Cryptopolitan

The prediction markets boom is drawing in some of the biggest names on Wall Street, and it is catching the eye of federal enforcers. 

America’s top commodities regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), through a speech by its director of enforcement, put the industry on notice on Tuesday that insider trading laws apply in prediction markets, directly rebuking a growing assumption in the sector. 

The warning comes as JPMorgan Chase hinted that it was weighing a potential entry into the space, with crypto venture firm Paradigm reportedly building a dedicated trading terminal for prediction market professionals.

Why is the CFTC putting prediction markets on notice?

David Miller, the CFTC’s director of enforcement, used a speech at New York University School of Law on Tuesday to deliver a pointed message to the industry.

Miller said, “Unfortunately there’s a myth in mainstream media and social media that insider trading doesn’t apply in the prediction markets.” To which he added, “That is wrong.”

Miller laid out in clear terms that the Commodity Exchange Act’s anti-fraud provisions apply with full force to prediction market event contracts, which the CFTC classifies as swaps. The misappropriation theory of insider trading, under which liability attaches when a trader uses material non-public information in breach of a duty of trust or confidence, is the operative framework.

The CFTC’s posture follows a February enforcement advisory issued after two cases on Kalshi involving the misuse of nonpublic information, one involving a political candidate who traded on his own candidacy and a second where a staff member of MrBeast’s YouTube channel traded on inside knowledge about the channel’s performance. 

Miller flagged injury contracts in sports, trades by government employees using nonpublic information, and conduct by anyone subject to a workplace confidentiality agreement as areas of heightened concern.

Are JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs entering prediction markets?

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon shared insights on what the bank is working on in an interview with CBS News. He spoke on how prediction markets have moved from the fringes of finance to the attention of the industry’s most senior executives. 

The JPMorgan chief said it was “possible one day we’ll do something like that,” while carving out sports and politics as categories the bank would not enter. “There’s a bunch of stuff we won’t do,” he said. “And obviously, we have strict rules around insider information.”

When asked if he felt prediction markets were more about gambling or if they were an investment, Dimon said, “I think for the most part, it’s more like gambling. But there are areas where you could say, ‘No, it’s investing.’ You are deeply knowledgeable. You’re taking the other side of a bet. And you think you know better than the other person.” 

JPMorgan is also reviewing internal guidelines governing how its staff interacts with existing platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket.

In January, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said that they are exploring prediction markets for opportunities, adding that they were in talks with the leadership of the two major prediction market firms to learn more.

Paradigm’s trading terminal could change the competitive picture

Crypto venture firm Paradigm is taking a more hands-on approach. The firm is developing a prediction markets trading terminal aimed at professional traders and market makers, led by partner Arjun Balaji, who has been working on the project since late 2025.

Paradigm, a major investor in Kalshi, reportedly joined three successive funding rounds in 2025.

However, what it said it was working on was to create an internal market-making desk in prediction markets. It said that it is working with researchers on the feasibility of constructing prediction market indices, instruments that would bundle multiple event contracts into a single tradeable package, much as the S&P 500 aggregates the stocks of 500 companies. 

Paradigm has already begun assembling prediction market data into a public dashboard. Fortune cited sources close to the matter, saying Paradigm’s startup is not in competition with Kalshi’s platform.

Paradigm’s terminal project sits within the venture capital firm’s pivot beyond crypto. The firm is reportedly raising up to $1.5 billion for a new fund spanning artificial intelligence and robotics.

The CFTC issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on March 12, seeking public comment on how to regulate event contract derivatives. Clearer rules may be on the way, but for now, both firms mulling entry and traders already active in the market have been left in little doubt that the era of regulatory ambiguity is drawing to a close.

There’s a middle ground between leaving money in the bank and rolling the dice in crypto. Start with this free video on decentralized finance.

Intel’s stock climbed 9% on Wednesday after the company said it would buy back the 49% share of its Irish chip factory that it sold two years ago, paying $14.2 billion for a stake it originally offloaded for $11.2 billion.

The semiconductor maker sold nearly half of its Fab 34 facility in Ireland to investment firm Apollo Global Management in 2024. Now, with a healthier financial position and growing demand for its products, Intel is taking full ownership again.

“Our 2024 agreement was the right structure at the right time and provided Intel with meaningful flexibility, enabling us to accelerate critical initiatives,” Intel’s chief financial officer David Zinsner said in a statement. “Today, we have a stronger balance sheet, improved financial discipline and an evolved business strategy.”

The buyback signals that Intel has regained its footing and feels more confident about its future. When the company first sold the stake in 2024, it was struggling to keep up with rivals and pouring $100 billion into expanding its U.S. manufacturing operations, including a major new plant in Arizona that opened last year.

After falling behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s top contract chipmaker, Intel’s previous chief executive Pat Gelsinger pushed hard to rebuild the company’s manufacturing capabilities. Though Gelsinger left at the end of 2024, the Arizona factory project continued moving forward.

Different business model

Intel says the repurchase deal reflects “the growing and essential role CPUs play in the era of AI.” The company builds central processing units for computers and servers, but operates differently from most chip companies. While competitors like Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia farm out their manufacturing to other companies, Intel designs and makes its own chips and wants to produce them for others too.

At the Irish facility, Intel makes computer and server processors using older technology than what it produces in Arizona. Still, demand for these chips is rising across the board. The company told reporters that server processors, including its newest Xeon 6 model made in Ireland, are seeing the strongest demand right now.

Nvidia recently said that processors are “becoming the bottleneck” as artificial intelligence systems that can act on their own change what kind of computing power is needed. Research firm Futurum Group called it a “quiet supply crisis” and predicted that the market for central processors could grow faster than the graphics processor market by 2028.

Graphics processors work well for building and running AI models because they can do many tasks at once. Central processors have fewer but more powerful parts that handle regular computing jobs one after another. AI systems that work like independent agents need lots of general computing power to move large amounts of information between different tasks.

Recent signs point to a comeback for central processors. Nvidia’s chief executive Jensen Huang showed off a rack filled only with Vera processors earlier this month, and British chip design company Arm Holdings revealed its first chip, also a central processor.

Intel now makes chips using its most advanced technology, called 18A, in Arizona, but hasn’t landed any major outside customers yet. For now, the company mainly makes its own Core Ultra series 3 computer processors at that plant. In Ireland, it produces older versions of its computer chips and makes its latest server processors using Intel 3 technology, which came just before 18A.

Future production plans

Intel 3 is the company’s second generation, using ASML’s extreme ultraviolet machines for making chips. These same machines are used for 18A production, which means Intel could eventually make more advanced chips in Ireland. However, the company said it has no plans to do that anytime soon at Fab 34.

The Irish factory also handles an important step called advanced packaging, which connects individual chips to larger systems like circuit boards. Intel said it does some of the advanced packaging for its 18A chips at the Ireland location.

Intel plans to release its first-quarter financial results on April 23, 2026, after markets close. The company will hold a call at 2 p.m. Pacific time that day to discuss the numbers. People can watch online through Intel’s investor relations website.

Since Lip-Bu Tan became chief executive about a year ago, Intel has seen investment from the U.S. government, Nvidia, and Softbank. The company also started making large volumes of chips using 18A technology, finishing the “five nodes in four years” plan that Gelsinger started to catch up with Taiwan Semiconductor. Intel’s stock rose 84% in 2025 and gained 26% in January after the company showed off its first 18A chip for laptops.

At a recent conference, Tan said customers are asking for more products because demand is so high. He mentioned that processing power needs are increasing much faster than before. Intel will raise server processor prices by 10% for Chinese customers, according to a Friday report.

On March 9 at Embedded World 2026, Intel launched new industrial processors designed for critical edge computing applications and announced tools for healthcare AI solutions.

If you want a calmer entry point into DeFi crypto without the usual hype, start with this free video.

Two publicly listed Bitcoin treasury companies, Empery Digital and Genius Group, have sold portions or all of their BTC holdings to repay outstanding debt, joining an increasing list of companies that are retreating from the corporate accumulation model, outside of Strategy.

All fingers point to the current market realities of BTC, as most of these firms accumulated the cryptocurrency when it was trading above $100,000. However, BTC now trades below $70,000, and it has left the balance sheets of these treasuries severely strained.

According to BitcoinTreasuries.net, nine public companies have reduced their Bitcoin holdings in March alone. The reported net sector growth has shrunk to 25,000 BTC after sales were factored in, and the share of new purchases from all treasury companies outside of Strategy has collapsed to 2% of monthly volume, down from 95% in October 2025.

Who is selling, and what is driving the disposals?

Empery Digital stated that it had fully repaid its outstanding term loan using proceeds from a recent registered direct offering and the sale of a portion of its bitcoin holdings. 

The company sold 370 BTC at an average price of $66,632 per coin, generating about $24.7 million in gross proceeds. The repayment released around 1,800 Bitcoins that were previously pledged as collateral. 

Empery Digital now holds 2,989 BTC in its treasury, with Ryan Lane, the company’s co-CEO, stating that “this transaction enhances our financial position and ability to manage risk in an environment of heightened bitcoin volatility.” 

In early March, Empery Digital sold 102 BTC to fund shareholder buybacks as it faced heat from its boardroom, with some shareholders, ATG Capital, and Tice P. Brown to be specific, sharing notices of their intention to nominate directors to the company’s board.

Unlike Empery Digital, Genius Group sold its entire remaining Bitcoin treasury and used the proceeds to repay $8.5 million in debt in full. 

The company management said it would resume Bitcoin accumulation when market conditions are more favorable.

In MARA Holdings’ case, the Bitcoin miner liquidated 15,133 BTC for approximately $1.1 billion in March, and this was about a quarter of its holdings.

How did the corporate Bitcoin model unravel so quickly?

Around mid-2025, a wave of companies, both big and small, ranging from education and healthcare firms to miners and blank-check vehicles, adopted Bitcoin treasury strategies modeled on Strategy’s template, thanks to BTC’s boom. 

Most of these companies issued equity at a premium to net asset value (NAV), then used the proceeds to buy Bitcoin, with the aim of allowing the NAV premium to fund further accumulation in a self-reinforcing loop.

Galaxy Digital warned in a July 2025 report that the model was structurally fragile, a liquidity derivative that functioned only while equities traded above their underlying Bitcoin holdings, and unfortunately, the worst is already happening, and the companies are letting go of their BTC.

Bitcoin’s decline from above $110,000 to below $70,000 has left many of these firms underwater on their positions. Firms that funded accumulation with conventional debt, that is, term loans, convertible notes, and credit facilities, are now caught between an asset trading well below their cost basis and creditors whose claims do not compress with the Bitcoin price. 

CNBC reported that corporate Bitcoin buying outside Strategy has registered its weakest monthly figures on record.

Which firms are still buying?

Strategy still continues to lead the frontline, buying up to 44,377 BTC in March, and this is 94% of all monthly additions across the sector. These acquisitions were funded mainly through at-the-market sales of its STRC perpetual preferred shares and common stock. 

The company’s total holdings now stand at around 762,099 BTC, acquired for roughly $57.7 billion, and it holds a cash reserve of approximately $2.25 billion. Strategy’s latest weekly purchase of 1,031 BTC for $76.6 million suggested a moderation in pace after two consecutive billion-dollar weeks.

Japan’s Metaplanet raised 40.8 billion yen ($255 million) from global institutional investors in March through a share placement pairing new equity with fixed-strike warrants. This structure is said to have the potential to provide up to $531 million in total capital for more Bitcoin purchases. 

The company holds 35,102 BTC and is targeting a treasury of 210,000 BTC. American Bitcoin Corp (ABTC) added 961 BTC across three purchases in March and now holds 7,000 BTC, climbing to sixteenth place among corporate holders.

The crypto card with no spending limits. Get 3% cashback and instant mobile payments. Claim your Ether.fi card.

Earlier today, Liquity Protocol ruffled some feathers after publishing an announcement stating that Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, had acquired the project. The post made on its official X account quickly caught the eye of many, triggering market action among traders who missed the April Fool’s Day spirit of the post.

Within hours of the post going up, Liquity’s token recorded an approximately 11% spike according to CoinMarketCap, before dropping back to its usual activity once users realized the intent of the post.

Liquity saw a brief spike after its April Fool’s Day joke about Circle. Source: CoinMarketCap

Liquity makes a habit of trolling Circle

The recent attack on Circle follows a series of posts put up by Liquity to take subtle and sometimes, overt jabs at Circle and USDC. Its earlier posts include digs at the centralized stablecoin model and place Liquity’s system as a much better alternative due to its resilience.

Anyone who has noticed the theme might have raised an eyebrow at the announcement. However, the market manipulation risk is not non-existent either, despite the April 1 announcement seeming harmless at first glance. 

Authorities might not see the humor in it, though. Elon Musk is in court over his 2022 takeover of X, which used to be Twitter at the time. The prolific social media user chronicled his purchase of the platform, but some of those posts are now being recalled in class action lawsuits. 

Just one day earlier, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) extradited and indicted Gotbit executives over market manipulation charges.  

So, the logic of making a joke where the punchline is a takeover that ultimately led to a price “pump and dump” is definitely questionable, even though it is on brand with Liquity’s aggressiveness in proclaiming itself as a better alternative to Circle in the stablecoin space.

How did markets react to the Circle takeover news?

While most understood the joke, the accompanying rise to $0.2935 from $0.2713 says otherwise. The April 1 stunt triggered immediate price action, suggesting that attention, even when rooted in humor, can lead to short-term market action. 

Additionally, Liquity’s stunt and recent spike emphasize the trend in the crypto ecosystem, where viral posts, memes, and tweets are able to influence price action and control markets.

This further raises questions on how quickly markets react to headlines, regardless of how ambiguous or misleading they might be, all because of the fear of missing out (FOMO).

Liquity is back to trading at $0.2774 after almost touching $0.3 at the height of the Circle takeover bit. The token also saw a 165% spike in trading volume to almost $10.5 million, reflecting the action that followed the April Fool’s Day post. 

Still letting the bank keep the best part? Watch our free video on being your own bank.

Drift Protocol shows on-chain data of suspicious transactions of around $200M. The latest Web3 attack arrives after several slow weeks with smaller exploits. 

Solana on-chain data showed large-scale outflows from Drift Protocol, one of the leading decentralized exchanges on Solana. The losses spanned multiple tokens, for an estimated loss of over $200M. 

Solana influencer Mert Mumtaz noticed the exploit, calling for further research and possible cooperation in intercepting the assets. 

hello someone from circle reach out asap, seeing high likelihood of a potentially large exploit

— mert (@mert) April 1, 2026

Since Drift Protocol is a DEX, multiple assets may be affected. About an hour after the attack, Drift Protocol had lost nearly 50% of its liquidity, or around $270M. 

What caused the Drift Protocol loss? 

The exploit was intercepted within the first hour, showing a series of suspicious transactions. The latest transfer was for 10,000 SOL sent to a new wallet. Drift protocol confirmed the exploit, calling users not to deposit funds and to stop trading. The team did not explain how it would stop the attack, but for now, Phantom Wallet has stopped access to the protocol.  

We are observing unusual activity on the protocol. We are currently investigating. Please do not deposit funds into the protocol while we investigate. This is not an April Fools joke. Proceed with caution until further notice. We’ll provide additional updates from this account.

— Drift (@DriftProtocol) April 1, 2026

The losses came in a series of transactions originating from a single Drift Protocol account, potentially signaling that a user had full control of assets. The outgoing transactions included SOL, JitoSOL, WETH, FARTCOIN, USDC, SyrupUSDC, and other assets. Some of the stolen assets, like cbBTC, may be frozen by the issuer if intercepted on time before swapping. 

The attack was ongoing, constantly adding new assets supported by Drift, including JLP, over $2M in mSOL, INF, dSOL, and other tokens. The exploiter also took a little over 282 BTC and minted a new token to taunt Drift Protocol.

Some of the funds were sent to ChainFlip and swapped into USDC, a token that could hypothetically be frozen if Circle reacted on time. Some of the funds were sent to Ethereum wallets, potentially ready to be mixed and obscure their tracks. Funds are also moving to Raydium, Orca, Meteora, and other intermediary wallets.

Drift Protocol may be the biggest Web3 attack of this crypto cycle

The DEX hack is even bigger than the $60M exploit of Cetus Protocol in the summer of 2025. Cetus Protocol ended up losing over $223M. Before the exploit, Drift Protocol held over $550M in total value locked, becoming an attractive target for Web3 hackers. The protocol also carried nearly $70M in daily perpetual futures trading. 

The attack has the potential to become the most serious Web3 event in the past two years, surpassing other similar exploits. The exploit follows the usual practice of moving and swapping assets quickly, instead of leaving them in intermediary wallets. The exploiter was prepared eight days before the exploit, using multiple Web3 assets, including the Wormhole bridge. 

so, drift protocol vault was drained and I found some interesting things onchain:

drainer [ HkG…ZES ] was funded 8 days ago via near intents, but was inactive and suddenly received huge amounts from drift vault (a)

drainer transferred/swapped the amount to launderer [… pic.twitter.com/aheY3PHx3t

— aryan | 🐂 (@_0xaryan) April 1, 2026

The attack targeted Solana just as it emerged as the leading DEX destination for token trading and perpetual futures. The event also resolved a Polymarket pair predicting another large-scale crypto hack above $100M by the end of the year. 

After the hack, the protocol turned out to lack a Certik audit and to have some governance vulnerabilities. While the audit is not a guarantee, it may remove obvious exploit points. On-chain researchers noticed a test transaction a week before the true exploit, signaling the attacker was aware of the protocol’s weak points. 

Drift Protocol’s native DRIFT token fell by 10% in the first hours after the hack, down to $0.059. The attacker controls 2.5% of the FARTCOIN supply and may also crash the price of other assets. The wrapped BTC and ETH may also cause disparities with the main asset, affecting other protocols as well.

Despite the slower Web3 activity, protocols remain attractive for exploits, with multiple techniques, including supply chain attacks. In the initial stage of the exploit, the exact cause of the hack and the ability of the exploiter to empty multiple liquidity vaults remain without a clear explanation. 

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.

The Russian government is now seriously going after thousands of people and companies mining cryptocurrency without registration.

A bill bringing fines and prison sentences for the violators, or the majority of those currently involved in the industry, has just been filed in parliament.

The push to punish them comes as Russia returns to expanding a mining ban to cover another two regions where the activity is now fully prohibited.

Russia to prosecute illegal crypto miners under new law

The Russian government has submitted a draft law criminalizing illegal cryptocurrency mining to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.

The document amends Russia’s Criminal Code, adding an article that also targets the unauthorized provision of services by operators of mining infrastructure.

The penalties introduced with the new provisions come in the form of stiff fines of up to 2 million rubles (nearly $25,000) and prison sentences of up to five years, RBC reported.

If the financial damages caused exceed 13 million rubles, the responsible person would face a fine that can reach 2.5 million rubles, besides imprisonment and forced labor, Gazeta.ru added.

Even harsher penalties have been proposed for illegal mining operations carried out by an organized group, causing significant losses to individuals, other organizations, or the state, or generating large-scale income.

Mining was legalized and regulated in late 2024, and both companies and sole proprietors are free to mint coins as long as they register with the Federal Tax Service (FNS) and pay their taxes.

According to the agency, up to 50,000 individuals and legal entities are currently engaged in the crypto activity, but less than 1,500 have so far registered with it.

The mining legislation complements a package of bills designed to regulate digital currencies and rights in Russia, recently approved by the executive power in Moscow.

The draft laws legalize cryptocurrencies but prohibit any crypto transactions outside licensed intermediaries such as exchanges, brokers and depositories.

Both qualified and non-qualified investors will be allowed to buy the digital assets, but purchases will be capped at 300,000 rubles (less than $3,700) for the latter category.

Russian government bans mining in two Siberian regions

Russian authorities are again expanding a mining ban that’s already covering a number of territories from occupied Eastern Ukraine to the Far East.

Seasonal restrictions to save energy during the winter in two regions in Siberia, which expired in mid-March, have been replaced with a year-round ban.

Starting April 1, the minting of digital currencies in parts of the Republic of Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai has been prohibited for the next five years, until March 15, 2031, according to a decree issued by the federal government on March 18.

Mining is now fully banned in 13 Russian regions, including Buryatia and Transbaikal, the adjacent Irkutsk region, the Ukrainian oblasts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, as well as Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, and Chechnya in the Caucasus.

Meanwhile, the Energy Minister of Moscow Oblast Sergei Voropanov proposed banning cryptocurrency mining in the region and the Russian capital city.

Quoted by the TASS news agency, the official indicated that local authorities are ready to take “extreme measures” to reduce the load on the power distribution network.

“According to our estimates, about 1 GW is currently engaged in mining, half of which is in Moscow and the Oblast, which has no positive effect on the regional economy,” he said during an energy forum.

According to a recent report, Russia is in the world’s top three Bitcoin mining destinations, behind the United States and ahead of China, which together account for approximately 68% of the global hashrate.

The country offers the appropriate conditions for the industry, including abundant energy resources and cool climates in various corners of its vast territory.

However, Moscow’s decision to prioritize the use of computing power for artificial intelligence (AI) applications may repurpose many Russian data centers, threatening to undermine crypto mining.

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.

Hong Kong missed its own deadline. The city had promised to approve its first round of licensed stablecoin issuers by the end of March 2026, but that did not happen.

Months after a new law came into force, the official list of approved issuers is still blank.

On August 1, 2025, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, or HKMA, implemented the Stablecoin Ordinance. Senior authorities have since stated time and time again that the city will be prepared to issue the first batch of permits by March.

Eddie Yue, the head of the HKMA, stated as much in early February. In the 2026/27 Fiscal Budget, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po went one step further, stating that a “small number” of compliant issuers will receive their licenses that month, allowing the city to start testing stablecoin applications in the real world under controlled conditions.

An HKMA representative responded to a question about the hold-up, saying, “The Authority is actively taking forward the licensing matter and would announce further details in due course.”

There was no updated date provided.

Sandbox participants are still waiting

A number of well-known businesses were considered the most likely initial beneficiaries.

They all participated in the stablecoin sandbox program offered by the HKMA, which let them to test their business strategies in a safe environment.

JINGDONG Coinlink Technology Hong Kong Limited, RD InnoTech Limited, and a joint group consisting of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, Animoca Brands Limited, and Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) Limited were among the participants.

None of them has been given the all-clear.

Anyone applying for a license must meet strict conditions outlined by the HKMA. To ensure that their stablecoins are always fully supported, issuers must adhere to stringent regulations on capital reserves and redemption processes.

People close to the industry say the holdup seems to be administrative rather than a sign of deeper problems.

Jack Poon, a professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a member of the task force on promoting Hong Kong Web3 development, played down the significance of the delay.

“Likely, it is more administrative to ensure all the items are checked, or perhaps, the narrative of how the new issuer will position itself for the future,” he said.

Livio Weng, CEO of Bitfire, took a similar view. He said the pause reflects a deliberate choice to get things right before moving fast.

“Hong Kong’s approach to digital finance leadership has consistently been ‘strict first, flexible later.’ This careful compliance review ensures Hong Kong’s stablecoin ecosystem is built on a secure foundation from the start,” Weng said.

Bitfire CEO on Hong Kong’s “strict first” Stablecoin approach.
Source: @_BitfireGroup

Broader goals are seen as intact

The hold-up has real consequences. Without licensed HKD stablecoins, a key component of the city’s payment and cross-border settlement infrastructure remains missing.

Richard Portes, an economics professor at London Business School, said the caution is understandable.

He pointed out that the core danger with any stablecoin is the possibility of a sudden rush by holders to cash out, much like a bank run.

Despite the stumble, most observers believe Hong Kong’s broader goals remain on track.

Kenny Tang Sing-hing, chairman of the Hong Kong Institute of Financial Analysts and Professional Commentators, said the delay should not be read as a change in direction.

“Even if it is not announced in March, I believe the overall plan will not be affected,” Tang said. He added that the push is tied to policy priorities coming from Beijing.

The Hong Kong government says it wants to welcome new technology while maintaining financial system stability. Its guiding principle is that the same activity, carrying the same risk, should be subject to the same rules regardless of the technology involved.

Alongside the stablecoin work, the HKMA is also drawing up a licensing framework for digital asset dealers and custodian service providers.

For now, the market waits. Nobody knows when the first HKD stablecoin will actually go live.

Your keys, your card. Spend without giving up custody and earn 8%+ yield on your balance with Ether.fi Cash.

SpaceX has quietly filed for an IPO with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and it is targeting a June debut.

The listing could value the company at over $1.75 trillion, putting it on track to become the biggest IPO ever.

The company is planning a structure that gives insiders more control and may reserve up to 30% of shares for retail investors.

Despite an increasing number of investors discreetly shifting their funds into blockchain-based gold tokens, gold surged back above $4,700 on Wednesday as buyers returned to the market after a severe March selloff.

Spot gold changed hands at $4,719 per ounce on April 1, 2026, up about 1% on the day. Earlier in the session, prices touched $4,750 before pulling back slightly.

Wednesday marked the fourth straight day of gains, building on a sharp 3.5% jump the previous Tuesday, the biggest single-day rise since late January.

Gold surged past $4,700 on Wednesday
Source: Tradingeconomics

Following one of the worst periods for gold in recent memory, there has been a resurgence. The metal’s worst month since 2008 was March. On March 23, prices dropped from almost $5,100 to $4,100, a decrease of about 15% in just one month.

The Iranian crisis, the Federal Reserve’s refusal to relax monetary policy, and a wave of forced sales by investors who had taken out large loans to maintain their positions were the three factors that led to that collapse.

Now, some of those headwinds are easing. The US dollar has pulled back a little, giving it some breathing room.

Traders are also watching a packed week of economic data. If those figures show the job market is slowing down, the Fed may feel more pressure to cut interest rates.

Tokenized gold draws fresh attention

While conventional gold is making a comeback, another change is taking place.

Tokenized gold, a digital representation of gold ownership stored on a blockchain, is becoming more popular among investors.

Through 2026, this trend accelerated, particularly after tensions in the Middle East made it more difficult for some investors to swiftly purchase or sell it through regular channels.

Tokenized gold gives investors a claim on real, physical gold stored in professional vaults, but the ownership is tracked digitally.

The total market for these products has grown past $6 billion. Within the broader tokenized commodities market, which stood at around $7.4 billion as of March 2026, gold-backed tokens lead the way.

The two biggest are Tether Gold, known as XAUt, with a market size of $3.33 billion, and  PAXG, at $2.44 billion.

Proponents of these products highlight several distinct benefits over conventional choices. Unlike stock exchange items, which close on weekends and evenings, blockchain-based assets can be bought, sold, or transferred at any time of day or night.

Additionally, they provide investors with direct ownership of the metal rather than only a stake in a fund structure. Also, the high minimum required to purchase traditional gold bars is eliminated, as customers can buy fractions of an ounce.

Vincent Chok, Founder and CEO of First Digital, said investors are pushing for the kind of liquidity and flexibility that only tokenization can deliver. He also pointed to places like the UAE, where clearer rules on these products are expected to attract more large institutional players.

But not everyone is ready to embrace the concept without caution. Sergej Kunz, Co-founder of 1inch, warned that a tokenized gold product is only as trustworthy as the legal framework, the actual reserves, and the ability to redeem the metal behind it.

He said investors need to carefully check who is issuing the product and who is holding it.

Why Wall Street still sees gold going higher

As for where it goes from here, Wall Street’s biggest banks see more room to run. JPMorgan has set the most aggressive target, calling for $6,300, based on continued central bank buying and a future Fed rate cut.

Wells Fargo is in the same range, targeting $6,100 to $6,300, and recommends buying on price dips. UBS is slightly more measured at $5,600, while Goldman Sachs sits at $5,400, pointing to de-dollarization trends and expected rate cuts as the main drivers.

All four banks agree that purchases by central banks in China, India, Turkey, and Poland will remain a key force holding prices up.

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.

Crypto VC funding returned in March, suddenly spiking to levels not seen since 2022. In total, funding rounds exceeded $5.9B after several slow months. 

Crypto VC funding in March closed 107 rounds, totaling $5.95B. The breakout follows five months of relatively weaker investments since October 2025. 

Crypto VC funding picked up in March, returning to levels not seen since early 2022. | Source: Cryptorank

VC funding rounds often reflect market sentiment. This time around, the month of active deals coincides with broader market weakness. Despite this, the funding rounds indicate a return to building and supporting new projects. 

Coinbase Ventures leads crypto VC funding in March

Coinbase Ventures and Animoca Brands led the most funding rounds in March. Animoca Brands returned after a few months of lagging behind other funds. 

The top rounds for the month included ZODL, the rebranded Zashi wallet for the ZCash operating system, with $25M in funding. OpenFX, a stablecoin payment platform, raised $ 94 M in funding. 

As usual, the bulk of funding rounds were for seed-stage projects, but the larger share went to late-stage projects and undisclosed rounds.  

Most of the rounds were seed-stage, receiving $1M-$3M each, while the bulk of funding went to undisclosed late-stage rounds. | Source: Cryptorank

Most of the funding rounds focused on infrastructure projects, supporting DEX, centralized markets, DeFi, and chains. There are no new clear narratives, and no rush to AI projects, as funds return to building during the six-month bear market. Other analysts point out that VC funding is still active in Web3, as the sector re-evaluates its use cases. 

As Cryptopolitan reported, 2025 was one of the best years in VC funding despite the temporary setbacks. After a few slow months, the trend returned, propped up by several high-profile deals. 

One of the main reasons for the slower pace of VC funding is lower demand for tokens. New projects may launch with delayed tokenization or use other tools for return, such as stablecoin yield. 

Token sales slow down in March

Unlike big fund activity, retail token sales slowed down in March. Only $46M was raised through IDO sales across 37 rounds. 

The main reason is the loss of risk appetite for tokens, as launches would lead to immediate price weakness. Retail buyers on launchpads had low expectations that any of the tokens would survive. 

In March, Solana and Base were the main networks for IDO launches, with eight rounds each. The level of launchpad activity remains extremely low, especially after the slowdown of launches on BNB Chain. 

Binance Wallet and Mexc still had the highest return on IDO sales, while most other smaller platforms ended in the red. 

As with VC funding, IDO rounds also focused on infrastructure and general on-chain services, rather than big narratives with dramatic promises. Most rounds used the IDO model via launchpads, with fewer direct offers via exchanges.

There’s a middle ground between leaving money in the bank and rolling the dice in crypto. Start with this free video on decentralized finance.

Everything happening around AI right now is a lot to keep up with, so Cryptopolitan is pulling it all together in one place.

First up, Nvidia, now the biggest company in the world, is putting about $2 billion into chip maker Marvell to improve how data moves inside AI data centers. The focus is on silicon photonics, which means using light instead of electricity to move data faster and carry more of it at the same time.

Big tech companies are designing custom AI chips instead of relying only on Nvidia GPUs, and Marvell already works with companies like Amazon to create those chips.

Iran is once again listing major tech companies as targets and sets attack timeline

As that was happening, Iran’s IRGC named 18 tech companies as targets in its defense against the US and Israel’s war, and the list includes Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, and Google.

The warning came after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. The group said attacks would begin at 8 p.m. on April 1 in Tehran, which is 12:30 p.m. Eastern time. They also told employees at those companies to leave their workplaces to stay safe.

The list goes further. It includes Cisco, HP, Intel, Oracle, IBM, Dell, Palantir, JP Morgan, Tesla, GE, Spire Solutions, Boeing, and UAE-based AI company G42.

This follows earlier strikes on AWS data centers in the Middle East. Those strikes caused outages in apps and digital services in the United Arab Emirates.

At the same time, U.S. tech firms have been investing heavily in the region. The Middle East offers cheap energy and land, which makes it attractive for AI infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Trump is on Truth Social saying, “Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”

Zhipu jumps on earnings while Oracle cuts jobs and Anthropic faces code leak

Chinese AI company Zhipu saw its stock jump sharply. Shares rose as much as 35% before closing 31.94% higher.

Zhipu listed in Hong Kong in January and raised $558 million in its IPO. It is one of the first pure-play AI model companies to go public.

The company reported revenue of about 724 million yuan for 2025. That is a 132% increase from the previous year. Still, it missed expectations of 760 million yuan.

Losses increased. Net adjusted loss reached 3.18 billion yuan, up 29.1%, driven by higher spending on research and development.

In the U.S., Oracle is dealing with a 25% drop in its stock price this year, thanks to spending heavily on AI infrastructure.

Oracle had 162,000 employees as of May 2025, and has not made a public statement about the cuts.

Oracle also reported that its remaining performance obligations rose 359% to $455 billion. This followed a deal with OpenAI worth over $300 billion.

After that, Oracle named Mike Sicilia and Clay Magouyrk to replace Safra Catz as CEO.

Meanwhile, Anthropic confirmed that part of its Claude Code source code was exposed.

The company said, “No sensitive customer data or credentials were involved or exposed. This was a release packaging issue caused by human error, not a security breach. We’re rolling out measures to prevent this from happening again.”

The leak still matters. It gives developers and competitors insight into how the tool works. A post sharing the code link reached over 21 million views on X after being posted early Tuesday.

Earlier, documents about an upcoming AI model were found in a public data cache, according to a report by Fortune.

Still letting the bank keep the best part? Watch our free video on being your own bank.

Crypto whales and large funds have split on their oil predictions. As Brent oil hovered around $102, crypto traders used their 24/7 market to place bets on a directional move. 

Crypto whales moved into oil in March, as commodities became one of the hottest markets on Hyperliquid. Arkham identified several large-scale wallets, setting up two major camps with long and short positions on oil. 

Those positions may reflect short-term sentiment or the possibility of the market reacting to immediate news about supply shocks or the normalization of deliveries. Hyperliquid allows traders to benefit even from those short-term price moves. 

Which crypto whales are going long on oil? 

Cumberland, one of the long-running crypto market makers, has built a $15.56M Brent long position and a $12.5M long on the WTI contract on Trade[.]XYZ. 

Rune Christensen has longed Brent for $6.65M, with $1M for WTI. Flow Traders hold a $3M long position on WTI, and Cookerflips has opened a $1.9M long position on WTI. 

In total, Brent open interest is over $475M, with $323M for the WTI CL contract. For the past two weeks, the contracts have taken up the lead in terms of open interest on HIP-3. Commodities have slowed down their trading activity in the past few days from the peak on March 23, with $4.5B in volumes, but the market remains responsive to changing oil supply conditions. 

Which whales are shorting oil?

As Cryptopolitan reported earlier, Abraxas Capital built one of the biggest short positions on both Brent and WTI oil in the past week. Abraxas Capital retained $130M in open positions, shorting the two most active contracts. 

The second-biggest position belongs to CBB0FE, with $14.7M short on Brent and $12.8M on WTI. Yixie has a $5M short position on WTI, and Locarle shorted Brent for $4.86M.

Overall, HIP-3 makes 22.8% of Hyperliquid activity, down from a recent spike to 47.7%. HIP-3 is no longer growing exponentially after the initial hype, but remains a key arena of directional bets.

For now, the bets on an oil downturn are the more active positions, potentially expecting a resolution of the Strait of Hormuz situation.

The Brent and WTI markets rallied recently, and have not caught up with the cumulative volumes of silver and gold. To date, silver is the most successful HIP-3 contract, with over $39B in cumulative trades. 

Gold comes in second with $27.9B. WTI oil recently broke above $16B, after becoming the first contract to rally. Brent has so far traded $6B on HIP-3, as traders switched to the benchmark oil brand only in the past week or two. The presence of some of the biggest crypto funds and market makers shows HIP-3 had a lasting effect on the market, with the potential for copy-trading and compensating for the slower token trading. 

The crypto card with no spending limits. Get 3% cashback and instant mobile payments. Claim your Ether.fi card.

Krievija jau vairākas nedēļas mēģina ierobežot piekļuvi Telegram, un valsts kriptovalūtu kopiena cīnās, lai atrastu cienīgu aizstājēju.

Pēc sākotnējā palēninājuma mēģinājumi bloķēt ziņojumapmaiņas lietotni sākās pirms ziņotā 1. aprīļa termiņa, lai ziņojumapmaiņas lietotne atbilstu Maskavas prasībām.

Telegram lietotāji Krievijā ziņo par problēmām ar pakalpojumu

Krievijas varas iestādes jau mēnešiem pievērš pastiprinātu spiedienu uz Telegram, pamatojoties uz to, ka ziņojumapmaiņas lietotne neievēro vietējos noteikumus, īpaši attiecībā uz saturu, kas valstī ir aizliegts.

The Dogecoin network has seen increased engagement in recent days, though that activity has yet to translate into market gains. Activity has risen by 28% following reports of a potential SpaceX IPO, though the market has yet to see a breakout.

According to market analyst Ali Martinez, Dogecoin active addresses rose from 57,000 to 73,000. Normally, an increase in users often signals wider adoption, though part of that activity may come from users relocating assets or trying out different features. Moreover, more active addresses indicate that wallets are engaging more with Dogecoin and occasionally building positions, a factor that, overall, improves sentiment.

Market data shows Dogecoin’s current price movements are forming a descending triangle

Martinez showed that Dogecoin’s trading range is consistently shrinking toward a focal point, with an anticipated move of 29% once the current trendline breaks. Most market commentary has largely resonated with this view. Usually, descending triangles tend to favor a more downside move; not all patterns follow through. In this case, DOGE remains above key support as traders await a clear signal.

At the moment, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is 34, close to the typical threshold that triggers so-called ‘oversold’ alerts by technical analysts. But the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is also losing momentum, hinting that selling pressure might be decreasing.

Increased active addresses have in the past been in connection with accumulation cycles. If the network’s engagement continues to rise and prices remain low, then the analysts will likely classify the period as an accumulation phase rather than an inertia phase.

Currently, Dogecoin remains range-bound between $0.089 and $0.091, with a primary resistance target at $0.10. If it can rise above $0.10, analysts suggest it may soon surpass targets at $0.105 and $0.12.

SpaceX is reportedly pursuing an IPO to raise $75 billion

SpaceX plans to raise $75 billion in an IPO to boost its valuation. According to sources close to the matter, SpaceX could raise more than 20% of its IPO shares from retail investors and possibly set a new record for the largest market cap on record if the firm gets the $75 billion.

Moreover, the entity would go to market with unit-class equity for filing purposes, so SpaceX could retain most of its insiders, including Elon Musk, as the majority shareholders.

In response to the reports, some analysts believe it’s highly likely that the company is still aiming for a June listing. Earlier in March, CEO Elon Musk had also stated the firm is pursuing a valuation of $1.75 trillion.

Meanwhile, there had been earlier speculation that SpaceX might merge with Tesla Inc. However, some have argued that integrating SpaceX into Tesla would likely inflate the share count, ultimately reducing the value of current holdings for EV investors.

Still, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives recently reiterated his forecast that the two companies will merge in 2027. According to him, the foundation for a combined company is currently being established as the business links between the firms grow stronger.

He attributed his prediction to the latest announcement of a joint Terafab facility in Austin, Texas. Two state-of-the-art chip factories would be built at the site—one for Tesla’s vehicle and robot AI, the other for SpaceX’s space data center initiatives. Terafab, Ives noted, marks the first move toward fully merging operations between the firms.

Your bank is using your money. You’re getting the scraps. Watch our free video on becoming your own bank

Tether has taken a significant step in its U.S. expansion strategy, announcing that its regulated stablecoin, USAT, is moving beyond the Ethereum mainnet to the Celo blockchain.

This marks its first multi-chain deployment and signals new monetization opportunities for investors. Tether is using Google Cloud and Self to give users greater access. According to its official press release, Tether says USAT follows trusted accounting standards and adheres to the regulations in the GENIUS Act.

Tether puts its USAT stablecoin on Celo so more people can use it

Tether wants to ensure millions of people can access USAT through Celo as the network works smoothly on mobile devices, has over 4.2 million active weekly users, and partners with major services like Opera MiniPay, which has 14 million users.

According to the company’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino, partnering with Celo will give people access to “trusted, programmable money” that works in real-world situations.

Ardoino said, “This is how we continue to extend access to trusted, programmable money at a global scale. What matters now is ensuring these systems are accessible in the environments where people are already transacting every day.”

With USAT now on Celo, people can use stablecoins in everyday transactions beyond trading or holding tokens online through their phones.

Celo governance manages the Celo network and will allow people to use USAT as a gas currency, making transactions simpler, cheaper, and faster by allowing them to pay transaction fees with the same stablecoins they use for transfers.

Similarly, early investors will benefit from the network’s growth, as revenue streams from fees and network activity will increase as more people use USAT for everyday trading and transactions grow. 

Tether is using this opportunity not only to expand its technology on Celo’s mobile-friendly network, but also to connect the USAT stablecoin to a growing number of users ready to adopt it. 

Google Cloud gives users access to USAT and creates new revenue streams for investors

Tether will use a mainnet faucet, a system supported by Google Cloud and Self, that allows users to receive stablecoin directly into their digital wallets. The system is fast, simple, and uses a proof-of-humanity mechanism to protect users’ privacy while ensuring only real people can obtain the tokens.

The mainnet faucet also plays a significant role in creating new revenue opportunities for investors by making USAT easier and safer to access, thereby increasing transaction volume and fees paid.

Similarly, the faucet focuses on privacy to ensure users receive USAT directly in their wallets without sharing personal data, thereby increasing adoption, as many people had previously avoided digital assets due to data safety concerns.

The system also complies with the regulations under the GENIUS Act to make USAT more trustworthy for everyday users and investors.

According to Celo co-founder Rene Reinsberg, the launch of USAT on Celo is “a powerful validation of the infrastructure we’ve spent years building.”

He said the launch combines the rules for a regulated stablecoin, Google Cloud’s technical support, and Self’s identity verification system to make USAT ready for large-scale adoption and real-world financial activity.

Furthermore, USAT has strong financial backing, as the professional auditing firm Deloitte verified that Tether had $17.6 million in cash and U.S. Treasury bills to support $17.5 million in tokens as of January 31.

Investors expect to generate substantial revenue from transactions, as Layer-2 networks like Celo can process more transactions faster and more cheaply than main networks. Similarly, Celo has access to Opera MiniPay’s 14 million users already familiar with digital wallets and stablecoins, so investors can expect USAT adoption to continue to rise.

Tether also announced the launch during a time when stablecoin adoption is at its peak, as analysts expect the total market for these digital assets to reach $2 trillion by 2028. The company wants to capture a large share of this growing market by adding USAT to a fast, mobile-first network with privacy and compliance features.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.

Solana broke a new milestone, with a total of $2B in tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). For the past year, the chain saw near 10X growth of asset tokenization, mostly of equities. 

Solana retained its spot as one of the emerging networks for asset tokenization. Despite the bear market, RWAs tokenization kept setting new records on Solana, recently breaking above the $2B mark. 

Solana tokenized equities rose above $2B for the first time, with a significant share of individual stock trading. | Source: RWA.xyz.

The network carries a total of 1,831 tokenized assets, with around 177K wallet holders. Tokenized assets reached $3.25B in monthly turnover, mostly driven by equities trading. 

Peak RWAs tokenization also coincides with a new peak of Solana holders, at over 166.3M holders, based on TokenTerminal data.

Solana has a significant share of the total $16B active market cap of RWA tokens. Ethereum carries around $10B, and BNB Chain is also ahead with $3.62B.

Which are the most active RWAs on Solana?

Excluding stablecoins, Solana RWAs are split into two main categories. One is tokenized bonds, including BlackRock Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund. As of March 2026, this is the biggest source of value on Solana’s RWAs market. 

Ondo US Dollar Yield is another low-volatility tokenized tool on Solana, based on traditional finance. Other tokenized assets include specialized stablecoins used in DeFi.

The third biggest category is individual tokenized equities, already widely traded on Solana exchanges. The equities are mostly linked to XStocks, which turned into the main Solana tokenization standard. XStocks reflect demand for equities trading outside the USA. 

For now, RWA holders on Solana are lagging behind other assets, but show that Solana managed to react quickly and build an equity market. Solana also helps global traders access the Magnificent 7 stocks, AAPL, MSFT, GOOGL, AMZN, NVDA, META, and TSLA, which are among the most active. For now, tokenized equities trading is still growing, with around $10M in daily volumes for TSLA, easily surpassed by legacy crypto tokens. The robust growth in the past year, however, may shift the appeal of on-chain stock trading. 

As Cryptopolitan reported, crypto traders showed their adaptability, switching to oil during a stagnant period for digital assets. Solana equities may absorb more of the demand if the crypto market retains its low sentiment. 

RWA tokenization consolidates around securities and equities

RWA tokenization expanded in 2025 after gaining more clarity on the most successful types of tokenized assets. 

Currently, securities or bonds are the best-performing class, due to the volatility of other markets. RWAs expanded the demand for yield-bearing assets, where traders could park their peak stablecoin holdings. 

RWA tokenized assets had a varied performance, with securities emerging as the safest asset class, while stocks remained riskier. Exotic RWA use cases underperformed. | Source: RWA.io.

More exotic RWA classes have the biggest losses, in addition to low activity. Agriculture, commercial real estate, carbon credits, and private loans have incurred losses. Tokenized equities, while in-demand for trading, are also a riskier asset class.

The crypto card with no spending limits. Get 3% cashback and instant mobile payments. Claim your Ether.fi card.

Sam Altman just outdid Elon Musk yet again as retail investors just stepped into OpenAI’s latest funding round and helped push it to a massive $852 billion valuation after the company secured $122 billion in committed capital on Tuesday.

In a press release, OpenAI confirmed the round closed with strong backing from major partners, as Amazon, NVIDIA, and SoftBank anchored the deal, while Microsoft stayed involved as a long-term partner.

SoftBank worked alongside a16z, D. E. Shaw Ventures, MGX, TPG, and funds advised by T. Rowe Price. A long list of firms joined, including BlackRock, Blackstone, Sequoia, Temasek, Fidelity, Coatue, Dragoneer, and ARK Invest.

For the first time, OpenAI allowed access through bank channels and raised more than $3 billion directly from individual investors.

OpenAI is bringing in global capital and pushing revenue growth at record speed

Meanwhile, OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform allegedly has more than 900 million weekly users and over 50 million paying subscribers.

The company said it generated $1 billion in revenue within one year of launching ChatGPT. By the end of 2024, that number reached $1 billion per quarter. It now reports $2 billion in revenue every month. Growth is running at a rate four times faster than early growth seen at Alphabet and Meta.

ChatGPT leads consumer AI by a wide margin. It records six times more web visits and mobile sessions than the next largest AI app. Total time spent on the platform is four times higher than any competitor and also four times higher than all other AI apps combined.

Search usage has nearly tripled over the past year. The company’s ads pilot reached more than $100 million in annual revenue in less than six weeks.

Enterprise usage is also rising. Business customers now account for more than 40 percent of total revenue. OpenAI expects enterprise revenue to match consumer revenue by 2026. APIs process more than 15 billion tokens every minute.

Codex has over 2 million weekly users after growing five times in three months, with usage increasing more than 70 percent month over month.

OpenAI also expanded its revolving credit facility to about $4.7 billion. The facility is backed by JPMorgan Chase, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, UBS, HSBC, Santander, and other banks. The company has not drawn from it.

OpenAI says it continues to rely heavily on NVIDIA for training and inference, while also working across Microsoft, Oracle, AWS, CoreWeave, and Google Cloud for broader deployment.

The company is also using multiple chip systems including NVIDIA, AMD, AWS Trainium, Cerebras, and custom silicon developed with Broadcom.

Sam said OpenAI’s compute supports every layer of its system, including research, models, products, and revenue generation, while also claiming that improvements in hardware and algorithms are reducing the cost of delivering intelligence while increasing model capability.

The company is now working on a unified AI system that combines ChatGPT, Codex, browsing, and agent tools into one platform. OpenAI said this approach connects consumer usage with enterprise adoption and allows faster product updates across the system.

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.

Elons Musks otrdien nāca klajā un noraidīja runas, ka SpaceX plāno atstāt Vlad Tenev Robinhood un Tony Noto SoFi ārpus tās IPO.

Atspēkošana notika pēc tam, kad muļķīgā naudas kopiena sāka bombardēt Elonu X, domājot, ka viņi tiek izslēgti no lielākā Wall Street debija, jo Robinhood ir lielākā tirdzniecības lietotne šiem nerds.

Šī bailes pieauga pēc tam, kad Cryptopolitan ziņoja, ka Morgan Stanley E*Trade bija sarunās par SpaceX akciju pārdošanu maziem ASV investoriem, kamēr visiem mazumtirdzniecības investoriem tika solīti 30% no SpaceX, kas ir daudz augstāk nekā parastais 5% līdz 10% diapazons, kas redzams lielākajā daļā IPO.

Investor interest continues to grow as Ripple partners with Convera to expand its global payments network, and the XRP price holds around $1.34. According to Ripple’s announcement, the partnership with Convera will help businesses send money across countries using stablecoins and blockchain payments.

Ripple will integrate its blockchain settlement rails with Convera’s established foreign exchange and payment network. The goal is to offer faster, more reliable transfers for corporate treasury and payment flows, combining Convera’s traditional fiat‑based payments expertise with Ripple’s digital liquidity and programmable settlement layer.

According to official statements, the collaboration will use a “stablecoin settlement sandwich” model that is more swift.

Ripple builds a global payments system using stablecoins and blockchain

Ripple is building a full payments system on a single platform to help businesses collect, hold, and exchange money without relying on third-party vendors or experiencing delays.

The platform includes multiple features, such as managed custody, virtual accounts, and liquidity management, to help businesses move money at the right time, in the right currency, and to the right place.

Ripple already has a strong presence in the financial world, with live operations in over 60 major markets, more than 75 global licenses, and a New York Trust Company Charter. Furthermore, the payment system has already processed over 95 billion dollars in payment volume.

Similarly, many companies and financial institutions use Ripple’s system, including AMINA Bank who uses it to send cross-border payouts from Brazil. Other companies, such as AltPayNet from the Philippines, CambioReal, Corpay, MassPay, and Alfred, use the system to improve payments and cross-border transfers from their countries. 

Because of this system, the transaction volume for stablecoins reached about 33 trillion dollars last year. This explosive growth has prompted governments to create regulations focused on reserve assets, liquidity, consumer protection, anti-money laundering controls, and financial stability, so companies feel more confident using stablecoins for payments.

Convera uses Ripple technology to move business payments faster across borders

People are closely monitoring the partnership between Convera and Ripple because Convera also has a strong global presence, operating in over 200 countries, supporting more than 140, and serving over 26,000 business customers.

Each company brings a lot to the table to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper, and more reliable. Convera brings customers, the payment network, and experience, while Ripple brings technology and stablecoin settlement.

The partnership introduces a “stablecoin sandwich” model where a transaction/payment begins in fiat currency like dollars, euros, or other traditional money, then payment settles using stablecoins, and ends in fiat currency. 

Businesses have shown increased interest in this system because traditional cross-border payments are more expensive and require companies to hold money in foreign bank accounts before transactions. But with this new system, Businesses don’t need to hold stablecoin, hence the stablecoin sandwich” model. 

The partnership between Ripple and Convera is part of a broader industry trend in which major companies are investing heavily in stablecoins. For instance, Visa expanded stablecoin settlement options for banks, while Mastercard acquired stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK.

Stablecoins are quickly moving into mainstream finance as Banks, fintech companies, and payment firms roll out blockchain settlement for their customers. 

Elsewhere, investors are becoming more confident in XRP as its price remains around $1.34. The partnership sparked widespread social media reaction, with many posts showing bullish sentiment toward XRP. Most of the focus remains on the cross-border payments use case.

Some even believe stablecoins will first succeed in cross-border payments before succeeding in point-of-sale payments, while others think stablecoin payments at stores and payment terminals could be the next step.

These reactions show just how closely crypto communities are monitoring the new infrastructure partnership between Ripple and Convera, as enterprise adoption shows real companies using the system and increases trust in XRP.

Still letting the bank keep the best part? Watch our free video on being your own bank.