TL;DR — This Week in Web3

• Bitcoin & Ethereum crash triggers $1.1B in liquidations.

• Jack Dorsey backs decentralized GitHub — censorship resistance FTW.

• Ethereum Foundation invests $16M into DeFi, farming yield onchain.

• Japan moves to ban insider trading in crypto by 2026.

• Bitwise launches first Solana ETF (BSOL) with staking rewards.

• Coinbase and Riot both report massive Q3 profits — the bulls aren’t gone yet.

Bitcoin & Ethereum Bulls Get Rekt — $1.1B in Liquidations Rock the Market

Welp, Uptober just ended with a bang (and not the good kind).
Bitcoin nuked below $108K, wiping out most of its monthly gains, while Ethereum and Solana both tanked over 5%.

This bloodbath triggered $1.1B in futures liquidations, with $500M in BTC and $250M in ETH longs wiped out.
The market spiral came right after President Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping and Fed Chair Powell’s cold reminder that no more rate cuts are coming this year.

Trader sentiment? Shaky. Fear? Rising.
But remember — every rekt candle is just another chapter in the crypto rollercoaster

Jack Dorsey Says “Yes” to a Decentralized GitHub

jack

@jack

yes.

Rhys

@RhysSullivan

We should create some form of distributed version control system so this can’t happen

1,318

8:00 PM • Oct 15, 2025

In classic Dorsey fashion, one word lit up the dev world this week — “Yes.”
After multiple dev accounts got suspended on GitHub, Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter and creator of BitChat and White Noise) backed a blockchain-based GitHub alternative.

His tweet — short but spicy — sparked major chatter across X. While Git itself is decentralized, most developers rely on centralized hubs for convenience.
Dorsey’s nod could hint at his next big Web3 move — building censorship-resistant tools for open-source coders.

One thing’s clear: the man’s still pushing hard for a truly decentralized internet.

Ethereum Foundation Goes Full DeFi Mode with $16M Morpho Move

The Ethereum Foundation (EF) just made a major play — allocating 2,400 ETH (~$9.6M) and $6M in stablecoins into Morpho’s yield vaults.

This marks EF’s first big step into onchain treasury management, aiming to earn passive yield while supporting DeFi protocols like Morpho, Compound, and Spark.

After facing heat for its ETH sell-offs earlier this year, EF’s strategy is now all about transparency, sustainability, and keeping a 2.5-year runway.
TL;DR — the Ethereum Foundation is putting its money where the blockchain is.

Japan Tightens the Screws — Insider Trading Ban Incoming

Japan’s regulators are going full TradFi on crypto.
The FSA and SESC announced plans to ban insider trading in crypto markets by 2026, targeting leaks on upcoming listings and security vulnerabilities.

The goal? Fairer, more transparent trading and a big boost to investor trust.
And with Sanae Takaichi (a known blockchain supporter) likely stepping in as Prime Minister, Japan could soon become both the most regulated and most crypto-forward nation in Asia.

Konnichiwa, compliance

Bitwise Launches First Spot Solana ETF — Wall Street Goes SOL

Massive news for Solana stans — Bitwise just dropped the first-ever U.S. spot Solana ETF (ticker: BSOL) on the New York Stock Exchange!

Managed by Helius Technologies, the ETF even includes on-chain staking rewards (~7% annually) — yes, Wall Street is literally earning yield onchain.

This debut happened amid a U.S. government shutdown, which ironically fast-tracked several crypto ETF approvals.
Analysts say this move cements Solana’s institutional status and might spark a new wave of single-asset crypto ETFs.

SOLid move, Bitwise. 🪙

Coinbase & Riot Crush Q3 — Billions Flow into Bitcoin

Coinbase just dropped monster Q3 numbers —
$1.9B revenue (up 58% YoY) and $433M profit, plus they bought 2,772 BTC this quarter alone.
The exchange is also scaling Base, its Layer-2 chain, and exploring tokenized assets next.

Meanwhile, Riot Platforms flexed a $104.5M profit after mining 1,406 BTC, bringing its stash to 19,287 BTC ($2.2B).
Riot’s expansion into Corsicana, Texas means one thing — the Bitcoin miners are very much alive and thriving.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week's edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!

TL;DR — This Week in a Nutshell

• Coinbase bets big on onchain fundraising with $375M Echo buy.

• Farcaster + Clanker = AI-powered memecoin season on Base.

• Jupiter bags $46M Q3 revenue, evolves into Solana’s superapp.

• Nine Casascius coins opened — 9.5 BTC reenters the market.

• SpaceX quietly moves $257M BTC — speculation rises again.

• Hyperliquid HYPE mooning — Wall Street joins the DeFi game.

Coinbase Buys Echo for $375M — Doubling Down on Onchain Fundraising

Coinbase 🛡️

@coinbase

Bringing back Up Only was just the warm up.

We’ve acquired @echodotxyz, the leading onchain capital raising platform.

→ Joining builders with community capital
→ Giving investors access to new opportunities
→ Growing economic freedom worldwide

4,310

3:41 PM • Oct 21, 2025

So Coinbase just made its eighth acquisition of 2025, grabbing Echo, the onchain fundraising platform founded by Cobie (yep, the same Cobie from Crypto Twitter ).

Echo’s Sonar tool lets startups raise capital directly from their communities — no VCs, no middlemen, just onchain transparency. Coinbase plans to integrate it across their ecosystem, expanding from token launches to tokenized securities and RWAs.

With over $200M raised across 300+ projects, this move makes one thing clear — Coinbase wants to become the Nasdaq of Web3 capital formation.

Farcaster Buys Clanker — AI + Memecoins = Base Explosion

Farcaster just pulled a power move — acquiring Clanker, the viral AI bot behind instant memecoin launches on Base.

How it works? Tag @Clanker, mint a token. Boom — instant ERC-20.
This acquisition included a $2.57M token burn, LP locks, and tight liquidity, signaling long-term conviction.

Memecoins like $LUM, $ANON, and $RUNNER already saw $59.8M in daily volume, and with this move, Farcaster becomes the heart of the AI + SocialFi revolution on Base.

Jupiter Earns $46M in Q3 — Solana’s Superapp is Here

Solana’s favorite DEX aggregator, Jupiter, just reported $46M in Q3 revenues — powered by the meme coin mania and perpetual trading boom.

With 8.4M active wallets and $176B in spot volume, Jupiter isn’t just a DEX anymore — it’s evolving into a Solana superapp.
They’ve added lending, a token launchpad, and even validator services.

Only catch? The JUP token is lagging at $0.35, dragged by token unlocks. But fundamentals say otherwise — this Solana beast isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

🪙 Nine Casascius Coins Unsealed — 9.5 BTC Back in Circulation

Blast from the past: Nine Casascius coins — physical Bitcoin collectibles — were opened this week, releasing 9.5 BTC from wallets dating back to 2013.

Fun fact: there are still 38,000 BTC locked in unopened coins worth $4B+.
These openings hint at OG whales reawakening as Bitcoin holds above $109K — a nostalgic reminder that some early holders are finally cashing in.

SpaceX Moves $257M in Bitcoin — Musk’s Crypto Play Resurfaces

Elon Musk’s SpaceX just shifted $257M in Bitcoin across two wallets — their second big BTC transfer in three months.

No sales confirmed yet, but the timing is sus — NASA just opened its moon lander contract to competitors like Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin, putting pressure on SpaceX.

Musk’s crypto strategy remains a mystery, but one thing’s for sure — SpaceX still HODLs big while Bitcoin trades above $110K.

Hyperliquid’s HYPE Pumps 7% as Wall Street Steps In

While most of the market was chilling in red, Hyperliquid’s HYPE token went the other way — up 7%.

Why? A Nasdaq-listed biotech firm, Sonnet BioTherapeutics, just announced an $888M reverse merger to form Hyperliquid Strategies Inc., which will hold $583M in HYPE and has a $1B fund for more.

That’s institutional money eyeing a DeFi DEX — something we don’t see every day.
Looks like Wall Street finally wants a piece of onchain action.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week's edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!

TL;DR — This Week in Web3 🪩

• Miners panic-sell $5.6B BTC, Bitcoin drops below $108K

• Jack Dorsey wants Bitcoin payments on Signal

• Ethereum Foundation goes full DeFi with Morpho vaults

• Coinbase bets big on India via CoinDCX

• Dormant Lubian wallet moves 9,756 BTC after 2.5 years

• Celsius wins $299.5M from Tether after long legal war

Bitcoin Crashes Below $108K Amid Miner Sell-Off

Yep… we’re in the “miner pain” phase again.
Bitcoin dipped under $108,000 after miners dumped a whopping 51,000 BTC ($5.6B) on Binance.
Why the panic sell? Post-halving revenue cuts + low fees = broke miners.

And just to add more chaos — Paxos glitched, minting $300 trillion PYUSD (yes, trillion ).
Meanwhile, BlackRock quietly revamped its liquidity fund to comply with new stablecoin rules.

Jack Dorsey Wants Bitcoin on Signal

Jack Dorsey’s at it again — this time, backing a “Bitcoin for Signal” campaign.
He and a bunch of Bitcoin devs are urging the encrypted chat app to integrate BTC payments via the Cashu protocol — a privacy-first eCash system.

Why? To help Signal stay independent and self-sustaining.
But here’s the twist — some privacy advocates aren’t impressed
They argue that Bitcoin’s transparent ledger might actually hurt privacy, suggesting Monero or Zcash instead.

If Signal pulls this off, 70 million users could soon be sending sats as easily as emojis

Ethereum Foundation Goes DeFi-Mode

The Ethereum Foundation (EF) is making its treasury work harder — deploying 2,400 ETH (~$9.6M) and $6M in stables into Morpho’s yield-bearing vaults.

After facing criticism for frequent ETH sales, this move signals a shift toward DeFi sustainability.
EF now holds $820M+ in assets, aiming to fund development through staking, lending, and RWA strategies — all via audited, permissionless protocols.

Coinbase Doubles Down on India

Sumit Gupta (CoinDCX)

@smtgpt

Fueling the Next Phase of Growth

I am excited to share that @Coinbase has entered into an agreement to make an investment in @CoinDCX (closing subject to regulatory approvals) valuing us at $2.45B post-money.

But this isn't just about capital, it is about conviction in our

1,089

6:41 AM • Oct 15, 2025

Big moves from Coinbase — they’ve boosted their investment in CoinDCX, valuing India’s top exchange at $2.45B.

Why India?
Because Coinbase sees it (and the Middle East) as “key drivers of the global on-chain economy.”

CoinDCX — now boasting 20M+ users — plans to push Web3 education, security, and user adoption.
All this just months after a $44M hack, followed by an $11M bounty recovery program.
From rekt to resilient — a true Indian comeback story

Dormant Bitcoin Whale Awakens

After 2.5 years of silence, a Lubian mining pool wallet just moved 9,756 BTC (~$1B).
That’s right — coins untouched since early 2023 suddenly found new homes.

Speculators went wild — is it a hack, a dump, or a government move?
Turns out, U.S. authorities have claimed other Lubian-linked hacked coins, but not these.
Analysts believe this was a “precautionary rekey” — securing coins tied to weak private keys.

Translation: No, the whale’s not dumping (yet).

Celsius Finally Gets Justice — $299.5M From Tether

After three years in court, Celsius Network has won a $299.5M settlement from Tether.
That’s only 7% of the $4.3B they demanded, but it closes one of crypto’s most bitter bankruptcy sagas.

Judge Martin Glenn approved the deal, and Tether’s Paolo Ardoino called it a “final resolution.”
This also marks a clean slate for the Blockchain Recovery Investment Consortium (BRIC), which handled the case.

Meanwhile, former CEO Alex Mashinsky is serving 12 years in prison for fraud — poetic justice, anyone?

MEME OF THE WEEK

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week's edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Rebase)

• 🪙 Bitcoin dips as gold and stocks set fresh records.

• CZ nukes the BNB memecoin season with Meme Rush confusion.

• Ethereum Foundation launches a 47-member privacy cluster ahead of Kohaku SDK.

• Monad airdrop portal drops Tuesday — eyes peeled!

• Luxembourg becomes the first Eurozone nation to invest in Bitcoin ETFs.

Bitcoin Cools Off as Gold and Stocks Hit New Highs

Bitcoin took a quick breather, dipping below $121K, while gold and U.S. stocks hit fresh all-time highs.

Gold’s up 53% YTD, while Bitcoin’s sitting at +29% — not bad, but the OG crypto is lagging behind the shiny metal for now.

Analysts say the market’s just consolidating after a massive run-up. The Fed’s silence didn’t help either — Powell spoke but said nothing new about rates. Still, it’s Uptober, and BTC could easily rebound toward that $125K mark soon.

CZ Ends BNB Memecoin Mania

KashKysh ❄️

@KashKysh

CZ probably just cooked this entire BSC szn with that new Launchpad announcement

Most BNB coins are dumping hard, and people are waking up to bags getting absolutely nuked.

Every time we’re finally having fun on BNB, CZ pulls some weird stuff like Broccoli

Net negative for BNB

703

3:12 PM • Oct 9, 2025

BNB memecoin traders are in shambles this week — and they’ve found their villain: Changpeng Zhao (CZ) himself.

Right after Binance announced Meme Rush, a new memecoin launchpad that gives KYC users early access, chaos hit the BNB memecoin market. Prices dumped, traders panicked, and timelines turned red.

CZ claims, “I just tweet normally.” But the market doesn’t think so — one tweet from CZ can literally nuke a whole trading season. With BNB hitting new ATHs and tools like Binance Alpha 2.0 fueling speculation, this week showed just how influential the Binance founder still is.

Ethereum Foundation Doubles Down on Privacy

vitalik.eth

@VitalikButerin

Kohaku code and roadmap

Full-stack privacy and security are first-class priorities in Ethereum.

Nico

@ncsgy

8/ We aim to have a demo ready by @EFDevcon !

Our code is free for all to use, worldwide. Find it at :
github.com/ethereum/kohaku
github.com/ethereum/kohak…
github.com/ethereum/kohak…
Roadmap at :
notes.ethereum.org/@niard/KohakuR…

1,664

1:49 PM • Oct 9, 2025

Ethereum’s going stealth mode — but in the best way possible.

The Ethereum Foundation has launched a new privacy-focused cluster with 47 researchers, cryptographers, and engineers, led by Igor Barinov (Gnosis Chain).

This comes ahead of the Kohaku SDK and wallet launch at EFDevcon in November — a privacy-first toolkit that will let wallets process private transactions with minimal third-party trust.

Vitalik Buterin himself weighed in, reminding everyone: “Privacy is normal. Privacy is for everyone.”
Looks like Ethereum’s next evolution is all about building a safer, more private Web3.

Monad Airdrop Incoming Ahead of Mainnet Launch

Mark your calendars for Tuesday! The long-hyped Monad (MON) airdrop claim portal goes live next week.

While details on eligibility and tokenomics are still under wraps, this drop is expected to be one of 2025’s biggest. Backed by Paradigm and founded by Keone Hon (ex-Jump Crypto), Monad is building a high-speed, EVM-compatible Layer-1 that could give Ethereum and Solana a real challenge.

The project raised $225M, launched its testnet in February, and already has a thriving dev community. If you’ve been active on their testnet… you might wanna keep an eye out

Luxembourg Becomes First Eurozone Nation to Buy Bitcoin

History made! Luxembourg just became the first Eurozone country to invest in Bitcoin ETFs, allocating 1% ($8M) of its $811M sovereign wealth fund (FSIL) into BTC.

Treasury Director Bob Kieffer called it a “balanced yet confident bet” — signaling growing faith in Bitcoin’s long-term value.

From El Salvador’s direct buys to now Europe’s first sovereign BTC exposure, it’s clear: institutions are no longer ignoring Bitcoin — they’re embracing it.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week's edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!

TL;DR — This Week’s Crypto Highlights

• Bitcoin rockets past $116K as Uptober rallies the market.

• UK wants to keep $7B in seized BTC, victims may get shortchanged.

• Lighter zk-rollup perps go live, zero fees for retail + points hype.

• US shutdown delays crypto ETFs but lawmakers still push ahead.

• VanEck files for Lido stETH ETF, pushing ETH staking to institutions.

Uptober Blessings — Bitcoin Breaks $116K!

Bitcoin just smashed $116K, sending the crypto market cap over $4 trillion. Why? Strong ETF inflows, a dovish Fed, and the legendary Q4 “Uptober” trend .
$60M shorts got liquidated, BTC dominance is climbing back to 59%, and options data shows traders ditching downside protection. Historically, Q4 gives Bitcoin a +50% median gain. Some analysts now see $125K+ by year-end. Hodl tight fam.

UK vs Bitcoin — Who Gets the Bag?

The UK government wants to keep most of the 61,000 BTC ($7B) seized from Zhimin Qian’s 2018 fraud. The twist? 120,000 victims are demanding their money back. But courts may only pay them in fiat at 2018 prices, leaving the state with billions in BTC gains.
Treasury insiders are even considering using this Bitcoin haul to plug a £34B–£67B budget hole. The High Court showdown starts in January. Question is: will the UK hodl or dump?

Lighter Turns On the Heat — zk Perps Go Live

Say gm to Lighter, the new Ethereum-settled zk-rollup perp DEX, now live on public mainnet .
Unlike Hyperliquid (L1) or Aster (BNB Chain), Lighter locks user funds on Ethereum and verifies trades/liquidations with zk proofs. Traders get CEX-level speed with Ethereum-grade security.
Retail traders = zero fees, HFT/APIs get charged. Oh, and Season 2 of their points program just dropped … yes, people are already whispering token airdrop.

U.S. Shutdown Freezes Crypto ETFs

“Across the pond in the U.S., the government shutdown has put the brakes on SEC activity — which means spot Bitcoin and crypto ETF approvals are delayed. ETF issuers who were hoping for early October approvals are now stuck in limbo. But it’s not all bad news: the Senate Banking Committee is pushing ahead with a crypto market structure bill, and the Senate Finance Committee is still debating crypto taxes. Stablecoin yield rules? Still a battleground between banks and exchanges.”

VanEck Bets Big on ETH Staking

VanEck has filed its Lido Staked Ethereum ETF in Delaware. If approved, this would let institutions earn ETH staking rewards without touching blockchain ops. Basically, Wall Street can now “stake without staking.”
The filing pumped LDO token +7%, as VanEck looks to outpace rivals like BlackRock and Fidelity in the yield-bearing crypto products race. With ETH staking demand climbing, this could be huge for mainstream adoption.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week's edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!

TL;DR:

• Base teases token + Solana bridge

• White Rabbit takes Web3 to the Emmys

• Plasma Mainnet Beta goes live Sept 25

• $1M USDC lost to a MEV bot

• Pixelverse expands to Base & Farcaster

• Solmate puts $300M into Solana

$BASE coming soon....??

Base

@base

Base is beginning to explore a network token

We’re in the early phases of exploration, and don’t have any specifics to share around timing, design, or governance. We’re committed to bringing the community along with us, and building in the open.

7,721

8:21 PM • Sep 15, 2025

Big vibes from BaseCamp 2025!
Base is hinting at a native token (still early, no launch yet ) as part of their decentralization push. They also dropped an open-source Solana bridge, making ERC20 SPL swaps way smoother. Builders got love too—Base Batches 002 is rolling out with funding, mentorship, and even a Devconnect Demo Day in Argentina.

Oh, and the Base App? Already has a 1M+ waitlist, paid $500K+ to creators, and shipped new tools under Base Build. Not bad for a chain that just turned one.

Web3 on the Red Carpet: White Rabbit Wins an Emmy

pplpleasr

@pplpleasr1

White Rabbit just became the first crypto project to win an Emmy

imagine telling 2021 CT that in a few years our producers and ETH would get a shoutout on stage at the Emmys

u wouldn't believe us
"૮₍ ˶•⤙•˶ ₎ა

1,823

8:49 PM • Sep 17, 2025

This one’s historic—White Rabbit, a crypto project co-created by pplpleasr, just became the first-ever Web3 project to win an Emmy . Built on Ethereum, it mixes NFTs, storytelling, and VFX into an on-chain interactive series where users shape the plot.

From DeFi to Hollywood, Web3 is proving it’s not just finance—it’s culture, creativity, and community ownership. Mainstream finally noticed.

Plasma Mainnet Beta Launch: Backed by Tether & Founders Fund

Mark your calendars—Sept 25. That’s when Plasma Mainnet Beta drops with its native token XPL. Backed by Tether and Founders Fund, Plasma is bringing $2B in stablecoins on day one.

Expect zero-fee USDT transfers, PlasmaBFT consensus, and DeFi collabs with Aave, Euler, Ethena. Binance even listed pre-market XPL contracts (~$0.55). Plus, 25M XPL rewards for early adopters. Could be the next stablecoin liquidity hub to watch.

$1M USDC Lost to a MEV Bot

yannickcrypto.eth

@YannickCrypto

its a "exploit", he sent his own address (7702 delegated to contract code), then the contract approved him infinity and he just withdrew it.

7

11:19 PM • Sep 16, 2025

Another week, another oops.
An Ethereum user accidentally sent $1M USDC straight into a bridge contract without the right steps. A MEV bot instantly swooped in and pocketed the funds—its biggest haul ever.

Unless the operator decides to return it (spoiler: unlikely), that bag is gone. Lesson: always triple-check addresses & bridging steps. MEV bots don’t forgive mistakes.

Pixelverse Levels Up: From Telegram to Base & Farcaster

Pixelverse

@pixelverse_xyz

Not far from Farcaster

60

7:56 PM • Sep 17, 2025

Pixelverse is done being Web2-lite. The viral tap-to-earn Telegram game is launching Pixelverse Arcade on Base + Farcaster. First up is Storychain (Sept 23)—an AI-agent storytelling game where replies build a chain that mints into an NFT.

With PIXFI rewards and full wallet integration, Pixelverse is shifting from mass Telegram users to a crypto-native Web3 community. Let’s see if this move keeps the hype alive.

Solana Scores a $300M Treasury With ‘Solmate’

Brera Holdings (yes, the sports club guys) just went full degen—raising $300M to buy Solana and rebranding to Solmate. Backers include Ark Invest, Solana Foundation, RockawayX, and Pulsar Group.

The stock? Pumped 500% in a day. Solmate’s big goal: turn the UAE into a Solana hub. With SOL trading near $249 and up 39% this month, this move cements Solana as more than just an “ETH alternative.” Institutions are loading up.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week's edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!

TL;DR

• Crypto funding dropped 30%, but Bitcoin pumped to $116K.

• Meme coins on Charlie Kirk’s death stirred a huge ethics debate.

• A Bitcoin whale moved $16M after 13 years, while gold hit ATH.

• Kraken Perps launched ahead of its $15B IPO push.

• Nepalese protests made Bitchat (Jack Dorsey’s app) explode in downloads.

• Russia opens crypto derivatives for investment funds in 2026.

Crypto Funding Falls, Bitcoin Pumps

Funding in crypto fell 30% in August to $1.9B, with DeFi and AI projects leading the pack. Lower valuations? Honestly, it might mean a healthier market reset.

Big regulatory shift: South Korea just lifted its ban on VCs backing crypto startups. That’s a green light for fresh capital inflows.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin flexed, touching $116K thanks to cooling U.S. inflation data and record ETF inflows. Futures traders are loading up on Ethereum while altcoins like DOGE (+25%) and Hyperliquid (+23%) are flashing altseason vibes.

Meme Coins Cross the Moral Line?

Crypto Rug Muncher

@CryptoRugMunch

Launching scam tokens to profit from someone’s death is despicable. $CHARLIE $IRYNA

131

4:22 AM • Sep 11, 2025

Here’s where it gets messy. After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, meme coins flooded Solana—one hit $36M market cap, and top traders + creators walked away with $2M in profit.

The catch? It’s sparked a heated debate: are these “death coins” just free-market chaos, or straight-up dystopian?

Trading launchpad Pump.fun hit record volumes ($533M) during the frenzy. But critics say profiting off death takes degen culture too far. With past Biden-death rumors and Nazi-themed tokens, it’s clear meme coin culture is pushing boundaries—and forcing Web3 to confront its ethical line.

Bitcoin Whales & Gold: Markets on the Move

After 13 years, a dormant Bitcoin whale moved $16M worth of BTC—reminding everyone that OGs are still around. Analysts think it may connect to digital asset treasuries repositioning.

Bitcoin is chilling near $115K (down from its $124K ATH), but here’s the twist: Gold just hit an all-time inflation-adjusted high of $3,683/oz. The BTC-to-gold ratio is shifting, and traders are watching whether Bitcoin can keep up.

Between institutional inflows and whale activity, Q4 market dynamics could be spicy.

Kraken Launches Perps Ahead of IPO

Kraken just dropped Kraken Perps, letting retail traders bet long or short on crypto 24/7—no need to own the underlying assets.

Built-in safety nets like stop-loss orders aim to protect traders from nukes. The timing? Perfect—Kraken is gearing up for a $15B IPO in 2026.

With derivatives volumes hitting records, plus tokenized stocks and even an Ethereum L2 in its pipeline, Kraken is positioning itself as a full-stack crypto hub.

Bitchat Surges in Nepal as Govt Bans Social Media

calle

@callebtc

Last week, we observed a sudden spike in bitchat downloads from Indonesia during nationwide protests.

Today we're seeing an even bigger spike from Nepal during youth protests over government corruption and a social media ban.

Freedom tech is for the people. Please share.

1,589

3:47 PM • Sep 10, 2025

Protests erupted in Nepal after the government banned 26 major social media platforms. In response, Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat app blew up, hitting 48,000+ downloads.

The app runs on Nostr + Bluetooth mesh, meaning it doesn’t need internet, servers, or even phone numbers. Basically, censorship-resistant comms for when governments pull the plug.

Developers plan to integrate Bitcoin + Ecash (via Cashu protocol)—turning Bitchat into both a messenger and a freedom-tech payment tool.

Russia to Open Crypto Derivatives Market for Funds

Starting in 2026, the Bank of Russia will let investment funds buy crypto derivatives, a market already accessible to brokers.

But—only “highly qualified investors” (read: millionaires) will get access. This move signals Russia’s cautious but steady expansion into institutional crypto adoption.

With futures and ETF-based products already live, funds entering could mark a big step for institutional participation in Eastern markets.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week's edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!

TL;DR – Web3 in a Minute:

• Stripe & Paradigm launch Tempo L1 for stablecoin payments

• Ethereum touches $4.9K ATH, flippening chatter back on

• Kazakhstan pilots Mastercard-backed crypto cards

• Fireblocks unveils a global stablecoin network

• 833K ETH waiting in validator queue, staking demand still high

• BitMine adds $358M ETH, boosting treasury to $8.7B

1. Stripe & Paradigm Drop a New L1: Tempo

Big one here – Stripe and Paradigm teamed up with OpenAI, Visa, and Shopify to launch Tempo, a payments-focused Layer-1 blockchain. Think 100K+ TPS, low fees, privacy, and you can even pay gas in stablecoins.
It’s in private testnet right now, targeting e-commerce, payroll, and remittances. With Stripe’s $1.1B Bridge buy, Tempo is gunning straight at Circle and Google’s Universal Ledger. Stablecoin wars are heating up.

2. ETH Smashes $4.9K ATH

Ethereum just touched $4,945, sparking the classic Flippening debate with Bitcoin.
Backed by $6.7B ETF inflows, corporate treasuries stacking ETH, and macro hype from Fed cuts – ETH is outpacing BTC this year (45% vs 25%). Traders are eyeing $5K+ but beware: whales profit-taking + ETF reversals could bring turbulence.

3. Kazakhstan Rolls Out Mastercard Crypto Cards

Kazakhstan is quietly becoming a Web3 dark horse. Their central bank, Mastercard, and local exchange Intebix just launched crypto cards that let you spend USDT and stablecoins, auto-converted into tenge at checkout.
1% fees, $1K daily limit, works on Mastercard & Apple Pay terminals. Regulators are calling it the “bridge” between fiat and crypto.

4. Fireblocks Builds a Global Stablecoin Network

Custody giant Fireblocks isn’t playing small – they just launched a stablecoin payments network connecting 40+ partners (Circle, Zerohash, Yellow Card, and Stripe’s Bridge).
It links local rails + blockchains + liquidity providers across 60+ currencies. In July alone, Fireblocks moved $212B in stablecoin volume. With Circle’s Arc blockchain integrating soon, expect stablecoin payments to scale fast.

5. 833K ETH Queued for Staking

Despite ETH just hitting ATH, demand to stake is still pumping. Right now, 833,141 ETH (~$3.6B) is waiting in the validator queue. Wait times dropped to 14 days – lowest since August.
Analysts say exits are mostly profit-taking and liquid staking rotations into stETH/rETH/EigenLayer. ETH trades around $4,420, consolidating strong. The queue shows one thing: institutions aren’t done staking yet.

6. BitMine Goes All-In on ETH

BitMine, run by Tom Lee, just dropped $358M on ETH (80K coins), adding to last week’s $668M buy. Total stash = 1.95M ETH (~$8.7B) 🤯 – making them the biggest institutional ETH whale.
This triggered a +2% ETH pump and extended a 21% monthly rally. With 35.6M ETH staked (30% supply), SEC’s nod on liquid staking, and big wallets stacking, ETH feels a lot like BTC in 2017. Long-term bulls are eating.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week's edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!

TLDR (Too Lazy, Didn’t Read)

• Pennsylvania wants to ban public officials from holding crypto (felony if they don’t sell).

• YZY launched, soared, and dumped—proving hype can’t save a broken tokenomics plan.

• Hong Kong’s Ming Shing to buy 4,250 BTC ($483M), becoming the city’s top BTC treasury.

• BitMine crosses 1M ETH milestone, aiming to hold 5% of total supply.

• Vitalik warns against “too agentic” AI—humans should steer, not AI personalities.

• BlackRock Buys $231M in Ethereum

Pennsylvania Wants Politicians Out of Crypto

Lawmakers in Pennsylvania just dropped House Bill 1812, which would ban public officials (and even their families) from owning Bitcoin, altcoins, NFTs, or stablecoins.
Non-compliance? That’s a felony, with jail time and fines up to $50K. Officials would get two months to sell off their bags and face a one-year ban even after leaving office.
It’s early days, but this move mirrors rising federal chatter around political profiteering from crypto—especially with Trump cozying up to Bitcoin circles.

Kanye West’s YZY Money Pumps, Then Dumps on Solana

Kanye West (Ye) launched YZY Money (YZY) on Solana, instantly rocketing to a $3B market cap before crashing over 61% within hours. Despite bold promises of Ye Pay and YZY Card, concerns over token distribution (70% held by Ye) and insider trading sparked fears of manipulation and a possible rug pull. Trading volume has since plunged 74%, leaving retail investors rekt. The hype boosted Solana briefly, but YZY now ranks #562 on CoinGecko. This celebrity-backed token shows both the power—and risks—of crypto hype cycles.

Hong Kong’s Ming Shing Goes Full Bitcoin Mode

A construction firm buying Bitcoin? Yep. Hong Kong’s Ming Shing just announced plans to scoop up 4,250 BTC ($483M) using convertible notes and warrants—making it the city’s biggest Bitcoin treasury holder, leapfrogging Boyaa Interactive.
This comes after earlier buys of 500 BTC in Jan and 333 BTC in Feb & Mar. Clearly, they’re stacking hard.
Their stock pumped to $2.15 before cooling at $1.65, but the signal is loud: Hong Kong wants to be a global digital asset hub.

BitMine Becomes ETH Whale #1

Biggest ETH headline of the week: BitMine (BMNR) officially crossed the 1M ETH milestone—now holding 1.2M ETH. That’s part of their bold goal to own 5% of Ethereum’s total supply.
Their latest flex? A single 317K ETH buy. Insane. 🤯
Meanwhile, competitor SharpLink Gaming added 79.6K ETH, but BitMine’s aggressive strategy is way ahead. Following the news, BMNR stock shot up to $64.35, its one-month high. Institutions are clearly locking ETH as a store of value, staking play, and a DeFi yield generator.

Vitalik on AI: Humans Still in Charge

vitalik.eth

@VitalikButerin

Echoing something @karpathy recently said, it does frustrate me how a lot of AI development is trying to be as "agentic" as possible, when actually creating *more* paths for human input both creates a better output (now for quite a while going forward) and is better for safety.

1,970

4:12 PM • Aug 11, 2025

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin dropped some wisdom on AI. While everyone’s hyping “agentic AI” (models with personalities), Vitalik says that’s not it. Instead, he argues AI should focus on accuracy + human feedback, not gimmicky personalities.
He likens AI to an engine where humans are the steering wheel—steering output through collaboration, DAOs, and swarms of models.
Meanwhile, the AI agent token market rebounded to $6.45B, with Ethereum (27%) and Base (30%) leading the pack, ahead of Solana’s 19%.

BlackRock Buys $231M in Ethereum, Signals Institutional Shift

BlackRock has purchased 53,893 ETH worth $231.2M, boosting its crypto footprint. This follows its iShares ETFs’ $1B Bitcoin & Ethereum buy during a recent dip. With its Ethereum ETF already at $10B AUM, BlackRock is cementing ETH as an institutional asset. The move comes after Ethereum’s 43% rally in May, driven by AI adoption and L2 growth. Analysts say ETH could push toward $5K pending SEC approvals on ETF structures and staking. BlackRock’s bold bet signals growing Wall Street confidence in Ethereum.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week's edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!

Thank you for taking out time to read The Web3 Watch by Central DAO

BTC dip as whales/miners sell
🧑‍💻 $44M CoinDCX hack via job scam
HYPE token hits ATH
ETH rally gaining strength
USDC goes live on Hyperliquid
SEC’s ‘Project Crypto’ for Web3 clarity
Eric Trump’s $367M Bitcoin bet

Bitcoin Faces the Heat, But Q4 Could Be Fire

It’s been a rollercoaster for Bitcoin. After briefly tapping $123K in July, whales and miners have started offloading bags, triggering a wave of profit-taking.

Analysts over at CryptoQuant are calling this the third big sell-off since mid-2024. Options traders are now bracing for a potential 10–30% correction into September.
But before you panic-sell, zoom out. Capriole’s Energy Value model says BTC is still undervalued, and historically, Q4 has been a banger — with median gains of 52%.

Inside the $44M CoinDCX Hack: Job Scam Gone Wrong

Here’s a wild one from India

A CoinDCX employee got tricked by a fake freelance gig, unknowingly downloading malware onto his work laptop. That gave hackers access to the exchange’s liquidity wallet, leading to a $44 million breach.

Deepfake job scams are targeting Web3 pros in India. And with funds scattered across cross-border wallets, law enforcement is struggling to trace the attackers.

PSA: Be paranoid. Double-check every "gig" offer.

HYPE Hits ATH — Hyperliquid’s Breakout Moment

Everyone’s talking about Hyperliquid — and for good reason. Their native token HYPE just hit an all-time high of $45.92, thanks to a big spike in BTC/altcoin trading and a fresh Bybit spot listing.

They’re now boasting $1.85B in open interest, and daily fees just crossed $4.19M — putting Hyperliquid in the top 5 revenue-generating dApps. Whales are stacking, and the tokenomics are strong — with staking, burns, and scarcity fueling demand.

Ethereum Eyes $5K as Spot Demand Surges & Short Squeeze Looms

ETH is on the move again — and the setup looks strong:

• Low unrealized profits = less sell pressure
• Over 413K ETH exiting exchanges every week
• 35%+ of ETH supply locked in staking
• ETFs and whales are pouring in

With open interest above $26B, analysts predict a short squeeze toward $3,900+ — and if momentum continues, we could see a full run toward $5K.

Native USDC Goes Live on Hyperliquid

Speaking of Hyperliquid — they just got a major upgrade. Circle has brought native USDC to the platform via its CCTP v2 (Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol). This means no more wrapped tokens or sketchy bridges — just fast, clean, native stablecoin transfers across chains.

Since the integration, Hyperliquid’s AUM shot up to $5.5B, and HYPE ticked up another 3%. Circle isn’t slowing down either — they’re also integrating USDC with World Chain, Ant Group, and XRP Ledger. Multichain dominance, anyone?

SEC Goes Full DeFi Mode with “Project Crypto”

Yup, you read that right.

The SEC has launched “Project Crypto”, led by none other than Commissioner Hester Peirce (aka “Crypto Mom”). The goal? Modernize securities laws, embrace blockchain, and make the U.S. the global capital of crypto.
This could mean:

• Legal clarity on airdrops, staking, ICOs

• Support for tokenized securities

• Streamlined custody rules

• And even on-chain trading + Web3 super-apps

Eric Trump’s $367M Bitcoin Bet Signals Full Crypto Backing from Trump Family

It’s official — the Trump fam is all-in on Bitcoin.

Eric Trump is set to receive 367M shares in Gryphon Digital Mining via a merger with American Bitcoin Corp. That values his stake at a cool $367M. He’ll serve as Chief Strategy Officer, helping steer the company as the U.S. gears up for a new phase in crypto policy. This follows Donald Trump’s pro-Bitcoin stance, calls for a national BTC reserve, and promises of a “golden age of crypto.”

🤣 MEME OF THE WEEK 🤣

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week's edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!

✅ TL;DR – This Week’s Web3 Watch Recap:

• Crypto market hits $4T – U.S. just passed huge crypto legislation ✅
• Bitcoin melts bears – $1B shorts liquidated as BTC crushes ATHs 🚀
• Ghana goes regulatory – first crypto bill coming in Sept
• Ethereum turns 10 – NFT torch + NFT volume spikes 🔥
• CoinDCX hacked – $11M bounty launched to recover $44M 🕵
• ETH gas at ATH – network more active than ever, but fees low 💨

🚨 Crypto Market Breaks $4T as U.S. Goes Full Send on Web3

The entire crypto market just ripped through the $4 trillion ceiling. Bitcoin’s at $120K, ETH flirting with $3,640, and the U.S. just passed not one, but three landmark crypto bills:

• GENIUS Act: Stablecoins officially get rules.

• CLARITY Act: Clears up the SEC vs CFTC beef.

• Anti-CBDC Act: Yep, they’re banning Central Bank Digital Currencies (at least for now).

This might be the U.S. saying, “We're ready to lead Web3.” Meanwhile, Trump’s personal wallet is up $58M, raising eyebrows about conflicts of interest 👀. Institutions DGAF though—they’re diving in headfirst.

📉 $1B in BTC Shorts Go Kaboom 💥 as Price Rips Past $118K

BTC just nuked the bears—$1B in shorts liquidated in a single day. Bitcoin smashed through $118K, hitting fresh ATHs and dragging ETH up to $3K. Notable whales like James Wynn and @qwatio got wrecked betting against the rally.

Open interest is back to $38B, BTC dominance at 62.6%, and retail hasn’t even shown up yet. The market's officially in price discovery—so if you're overleveraging now… good luck.

🌍 Ghana Drafts First Crypto Bill as $3B Adoption Wave Hits

Ghana’s going Web3 official. With over $3B in crypto usage and 3M citizens transacting on-chain, the Bank of Ghana is drafting its first crypto regulation bill, expected to hit Parliament by September.

The bill aims to:
• License platforms
• Improve financial oversight
• Stabilize the cedi

It’s a big Web3 moment for Africa, and Ghana’s staking its claim as a digital economy leader.

🎂 Ethereum Turns 10 & Drops NFT Torch as Market Roars Back

Happy 10th birthday, Ethereum! 🎉 To celebrate, the Ethereum Foundation launched “The Ethereum Torch,” an NFT passed wallet to wallet daily until July 30—then it gets burned 🔥. After that? A new celebratory NFT drops for free minting.

And the NFT market? Back from the dead.

• +300% ETH NFT trading surge

• $75M in volume

• One baller spent $8.5M on 48 CryptoPunks

• ETH price rally + institutional interest = full-blown NFT revival

🛡 CoinDCX Hacked for $44M, Offers $11M Bounty

India’s largest exchange CoinDCX got hit for $44.2M via a hack involving Tornado Cash and bridges. In response, they’ve launched an $11M bounty program (up to 25% recovery reward).

Blockchain sleuths, including ZachXBT, traced 12,144 ETH to a suspicious wallet. The good news? User funds are safe. The bad? CoinDCX stayed silent for 17 hours, raising transparency red flags.

Security is now top priority, with support from Solana Foundation and others. Just another reminder—DeFi needs better armor.

⛽ Ethereum Gas Usage Hits ATH But Fees Stay Chill

as just hit its highest level ever on Ethereum—but don’t panic, fees are still vibing around $0.15 for standard txs and $2.48 for NFTs.

Why the spike?

• More ETH and stablecoin transfers

• $128B in stablecoins on-chain

• $20B in net ETH inflows in 3 months

• $82B TVL across the network

• Arbitrum, Base, and others sending liquidity back to Ethereum

Basically: DeFi is booming, stablecoins are moving, and ETH is once again the heart of Web3 finance.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week's edition of The Web3 Watch! 🚀
See you all next week!

TL;DR – This Week in Web3:

BTC over $120K, ETH rallies, market nears $4T
U.S. crypto legislation flips bullish
Institutions are buying ETH and BTC in bulk
Pump.fun’s $1B raise triggers memecoin panic
Stablecoins face new regulatory and corporate challengers

🌍 Crypto Market Closes in on $4T as U.S. Goes Full Send on Web3 Legislation

The crypto market is heating up—like 2021, but with regulators finally on our side.

BTC is flexing above $120K, ETH near $3,640, and the market is flirting with a $4 trillion cap. But what’s really fueling this? It’s Washington's pivot toward pro-crypto policy:

• The GENIUS Act clears up federal roles for SEC and CFTC

• A ban on U.S. CBDCs

• 🧾 Trump’s campaign reportedly earned $58M in crypto last year, raising some eyebrows

Either way, institutional money is flooding in and the entire space is buzzing with bullish vibes.

SharpLink Sends It: $6B Stock Sale to Stack ETH

SharpLink just went full degen—selling $6B in stock to pile into Ethereum. Their ETH treasury just crossed 280,000 ETH staked.

After shaky revenue in affiliate sports betting, they’re now betting big on:
Blockchain gaming
Staking yields
CryptoCasino.com (yes, really—they own 10%)

With 99.7% of their ETH locked, SharpLink is now treating ETH as a core revenue asset, not just a speculative bet.

Ethereum Hits $422B Market Cap—Institutions Going All-In

ETH is now trading like digital gold. With ETFs flowing in $726M a day (shoutout to BlackRock’s ETHA for $499M of that), ETH has officially entered boomer portfolios.

SharpLink now holds more ETH than even the Ethereum Foundation.
🛠 GameSquare just raised $90M to build ETH-powered yield machines with Dialectic.

It’s not just hype—this is long-term capital moving in. And they’re not here to flip JPEGs—they’re here for yield and protocol dominance.

Pump.fun Plans $1B Raise, Memecoin Traders Worry

Memecoin factory Pump.fun is reportedly raising $1B at a $4B FDV, and traders are sweating.

Here’s why:
This raise could suck liquidity from smaller Solana memecoins
Rumors of a $400M $PUMP airdrop are circulating
The last time this happened ( Trump memecoin), we saw a serious market reshuffle

Early users of PumpSwap are expecting a drop, but critics are questioning the FDV—and whether this is hype-first, decentralization-later.

Strategy Buys Another 1,054 BTC, Now Holding 582K

Michael Saylor is still going beast mode. Strategy just dropped $110M for 1,054 more BTC, pushing their total stash to 582,000 BTC at an average price of $70,086.

No MSTR stock dilution either—they used STRK and STRF placements to fund the move.

Other corporates are taking notes:
124 public companies now hold BTC
OTC desks are running dry
BTC is becoming scarcer than ever

Saylor’s bet? That this scarcity turns into long-term dominance. And the market seems to agree.

⚔ Stablecoin Wars: Tether vs. Circle—Who's Winning?

Tether (USDT) is at an all-time high—$156B supply across Tron, Ethereum, Solana, Aptos, and TON. But Circle’s USDC is quietly catching up, now at $61B and rising fast.

🏛 USDC’s IPO was a smash hit—$68B valuation and counting
🇪🇺 Circle is filling the vacuum Tether left in Europe post-MiCA
💶 EURC supply 3x’d in a year

And regulators? They’re watching. With the GENIUS and STABLE Acts gaining traction in the U.S., tradfi banks are eyeing stablecoins for real.

This isn’t just a Tether vs. Circle fight anymore—it’s a preview of stablecoins becoming the future of money.

🤣 MEME OF THE WEEK 🤣

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!

📣 TL;DR for the Degens Who Skim:

• 📈 BTC hits $118K, liquidates $1B in shorts

• Robinhood staking goes live (ETH & SOL)

• 🔐 Dorsey’s Bitchat goes live, no internet needed

• 💸 Pump.fun’s $1B raise & airdrop rumors = memecoin chaos

• Strategy adds 1,054 more BTC = 582K stack now

• Institutions keep buying while retail watches from afar

📊 BTC Blows Past $117K, ETH Climbs to $3K, USD Crashes

Bitcoin hit a whopping $117,000, with Ethereum sliding back into the $3K club — all while the U.S. Dollar had its worst first half since 1973 📉.
The trigger? Debt ceiling drama + fiscal chaos in DC.
Oh, and Elon’s out of DOGE 👋 and starting the “America Party” — pro-Bitcoin, ofc 🇺🇸
Crypto’s back in the driver’s seat as institutions hedge, and BTC leads the charge in global price discovery.
Real-world is shaky. Onchain is thriving.

📉 $1 Billion in Shorts Liquidated as BTC Hits $118K

Rekt alert: Over $1B in short positions wiped clean as BTC rocketed past $118K.
Big-name traders like James Wynn and @qwatio got mega rekt, and futures volume hit $59B.
BTC dominance is now over 62%, and ETH is trailing behind.
Despite the bloodbath, we’re not at peak greed — meaning... we might just be getting started 🚀

📡 Bitchat Goes Live, BTC Smashes Shorts, and Robinhood Joins the Staking Party

Jack Dorsey’s back with Bitchat, a peer-to-peer messaging app that doesn’t need the internet.
Yup — Bluetooth mesh, E2E encrypted, pure cypherpunk vibes 🔐📶
While BTC is still moonwalking past all resistance levels, Robinhood launched ETH & SOL staking in the US, and memecoin central, Pump.fun, announced a $1B token sale 😳
Also, Michael Saylor's Strategy added another 1,054 BTC because... why not.
The market? Still vibing. Still volatile. Still beautifully bullish. 🔥📈

Robinhood Now Offering ETH & SOL Staking in the US

You heard that right. Robinhood is now a staking hub
US users can now stake Ethereum and Solana starting at just $1, with returns ranging from 50%-100% of protocol rewards.
Regulatory clarity = green light for Robinhood.
Heads up though: Not available in CA, NY, NJ, MD, and WI 🚫
Also, word on the chain is that Robinhood is building its own blockchain on Arbitrum — 24/7 trading, self-custody, and on-chain dividends. Let’s gooo 🔗🚀

💸 Pump.fun Eyes $1B Raise, Airdrop Season Brewing 🌊

Pump.fun is raising $1B for its native $PUMP token — and the memecoin market is sweating 💦
With a projected $4B FDV, traders fear this could suck liquidity from smaller Solana projects.
But here’s the alpha: 10% of $PUMP is earmarked for an airdrop — that’s potentially $400M up for grabs 🎁
Early users, especially those on PumpSwap, might wanna start checking their wallets 👀
Airdrop meta ain’t dead. It’s evolving.

Michael Saylor’s Strategy Buys Another 1,054 BTC

Michael Saylor's firm Strategy just copped 1,054 more BTC, bringing their stack to 582,000 BTC
That’s over $40B in Bitcoin at an average price of $70K — and they did it without issuing new MSTR shares.
They’re playing chess while others play memecoins
And get this — only 123.5K BTC left on OTC desks. Supply is drying up. Accumulation season is still ON 📉

🤣 MEME OF THE WEEK 🤣

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week edition of The Web3 Watch! 🚀
See you all next week!

Big money’s making big moves! BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, just deposited 18,168.3 ETH ($44M) and 1,800 BTC ($160M) into Coinbase. Yep, $200 MILLION straight into crypto! This isn’t just some random trade—it's a major signal that institutions are stacking hard. Could this be the start of a new wave of traditional finance (TradFi) diving into crypto? Stay tuned!

Uh-oh! Bitcoin just fell below $84,000, and it’s NOT looking pretty. After the U.S. election, Trump’s trade war with the EU shook the markets, causing $1B in BTC ETF outflows and sending the Fear & Greed Index to ‘extreme fear’ (21). Analysts predict a possible dip to $71K–$80K before BTC stabilizes. Hold tight, degens—it’s about to get bumpy!

Scandal alert! Argentina’s President Javier Milei is catching major heat after sharing a tutorial on how to buy LIBRA, a Solana-based memecoin that crashed and wiped out $4 BILLION in value. Opposition leaders are accusing him of endorsing a rug pull (yikes!), and there are even calls for impeachment. Milei’s team says it was just an innocent post, but was it really? The government is now investigating the LIBRA launch—let’s see where this goes.

Free Alexey? The Ethereum Foundation just pledged $1.25M to support Alexey Pertsev, co-founder of Tornado Cash, as he fights legal battles in the Netherlands. Vitalik Buterin stood by the move, saying: “Writing code is not a crime.” Meanwhile, Tornado Cash has seen a slight increase in usage after the U.S. lifted OFAC sanctions. ETH fam, what do we think?

Big brain energy! 🧠 El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele and Michael Saylor (Strategy’s Bitcoin maxi) had a closed-door meeting to talk about… you guessed it—Bitcoin adoption. 🤝 No official details yet, but some speculate El Salvador could be doubling down on BTC despite IMF pressures. Meanwhile, Strategy now holds 478,740 BTC worth $46B—yup, Saylor is STILL stacking!

600,000 new tokens launched in January 2025 alone! That’s 12x more than last year, thanks to platforms like Pump.fun making token creation easier than ever. But here’s the catch: liquidity is stretched thin, and investor attention is all over the place. 🤯 Could this flood of new tokens delay altcoin season? Analysts think so. With institutions reshaping the market, will degen plays survive?

It’s happening! The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) just listed the first Solana ETFs—Volatility Shares Solana ETF (SOLZ) and Solana 2x ETF (SOLT). While they’re not yet approved, this is a HUGE step for institutional adoption. Bloomberg analysts say there’s a 70% chance of approval (but not before 2026). If greenlit, JPMorgan estimates $3-6B in inflows. Is this Solana’s moment?

Haven't you joined Central DAO yet?

The blockchain industry has come a long way since its inception, but one challenge remains: mass adoption. While DeFi, NFTs, and other innovations have captured the attention of crypto enthusiasts, the average consumer still finds blockchain technology intimidating and inaccessible. Enter Abstract, a Layer 2 network built on Ethereum, designed to address these challenges by focusing on scalability, security, and user experience.

Despite the rapid growth of the crypto industry, mainstream adoption has been slow. The reasons are multifaceted:

• Complex User Experience: Setting up wallets, managing private keys, and paying high gas fees are barriers for non-technical users.

• Lack of Discoverability: Finding useful and trustworthy applications in the decentralized ecosystem can be overwhelming.

• Fragmented Ecosystems: Many blockchains operate in silos, making it difficult for users and developers to navigate the space.

Abstract aims to tackle these challenges by prioritizing the consumer experience. Its mission is to create a blockchain ecosystem that is intuitive, engaging, and accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical expertise.

Consumer crypto refers to blockchain-powered applications that serve everyday users in their personal lives. Abstract is positioning itself as a key player in this space by focusing on three phases of adoption:

1. Discretionary Spending:

   • The first wave of adoption will come from fun, viral applications like gaming, social platforms, and digital collectibles. These applications are easy to sell, highly engaging, and solve problems that Web2 platforms cannot address.

   • Examples include NFT marketplaces, play-to-earn games, and social token platforms.

2. Necessary Spending:

   • As adoption grows, Abstract will integrate crypto into more essential areas of life, such as DeFi, payments, and digital commerce. This phase will target 250 million users and expand the use cases for blockchain technology.

3. Essential Spending:

   • The ultimate goal is a world where online banking, insurance, identity, and voting are all powered by blockchain. This phase represents the full realization of onchain living.

Abstract is a zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup built on the ZK Stack, a framework for creating scalable and secure blockchain solutions. As an L2 network, Abstract processes transactions off-chain, batches them together, and submits them to Ethereum for verification using ZK proofs. This approach allows Abstract to offer faster transaction speeds and lower fees compared to Ethereum, while still inheriting Ethereum’s robust security.

One of Abstract’s standout features is its EVM compatibility, meaning it supports Ethereum Virtual Machine-based smart contracts. This allows developers to easily port existing Ethereum applications to Abstract with minimal changes, making it a seamless transition for builders and users alike.

Abstract’s architecture is designed to deliver a scalable and secure platform for consumer-facing applications. Here’s how it achieves this:

1. Scalability Through ZK Rollups:

   • Transactions are processed off-chain and batched together.

   • ZK proofs are used to verify the validity of these batches on Ethereum, ensuring security without compromising speed.

2. EVM Compatibility:

   • Developers can deploy existing Ethereum smart contracts on Abstract with minimal modifications.

   • This lowers the barrier to entry for developers and ensures a wide range of applications are available from day one.

3. Consumer-Centric Features:

   • Seamless Onboarding: Abstract leverages advancements in wallet security and account abstraction to simplify the user experience. Think of it as signing up for a social media app—quick, easy, and secure.

   • App Discoverability: Abstract provides a curated ecosystem where users can easily find and interact with high-quality applications.

   • Community and Culture: Built by the teams behind Pudgy Penguins and Frame, Abstract is deeply rooted in community-driven culture, making it a hub for creativity and engagement.
     

The crypto industry is at a critical juncture. Without meaningful consumer adoption, it risks being perceived as a niche space for speculation and risky behavior. Abstract is addressing this challenge head-on by making blockchain technology approachable, useful, and fun for everyday users.

By prioritizing scalability, security, and user experience, Abstract is paving the way for a future where blockchain-powered applications are as commonplace as social media or e-commerce platforms. It’s not just about building technology—it’s about building a better, more inclusive digital economy.

Abstract represents a significant step forward in the evolution of blockchain technology. By focusing on the consumer experience and leveraging cutting-edge innovations like ZK rollups, Abstract is creating a platform that is scalable, secure, and accessible to everyone. Whether you’re a developer, a creator, or a casual user, Abstract is building the future of on-chain culture—one transaction at a time.

This isn’t just about crypto; it’s about creating a better internet for everyone. And Abstract is leading the charge. 🚀

Join Central DAO Today

Smart money is moving! 135 new wallets holding 100+ BTC popped up in February, signaling major whale accumulation.

Meanwhile, BTC ETFs saw $66.38M in net inflows after a huge $234M outflow on February 3rd—a sign of renewed investor confidence.

Bitcoin is currently trading at $98,947 after a 6% weekly drop. Market sentiment is also shifting as the ECB accelerates the digital euro in response to pro-stablecoin policies.

And guess what? MicroStrategy continues its Bitcoin frenzy, now holding 471,107 BTC worth $46.1B—despite missing Q4 revenue estimates.

Bad news for Bybit! India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has slapped the exchange with a $1.06M fine for operating without proper registration under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Bybit’s website was already blocked due to compliance issues, and this fine adds to their regulatory troubles. The exchange had recently paused operations in India, citing regulatory concerns, but claimed it’s working toward getting a Virtual Digital Asset Service Provider (VDASP) license.

However, the FIU hasn’t confirmed if the penalty has been paid. Will Bybit make a comeback in India? Only time will tell!

Eric Balchunas

@EricBalchunas

We expect a wave of cryptocurrency ETFs next year, albeit not all at once. First out is likely the btc + eth combo ETFs, then prob Litecoin (bc its fork of btc = commodity), then HBAR (bc not labeled security) and then XRP/Solana (which have been labeled securities in pending…

3,154

10:28 PM • Dec 17, 2024

Big things are coming from Crypto.com next year! The exchange is launching its own stablecoin and filing for a Cronos ETF in 2025. But that’s just the beginning.

Here’s what else is on their roadmap: Stocks & ETF trading Global fiat on/off ramps Crypto credit cards AI-powered trading tools Derivatives trading

With their recent MiCA license from Malta’s Financial Services Authority, Crypto.com is making moves across Europe. Analysts also predict multiple crypto ETF approvals in 2025, covering BTC, ETH, LTC, HBAR, XRP, and SOL.

And with new U.S. SEC leadership, we might finally get some regulatory clarity for digital asset ETFs!

Solana is on fire! Its on-chain GDP skyrocketed 300% in Q4 2024, hitting $840M in revenue—thanks to meme tokens, bots, and DeFi.

The biggest drivers? Pump.fun, Jito, Raydium, and Kamino. However, despite its success, Solana’s main chain is still operating at a loss due to high validator subsidies.

Bot activity now makes up 91% of Solana’s transactions, and the blockchain even outpaced Ethereum in L1 revenue over the past 90 days. SOL is trading at $202.63—will the momentum continue ahead of major token unlocks in March?

Gordon

@AltcoinGordon

US Bank reports $24 million holdings in #Bitcoin ETFs, up from its previous $14 million according to its latest SEC filings

And you thought it was over?

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2:54 PM • Feb 6, 2025

Institutional players are stacking sats! US Bank has increased its Bitcoin ETF holdings to $24 million, up from $14M, as per their latest SEC filing.

They’re not alone—Goldman Sachs now holds over $700M in BTC ETFs, while Ethereum ETFs saw $487M in inflows despite price dips. BlackRock’s ETHA alone raked in $276.2M.

With Bitcoin trading at $98,000 and Trump’s regulatory shifts favoring crypto, the scene is heating up. Meanwhile, the market is bracing for altcoin ETFs, with Solana and XRP filings in the works. Will demand follow?

AI16Z has officially rebranded to ElizaOS after Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) raised concerns over brand confusion.

Founded by Shaw Walters, the project will keep its visual identity, while a DAO vote decides on a new ticker. Initially launched as an AI-simulated investment fund, ElizaOS is now pivoting to AI agent platform-building.

However, the AI16Z token has struggled, dropping below $0.60, and faces rising competition. With Eliza V2 in the works, the team hopes to bring a next-gen AI framework and reclaim its position in the AI-token space.

Alright, that’s a wrap for this week edition of The Web3 Watch!
See you all next week!