Speakers included Donald Trump Jr., Tom Lee (Fundstrat), Paolo Ardoino (Tether), Balaji Srinivasan, Arthur Hayes (Maelstrom), Alex Kozenko (WhiteBIT) and others. What's more, Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and Oliver Bearman even joined the discussions, proving once again how closely Web3 is linked to sports and popular culture.

Despite the wide range of topics and panels, the main theme of this year's TOKEN2049 is market maturity. There is less hype around new tokens and more attention is being paid to real business models, institutional infrastructure and regulatory frameworks.

Here are five trends from TOKEN2049 that investors definitely cannot ignore.

1. Stablecoins as the Trojan Horse of Modern Finance

Stablecoins were at the center of most discussions at the conference. The reasons for this are quite simple: for DeFi developers, they remain the basis of liquidity and lending strategies, and for traditional financial players, they are the most realistic path to regulated digital money.

In particular, as Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, noted, 35% of users now perceive stablecoins in US dollars as a means of saving, and 70% of transactions are already denominated in dollars. He emphasized that the most dynamically growing use case is cross-border payments, a market estimated at $200 trillion. However, it is important to take into account local market needs rather than imposing universal solutions.

Charles Cascarilla, Co-Founder and CEO of Paxos, called the current period ‘the golden age for stablecoins,’ while Rob Hadick, General Partner at Dragonfly, emphasized the potential of emerging markets: success will be determined by distribution and accessibility. At the same time, Arthur Hayes made one of the most poignant remarks: ‘By issuing stablecoins, banks could unlock trillions in new liquidity. Stablecoins are not just plumbing. They are the Trojan horse that could reshape global finance.’

For investors, this means that stablecoins have long ceased to be just a trading instrument — they are forming a new infrastructure for global financial flows. Startups that can integrate them into their products will have an advantage in building liquidity and attracting users.

2. Tokenizing the Unreachable: How RWAs Open Doors to New Markets

The topic of real-world assets (RWA) covered not only real estate, but also stocks, bonds, and even collectible watches. Thus, this year's discussions showed that tokenization allows investors to open up markets that were previously inaccessible. 

Atul Khekade, co-founder of XDC, noted: ‘Tokenization of real-world assets unlocks liquidity in markets that were once closed. By digitizing ownership of assets like fine watches, we open them to global participation and transparent settlement.’

In particular, investors gain access to investments that were previously only available to a select group of wealthy participants, and start-ups can create new platforms for trading and managing these assets, lowering barriers to entry and ensuring transparent conditions.

3. Integrating Crypto: Long-Term Wealth and Institutional Adoption

This year's conference clearly demonstrated that the approach to crypto assets is gradually changing. In particular, Mazen Eljundi, Global Business Head of Crypto at Revolut, believes that cryptocurrencies no longer exist separately from traditional finance. According to him, ‘Crypto is a driver of fintech innovation, reshaping the banking ecosystem as we know it and advancing a borderless financial future. Unlocking its full potential requires regulatory alignment, strong infrastructure, and a customer-centric approach.’ He added that transparency, user education, and honest communication about both opportunities and risks are key factors in building trust.

Alex Kozenko, CMO of WhiteBIT, shares a similar opinion: ‘Everyone is trying to move money from traditional finance into crypto. I think this process will keep doubling and doubling in the coming years.’ His words emphasize that the integration of crypto into the financial system is not just a fad, but a large-scale, long-term process that opens up new opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs. WhiteBIT itself, with a market capitalization of $38.9 billion, demonstrates how quickly a company that actively develops its product and market can grow.

During the conversation, Alex also drew attention to the importance of transparency and honest communication. This year, WhiteBIT held a large-scale International Crypto Trading Competition, where eight traders competed in a global championship that was broadcast live. Inspired by esports, the team decided to create a format in which traders work in conditions of maximum transparency — without bots or third-party tools. The main goal of the tournament was to show how professionals trade in real time, without “Photoshop” or pre-prepared plans, demonstrating the real process and results.

In the same vein, Christian Ulloa, CEO and co-founder of Liquid Loans, spoke about assets as tools for creating long-term wealth: ‘Sell low buy high is a mindset that will keep you poor… long term wealth comes from acquiring valuable assets and holding them. Extract value by borrowing against them – this is how long term wealth is really built.’

This trend demonstrates a paradigm shift for investors and startups. Investors are less focused on immediate profits from price fluctuations and more on systematic asset management strategies, where cryptocurrency becomes part of a long-term portfolio. For startups, this is a signal: successful products must not only provide fast transactions or speculative profits, but also create tools for accumulating, securely storing, and growing users' wealth.

4. Redefining Institutional Trust: ZK Tech Meets Cloud Infrastructure

Another interesting topic at TOKEN2049 was the discussion of how zero-knowledge (ZK) technologies and cloud infrastructure can redefine the concept of trust at the institutional level. The panel focused on how “smart privacy” makes data sharing more targeted and controlled. In addition, participants noted that Google is at the intersection of Web2 and Web3, but for secure integration, it needs a reliable privacy infrastructure — this is where, in their opinion, Midnight comes in. Although privacy chains can be a potential source of risk, secure execution spaces on Google Cloud Platform keep data isolated from external threats, making the platform an ideal partner for private networks.

The experts also emphasized that trust is not only a technical aspect, but also an emotional one. Solutions such as Midnight allow this emotional component to be “transferred” directly to the chain, creating more transparent and predictable relationships between regulators, suppliers, and customers.

For investors, this means that ZK technologies and private blockchain solutions increase security and strengthen trust in institutional projects. For startups, the integration of such solutions can be an important competitive advantage, especially when working with regulatory authorities and large corporate clients.

5. The Synergy of AI and Blockchain in Fintech

One of the popular trends has been the integration of artificial intelligence and blockchain. Vivien Lin, Chief Product Officer at BingX, emphasized that decentralization is becoming a new mechanism of trust, and data is a key asset in finance. She introduced BingX AI Master, an AI-based crypto strategist that makes quantitative trading strategies accessible to everyone. In her opinion, the combination of artificial intelligence and blockchain paves the way for transparency, personalization, and user empowerment.

Equally, interesting was the presentation by Kevin Pang from Neura, who introduced the concept of Emotion AI. In his opinion, the next step in the development of artificial intelligence is emotional intelligence, capable of taking into account sarcasm, cultural nuances, and context. Such systems are already being used in therapy, elderly care, retail, and the gaming industry. For investors and startups, this means new niches where artificial intelligence becomes a platform for highly adaptable products and user experiences.

The OG Labs panel added a practical aspect: AI and blockchain complement each other. Blockchain provides transparency and verifiability of data, while AI simplifies the complexity of solutions for end users. Business leaders such as Frank Mong from Helium and Mike Horton from GEODNET have demonstrated that combining tokenization, decentralized infrastructures, and the right business models allows networks to scale quickly and efficiently. For startups and investors, this is a signal: success in the new fintech ecosystem depends not only on technology, but also on how it is integrated into business processes and incentivizes users.

Thus,

TOKEN2049 has once again demonstrated that the future of finance is not just about new tokens or flashy presentations. It is about building real infrastructure, strengthening trust, and developing innovations that truly have scale. For investors, it is a reminder not to pay attention to short-term hype; for startups, it underscores the importance of developing tools that truly empower users and integrate easily into traditional finance. The conclusion is clear: the next wave of crypto leaders will be those who combine technology, trust, and real business value.

At the same time, a new player is emerging on the horizon: Crypto-as-a-Service, which not only provides access to financial services, but also to a full-fledged crypto ecosystem — from payments and asset trading to custodial and white-label solutions. And if BaaS laid the foundation for digital finance, CaaS is gradually forming a new standard that will determine the competitiveness of the business of the future. 

From Option to Necessity: Why CaaS Is Becoming a Strategic Asset for B2B

If BaaS can be viewed as a set of ‘building blocks’ that can be used to create digital financial products based on traditional banking infrastructure, then CaaS is a logical step in the market's transformation. Both solutions provide businesses with access to complex financial systems without having to build them from scratch, but the difference lies in their focus. BaaS provides classic tools such as accounts, cards, and payments, while CaaS adds a crypto ecosystem that includes wallets, trading, liquidity, and more. 

Today, this means a significant change for the B2B sector: most customers no longer want to choose between ‘banking’ and ‘crypto’ solutions, but expect a comprehensive service that combines both worlds. That is why Crypto-as-a-Service is moving from the ‘option’ category to the “necessity”.

In particular, companies that implement crypto services gain a tangible advantage — the ability to enter new markets, offer customers more flexible payment options, and open up access to assets that remain out of reach in the traditional financial system. Therefore, crypto services in B2B are no longer just an additional feature, but an indicator of a company's innovation and an important factor in its value to customers.

Security, Flexibility, and Scalability: Why Companies Choose CaaS

Crypto-as-a-Service is a complete business infrastructure that enables companies to scale and helps them create additional value for customers without additional costs. As a result, companies gain quick access to digital asset management while maintaining transparency and control at every stage. However, the business value of integrating this solution for companies is not limited to this. 

Moreover, the results of my small survey of 20 companies that have already integrated CaaS confirm the practical value of the model. Over 78% of respondents cited the following key factors as decisive in their decision to integrate the model into their business.

The first factor that respondents pointed out was the removal of barriers to market entry. This means that companies no longer need to build infrastructure from scratch or spend resources on maintaining their own crypto platform. By connecting to CaaS, they save time and capital, and can therefore bring new products to market much faster. 

Besides, an additional advantage is the high level of platform security — cold storage, multifactor authentication, hardware security modules, and constant monitoring — which protects the funds of both companies and customers. Along with security, they also noted regulatory compliance. Built-in KYC/AML procedures and real-time auditing help companies operate legally in different jurisdictions, reducing risks and increasing trust from customers and partners.

The CaaS model is flexible and scalable: it is equally effective for startups looking to bring their product to market quickly and for large organizations processing millions of transactions. 

Companies that have integrated the CaaS model have been able to particularly emphasize the growing advantage of this solution, namely white-label. It allows organizations to maintain their own brand and offer their customers crypto services with a familiar user interface.

Deep liquidity pools, a wide selection of assets, and flexible APIs enable companies to obtain not just technology, but a universal tool for attracting customers, expanding services, and increasing market share. In fact, CaaS transforms complex blockchain solutions into an understandable and manageable business product that promotes growth.

Based on the survey, I compiled a rating of the top 5 crypto exchanges that companies most often choose for CaaS integration, and also highlighted the key advantages that make them attractive to businesses:

Crypto Made Easy: Who Should Take a Closer Look at CaaS Today

Since Crypto-as-a-Service allows companies to integrate crypto without having to build their own full-fledged infrastructure, this solution opens up new opportunities for various industries where digital assets are no longer just a fad, but are becoming a real business value. Among them are:

• Banks and financial institutions: CaaS allows them to offer their customers comprehensive crypto services without having to rebuild their systems. This allows them to remain competitive in the fintech sector, where demand for digital assets is growing rapidly.

• E-commerce: thanks to the integration of crypto services, online stores and marketplaces gain access to a global audience of crypto users, increasing loyalty and conversion without complex technical implementation. This also includes retail and mobile apps. 

• Institutional investors and hedge funds: CaaS provides management of large digital portfolios, hedging, and secure storage of assets through a single interface in accordance with regulatory requirements.

• Startups and fintech companies: Launching innovative crypto services — wallets, payments, trading — becomes faster and less expensive, reducing time to market and enabling effective testing of new products.

As a result, 

Crypto-as-a-Service is becoming a strategic tool for companies that want to remain competitive and open up new opportunities. From banks and fintech companies to online stores and startups, those who integrate CaaS today will gain an advantage tomorrow in the world of digital finance, where success is determined by flexibility, security, and scalability.

Simply put, the business of the future is built where crypto works without unnecessary complexity and technology becomes a precise tool for growth and development.

However, despite the bursts of optimism, companies remain cautious: they do not chase the hype, carefully assess risks and try to find a balance between potential profits and capital preservation, often returning to more traditional assets such as gold.

Corporate Crypto Dilemma: Holding Bitcoin or Hedging with Gold

Bitcoin has long been considered “digital gold,” but public companies are facing a dilemma: whether to keep capital in stable assets like gold or take risks for potentially higher returns from cryptocurrencies.

Although corporate purchases of BTC have declined slightly, institutional investors continue to gobble up about 400% of the daily supply of digital gold. For comparison, until recently, this figure reached 600%. Charles Edwards, founder of the Capriole investment fund, notes that the average number of companies buying cryptocurrency daily is gradually decreasing. This can be either a temporary decline or a sign of market saturation. Nevertheless, it is positive that 93% of companies continue to buy bitcoin rather than sell it, as interest in it remains stable.

At the same time, some companies are facing record problems: the share of corporations with a market capitalization below the value of their reserves in BTC (mNAV < 1) has reached 27%. Under such conditions, it becomes unprofitable to issue shares to buy cryptocurrency, and companies often find it easier to hold positions or buy back their own devalued securities. A prolonged drop in mNAV may increase pressure on the market and increase the risk of a further decline in the price of bitcoin.

Against this backdrop, many corporations are once again turning to gold as a stable way to preserve capital. At the same time, young and experienced crypto investors, especially in South Korea, continue to actively buy digital assets. According to the Korean Times, more than 10,000 South Koreans own cryptocurrencies worth more than $750,000, and government policies in recent years have created unprecedented support for the development of the digital market, from regulating stablecoins to tax breaks for crypto companies.

As a result, corporations are balancing security and potential profits, and the market is showing a contrast: the interest of large investors remains, but the risks to corporate balance sheets are growing.

Building a Balanced Corporate Crypto Portfolio: My Top 5 Picks

Although crypto reserves are currently gaining momentum in some countries, companies are increasingly interested in their own corporate reserves. Bitcoin remains the primary choice for most organizations due to its status as “digital gold.” At the same time, portfolio diversification remains critical: other assets can serve as additional protection against volatility and open up new opportunities for corporate finance. With this in mind, I have compiled my own ranking of assets worth considering for a corporate reserve.

1. Ethereum (ETH) remains the leader among altcoins in terms of liquidity and usage. It is a key trading coin in the DeFi world, and it is thanks to it that the lion's share of innovative projects exist. At the same time, high volatility makes ETH less attractive for long-term corporate balance sheets. Many companies view it as a speculative asset for stockpiling rather than a stable “airbag.”

2. BNB (BNB) is a native coin of the Binance exchange, and its main advantage is a close connection with the platform's ecosystem. This allows you to save on fees and participate in token sales, which adds to its practical value. For corporate reserves, BNB is interesting as a strategic asset: liquidity is combined with growth potential along with the expansion of the exchange's ecosystem. The main risk is the increased attention of regulators to Binance.

3. Ripple (XRP) is often chosen by companies that need to make transactions quickly and frequently. It is a highly liquid asset that is convenient for daily transfers and payments. While Ethereum is associated with innovation and volatile fluctuations, Ripple has become a symbol of practicality: it is faster, easier, and more predictable to use. That is why companies that work with numerous cross-border transactions look at XRP as a convenient tool that can become a working asset in the corporate reserve.

4. WhiteBIT Coin (WBT) is the native coin of the WhiteBIT exchange, which is gradually being positioned as ‘Bitcoin for the corporate ledger’. Its key difference is that it is not a coin for speculation, but rather for holding and long-term storage. By purchasing WBT, a business receives not a tool for active trading, but a predictable asset that can grow along with the development of the exchange itself. Interestingly, the company's behavioral model resembles Coinbase: an exchange's IPO and public listing can create a transparent history of a company's growth, bringing it closer to traditional investments. It is this “stability combined with a corporate approach” that allows WBT to position itself as an ideal candidate for the corporate reserve.

5. Solana (SOL) is one of the most dynamic projects of recent years. Its main advantage is fast and cheap transactions that allow scaling business solutions in the Web3 ecosystem. This opens up opportunities for companies to experiment with new payment models or integrations. However, the volatility and risks of network failures that Solana has already encountered make it a backup option rather than a mainstay.

So, 

as Bitcoin continues to set the tone for the market and companies carefully balance risk and stability, building a corporate cryptocurrency reserve is becoming an art of compromise. The largest players view Bitcoin as “digital gold,” while other assets add airbags and open up new opportunities. Ultimately, the right portfolio for business is not about chasing hype, but a strategic combination of innovation and reliability. And who knows, maybe it is the ability to balance between bold bets and a conservative strategy that will be the key to the next wave of corporate success in the crypto market.

Instead of universal “one-size-fits-all” bonuses, exchanges are increasingly relying on an individual approach: personal managers, flexible commissions, private events, and partnership opportunities. The loyalty of such clients is no longer bought - it is built step by step, as a mutually beneficial partnership for years.

Why VIP Programs Became a Must-Have for Crypto Exchanges — and When to Launch Them

Loyalty programs in the crypto industry have come a long way - from simple bonuses for trading volumes to complex VIP ecosystems with a wide range of benefits. Initially, crypto exchanges were limited to standard rewards for referrals or commission discounts. However, with the growth of competition and the development of technology, more complex and comprehensive models have emerged. Today, such programs often offer not only financial bonuses but also access to exclusive events, closed communities, educational sessions, and even personal consultations, making the user experience much more valuable and helping to create a strong community around the brand.

Therefore, VIP programs have become one of the key tools for attracting large players. However, the question arises: is it worth launching such a program at the very beginning of the project? The answer is not clear, because, on the one hand, there are a number of advantages, and on the other hand, there are certain risks.

First, VIP programs are targeted at users with large capital and significant trading volumes - professional traders, institutional investors, funds, so-called “whales” and market makers. It is these players who bring the necessary volumes that ensure the liquidity and stability of the exchange, which, in turn, attracts new users and increases trust in the platform.

• For crypto exchanges, VIP clients are not only additional income from commissions, but also an opportunity to strengthen their brand and reputation in a fiercely competitive environment. Besides, VIP programs help to form a loyal community of major players who often become ambassadors of the platform.

• For VIP users, such a program provides access to attractive bonuses: discounts on commissions, personal managers, more favorable trading conditions, exclusive investment products - all of which make trading more comfortable and efficient.

At the same time, launching a VIP program from day one is a rather risky step. High requirements for trading volumes and deposits can put off potential users, especially if the project has not yet gained trust and does not have a sufficient audience of large players. Thus, launching a VIP program at the start is a decision that requires careful consideration. It is important to understand whether the project is ready to provide a high level of service, security, and meet regulatory requirements, as well as whether there are enough large players who will appreciate these benefits. Otherwise, instead of supporting growth, you may create unnecessary barriers to trust and development.

Personalized Approach in Action: Ranking the Best VIP Programs Offered by Leading Exchanges

A fee rebate is a classic of VIP programs: almost every exchange offers it. But for experienced traders, it is more of an entry point than a key argument. The real value lies in the details - today, exchanges are increasingly focusing on an individual approach and additional bonuses for their top clients. Let's take a look at what the leading market players offer besides low fees.

1. For example, Binance creates bespoke products for its VIP clients, sets individual trading limits, provides a personal support manager, rewards VIP level upgrades with bonuses, and invites them to private meetings and events.

2. WhiteBIT focuses on easy API connection, personal support, higher rake limits, and access to trading tournaments with prizes. A separate advantage is the lowest entry threshold among all the exchanges under consideration. In addition, they provide an opportunity to combine the benefits of the VIP program with discounts on holding and owning the exchange's native coin.

3. Bybit concentrates on priority access to the support chat, special gifts for VIPs, exclusive trading rates, invitations to special events and campaigns, early access to new products, as well as customized crypto loans amounts and terms.

4. MEXC offers 24/7 personalized support and a VIP channel for expedited service.

5. Kraken provides personalized support and advanced API access.

Getting Started: The First Steps to Launching a VIP Program

Launching a VIP program for an exchange or a startup is a strategic step that requires balanced decisions and readiness to close requests from major players. If you decide to go this route, you should implement a series of consistent actions that will ensure an effective start and long-term results.

1. The launch itself always begins with the minimum functionality, or MVP. In this case, you should not focus on complex features at the start, but rather focus on the basics: commission discounts, priority support, and access to exclusive tools. 

2. Another key point is to find your own “hook” for top traders. Someone appreciates personal bonuses for activity, while others value early access to new products. However, the most important thing is to understand what motivates your audience and make it a feature of your program.

3. The next step is testing and scaling. Start with a small group of users, track their behavior, collect feedback, and adjust your offerings before launching them on a larger scale. Keep in mind the balance between generosity and business logic: too many bonuses can undermine profitability, but skimping on the value of the program risks scaring away big players. 

4. And one of the most important things to keep in mind is to respond quickly to user needs. Bonuses are a really valuable factor, but VIP players need to feel important, that they are listened to and their wishes are taken into account. Timely support, personalized consultations, and flexible solutions are often factors that build loyalty.

To summarize,

launching a VIP program is always about balance. If your project is ready not only to reduce commissions but also to build real partnerships with the whales, this strategy can become your main springboard to growth. The main thing is to start small, listen to your users, and scale up when your ecosystem is ready for it.

This inevitably raises the question: if mining “eats up” such resources, does it justify itself in terms of profitability? Recently, WhiteBIT conducted an experiment comparing the hashrate of different mining pools in real-world conditions. I analyzed their results and added my opinion based on my own mining experience.

Why Speed Alone Won’t Make You a Successful Miner

Hashrate is the speed at which the hardware performs calculations to find a new block on the network. The higher it is, the higher the chances of getting a reward, but it is worth considering that competition among miners is also growing. In particular, according to the World Population Review, the leaders in bitcoin mining by country and their hash rates are the United States (37.84%), China (21.11%), and Kazakhstan (13.22%).

Source: 'Bitcoin Mining by Country 2025' - World Population Review

It is important to understand that the profit is influenced not only by the technical capabilities of the equipment but also by the operating conditions of the network itself: the complexity of mining (which is adjusted every two weeks), the current reward per block (currently 3,125 BTC after the 2024 halving), the cost of electricity, and the coin rate in the market.

How profitable mining is can be judged by the hashprice, i.e. how much profit one terahash of power brings per day. It depends on several factors, such as the BTC price, transaction fees, network difficulty, and the chosen pool. Moreover, the choice of a pool is no less important: the fee (usually 0.5-4%), payment model (PPS, FPPS, PPLNS), and additional services can significantly affect the final result.

However, even a high hashrate does not guarantee a stable income, as it is influenced by both external factors, such as the price of BTC and network activity, and internal factors, such as equipment efficiency, uninterrupted operation, and pool selection strategy. That is why professional miners constantly monitor the market and customize their equipment to maximize the benefits of the hashprice and stay in the black.

WhiteBIT Compares Mining Pools: How Small Differences Translate to Big Gains

To check the real profitability of different mining pools, WhiteBIT conducted a week-long test on the same hardware - Antminer S21 - and default fees for five pools - AntPool, F2Pool, WhitePool, Luxor, ViaBTC. In my opinion, for a more complete picture, it would be worth testing at least a dozen pools: they differ not only in hashrate but also in functionality, and this could give even more profound conclusions. However, this experiment turned out to be quite revealing.

To calculate the hashprice, the company used the following formula:

Hashprice = (reward - pool fee) / average daily hashrate

The results were unambiguous: WhitePool was confidently leading all seven days, outperforming its competitors by ≈1.73%. F2 Pool most often finished last - 4 times out of 7. AntPool and Luxor were closer to the middle, although Luxor consistently took second place and ViaBTC occasionally fell below average.

To better visualize the financial benefits, the company modeled the situation for a hypothetical miner with a performance of 100 PH/s. In this case, WhitePool would bring in 0.34279718 BTC (~$41,135.66) per week, which is $282 more than its closest competitor (Luxor) and $866 more than the least profitable pool (F2 Pool). At first glance, the difference in the fraction of a percentage seems insignificant, but with high throughput and long-term operation, it turns into a tangible bonus.

Another important point is stability. WhitePool has never dropped from first place, Luxor has almost always been second, and the other three pools have been constantly changing places with a small gap of 0.0000002-0.0000005 BTC/PH/day. The largest gap between the first and last place was recorded on June 7 - 0.00000177 BTC/PH.

From Setup to Profit: A Personal Test of WhitePool’s Performance

Interestingly, even before WhiteBIT published their official experiment, I had experience with WhitePool. My goal was to check the real profitability and evaluate how the pool works in real conditions.

For the test, I used Antminer S21 with a hashrate of 200 TH/s. Setting up the hardware turned out to be quite fast and took about an hour. After that, the miner began to issue hashes steadily, and WhitePool demonstrated high stability: no downtime, lags, or connection problems. The pool interface is simple and user-friendly, which made it easier to control income.

I kept a daily profit record and received approximately $10.38 per day. It took me about 58 days to earn $600. Compared to other pools that looked more attractive on paper, WhitePool impressed me with its reliability and stability, a factor that is critical for me in long-term mining.

Final Takes

Mining remains a balance between speed, strategy, and stability. WhiteBIT's experiment, backed by my personal test, shows that even small differences in pool performance can lead to significant gains over time. In the end, stable uptime, transparent fees, and user-friendly management matter just as much as raw hashrate. For those considering mining today, the key takeaway is clear: it's not just about how much hashrate you have, but also how wisely you choose a pool and manage its settings.

In the digital age, when social media has become an open stage, every action - from work initiatives to hobbies - adds touches to this portrait. Hobbies can inspire the team and partners, build investor confidence, or, conversely, cause controversy. But the fact remains that lifestyle is an integral part of the brand, and a powerful leader's image directly increases the company's business capital.

Richard Branson: Extreme as a Business Philosophy

Co-founder of the Virgin Group is a prime example of how extreme and adventurousness shape a unique image. He started his business career about 50 years ago selling records by mail order, but his energy and thirst for adventure never waned.

In his free time, Branson doesn't just relax - he seeks thrills: hot air ballooning across the ocean, kite surfing across the English Channel (sometimes even with a model on his back), and jumping off the roof of a casino in Las Vegas. Additionally, he regularly plays tennis, does not miss “extreme” bike rides several times a week and loves to play chess.

In business, Richard Branson invests primarily in technology - he supports innovative companies that have the potential to change markets or create new ones. Among his personal investments is a Necker Nymph submarine, which he purchased for about $547,000. If you plan to rent it, get ready to pay about $25,000 a week. Branson also owns a private island, Necker Island, which he bought for $180,000 in 1978. Interestingly, in 2020, he even used this island as collateral to save Virgin Atlantic during the COVID crisis.

All of this illustrates the image of a person who is not afraid to break the rules and take risks, both in sports and in business.

Net worth: $2.8B

Jack Dorsey: Discipline and Technologies of the Future

Co-founder of Twitter and Block is a bridge between the world of technology and spiritual practices. His daily routine resembles a mixture of discipline and asceticism: two hours of meditation a day, only seven meals a week, cold baths, and long walks. He spends his evenings doing his favorite things: reading, cycling, or just enjoying the silence.

Fun fact: Dorsey celebrated his birthday in 2018 in an unusual way - with a ten-day silent Vipassana. Every day from 4 am to 9 pm, he meditated without being able to read, listen to music, or even look people in the eye. He ate only once a day. One night he counted 117 mosquito bites.

Dorsey is a public Bitcoin apologist who not only invests his own funds in BTC, but has also created the company, Block, with a focus on crypto solutions. His personal purchases include a house in San Francisco's prestigious Seacliff neighborhood worth about $10 million, and later an adjacent lot for $21.9 million, which turned his property into a private complex of more than 1.2 acres.

Net worth: $3.9B

Bill Gates: Intellectual Luxury

The Microsoft co-founder is an example of how true luxury can be combined with intelligence. Among Bill Gates' favorite pastimes are reading, traveling with a deep interest in cultures and global issues, playing bridge and spending time on the tennis court.

Gates makes his main investments in business through Cascade Investment LLC, which owns a significant portfolio of private enterprises and real estate. His key assets include a hostel chain, Four Seasons hotels, the innovative energy project TerraPower, aviation companies, car dealerships, etc. His personal collection includes a $30.8 million manuscript by Leonardo da Vinci, more than twenty rare Porsche (including the legendary 911 and 959), his own private island and the state-of-the-art Xanadu 2.0 residence worth over $125 million.

Net worth: $116.22B

Sundar Pichai: The Tech Aesthete

Google's CEO is a man who skillfully combines the simplicity of his personal hobbies with the complexity of running a tech giant. His hobbies include a true love of cricket and tennis, a fascination with modern gadgets, and a passion for reading. He especially enjoys biographies, business literature, and books about technology.

An interesting fact: at school, he was the captain of the cricket team and even dreamed of a professional career.

As for personal investments, Pichai owns an estate in Los Altos Hills, which he purchased around 2020 for $40 million. In addition, he has several luxury cars in his collection: Mercedes-Maybach S650 ($387K), BMW 730 LD (~$163K), and Mercedes V-Class van (~$86K).

Net worth: $1.2B

Volodymyr Nosov: Fast and Exclusive

The president & founder of WhiteBIT Group lives in the rhythm of speed and prestige, combining it with social responsibility. He is well known for his passion for collecting exclusive cars and his love of drag racing. In his spare time, he reads, has a deep, melodic voice, and, rumored by Finance Monthly, enjoys singing Frank Sinatra songs.

Auto sports and car collectibles have become not just a hobby, but a part of Nosov's personal brand. He invests a significant portion of his money in vintage cars. His collection includes a Mercedes-AMG SL 7.3, one of 35 in the world, purchased for $300,000, which is likely to be worth $800,000 in a few years. There is also a Rolls-Royce that once belonged to Freddie Mercury himself, worth £250,000. Among the unusual purchases is a Eurovision trophy won by the Kalush Orchestra. Nosov bought it for $900,000, and the money was donated to charity.

Net worth: $7B

Elon Musk: Pop Culture and the Future

The founder of Tesla and SpaceX is an example of a CEO whose interests resonate with futurism and science fiction. He is fond of video games and has repeatedly admitted that they help him to distract himself and “calm his mind.” In his free time, Musk likes to read, watch TV shows and anime. Rumor has it that he practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu and even has a black belt in karate.

As an investor, Musk focuses primarily on his own projects - Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, Neuralink, etc. - as well as on cryptocurrencies - BTC, ETH, and DOGE. Among his personal trophies are the legendary McLaren F1 and even the Lotus Esprit submarine from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, which he bought for $997,000.

Net worth: $398B

Sam Altman: Aviation, Cars, and Big Ideas

OpenAI's CEO combines aesthetics, comfort, and a smart financial strategy. Sam Altman is passionate about speed and the sky: he has a pilot's license, loves to fly and participate in car racing. In his spare time, he reads, listens to classical music, runs and does weightlifting.

Even before becoming the public face of AI, Altman was actively investing in real estate. In just a year and a half, he spent about $85 million on the acquisition of luxury properties, including $43 million for a Hawaiian estate located next to the residence of the island's first king. As a true car enthusiast, he owns five cars, including two McLaren and a rare Tesla.

Net worth: $2B

Fred Ehrsam: The Gamer Who Built a Crypto Empire

The co-founder of Coinbase and Paradigm demonstrates how a hobby can become a starting point for entering the industry of the future. He is passionate about video games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, America's Army, and World of Warcraft. Fred Ehrsam also has extensive gaming experience, having spent thousands of hours in WoW as part of one of the best teams, where he first became familiar with the phenomenon of digital currencies.

In his investments, Ehrsam focuses on startups in the fields of neurotechnology, biotechnology, crypto, and early-stage technology. However, in his daily life, he is quite reserved. In an interview, Fred Ersam recalled with a smile that the most expensive thing he ever bought was a $19,000 car he bought in 2012.

Net worth: $3.6B

Ultimately, 

a leader's personal brand is not just status or numbers on an account, but a set of things that shape their story: hobbies, lifestyle, values. These are the touches that make a business more human and attractive to investors, partners, and the team. After all, in an era when technology is blurring borders, it is people and their stories that remain the most valuable asset.

That is why market makers come into play. They ensure the constant availability of buy and sell orders, creating an active and stable market. For new projects, this is an opportunity to attract investors faster, show real trading volumes, and gain trust. And for mature projects, it helps to maintain liquidity and price stability, which is important for trust and further development.

Market Makers: The Architects of Stability in Financial Markets

Market making is the process that underlies liquidity in financial markets. Market makers, which can be either individual traders or large companies, commit to buying and selling assets at publicly announced prices on a regular basis. They make money on the difference between the buy and sell price, the so-called spread. Their role is extremely important for the market: market makers constantly maintain a balance between buy and sell orders, which contributes to price stability and smooth trading.

Liquidity is a key condition for listing for most projects seeking to get on leading exchanges. Cooperation with market makers helps to achieve the required level of liquidity, increasing trust in the token, improving its recognition, and expanding opportunities for active trading.

There are several main types of market makers:

• Institutional market makers are large banks and financial companies that provide liquidity to the market. They work with forex brokers, crypto exchanges, and other platforms to help stabilize prices and avoid sharp fluctuations in the market.

• Brokerage companies are intermediaries between traders and the market, providing access to trading in a variety of instruments. Although their volumes may be smaller than those of institutional market makers, brokers often cooperate with large players to provide the necessary market depth.

• Dealing centers are companies that work primarily on forex and help traders with limited capital. They may not place all orders on the external market, but cover buying and selling within their own client base, which is called internal clearing. This approach reduces risks and increases efficiency.

• Investment funds are organizations that manage large amounts of investor funds by forming joint portfolios. Due to their significant capital, funds can actively influence market liquidity, ensuring stability and the ability to conduct large transactions.

• Private investors, or “whales”, are large traders with significant capital who can significantly influence the market by buying or selling large volumes of assets. They also act as market makers, making a profit from the spread between the buy and sell price.

Choosing the Right Market Maker: Key Criteria That Matter

The choice of a market maker is not just a technical decision, but a strategic step that directly affects the liquidity of the token, investor confidence, and the overall dynamics of the project. Therefore, in order not to lose money with a partner, it is worth considering several important factors.

• Experience and reputation. It is important that the market maker’s team has a deep understanding of the specifics of various cryptos, the intricacies of working on different exchanges, and the mechanisms that shape market behavior. Reputation is equally important: a partner should have confirmed cases, positive feedback from other projects, and a transparent history of cooperation.

• Technological capabilities. A market maker should use advanced trading algorithms, have high-frequency trading skills, and respond quickly to market fluctuations, which helps maintain liquidity stability and minimize the impact of sudden changes.

• Compliance with regulatory requirements. A partner that operates transparently and within the framework of the current legislation of its jurisdiction reduces project risks and increases the trust of investors and partners.

• Transparency in work. A reliable market maker regularly provides detailed and understandable reports on transactions, results achieved, and strategies applied. This allows not only to track the effectiveness of cooperation, but also to adjust approaches in a timely manner.

• Risk management. The crypto market is quite volatile and subject to sharp price fluctuations, so your partner should have proven risk control mechanisms — liquid, market, and operational. This approach is critical to protecting the interests of the project and ensuring stable operation.

Importantly, the leading market makers themselves take a careful approach when selecting projects to support, focusing on long-term value and strategic fit. As Vincent Liu, CIO at Kronos Research, explains:

‘We prioritize partners with strong execution, a reliable track record, and clear strategic value. Shared speed, alignment on goals, and measurable impact are essential whether through market reach, product fit, or differentiated advantage’.

From this point of view, successful cooperation is always mutual: just as projects are looking for reliable market makers, the latter are also seeking for trustworthy and scalable partners.

Behind the Spreads: Market Makers Trusted by the Pros

Today, the crypto market offers a wide range of companies and services specializing in market making. However, based on the experience of communicating with leading industry players who have actively cooperated with market makers, as well as a detailed analysis of their preferences and selection criteria, I have formed my own selection of the most reliable and efficient market makers. These companies meet key requirements and standards that allow them to provide liquidity and maintain stable trading activity in the market.

Institutional market makers

• B2C2 is known for its deep liquidity and high order execution speed, making it a reliable partner for large traders.

• Kronos Research is distinguished by its deep analytical approach and quick response to market changes, which allows it to maintain a stable price level.

• GSR has a strong reputation for a wide range of trading strategies and a strong infrastructure for global markets.

• Wintermute is noted for its innovative algorithms and scalability, making them one of the most technologically advanced market makers.

• DWF Labs offers end-to-end solutions with a focus on automation and integration, making it easy to collaborate on projects of any size.

Top 5 market making programs

1. Binance offers 0% maker fees on certain pairs, rebates of up to 0.005%, weekly activity rankings, and increased API limits for all program members.

2. WhiteBIT provides rebates of up to -0.010% on spot and margin trading, as well as collocation, sub-accounts, 24/7 technical support, and an expanded set of API tools (WebSocket, FIX 4.4 endpoint, Webhook).

3. Bitget provides maker fees of up to -0.015% depending on trading volume, personalized technical support, bonuses, and increased API limits and sub-accounts.

4. Bybit offers a maker’s fee of up to -0.0125% depending on the tier, a special spot liquidity program, and flexible conditions for futures trading depending on the Pro Tier.

5. Gate.io provides market makers with rebates of -0.015%, a crypto loan of up to 400,000 USDT interest-free, personal support, weekly analytics, and access to a Market Maker Protection system.

Thus,

in the crypto market, where trust is built not only on technology but also on liquidity, the role of a market maker cannot be overestimated. Choosing the right partner is not just access to a deep pool of orders, but a strategic advantage that can determine the success of a project. After all, high liquidity means not only trading comfort, but also trust, reputation, and readiness for scaling.

Volatility became a normal part of this period. And it was at this moment of turbulence that I became interested in testing a strategy that does not react to market noise but follows a clear plan — auto-investing. Why this approach? I wanted to check how “passive” crypto investing can work — without constantly hovering in charts, or impulsive decisions dictated by fear or greed. It’s simple: an algorithm, a fixed amount, and regular timing.

Investing on Autopilot: How Auto-Invest Makes Crypto Easy

Auto-Invest is an automated investment strategy that allows you to buy cryptocurrencies on a pre-set schedule: daily, weekly, or monthly. The idea is simple: you choose crypto assets, determine the amount and frequency of purchases, and the system executes transactions without your participation.

The main advantage lies in automation, as the crypto market is very volatile and emotions often take over. Therefore, Auto-Invest helps to maintain discipline — to invest systematically, without panic and fear of missing a profitable moment. In other words, Auto-Invest is a cryptocurrency analog of the Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA) strategy, which helps to “average” market entry. Thanks to this, you reduce the risk of buying an asset at its highest point, not at its peak.

Due to its simplicity and convenience, this strategy is rapidly gaining popularity, especially among those who are just starting out in crypto and want to invest money regularly without spending time on constant market analysis.

For example, WhiteBIT’s Auto-Invest offers several important advantages:

• A wide range of assets: Auto-Invest supports dozens of cryptos, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Solana (SOL), and other popular altcoins.

• Flexible settings: automatic purchases can be customized both when converting fiat currency to crypto and when exchanging between digital assets.

• No minimum amount: any amount can be invested, creating your own portfolio without restrictions.

• Advanced options: the ability to set price limits and determine the number of purchases in accordance with your investment plans.

• Fully automated investments: no need to constantly monitor the market or make purchases manually, the platform will do everything for you.

• Dollar-cost averaging (DCA): regular investments in fixed amounts help reduce the impact of volatility and smooth out market fluctuations.

$10,000. 10 coins. 3 months with zero manual actions — what came out of it?

To check how the Auto-Invest strategy works in practice, I decided to conduct my own experiment. To do this, I chose 10 crypto assets based on reputable sources such as CoinGecko and CoinDesk. I chose coins with a large capitalization, active media presence, and good growth prospects. As a result, the list includes BTC, ETH, SOL, ADA, WBT, XRP, BNB, SUI, HYPE, and TRX.

The total budget of the experiment was $10,000, which I distributed equally among all ten assets. Every week for three months — from April 1 to July 1, 2025 — $83 was automatically invested in each asset. Thus, each coin had 12 regular investments.

To implement this strategy, I used the Auto-Invest feature on the WhiteBIT. After the initial setup, I did not intervene manually — all purchases were made automatically according to the set schedule.

According to the results of the experiment, the newcomer to the portfolio, $HYPE, brought the largest profit. Its yield was a record: +201.52%, which brought me more than $2,015.22 in net profit. The second place was taken by $WBT with a result of +55.32% ($553.2 in profit), and the “classic of the genre” $ETH closes the top three with +35.06%, or $350.6.

The worst performer was $ADA. Despite its large capitalization and popularity in previous years, the asset sank by -14.98% and became the only one in the portfolio that was at a loss.

In general, most coins showed positive dynamics, which once again confirms that diversification is the key to success. After all, sometimes it is the coins that are just gaining momentum that can outperform even the most famous market players.

Conclusion

My three months of experimenting with Auto-Invest have confirmed that systematic, automated investing is an effective way to join the crypto market without unnecessary stress and emotional mistakes. Even without constant monitoring, you can get a good result, especially thanks to diversification. Although not all assets showed growth, the overall trend was positive. Thus, Auto-Invest is a simple, convenient, and affordable tool for those who want to invest in crypto on autopilot and maintain discipline in a volatile market.

In today’s environment, one of the main ways to achieve this level is through digital transformation. It is not only about technology, but also about a radical change in approaches to teaching, research, and interaction with the global academic community. Digitalization is now becoming a key factor in determining the competitiveness of universities on the global map.

Technologies Transforming Education: Insights from the Ivy League and Global Trends

Digital transformation is now becoming a driving force for the modernization of the higher education system. It is not only about the transition to online formats, but also about the introduction of blockchain technologies and artificial intelligence, the creation of virtual laboratories and even entire educational meta-spaces where students can interact with teachers and each other in a fully digital environment.

In particular, modern technologies not only complement the educational process but also open up new opportunities for both universities and students. As a result, it makes it possible to establish international partnerships, attract leading experts from around the world, and create a truly inclusive learning environment. At the same time, it is an opportunity for students to acquire quality knowledge regardless of their place of residence, discover new learning formats and develop skills that are relevant in the digital age.

The world’s leading universities, especially those from the Ivy League, have been actively integrating the latest technologies into their educational process for many years. For example, Harvard University has been using VR to study history and languages since 2016: students can “travel” through the streets of Paris or visit archaeological sites in Egypt thanks to 3D models in the Visualization Lab. Together with Zhejiang University, Harvard also used the social VR platform rumii, which allows students from different countries to conduct research and study together in a virtual space. In addition, in 2022, with the support of Meta Quest, the university organized a virtual alumni meeting on the Mesmerise platform, which brought together 90 participants from 28 countries.

Stanford University has the Virtual Human Interaction Lab, founded in 2003, where researchers study human interaction in VR environments. Moreover, back in 2016, Stanford Business School offered a certificate course that was fully conducted in virtual reality. And in 2022, medical students from Queen Mary University of London attended lectures in the “metaverse” for the first time.

Ukrainian Universities in the Digital Era: Real Stories of Educational Transformation

Although the world’s leading universities have long been on the path of digitalization, Ukrainian universities are not lagging behind, but rather demonstrate that they can confidently move towards the global level.

One of the most striking examples is Sumy State University, where the Ulab laboratory operates. Here, students have the opportunity to work on virtual and augmented reality solutions, create innovative educational products and educational games for various platforms.

Similar achievements can be seen at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, which has been developing a network of educational and research IT laboratories for several years. In particular, in the Robotics Lab, created with the support of SoftServe, students design robotic systems, and the Infopulse Data Science & Machine Learning Lab focuses on machine learning and data analysis. In addition, the High Performance Computing and Software Engineering Lab, which works in partnership with GlobalLogic, allows students to immerse themselves in complex engineering problems. Such cooperation with the IT industry not only provides state-of-the-art equipment, but also integrates students into real research processes while they are still studying.

Educational initiatives in the field of blockchain deserve special attention. Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University, Semen Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics, Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, and others are actively working to incorporate blockchain technologies into their curricula. Thus, opening new horizons for students, preparing them to work in the industry of the future.

Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in the Metaverse: How Blockchain Education Reaches a New Level

The National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy confidently holds the lead among Ukrainian universities in both blockchain education and digitalization of educational processes. Since 2023, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy has been running a master’s certificate program in Blockchain Technologies, developed in partnership with the WhiteBIT crypto exchange, where students master the relevant disciplines:

• Cryptography in blockchain technologies;

• Distributed cryptocurrency exchange algorithms based on smart contracts (DeFi);

• Development of smart contracts;

• Technical tools for regulating cryptocurrencies in the market.

Despite the fact that the program has been running for two years, this year’s graduation was truly significant for the education sector. For the first time in the history of Ukrainian education, the certificate award ceremony took place not in an assembly hall, but in the WhiteBIT x NaUKMA virtual metaverse by Lezo on the Spatial platform.

Sixteen students who successfully passed all four disciplines received tokenized certificates in the NFT format on the Whitechain blockchain. This approach not only demonstrated the high level of digital maturity of the university, but also became a significant step towards transparency and protection of educational documents from forgery.

The event was attended by alumni and WhiteBIT representatives, including WhiteBIT Group President & Founder Volodymyr Nosov, lecturer and co-developer of the program Kyrylo Horokhovsky, and Dean of the Faculty of Informatics at NaUKMA Andriy Hlybovets. This format has become unique not only for Ukraine but also for the whole world, because although Ivy League universities have already used the metaverse for their events, this is the first time that graduates are awarded in the virtual space.

Thus,

digital transformation and the introduction of innovative technologies are becoming not just a trend, but a fundamental factor in the development of modern education. The examples of Ivy League universities and leading Ukrainian universities prove that the future belongs to those who boldly integrate new learning formats, open up opportunities for global cooperation, and create transparent, secure digital educational spaces. Keeping pace with global trends, Ukrainian education is making a significant contribution to the formation of a digitized world of knowledge.

Now let's imagine for a moment that footballers are financial assets, and each match affects their ‘value’ in the same way that news affects the cryptocurrency rate. Who will bring more ‘goals’ - that is, profit - to your investment portfolio?

PlayerTokenValue — What’s Messi’s Market Cap in Web3?

Having recently come across the concept of Tokenized Attention - the idea that human attention can not only be measured, but also digitized and monetized - I wondered what if we applied it to football? Football players compete for the attention of millions of fans, sponsors, and media around the world every day, so why not try to measure their “tokenized value”?

So, inspired by this concept, I imagined each player as a conditional token. Its value - let's call it PlayerTokenValue - can be formed not only based on sports results, but also on popularity and screen time. For calculations, I decided to develop the following formula:

PlayerTokenValue = (Market Value × Performance Index × Popularity Score) / Active Career Minutes

Where:

• Market Value - current market value of the player according to Transfermarkt

• Performance Index - performance in the season (goals + assists) per 90 minutes for this season

• Popularity Score - a conditional popularity rating from 1 to 10, which takes into account social networks, advertising contracts and media presence

• Active Career Minutes - the total number of minutes played in a career

Here, I decided to go further and compare these notional “token players” with specific crypto assets. In this parallel, the asset data is taken from CoinGecko:

• PlayerTokenValue = Current price of the asset at the time of writing;

• Market Value = Market Cap; 

• Performance Index = 24H Volume;

• Popularity Score = Ranking by Market Cap;

BTC, ETH or SOL — Who Would You Buy If They Were Footballers?

Erling Haaland is a Norwegian striker who has been breaking through opponents' defenses time and time again in the ‘Man City’ shirt, a club that has already plunged into the crypto world thanks to its partnership with OKX. 

• Market Value: €180M → $195.3M

• Performance Index: (39 ÷ 4,041) × 90 = 0.869 G+A per 90

• Career Minutes: ~ 23,847

• Popularity Score: 8

If you imagine Erling Haaland as a token and take into account all the indicators, we will get an asset with a “price” of approximately $56,934. By way of analogy, the footballer can be equated to Bitcoin, the flagship crypto market with a market capitalization of over $2.1 trillion, a daily trading volume of $20 billion, and a price of $108, 210. Although the asset does not play soccer, score or celebrate goals, it has a daily impact on the global economy. If Haaland is a Premier League star who flashes on the field, Bitcoin is one in the financial universe that has been shining continuously for more than a decade.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese forward and captain of the Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team. His exclusivity goes far beyond the football field. Ronaldo is actively immersed in the world of cryptocurrencies: he has collaborated with the Sorare platform, issued his own NFT cards, and creates exclusive collections with Binance, making him one of the few footballers with real experience in the crypto sphere.

• Market Value: €12M → $13.02M

• Performance Index: (39 ÷ 3,547) × 90 = 0.990 G+A per 90

• Career Minutes: ~ 86,541

• Popularity Score: 10

If we consider him as a digital asset, the “value of his token” is estimated at about $1,489. By analogy with cryptocurrencies, Ronaldo can be compared to BNB, the fifth-largest crypto asset by capitalization with a market value of over $96.4 billion, a daily trading volume of about $679.3 million, and a price of $663.15. Just like BNB, Ronaldo is a globally recognized brand, well known and popular, but at the same time gradually fading into the shadow of new trends.

Dušan Vlahović is a Serbian striker for Juventus, a club that is actively integrating into the crypto world through a partnership with WhiteBIT, becoming the Official Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner and Official Sleeve Partner of the club.

• Market Value: €35M → $37.98M

• Performance Index: (22 ÷ 2,695) × 90 = 0.735 G+A per 90

• Career Minutes: 19,388

• Popularity Score: 6

If you imagine Vlahović as a crypto token, his “price” is about $8,639 according to the formula. In the crypto industry, the footballer's “value” is reflected by Solana, an asset with a market capitalization of $81.8 billion and the 6th place in the CoinGecko ranking with a price of $152.66. Just as Vlahović is rapidly gaining form and has great potential for growth in the industry, Solana is showing rapid development and still has a lot of room to climb in the crypto rankings. They are both stars in their respective fields, with prospects that appeal to fans and investors alike.

Lionel Messi is an Argentine forward, captain of Inter Miami and the Argentine national team, who, like Ronaldo, has not stayed away from the cryptocurrency world. Messi is an official partner of the Bitget exchange and supports the Planet eco-project, as well as has his own Messi Coin token that represents his football achievements.

• Market Value: €18M → $19.53M

• Performance Index: (22 ÷ 2,031) × 90 = 0.975 G+A per 90

• Career Minutes: ~ 77,044

• Popularity Score: 9

If we imagine Messi as a crypto asset, its “value” will be about $2,224. In this respect, it resembles Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by capitalization with a market value of over $307.2B and a daily trading volume of $13.6B. Just as Messi plays with finesse and stability, Ethereum remains a major player, even if its popularity has already passed its peak. They are both high-end symbols that continue to influence their respective industries, whether it be soccer or blockchain technology.

Antoine Griezmann is a French footballer who plays in the attacking line for Atlético de Madrid, a club that has also joined the crypto industry through a partnership with the Kraken exchange.

• Market Value: €18M → $19.53M

• Performance Index: (26 ÷ 3,709) × 90 = 0.631 G+A per 90

• Career Minutes: 56,516

• Popularity Score: 6

If we imagine Griezmann as a token, its “value” is approximately $1,308. In the world of cryptocurrencies, the footballer can be compared to Litecoin, which has a price of $86.61, a capitalization of over $6.5 billion, and a daily trading volume of $328 million. LTC is not as large as BTC, but it is still one of the leading players in the crypto market, just as Griezmann is one of the key figures in European football. Both combine stability and significant influence in their respective fields while remaining recognizable and effective.  

So, who scores more goals for your portfolio?

While Bitcoin might outshine on the global financial stage and Messi still works his magic on the pitch, both markets — football and crypto — are driven by performance, hype, and narrative. In the end, whether you’re holding tokens or jerseys, the game is the same: attention is the currency, and value follows the crowd.

Choose your players wisely — both in football and in your crypto wallet.

Global Synergy: How Sports Open Doors for Crypto Brands

Sports is one of the most powerful and large-scale industries that unites billions of fans around the world. That is why crypto businesses seeking rapid growth and entry into new markets are increasingly choosing sports as an ideal platform to promote their products and services. The global audience of sporting events opens the door to millions of potential users who are ready to learn and implement innovations in their lives.

The combination of sports and cryptocurrencies is not accidental, as these two industries naturally complement each other.

1. The scale and reach of sports can hardly be overestimated — billions of people follow their favourite teams, players, and events, creating a powerful platform for promoting crypto assets among different age and social groups;

2. The sports industry is characterised by high media exposure — regular broadcasts, social media activity — all of which help to increase the awareness of crypto brands among the fan base.

3. The emotional component is equally important. Fans often perceive sports as another part of their lives, which creates ideal conditions for the integration of crypto. Emotions support the desire to participate, collect, interact with brands, and create a deeper connection between crypto businesses and their audiences.

Therefore, sports not only attracts crypto businesses, but also provides a unique platform for development, innovation, and engagement of billions of people around the world.

In particular, there are several main formats of cooperation that demonstrate how crypto and sports can mutually reinforce each other.

Crypto Exchanges and Major Clubs: Cases, Figures, and Market Impact

Partnerships between crypto exchanges and leading sports clubs have long ceased to be just a marketing ploy — they are a powerful tool for strengthening the brand, expanding the audience, and creating new forms of interaction with fans. Such collaborations not only increase the awareness of the platforms but also have a positive impact on the reputation of the exchanges, which, in turn, is often reflected in the value of their native tokens and overall capitalization.

A striking example is the cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com, which is actively expanding in the sports sector: from partnerships with the NBA and Formula 1 to sponsorship of AC Milan. In 2021, the company obtained the rights to brand the Los Angeles Kings arena, which is now called Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Centre). Following this high-profile news, the number of active addresses of holders of the exchange’s native token, CRO, increased from 2,000 to almost 10,000, which indicates a growing interest and engagement of the community. In August 2024, Crypto.com became the first global crypto partner of the UEFA Champions League, gaining the opportunity to integrate the brand into match broadcasts and organise unique fan activations at stadiums. The company’s total sports investments are estimated at $213 million and its capitalization is $78 billion.

Another case is WhiteBIT, which has been the official crypto partner of FC Barcelona since 2022. Since then, the company’s logo has appeared at the team’s official events, been placed on various sports platforms of the club, and adorned LED lines during El Clásico in honour of the winner of the first global trading tournament — ICTC. In addition, in cooperation with the Barça Innovation Hub, an educational project on blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies was launched. WhiteBIT’s total investment in sports is about $13 million, and its capitalization is $38.9 billion. In particular, the company demonstrated a new level of partnership on 16 June 2025 by signing a three-year contract with Juventus Football Club. Following the announcement of this agreement, the price of the exchange’s native token, WhiteBIT Coin (WBT), increased by 35%, reaching a new all-time high of $52.27, and the exchange’s capitalization approached $40 billion.

OKX is no less ambitious, as it became the official crypto partner of Manchester City back in 2022. This cooperation immediately gave a noticeable boost to the OKB token, whose price began to rise on the back of this news. In 2023, OKX introduced the OKX Collective virtual fan space, where fans could join exclusive activities with the club’s stars. In the same year, the company sponsored the sleeves of the men’s and women’s teams. And in April 2024, Manchester City launched the NFT collection with unique T-shirts and activities for fans, further strengthening the brand’s position in the market. OKX’s total investment in sports reached $71 million, and the company’s capitalization exceeded $45.9 billion.

To summarise,

the integration of crypto business into sports is not just a marketing but a strategic step that increases the capitalization of companies, expands their audience and strengthens their market positions. Sports with its massive popularity, emotions, and media activity becomes an ideal platform for new web3 solutions. Therefore, we can expect that this trend will only intensify in the coming years, and the capitalization of crypto companies that competently integrate into the sports ecosystem will grow along with the popularity of their favourite teams.

That’s why I consider crypto lending one of the most underrated yet straightforward tools for liquidity optimization. Especially during periods of market turbulence, when even the boldest strategy teams are wary of active investments.

What Is Crypto Lending and Why Do Businesses Use It?

Crypto lending is a model where you lend out your digital assets via a platform and earn interest — similar to bank deposits, but in a Web3 environment.

Against the backdrop of high crypto market volatility and growing institutional interest (as confirmed by KPMG’s 2024 report), more companies are incorporating such tools into their financial planning.

My hypothesis: many businesses that aren’t ready to “play” the markets are increasingly turning to crypto lending as a safer, passive income option. And that’s a smart move.

Real-World Business Cases

Case 1: Web3 Company with Fresh Investments

After raising $1.2M in USDT and ETH, the team decided not to spend it all at once. Instead of holding it idle, they placed tokens in a lending program offering 6% APR — generating around $72K in passive income over the year.

 Case 2: Media Company Accepting Crypto Ads

This client received monthly payments in $SOL and $ETH. We set up automated placements into floating-rate lending pools. It served two goals: diversification and a liquidity cushion.

 Case 3: Fintech Firm with Stablecoin Holdings

With idle USDC and USDT, the company earned 8% APY while maintaining full custodial control — all with transparent compliance reporting.

How Hedge Funds Use It

Institutional players build layered strategies using lending and derivatives:

• place BTC in lending

• use the resulting liquidity as collateral

• open positions via options or futures

This approach lets them earn yield, retain their position, and trade — capital efficiency in action. Reports by Galaxy Research and Delphi Digital outline similar methods.

Infrastructure That Serves the Business

Today’s companies seek platforms that combine:

• licensing and regulation (EU, UK, U.S.)

• custodial storage and KYB

• flexible institutional-grade products

Examples of platforms offering corporate crypto lending include:

• Coinbase Institutional — an established name with a broad ecosystem for custodial storage and enterprise crypto products. Offers access to deep liquidity, staking, and flexible yield tools for institutions.

• Anchorage Digital — the first nationally chartered crypto bank in the U.S., designed for institutions. Provides custodial accounts and lending options secured by digital asset collateral.

• Bitstamp — a reliable gateway for EU fintechs, offering institutional reporting, stable yields, and fixed-rate lending programs for stablecoins.

• Kraken — a licensed platform focused on staking and custodial deposits in the U.S. Also provides margin lending services and passive income options on held assets.

• WhiteBIT — a regulated crypto exchange with corporate services including custodial storage and a crypto lending product that automatically earns yield on placed assets. Key advantages include: individual limits from 600,000 USDT, flexible interest rates, deposit terms ranging from 10 days to several years, and multi-currency deposit plans.

For businesses, this is more than just safe storage — it’s strategic liquidity management with compliance and risk control.

My Model for Business Clients

When businesses approach me for strategy, I offer a three-tier framework:

1. Base Liquidity (20–30%) — for operational costs, stored in stablecoins on hot wallets.

2. Yield Layer (50–60%) — placed in lending products on regulated platforms.

3. Speculative Reserve (10–20%) — only for those with risk appetite, for trading or investments.

This method has helped several clients move from idle crypto cash to structured, profitable deployment with transparency.

Final Thoughts

In my view, crypto lending is not just an alternative to trading — it’s a full-fledged financial instrument for businesses. It solves real problems: monetizing idle assets, managing liquidity, and hedging against inflation.

The market rewards those who choose stability with returns. If crypto is part of your financial stack, lending may be the missing link to make your assets work like capital.

Jovi Overo, CEO of Vault, is one of these leading experts. In this interview, he shares his advice for young entrepreneurs, reveals the secrets of effective leadership in the crypto industry, and explains how modern technologies and partnerships between banks and crypto companies are changing the way users view digital finance.

— You’ve been in the fintech industry for over 18 years. Given your vast experience in this field, what advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who want to take their first step in the crypto or fintech space?

Forget waiting to be ready. Build it dirty, build it fast, and let reality punch your product into shape. Strategy is cheap. Execution is key. In crypto and fintech, you’re either moving at speed or you’re irrelevant. Don’t chase buzzwords. Solve problems, money actually moves through.

— To achieve significant results in this industry, it’s important not only to have the right strategy, but also to build a strong team. Which hard and soft skills do you prioritize when selecting candidates? What principles do you follow to create a team that can bring your vision to life and perform effectively in this field?

Hard skills… API literacy, payments architecture, legal / compliance combat-readiness, and someone who can ship products without asking permission.

Soft skills? Hunger. Ambiguity tolerance. Pain tolerance. The principle is simple, I hire people who act like co-founders, or I don’t hire them at all.

— In your opinion, what are the key qualities and skills that a crypto company leader should possess to succeed in this dynamic industry? What do you think makes an effective crypto leader stand out?

A great crypto leader is a wartime leader in a broken regulatory trench. The best lead with vision but punch through chaos with clarity and grit. They don’t chase hype. They turn hostile regulation, payment friction, and liquidity gaps into product. That’s leadership in this game.

— About 60% of financial institutions are already partnering with fintech companies and other third-party providers to meet their customers’ digital banking needs. In your view, how can fintech company best capture the interest of traditional banks, demonstrate the value of crypto, and gradually build their trust? What strategies work most effectively to bridge the gap between traditional and digital finance?

Speak their language, but play your game. Don’t pitch decentralisation, balch blah blah, but pitch operational risk reduction. Don’t promise the future, prove the revenue. Trust is built when you absorb complexity they can’t touch and make them money doing it. You don’t need their blessing. You need their volume.

— What do you see as the main barrier to a full integration of traditional finance and crypto — is it technology, regulatory hurdles, or perhaps the mindset of the key players?

Mindset. Not tech. Not even regulation. Traditional finance is run by people who grew up believing banks are the system and crypto is the rebellion. Not any longer.

The moment they realise crypto isn’t a threat, it’s a new infrastructure layer, everything changes. We’re not replacing them. We’re rewiring them. Plant a seed and let it grow.

— Today, some of the most notable crypto cards include the Bybit Card, WhiteBIT Nova, Crypto.com Card, and others. In your view, how much growth potential does this segment have? Are crypto cards truly ready to break out of their niche and become a mainstream product, or are they still mainly a tool for enthusiasts?

The product isn’t niche. The positioning is. The problem? Most crypto cards sell features to crypto bro’s instead of utility to normal people. The breakout comes when cards stop shouting “crypto” and start delivering real value with invisible rails. By the time the user realises it was a USDC rail, they’re already hooked. Make Crypto Boring Again should be the slogan.

— When you’re working on a new product, what do you prioritize more — launching it quickly to the market or thoroughly refining the idea? How do you usually find the balance between speed and quality?

Perfection is the enemy of momentum. You want product-market fit? Ship it, break it, fix it. If you’re not embarrassed by your v1, you launched too late. Words I live by! You don’t learn in planning. You learn in market. Take off those stabilisers and ride free!

— Nowadays, it is increasingly common to see traditional banks and neobanks forming partnerships with crypto exchanges. In your opinion, how does this cooperation between the banking sector and crypto companies affect end users’ behaviour? Does it help increase trust in crypto and possibly change the way a broader audience perceives crypto assets?

Massively. When legacy banks let crypto into the reception, retail sees legitimacy. That partnership lowers fear, increases usage, and kills the boogeyman effect. But the trust transfer cuts both ways — if the crypto partner fails, the bank loses face. So only strong operators survive this integration.

— Today, Crypto-as-a-Service (CaaS) is becoming increasingly popular among businesses that want to adopt blockchain technology without diving deep into the technical complexities. In your opinion, how significant is CaaS as a key driver for the mass adoption of crypto in the business?

CaaS is the bridge to mass-market crypto. Most businesses don’t want to “go on-chain.” They want payouts faster, compliance offloaded, and new revenue channels. CaaS is the Trojan Horse, it packages all that in one API and lets them onboard without becoming crypto-native.

This is how you move the market: quietly, at scale.

— The crypto market is increasingly attracting the attention of institutional investors, and exchanges are actively developing comprehensive services to ensure liquidity and stable operations for large clients. Based on your experience, what is more important for institutional investors: a wide range of services covering diverse needs, or deep expertise in a specialized niche? How does this influence their choice of partners and service providers?

Depth. Always depth. They want confidence in your custody, your compliance, your counterparties. You win institutions not by being everything, but by being the best at one thing they absolutely need. Niche is power when you’re bulletproof.

Originally published at https://36crypto.com on June 21, 2025.

The Trump Effect: When a Phrase Triggers a Market Crash

Sometimes it only takes one phrase or statement to change market sentiment. The recent story with Donald Trump is a vivid example of this. Amid the breakup of his ‘bromance’ with Elon Musk and the escalation of the conflict, Tesla’s stock fell by 14.3% on 5 June, resulting in a loss of about $150 billion in capitalisation - a record one-day drop for the company.

At the same time, it is worth noting that this is not the first time such situations have arisen. In recent years, many have witnessed how Trump's statements have instantly shaken financial markets:

• Anti-TikTok rhetoric led to a 3-day drop in Meta (-6.1%) and Google (-3.9%). 

• Comments against green energy hurt Enphase (-6.4%) and Nasdaq (-2.9%). 

• Threats of tariffs on electric vehicle imports hit Tesla (-5.4%) and Ford (-2.8%). 

• Criticism of streaming platforms led to a drop in Netflix (-7.2%) and Disney (-3.6%).

Such situations once again prove how emotional the market is: even hints or hypothetical news can trigger an instant reaction from speculators. Often, such fluctuations occur without clear fundamental reasons, swinging assets up or down.

However, while most assets are subject to the pressure of individual words, WhiteBIT's native coin, WBT, has shown systematic and steady growth. In particular, over the past six months, the coin has updated its historical high for the fifth time, despite external factors.

WBT's Rise to the Top: Data, Insights, and What’s Fuelling Its Growth

Compared to other centralised exchange coins such as BNB, OKB, KCS and GT, WBT has demonstrated significantly higher resilience even in times of market volatility. Its growth is not based on short-term hype, but on deep integration into the infrastructure and real benefits of the exchange's ecosystem.

According to CoinGecko, only Gate (GT) has updated its all-time high this year, rising to $25.94 on 25 January. At the same time, other coins have not exceeded their previous highs for quite some time:

• OKB (OKB) - $73.80 (14 March 2024) - more than a year ago;

• BNB (BNB) - $788.84 (4 December 2023) - six months ago;

• KuCoin (KCS) - $28.83 (1 December 2021) - more than 3 years ago;

At the same time, if you look at the growth dynamics of WhiteBIT Coin since January 2025, it shows a consistent and stable increase in historical highs:

• 17 January - $28;

• 2 March - $30;

• 25 May - $32;

• 12 June - $35;

Fun fact: while I was writing this article (16 June), the coin updated its high to $52.27. 

In April 2025, WBT was included in the CoinDesk ranking, and the WhiteBIT exchange was named one of the top derivatives platforms by Coinglass. Today, the token's capitalisation reaches $7.4 billion, a figure that reflects the project's comprehensive and well-thought-out development strategy.

Such a sharp jump is not just a number on a chart, but a real strengthening of key indicators:

• Trading volumes are growing rapidly, indicating increased interest and activity among market participants;

• Liquidity is deepening, making WBT an attractive asset for both large players and institutional investors;

• The number of holders is steadily increasing, demonstrating the growing trust and commitment of the community;

One of the factors that gave additional impetus was the launch of margin trading on WBT, an important step that creates new opportunities for more experienced traders. This factor raises the status of the coin, transforming it from a simple spot asset into a full-fledged layer 1 coin with deep liquidity and increased institutional interest.

In fact, Volodymyr Nosov, Founder and President of WhiteBIT Group, himself noted in one of his interviews that WBT is primarily an infrastructure product.

‘It is directly linked to all the ideas and functionalities of our platform. And within our infrastructure we have 12 different products.’ Each new development is integrated with the token and, in addition, the company has been reducing the amount of tokens in circulation through continuous burns. ‘The community grows, B2B partners grow, and circulation goes down. It's a pretty simple dynamic to understand.’

Final Thoughts

Despite the general turbulence and the loss of billions of dollars in capitalisation even among large tech companies, WhiteBIT Coin demonstrates a rare scenario for the crypto market - stable, systematic growth instead of another surge in the wake of hype. This movement is not a coincidence, but a well-thought-out strategy: deep integration into the exchange's ecosystem, well-thought-out tokenomics, and a focus on long-term value. Each new ATH is not just a number, but a marker of market confidence in a project that is built not on emotions but on logic and perspective.

In fact, this is not a fictional situation, but a true reality of the 21st century. The world has changed, and today individuals possess wealth that dwarfs the economies of entire countries. Yes, GDP is not exactly a country’s wallet, but rather an indicator of its economic activity and potential. However, by comparing the wealth of billionaires to a country’s GDP, we are actually comparing the personal budget of an individual with the annual income of an entire country. While this comparison is not perfect, it is revealing. It opens the door to understanding a new reality: if wealth is power, then who really rules the world today?

GDP vs. Net Worth: The Billionaires Rich Enough to Buy Countries

1. Jeff Bezos — an American businessman known primarily as the founder of Amazon. After leaving the company, he decided to focus on other ambitious projects, such as the space company Blue Origin and The Washington Post.

As befits one of the richest men on the planet, Bezos’ lifestyle matches his financial means. His high-profile spending has been repeatedly reported in the global media: for example, he bought three adjoining apartments in New York for around $80 million, as well as a private Gulfstream G650ER jet for $65 million. At the same time, his most interesting purchase was a watch that has been ticking for a hundred years.

As of today, Bezos’s wealth is estimated at $226 billion, which is even more than Hungary’s annual GDP ($212.4B). It seems that if Hungary were a product on Amazon, Bezos could simply put it in his basket.

Fun fact: Did you know that Jeff Bezos made a cameo appearance in the film ‘Star Trek: Beyond’?

2. Mark Zuckerberg — an American entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms, the company behind Facebook. Zuckerberg decided that wasting energy on small decisions was not for him, so he sticks to a simple style of clothing: usually plain grey T-shirts or hoodies. The entrepreneur is a big fan of Iron Man, so, inspired by the coolness of Tony Stark, he created his own home AI assistant named Jarvis, voiced by the legendary Morgan Freeman.

Together with his wife Priscilla Chan, the billionaire purchased more than 1,300 hectares of land on the island of Kauai in Hawaii, spending more than $170 million. He even built a wall around the area, which gave rise to many jokes and memes about Zuckerberg trying to create his own country.

Today, Zuckerberg’s net worth is estimated at around $229 billion, which is almost as much as the GDP of New Zealand ($252 billion) or even more than the GDP of Qatar ($213 billion). Just imagine: he could buy all of Qatar’s infrastructure and still have enough money left over to create several metaverse worlds. Or he could completely renovate New Zealand to match his vision of Meta.

3. Bill Gates — co-founder of Microsoft, philanthropist and investor, is not only one of the most influential people in the world, but also a connoisseur of luxury. His $125 million Xanadu 2.0 estate in Medina, Washington, is the largest private home in the United States. Spanning 6,000 square metres, it has 24 bathrooms, a huge library, a home cinema, a swimming pool with underwater music, and even a trampoline room.

However, this is not Gates’ only luxury purchase. For example, in 1994, the investor purchased the Leicester Codex, a 500-year-old notebook by Leonardo da Vinci filled with scientific ideas and sketches. He is also the owner of a rare Porsche 959, the importation of which to the United States once required lobbying for changes in legislation due to the car’s non-compliance with safety standards.

His $175 billion net worth is almost equivalent to the economy of a medium-sized country, as it is close to the GDP of Morocco ($144.4B) or even Slovakia ($132.9B). If Gates wanted to, he could draw up a ‘state budget’ in his own kitchen.

4. Volodymyr Nosov — Founder and President of WhiteBIT Group, which has managed to create the largest crypto platform in Europe by traffic. Instead of the typical ‘toys for billionaires,’ Nosov often directs his large expenditures to charitable projects. For example, he once bought a Eurovision trophy won by the Kalush Orchestra for almost $900,000.

In addition, in one of his interviews, he also admitted that he is a passionate car collector. So, deciding to combine business with pleasure, Nosov spent $11 million on charity, adding Freddie Mercury’s legendary Rolls-Royce to his collection. But his ambitions did not stop there — he even took a decisive step into the world of sports by purchasing a football club.

His wealth is estimated at around $1.5 billion, which is roughly equal to the GDP of the Solomon Islands ($1.6 billion). And for that matter, he could easily create his own ‘decentralised paradise’ on a tropical island somewhere if he so desired.

5. Fred Ehrsam — an American entrepreneur, co-founder of Coinbase and Paradigm, and currently CEO of Nudge. While working as a trader at Goldman Sachs, the entrepreneur came across a research article about bitcoin by a Georgetown University professor. Interested in the asset’s potential, he started trading in his spare time, which was the beginning of his journey into crypto.

In addition to business, Ersam has a gaming background: he spent hours playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, America’s Army, and World of Warcraft. It was in WoW that he spent thousands of hours as a member of the top team and was first introduced to the phenomenon of digital currencies that functioned in the game. In one of his interviews, Ersam humorously recalled that the most expensive thing he ever bought was a $19,000 car purchased in 2012.

Today, his net worth is estimated at $2.93 billion, which is more than the GDP of the entire Burundi ($2.6 billion). And if one day Ersam wants to, he can easily cover all the expenses of this country — from road construction to school education — and still have money left over for a Tesla Cybertruck.

6. Michael Saylor — Chairman of MicroStrategy and one of the most ardent supporters of Bitcoin. It was his firm stance on the crypto asset that inspired other companies such as Tesla and Square to invest in BTC.

In 2023, an unexpected trend emerged on TikTok: it turned out that many men regularly think about the Roman Empire. Michael Saylor is no exception. He is a passionate collector of ancient Greek and Roman coins and owns one of the world’s largest private collections of more than 3,000 pieces.

In addition to investing and crypto activism, Sailor is actively involved in philanthropy. He has donated millions of dollars to charitable initiatives, with a particular focus on education: he supports schools, universities, and educational foundations. He also owns a yacht named USHER — not after the singer, but after the software.

With a net worth of $2.5 billion, Sailor is even ahead of the GDP of the Seychelles ($2.1 billion). It seems that he can afford not only to ‘hodl’ but also to literally ‘hold the whole island’.

7. Justin Sun — the founder of TRON and owner of Huobi and Poloniex — is known not only for his ambitions in the crypto industry but also for his passion for art. His collection is truly impressive: from Maurizio Cattelan (Comedian — a banana duct-taped to a wall, for which Sun paid $6.2 million) to iconic works by Alberto Giacometti (Le Nez — $78.4 million), Picasso (Femme nue couchée au collier — $20 million) and Andy Warhol (Three Self-Portraits — $1.5 million). To all this is added his ambitious idea to tokenise masterpieces through the JUST NFT Fund.

Like many of us, he sometimes misses important events. For example, in 2021, Sun won an auction for a space flight with Blue Origin for $28 million, but never flew due to banal scheduling issues.

In the end, Justin Sun’s net worth is estimated at $1.8 billion, which is comparable to the GDP of an entire country such as San Marino ($1.8 billion). And if one day he wants to throw a world-class party, this country could be a good option for rent.

8. The Winklevoss Twins — famous brothers, founders of the Gemini crypto exchange and one of the first crypto billionaires. They were among the first to openly declare their wealth gained through cryptocurrency and coined the phrase ‘Bitcoin billionaires’, which has become a symbol of a new generation of investors. After a high-profile lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg, in which they accused him of stealing the Facebook idea, the brothers received $65 million in compensation. Later, they invested part of this amount in Bitcoin, which brought them billions of dollars in future profits.

In addition, they invested in a number of other cryptocurrency companies, including mining company Marathon Digital Holdings, crypto wallet developer Ledger, and Coinbase, investing $100 million in 2017.

Today, the personal wealth of each of the brothers is estimated at $2.7 billion. For comparison, if you add up their wealth together, it is most of Sierra Leone’s GDP ($6.4 billion). If you imagine this country as a small island on the map of the global economy, the Winklevoss are two huge yachts that sail freely in the crypto-ocean of wealth.

Final Thoughts

In a world where the wealth of individuals exceeds the budgets of entire countries, power is no longer a matter of positions and titles — it is now in wallets. When personal wealth begins to eclipse the economic potential of states, the question of the true masters of the world becomes rhetorical. And then the question arises: are states ready for an era in which Justin Sun can have more influence than the prime minister?

Types of Token Listings: Classification by Key Criteria

Listing is the process of adding a token to a cryptocurrency exchange or trading platform, after which users can freely buy, sell, and exchange it. The process involves several stages: application by the project, evaluation of the token by the exchange, verification of documentation, ensuring compliance with the platform’s requirements, and technical integration to the exchange. After a successful listing, the token becomes available for trading, which is accompanied by announcements in the exchange’s channels and helps to increase the liquidity of tokens and their recognition among investors.

Tokens can be listed on crypto exchanges based on different criteria. The main types of listing include the following:

By process type:

• Public — a token becomes available for trading on the exchange after passing a standard check: providing detailed documentation from the project and passing an evaluation.

• Private (preliminary) — a token is available to a limited number of users (usually before the official launch on the exchange) and may include special offers or tokens for early investors.

By level of complexity:

• Standard — the token goes through all the mandatory stages of verification and approval on the exchange, including audit, team evaluation, and technological verification.

• Simplified — in some cases, exchanges may offer simplified conditions for tokens that already have a good reputation or partnership with well-known projects.

By type of exchange:

• Listing on a centralised exchange.

• Listing on a decentralised exchange.

By time:

• Primary — the process takes place immediately after the creation of the token and the completion of the ICO (Initial Coin Offering) or IEO (Initial Exchange Offering), which allows the project to quickly enter the market and raise funding.

• Secondary — the token is added to a new exchange after the initial launch on another platform, which helps to increase its liquidity and popularity.

Behind the Listing: How Exchanges Choose Which Tokens to Add

When it comes to listing a coin, cryptocurrency exchanges are very cautious. They do not accept every project that applies, as it is a thorough selection process that takes into account many factors. The main focus is on the technological basis of the token, the quality and experience of the team, the potential of the coin, and regulatory compliance. For crypto platforms, it is important not only to add a new coin to the asset list, but also to ensure that it is safe, reliable for traders and compliant with standards.

• Legal compliance. Exchanges carefully check whether a cryptocurrency complies with the laws of the countries they are targeting. If a token does not meet the requirements, it may be rejected.

• Project potential and team. Technology, business model, and transparency of processes are also things that exchanges pay attention to. An experienced team, active communication with the community, and a clear project goal significantly increase the chances of listing.

• Popularity and demand in the market. If active interest is generated around a token — the project is discussed in communities and trusted by investors — it becomes a strong argument for the exchange to pay attention to it.

• Technical base. Exchanges thoroughly check the technical aspects of tokens, including security, scalability, and the overall technological base. It is important that the project has well-developed technical documentation, including a description of the algorithms, network architecture, and consensus system.

• Liquidity and trading volume. If the token already has a trading volume on other platforms or is potentially capable of generating demand, it is an additional advantage.

• Social activity. Activity on social media, Telegram channels, and forums can not only indicate the popularity of a token but also affect the reputation of a project.

The application approval process is not fast, as it involves a significant verification process for all of these aspects. Moreover, the quick approval of a token listing application often means that the exchange does not conduct an in-depth review of the project’s details, such as assessing its volatility or verifying the team.

As an example, we can mention the recent update from Binance — the ‘Vote to List’ feature. It actually changes the traditional approach to the selection of new tokens, turning the process into a competition for popularity. The focus is now on community engagement and support, which can directly influence the platform’s decisions. At the same time, despite the fact that the Binance team still conducts an additional audit of the projects that received the most votes, this model still has its risks. After all, projects of dubious quality may receive support simply because of a good marketing campaign or a large fan base, rather than real value or reliability.

In contrast, some crypto exchanges, such as Coinbase, WhiteBIT or Kraken, adhere to stricter standards. Their KYB (Know Your Business) procedure is much more complex, but this is what shows that they are serious about compliance and vetting projects before listing.

Five Essentials to Help Your Token Make It to the Exchange

So, if you have decided to create your own crypto project and plan to place your token on a cryptocurrency exchange, you should be well-prepared for this process. There are several aspects that will help increase your chances of success.

1. Project and team transparency. Disclose information about your team, their background, project development roadmap, etc. Clear and accessible information inspires trust among both crypto exchanges and investors.

2. Active crypto community. Build a strong and engaged community around your token. Regularly share updates, comment on industry news, and communicate with your community. Social media activity around the coin is a signal that the project is alive and has strong support.

3. Legal compliance. Make sure that your project meets all regulatory requirements and does not cause any problems for regulators.

4. Choosing the right exchange. When choosing a listing platform, consider not only its popularity but also its reputation, trading volumes, and project requirements. Sometimes it is better to start with a medium-sized exchange with more flexible conditions than to try unsuccessfully to break through to a top platform.

5. Attracting investors. Actively work on attracting investments, which will not only increase the financial stability of the project but also add weight to it in the eyes of the exchange.

Originally published at https://36crypto.com on May 20, 2025.

That is why trading involves not only strategic analysis but also taking into account human emotions and instincts, which can significantly affect the adoption of a particular decision. This is especially true when participating in trading tournaments. The additional factor of competition often forces traders to change their trading style: some start taking more risks, while others are more cautious than usual. In such conditions, psychological stability becomes no less important than in-depth market knowledge. 

Endurance Under Pressure: The Pros and Cons of Trading Competition

Many people imagine traders as people who never take their eyes off their monitors, constantly monitoring charts, indicators and the latest news. There is some truth in this - technical skills play an important role, but in practice, the result depends not only on the strategy, but also on the ability to remain calm in the most critical moments. Staying calm when the market is falling and your portfolio is falling with it is a real challenge. 

So, in this sense, trading tournaments are an even more challenging arena. It is not only a game against the market, but also a competition with dozens or hundreds of other participants. Limited time, open rankings, and fixed capital create pressure that pushes for more aggressive decisions. In such conditions, it is easy to deviate from the usual rules and go all-in - sometimes it works, and sometimes it costs everything. 

Trading competitions are a great way for traders to test their strategies and skills. At the same time, they have their pros and cons, which are important to keep in mind. 

Currently, cryptocurrency exchanges are hosting several large-scale tournaments that have already attracted the attention of traders from all over the world. Bybit has launched Crypto Surf, where participants join one of two teams: copywriter traders or bots, and compete for a share of the prize pool of up to $250,000 USDT. Meanwhile, WhiteBIT has launched its first ICTC, where participants can compete for a prize pool of up to $5 million USDT against top traders, or watch the competition online and learn from practical examples. Gate.io is not far behind with the WCTC S7 tournament, which offers another $5 million USDT prize pool and the opportunity to join as an individual or team.

Trapped by Thrill: How Competition Skews a Trader’s Decisions

Participation in trading tournaments is a completely different reality from routine trading. Not only strategy, but also psychology comes to the fore here. The competition acts as a powerful trigger that changes the way a trader thinks: decisions are often made not on the basis of calm analysis, but under the influence of stress, time pressure, and the desire to be better than their opponents.

Under time pressure, traders face the need to act instantly. As a result, they activate their intuition, but at the same time open the door to impulsiveness. When every second counts, the risk of making hasty, unreasonable decisions increases significantly. In addition, there is a fear of losing, especially if the prize pool or reputation is at stake. Some people become too cautious, while others, on the contrary, start acting too aggressively, risking their capital for the chance to get ahead.

The motive to win is quite natural. However, it is this motive that most often pushes traders to choose more volatile assets, such as small-cap altcoins, or to increase leverage. Such instruments can indeed bring quick profits, but they also carry a high level of risk. And in this race to the bottom, traders often make common mistakes, namely:

• Overtrading at the initial stages. In order to quickly achieve the desired result, traders sometimes resort to numerous transactions, which leads to increased risks. Gambling often increases the likelihood of financial losses.

• Underestimation of market analysis. When the goal is to win at any cost, traders may forget about the importance of detailed market analysis and the use of proven strategies. The absence of such an approach reduces the chances of success and increases the likelihood of failure.

• Ignoring the size of positions. Under the influence of competition, traders may neglect the principles of capital management by not adjusting the volume of their transactions in accordance with market volatility. As a result, uncontrolled risks arise that can lead to serious losses.

• Imitation of other participants. Traders often try to copy the strategies of other participants, hoping for their success. However, this approach is not always effective, as each trader has a different approach to risk assessment and strategies, and blind imitation can lead to serious mistakes.

Balancing Strategy and Emotion: Tips for Tournament Traders

Although trading tournaments help to significantly improve skills and refine strategy, one should not forget about the balance between effective strategy and emotional control. In such conditions, when every mistake can cost a lot of money, it is important not only to have a clear plan, but also to be able to maintain calm and control. Here are some tips that will help you maintain a balance between a rational approach and emotional stability in the process of tournament:

• Set long-term goals. Set clear goals for yourself that are not limited to immediate profits, but focus on systemic growth. This approach helps to avoid impulsive decisions and allows you to better assess your results in the long term.

• Control risks. No matter how attractive a deal looks, always set a limit to your risk tolerance. After all, this is your personal airbag that will protect your capital from critical losses. Discipline in this matter often distinguishes an experienced trader from a beginner.

• Emotional control. Stress is inevitable, especially in periods of high volatility or during trading tournaments. But the ability to stay calm and think soberly even under pressure is something that can and should be developed. Find your own methods - from breathing techniques to short pauses - to ‘cool your head’ before making decisions.

• Analyse your mistakes. Regular analysis of your trades, regardless of their outcome, will help you better understand your own behavioural patterns, identify weaknesses in your strategy, and develop as a trader. Analysis after a tournament or a regular trading is an investment in your future performance.

The Psychology of Trading Tournaments: How Competitions Change Traders’ Strategies

Trading tournaments are competitions between traders where participants try to achieve the highest profit in a limited time. As a rule, they are held on cryptocurrency exchanges and have different formats: from classic ones with prizes for the highest profit to tournaments where participants demonstrate their skills in specific trading strategies.

Such tournaments not only provide an opportunity to improve your skills but also motivate participants to compete for prizes. In some cases, these are individual competitions, and sometimes they are team competitions, where everyone has their own role and specific goals to achieve. Most often, they are organised to attract new traders, increase the number of active users and maintain interest in trading activity on the platforms.

In particular, participation in tournaments is not only a chance to earn prizes and reputation, but also a way to test your resilience and ability to make quick but strategic decisions. During competitions, traders start behaving differently than usual, and emotional involvement plays a key role here.

The atmosphere of tournaments changes the approach: the thirst for risk increases, and there is a desire to act more aggressively and change strategies. This is explained by the effect of competition — the desire to take the lead or get to the top of the ranking pushes traders to make bold, sometimes impulsive decisions. Often, this means increasing positions, the number of trades, and being less cautious — even if such steps would be atypical for everyday trading.

Analysing traders’ behaviour during tournaments allows us to draw important conclusions about their psychological attitudes. More risky strategies indicate emotional stress, while more conservative approaches may indicate an attempt to control emotions in a competitive environment.

Tournaments as a Marketing Tool: The Strategic Approach of Crypto Exchanges to Audience Expansion

Turning to the marketing side of trading tournaments, it is worth noting that cryptocurrency exchanges have actively turned them into a powerful tool for expanding their audience and increasing their presence in the information field. The very fact of holding such tournaments creates a natural newsworthy occasion that helps not only to maintain the interest of existing users, but also to attract new ones.

To achieve maximum effect, exchanges use comprehensive promotion strategies:

Tournament marketing strategies not only help to increase the reach and number of impressions on social media, but also actively build a positive image of the platform, attract new users and contribute to the development of cryptocurrency ecosystems. Through a combination of active campaigns, strategic partnerships and interactive elements, crypto exchanges create deep engagement in their products and services, which ultimately leads to an increase in the popularity of both tournaments and the platforms themselves.

As Vincent Liu, CIO of Kronos Research, notes:

“Trading tournaments can effectively attract retail participants and drive a surge in trading volume. At the same time, market makers are incentivized to increase their activity or provide additional liquidity, enhancing overall market depth and efficiency. This dual impact strengthens both retail engagement and institutional participation, making tournaments a valuable tool for ecosystem growth.”

Let’s have a closer look at real-life cases.

In April this year, the crypto community witnessed several major trading tournaments organised by leading industry players.

Having analysed tournaments on several cryptocurrency exchanges according to a number of key criteria, the following conclusions can be drawn:

This time, OKX focused on affiliated users, refraining from actively promoting the tournament on its own social media. Other exchanges, on the contrary, chose a strategy of large-scale presence — in particular, MEXC actively promoted the tournament through social platforms, media, and daily updates of ratings with the announcement of winners. WhiteBIT stood out with a particularly comprehensive approach to organising the tournament: in addition to classic promotion tools, the exchange used a partnership with TradingView, engaged eight leading traders as team captains, and made the competition open to the public, which could be watched online. Comparing the approaches, it can be noted that the WhiteBIT tournament has a clear B2B vector, while other participants focused mainly on retail rather than institutional clients.

These features also affected the results by key metrics.

The prize pool of the OKX tournament did not exceed 5,000 USDT, and the number of participants was less than 1,000, which is a rather modest result for a month-long event. Due to the absence of a promotional campaign, the coverage remained insignificant, and the level of engagement on social media decreased by 0.73% compared to the first day of the competition. Despite a marked increase in activity on the futures market, the overall effect of the campaign was minimal.

The MEXC, on the other hand, achieved more impressive results: the tournament attracted around 50,000 participants, over 350 teams and set a prize pool of 2,000,000 USDT. The total reach exceeded 2 million, but social media was unable to maintain a stable level of engagement, and by the end of the tournament, engagement dropped by 0.11%, indicating some gaps in the marketing strategy.

WhiteBIT demonstrated the most balanced and effective approach. The tournament with a prize pool of 5,000,000 USDT exceeded expectations even before it ended. The campaign’s reach exceeded one million, and social media activity grew by 0.26%. As a result, the exchange managed to create an event that was far ahead of others in terms of scale, engagement, and effectiveness in achieving its goals at the intersection of B2B and B2C.

As a result,

trading tournaments have become an important tool not only for traders but also for cryptocurrency exchanges, which use them to attract new users and increase activity. As a result, these competitions have become an important part of the ecosystem, allowing not only to improve trading skills but also to form new marketing strategies for market development.

Originally published at https://36crypto.com on May 7, 2025.

Trump Returns — Markets React: What BTC, S&P 500, and Gold Revealed

The first quarter of 2025 was eventful and volatile for financial markets. In particular, Bitcoin demonstrated strong volatility: at the beginning of the year, the asset rose sharply, updating its all-time high, but ended the quarter with a drop of -11.7%. This dynamics was to some extent driven by political events in the US, namely the return of Donald Trump to the presidency. 

To better understand the geopolitical impact on the markets, CryptoRank analysts analysed the behaviour of three key assets: Bitcoin, the S&P 500, and gold. 

Source: 'Crypto Market Recap: Q1 2025', CryptoRank

After Trump's election victory in November, Bitcoin began to rise sharply, peaking at $108,824 on the day of the inauguration. However, since February, the situation has changed and the asset has begun to decline, settling in the range of $96,000-$84,000. The situation deteriorated after the announcement of new tariffs, which triggered a collapse to $74,781. But, as CryptoRank analysts emphasise, the market partially recovered its losses after the news of a 90-day freeze on these measures.

The S&P 500 was able to demonstrate a similar trajectory - growth after the election, a slight correction at the end of 2024, and then a new impetus before the inauguration. In February, the index came under pressure due to concerns about new economic policies, which led to a large-scale sell-off on 19 February. However, as with Bitcoin, the S&P 500 stabilised on 13 March, and on 2 April, the asset fell after news of tariff policy - and recovered with the announcement of a temporary pause in tariffs.

Gold, on the other hand, demonstrated the classic behaviour of an asset in the face of such instability. After a slight decline in November 2024, it stabilised and began to grow steadily in early 2025. On 3 April, the price of gold hit an all-time high of $3,162, indicating rising demand amid political uncertainty.

In general, CryptoRank analysts have identified the following key findings:

• Despite the downturn, Bitcoin outperformed the S&P 500 but lost ground to gold; 

• Bitcoin's correlation with the stock market increased, while its correlation with gold remained weak, despite its status as ‘digital gold’;

• US political decisions had a direct impact on all key assets, with markets reacting immediately to the Trump administration's actions;

• Interest in gold increased in response to rising uncertainty, reflecting investors' increased need for stability.

In particular, Trump's tariffs have shaken up the market, and this has had a significant impact on the price of other assets. According to Crypto.Andy, a popular analyst on the CoinMarketCap platform, other top 10 coins were affected by the restrictions, in addition to bitcoin. The largest losses were recorded among DOGE, SOL, ETH, and LINK, some of which fell by more than 50%. At the same time, TRX showed relative stability, losing only 6.94% of its value. However, amid the general decline, WBT stood out, not only holding its own in the face of high volatility but also showing an increase of 13.7%. 

The Blockchain Race in 2025: Solana, Ethereum, and New Players in the Liquidity Arena

As for the state of blockchains in Q1, according to CryptoRank analysts, Ethereum remained an important institutional anchor, although its price suffered a significant drop of 50%, causing some pessimism among investors. As a result, this sparked discussions on social media about its future, where the ‘Ethereum is dead’ narrative gained traction. In addition, there was a noticeable gap between developers who were actively working on the development of the network and speculative traders for whom price volatility was becoming a determining factor. 

The situation was exacerbated by the growing popularity of Bitcoin, supported by institutional investment and the addition of the asset to the US crypto reserve. At the same time, Solana grew in popularity in the wake of the hype, which added another challenge to Ethereum. However, despite the price problems, Ethereum managed to take a leading position in the narrative of tokenised real assets, in particular, placing 56% of all tokenised RWAs, among which the BlackRock BUILD fund became an important project. In May, Ethereum is also expecting an important update with the Pectra hardfork, which, according to CryptoRank, will bring the network to a new level of Account Abstraction (AA).

At the same time, competition between blockchains intensified, particularly in the Solana ecosystem, which saw a decline in key indicators. The loss of interest in meme coin trading and the rapid decline of the AI agent trend have led to increased internal competition between Solana projects. One of the most striking examples of this is the launch of a new DEX by pump.fun, which managed to capture 20% of the trading volume on Solana's DEX in less than a week, creating direct competition for Raydium.

However, not all blockchains have experienced a downturn. CryptoRank analysts highlighted several new projects, such as Berachain and Sonic, which continued to develop and attract interest. Berachain attracted significant funding and quickly reached $3 billion in TVL, outperforming well-known networks such as Arbitrum and Avalanche. The strategy of raising liquidity through specialised markets and a framework of incentives has proven to be effective. Sonic, which launched at the end of 2024, has also attracted attention due to its high throughput and transaction speed. Just four months after the launch of the main network, Sonic reached $1 billion in TVL, becoming the leading blockchain in terms of TVL growth in the first quarter of 2025.

Meme coins After the Boom: Why Liquidity and Interest Vanished So Quickly

Last year was an explosive year for meme coins, with hundreds of new coins and millions of dollars in circulation. At the same time, the beginning of 2025 was marked by a rapid decline in the meme coin market, which lost a significant portion of both its capitalisation and community attention in just a few months.

One of the main reasons was the natural deflation of the bubble. After a massive influx of new users and a wave of liquidity, the market began to be saturated with memes. As soon as the inflow of newcomers decreased, interest in hype assets began to wane, and trading activity dropped, which was immediately reflected in prices. 

The emergence of political tokens such as $TRUMP and $MELANIA further aggravated the situation. They managed to temporarily attract the attention of investors and draw away some of the liquidity, which led to a certain ‘atomisation’ of the market. This was compounded by the controversial launch of $LIBRA, which caused a large wave of debate and scepticism, sending the meme coin euphoria into the home stretch. 

Another important factor that influenced the market dynamics was the artificial injection of liquidity around meme coins, in particular through their listing on certain cryptocurrency exchanges. They were often accompanied by a hype and a short-term increase in interest, but an analysis of the results for January shows a completely different picture - the vast majority of such tokens quickly lose value after the launch of trading.

In particular, according to the data, the situation was as follows:

• Binance: a median drop of 50%, with only 7 out of 44 tokens showing growth, with an average gain of +54%.

• Bitget: 88% of the tokens are in the red, with a median change of -66%, while only 40 out of 339 tokens showed growth, with a median of +27%.

• Bybit: 70% of coins in the median, 88% in the red zone; only 18 out of 155 managed to show positive dynamics (median +66%).

• KuCoin: 86% of tokens showed losses, the change in the median is -66%, only 25 out of 188 grew (+29%).

• OKX: the best relative picture is 72% of tokens in the red, a 41% drop on average, while 13 out of 47 showed growth (+25%).
  

Despite these disappointing results, the practice of listing dubious assets is not going away - on the contrary, it may become more common due to new mechanisms of community engagement. For example, the ‘Vote to List’ feature introduced by Binance turns the process of adding new tokens into a competition for popularity rather than quality. In this system, the listing decision does not depend on the internal expertise of the exchange, but on the activity of the community, which steps up to ensure that its token wins. As a result, the exchange receives a stream of new assets with inflated demand but weak fundamentals, which only reinforces the trend of unprofitable and overly volatile assets in the trading ecosystem.

To sum up,

The first quarter of 2025 was an important milestone in the development of the cryptocurrency industry, where political and economic factors had a significant impact on market dynamics. The coming months will show whether new projects and technologies will be able to adapt to the changes, creating new opportunities for investors and developers.

One of these voices is Bobie Cayao: an experienced crypto trader, marketing specialist at LMF Ventures, Inc., and OIC of research and development at Asbir Tech Inc.

In this candid conversation, Bobby talks about his journey in crypto, what distinguishes truly viable startups, how to keep FOMO under control, and why trust and transparency are more valuable than any token hype.

Whether you’re an investor looking to weed out bad projects, a founder looking for sustainable growth, or just curious about the world of cryptocurrencies, these insights will help you see the bottom line without the unnecessary embellishments.

— Tell us how you started your journey in the crypto industry. What was the key moment or inspiration that pushed you to pursue a career in this particular field?

I was introduced to crypto back in 2010, during the early days when Bitcoin was still relatively unknown and held very little value. I’ve always been passionate about technology and online money-making opportunities, so when I discovered Bitcoin and its underlying potential, I was instantly intrigued.

I closely observed Bitcoin’s growth from the sidelines and started getting involved by joining writing platforms that paid in BTC. I also participated in early Bitcoin investments, airdrops, and even collected free satoshis. Between 2011 and 2013, I was able to accumulate around 24 BTC, selling a portion of it during those years.

The real turning point in my crypto journey came in 2016. That’s when I began to see the true profit potential in the crypto space. It was also the year I started trading actively. I developed my trading skills using platforms like Bittrex, which at the time was one of my go-to places for learning and practice.

Since then, trading has become not just a skill but my main drive and inspiration in the crypto industry. I’ve found that making money in crypto, especially through trading, has become easier and more effective for me than any other avenue.

— It is often said that the approach to project selection in equity investing has its own peculiarities compared to venture capital investments in cryptocurrency startups. What do you see as the main differences between these two approaches? And in your opinion, what makes a crypto startup successful in today’s environment? What is important for investors, and what factors should be considered when choosing a project for investment?

Yes, there’s definitely a big difference between how projects are selected in traditional equity investing versus venture capital in the crypto space.

In equity investing, people usually go for established companies with proven track records, solid revenue, and financial reports you can analyse. It’s more about stability and long-term growth. But when it comes to venture capital in crypto, it’s a different ballgame.

Most crypto startups are still in their early stages — many don’t even have a product yet — so the approach has to be more forward-looking and based on potential rather than past performance.

What I usually look at first is the team behind the project. Are they experienced? Do they have a history of delivering results? In crypto, a strong team really makes a difference.

Then there’s the problem the project is solving — is it a real-world issue, or just another copy of something that already exists? The tokenomics are also critical. If the token doesn’t have a clear use or if the distribution is unbalanced, that’s usually a red flag for me.

Another huge factor is the community. A project with a strong, engaged community has a much better chance of surviving and growing. I’ve seen projects with great tech fail just because no one was using or supporting them. And of course, execution matters. A solid roadmap is great, but can they actually deliver on what they promised?

For a crypto startup to succeed today, it needs more than just hype. It has to provide real utility, stay transparent, and be ready to adapt because the space evolves so fast. Partnerships, integrations, and even how well the team communicates with the public all matter a lot now.

For investors, especially today, it’s important not to get blinded by hype. You really have to dig deep — understand the project’s fundamentals, the market it’s entering, the team’s vision, and whether the token actually has a purpose. Crypto VC is high risk, but with the right approach, it can also bring high rewards.

— FOMO often leads to irrational investment decisions. How do you manage your own FOMO when new projects come up, and what advice would you give to investors who feel pressured to jump into trending cryptocurrencies?

FOMO is real in crypto. I’ve felt it myself, especially in the early days when you see a token skyrocketing and everyone on social media is talking about it. But over time, I’ve learned that giving in to FOMO usually leads to regret.

Personally, I manage my FOMO by sticking to a clear plan. Before I invest in any project, I ask myself: “Do I understand this project? Have I done my own research, or am I just reacting to the hype?”

If the answer is no, I don’t enter — no matter how good it looks at the moment. I also remind myself that opportunities will always come. Missing one pump doesn’t mean you’ve missed the entire crypto train.

Another thing that helps is looking at the bigger picture. Many trending tokens rise fast but crash even faster. I focus more on long-term value — projects that solve real problems, have solid teams, and clear use cases. I’d rather catch a project early because I saw the potential, not because I panicked into it after seeing green candles.

For new investors, my advice is simple: slow down. The best investors aren’t the fastest, they’re the most patient and informed. Never invest just because a coin is trending or everyone is talking about it.

Hype fades — utility and fundamentals don’t. Always DYOR (Do Your Own Research), set your own strategy, and stick to it. Don’t let social media or group chats decide for you.

In the end, managing FOMO is about discipline. The more you trust your process, the less you’ll feel the pressure to chase every shiny new coin.

— In your opinion, is it possible to find this balance between the desire to keep abreast of the latest trends and a disciplined investment strategy? And if so, how?

Yes, I believe it’s definitely possible to find that balance between staying on top of trends and sticking to a disciplined investment strategy. In fact, I think it’s essential if you want to last in this space.

What works for me is treating trends as something to observe, not something to chase blindly. I stay updated — I read the news, follow projects, check what’s trending — but I don’t let hype control my decisions.

Every time I see a new project or token getting attention, I still go back to my personal checklist: Who’s behind it? What’s the use case? Is the token economy solid? If it doesn’t check out, I don’t invest — no matter how hyped it is.

One thing I’ve also learned is to separate exploration from investing. It’s okay to explore new ideas and communities, even test things out with small amounts. But when it comes to putting in real capital, that’s when I go back to being strict with my process.

For investors out there, I’d say: stay curious, but stay disciplined. You can follow the space and learn from trends, but don’t let them control your emotions. Your strategy should always be the foundation.

— How can trust be built in crypto projects during times when the market is oversaturated? What strategies work, and which ones definitely don’t?

Yeah, building trust in crypto when the market’s flooded with new projects isn’t easy — but it’s possible if you focus on the right things.

For me, it always starts with transparency. Just be real with people. Share updates consistently, talk openly about the challenges, and don’t just post when there’s good news. When a team is honest and communicative, even during tough times, that builds a lot of trust.

Another big one is just delivering. Right now, everyone’s promising the next big thing, but very few actually ship anything. If a project is showing steady progress — even small wins — it says a lot more than hype or fancy marketing. People want to see action, not just words.

Community connection also plays a huge role. When projects actually engage with their supporters, answer questions, and involve them in the journey, that makes people feel like they’re part of something. That’s how you build loyalty, especially in a space where rug pulls and scams have made people extra cautious.

Now, what definitely doesn’t work? Trying to build hype with paid influencers, bots, or fake engagement. That might get you short-term attention, but it doesn’t build real credibility. And projects that avoid criticism, ban people for asking tough questions, or hide behind vague roadmaps — those lose trust fast.

So yeah, in a crowded market, the way to stand out is by being authentic, staying consistent, and actually delivering value. Hype fades — but real work, real transparency, and real community stick around.

— Crypto ecosystems today are racing to attract builders and users. In your opinion, what separates a short-term hype ecosystem from one with long-term staying power?

Right now, there’s a lot of hype around crypto ecosystems trying to grab attention, but the ones that last aren’t the ones relying on short-term incentives or marketing gimmicks. They focus on building strong, scalable infrastructure that works and makes it easy for developers to create.

The key is to have real support for those building on the platform — solid documentation, active communities, and responsive teams. Builders want to feel like they’re part of something that’s not just about quick gains but long-term growth.

The most successful ecosystems also have real user adoption and genuine use cases. It’s not just about having a high total value locked (TVL) or a lot of hype around a token — it’s about whether people are using the platform.

And beyond that, the culture of the ecosystem matters too. The projects with staying power have a strong, mission-driven community that believes in what they’re building, not just in chasing profits. These ecosystems build slowly but surely, and that’s what keeps them around for the long haul.

— In recent years, there has been a significant increase in institutional interest in crypto. What, in your opinion, has been the main driving force behind this shift, and how do you see it developing in the near future?

The increase in institutional interest in crypto really comes down to the fact that the space has matured and become more mainstream.

A few years ago, it was mostly seen as a wild west of speculative investments, but as the technology has evolved and the regulatory environment has started to get clearer, institutions are seeing it in a new light — less of a high-risk gamble, and more of a viable asset to consider.

Looking forward, I think we’ll see more institutions not just investing in crypto, but also incorporating it into their operations. Whether it’s through using blockchain for things like supply chain transparency, tokenizing assets, or implementing smart contracts, the possibilities are huge.

Sure, there’s still a lot of uncertainty with regulation and market fluctuations, but as those issues get sorted out, I believe we’ll see more institutional players adopting crypto as a regular part of their strategies.

— According to a recent post from a popular analyst on CoinMarketCap, WhiteBIT and Binance offer a full suite of institutional services required to provide liquidity. In your opinion, does the availability of such a package of services have a positive impact on the level of trust of investors in a crypto exchange?

I definitely think having a full set of institutional services, like what WhiteBIT and Binance offer, can help build trust with investors. When an exchange provides things like deep liquidity, solid trading tools, and secure ways to store assets, it shows that it’s serious and capable of handling larger trades without too much risk.

For investors, especially the bigger ones, liquidity is a big deal. They want to know they can execute trades without causing big price swings. Plus, with crypto still being a bit of a wild card, having good security and being compliant with regulations are key for building trust.

If an exchange offers all of that, it shows they’re not just out there for the quick profit — they’re in it for the long haul. So yes, having these services definitely makes investors feel more confident about the exchange.

— Crypto is spreading across traditional industries, but many traditional businesses are still hesitant to adopt it. What do you think are the key barriers preventing these companies from fully embracing crypto, and how can the industry overcome these obstacles to boost wider adoption?

I think the main reasons traditional businesses are hesitant to adopt crypto are uncertainty and volatility. There’s still a lot of confusion around how crypto fits into existing regulations, and that lack of clarity can make businesses nervous about jumping in.

On top of that, the price swings of things like Bitcoin can make it hard for companies to plan and manage risk, especially if they’re not used to such fluctuations.

To overcome these hurdles, the crypto industry needs to collaborate more with regulators to create clear and consistent rules that businesses can rely on. Once there’s more certainty, companies will be more comfortable adopting crypto.

Also, with innovations like stablecoins, which offer more price stability, crypto can become a more attractive option for businesses that need predictability. Over time, as companies see how crypto can add value — whether it’s for faster payments, lower fees, or new business models — I think we’ll see wider adoption.

— The crypto market can be volatile and unpredictable. How do you advise companies in the space to stay adaptable while continuing to innovate?

The key for companies in the crypto space is to stay adaptable and always keep an eye on both the market and the tech. Volatility is part of the game, but it’s important to not let short-term price swings dictate long-term strategy.

I’d advise companies to focus on building strong foundations — things like reliable infrastructure, real-world use cases, and solid partnerships. When the tech and business model are built to last, it’s easier to weather the ups and downs of the market.

At the same time, innovation is what keeps companies ahead. They should be constantly exploring new ways to improve or expand their offerings — whether that’s through better security, faster transactions, or new applications of blockchain.

Staying flexible, listening to customer feedback, and being open to pivoting when needed will help companies stay relevant, even when the market is unpredictable.

— As a marketing expert, what do you think is the most misunderstood aspect of Web3 in the public eye? How can people be better informed about its benefits and potential?

One of the most misunderstood aspects of Web3 is the idea that it’s just about cryptocurrencies or speculation. A lot of people still see it as a trend driven by quick profits, but Web3 is about much more than just digital assets.

It’s about creating a more decentralized, open internet where users have control over their data, identity, and transactions. The real potential of Web3 is in things like decentralized finance (DeFi), smart contracts, and digital ownership that go way beyond buying and trading tokens.

To help people understand its benefits, I think it’s important to focus on education. Breaking down complex concepts into simple, relatable terms — like showing how blockchain can improve security, transparency, and efficiency in everyday applications — could go a long way.

Plus, highlighting real-world use cases where Web3 is already making a positive impact, like in supply chain tracking or empowering creators with NFTs, can help people see its true potential. We need to show that Web3 isn’t just a buzzword, but a new way to rethink the internet and how we interact online.

— Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to those entering crypto for the first time, what would it be?

If there’s one piece of advice I’d give to anyone just starting in crypto, it’s this: don’t rush — learn first, invest later. The space can be super exciting, but also overwhelming. There’s a lot of hype, and it’s easy to feel like you’re missing out. But jumping in without understanding the basics is one of the quickest ways to make mistakes.

Take the time to understand what crypto is all about — how blockchain works, what different tokens are used for, and how to spot a legit project from a risky one. Follow trusted sources, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to start small.

Most of all, remember that crypto isn’t a shortcut to getting rich overnight — it’s a long-term game that rewards patience, curiosity, and smart decision-making. Treat it like you’re investing in your future knowledge as much as your money.

Originally published at https://36crypto.com on April 25, 2025.