Metaplanet's strategic Bitcoin accumulation and capital-raising efforts could significantly influence its market position and investor confidence.

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The whale's shift from Bitcoin to Ethereum may signal changing market dynamics, potentially influencing investor strategies and crypto valuations.

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HKU's move to accept Bitcoin for tuition could accelerate digital currency adoption in education, enhancing Hong Kong's virtual asset hub status.

The post Hong Kong University’s business school considers accepting Bitcoin for tuition and donations appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Reddit's shift in royalties to artists may enhance creator incentives but could limit platform-driven NFT innovation and community growth.

The post Reddit sunsets Collectible Avatar Creator Program and shifts royalties to artists appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

El Salvador's move highlights growing concerns over quantum computing's potential to disrupt cryptographic security in financial systems.

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Bitcoin Magazine

At Bitcoin Asia Everything Was Upside Down

The suits are here, and Bitcoiners are the new hype in financial markets.

That’s been the story for most of this year, culminating spectacularly in the bitcoin price plunge during Bitcoin Asia 2025. Bitcoin, the most vocal vote-of-no-confidence in the permissioned fiat monetary system is now rushing headfirst back into traditional finance.

Cypherpunks, morphed into suitcoiners, have found their ultimate expression as stonkcoiners.

The rebellious teenagers repented their sins. The lost son has returned — in glamorous, greedy glory.

We, the nerdy outsiders who were once dead-set on building a new and improved world have become cheerleaders for regulated, permissioned securities — neatly levered up and financially engineered for maximum bitcoin-per-share. The laws of financial gravity rudely shoved aside, even the staunchest rebellious hacker has given up most of their principles now that Wall Street is paying $2, $3, or $5 for a dollar of bitcoin.

And at Bitcoin Asia in Hong Kong, everything else was upside-down, too. The crowd came out, not for the self-custody or cypherpunk-y Bitcoin talks, but for the political hotshots and financial engineers. (The word “sycophants” comes to mind.)  

The balance sheet is becoming the P&L, said Alexandre Laizet, CEO of Europe’s largest treasury company on stage. He wasn’t merely saying that treasury companies are now banks, using their balance sheets to eke out profits; he meant that the only thing that matters to bitcoin treasury companies is the balance sheet itself. Profits are of no consequence when you’ve got bitcoin-per-infinitely printable share.

“This is what you should do as a rational player in the market.”

Some 200 companies, with Strategy and Metaplanet (the main sponsor for Bitcoin Asia) as the most vocal poster boys for the movement, are vacuuming capital markets for cheap fiat to plunge into bitcoin. Everyone is hitting records everywhere — of audiences and viewers, of attendees and sales. Everyone who’s been around Bitcoinland feels the energy, the building, the never-ending factory floor of shipping and building. It’s never been easier to grasp Bitcoin and we’ve never had as many people here…

…yet the price keeps meandering its way down from a hyped $125,000 to the $118,204 entry point for Nakamoto’s 679-million-dollar purchase to $111,000-ish around conference time, before plunging to a low of below $108,000 — in direct tandem with the bullish speakers on stage.

The drone show on Thursday, lighting up the Hong Kong evening with awesome Bitcoin graphics in the sky, couldn’t have been more symbolic for how everything is upside down. Displaying a powerful 21-divided-by-infinity sign that made absolutely no sense, it was a directly inverted version of Knut Svanholm‘s famous everything-divided-by-21-million claim:

All 20,000-odd of us in attendance need urgent bitcoin price therapy after days on end watching bullish proclamations on the Nakamoto Stage disproven and undermined by the large-font price chart behind them.

From the Nakamoto Stage in Hong Kong, David Bailey sat confidently and celebratory, applauding our great efforts and successes as Bitcoiners — while the audience stared at the large, SALT-sponsored bitcoin price on the screen behind him continually plunging downward, eradicating an ungodly amount of wealth with each downward flick.

The dissonance couldn’t have been greater between the bullish words said on stage, the impressive and plausible-sounding gospel from the dozen or so treasury companies present, and the harsh reality of an ever-decreasing price.

It’s almost like the more David Bailey et al. talk and pump their bitcoin-acquisition vehicle stocks, the worse our market becomes and the lower the price goes.

Maybe Mr. Bailey just has much bigger cojones than me, or a YOLO recklessness far surpassing anything humanity has ever seen, but had I just burned some $60 million of investor money with nothing to show for it, I’d be more humble and skittish, downtrodden and skeptic.

Price is in the pudding, and it’s really not that nice a cake.

It’s symbolic, too, that here in Hong Kong, 2025 is the year of the snake — and we get the cypherpunks’ crowning achievement slithering its way across financialized treasury companies, eating their own tails in the process.

We’re out here on the latest stop of the Bitcoin festival tour, astonished to see how all that was once sacred has been profaned: Everything is upside down.

This is Joakim Book, reporting from a world that no longer makes sense.

This post At Bitcoin Asia Everything Was Upside Down first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Joakim Book.

Bitcoin Magazine

Google’s Android Lockdown: Are You Really in Control of Your Phone?

Android, Google’s mobile operating system, announced on August 25 that it will be requiring all app developers to verify their identity with the organization before their apps can run on “certified android devices.”

While this might sound like a common-sense policy by Google, this new standard is not just going to be applied to apps downloaded from Google Play store, but all apps, even those “side-loaded” — installed directly into devices by side-stepping the Google Play store. Apps of the sort can be found online in Github repositories or on project websites and installed on Android devices directly by downloading the installation files (known as APKs). 

What this means is that, if there is an application that Google does not like, be it because it does not conform to its policies, politics or economic incentives, they can simply keep you from running that application on your own device. They are locking down Android devices from running applications not with their purview. The ask? All developers, whether submitting their apps through the Play store or not, need to give their personal information to Google. 

The decision begs the question, if you can not run whatever app you want on your device without the permission of Google, then is it really your device? How would you respond if Windows decided you could only install programs from the Microsoft app store?

The move has of course made news in tech and cybersecurity media and caused quite a stir as it has profound consequences for the free and open web. For years, Android has been touted as an open source operating system, and through this strategy has gained massive distribution throughout the world with users in developing countries where Apple’s “walled garden” model and luxury devices are not affordable.

This new policy will tighten up controls over applications and its developers, and threatens the freedom to run whatever software you like on your own device in a very subversive and legalistic way. Because of Google’s influence over the Android variety of phones, the consequences of this policy are likely to be felt by the majority of users and devices, throughout the world.

Android justifies the policy change with concerns about the cybersecurity of their users. Malicious apps side-loaded into devices have led to “over 50 times more malware,” Android claims in their announcement blog. As a measure of “accountability,” and with the council of various governments throughout the world, Android has decided to take a “balanced approach,” and the language couldn’t be more Orwellian. 

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety” – Benjamin Franklin

Put in simpler terms, Google is looking to collect the personal information of software developers, centralizing it in its data centers alongside that of all of its users, in order to “protect” users from hackers that Google can’t seem to stop today in the first place.

After all, if Google and Android could actually keep personal user data secure in the first place, this would not be a problem, right?

Google’s solution to user data leaks is to collect more user data, ironically enough, in this case the data of developers who use the Android platform. A remarkable leap of logic, lazy and fundamentally decadent, a sign that they’ve lost their edge and arguably truly forgotten their now scrubbed “don’t be evil” motto.

Information Wants To Be Free

The reality is that Google finds itself trapped by a dilemma set up by the nature of information and the digital age, to quote the 90s cypherpunk Steward Brand, “information almost wants to be free.”

Every hop that personal data — like your name, face, home address or social security number — makes throughout the internet is an opportunity for it to get copied and leaked. As your information moves from your phone, to a server in your city to another server in a Google datacenter, every hop increases the likelihood that your data gets hacked and ends up on the dark web for sale. A thorny problem when user data is the primary business model of a giant like Google who processes it and sells it to advertisers who, in turn, create targeted ads. 

We can measure the truth of Brand’s information principle by looking at two fascinating statistics, which not too many people seem to talk about, oddly enough. The first is the absurd amount of data hacks that have taken place in the last 20 years. For example, the Equifax Data Breach in 2017 affected 147 million Americans, and the National Public Data Breach of 2024 affected over 200 million Americans, leading to leaked data that included social security numbers, likely ending up for sale on the dark web.

While legendary hacks like that of the Office of Personal Management of the U.S. government, compromised a large number of the U.S. Government officials at the time, including everything from social security numbers to medical records.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that a majority of Americans have had their data hacked and leaked already, and there’s no easy way to reverse that. How does one change their face, medical history or social security number after all?

The second statistic, which no one seems to connect to the first, is the rise of identity theft and fraud in the United States. Did you know that in 2012, 24 billion dollars’ worth of identity theft were reported? Twice as much as all other forms of theft combined that same year. Business Insider reported at the time from Bureau of Justice statistics that “identity theft cost Americans $24.7 billion in 2012, losses for household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft totaled just $14 billion.” Eight years later that number doubled, costing Americans $56 billion in losses in 2020. Both of these trends continue to grow to this day. It may indeed already be too late for the old identity system, which we still rely so heavily on. 

Generative AI adds fuel to the fire, in some cases trained on leaked user data with examples of image models able to create high-quality images of humans holding fake IDs. As AI continues to improve, it is increasingly capable of fooling humans into thinking they are talking to another human as well, rather than a robot, creating new attack vectors for identity fraud and theft.

Nevertheless, Google insists that if we just collect a bit more personal user data, maybe then the problem will just go away. Convenient for a corporation whose main business model is the collection and sale of such data. Has any other corporation done more damage to civilian privacy than Google, by the way? (Facebook, I suppose.) 

In Cryptography We Trust

To be fair to the 2000s Web2 tech giants, the problem of secure identity in the digital age is not easy to solve. The legal structures of our societies around identity were created long before the internet emerged and moved all that data to the cloud. The only real solution to this problem now is actually cryptography, and its application to the trust that humans build in their relationships in the real world, over time.

The 90s cypherpunks understood this, which is why they invented two important technologies, PGP and webs of trust. 

PGP

PGP invented in 1991 by Phil Zimmermann, pioneered the use of asymmetric cryptography to solve this fundamental problem of protecting user data privacy while also enabling secure user authentication, identification and secure communication.

How? It’s simple, actually, by using cryptography in a similar way as Bitcoin does today to secure over a trillion dollars of value. You have a secure “password” and keep it as secret as possible, you don’t share it with anybody, and your apps use it carefully to unlock services but the password never leaves your phone. We can do this, it works, there’s even custom-made hardware to lock down precisely this kind of information. The person or company you want to connect with also creates a secure “password,” and with that password we each generate a public address or digital pseudonymous ID. 

The company encrypts a message with their password and your public address and sends you a message. Well, thanks to the magic of cryptography, you can decrypt that message with your password and the company’s public address. That is all we need to secure the web. These public IDs do not have to reveal any information about you and you could have one for every brand or identity you have online. 

Webs Of Trust

But there is also the question of reputation: How do you know that the company you are trying to connect with is who they claim to be? In cybersecurity, this is called a man-in-the-middle attack, where a malicious third party impersonates who you actually wish to connect to. 

The way cypherpunks solved this problem in the 90s was by developing the concept of webs of trust, through real-world ceremonies called “signing parties.”

When we meet in person, we decide that we trust each other or affirm that we already know and trust each other enough to co-sign each other’s public IDs. We give each other a cryptographic vote of confidence — so to speak —  weighed by our brand or publicly known nym. This is similar to giving a follow to someone on a public forum like Twitter; it is the PGP equivalent to saying “I’ve met Bob, I recognize XYZ as his public ID, and I vouch that he is real.”

While this sounds tedious, antiquated and like it would never scale to the whole world, technology has advanced a great deal since the 90s; in fact this fundamental logic is how the internet is sort of secured today.

Remember that green lock that used to be displayed on every website? That was a PGP-like cryptographic handshake between your computer and the website you were visiting, signed off by some certificate authority or third party out on the internet. Those certificate authorities became centralized custodians of public trust and like many other institutions today probably need to be decentralized.

The same logic can be applied to the verification and authentication of APKs, by scaling up webs of trust. In fact, in the open source world, software hashed into a unique ID derived from the data of the software, and that hash is signed by developer PGP keys to this day. The software hashes, PGP public IDs and signatures are all published alongside software for people to review and verify. 

However if you don’t know whether the PGP public ID is authentic, then the signature is not useful, since it could have been created by an impersonator online. As users we need a link that authenticates that public ID belongs to the real-world developer of the app.

The good news is that this problem can probably be solved without having to create a global surveillance state giving all our data to the Googles of the world. 

For example, if I wanted to download an app from a developer in Eastern Europe, I likely won’t know him or be able to verify this public ID, but perhaps I know someone who vouched for someone who knows this developer. While I may be three or four hops away from this person, the likelihood that they are real suddenly goes up a lot. Faking three or four hops of connection in a web of trust is very expensive for mercenary hackers looking to score a quick win. 

Unfortunately, these technologies have not been adopted widely, beyond the high-tech paranoid world,  nor gotten as much funding as the data mining business model of most of the web. 

Modern Solutions

Some modern software projects recognize this logic and are working to solve the problems at hand, making it easy for users to leverage and scale cryptographic webs of trust. Zapstore.dev, for example, is building an alternative app store secured by cryptographic webs of trust using Bitcoin-compatible cryptography, the project is funded by OpenSats, a nonprofit that funds open source, Bitcoin-related software development.

Graphene, an Android operating system fork that’s become popular among cybersecurity enthusiasts, has also implemented an alternative app store that addresses many of these issues without having to DOX app developers, and serves as a high-security operating system, looking to solve many of the privacy and security issues in Android today.

Far-fetched as it may seem, cryptographic authentication of communication channels and digital identities is the only thing that can protect us from personal data hacks. Entropy and the security created from randomness via cryptography are the only things AI cannot fake. That same cryptography can help us authenticate ourselves in the digital age without having to share our personal data with every intermediary out there, if we use it right.

Whether this new policy by Android is sustained, or whether enough public outcry can stop it and better solutions do get popularized and adopted remains to be seen, but the truth of the matter is clear. There is a better way forward, we just have to see it and choose it.

This post Google’s Android Lockdown: Are You Really in Control of Your Phone? first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Juan Galt.

Bitcoin Magazine

The Ethics of Immutability

A common refrain has emerged in the Bitcoin community: fix the money, fix the world. While there is every reason to be optimistic about Bitcoin’s impact on society it is not enough to rely on lines of code to fix our world. Rather, in this essay on the ethics of immutability, I argue that fixing oneself is the true revolution, and in turn, collectively, as actors in this global network, we are the revolution of change.

Bitcoin was designed to be decentralized, censorship-resistant, open source and unconfiscatable, qualities that set it apart from traditional banking and financial infrastructure. Bitcoin’s architecture means that no central authority can arbitrarily seize funds or block transactions on the network. The transparent, permissionless nature of its code allows anyone to participate without needing approval from intermediaries or gatekeepers. It empowers individuals to transact and store value beyond the reach of censorship, monetary debasement and financial repression by governments and banks.

These attributes have led many to view Bitcoin not just as a new form of money, but as an instrument of freedom in the digital age. In “On Revolution,” Hannah Arendt states 

“the life of a free man needed the presence of others. Freedom itself needed therefore a place where people could come together.” 

It is my hope that the coming together just might be a global, decentralized monetary network.

The framework and means by which we can serve as the instantiation of digital freedom has already been given to us — the actions of Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s creator.

As Bitcoiners we often ask ourselves, “What does it mean to be a Bitcoiner?” Generally, responses include simply holding bitcoin, sending transactions, believing in the value of sound money, running a node or any combination thereof. 

Of course, these are necessary but insufficient, I argue, to be a Bitcoiner. One is not a Christian simply because one owns a Bible. Beliefs, and more importantly, one’s actions are necessary to uphold the ethos of Bitcoin. The community has not given enough credence to the fact that Satoshi gave up exorbitant wealth and fame so that we could freely take part in this network. It is this legacy and what it means for the users of Bitcoin that I explore in this paper. We must carry on this spirit of Satoshi by respecting and promoting the freedom of others, if we are to truly fix the world. 

The Immutability Legacy of Satoshi Nakamoto

By walking away, Satoshi Nakamoto embodied the principle that Bitcoin was meant to belong to its community, not to its creator or a central authority. Equally striking is Satoshi’s decision to remain anonymous. To this day, the true identity of Satoshi is unknown, and the creator’s forum posts and emails never revealed personal details. This anonymity was very much in line with the Cypherpunk ethos that influenced Bitcoin’s development, a culture that values privacy and letting ideas speak for themselves rather than relying on authority. Satoshi himself was explicit about avoiding any cult of personality. When a media frenzy in 2014 led to the mistaken “doxxing” of a Californian man (Dorian Nakamoto) as Bitcoin’s founder, the real Satoshi seemingly resurfaced online just to post the message, “I am not Dorian Nakamoto.” Beyond that clarification, the inventor never sought fame or credit. 

One of the most powerful symbols of Satoshi Nakamoto’s legacy is the fact that he never cashed in his bitcoin holdings. It is estimated that Satoshi mined roughly 1 million BTC (bitcoin) in the early days of the network. Remarkably, none of those coins have ever been moved or spent — they remain sitting untouched on the blockchain. At today’s market value, that stash would make Satoshi one of the wealthiest individuals on the planet. Yet the creator chose to leave that fortune alone. We do not know for certain why Satoshi never spent his coins. But the effect of this abstention has been profound. By not profiting from his invention, Satoshi demonstrated integrity and belief in the project’s long-term vision. Almost like a relic or monument on the blockchain, those unspent coins have become a reminder of his contribution and prove that the founder did not seek personal enrichment.

In the Bitcoin community, this fact is often cited to underline the purity of Bitcoin’s origins. The monetary system Satoshi created was decentralized and fair, giving early adopters an opportunity by not allowing the creator to abuse any special advantage. Satoshi actively gave up certain freedoms (like the freedom to cash out riches or the freedom to bask in fame) for the sake of Bitcoin’s success and credibility. This personal sacrifice set a powerful ethical example and established many of the values the Bitcoin community still holds dear: decentralization, open participation, neutrality and the idea that principles matter more than individual gain.

Satoshi’s coins, sitting untouched on the ledger, are an immutable timestamp of those values, reminding us that the founder’s commitment to freedom was not just in words but in deeds. This legacy invites us to reflect on the kind of community Bitcoin was meant to foster, and it provides a real-world segue into broader philosophical questions about freedom and responsibility, which, as Bitcoiners, we must consider as the instantiation of Bitcoin’s embodiment of freedom.

Bitcoin and the Concept of Freedom

What do we mean by “freedom,” especially in a social context? Philosophers have grappled with this question for centuries. One particularly illuminating perspective comes from the 20th-century existentialist Simone de Beauvoir, whose work “The Ethics of Ambiguity” (1947) explores the nature of freedom and the ethical responsibilities it entails. Beauvoir’s insights can help us draw parallels between Bitcoin’s ethos and a broader philosophy of reciprocal freedom and autonomy.

A key idea in Beauvoir’s ethics is that freedom is a shared, interdependent condition. She rejects the notion that freedom is simply the ability for an isolated individual to do anything they please. Instead, true freedom is “a positive and constructive process” that inevitably involves other human beings. One person’s freedom is enhanced by the freedom of others, and curtailed when others are oppressed. I cannot be truly free, she argues, if I live in a world where others are enslaved or silenced, because I exist in a human world of relationships and my own possibilities are intertwined with those of my fellow human beings. The authors of “Resistance Money” proclaim this ethos in their words:

“Cypherpunk code empowers individuals. But, with money, writing code is not enough. For money is, as we’ve seen, a network good. Bitcoin isn’t DIY money – do it yourself. It is, DIT – do it together. Using bitcoin means joining users in supporting resistance money for those who need it, with or without permission or cooperation of authorities.”

This logic of reciprocity means that we each have a responsibility to strive for the freedom of all, not just our own personal freedom. Beauvoir famously writes that the freedom of others must be respected and they must be helped to free themselves — how one might be freed by the ability to use a censorship-resistant monetary network, for example. It is not enough to refrain from coercing others; an authentic ethics calls us to actively support and expand the freedom of those around us. This could mean educating those who lack knowledge, fighting against unjust political structures that oppress people or working to alleviate poverty and other conditions that limit an individual’s opportunities. Freedom, in Beauvoir’s conception, is inherently social and cooperative. 

This philosophy resonates strongly with the ethos of open source, decentralized networks like Bitcoin. Bitcoin’s value proposition is not just that, “I individually control my money,” but also that everyone can participate as equals under the same rules. Contrast that structure with the status quo of Cantillon effects whose default is to embrace moral hazard. 

The Bitcoin network becomes more secure and useful as more people use it (more nodes, more miners, more liquidity), which is an illustration of freedom being mutually reinforcing. Rather than viewing freedom as a zero-sum game, modern thinkers like Beauvoir see it as inherently social and mutually enhancing, an insight that can apply to a monetary network as well. A decentralized currency works precisely because it is open and accessible to all; my financial freedom is bolstered by others joining and expanding the network effects. As more users adopt bitcoin, it becomes harder for any one authority to censor transactions for anyone — network decentralization is a form of reciprocal empowerment for its users. This reflects Beauvoir’s point that a person’s freedom can only extend itself by means of the freedom of others. 

True freedom is therefore reciprocal and we can see an analogue in Bitcoin’s philosophy: If a participant in the network (say a miner or node) tries to censor or cheat others, they undermine the very system that guarantees their own financial autonomy. Indeed, Bitcoin’s consensus rules make it so that acting to censor or double-spend will only harm the attacker — honest nodes will reject invalid blocks, and the attacker wastes resources. The network is structured to reward cooperation (following the rules) and make interference futile. While Beauvoir was talking about human rights and ethical relations, the parallel is that freedom to transact, like freedom of speech, works best when universally upheld. No one is truly “free” in a monetary sense if a central authority can freeze their account on a whim. Importantly, preventing others from transacting (for example, lobbying to censor certain addresses or users) would eventually jeopardize one’s own security and freedom on the network. 

It is important to acknowledge my words have not been written in the years following WWII; that despite the current tumult, American life is not likely to see a full-scale kinetic war as we did in the past century. 

We must then ask ourselves, what does revolution look like when there is no oppressor? And what does reciprocal freedom mean in 21st-century American life? While one could argue, like Arendt, that we live under an oligarchy, fiat as an economic system has no king or dictator to overthrow. A contemporary view of freedom warrants a dynamic approach to answering this question. Challenging oppression when there is no king is akin to technological creative destruction — a process not necessitating brute force but replacing the system from without.

American life is dominated by systems of oppression that tacitly affect our freedoms. It is futile to contrast the year 2025 to a century ago where a question of freedoms could more easily break down into simple positive and negative binaries. Rather, the restrictions to one’s freedoms in contemporary American life become more nebulous. Again, rendering questions such as: What freedoms are restricted when paid advertising affects our purchasing habits, social media controls the algorithms, processed foods affect our cognition, Citizens United lessens our influence in our democracy or for our current purposes when a financial and economic system decreases purchasing power and concentrates wealth by design? 

We live at a time of tremendous abundance and security, so it is easy to slip into passive engagement with community and political life; it is easy to slip into the way of being of a serious man (Beauvoir’s archetype of a person who avoids the responsibility of reciprocal freedom by following strict values as if they were fixed truths making them prone to justifying harmful actions in the name of their “sacred” cause). 

de Beauvoir’s also introduces a moral imperative: Solidarity in the pursuit of freedom. It’s not enough to avoid doing harm; we are called to get involved and work to change conditions that deny others their freedom. She observed that authentic ethics entails helping others expand their scope of action and choice. This could be read (in our context) as a call to support technologies or movements that empower people who have been excluded from traditional systems. Consider how Bitcoin has been used by dissidents, journalists or citizens in countries with capital controls and hyperinflation. Because Bitcoin is censorship-resistant and borderless, it allowed, for example, WikiLeaks to receive donations in 2010 when PayPal and banks (under government pressure) blocked funds. It has helped people in Venezuela or Zimbabwe bypass destructive monetary policies and hold savings in a currency that their rulers cannot debase. 

During the Russian-Ukraine war in 2022, Bitcoin donations were sent directly to Ukraine when traditional channels were constrained, a demonstration of the network’s neutrality and availability. It has also provided a way for migrant workers and refugees to carry and send assets when the banking system shuts them out.

All these cases reflect individuals reclaiming freedom in the face of oppression or hardship, aided by a global community of Bitcoin users and developers who maintain the network. To draw a parallel to Beauvoir: Those who contribute to Bitcoin’s development or adoption in repressive environments are, in a sense, helping others to free themselves. They are engaging in a form of solidarity that aligns with the ethical vision Beauvoir puts forth — a “concrete commitment to the freedom of our fellow men,” as she described it, which means actively standing against structures that limit others’ autonomy. Viewing Bitcoin through Beauvoir’s existentialist lens highlights the idea of reciprocal freedom. Bitcoin works as a system of augmented freedom not because it lets an individual escape society, but because it creates a new kind of society, one built on voluntary participation, equal rules and mutual empowerment rather than top-down control. It exemplifies the principle that my financial freedom is inextricable from yours. It challenges the community to uphold not only their own rights, but the rights of others, keeping the network open and accessible. As Beauvoir insisted, freedom gains meaning only when we devote ourselves to defending and enlarging the freedom of all.

Beauvoir’s sentiment is echoed in José Ortega y Gasset’s, “The Revolt of the Masses,” who calls us to understand that

“every destiny is dramatic, tragic in its deepest meaning. Whoever has not felt the danger of our times palpitating under his hand, has not really penetrated to the vitals of destiny, he has merely pricked its surface.”

While Ortega y Gasset applies this sentiment to the perceived treachery of his mass man it is nonetheless a statement of considerable importance. Beauvoir asks us to will ourselves free, in order to free others. The possibility of doing so is only met when the will seeks an understanding of the destiny of others, including the mass man. We understand the ambiguity of our own nature and destiny but freedom lies in the taking-on of the ambiguity of others.

The uncertainty of our nature is further illuminated by Craig Warmke in his paper, “Bitcoin Behind the Veil,” where he examines Bitcoin through John Harsanyi’s “veil” analysis. Warmke asks the question: “If you could not choose, [and were born again], in which kind of world would you prefer to live: a world with bitcoin, like our own, or a world without bitcoin, one like ours but where bitcoin had never been invented?” In our world where over half of the population lives under an authoritarian regime your chances of Western abundance and freedom is the flip of a coin, so the logical answer to his question is, “yes,” I would prefer to live in a world with bitcoin. 

Warmke’s argument is not simply a thought experiment, it is a call to action when we see the destiny of others, by mere chance, was not our own. We must then ask, what, if any, responsibility we, as Bitcoiners bear, to offset chance, and what does that mean for our lives — our immutability?

The Ethics of Immutability

One of Bitcoin’s defining technical features is the immutability of its blockchain ledger. Once a block of transactions is confirmed and added to the chain, it becomes effectively tamper-proof; the record is permanent. This idea of an unchangeable record of actions provides a rich metaphor for thinking about life, legacy and moral responsibility — a responsibility toward upholding and empowering the freedom of others. We might ask: If your life’s choices were encoded like transactions in an immutable ledger, would you be proud of the record? Are our actions, in a sense, etched in time as part of our legacy, and how does that influence the way we choose to live?

The notion of an “immutable essence” versus the possibility of a dynamic being has long been debated. Existentialist thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre argued that for human beings, “existence precedes essence.” By this, Sartre meant there is no predefined, unchanging soul or nature that determines what we are; rather, we continuously create ourselves through our choices and actions. We are, in Sartre’s words, “condemned to be free,” wholly responsible for shaping our identity and values in the absence of any fixed template given by God or nature. We define ourselves through our choices and actions. This emphasis on freedom and authenticity means that moral commitment is something we choose and enact, not something imposed by an immutable essence or fate. Every action contributes to the “ledger” of who we are. Sartre even suggested that in choosing for oneself, one should consider that they are, in a way, choosing an example for all humanity, a bit like every transaction you broadcast to the blockchain becomes part of a public history that others can see. 

Now, contrast this with other philosophical or religious views that do posit an immutable core to the self. In Plato’s philosophy and in many spiritual traditions, there is the idea of a soul, something fundamentally stable and divine in a person that persists through change. Plato, for instance, considered the soul immortal and unchanging in its essence. Some religious perspectives hold that salvation or enlightenment is about realizing one’s eternal, unchanging true nature. In such views, moral improvement might be seen as uncovering or manifesting an already existing goodness. On the other hand, there are also views that stress transformation, the idea that one must become something different.

Finally, at the opposite extreme, philosophies like Buddhism and David Hume’s empiricism deny any fixed self at all: They argue that the self is an illusion, a series of fleeting states with no enduring essence. Buddhism teaches anātman, “no-soul” that clinging to the notion of an immutable identity is a source of suffering, and liberation comes from recognizing the impermanence of all components of the self. Why do these abstract views matter in our context? Because they frame an ethical question: How should we live and engage with the world around us? If you believe you have an immutable soul, perhaps you strive to keep it pure and untarnished — you might act in ways that “timestamp” only what you would want eternally associated with you. (Think of a virtuous person wanting to leave a legacy as pristine as Satoshi’s untouched coins on the blockchain). 

If instead you believe that identity is something you create, then every choice is like mining a new block — an opportunity to add to the chain of your life in a meaningful way. And if you believe there is no permanent self, you might focus on the present consequences of actions rather than any lasting record, or you might find meaning in contributing to something larger (like how in Bitcoin, individual nodes come and go, but the ledger persists, similarly one might say individual lives are transient, but good deeds can have enduring effects beyond the self). 

The concept of blockchain immutability prompts a thought experiment: What if our deeds truly could not be erased or forgotten? In reality, of course, human memory and history are fallible. But increasingly, in the digital age, we do have a kind of permanent memory (the internet never forgets, and the Bitcoin blockchain literally never forgets transactions). 

This imposes a new kind of moral transparency; it recalls the philosopher John Locke’s discussion of personal identity. Locke argued that it is continuous consciousness (memory of one’s actions) that constitutes personal identity even if the substance (the soul or body) changes, as long as consciousness of past actions persists, the person remains the same. He gave a famous scenario: If consciousness could be transferred from one soul to another, the person would go with the consciousness, not with the soul: 

“If consciousness can actually be transferred from one soul to another, then a person can persist, despite a change in the soul to which her consciousness is annexed.” 

In other words, for Locke the moral self is essentially the record of what you’ve thought and done — your “ledger” of consciousness. This idea dovetails intriguingly with the blockchain metaphor: Personal identity might be seen as a chain of memories and actions, an ongoing accumulation of “blocks” (experiences) linked by the awareness of them. An immutable ledger of one’s transactions is an externalization of memory; a permanent consciousness of certain actions. Thus, one could say that morally, we are (or ought to be) the sum of our remembered deeds. If we imagine those deeds are unalterable and public, it could encourage living in such a way that you don’t have to hide or erase anything. 

The concept of immutability calls us to an ethics of accountability as well. It suggests that integrity is about owning one’s past and working to build on it rather than cover it up. The idea of immutability relates to how we consider legacy and mortality. Ernest Becker, in “The Denial of Death,” spoke of people’s desire to achieve something that outlasts them, a “heroic” quest to create an immortal legacy in the face of our mortal lives. In a poetic sense, Bitcoin’s ledger gives everyone the chance to have a tiny immortal legacy: an address with some coins that might live on forever in the chain, or an inscription in a transaction (some have even embedded messages in Bitcoin’s blockchain). Of course, those are just data. But it raises a question of what kind of immortality really matters. The existentialist view would say the only immortality we can genuinely attain is to have our actions positively influence others and become part of the human story. To paraphrase, the only justification for our existence is whatever significance our actions have on the lives of others. Or as one contemporary actor puts it,

“If you are not making someone else’s life better, you are wasting your time.”

An immutable record by itself is meaningless unless what is recorded has value. So, while the Bitcoin network ensures that a transaction is remembered, it does not tell us what those transactions ought to be. That remains an ethical choice. The “ethics of immutability” might then mean: live in such a way that if your deeds were permanently recorded for all to see, they would represent the person you truly want to be. Live so that the “timestamp” of your life’s work has integrity and, in the spirit of Satoshi, is in service to others. Recognize that, unlike a blockchain, a human life is finite, which lends urgency to acting authentically and courageously now, rather than assuming one can always rewrite or delay.

There is no editing the chain after the fact. Reflecting on immutability connects to questions of personal identity and moral responsibility. Bitcoin’s unalterable ledger is a technological mirror of the philosophical idea that our actions, once done, become part of the tapestry of history and of who we are. Whether one leans more toward the view of a fixed inner soul or a self that is continuously created, in both cases one must confront the consequences of choices. The blockchain model tilts toward Locke and Sartre: You are your record (because there’s no secret essence, only evidence of what you’ve done). That perspective can inspire an ethic of honesty, transparency and consistency. It calls us to make each decision count, to uphold principles even when no one is watching, because on the Bitcoin network, in a sense everyone is always watching. It challenges us to leave behind a legacy that, like Bitcoin’s genesis block with its famous timestamp (“Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks”), captures a principled stand for others to remember. The immutability of Bitcoin’s blockchain, metaphorically applied, invites us to strive for an immutable core of values, not in the sense that our character never changes, but that our commitment to certain ethical principles remains unwavering and is evident in our actions.

Bitcoin and a Call to Action

Exploring the philosophy behind Bitcoin and freedom is not a mere intellectual exercise; it has practical implications for how Bitcoiners choose to act. The convergence of ideas we have discussed — Satoshi’s legacy of selflessness and Beauvoir’s ethic of helping others to be free, and the metaphor of living transparently and intentionally — all point toward a modern call to action: to live in alignment with principles of freedom, authenticity and solidarity. 

Protecting and promoting freedom for others: If we take to heart Beauvoir’s dictum that “the freedom of other men must be respected and they must be helped to free themselves,” then a clear implication is to support systems and policies that expand people’s autonomy. In the context of finance and technology, this could mean contributing to open source projects, like Bitcoin, that give individuals more control over their own information and money. It could mean standing against censorship, not only in money but in speech and access to information. For example, technologists might develop censorship-resistant communication tools like Nostr inspired by the same spirit as Bitcoin. Advocates might push for legal protections for encryption and against financial surveillance that disproportionately harms dissidents or marginalized groups. Educators and community leaders can work to demystify technologies like Bitcoin for the general public (since knowledge is power), helping people understand how to use these tools is a way of freeing them from reliance on authorities. In short, actively helping others achieve greater freedom could involve anything from teaching a neighbor how to secure their digital privacy, to supporting human rights organizations that use Bitcoin to aid activists under authoritarian regimes. The key is the mindset of solidarity: recognizing, as Beauvoir did, that my freedom flourishes when I devote myself to the freedom of all. Bitcoin’s community, at its best, has exemplified this through global outreach, establishing Bitcoin circular economies, translations of educational material and donations in crises. 

Building legacy through action: While the Bitcoin blockchain is immutable, our lives are not, which is a good thing. We can change, improve and adapt. The ethics outlined here encourages authentic transformation rather than complacency. Beauvoir admired those who remained passionate and engaged with improving the human condition rather than those who sunk into cynicism and apathy. In the Bitcoin world, this is analogous to the builders and educators who are constantly trying to make the ecosystem better and more accessible, versus speculators who might treat it as a mere get-rich-quick scheme. The call to action is to be the former. 

Simone de Beauvoir wrote that authentic ethics demands “a concrete commitment” to others and to values, and that one should stand against conditions that oppress or hinder other people, and work to change those conditions. As Bitcoiners, “opting out” simply masquerades as action, but Bitcoin is only revealed through action with and for others. In our context, action could include political activism for civil liberties, economic activism like promoting financial literacy or inclusion or technological activism such as contributing to decentralized protocols that counter monopolies.

For instance, individuals inspired by Bitcoin’s success might support other open source efforts in secure communication, or advocate against laws that seek to weaken encryption. They might join local initiatives to support people unbanked or underbanked, showing them alternatives like Bitcoin or simply helping them gain access to any banking since the goal is expanding choice. It is worth noting the Bitcoiners who are fulfilling this call to action already: Anita Posch who is educating thousands in Africa about Bitcoin, Hermann Vivier and Luthando Ndabambi who have created a Bitcoin circular economy in their small South African community, L0la33tz‘s privacy advocacy, Andreas Antonopoulos whose early Bitcoin advocacy was vital to Bitcoin adoption, Alex Gladstein’s tireless efforts with the Human Rights Foundation, among so many more.

Giving a Damn: Satoshi’s legacy and Bitcoin are a call to action to fix ourselves. It was not only the benevolent acts of Bitcoin’s creator that placed this duty upon us but also the understanding that just as the architecture of money has now undergone an upgrade we, too, can seek this for ourselves. While I commend and am excited to have witnessed what this has meant for many Bitcoiners over the years, who have sought ways of improving their lives through health and financial security, betterment must not stop there, as Beauvoir and others have shown us. Yes, one may be seeking perfection of mind and body but without action we risk being buoys on the waves. While foundational, not going beyond one’s betterment, is no more impactful on society than the isolated and solitary monk seeking nirvana.

The only way to gain true freedom; to not be subject to or affected by (a particular undesirable thing), is to not have to rely on a third party in the first place. If freedom means a lack of outside influence on your autonomy, then by default there is an increase in personal responsibility for your choices. Individual rights should not be inversely related to individual responsibility. So it is, in fact, the duty of reciprocal freedom we have to each other and to our communities. We must look toward a new version of ourselves if we are to seek a new version of economy and society, for we are the actors in this new paradigm. Bitcoin invites us to look at discarding traditional ways of thinking and analyzing our world. If we can imagine a new form of money, we can also imagine a new body politic: the absence of Right versus Left. We can imagine what giving, compassion and philanthropy means through the lens of Bitcoin — “free and ready to stretch out toward a new future.” Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon, so too is revolution always and everywhere a human phenomenon — not simply a technology. 

We are reminded that freedom is not a given, nor is the promise of Bitcoin — “a freedom can not will itself without willing itself as an indefinite movement.” It must be continually defended and expanded through our choices. Each of us, like a node in a decentralized network, has a role to play in upholding the freedom of the whole. By remaining anonymous and not cashing out, Satoshi asked to not be placed on a pedestal; instead, it is up to us, the users, to carry the mission forward. And as Beauvoir would insist, that mission is meaningless unless it is done for everyone’s benefit. The authenticity of our cause will be judged by whether we indeed make life freer for others, especially the least free. Our words and actions can live on as an immutable ledger in the minds of others, an obvious conclusion, but one whose full weight and impact is not understood until you consider your own legacy. In other words, the ledger that embodies action is the ledger that lives in the memories’ of others forever.

In practice, let this translate into everyday actions: supporting policies that enhance privacy rights, teaching someone about personal financial sovereignty, resisting the temptation to engage in censorship or discrimination, and building technologies that resist coercion. As we do so, we should keep asking ourselves the hard questions Beauvoir posed: 

“Am I really working for the liberation of men? Isn’t this end contested by the means I use to attain it?”

This reflective attitude guards against fanaticism and ensures that freedom as an ideal is not used to justify new forms of oppression. In Bitcoin’s context, it means balancing idealism with humility and constant re-examination of our own aims, a balance that can be struck through pause and reflection. The majority of us are not entrepreneurs or developers, but we can will others free by giving them a voice to be heard not — stifled or contested in the moment. To validate someone else’s lived experience is to give the freedom of consciousness — of identity, upon which all other positive freedoms must build.

Bitcoin’s creation, by an anonymous person who never sought wealth or power, is a profound gesture toward freedom. Our community, if we resist ossifying into dogma or tribalism, can continue that gesture. But if it becomes a tool for exclusion, greed or ideological purity, it betrays its promise to be infinitely more than what it would be if it were reduced to being what it is. Bitcoin is ethically meaningful only when it serves as a movement toward freedom, especially for those previously denied it. Our conclusion is to see Bitcoin not simply as a financial asset or a mere technical development, but as part of a broader ethical project: building a world where individuals can transact, speak, create and live according to their own will and conscience, limited only by the equal freedom of others. Achieving this will require intentional living, courageous action and an unyielding commitment to both innovation and freedom. 

The tools are in our hands; the ledger is before us. The next blocks, the next pages of our own history and Bitcoin’s, will be written by what we choose to do now.

BM Big Reads are weekly, in-depth articles on some current topic relevant to Bitcoin and Bitcoiners. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine. If you have a submission you think fits the model, feel free to reach out at editor[at]bitcoinmagazine.com.

This post The Ethics of Immutability first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mark Stepheny.

Bitcoin Magazine

Eric Trump Said The Bitcoin Price Is Definitely Going To $1 Million At Bitcoin Asia

Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and son of U.S. President Donald Trump, made bold predictions about bitcoin’s future price trajectory during his appearance at the Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong on Friday, telling attendees that the Bitcoin price will “definitely” reach $1 million.

“There’s no question bitcoin hits $1 million,” Eric Trump declared during a panel discussion with David Bailey, citing surging institutional demand and its limited supply as key drivers for the astronomical price target. The Bitcoin price currently trades around $110,000, having risen 18% this year, but still remains well below Trump’s ambitious forecast.

Eric Trump’s appearance at the two-day Hong Kong event, which attracted more than 20,000 attendees—triple last year’s numbers—highlighted the growing global influence of the Bitcoin industry and the Trump family’s deepening involvement in it.

During his talk, Trump also praised China’s role in the Bitcoin and crypto ecosystem, calling the nation a leading force in Bitcoin and crypto despite Beijing’s ban on crypto trading since 2021.

The comments come as the Trump family has significantly expanded its Bitcoin and crypto ventures over the past year. Eric Trump and his brother Donald Trump Jr. co-founded American Bitcoin, a mining operation that is approximately 20% owned by the Trump brothers and the remainder by Hut 8. The company recently raised $220 million and is planning a September Nasdaq debut through its merger with Gryphon.

Eric Trump emphasised the dramatic shift in U.S. crypto policy under his father’s administration, claiming more progress has been made on Bitcoin and crypto in the seven months since President Trump’s return to office than in the previous decade. “We went from 0 to 100 instantaneously,” he said, describing America as “winning the digital revolution” thanks to strong political backing and institutional support from Wall Street firms, sovereign wealth funds, and retirement accounts.

Trump also highlighted his involvement with Japanese Bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet, where he serves on the board of advisors. He praised the company’s president and CEO, Simon Gerovich, during his panel discussion, reflecting the growing international network of Bitcoin-focused enterprises.

Eric Trump’s bullish Bitcoin price prediction reflects growing institutional confidence in its long-term prospects, and the Bitcoin Asia conference underscored Hong Kong’s rising role in the global Bitcoin landscape.

This post Eric Trump Said The Bitcoin Price Is Definitely Going To $1 Million At Bitcoin Asia first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Vivek Sen.

Bitcoin Magazine

Historic First: U.S. Government Posts GDP Data on Bitcoin Blockchain

The U.S. government has officially begun publishing gross domestic product (GDP) data on public blockchains. According to Bloomberg, the Commerce Department’s announcement on Thursday brings blockchain into the core of America’s economic reporting, making GDP available on nine networks including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.

Commerce officials emphasized that the blockchain rollout is not a replacement for traditional economic data releases, but rather “another avenue” for distribution, according to Bloomberg. The move, however, carries significant symbolic weight, as it effectively places the government’s seal of approval on technology once viewed with deep skepticism in Washington.

“The entire administration has embraced this,” said Mike Cahill, chief executive officer of Douro Labs, who confirmed he has been working with the Commerce Department on the initiative for the past two months. “With today’s announcement we are now in a world where government data lives on blockchains, and market participants can participate in real time.”

The blockchain initiative involves posting cryptographic hashes of GDP data, which serve as digital fingerprints to verify the information’s integrity. While limited in scope initially, Commerce Department officials confirmed that President Donald Trump’s administration intends to expand the program further, Bloomberg reported.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick spearheaded the project, telling Trump earlier this week that statistics would be issued via blockchain “because you are the crypto president.” Lutnick has previously suggested reshaping GDP reporting by removing the impact of government spending.

The initiative reflects a sharp departure from the prior administration. Under former President Joe Biden, regulators adopted a cautious stance toward crypto, often clashing with exchanges and imposing restrictions on digital assets. In contrast, Trump has moved quickly to integrate Bitcoin into government policy. Since taking office, he has created a U.S. Bitcoin reserve, stockpiled coins such as Ether and Solana, signed legislation regulating stablecoins, and appointed crypto-friendly regulators who ended enforcement actions against Coinbase.

Trump’s family has also deepened its presence in the digital asset space, backing ventures such as World Liberty Financial. The industry’s growing political clout is evident: crypto firms donated heavily to Trump’s reelection campaign and contributed over $133 million to super PACs supporting pro-crypto candidates in 2024, according to OpenSecrets.

By leveraging public blockchains, the Commerce Department joins other agencies experimenting with crypto technology. The Department of Homeland Security has considered blockchain for airport passenger screening, while California’s DMV has digitized car titles on crypto, according to Bloomberg.

As Trump positions himself as the “crypto president,” the adoption of blockchain for GDP distribution signals a profound shift in U.S. economic policy—and further cements Bitcoin as a powerful political and financial force in Washington.

This post Historic First: U.S. Government Posts GDP Data on Bitcoin Blockchain first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Nik.

The following is a guest post and analysis from Vincent Maliepaard, Marketing Director at Sentora.

2025 has marked a turning point for XRP, combining explosive price gains with transformative shifts in its core narrative. In July, the token hit an all-time high of $3.58, propelled in part by decisive legal victories. Beyond price action, Ripple’s launch of the RLUSD stablecoin has gained significant traction, and the network is now doubling down on expanding XRP’s footprint in the DeFi ecosystem.

The foundation of XRP’s breakout was laid when the SEC dropped its lawsuit against Ripple, removing a significant regulatory overhang that had suppressed institutional interest for years. This legal resolution as well as the Trump administration’s crypto-friendly policy framework, including the GENIUS Act, catalyzed a broader bull market across digital assets.

The token has also benefited from a strategic revaluation as institutional investors engaged in speculative rotation toward under-owned large-cap cryptocurrencies, recognizing XRP as a legitimate capital layer rather than a speculative trading vehicle.

This thesis was reinforced by Ripple’s launch of the RLUSD stablecoin in late 2024, which quickly scaled to a $600 million market cap and demonstrated real-world utility in driving adoption momentum. The ecosystem expansion has continued with the launch of the XRPL EVM sidechain, enhancing interoperability and smart contract functionality, while anticipation builds around the potential approval of an XRP ETF that could further accelerate institutional adoption.

Let’s dive in for a breakdown of XRP’s growth and momentum, new players in the ecosystem and XRP’s breakthrough in DeFi.

XRP’s Growth and Momentum

XRP’s concentration dynamics reveal a mature institutional ownership structure that mirrors traditional financial assets, with the top 10 wallets controlling approximately 41% of circulating supply, expanding to 50% among the top 20 holders and over 70% within the top 100. This concentration pattern indicates institutional capital allocation rather than retail speculation, which supports XRP’s evolution into an institutional asset class.

The token’s transformation from a previous cycle laggard to a favorite gained significant validation through Coinbase’s integration. In July, the exchange launched cbXRP, a wrapped token backed 1:1 by XRP specifically designed for cross-chain functionality. This infrastructure development immediately unlocked new use cases, with Moonwell becoming the first major DeFi protocol to support cbXRP, enabling community members to lend and borrow the wrapped token within the platform’s DeFi ecosystem.

Growth of cbXRP on Moonwell has been steady, gradually growing to over $1.2 million in liquidity since its launch in June. While this may be far from XRPs typical multi-billion dollar headlines, it marks an important milestone in XRP’s DeFi journey.

These developments signal a fundamental shift in how traditional exchanges and DeFi protocols are positioning XRP, moving beyond simple trading solutions. The combination of concentrated institutional ownership, enhanced technical infrastructure through wrapped tokens, and expanding lending markets demonstrates that XRP is experiencing adoption momentum as capital flows increasingly recognize its utility as a cross-border settlement layer and institutional-grade digital asset.

Expanding into DeFi

The expansion of XRP into decentralized finance represents a natural progression for what Gabriel Halm of Sentora describes as a blockchain that has “successfully established itself as a digital payment network,” with DeFi development being “an intuitive next step in creating a comprehensive finance ecosystem for XRP.” This evolution addresses a critical gap in XRP’s utility, as the token historically lacked the fundamental DeFi primitives.

Flare Network has emerged as one such infrastructure provider for XRPFi, through the introduction of FAssets—which upon launch, enables XRP holders to convert their tokens into FXRP, a wrapped version of XRP. This operates in a non-custodial, trust-minimized framework which uses smart contracts for cross-chain verification.

Upcoming Yield Opportunities for XRP in DeFi

While users can currently earn a modest yield (around 0.1% currently) by supplying cbXRP on Moonwell, significantly higher returns may be on the horizon with the upcoming launch of the Firelight Protocol on Flare.

Firelight aims to bring economic security and yield generation to the XRP ecosystem, much like how EigenLayer has unlocked additional staking yield for Ether. By leveraging staked XRP for economic security, Firelight’s architecture could enable innovative DeFi applications—such as on-chain insurance—that were previously not feasible.

As Hugo Philion, Co-Founder of Flare Network, explains:

“Firelight offers on-chain XRP yield opportunities, both for institutions and retail holders, improving capital efficiency for XRP and further bolstering its utility.”

Looking Ahead

XRP’s growth story is shifting from short-term price cycles to long-term structural evolution. The convergence of regulatory clarity, institutional adoption, and DeFi expansion, driven by platforms like Base, Moonwell, Flare, and Firelight, broadens XRP’s utility and potentially establishes it as a yield-bearing asset.

While it may not yet be a dominant force in DeFi, these developments could strengthen XRP’s role as a bridge between traditional finance and emerging on-chain opportunities.

The post What’s behind XRP’s move to DeFi? appeared first on CryptoSlate.

If you’re new to Bitcoin or the only sats you hold are in an ETF or a centralized exchange, you’d be forgiven for not knowing about Core vs Knots and the entire OP_RETURN saga. But if you’ve weathered a few cycles, HODLed like a champ, and are still scratching your head, it’s time you opened your eyes: the 2025 ‘spam wars’ bear all the hallmarks of the block size wars almost a decade before it, and it’s getting ugly fast.

Like the block size wars, the spam wars involve a fundamental ideological clash over the core principles of Bitcoin, particularly scaling versus decentralization, and whether to prioritize network capacity and ease of use over a simpler, permissionless protocol.

Supporters of Bitcoin Core, the long-standing reference implementation, and Bitcoin Knots, an increasingly popular alternative maintained by developer and CTO at Ocean Mining, Luke Dashjr, are at loggerheads, and the gloves are coming off.

Core vs Knots, what’s happening?

At the center of the controversy is Bitcoin Core’s planned removal of the 80-byte limit on OP_RETURN data in its upcoming v30 release, scheduled for October 2025.

This technical change, intended to boost flexibility and unlock new use cases for embedding data on Bitcoin’s blockchain, is fiercely opposed by Knots backers, who argue it transforms the main network into a dumping ground for non-financial transactions and spam.

Core developers, like Peter Todd and Jameson Lopp, claim the change supports broader innovation, like digital art and document verification. They support everyone’s right to use the Bitcoin blockchain as they feel and not have governance or morals thrust upon them. Lopp posted:

“I truly detest politics. Thus I have little patience for those who try to impose traditional governance models onto Bitcoin. If you don’t like anarchy, you’re free to leave.”

Knots supporters like Samson Mow and Luke Dashjr warn that the upgrade risks bloating the blockchain, undermining Bitcoin’s neutrality, and weakening its monetary purpose. Dashjr warned:

“What do you think will happen now that Core is opening the floodgates to spam, and essentially endorsing it? (No matter what they say, that’s how spammers will take it.) Any chance we have of making Bitcoin a success will go out the window – unless the community takes a clear stand and rejects the change.”

Network philosophy and neutrality

The Core vs Knots dispute highlights deeper ideological rifts about Bitcoin’s function. Should Bitcoin remain a strictly monetary settlement layer, or can it evolve to serve more experimental on-chain data needs, so long as fees are paid?

Core’s apparent policy shift is seen by some as relinquishing its gatekeeping role, allowing any use case if the user pays. Knots supporters, however, emphasize control with features like anti-spam protection and argue that the removal of data caps could centralize power and threaten scalability.

Miners and relay service operators play a pivotal role, determining which transaction types end up in blocks and how the network responds to diverging software preferences. Node operators, too, have increasingly migrated to Knots: its share of the network doubled over six weeks in May-June 2025, and has now reached ~17% of all Bitcoin nodes, a sign of growing protest and possible fragmentation ahead of Core’s v30 launch.

Where is it heading?

While there is no hard fork yet, mounting tensions and the possibility of blocks or transactions being rejected by different software clients evoke memories of the 2017 SegWit split.

The Core vs Knots scenario also raises another fundamental issue surrounding the true decentralization of the Bitcoin network: how many of Bitcoin’s supporters run their own node? Dashjr posted:

“Bitcoin’s greatest threat to survival is that far too few people are using a full node. For Bitcoin to work, at least 85% of economic activity needs to do so.”

With technical, political, and philosophical stakes at play, October’s Core v30 release may define the next era of Bitcoin development and decentralized consensus, determining whether diversity in software serves Bitcoin’s resilience or sparks an outright chain split.

The post The battle between Bitcoin Core vs Knots is getting ugly appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Welcome to Slate Sundays, CryptoSlate’s new weekly feature showcasing in-depth interviews, expert analysis, and thought-provoking op-eds that go beyond the headlines to explore the ideas and voices shaping the future of crypto.

Stephan Lutz is the CEO of BitMEX, the industry’s longest-standing crypto futures exchange, dating all the way back to when BTC was still in diapers.

From his swanky Singapore office, a busy skyline of skyscrapers behind him, he smiles confidently through the camera, rolling his eyes only slightly as I ask about his background. “I’ve told it so many times already,” he groans.

I jokingly suggest we switch to the AI version of him for a moment, or that we cover the topic very briefly, but Stephan isn’t a man who does things in brief. Our chat went on for more than an hour. It’s not often that you meet someone who can articulate their thoughts on the GFC, Brexit, crypto derivatives, and memecoins in the same breath.

From the bulge bracket to BitMEX

You might call Stephan something of an overachiever. With a background in business administration, economics, banking, and finance, he cut his teeth as a corporate finance analyst at Dresdener Bank.

He then moved to the consultancy side, scaling Deutsche Börse, Europe’s largest stock exchange operator, before working his way up to partner at PwC. He shares:

“I advised large bulge bracket investment banks during Brexit, the ECB, for example, on certain financial stability matters. I did a lot of work around bank recovery and resolution planning after the great financial crisis, and I was part of one of the teams that said what needed to be liquidated in the end.”

From mopping up the spills of 2008 to providing insights into a Brexit-driven financial climate, Stephan was approached by BitMEX in 2020, which he says:

“Led to a situation that no one had seen coming apart from me.”

With his blue-chip background in consultancy and finance, not even a crypto-native firm like BitMEX knew how fascinated Stephan was by blockchain technology, having become enchanted by its possibilities very early on at Deutsche Börse.

In 2010, he couldn’t see it replacing the Börse’s high-speed securities booking infrastructure with its five transactions per second speed, but he knew it was the future.

“I always followed the crypto industry, more so on the technology side, and the underlying real-world use cases for that. So, when BitMEX asked in 2020, it was like, finally, I can get my hands “dirty” with something that I’m interested in! It took me three days to accept the job without even negotiating the salary, and people said, ‘You’re head of capital markets at one of the biggest audit and advisory firms in the world. What are you doing?!’”

He smiles, with a wicked glint in his eye. Stephan doesn’t strike me as a person who cares too much about what other people think; despite the incredulity of his peers, he ran toward BitMEX with open arms:

“They asked me specifically because of my background, a regulation/compliance/audit guy, helping with adding credibility. Of course, I have all of this, but I was always a rebel, and I always liked to do things differently. They thought they hired a very risk-averse guy, and in the end, I’m actually rather the opposite.”

The OG crypto derivatives exchange

BitMEX is the industry’s “OG” derivatives exchange, founded in 2014, and while its trading volume is 80% institutional, it remains the playground of individual traders: around 80% of its half a million or so users are retail accounts. Stephan says:

“We are strong in crypto derivatives, and especially Bitcoin-denominated crypto derivatives. We are the OG brand, the original.”

10 years of operations in most industries is just a trifle, but in crypto, it equates to decades. BitMEX was built on the ashes of Mt. Gox and has survived, arguably, thrived throughout many a bump in the road. I ask Stephan how BitMEX continues to compete in a now crowded market. He reflects for a moment before replying:

“Let me give you an example of what we are not. We don’t operate a launchpad like many Asian exchanges, because that means you need to have new projects flowing in, and then you sell them. It’s a marketing tool. You have a spot exchange next to it. We don’t do this. We look at top coins, or top pairs, or top contracts. 10 assets make up 99% of our volumes. Why? Because we provide derivatives, futures, and perpetual swaps. That’s it. ”

While he’s proud of the fact that BitMEX is open to everyone, he’s quick to emphasize that he would never recommend his mom or kids to onboard with BitMEX if it were the first thing they wanted to do in crypto.

“I would say, no, no, no, no, don’t do this, because you need to have a certain level of education and experience.”

Yet, in the spirit of live and let live, if someone wants to take a risk, they should be able to do it without being mollycuddled or gatekept:

“I think we live in a free world, and it should be a free world.”

Of course, he highlights BitMEX’s role in user education and the plentiful resources the exchange puts out to ensure that traders are taking an informed risk.

“We are totally transparent. Even our technical documentation is publicly available. We give BitMEX Alpha out regularly, the crypto traders’ digest, and we do other courses… I mean, if you close your eyes, we can’t do anything about it, but if you’re going in with eyes wide open, you know what you’re going to do.”

Built on the rubble of Mt. Gox

Launching on the debris of Mt. Gox, which saw 142,000 BTC drained from its users, BitMEX has always been security-conscious. It’s one of the few exchanges in crypto that has never been hacked as a result.

Since the crypto winter of 2022, when “the shit hit the fan,” and FTX blew up, dragging half the industry with it, Stephan says BitMEX overhauled its entire frontend and backend infrastructure and processes to put “more focus on risk management.” He laughs:

“Despite everything you read about it, BitMEX is one of the most conservative crypto places on this planet. Why? Because we do just a few things. Number one, we have always been very focused on derivatives for professionals, and number two, we have full segregation of assets.”

In a business terrain fraught with landmines at every turn, BitMEX has never compromised on customer fund security. All assets are secured via secure multi-party computation (MPC), and all transfers are protected by transaction rules that assure any attack is blocked at a policy level.

“Our funds and customer funds have never been commingled. Our engine checks on a second-by-second basis. If all positions don’t add up to zero, the engine stops, and we investigate.”

I confess to Stephan that my memories of BitMEX go back to the cowboy days of retail traders getting rekt, and Crypto Twitter baying for BitMEX’s blood. The company has come a long way since then. He pauses:

“To this cowboy, “Wild West” thing, we could have done more in terms of educating people, but we have even been sued for market manipulation, and all those have been proven wrong in court, officially. All of those legal cases have gone away by now. We have fought them all through. The evidence was clear. The engine worked as intended. If I put in an order that’s using up 100% of my collateral, and the market moves against me, then I am liquidated. That’s just how it works.”

He says that in the early days, people were new to the concept of futures, and that led to more liquidations. Fast-forward to today, and there has been a sweeping sophistication and institutionalization of the space, just like in traditional finance.

“It was the same in TradFi. All this equity trading became retail in the 80s, right? I mean, all this Wolf of Wall Street stuff. In the 10 years we have been in crypto, I would say, in terms of professionalization, we are maybe where the TradFi world was around the early 2000s or so, maybe a little bit earlier.”

Bridging TradFi and crypto with copy trading

BitMEX launched its new copy trading feature earlier this month, which Stephan describes as bridging the worlds of TradFi and crypto. In TradFi, he explains, users have many options to earn a passive income, such as exchange-traded funds, index trackers, and more.

“Why do people love ETFs? I mean, next to, hey, it’s efficient because you pay less fees than for active management. It’s copy trading basically.”

Copy trading enables users to benefit from the experience and success of professional traders and easily replicate their strategies.

“It just means, if Stephan does something, I want to have the same. It’s like in Harry and Sally, with the restaurant scene, I want to have the same, and those two, oh, this lady, right?” Why is that good? If you have traders who are good, and you open this up, there are two things. The copy followers actually learn something, because they will see what is traded when, and it’s like a passive investment. I just follow the lead of someone else.”

BitMEX’s copy trade feature enables users to emulate multiple traders at once, to not “put all your eggs in one basket,” and the call can be reversed as well: if you find a trader whose strategy you disagree with, you can set up your preferences to do exactly the opposite.

“So if a trader buys, for example, Ethereum, I sell Ethereum, and the other way around, and then you can calibrate by saying, I copy it by 100%, I copy it by, let’s say, something between 0 and 100%. So, calibrating your risk level. You really can pick and choose what is good for your risk level.”

Genius acts, institutional plays, and BitMEX’s next moves

As an Asia-based exchange, BitMEX has never catered to U.S. traders, but with a changing of the guard at the White House and a relaxation of rules surrounding crypto, is that likely to change in the future? What does Stephan think of the Trump administration and the latest moves to come out of Washington? He pauses for a moment before replying:

“I think the GENIUS Act was genius. They basically turned a competitive disaster, relative disaster, into a competitive advantage within a couple of days.”

So, is BitMEX actively exploring the U.S. market, then? He laughs:

“It depends on what you mean by ‘actively’. We are actively exploring what we would need to do to re-enter the U.S., which is, it would cost us the better part of 18 and 24 months to do that in a valid way, because you need to be on the ground, we are not.

You need to then start with the right license, and go state by state, it takes time… So we are looking at this, but don’t expect us to open up a BitMEX office in the next half year.”

What else is on the cards for BitMEX for the rest of 2025 and beyond? Stephan says he will be sharing news at TOKEN2049 in October, and I can’t help but wonder if there will be any news of a stateside expansion despite his coy denial.

In other plans, he says, BitMEX will roll out its institutional-grade custody solution, having recently moved its data centers from Dublin to Tokyo in a strategic move to cater to institutional traders. He explains:

“The majority of all the crypto exchanges outside of the U.S. run their data centers in Tokyo. I mean, no one knows that. Why it’s an institutional thing for the market makers in particular, it makes hedging between venues easier. It’s not creating new issues to trade, but we enhance efficiency for our institutional customers through this capital efficiency, so they need to deploy less capital.”

Standing on the shoulders of giants

We’ve gone way over time, and the sky behind Stephan is dusky and tinged with pink, but as we wrap up the interview, I have one more question. I’m dying to know what it’s like to follow in the footsteps of such an outspoken CEO, like Arthur Hayes.

He pauses for the longest time since we’ve been recording, and I fleetingly wonder if I’ve lost audio, before he carefully says:

“It’s good, it’s an honor, and it’s difficult.”

He says the “legacy is great,” and the name opens doors for him; even when he was a partner at PwC, he didn’t receive so much enthusiasm for getting in a room with him.

“When I was at PwC, and I called someone to pitch for my idea for a consulting project or whatever, it was like, hey, I’m Stephan, I’m the capital markets leader at PwC in Europe, and would you have time for me? And the answer never was a no. It might be, I only have time in eight weeks from now, which is a semi-no.”

He doesn’t have that problem now, but admits that it’s challenging at times because being the co-owner and CEO of a firm is not the same as being a CEO only. He can’t always execute as fast as he would like to or as decisively as his predecessor. Still, he smiles, he’ll take it anyway.

“The privilege is I can go to basically any person in this industry and say, ‘Can we have a chat?’ And usually I get one, which is a big help already in driving the business. I would say this is the privilege I was handed over.”

The post ‘I was always a rebel’: BitMEX CEO Stephan Lutz on leading crypto’s perpetual playground appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Ethereum co-founder and Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin just gave ETH bulls something to chew on. In a post on X, he applauded Fundstrat’s Tom Lee on his vision for the future of finance and the expanding role of Ethereum in traditional institutions.

“Yes, ETH will likely 100x from here. Probably much more.”

Joseph Lubin agrees; Wall Street will stake on Ethereum

As a blockchain pioneer, Joseph Lubin is best known as a co-founder of Ethereum and the founder and CEO of Consensys, the largest web3 software studio. Drawing on deep roots in finance as a former Goldman Sachs VP, Lubin has been instrumental in developing Ethereum as the preeminent platform for decentralized finance and smart contracts since 2014.

Responding to Tom Lee’s bullish outlook, Lubin predicts a seismic shift in global finance: Wall Street giants will soon run validators, operate L2s and L3s, and write smart contracts to move their business infrastructure onto Ethereum rails.

JPMorgan, for example, has used Ethereum-based technology for its permissioned blockchain projects for about a decade and is joined by Goldman Sachs, Onyx, and a growing roster of major banks launching stablecoin and DeFi initiatives on Ethereum.

Since June 2025, treasury companies, including Bitmine Immersion and Sharplink Gaming, have added 2.6% of all ETH in circulation to their reserves.

When combined with inflows to new ETH ETFs, institutional buyers account for nearly 5% of Ethereum’s supply so far this year. Sharplink and Bitmine now hold over $6 billion in ETH, setting industry benchmarks for corporate adoption.

And with the approval of multiple Ethereum ETFs, asset managers like BlackRock and VanEck have invested billions into ETH for their clients, marking a tipping point in its adoption as a primary digital asset for institutional treasuries.

Why Ethereum? ‘Decentralized trust’

VanEck’s CEO recently dubbed Ethereum “Wall Street’s token,” and Lubin argues that the transformative potential of Ethereum derives from “decentralized trust,” a quality Wall Street sorely needs.

As legacy institutions migrate from fragmented, siloed infrastructure to unified decentralized rails, staking ETH becomes both a technical and economic imperative:

“Nobody on the planet can currently fathom how large and fast a rigorously decentralized economy, saturated with hybrid human-machine intelligence, operating on decentralized Ethereum Trustware, can grow.”

In his view, not only will L2s and L3s drive more usage of the Ethereum base layer, but “ETH will likely 100x from here” and eventually “flippen the Bitcoin/BTC monetary base.”

September is Ethereum’s toughest month

Ethereum’s surging momentum doesn’t come without bumps in the road. September is historically Ethereum’s toughest month, averaging a -6.42% return since 2016.

The combination of a meteoric summer rally (up 76% year-to-date, nearly 25% in August) and seasonal trends may see a pullback in the month ahead, especially as macro sentiment, monetary policy, and profit-taking could weigh on prices.

Still, bullish fundamentals remain. Net ETH inflows from institutions, the steady climb in corporate treasury holdings, rising yields from staking (~3% APY), and ongoing upgrades all point to a stronger long-term outlook, as Lubin states:

“The one quibble that I have with what Tom has been saying, and I keep telling him this: he is not nearly bullish enough.”

The post Ethereum cofounder Joseph Lubin, ‘ETH will likely 100x from here’ appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bitcoin’s red month is almost here, and as we approach yet another September, is it inevitable that prices will dwindle? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons the ninth month of the year is historically bad for Bitcoin.

Why September is historically Bitcoin’s red month

Since 2013, September has proven to be a challenging month for Bitcoin, with losses in eight of the last 11 years. That could be because retail investors typically take profits after summer rallies or even crypto to cover their fall expenses, like tuition fees and tax planning.

Bitcoin’s red month may also be something of a self-fulfilling prophecy as traders expect red candles and act more defensively, pulling the market down further. Perspective here is important, as most September pullbacks have been modest.

The month typically marks a local bottom, after which Bitcoin often rebounds strongly into ‘Uptober’ as Q4 historically brings recovery and, in even massive rallies. In October 2020, for example, Bitcoin surged from around $10,800 at the start of the month to over $13,800 by the end, marking a gain of more than 27%.

August recap: all-time highs and whale sightings

August 2025 was dramatic by any measure. Bitcoin surged to an all-time high of $124,533 on August 14, only to tumble 11% to lows hovering around $110,000 just two weeks later.

Nearly $200 billion in market value evaporated, with a single event triggering the drop: a previously dormant whale that sold ~24,000 BTC, pushing the spot price below $109,000 and sparking the largest liquidation cascade of the year.

Almost $900 million in derivative positions were wiped out, 90% being bullish longs, with $150 million in BTC and $320M in ETH liquidated. Ethereum showed relative strength, remaining above its 100-day moving average even with an 8% decline.

The recent weakness wasn’t just about technicals or sentiment. Spot and derivatives market order books remained thin, so any major sell (like the whale dump) was enough to amplify price volatility.

Meanwhile, on-chain data in late August showed tepid activity and reduced inflows, further weakening bid support.

Macroeconomic uncertainty also continues to be a headwind. With the U.S. Federal Reserve’s September policy moves in focus, traders are pricing in both risk of erratic moves and potential for renewed optimism if macro signals, like a rate cut, turn favorable.

Preparing for September: scenarios and signals

Crypto trader Cas Abbé outlined three possible scenarios for Bitcoin as September approaches. In his primary “Range & Repair” scenario (40% probability), Bitcoin is expected to trade sideways between $110K and $120K for most of the month, as excess leverage is reduced and institutional investors gradually step in to accumulate. Such a consolidation would create a healthier base for a potential Q4 rally.

In the “Second Flush” case (35% probability), if Bitcoin drops below $110K, a further wave of liquidations could ensue, driving the price into the high $100Ks and erasing leftover leveraged positions. Historically, these kinds of corrections often precede a strong bottom.

Conversely, the “Quick Reclaim” scenario (25% probability) envisions institutions buying aggressively, enabling BTC to rapidly reclaim the $117K–$118K range and triggering an earlier return of bullish sentiment.

Throughout September, Abbé suggests traders closely monitor several on-chain and macro signals; notably, options market activity leading up to the September 27 expiry could offer valuable insights into positioning and sentiment.

Whether Bitcoin’s red month will turn green this year remains to be seen, but with thin liquidity, heightened volatility, and institutional buyers waiting in the wings, September may offer both risks and opportunities this year.

The post Bitcoin’s red month; why September still shapes the crypto cycle appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Dortmund Becomes Europe’s Tech Hotspot

From September 3–4, 2025, Signal Iduna Park—Germany’s largest stadium—will host the DACH region’s leading technology event: CONF3RENCE 2025. For two days, Dortmund will be the center of innovation, bringing together AI experts, blockchain pioneers, and Web3 builders.

More than 150 top speakers from companies and institutions such as IBM, Meta, Cardano, and the European Central Bank will share their insights on how deep technologies are reshaping finance, infrastructure, and the real economy.

Not Just Another Tech Event

CONF3RENCE 2025 is more than a typical conference. It is where regulators, enterprises, and innovators meet to discuss the real impact of Web3, AI, and DeepTech on society and industry.

With multiple stages, a large exhibition area, and curated networking spaces, the event is designed to foster meaningful exchange between global players, startups, and decision-makers.

Program Highlights

Attendees can look forward to:

• Keynotes & debates featuring global innovators and policymakers
• Exhibition & networking spaces showcasing the latest in AI and blockchain
• Exclusive afterparty & networking events
• Interactive stadium activations, including guided tours, a kicker tournament, and community giveaways

This mix of content and experience ensures that CONF3RENCE is as much about building connections as it is about sharing knowledge.

Final Call for Tickets

With just one week to go, now is the time to secure your spot.

🎟️ Get tickets here → conf3rence.com/tickets
💡 Use code CNFR30 for 30% off.

OKX Expands Onchain Access Across Europe

The onchain world was once intimidating—private keys, risky transfers, and complex yield strategies kept many users away. Now, OKX is changing that. With the launch of its Wallet and full onchain services in Europe, the exchange aims to make decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain applications more accessible than ever.

The New Money App

Positioned as more than just a wallet, the OKX Wallet is being introduced as “Europe’s New Money App.” It integrates advanced features such as:

• Deep liquidity and smart trading via a DEX aggregator sourcing the best routes from over 500 decentralized exchanges.
• Seamless connectivity with thousands of dApps, spanning DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and digital identity.
• Boost rewards, including pre-TGE tokens and competitions.
• Intelligence tools like Signal, Alpha Radar, and the Insights Hub to track whale activity, spot market trends, and follow liquidity shifts across 140+ blockchains.

Security and Self-Custody at the Core

At the heart of the OKX Wallet is the principle: your keys, your assets. The wallet is fully self-custodial, ensuring users maintain complete control over their holdings without relying on third-party custodians. Independent blockchain security leader CertiK has ranked it as one of the most trusted wallets worldwide, giving users additional confidence when storing tokens, NFTs, or interacting with dApps.

Intelligence Tools to Stay Ahead

The launch also highlights OKX’s emphasis on intelligence-driven tools. With Signal and Alpha Radar, users can track influential whale wallets and analyze their activity across multiple chains. The Insights Hub then compiles this information, surfacing the latest token launches, trending dApps, and liquidity shifts.

This combination allows traders not only to follow the market but to anticipate its next moves.

Smart Trading Infrastructure

Execution matters in fast-moving markets, and OKX Wallet integrates powerful trading features to give users an edge. The built-in DEX aggregator scans over 500 decentralized exchanges to provide optimal trading routes, balancing both speed and cost.

For more advanced strategies, Smart Account technology supports automation, enabling complex transactions to execute without constant oversight. With weekly trading volumes exceeding $2–3 billion, the infrastructure is already trusted by millions of users worldwide.

The Future of Finance, Now in Europe

Since 2021, OKX’s vision has been to bring the future of finance into the hands of everyday users. With the rollout of Wallet and onchain services across Europe, that vision is becoming reality.

👉 Explore the OKX Wallet and start your onchain journey

Why Trading Bots Matter

Crypto markets never sleep — but you do. That’s where trading bots come in. On OKX, one of the largest global crypto exchanges, bots let you automate your strategy 24/7. Whether you’re new to crypto or just tired of watching charts all night, bots can help you trade smarter, faster, and more consistently.

And right now, there’s a bonus: join the ongoing OKX Starter Exclusive campaign (16 Aug – 30 Sep 2025) and share in a massive 60,000 USDC prize pool simply by trading with bots.

What Are Trading Bots?

A trading bot is a software tool that executes trades automatically based on preset conditions. Instead of constantly monitoring the market, you let the bot do the work. Bots can:

• Place buy/sell orders at pre-set levels
• React instantly to price moves
• Manage multiple trading pairs simultaneously
• Remove the emotional stress from trading

In short, bots act like your personal crypto assistant — trading for you while you sleep, work, or travel.

Types of Bots on OKX

OKX offers a wide range of bot options designed for different strategies:

• Spot Grid Bot: Buy low, sell high within a price range. Great for volatile markets (try it with $ETH).
• Futures Grid Bot: Similar to spot grid but for futures markets, letting you profit from both rising and falling prices.
• DCA Bot (Dollar-Cost Averaging): Automates buying small amounts of crypto at regular intervals. Ideal for long-term investors in assets like $BTC.
• Infinity Grid Bot: Works without a fixed price range, letting you ride long upward trends.
• Copy Trading Bots: Follow the strategies of pro traders automatically.

Step-by-Step: How to Get Started in Bot Trading

1. Join the Campaign
   Click Join Now on the OKX campaign page to enter.
2. Trade Spot
   Complete simple spot trading tasks and earn 20 USDC.
3. Trade with Bots
   Automate your trades using OKX bots. Complete tasks to earn an additional 20 USDC.
4. Unlock Bonus Rewards
5. Be one of the top 3 users by trading volume to win limited-edition OKX merch.
6. Join the pool for a chance at an extra 10,000 USDC prize pool.

Why Use Bots on OKX?

• Free to Use: No extra fees for activating bots.
• Beginner-Friendly: Pre-built strategies with one-click setup.
• Pro Features: Advanced customization for experienced traders.
• Mobile First: Easily set up and monitor bots from the OKX mobile app.

And with the limited-time campaign running until 30 September 2025, there’s never been a better moment to try them.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever wanted to automate your crypto trades, now is the time. OKX bots make trading simple, efficient, and profitable — and the 60,000 USDC prize pool adds extra motivation to get started today.

👉 Sign up here to join OKX’s campaign and unlock your first rewards.

Shiba Inu’s price has spent most of August locked in a tight range, but the coming week could shake things up. With the August jobs report on deck, the Federal Reserve hinting at rate cuts, and earnings from AI heavyweights like Broadcom and Salesforce in focus, macro and market sentiment are set to collide. For SHIB, this mix of softer labor data, shifting monetary policy, and renewed risk appetite could determine whether the token breaks out of consolidation or slips back toward support.

Shiba Inu Price Prediction: Why jobs data and Fed policy matter for SHIB

The August jobs report is the centerpiece of this week’s market narrative. Weakening labor data has already nudged Jerome Powell and other Fed officials toward signaling rate cuts in September. For cryptocurrencies like Shiba Inu, rate cuts typically act as tailwinds since they reduce the yield appeal of traditional assets and push liquidity back toward risk markets.

The added layer here is political and regulatory uncertainty. A federal court ruling tied to Trump’s tariff strategy, plus delays on Fed governor cases, inject volatility into the macro backdrop. On top of this, the SEC is considering rules to fast-track crypto ETF approvals. Any move that hints at smoother institutional access could quickly lift sentiment around tokens like SHIB.

Corporate earnings: AI remains the driver

Earnings from Salesforce and Broadcom will keep AI in focus after Nvidia’s blockbuster results last week. While this doesn’t directly affect SHIB, investor appetite for growth and risk is influenced by how Wall Street views the AI trade. If AI stocks extend their leadership, crypto could benefit from the broader “risk-on” mood.

Shiba Inu Price Prediction: Tight consolidation before a decisive move

Looking at the chart, SHIB price is trading around 0.00001240 after weeks of sideways price action. Bollinger Bands are narrowing, pointing to reduced volatility and a potential breakout setup.

Resistance sits near 0.00001350, the mid-August high. A clear break above this level could open the path toward 0.00001600.

On the downside, Fibonacci levels around 0.00001195 and 0.00001100 act as support. A failure to hold these zones could send SHIB sliding toward 0.00001000.

The Heikin Ashi candles show indecision but lean slightly bullish, with buyers stepping in at the lower band.

This compression suggests SHIB price is coiling for a move that could align with macro catalysts like Friday’s jobs data or Fed commentary.

Prediction: SHIB poised for a macro-driven breakout

If the August jobs report confirms labor weakness and cements a September rate cut, $SHIB could rally toward the 0.00001400–0.00001600 range in the coming weeks. Pair that with positive AI-driven market sentiment and possible crypto ETF progress, and upside momentum strengthens.

However, if jobs data surprises to the upside and tempers Fed cut expectations, Shiba Inu price could retest 0.00001100 quickly. In short, the next big swing hinges on macro numbers—rate cuts likely fuel the next breakout, while strong labor data could delay it.

Crypto Gains Traction in Retirement Planning

Cryptocurrency is no longer viewed as just a speculative trade. Across the globe, more people are now considering digital assets as part of their retirement strategy. Surveys show that a significant portion of adults are open to allocating part of their pension savings to cryptocurrencies, while others are even willing to withdraw existing retirement funds to invest directly in Bitcoin and altcoins.

This shift highlights a growing belief that digital assets could play a role in long-term wealth accumulation, especially as inflation, debt crises, and shifting monetary policies reshape global financial markets.

Motivations: Higher Potential Returns

One of the strongest motivations behind this trend is the pursuit of higher potential returns. Many respondents in global surveys cited crypto’s growth potential as a key reason for considering it in retirement portfolios.

At the same time, the rise of government-backed pension funds, worth trillions worldwide, provides a huge pool of capital that could eventually flow into digital assets if adoption becomes mainstream.

Pension Withdrawals to Invest in Crypto

What’s particularly striking is that a sizable portion of individuals are considering taking funds out of traditional pension schemes altogether to allocate them into crypto. Among younger demographics, especially those aged 25–34, there is already evidence of people cashing out portions of their pensions to diversify into digital assets.

This trend underscores a generational divide: while older investors often prefer traditional pensions with tax benefits and employer contributions, younger investors are drawn to the higher risk-reward profile of crypto.

Growing Risks and Concerns

Despite the enthusiasm, concerns remain. Security risks such as hacking and phishing attacks rank among the top fears, alongside regulatory uncertainty and crypto’s notorious volatility. Many potential investors also admit they don’t fully understand what they might be giving up by moving away from traditional pension systems.

Banks and regulators have responded cautiously, with some financial institutions slowing or blocking crypto-related transactions. Meanwhile, governments are working on regulatory frameworks to balance innovation with investor protection.

A Global Shift in Retirement Investment

The trend isn’t isolated. In the U.S., new policies now allow retirement plans like 401(k)s to include Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, opening access to trillions in managed retirement funds. Europe and Asia are also exploring ways to integrate crypto into regulated financial products, suggesting that retirement planning is evolving on a global scale.

As Michele Golunska, Managing Director of Wealth and Advice at Aviva, has highlighted in past discussions: while crypto is appealing, traditional pensions still carry powerful advantages such as employer contributions and tax relief. The key will be finding the right balance between these two worlds.

September is stacked with big releases, headlined by Hollow Knight: Silksong, Silent Hill f, Borderlands 4, and more.

By the time President Trump’s second term is over, Blockstreet's Kyle Klemmer believes that USD1 will be the world’s dominant stablecoin.

A Florida man sentenced to 47 years in prison for orchestrating a string of violent home invasions got extra time for attacking a witness.

The fake ID marketplace VerifTools allegedly sold fake documents for as little as $9 in cryptocurrency, authorities said.

A new proposal from Ethereum and Google developers seeks to make the blockchain the bedrock of the AI agent economy.

Market exiting bullish phase and might not return to it for long time

Gemini is promoting its XRP product with a new billboard in the New York City

This week's crypto market: key points. Shiba Inu sees major golden cross. Peter Brandt names key level for Bitcoin. Ripple CEO flaunts new Gemini XRP card

Dogecoin potential golden cross in Bitcoin pair lifts bulls' optimism

Crucial safety alert issued as new scam targets Shiba Inu ecosystem tokens

The race for the next breakout digital asset is heating up, and one presale in particular is standing out. Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is already up 250% in its early rounds, and analysts are projecting extreme upside potential of 300x once the token lists. This is not financial advice; investing in crypto carries extremely high risk.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) will be a decentralized platform designed to bring fluidity and accessibility to lending and borrowing. By offering two primary modes—P2C (peer-to-contract) for more stable assets and P2P (peer-to-peer) for speculative tokens—Mutuum will accommodate a wide range of risk appetites while setting itself apart from traditional DeFi solutions.

Dual Lending Models Built for Growth

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) will combine stability with flexibility through its dual lending models. In the Peer-to-Contract (P2C) system, users deposit stablecoins into smart contract pools that automatically match funds with borrowers. Interest rates in this model adjust dynamically based on pool utilization, reflecting supply and demand. In the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) system, users lend speculative tokens directly to one another through a decentralized marketplace, setting their own terms and interest rates. This offers greater flexibility and higher potential returns for those prepared to accept additional risk.

For example, a P2C lender who deposits $20,000 USDT into the pool would receive mtUSDT 1:1. With pool utilization generating an 18% APY, that user could earn $3,600 annually. On the borrower side, posting $2,000 in ETH as collateral with a 70% loan-to-value ratio would allow borrowing up to $1,400. To protect both lenders and the protocol, all loans are overcollateralized and supported by a Stability Factor. If collateral falls below thresholds, liquidations occur at a discount, ensuring security and preventing systemic losses.

Presale Update — Phase 6 Status

The presale of Mutuum Finance (MUTM) has been drawing strong attention. The total supply is 4 billion tokens, and Phase 6 has already generated around $15.2 million. The current price stands at $0.035, with more than 15,900 holders on board. Of the 170 million tokens allocated for this stage, 30% is already sold.

Analysts are pointing out that the upcoming Phase 7 may increase the price by 15%, pushing it to $0.040. That means buyers at $0.035 are looking at a projected ~71.43% gain once the token lists at $0.06. And with a 300x target of $10.50, the upside math translates into gains above 29,000%. These crypto predictions are aggressive, but the confidence comes from unique growth catalysts that Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is preparing to unlock.

The beta launch of Phase 3 will introduce the working demo of the platform at the time of expected token live event, which is expected to drive user activity and increase staking demand. In addition, an expected Tier-1 CEX listing on exchanges such as Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, MEXC, or KuCoin will transform the token’s liquidity profile. In a bullish environment, the extreme 300x upside becomes a speculative but mathematically justified scenario.

Roadmap, Security, and Community Trust

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is structured across four phases, with a major part of Phase 1 already achieved. Security has been central to the rollout. The project is under CertiK review with Methods Manual Review and Static Analysis applied. The Token Scan Score stands at 95.00 and the CertiK Skynet Score at 78.00. The audit timeline was requested for 2/25/2025 and revised to 5/20/2025. Alongside technical due diligence, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is building social credibility with more than 12,000 followers on Twitter.

To incentivize transparency and safety, the team has announced a 50,000 USDT Bug Bounty, with rewards ranging from $200 for low-level issues to $2,000 for critical ones. The project will also conduct a $100,000 giveaway, where ten winners will each receive $10,000. This strategy ensures both developer accountability and investor enthusiasm.

The combination of security initiatives and clear growth pathways shows that Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is positioning itself as more than just another presale token. For those exploring investing in crypto, the mix of transparency, structured lending models, and a high-energy community may serve as convincing factors to participate before the presale closes.

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

Website: https://www.mutuum.com

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

The post What’s the Best Crypto to Buy for 300x ROI in Under 6 Months? Analysts Point to This $0.035 Presale Already Up 250% appeared first on Blockonomi.

ADA price struggles continue to captivate crypto watchers, even as an ambitious new altcoin shakes up the landscape. In the same breath where “ADA price” graces analysts’ charts, a rising project, Remittix, is steadily earning buzz for real utility and rapid momentum.

The broader market feels the pressure of ADA price inertia, yet here comes a fresh PayFi innovator gathering steam. With over $22.3 million raised and major centralized exchange listings confirmed, it may well be shaping the next wave of crypto’s utility-first tokens.

ADA Price: Cardano Holds Ground But Faces Resistance

Charts show that ADA price currently holds near support levels around $0.82. Forecasts suggest ADA could climb to the $1.04–$1.30 range by September, and in bullish scenarios, even touch $4 by year-end. Momentum depends heavily on ETF-driven flows, ecosystem upgrades, and investor sentiment.

On X, traders note ADA’s slow bounce from technical floors. Some expect modest moves toward $1.20–$1.50 if institutional demand rises, but most stress patience. ADA price remains fragile without fresh catalysts or major development news.

Remittix: A New PayFi Force Building Momentum

Within a crowded market, this emerging PayFi altcoin stands out; not out of hype, but because it’s built for real-world use. Remittix brings remarkable features to the table:

Remittix steps into the spotlight as a crypto with a purpose. It’s not just another altcoin, it’s a blockchain-based payments platform engineered for real transaction volume. It has raised north of $22.4 million, secured listings on major centralized exchanges like BitMart and LBank, and unveiled a beta wallet launching in Q3 2025.

What sets Remittix apart is its focus on actual utility. Compared with ADA’s slow infrastructure pace or Bitcoin’s speculative narratives, Remittix offers lower gas fees, real-world utility, and a vibrant community. It has been audited by CertiK, supports over 40 cryptocurrencies and 30 fiat currencies, and targets fast crypto-to-bank transfers.

What Makes Remittix Special

• Utility-first token powering real transaction volume
• Real-World Utility: Built for actual use — not just speculation
• Security First: Audited by CertiK, one of the top blockchain security firms
• Momentum is building ahead of wallet launch

Seize the Moment with Utility-Driven Crypto

As the market grapples with ADA price inertia and speculative moves in Bitcoin or XRP, Remittix shines as a best-in-class DeFi project with practical spendability and infrastructure to match. It is more than hype, it is poised to deliver real-world change.

With a $250,000 giveaway, imminent wallet release, and centralized exchanges in the pipeline, now is the moment to act. Don’t just watch. Join a low gas fee crypto revolution and position yourself in a token that promises more than noise; it promises utility, growth, and real impact.

Discover the future of PayFi with Remittix by checking out their project here:

Website: https://remittix.io

Socials: https://linktr.ee/remittix

$250, 000 Giveaway: https://gleam.io/competitions/nz84L-250000-remittix-giveaway

The post ADA Price Woes Continue As Remittix Hits $22.3 Million Raised And Announces Major CEX Listings appeared first on Blockonomi.

Crypto markets are buzzing again as traders look for the next big move heading into the final stretch of Q3. XRP and SEI have both sparked new discussions among analysts, but the real spotlight is starting to shift toward presales. MAGACOIN FINANCE has now become one of the most talked-about projects in that space, with investors rushing to grab final allocations before it lists.

XRP’s recent price swings have left traders split — some see a peak forming while others believe a bigger rally is loading. SEI, on the other hand, is showing signs of quiet strength after weeks of choppy trading. And then there’s MAGA, the presale project that’s pulling in a wave of new buyers thanks to forecasts that call for massive gains once it goes live on exchanges. It’s a moment where short-term traders and long-term investors are watching the same key setups.

XRP Price Outlook Still Bullish

XRP recently dropped from its July peak of $3.66 down to $2.72 before bouncing back toward $2.95. Traders are now asking the big question — was that the top or is another rally coming?

According to technical charts, XRP is trading within a symmetrical triangle. A close above price above $3 on the daily could position the push to $4. Analysts such as XForceGlobal claim that the structure resembles previous distribution phases that occurred in previous cycles. That is to say that XRP is possibly preparing a more vigorous breakout as opposed to a more drastic fall.

There are already some traders looking past $4 and targeting more toward 6 in case the breakout materializes. The areas of resistance near the price of $3.66 are still significant, yet generally, analysts indicate that the long-term outlook of XRP is positive.

SEI Building Toward a Bullish Break

SEI is holding steady near $0.29–$0.31 and showing signs of a new bullish setup. Analysts point to a triangle pattern that could break above $0.37 — a move that may target $0.44 next.

The token’s network activity is strong, with over 1 million daily addresses now active. While volume dipped about 20%, many traders see that as compression ahead of the next move.

Market watchers like Michaël van de Poppe suggest holding the $0.31 support could open the door to $0.60. Others highlight the $0.36–$0.37 zone as the key resistance that has to flip for bulls to take control. For now, SEI’s tight range shows the market is building pressure for its next breakout attempt.

MAGACOIN FINANCE Presale Drives FOMO

MAGACOIN FINANCE is driving one of the strongest FOMO surges of 2025 as its presale enters the final stages. Backed by dual audits from CertiK and HashEx, which confirmed its smart contract security and transparency, the project has gained trust in a market cautious of scams. Analysts now forecast up to 500x upside, making MAGA the breakout presale investors are rushing to secure before listings push prices higher.

Final Take

The market right now feels like it’s standing at a turning point. XRP traders are debating whether the breakout above $3 will finally send the coin toward $4 and beyond. SEI is building quiet strength around its key support, with traders looking for signs that a bigger run is just around the corner. Both are drawing heavy attention from active traders, but presale investors are moving differently — they’re locking in early bets before the rest of the market catches on.

That’s why MAGACOIN FINANCE is standing out. It’s not just another presale; it’s one that has already cleared major audits, gained the trust of cautious investors, and picked up analysts’ backing for potentially outsized returns. With final-stage buying now accelerating, the window to get in before listings is narrowing. For traders chasing setups and investors looking for the next breakout, MAGA is quickly becoming the project everyone is talking about.

To learn more about MAGACOIN FINANCE, visit:
Website: https://magacoinfinance.com
Access: https://magacoinfinance.com/access
Twitter/X: https://x.com/magacoinfinance
Telegram: https://t.me/magacoinfinance

The post Best Crypto Presale Today — XRP, SEI and a Breakout Project Drive Final-Stage FOMO Surge appeared first on Blockonomi.

Layer Brett (LBRETT) is being referred to by experts as the Best Crypto To Buy Now, comparing its ascent to that of the well-known Pepe coin. LBRETT is drawing interest from both investors and cryptocurrency enthusiasts with its distinctive fusion of meme culture and rapid development potential. Experts anticipate that LBRETT could outperform many well-known coins and provide substantial returns in the near future, as the market observes.

Pepe’s Potential for Gains

Pepe Coin has gotten the attention of the cryptocurrency community due to its meteoric growth. Analysts are, however, cautious as to whether Pepe could be the Best Crypto To Buy Now. Pepe Coin has demonstrated tremendous momentum with the 24-hour trading volume of more than 650 million and market capitalisation of more than 4 billion.

Technical analysis indicates that there is a possibility of a potential breakout and certain estimates suggest that there would be a 70% increase. However, it faces a risk too big due to the unsteadiness and dependency on meme culture. The speculative nature of Pepe Coin is to be contrasted with less speculative utility-based projects, like LBRETT, the ones that can expand the business and provide useful applications.

Layer Brett: Unlocking Crypto Potential

Layer Brett is a strong cryptocurrency that is based on Ethereum’s Layer 2, guaranteeing speed, affordability, and security. Experts consider it to be more than just buzz. With a current presale price of only $0.0053, this is a limited-time opportunity.

Early adopters are the ones who get to take advantage of the most advantageous entry points and can stake the most money. When it comes to staking returns, investors currently have access to an incredible 1,320% return. Investors think that LBRETT is the Best Crypto To Buy Now because of the continual incentive structure that it possesses.

An additional benefit of Layer Brett is that it integrates meme culture with practical blockchain applications. As part of the ecosystem, full Layer 2 scaling, non-fungible tokens, and gamified staking are included. More than that, those who take part in the ongoing presale will be eligible to win a reward worth around 1 million dollars.

Furthermore, investors have full ownership over their tokens because there are no intermediaries or systems for validating their identities. This allows investors to have complete control over their tokens. It is believed by some who are knowledgeable in the market that Layer Brett will emerge as the cryptocurrency that everyone needs prior to the industry seeing its subsequent substantial upheaval.

Final Thoughts

The Pepe coin is still widely used. At Layer Brett, however, the true thrill is intensifying. The usefulness is genuine, the staking incentives are substantial, and the presale price is rather inexpensive. According to experts, this level of excitement hasn’t been seen since Pepe’s early days.

You may have to watch others ride the next 200x wave while you fall behind if you don’t take action right away. Don’t delay. To guarantee a spot before the price skyrockets, purchase your Layer Brett tokens now and be part of the Best Crypto To Buy Now.

Don’t miss your chance to join the next top meme coin and stake for potentially life-changing rewards.

Website: https://layerbrett.com

Telegram: https://t.me/layerbrett

X: (1) Layer Brett (@LayerBrett) / X

The post Best Crypto To Buy Now: The Market Hasn’t Seen A Meme Coin Like This Since Pepe – Say Experts appeared first on Blockonomi.

Crypto attention is split today between Chainlink price strength, fresh Dogecoin price headlines, and a viral PayFi pick in Remittix. If you are hunting the best new altcoin or the top crypto to buy now, this quick read covers the key levels, real news, and why some traders are rotating toward Remittix, a PayFi project that focuses on real payments.

Chainlink price: fresh catalyst and key levels to watch

The Chainlink price is hovering in the low-$20s as traders digest a major headline. The U.S. Department of Commerce is working with Chainlink to bring BEA macroeconomic data like GDP and PCE on-chain, a move that could deepen DeFi use cases and institutional adoption. Chainlink confirmed the program, and early feeds are live across multiple networks.

Source: CMC analysts

On market stats, CMC’s analytics show recent softness after a push toward resistance, but momentum can flip quickly if buyers reclaim the mid-$20s. The chainlink price narrative now ties directly to on-chain data utility, which is why many analysts think higher ranges are possible if $26.60 breaks with volume.

For strategy, watch how the chainlink price reacts near support around the low-$20s and whether news-driven demand lifts liquidity on majors. If the chainlink price clears near-term resistance, it can pull other oracle-linked narratives with it.

Dogecoin: setup, ranges, and a new treasury story

Source: Tradingview

Dogecoin price is trying to steady near $0.21 after buyers defended support, yet repeated rejections at the moving averages keep it inside a $0.21–$0.26 range. A decisive close under $0.21 risks $0.19, even $0.16. A push and hold back above those averages would keep the range intact for longer.

News-wise, reports say Elon Musk’s attorney Alex Spiro will chair a public company aiming to raise about $200M for a Dogecoin treasury. Volume spiked on the headline, and traders are watching for a triangle break that could spark a 30% move. Timing remains uncertain, so risk management around the Dogecoin price range matters.

Remittix (rtx): the PayFi pick many call the next big crypto launch

Remittix focuses on fast, low-fee crypto-to-bank transfers, positioning itself as a crypto solving real-world problems. The team says over $22.4M has been raised with 630M+ tokens sold at $0.1000, and the first CEX is confirmed at BitMart. The next listing shown on Remittix’s socials is LBank, and the wallet beta goes live on September 15, 2025.

Why some investors buy rtx token 

• BitMart listing confirmed, boosting near-term liquidity.
• Next CEX spotlighted LBank, adding a second venue for price discovery.
• Wallet beta is dated for Sept 15, a concrete catalyst for user growth.
• PayFi rails are built for global payouts, a low gas fee crypto angle that speaks to utility.
• Cross-network support aligns with the cross-chain defi project theme funds seek.

Beyond catalysts, Remittix aims to serve freelancers and businesses who need quick, transparent payouts. That story fits rotating flows into best crypto to buy now lists, especially for holders hunting the fastest-growing crypto 2025 ideas and layer 2 Ethereum alternative-style payment efficiency without the jargon. As a DeFi project, it offers a simple pitch: send value, settle cleanly, and keep fees low.

Quick take

If the Chainlink price breaks higher on adoption and the Dogecoin price holds its floor, majors can grind up. But the strongest buzz right now sits with utility plays. RTX mixes clear catalysts with product delivery, which is why it keeps showing up on “next big crypto launch” shortlists. For balanced exposure, many traders pair a large-cap like LINK or DOGE with a focused PayFi bet like Remittix.

Discover the future of PayFi with Remittix:

Website: https://remittix.io

Socials: https://linktr.ee/remittix

$250K Giveaway: https://gleam.io/competitions/nz84L-250000-remittix-giveaway

The post Chainlink Price; Dogecoin Latest News & Everything You Need To Know About Viral Altcoin Remtitix appeared first on Blockonomi.

Cryptocurrency trading in Iran has slowed dramatically in 2025. A mix of geopolitical tensions, cyberattacks, and stricter regulations has rattled the previously booming market.

According to blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs, total cryptocurrency inflows into Iran from January through July 2025 reached roughly $3.7 billion, an 11% decline from the same period in 2024.

The contraction was particularly pronounced after April, as June inflows plunged more than 50% year-over-year. This was followed by an even steeper drop of over 76% in July.

Hack, War, and Wallet Freezes

Several geopolitical and security events weighed heavily on Iranian crypto markets, such as stalled nuclear talks with Israel, the outbreak of an armed conflict in June, a $90 million breach at Nobitex, and Tether’s blacklisting of an important Iranian-linked stablecoin address.

According to the TRM report, these shocks together shifted trader behavior, prompting capital outflows to overseas exchanges and increased use of alternative blockchains and stablecoins.

Despite the turbulence, Nobitex maintained its central role in Iran’s crypto ecosystem and handled more than 87% of all Iranian-linked transaction volume in 2025. Of the over $3 billion processed through the platform, approximately $2 billion moved via the Tron network, with heavy use of TRC-20 USDT and TRX.

This concentration offered efficiency for users but also amplified systemic risk, as demonstrated when the Predatory Sparrow group exploited vulnerabilities in Nobitex’s infrastructure during the height of the Iran-Israel hostilities.

Dual Priorities

The $90 million hack froze liquidity, slowed transaction processing, and temporarily pushed users toward smaller or higher-risk platforms, revealing not only operational weaknesses but also the regime’s “dual priorities” of enabling warrantless surveillance while maintaining selective privacy for VIP users. TRM Labs traced on-chain activity to IRGC-linked actors and sanctioned entities such as Gaza Now, underscoring the political dimensions of the attack.

The geopolitical escalation in June accelerated capital flight from domestic exchanges, as seen with the surge in outflows from Nobitex by more than 150% in the week leading up to the conflict, often moving to global exchanges with limited Know Your Customer (KYC) measures or to high-risk, no-KYC platforms.

The exodus was exacerbated in July when Tether froze 42 Iranian-linked addresses, many of which were tied to Nobitex and an IRGC-affiliated actor. The freeze disrupted longstanding transactional flows, which led Iranian users to move to alternative stablecoins such as DAI on the Polygon network.

Domestic influencers, government-aligned channels, and exchanges actively encouraged this migration, demonstrating both the adaptability of participants and the regime’s use of digital assets to bypass sanctions.

Meanwhile, Iran’s domestic regulatory environment continued to shift, with the Law on Taxation of Speculation and Profiteering enacted in August 2025, which imposed capital gains tax on crypto trading. While phased implementation is expected, the measure points to Tehran’s intent to formally regulate digital asset markets by bringing cryptocurrencies alongside gold, real estate, and forex in the regime’s tax framework.

Beyond capital markets, crypto remains a critical tool for Iran in procurement and sanctions evasion. Chinese resellers, for instance, supply drone components, AI hardware, and electrical equipment through crypto transactions, and a sophisticated underground KYC bypass industry supports these operations by providing forged identification documents for onboarding to international exchanges.

The post Geopolitical Chaos Sends Iranian Crypto Flows Plummeting by Over 76% appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The blockchain behind the XRP cryptocurrency – XRPL – finished the second quarter of 2025 at a record RWA market cap of $131.6 million. Messari’s data revealed that the growth was fueled by newly issued assets announced at XRPL Apex in Singapore.

Some of the most important additions included Ondo’s OUSG tokenized treasury fund, Guggenheim’s digital commercial paper, and Ctrl Alt’s tokenized real estate.

XRP Ledger Sees Mixed Quarter

The surge in real-world assets on XRPL set the stage for broader network activity, but despite these high-profile launches, daily engagement metrics highlighted a contrasting slowdown.

In the second quarter, most network metrics showed declines, but the notable exception was total addresses, which grew 4% quarter-on-quarter from 6.3 million to 6.5 million. Average daily active addresses fell sharply by 41.2% to 75,200, while total new addresses dropped 46.2% to 305,800, as the network witnessed a reduced engagement from both new and existing users.

Despite this quarterly slowdown, year-over-year figures remain strong, with average daily active addresses up 165.5% and new addresses increasing 219.8%. Average daily transactions on the network also declined 20% in Q2, recording 1.6 million.

The stablecoin metrics, on the other hand, stayed strong. At the end of Q2, RLUSD, Ripple’s USD-backed stablecoin, reached a market cap of $65.9 million on the XRPL. This figure represented more than a 49% increase quarter-on-quarter as RLUSD cemented its position as the largest stablecoin on the network.

Other launches during the same period included Circle’s USDC, Braza Group’s USDB, Schuman Financial’s EURØP, and StratsX’s XSGD, which has expanded the XRPL stablecoin ecosystem.

Meanwhile, NFT activity on the network staged a strong recovery in Q2 as daily average total transactions climbed 226.9% from 15,400 to 50,400. The primary driver was a tenfold jump in NFT minting, which rose from 3,400 to 37,800 per day, while other NFT transaction types remained mostly unchanged.

Interestingly, NFTokenMint reemerged as the dominant transaction type after a quieter Q1 2025, similar to its surge in Q4 2024. By quarter-end, the XLS-20 standard accounted for nearly 13.5 million minted NFTs, including 3.4 million from Q2 2023, 1.8 million from Q4 2024, and 3.4 million from Q4 2023.

XRP’s Jaw-Dropping Upside Potential

Its native token, XRP, fell below the crucial level of $3 after a minor slump of 1.51% over the past day. Despite the setback, a new regression model has sparked speculation that the altcoin could one day reach $200.

Analyst EGRAG CRYPTO applied a linear regression on a logarithmic scale, noting an R-squared value of 0.84754, which indicated strong historical correlation. The model outlines three potential outcomes: $18, $27, or a dramatic $200 overshoot, depending on XRP’s interaction with its historical price channel.

The post XRP Ledger Hits Record RWA Market Cap as Big Players Join the Blockchain Boom appeared first on CryptoPotato.

In less than a year, Hyperliquid captured nearly 10% of BTC and ETH perp volume. It has even surpassed DeFi rivals and is now challenging CEXs.

Despite unmatched growth and revenues, HYPE trades at deep discounts to Solana and Ethereum, which has sparked debate over whether it’s severely undervalued.

HYPE: The Underdog?

Hyperliquid brought in $409 million in user fees in the last six months. This accounts for 23% more than Ethereum and 75% more than Solana. Yet, its token HYPE trades at an 88% discount to ETH and a 62% discount to SOL on a fully diluted basis.

Experts at “The DeFi Report” point to a combination of product strength, unique tokenomics, and growing market share as reasons the gap may not hold for long.

Unlike many crypto projects, Hyperliquid launched without venture capital involvement, excluding VCs and angels from the token allocation. Instead, it distributed 31% of the supply to early users at genesis, worth $1.2 billion at the time and now valued at $4.7 billion. The move turned traders into stakeholders and avoided the selling pressure typically caused by VC unlock cycles.

In addition, the project set aside a 6% foundation budget to fund operations and directed user fees into an Assistance Fund that buys HYPE from the open market. This reduces token float and supports price discovery.

Hyperliquid’s core product is a high-throughput, on-chain central limit order book offering perpetuals and spot trading. It provides sub-second block times, low fees, and a self-custody trading experience. Such a system replicates the feel of a centralized exchange but with DeFi transparency.

Trading activity is at an all-time high, with daily volumes of $10-$20 billion and $13 billion in open interest across assets, giving the platform roughly 9-11% of global BTC and ETH perps volume. Hyperliquid generated $107 million in fees in the last 30 days, which is well above Solana’s $40 million and Ethereum’s $67 million.

Nearly all revenue is funneled into token buybacks. The report found that in July alone, $92.2 million in fees led to $90.2 million of HYPE being repurchased. Analysts say this creates a form of “buyback yield” that accrues directly to holders, unlike traditional fintech or tech valuations where revenues sit with companies.

Expansion has also played a role in the project’s growing profile. Hyperliquid has moved beyond being just a perpetuals DEX into developing its own Layer 1 ecosystem. For instance, its HyperEVM allows developers to build against deep liquidity on the protocol’s order books without needing to run their own exchanges. This strategy, combined with integrations across wallets such as Phantom, Rabby, and Rainbow, as well as lending and bridging products like Hyperlend and Unit Protocol, has widened its reach and strengthened network effects.

On an annualized basis, Hyperliquid has processed $1.95 trillion in volume, more than its decentralized competitors combined. Its BTC and ETH open interest represents 32% of CME’s and 7.6% of the total across both crypto-native exchanges and CME.

Mounting Risks

Risks remain, especially with growing competition from Coinbase and Robinhood, reliance on a small validator set, and questions about sustainability, given that a relatively small number of active traders generate most of the revenues.

Even so, with HYPE trading at a $48 billion fully diluted valuation and $16 billion in circulating supply, analysts note that its buyback-driven model and market penetration suggest the token remains undervalued compared to Solana and Ethereum.

The post Hyperliquid Outpaces Ethereum and Solana in Revenues – But HYPE Trades at a Massive Discount appeared first on CryptoPotato.

TL;DR

• The team behind Pi Network introduced a new update just a few days ago that many users had wanted for years – support for Linux.
• Here’s why the Core Team believes it could be a game-changer, at least for those opting to use the alternative OS.

Why the Linux Addition Matters?

As CryptoPotato reported at the end of last week, the Pi ecosystem has expanded its OS capabilities beyond Windows and Mac with the release of its Linux Node software. The move aims to enhance the project’s decentralized backbone, as the team is also preparing for a major protocol upgrade from version 19 to 23.

Obviously, the introduction of a third OS alternative allows for greater flexibility for developers and partners. Until now, many of them had to rely on custom node builds to work with Pi’s infrastructure. Now, they can migrate to standardized node software, which should ensure faster maintenance, smoother protocol updates, and overall network consistency.

For the tech-savvy, the Linux Node allows greater participation in the ecosystem, even though it’s not directly linked to mining rewards. It still provides broader accessibility for devs and open-source contributors who prefer such environments.

The aforementioned upgrade from version 19 to 23 is considered the most ambitious one for the protocol yet. It’s influenced by Stellar and aims to bring expanded functionality and improved control layers. Its rollout will be staged in a few steps to minimize disruption:

1. Testnet1 upgrades begin this week, with minor outages possible as the new community node container is deployed.
2. Testnet2 and Mainnet will follow in the coming weeks, bringing the full ecosystem to protocol version 23.
3. Short outages may also affect centralized exchanges (CEXs) as they adapt to the upgrade.

This upgrade also aims to address some of the KYC issues with the project, but we will dedicate a separate article on this, as there has already been community backlash or doubts, to say the least.

PI Token Reacts

Perhaps driven by these positive developments within the broader Pi ecosystem, the protocol’s native token is among the few that ended the week in the green. Unlike most of its altcoin brethren, PI has jumped by over 5% since this time last week and trades close to $0.37 as of press time.

Recall that the asset plunged to a new all-time low on August 26 of $0.33 (on CoinGecko) but has recovered 10% of value since then. However, it could face some enhanced selling pressure in the following days due to the large number of token unlocks scheduled for September 2 and September 6. After that, though, the unlocks should reduce the pressure, at least in theory.

The post Pi Network’s Latest Update Explained – And Why It’s a Big Deal appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin has slipped beneath several important support levels after setting a new all-time high earlier this month. Given the current market setup, the short-term outlook points toward a higher chance of further downside.

By Shayan

The Daily Chart

On the daily timeframe, the market has been steadily moving lower, breaking beneath the major descending channel, the $110K support area, and the 100-day moving average that aligned with it.

Losing these critical levels increases the likelihood of a deeper decline, with the next downside targets sitting around the $104K fair value gap or even the 200-day moving average near the psychological $100K zone.

Since the RSI is also holding below 50, momentum clearly favors the bears, making continued downside the most probable outcome.

The 4-Hour Chart

On the 4-hour chart, the market is in a clear downtrend, forming consistent lower highs and lows within a tight descending channel. The $117K and $110K supports have both been broken decisively and retested, pointing toward the fair value gap around $104K as the next likely target.

The RSI is sitting below 50, reinforcing bearish momentum, while the price is edging closer to the Fibonacci golden zone. The lower boundary of this zone, at the 78.6% retracement level, aligns with the $104K fair value gap, making it a strong target and potential rebound area. How the market reacts to this level will be critical in shaping the direction for the weeks ahead.

Onchain Analysis

Exchange Reserves

This chart illustrates Bitcoin’s exchange reserves and its price. The purple line shows the reserves held across all exchanges, while the white line tracks the USD price of Bitcoin. What stands out is the persistent decline in exchange reserves since the beginning of 2024, which has continued to this day.

This means fewer units are being held on exchanges, a sign that investors and institutions are withdrawing their BTC to cold storage rather than keeping them ready for sale. In other words, the circulating supply available for immediate trading is shrinking.

From a supply and demand perspective, this trend is highly significant. As exchange reserves drop, the supply of Bitcoin that can be quickly sold on the market becomes tighter.

If demand holds steady or increases, this imbalance supports higher prices over the long run, as we’ve seen with Bitcoin pushing to new all-time highs. However, short-term price corrections like the recent pullback are still possible when demand weakens or when macroeconomic conditions shift.

The post Bitcoin Price Analysis: Is BTC Set to Break Down Below $100K? appeared first on CryptoPotato.