colyseus) and blockchain reliability through Polygon and Immutable.

The project’s ecosystem is supported by leading Web3 organizations, including Immutable, GEMS, Gam3s.gg, DappRadar, BGA, Carv, Stress Capital, Sura Gaming, Yield Guild Games, Magic Square, Bitmedia.io, and Sailors Web3.

A Sustainable Future for Web3 Gaming

Chainers is not chasing short-term hype — it’s building longevity. By combining emotionally rich gameplay with a sustainable economy, the project aims to shift the Web3 gaming narrative from speculation to participation.

“Fun must come first,” added the team. “We’re here to prove that great games can also have real ownership and economic freedom — without sacrificing what makes gaming fun.”

As the $CHU token listing marks the next stage in Chainers’ journey, the project continues to expand its universe, inviting players, creators, and investors to join a growing ecosystem where entertainment and empowerment coexist.

About Chainers

Chainers is a multi-genre Web3 gaming universe developed by 51.games, merging traditional gaming depth with blockchain-powered ownership and interoperability. Built on Polygon and Immutable, it enables players to play, build, earn, and truly own their worlds.


Website: https://chainers.io
Twitter: @ChainersGame
Discord: https://discord.gg/chainers
Zealy: https://zealy.io/cw/chainersnft/questboard

Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s attorney, Teresa Goody Guillén, sent a formal legal demand to US Senator Elizabeth Warren, accusing her of spreading “objectively false and defamatory” statements about Zhao’s criminal record and his recent pardon from President Donald Trump.

According to leaked correspondence dated October 28, Guillén, a partner at BakerHostetler and counsel for Zhao, accused the Massachusetts senator of “material inaccuracies” in her social media posts and public notes after Trump pardoned the former Binance chief. 

The letter seen by Cryptopolitan claimed Warren’s comments “caused unnecessary harm to Zhao’s reputation” and could mislead the public “regarding the facts and the scope of the President’s Constitutional pardon power.”

Elizabeth Warren claims pardon involved corruption 

As reported by Cryptopolitan, Trump granted a pardon to Zhao, who had pleaded guilty to a single regulatory charge related to Binance’s AML controls. Senator Warren alleged in her X post that the Binance founder “pleaded guilty to a criminal money laundering charge,” and claimed he “financed Trump’s stablecoin project,” “lobbied for a pardon,” and “today, he got it.”

Zhao stepped down as CEO as part of a $4.3 billion settlement with US regulators and agreed to pay a personal fine and a short prison term.

“If Congress does not stop this kind of corruption, it owns it,” Warren remarked, a quote that was later cited in a letter from her Senate office condemning the pardon as evidence of “political corruption” stemming from Trump’s crypto connections.

In her October 28 letter, Guillén demanded that Warren retract the statements because they were “categorically false, misleading, and inflammatory.” The attorney propounded that Zhao “pleaded guilty to a single regulatory count of failing to implement effective anti-money laundering controls, and not to a criminal money laundering offense.”

“You made objectively false statements that Mr. Zhao pleaded guilty to a criminal offense that he did not, which falsely imputes criminal conduct, corruption, and moral turpitude to Mr. Zhao,” Guillén wrote. “Mr. Zhao reserves his right to pursue all legal remedies available to address these false statements.”

Senator’s attorneys respond to legal complaint

Senator Warren’s legal team rejected the retraction request through a response letter dated November 2. Her attorney Ben Stafford of Elias Law Group insisted the senator’s statement was “true in all respects and therefore cannot be defamatory.”

CZ pleaded guilty to a criminal money laundering charge and was sentenced to prison.

But then he financed President Trump’s stablecoin and lobbied for a pardon.

Today, he got it.

If Congress does not stop this kind of corruption, it owns it. pic.twitter.com/NsWeaJcVeK

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) October 23, 2025

“Senator Warren accurately represented publicly available and widely reported facts. The ‘charge’ referenced in Senator Warren’s X post refers to the charge to which Mr. Zhao pled guilty and as to which President Trump had just pardoned him. The law Mr. Zhao pled guilty to violating is an anti-money laundering law. All of this is public record,” the letter read.

Stafford argued Warren’s interpretation of the violation was justified because it involved the Bank Secrecy Act, an anti-money-laundering statute. He continued to say that her remarks referred to Zhao’s public guilty plea to that law. 

In a recent interview with Fox Business before introducing her Senate resolution, Warren said Zhao “pled guilty to violating the law” and added, “I’m calling him out for what he’s pled guilty to.”

The senator’s resolution, co-sponsored by California Democrat Adam Schiff, called for a congressional investigation into a supposed corruption plan originating from Trump’s use of executive clemency powers. 

Warren, along with Senators Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen, also signed a separate letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, demanding clarification on whether Trump’s business dealings or campaign donors influenced his decision to pardon Zhao. 

“If the Justice Department fails to act, it risks normalizing pay-to-play pardons in America’s highest office,” the senators wrote.

Since returning to the White House, President Trump and his administration have been in discussions with several companies in the crypto industry, and Binance became one of the corporate names supporting his family’s crypto enterprise, World Liberty Financial. 

The company, launched earlier this year, manages a dollar-pegged stablecoin called USD1, and Binance was “foundational” in boosting its market credibility, sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal claimed. 

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SACHI, the next-generation Web3 immersive gaming universe built on Unreal Engine 5, has partnered with TokaCity, a leading innovator in iGaming and blockchain-integrated casino content, to expand the boundaries of virtual worldbuilding. The collaboration brings together SACHI’s dynamic, real-time universe and TokaCity’s creative depth in social-casino and skill-based gaming to build an interconnected world where entertainment, technology, and digital ownership converge.

Under the partnership, TokaCity’s established catalogue of casino and skill-based titles will be integrated into the SACHIverse, meaning players will be able to access premium casino experiences within SACHI’s visually rich, browser-based, instantly-accessible world – no downloads or high-end hardware required.

“TokaCity has been part of our journey from day one,” said Jonas Martisius, CEO of SACHI. “They bring decades of iGaming experience, proven performance, and an instinct for what players love. ogether, we’re not just integrating games – we’re crafting worlds, reshaping how people experience play, and reimagining the future of digital entertainment.”

What to expect from the partnership 

By merging SACHI’s immersive infrastructure with TokaCity’s content and operational expertise, the partnership focuses on creating persistent, interoperable worlds that reward exploration and community participation. It also complements SACHI’s broader ecosystem development, supported by collaborations with Microsoft Azure, Aethir, and Solana-based projects – all reinforcing the foundation for the upcoming BETA Game Launch and a sustainable, ever-expanding metaverse.

The integration of TokaCity into the SACHI ecosystem marks a major step toward creating a connected entertainment universe – one that combines the thrill of iGaming with cloud-accessibility and blockchain-driven ownership.

About SACHI

SACHI is an immersive Web3 gaming universe combining AAA gameplay, social interaction, and blockchain economies. Built on Unreal Engine 5 and powered by pixel streaming, SACHI delivers console-quality gaming instantly on any device – uniting play, culture, and community in a single world of entertainment and innovation.

About TokaCity

TokaCity is a visionary iGaming company redefining social casino experiences through immersive, blockchain-powered content. With deep expertise in gaming operations and virtual world design, TokaCity is shaping the next generation of connected entertainment where gameplay, creativity, and community thrive together.

TokaCity and SACHI are building the future of iGaming, immersive, social, and instantly accessible.

Be part of it, register now for the BETA Game Launch countdown: https://sachi.game/

Follow SACHI’s journey:

Visit our website: https://sachi.game/

Follow the movement on X (formerly Twitter): @join_sachi

Join the conversation on Telegram: t.me/sachigame

Media Contact:
Jonas Martisius
CEO of SACHI
[email protected]
+359879164806

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins told Jimmy Cramer on Thursday that prediction markets are not replacing traditional sports-betting, because the products do not offer the same experience, scale of markets, or even pricing depth.

Jason said:

“Simply going and spending five minutes looking at the products, you’ll see what I mean. It’s night and day. The amount of markets, even the pricing, isn’t something that I would view as competitive with what we do.”

Jason explained that users who want to wager on sports outcomes still prefer the sportsbook format because that is where the volume, variety, and familiarity are.

The DraftKings CEO pointed to the existing situation in the U.K. and Western Europe to support this point, saying that exchange-based betting only takes low to mid single-digit share where it is available alongside traditional books.

Jason said this shows that there is no large migration away from sportsbooks, and that sports-betting is tied to how fans watch and follow live competition, and prediction markets handle broader non-sports events like elections, awards, and other outcomes.

DraftKings enters prediction markets while defending sportsbook focus

Even though Jason insisted sportsbooks are not threatened, DraftKings is still entering the prediction space. The company acquired RailBird last month, and it plans to release a mobile app that lets users place bets on outcomes in areas such as entertainment and finance. Jason told Jim this move is mainly strategic for states where online sports-betting is still illegal, including California and Texas. He said this allows the company to be active in those large markets while gaming laws continue to develop.

Jason said, “I think the reality is that at least for the near term, it looks like the momentum is here. They’re here to stay. And so, I think with that in mind, we need to participate, and we should have the tools to win.”

DraftKings also reported quarterly earnings Thursday after the market closed but lowered its full-year sales outlook, causing its stock to plunge by more than 5% in after-hours trading.

In the last quarter, DraftKings saw $1,144 million in revenue ($49 million higher than a year ago), while revenue surged by 4%, supported by “strong customer engagement, efficient new customer acquisition, and a higher sportsbook hold rate,” which grew 17% year-over-year, said DraftKings.

Jason said, “This is the most bullish I have ever felt about our future.” He noted that the company expects to launch DraftKings Predictions in the coming months, which he described as an incremental opportunity.

The company’s CFO, Alan Ellingson, said the growth in handle and the increase in parlay activity are improving free cash flow. Alan also announced that DraftKings’ share repurchase program was expanded from $1.0 billion to $2.0 billion.

DraftKings’ monthly Unique Payers increased 2% to 3.6 million, supported by strong retention and new sign-ups. Without Jackpocket, growth would have been 6%. Average Revenue per MUP reached $106, up by 3% from the year before.

DraftKings raised its 2025 revenue guidance to $5.9 billion to $6.1 billion, which is a 28% growth over 2024, according to the earnings report.

DraftKings’ adjusted EBITDA guidance now stands between $450 million and $550 million.

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Cardano is down 8% over the week with a price stuck at $0.58 as crypto market fervor slows. It is recording a trade volume of $500 million with a market cap of $21 billion, but the RSI is at 39. Some hope is still left for it to correct if the support level at or around $0.60 is maintained with the upcoming Ouroboros Phalanx upgrade. 

While all others seem to be left behind, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) takes the lead at its current price of $0.035 to emerge as the top cryptocurrency to buy now to ensure sound profits. This defi cryptocurrency makes bold contrasts to lure investments away from dying altcoins.

Cardano Latches On To Sell Pressure

Traders observed Cardano going through a gradual fall during the previous week with selling pressure outpacing bids to drive it below critical levels. Substantial volumes did not trigger any buying pressure to sustain a rally. This leaves the bulls battling merely to support the price at $0.60. 

It appears unlikely for Cardano to recover anytime soon as maintaining a lowly RSI position at 39 indicates worse selling pressure to come. On the bright side, the Ouroboros Phalanx upgrade is imminent to bring improved scalability to the network. Even then, it rarely excites buying pressure in the market.

Mutuum Finance Gathers Presale Momentum

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is going through the phases of its presale with measured intent and is currently at Phase 6 with 85% filled at a rate of $0.035 per token. Cumulatively since launch, the amount of funds garnered is at $18,450,000, and the total number of wallets is 17,790. This crypto to buy now provides a price appreciation target of 250% above Phase 1’s price of entry at $0.01. Launching at a price of $0.06 can generate 414% ROIs.

Phase 6 is quickly approaching the stage of exhaustion. Others will soon be left to watch in disbelief as the distribution runs out. Current purchasers can acquire their tokens at this incomparable price, or they will have to pay 20% more during Phase 7 to buy at $0.04.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) breeds excitement every day with a new leaderboard on their dashboard that highlights the top 50 token holders. This leaderboard is refreshed every 24 hours at 00:00 UTC. The top leaderboard contributor receives a reward of 500 free MUTM tokens as soon as they participate in one trade. This not only gamifies participation in the project but ensures increased community ties.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) ensures a versatile loan framework is developed by harmonious liquid alternatives. Clients lock their funds in Peer-to-Contract pools with ETH or even USDT collateral. This generates interests as auto-loans are made. Peer-to-Peer interfaces follow with customized loans for specialized tokens. This makes it open to everyone. 

Stakeholders obtain mtTokens to confirm their stakes. These can be redeemed with extra interests attached. This is one of the top cryptos to buy because it sees users take congruent actions with organic growth.

To celebrate the pace of the presale, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) has launched a giveaway of $100,000 in tokens of the MUTM token to 10 people at a price of $10,000 per individual. This increases the excitement of the Presale events. Mutuum Finance (MUTM) also ensures credibility with a tough CertiK audit session with a score of 90 out of 100 on security. A similar bug bounty program with a prize money of $50,000 encourages top developers to test the platform for vulnerabilities with rewards of up to $2,000 per critical submission. This ensures a reliable model to attract risk-averse investors in the DeFi world of crypto.

Shifting Tides Favor Emerging Strengths

Compared to Cardano’s struggles, the future advancement of Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is in full motion. It is always important to note that the greatest crypto to buy at the current market is one that relies on execution. This defi crypto provides exactly that. To be part of the upward trajectory, secure your position during the presale.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Block took a heavy hit on Thursday as its stock (XYZ) crashed by almost 12% in after-hours trading, after the FinTech company released third-quarter results that failed to meet expectations, even while it lifted full-year forecasts.

The earnings report showed a sharp miss on both earnings per share and revenue, disappointing investors who had been expecting a much stronger performance by the Jack Dorsey-led company.

Block’s adjusted EPS came in at $0.54, which far below the analyst consensus of $0.63, a 14% miss, while revenue came in at $6.11 billion, also far below the $6.33 billion predicted by LSEG analysts.

The weaker results overshadowed what was otherwise solid operational growth across Block’s key ecosystems Cash App and Square, with gross profit on both increasing 18% year over year to $2.66 billion.

Within that, Cash App produced $1.62 billion, up 24%, while Square contributed $1.02 billion, up 9%. Square’s Gross Payment Volume (GPV) also surged by 12%, and Cash App recorded 58 million monthly active users as of September.

Jack said, “We had another strong quarter delivering for our customers with high quality and high velocity. Square GPV growth accelerated to 12%, and we gained profitable market share through product innovation and expanded distribution.”

Block raises guidance after weak quarterly results

Despite missing expectations, Block raised its 2025 full-year guidance, forecasting $10.24 billion in gross profit, which is over 15% year-over-year growth, and $2.06 billion in adjusted operating income at a 20% margin.

For the Q4, Block expects gross profit of $2.76 billion, which is a 19% surge from last year. The earnings report also said that Block’s Proto ecosystem generated revenue for the first time last quarter, describing it as a potential “next major ecosystem” for Block, expanding beyond its established platforms.

Alongside that, the company continues to embed AI across both Cash App and Square, with AI voice ordering and AI-powered procurement tools designed to help sellers operate faster and more efficiently.

Jack shared Block’s long-term AI plans in a letter to shareholders, writing that:-

“Our vertically integrated platform allows us to move quickly, and it gives us unique advantages in launching AI tools for sellers. Our engineering team has been on the frontier of AI for years, building internal tools like codename goose to ship features faster, reinvent interfaces, and pioneer new underwriting methods for credit products.”

Jack also said that Square AI now helps sellers explore data and uncover insights, adding that soon it will proactively suggest actions to improve growth or efficiency, and execute them with a single tap.

Capital allocation and financial outlook heading into 2026

By the end of September, Block had repurchased about $1.5 billion worth of stock, and the company said it plans to continue returning capital as it generates cash and will discuss its capital allocation strategy at the upcoming Investor Day, according to the earnings report.

Looking ahead, Block projects fourth-quarter 2025 adjusted operating income of $560 million, an improvement on last year, alongside an expansion of operating margins to 20%. The company expects to be approaching the “rule of 40” as it heads into 2026, balancing growth and profitability.

For the full year, gross profit is expected to reach $10.243 billion, reflecting more than 15% annual growth, while adjusted operating income should climb nearly 28%, despite increased spending on marketing and its Borrow and other lending products.

Block also revealed new tax and expense guidance, projecting its 2025 and long-term tax rate to remain in the mid-20% range, consistent with earlier quarters, and net interest expense of around $45 million for Q4 due to higher benchmark rates and new debt issuance.

The company said those figures are good representations of its long-term expectations across both financial lines.

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IREN moved from near collapse to a massive $9.7 billion agreement with Microsoft, according to Bloomberg.

The company was founded by Daniel Roberts and Will Roberts, two former Macquarie Group bankers who took the firm public in November 2021 during the peak of the pandemic-driven crypto rush.

When the Bitcoin market crashed the next year, the company’s shares fell 96%, leaving the brothers with almost nothing as the value of their stock dropped to the floor.

Eighteen months ago, Daniel and Will changed direction. They stopped depending on Bitcoin mining and redirected the business to meet demand for AI computing and data centers.

That decision changed everything. Shares of IREN, which was originally named Iris Energy, have risen more than 500% this year. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index now lists Daniel, age 41, and Will, age 35, with a combined net worth of $846 million for the first time.

Microsoft signs long-term capacity contract

The deal with Microsoft runs for five years and makes the tech giant the largest customer of IREN. The agreement gives Microsoft access to 10% of the company’s total computing capacity.

That means IREN still has most of its platform available to secure more contracts and raise more revenue. The company owns data centers in Canada and the United States, and those facilities run on renewable energy.

Daniel said about completing the agreement, “It’s been a big weekend and it’s fantastic to knock it off. But the reality here is, it’s back into the office, we’ve still got a big job to do.”

IREN now operates in the same space as other AI computing providers such as CoreWeave, Nebius Group, and Crusoe. All of these companies once focused on Bitcoin mining and later moved to serving the demand for compute power from AI firms including OpenAI.

Guojun He, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, said the agreement represents a turning point for the company’s identity. He said the brothers are now viewed more as builders of AI infrastructure than founders of a crypto venture.

From Bitcoin mining to AI compute infrastructure

For Daniel, moving from Bitcoin to AI was not random. He explained that both require huge amounts of physical data center space and steady power. He said the shift followed the same logic that led them to start mining in the first place.

In early investor meetings, Daniel said they talked about films like The Matrix, Ready Player One, and Wreck-It Ralph to describe how more of everyday life is moving into digital environments.

The message was that the world would need more compute, and demand would not slow down.

The brothers grew up in Sydney and studied business at the University of Technology Sydney before working at Macquarie Group. Will was a vice president in the commodities and markets division, where he helped create the bank’s crypto team.

Daniel became an executive director at Palisade Investment Partners, working with infrastructure funds. Daniel first got into Bitcoin around 2013, and the company website says he “bought high and sold low.”

That experience, combined with the brothers’ background in financing and building infrastructure, led them to launch the company in 2018.

“Bitcoin was a great way to monetize the compute and the data center platform,” Daniel said. “We did that for a number of years and like we always said, as soon as higher and better value use cases come along, we swapped it out.”

Today, IREN has become part of the expanding AI computing race. The brothers’ strategy now centers on securing long-term clients and scaling the infrastructure platform. IREN remains positioned to negotiate additional contracts. For now, Microsoft remains the largest buyer.

Meanwhile, the company’s operations stay anchored in Canada and the United States, with continued use of renewable energy to power every facility. The reshaped business keeps the structure that began in mining, but now applies it to AI.

Daniel and Will share management of IREN and continue reviewing decisions together. Daniel said, “We challenge each other, we analyze things to the nth degree, and we’re not afraid to say that if we’re wrong, we’re wrong. Let’s change what we’re doing.”

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ECB Governing Council member Boris Vujcic reiterated that policy is on the right track, adding that the bank has fulfilled its mandate. He noted they managed to reduce inflation without triggering a recession.

His remarks come a week after the ECB held interest rates steady for the third consecutive meeting, confident that its policy stance is suitable for controlling inflation without hurting growth.

At that time, Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, noted that the eurozone economy had made good progress, but they were navigating a period of uncertainty. She emphasized that the central bank works to maintain a strong position despite the ongoing global geopolitical tensions.

Vujcic finds it worrying that retail finds are surpassing hedge funds

With inflation at close to 2% and GDP growth stronger than expected for Q3, the deposit rate is unlikely to be cut anytime soon, standing at 2% after eight rounds of cuts.

The ECB is set to present new quarterly estimates and provide more clarity on inflation at its December meeting. Still, a few officials worry that the projections could show readings below the target for the next three years. For analysts, a rate cut next month seems unlikely, but there is still a 40% chance of one by mid-2026.

Vujcic pointed to potential threats to Europe’s economy, warning about fiscal discipline and signs of markets being overpriced, and noted that redemptions from retail funds outpacing those from hedge funds were especially worrying. He stated, “That’s usually a sign that something’s coming that’s not very good.” However, he insists the bank’s policy is “in a good place.”

Speaking on Thursday, Luis de Guindos, the ECB’s Vice President, also argued that the bank is comfortable with existing rates and expects any decline in inflation below 2% to be short-lived. Inflation is forecast to drop below 2% next year. However, some policymakers worried this could anchor expectations at very low levels, similar to the pre-pandemic period.

“If (undershooting) happens, it will be something that is going to be temporary. “We can be comfortable with the present level interest rates. I think that convergence to 2% without any overshooting or undershooting is now the main baseline scenario for projections,” de Guindos stated.

He added that the recent economic readings have shown solid, if modest, growth of about 1%, in line with the bloc’s potential. As a result, policymakers are now “a bit” more optimistic and see the economy tracking the ECB’s forecasts.

The ECB is still struggling to gain support for its digital euro project

The ECB is facing difficulties in advancing its digital euro project, as the 2029 launch target is encountering mounting opposition from EU legislators and financial institutions. A consortium of 14 lenders, including Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, and ING, has warned that the digital euro could crowd out private payment systems. The banks have argued that the planned retail digital euro would serve the same purposes as existing private options but without providing added value for users.

Fernando Navarrete, a Spanish conservative lawmaker overseeing the Parliament’s assessment of the digital euro, has pressed for a toned-down version of the plan.

According to a report he published last week, Navarrete believes the digital euro should function primarily as an offline alternative to cash, rather than as a real-time digital payment system, as the ECB plans. He noted that incorporating online payment features risked setting up a rival payment ecosystem that could block private systems from achieving EU-wide reach. 

Navarrete argued that an online version of the digital euro should be introduced only if European payment firms fail to compete effectively with US giants.

The ECB began exploring the idea of a digital euro in 2020. Last week, its Governing Council agreed to move forward with preparations to make issuance possible by 2029, with a pilot phase planned for 2027.

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South Korea’s crypto sector is under heightened scrutiny after transfers to Cambodia jumped 1,400-fold last year, exposing fresh anti-money laundering (AML) challenges for financial regulators.

The country’s largest crypto exchanges, Bithumb and Upbit, handled the highest volume of suspicious transfers. Bithumb facilitated about 12.4 billion won ($9 million) in transactions, while Upbit processed 366 million won ($271,000). The funds were sent to Huione Guarantee, a Cambodian online marketplace sanctioned by the U.S. and UK. Most of the transfers were made in USDT stablecoins.

“Realistically, it’s extremely difficult to detect all suspicious transactions on Korean exchanges before they occur,” said Youchull Jung, an attorney specializing in white collar crime at Lee & Ko in South Korea.

Jung said the movement of crypto from Korean to Cambodian exchanges reflect the cat-and-mouse dynamic in enforcement with reports filed and transactions blocked only after the money had already started to move.

Korea’s offshore financial crime crisis

Financial scams that funnel crypto to Cambodia has become a flashpoint in national politics. Lawmakers questioned the effectiveness and speed of regulators’ countermeasures at a parliamentary audit on October 27.

Jung explained that increased enforcement in South Korea has driven fraudsters to operate from overseas hubs in Cambodia and the Philippines where they work with local criminal networks.

Korea’s supercharged crypto market

South Korea has emerged as the world’s second-largest market for digital assets behind the United States. The Bank of Korea said the country’s five main exchanges held a combined $73 billion in assets at the end of 2024, with crypto trading volumes surpassing the stock market.

The boom led regulators to roll out a landmark digital asset law in 2024 that tightened oversight of exchanges and strengthened investor protections. The measure expanded the earlier AML Act in 2021 and introduced a Travel Rule requiring registered exchanges to share verified information on crypto transfers over one million won (approx. $800).

Regulatory arbitrage

While regulators have been busy building a framework for its domestic virtual asset space, criminal groups have exploited blind spots in cross border transfers, explained Jongbaek Park, an attorney specializing in digital assets at Bae, Kim, Lee law firm in South Korea.

The Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, first enacted in 1999, remains the country’s primary law on cross border payments and remittances. But it predates the rise of digital assets and doesn’t clearly define cryptocurrencies as a legitimate “means of payment,” leaving regulators and users operating in a legal gray area.

“Korea has very strict foreign exchange regulations. Under the current rules, anyone remitting securities must file a report with the Bank of Korea in advance,” said Park. “But it’s not clear whether crypto assets or blockchain tokens fall under that requirement.”

According to Park, transferring digital tokens without notifying the Bank of Korea could be in breach of the law.

High entry barrier for smaller exchanges

The AML act reshaped Korea’s crypto landscape. Before it took effect there were roughly 60 exchanges operating nationwide. After enforcement, only five were able to secure the real-name verified bank account needed to offer Korean won trading.

Tae Eon Koo, a fintech attorney at Lin Law Firm in South Korea, described the AML Act as both a strength and bottleneck.

The real-name trading system is a major component of South Korea’s crypto AML and KYC regulations. It forces crypto exchanges to form an official partnership with a bank.

“The requirement to secure a real-name verification partnership with a domestic bank is not written in law but enforced for AML reasons,” he said. “Without this, it makes it nearly impossible for new players seeking to compete with the established ‘Big 5’ exchanges, to enter the market.

He said that current regulation has effectively turned banks into gatekeepers to the Korean won market.

Attorney Jongbaek Park adds that regulators’ are “conservative” or ‘extremely selective’ when it comes to giving exchanges permission to directly convert cryptocurrency into fiat currency.

“The Financial Services Commission, as its policy, does not want banks to give bank accounts to many crypto exchanges. At the moment each bank is only allowed to give one bank account to one exchange.”

Breaking the crypto duopoly

Binance has regained access to South Korea’s crypto market after winning regulatory approval to acquire a 67% stake in local exchange GOPAX. The clearance from the KoFIU, granted on October 16, marks the first major foreign exchange to enter the market since the introduction of the Travel Rule. Binance exited the country in 2021 when it failed to secure a banking partner.

“Its re-entry is a big deal,” said Koo “Because it has the potential to break the current duopoly held by Upbit and Bithumb.”

Reverse discrimination

Some domestic exchanges have accused regulators of engaging in what they call “reverse discrimination,” where global giants such as Binance encounter fewer entry barriers by buying licensed local platforms in South Korea. Meanwhile, domestic exchanges say strict AML and banking rules continue to hold them back from expanding overseas.

“The current market sentiment is that existing regulation is not protecting fair competition,” Koo said. “Instead it may be creating an unbalanced playing field.”

But, he said Binance’s return could reshape that balance.

“Binance brings massive capital, operational expertise, and, most importantly, deep liquidity,” Koo said. “But how much influence it has will depend on whether regulators allow GOPAX to share its order book with Binance’s global platform.”

As global exchanges push in and local players push back, the long-term growth and credibility of its crypto market may hinge on how effectively South Korea can curb financial crime through digital channels.

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The founder of Samourai Wallet has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge. 

After about a year and seven months since his arrest, Samourai Wallet dev, Keonne Rodriguez, has been sentenced to five years in prison.

The case against Samourai Wallet

Keonne Rodriguez and his co-founder William Lonergan Hill launched Samourai Wallet in 2015 as a privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet.

The wallet was advertised on its website and via social media as a “premium privacy service” and it made use of marketing language such as “No email address, no ID check, and no hassle”, and clearly targeted “Dark/Grey Market participants” who were repeatedly reminded that their Bitcoin transfers would be hard to trace on the platform.

In April 2024, Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill were arrested and later indicted by the U.S. government.

Samourai never registered as a money transmitting business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and did not implement effective anti-money-laundering (AML) or “know your customer” (KYC) protocols.

Prosecutors claim that Samourai processed about $237 million in illicit funds between 2015 and April 2024.  Rodriguez and Hill pleaded guilty on July 30, 2025, to a charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business.

Rogriguez’s verdict is bad news for privacy advocates

On November 6, 2025, Keonne Rodriguez was sentenced to 60 months (5 years) in federal prison. That sentence is the statutory maximum for the charge requested by the prosecution, as Cryptopolitan reported earlier during the week. Rodriguez is also required to pay a fine and will be supervised after his release.

Judge Denise L. Cote was not swayed by Rogriguez’s defense of privacy tools, citing its failure to address the real-world consequences of facilitating criminal transactions. The presiding judge also found his letters of remorse failing to show sufficient acknowledgement for the human suffering his actions caused.

The verdict is bad news for the other party in this case as well as Tornado Cash developers facing similar charges for running a privacy tool for transmitting funds. Meanwhile, it appears the U.S. government’s promise to allow digital asset innovation while cracking down on illegality does not extend to crypto-mixers and privacy-enhancing tools when it’s used to aid criminal proceeds. This has caused some tension as open-source privacy tools have been praised by advocates as protections for financial freedom and human rights.

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Google has just partnered with Polymarket, a leading prediction market platform, to integrate its betting odds directly into Google Search and Google Finance results. 

With this, users get real-time prediction data on trending events, such as potential Fed rate cuts or other outcomes, alongside traditional search and financial info.

Prediction markets data to feature in search results 

Google Finance will integrate prediction markets data into Google search, adding Polymarket and Kalshi probabilities so users can query event odds directly from the search box. The rollout is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks via Google Labs for early testers, with a broader release to follow.

Polymarket announced the news today on X, expressing excitement at the partnership while emphasizing how the integration is “coming soon” and highlighting the mainstream exposure it brings. 

There is little doubt that such an integration would provide enhanced insights for users, but that would just be another data point to influence decisions. What really stands out about the integration is that Google Finance’s numerous users will suddenly start getting exposure to prediction markets, which is essentially another case of crypto in use.

Google’s Rose Yao announced the deal as part of a broader announcement that revealed it is upgrading Google Finance by adding Deep Search capabilities and corporate earnings tracking, and expanding to India. The term used by Google was that it was including prediction markets’ “data”; however, in its broadcast on social media, Polymarket uses the term “odds.” 

Kalshi’s CEO, Tarek Mansour in a tweet called it big news while promising there will be a rollout over the next few weeks. 

What this means for prediction markets 

News of the Google agreements has triggered excitement among fans of prediction markets, as they know that such an endorsement brings the market closer to further legitimization of prediction markets, even as multiple states claim they are acting illegally in the sports betting space.

For now, sports event contracts make up the bulk of trading volume on Kalshi. However, it is clear that many have woken up to the value of prediction markets and the knowledge that it goes well beyond sticks and balls. 

In fact, many, including Rose Yao, are looking at the predictive power of prediction markets as a major enhancement for Google Finance.

“Prediction markets data from [Kalsh and Polymarket] means you can ask questions about future events to see current probabilities in the market and how they’ve changed over time,” Google product leader Rose Yao wrote on X.

In a blog post in which it announced the deal, Google shared an example in which it urges the user to ask a question like ‘What will GDP growth be for 2025?’ directly from the search box to see “current probabilities in the market and how they’ve changed over time.”

Some experts also believe that a deal with Google could open the floodgates for prediction markets, as it could encourage other corporate giants to partner with prediction markets.  

Already, giants like the Intercontinental Exchange, the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, have come on board. The Intercontinental Exchange announced a $2 billion investment in Polymarket last month, and the NHL announced licensing deals with both Polymarket and Kalshi at the same time.

This is all happening as Polymarket gets ready to re-enter the US market, which it was blocked from in February 2022. The prediction platform has been teasing its re-entry to the States for several weeks now, but there have been reports that the government shutdown is delaying it.

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A growing group of influential shareholders is pushing BlackLine Inc., a maker of cloud-based accounting automation software, to explore a potential sale. Their effort comes as word has spread that the company, SAP SE, the German enterprise software giant, has attracted renewed interest from potential buyers. 

The pressure arises as software valuations have cooled and public-market investors are voicing concerns about where companies should position themselves for the next leg of growth.

For some time now, BlackLine has been recognized as a leader in the financial close and reconciliation automation software category. It counts corporate finance departments among its customers, who rely on its products to automate additional manual accounting-related tasks and produce end-of-month reports more efficiently.

The company was a leading beneficiary of the larger move to cloud computing over the past decade. Revenue growth has also slowed, although it has decelerated from an extremely high historical level. The broader markets have become less inclined to underwrite long-term profits for subscription-style software vendors in a booming economy.

The only way for BlackLine to fulfill its potential, in their view, is by combining with a larger player, say, SAP, that can integrate its products, sell them worldwide, and innovate at a much faster clip on alternative uses for the technology.

Investors push for strategic review

A few investment firms that own significant chunks of BlackLine have informed the board in recent weeks that it may need to consider selling itself. Among them are Ananym Capital Management, Tensile Capital Management, and Sheffield Asset Management. A second large shareholder has also privately thrown its support behind the concept.

BlackLine is trading at a discount to its long-term potential, they say, particularly as software designed to automate the financial close market heats up. An acquisition by a well-financed acquirer may allow the company to grow more rapidly and enhance product integration, while providing immediate benefits for shareholders in the form of a premium buyout price.

The pressure started mounting after the activist investment firm Engaged Capital publicly advocated for a sale. The letter stated that the company is at a strategic crossroads: The business has positions of strength in the market for finance automation, but growth has slowed, margins are declining, and investor sentiment has turned negative.

BlackLine’s chief executive, Owen Ryan, hinted at the surging phone traffic during an earnings call last month. The board is aware of how shareholders feel and maintains regular conversations with investors, he added. However, he offered no specifics on the next steps for launching an official sales process.

Nevertheless, proponents of BlackLine’s current approach argue that there remains significant room for growth in the world of finance transformation. They also note that an era of technology may have dawned.

However, many companies are still stuck with old-school manual ledgers containing a significant amount of revenue, one to which Palabra has relatively appealing access. However, for those who do want a sale now, the window to extract that kind of value may well be today, not in some more distant tomorrow, when bidding wars and, with them, pricing power will only grow worse.

SAP moves to strengthen its cloud finance strategy

SAP had already attempted to acquire BlackLine earlier this year with an acquisition offer for the company’s shares, according to media reports. BlackLine’s board at the time rejected the offer, claiming that it could create better long-term value for itself independently of StreetAccount.

Shares of BlackLine have been lackluster this year, recently closing in the mid-$50s. The shares dropped further after the company lowered its profit forecast, as investors are increasingly skeptical that it can deliver better-than-expected performance on its own.

With investors increasing the pressure and given changes in market dynamics, BlackLine is being presented with a major strategic choice: continue along its current path of independence or take advantage of an opportunity for partnership or outright sale.

Considering the interest from deep-pocketed players, including SAP, the company’s next move could be the one that either helps it grow its global presence or leaves it too far behind in a march to dominate a crowded finance automation landscape.

Investors will be watching closely, as the result could set the tone for how software companies find flexibility to maintain their independence and strategic leeway in the era of cloud computing.

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