Harvard University’s endowment has invested significantly more in Bitcoin, increasing its holdings to $443 million by the end of the third quarter of 2025. This smart move puts the university’s Bitcoin stake far ahead of its gold investments, with Bitcoin beating gold ETFs by a 2-to-1 margin.  Harvard now owns 6.8 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), the largest publicly traded holding in its portfolio. The daring move shows that more institutions are increasingly confident in digital assets as part of a diversified investment strategy. Bitcoin Holdings on the Rise During the third quarter of 2025, Harvard’s endowment increased its Bitcoin holdings from $117 million to $443 million, with much of the buying occurring during market turbulence. Even though Bitcoin’s price fell more than 17% over the past few months to around $84,000 before bouncing back, Harvard’s aggressive stance shows it is willing to buy on dips, while retail investors apparently sold out of fear. This action indicates that the university is confident in its long-term plans and can capitalize on market changes. The Gold Investment Trail Harvard’s gold ETF holdings almost doubled, bringing its total to nearly $235 million. However, this is still far behind its Bitcoin investment. This different allocation ratio shows that people prefer digital assets because they are worried about inflation and the decline in the value of money. Analysts say that utilising both Bitcoin and gold as hedges against monetary hazards is a smart way to diversify your investments. It balances traditional safe havens with new digital ones. Institutional Use of Crypto Harvard’s growing investment in Bitcoin runs counter to the general trend among endowments, which tend to invest substantially in private equity and other traditional assets. It is one of the top 20 institutional investors in the fund, holding a significant amount of IBIT.  This shows that Ivy League investors are starting to adopt Bitcoin. Other schools, like Brown, have also started investing in Bitcoin ETFs. This indicates that institutions are beginning to change their minds about crypto assets. What to Expect from Future Investments The university’s participation in Bitcoin through a regulated, safe ETF framework shows that institutions trust the market infrastructure as it evolves. This is different from how people used to doubt Bitcoin’s worth, but it shows how huge institutions now see cryptocurrencies as a good investment. Harvard is well-positioned to benefit from both regulatory progress and a market recovery, as it is committed to the long term and makes tactical allocations during periods of volatility. These changes show that institutional investment habits are at a turning point, with Harvard spearheading a growing trend of investing in regulated cryptocurrencies along with traditional assets like gold. This two-pronged approach protects against economic uncertainty while also showing that some of the world’s most significant investment portfolios are becoming more open to digital currency.

Forex markets await Fed decision; USD steady, hawkish cut possible, diverging central banks shift currencies while gold consolidates. Forex Today: The Tense Wait for the Fed's Verdict The global Forex market is currently defined by a palpable sense of "wait-and-see" as traders brace for a flurry of key central bank decisions and crucial data releases this week. At the heart of this tension lies the US Dollar (USD), which, as measured by the DXY index, is maintaining a surprisingly steady stance above the 99.00 level. This stability persists despite overwhelming market consensus, reflected by an approximate 87% probability, that the Federal Reserve will deliver a 25 basis point (bps) interest rate cut this Wednesday. The true market mover, however, will be the accompanying Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) and Chair Jerome Powell’s commentary. Investors are actively preparing for a potential "hawkish cut," where the rate reduction is tempered by a cautious outlook on future easing, driven by the stubbornly slow pace of disinflation (Core PCE holding at 2.8% YoY). This cautious tone could provide unexpected support for the Greenback, even as employment figures—such as the ADP Employment Change and JOLTS Job Openings due Tuesday—threaten to confirm a cooling labor market. The Great Divergence: Central Banks Chart Separate Courses Beyond the Fed, the week highlights a growing monetary policy divergence among key global central banks, heavily influencing currency crosses. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is expected to hold its cash rate at 3.6%, but the market's focus has sharply pivoted. Traders are now pricing in a hawkish outlook, moving away from cut expectations toward the potential for future tightening due to persistent domestic inflation, a sentiment that is actively bolstering the Australian Dollar (AUD) against the weaker USD. Conversely, the Japanese Yen (JPY) is under pressure. While rate hikes were on the horizon for the Bank of Japan (BoJ), a major 7.6-magnitude earthquake has introduced significant economic uncertainty. This unexpected factor, combined with recent weak GDP figures, creates a compelling risk that the BoJ may be compelled to postpone its anticipated tightening, leading to JPY underperformance. Meanwhile, the Canadian Dollar (CAD) continues to strengthen against the USD, supported by the Bank of Canada's likely hold on its 2.25% rate, a stance reinforced by recent stronger-than-expected employment figures that contrast sharply with the expected easing from the Fed. Gold and Geopolitics: A Muted Safe-Haven Reaction Even in the face of major monetary policy events and geopolitical risks, Gold (XAU/USD) is exhibiting a muted, range-bound trading pattern around the $4,200 level. The precious metal is locked in a classic pre-Fed consolidation phase, unable to decisively break through the $4,250 resistance ceiling. This stability is largely a reflection of the conflicting forces at play: while an expected Fed rate cut is typically bullish for the yield-less asset, the firming US Dollar and rising US Treasury yields—driven by the possibility of the Fed being cautious on future easing—are keeping a lid on any major upward momentum. Gold remains supported by its underlying role as a safe-haven asset, which is subtly reinforced by ongoing geopolitical concerns in regions like Ukraine and Southeast Asia. The metal's short-term fate, however, remains inextricably linked to the precise language and projected rate path the Fed unveils on Wednesday. Top upcoming economic events: Tuesday, December 10, 2025: Key Central Bank and Inflation Decisions (CNY, CAD, USD) Consumer Price Index (YoY) - China The Consumer Price Index (YoY) for China, released on 12/10/2025 at 01:30:00 (HIGH impact), is a critical inflation measure for the world's second-largest economy. Given the CNY's significant role in global trade and commodity prices, a high or low inflation reading can signal shifts in Chinese domestic demand and prompt policy responses from the People's Bank of China (PBoC), impacting global markets. BoC Interest Rate Decision The BoC Interest Rate Decision on 12/10/2025 at 14:45:00 (HIGH impact) is the primary driver for the Canadian Dollar (CAD). As with all central bank rate decisions, it dictates the benchmark rate, which, along with the accompanying statement, provides an outlook on the Bank of Canada's (BoC) monetary policy stance, heavily influencing the CAD's valuation. Fed Interest Rate Decision The Fed Interest Rate Decision on 12/10/2025 at 19:00:00 (HIGH impact) is arguably the most globally significant event, impacting the US Dollar (USD) and asset markets worldwide. The Federal Reserve's decision on the Federal Funds Rate sets the tone for global monetary policy. A change in the rate, or unexpected guidance in the statement, leads to immediate and substantial volatility. FOMC Economic Projections Simultaneous with the rate decision on 12/10/2025 at 19:00:00 (HIGH impact), the FOMC Economic Projections (often called the "Dot Plot") are released. These projections contain the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) members' forecasts for GDP, inflation, unemployment, and, crucially, the future path of interest rates. They are essential for understanding the Fed's long-term policy outlook.   Wednesday, December 11, 2025: Focus on Europe and the UK (EUR, GBP) UK Consumer Price Index (YoY) The UK Consumer Price Index (YoY), released on 12/11/2025 at 07:00:00 (HIGH impact), measures inflation from the consumer's perspective. It's a key determinant of the Bank of England's (BoE) future policy actions. A higher-than-expected reading could push the BoE toward higher interest rates, which typically strengthens the GBP. Eurozone ZEW Economic Sentiment The Eurozone ZEW Economic Sentiment on 12/11/2025 at 10:00:00 (MEDIUM impact) is a leading indicator based on a survey of financial experts regarding the economic outlook for the Eurozone. While medium impact, it provides early insight into future economic trends, which can influence European Central Bank (ECB) policy expectations and the EUR. Thursday, December 12, 2025: Producer Prices and Tankan (USD, JPY) Producer Price Index (MoM) - US The Producer Price Index (MoM) for the US, released on 12/12/2025 at 13:30:00 (MEDIUM impact), measures the average change in selling prices received by domestic producers. It is a leading indicator of consumer inflation (CPI), as producers' price changes are often passed on to consumers. Therefore, it is a key proxy for future inflation trends and USD valuation. Tankan Large Manufacturers Index The Tankan Large Manufacturers Index from Japan, released on 12/12/2025 at 23:50:00 (MEDIUM impact), is a major quarterly survey of business sentiment published by the Bank of Japan (BoJ). It provides a comprehensive picture of business conditions and capital expenditure plans in Japan's critical manufacturing sector, making it an important indicator for the JPY and the BoJ's policy outlook.   The subject matter and the content of this article are solely the views of the author. FinanceFeeds does not bear any legal responsibility for the content of this article and they do not reflect the viewpoint of FinanceFeeds or its editorial staff. The information does not constitute advice or a recommendation on any course of action and does not take into account your personal circumstances, financial situation, or individual needs. We strongly recommend you seek independent professional advice or conduct your own independent research before acting upon any information contained in this article.

VTB Bank, Russia’s second-largest lender, is getting ready to start spot cryptocurrency trading for approved high-net-worth clients in 2026. This will make it the first central Russian bank to enter the regulated spot crypto market.  The project follows testing with a few affluent consumers and is part of Moscow’s slow move towards making digital assets more accessible under rigorous government oversight. Bank officials made it clear that more people will not be able to use their services, which are only available to individuals who meet certain income or portfolio requirements. Pilot Program for Top Investors Local news outlets reported on December 3 that VTB will allow only certified high-net-worth individuals to trade on the spot during the test phase in 2026. The bank is being careful about how it rolls out its services because Russia’s cryptocurrency laws are changing. Testing is already going on with a small group of wealthy clients. This action is in line with the central bank’s rules, which state that banks can trade in cryptocurrencies only if specific conditions are met. Sanctions Push People to Use Crypto Western sanctions have accelerated Russia’s use of cryptocurrencies for cross-border payments, and even in parts of its oil dealings with China and India. Officials from the government say that millions of Russians currently use digital assets to save and pay for things, even though trading them was once illegal. VTB’s debut takes advantage of this trend, with bank officials saying that rising client demand is a significant factor. Global Peers Set the Standard VTB points to other banks worldwide, including Standard Chartered, Santander, BBVA, and DBS, which have successfully offered similar crypto services to wealthy clients. These global trends are consistent with what VTB sees in its extensive client base, although the bank did not provide exact asset figures. Russian regulators know the bank’s pilot as a controlled way for more institutions to get involved without putting individual investors at risk of significant price swings. The central bank of Moscow has given banks like VTB the green light to help with crypto under controlled conditions. This keeps innovation and financial stability in check. If testing goes well, the pilot could lead to additional services, even if public access remains limited. Analysts think this is Russia’s practical way of dealing with sanctions, using cryptocurrency to overcome traditional financial obstacles.

Bitcoin is at a key 0.382 Fibonacci retracement support level, which means it might test the April lows again if it breaks through. However, macro and on-chain signals are not in agreement, leaving the market vulnerable but poised for possible stabilisation.  Daan Crypto Trades, a crypto trader, pointed out this level in a recent analysis, saying, "It's also pretty much the last major support before testing the April lows again, which would break this high time frame market structure." The asset's position suggests traders are becoming more cautious amid poor weekend liquidity, which has led to short-term drops below key levels. Weekend Leverage Shakeout Analyst Bull Theory called it a "classic leverage liquidation event" when Bitcoin fell below a key support level over the weekend. This happened during sparse trading hours, wiping out both long and short positions before a partial rebound.  This move shows how prices may change quickly in crypto markets with minimal liquidity. Now, the focus is on upcoming macroeconomic events that could affect the market. With volumes down in December and exchange-traded fund inflows slowing down, there isn't much room for growth in the near future. The Fed Meeting is Coming up People are looking forward to this week's Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Traders expect a rate cut, but they also want Chair Jerome Powell to be careful, since he has said data should drive decisions rather than automatic easing. Markus Thielen of 10x Research warned that the market might become more hawkish.  He pointed out that ETF inflows are falling and volumes are down, which makes it harder for bulls to participate. At the same time, volatility compression is compressing risks. Thielen wrote in a research note, "Bulls will point to the Treasury General Account rebuild, the end of Quantitative Tightening, and looming rate cuts as a liquidity windfall for Bitcoin." Still, he warned that these tailwinds are "irrelevant if the underlying message lacks conviction and the market structure fails to support a sustained move." On-Chain Signals Provide a Counterpoint Despite the economic headwinds, on-chain "liveliness"—a measure of the number of coins being traded vs. those held by age—rises while prices are flat. This suggests that dormant coins are becoming active at levels not seen in years and that long-term holders are becoming active again.  This difference usually happens before bull phases, when older coins move with new demand and confidence. Last week, Bitfinex backed up this perspective by saying that "seller exhaustion" following extensive deleveraging and short-term holder surrender "has created the conditions for a stabilisation phase and a relief bounce." The Focus is on Economic Data Nick Ruck of LVRG Research said that U.S. jobs and inflation reports could affect the outcomes. Strong easing signals could lead to a recovery across assets, fuelled by liquidity. If the price drops below existing supports, it might cause further long-term damage. However, on-chain resilience implies that bulls can hold this level. Traders are still divided, evaluating the Fed's words against the blockchain's momentum in a tense battle near the $92,000 threshold.

The crypto market is showing some interesting movement across several projects this week. The XRP news today reveals small gains and growing ETF interest. The Chainlink price prediction hints at potential gains as whale activity picks up. But for those looking for the best crypto to buy right now, BlockDAG (BDAG) is emerging as a promising option, challenging even established networks. BlockDAG has raised over $438 million in its presale and just launched Beat Vesting, which gives buyers more coins at the same $0.0078 price. With only 3.9 billion coins left before the presale ends on February 10, 2026, and top leaders from Ethereum and Cardano joining next week, things are moving fast.  While XRP and Chainlink see minimal gains, BlockDAG's presale performance and incoming leadership make it an exciting best crypto to buy for those seeking massive growth potential after launch. XRP News Today: Gains Build as ETF Interest Grows XRP news today shows the token up 1.65% in the last 24 hours, compared to the broader crypto market's 0.37% rise. Over the past week, it's gained 17.39%. Recent XRP news today centers on ETF activity. XRP-focused funds received $644 million in November, while Bitcoin and Ethereum funds saw $5 billion in outflows. Franklin Templeton and Grayscale have launched spot XRP ETFs following the resolution of XRP's legal situation with the SEC. Exchange data shows 300 million XRP withdrawn from Binance since October, bringing reserves to their lowest point this year. Lower exchange balances typically indicate less immediate selling pressure. From a technical perspective, XRP news today reflects the price moving above key levels at $2.11-$2.18, with potential resistance at $2.28. However, it's unclear if this momentum will continue. Whale addresses have sold 180 million XRP since mid-November, and overall market sentiment remains cautious. Chainlink’s Price Climbs on Renewed Market Activity The Chainlink price prediction is starting to look bullish, as the token is up 12% this week. Large investors bought over 40,000 LINK in 24 hours, and Chainlink's own treasury added 89,000 LINK using money from the protocol. Looking at Chainlink price prediction charts, the price moved above $13.38 and could potentially reach $14.32. Fewer tokens are sitting on exchanges—down 4.5% in a week. Bitcoin's rise to $90,000 helped lift many cryptocurrencies, including LINK. There's also talk about Grayscale filing for a LINK ETF, which has created some interest. However, it is difficult to assess the Chainlink price prediction is difficult with complete confidence. The token remains 49% below its August peak of $26.75. It's unclear whether the current buying will continue or if this is just a temporary bounce. Market conditions remain cautious overall, and much depends on future developments like ETF decisions and how widely the technology gets adopted. BlockDAG Activates Beat Vesting as Presale Nears Final Stage! BlockDAG (BDAG) has raised over $438 million in its presale, making it one of the standout fundraises in the current market. The project just activated "Beat Vesting" for all purchases, giving buyers more BDAG coins at the same $0.0078 price in Batch 33. For those looking at the best crypto to buy, BlockDAG's presale is entering a critical phase with only 3.9 billion coins remaining before the presale closes on February 10, 2026. The Beat Vesting mechanism increases coin allocations without raising the price, driving forward the team’s goal to hit $1 billion market cap at launch. Major leadership moves are also happening next week. An early Ethereum core founder and a former senior Cardano executive are joining the team in operational roles, bringing experience from two of crypto's most established projects. Ultimately, the best crypto to buy often comes down to timing and momentum. BlockDAG's presale has consistently progressed through 33 batches, raising massive capital along the way. With Beat Vesting now active, buyers get enhanced allocations at current prices. Plus, the upcoming leadership additions from Ethereum and Cardano add credibility as the project moves toward launch. Time is running short, with less than three months until the presale closes and limited supply remaining, the window to participate at $0.0078 is narrowing fast. Which Is The Best Crypto to Buy Now? XRP's ETF inflows and reduced exchange supply provide some positive signals, while Chainlink's technical breakout and protocol buying add to its momentum. Both remain options worth monitoring as the market develops. However, when it comes to the most promising crypto, BlockDAG is the clear choice with its $438 million presale and newly activated Beat Vesting feature. Plus, with major leadership from Ethereum and Cardano joining next week and only 3.9 billion coins remaining before the February 10, 2026, close, the window is closing fast.  For investors seeking the best crypto to buy that offers high growth potential, BlockDAG's combination of strong fundraising, enhanced token allocations, and experienced leadership creates a compelling opportunity today. Presale: https://purchase.blockdag.network Website: https://blockdag.network Telegram: https://t.me/blockDAGnetworkOfficial Discord: https://discord.gg/Q7BxghMVyu What is Beat Vesting, and how does it benefit BlockDAG buyers? Beat Vesting is BlockDAG's new feature that gives buyers more BDAG coins at the same price. Instead of paying more for additional coins, participants in Batch 33 receive an increased allocation at $0.0078, strengthening their position before launch. When does BlockDAG's presale end? The BlockDAG presale is scheduled to close on February 10, 2026. With only 3.9 billion coins remaining in Batch 33, the presale is entering its final phase. What is BlockDAG's target market cap at launch? BlockDAG is targeting a $1 billion market cap at launch. The Beat Vesting activation and incoming leadership are part of the strategy to reach this milestone when the project launches. Who is joining BlockDAG's leadership team? An early Ethereum core founder and a former senior Cardano executive are joining BlockDAG next week in operational leadership roles, bringing experience from two of crypto's most established blockchain projects. How much has BlockDAG raised in its presale? BlockDAG has raised over $438 million in its presale across 33 batches. The current price is $0.0078 per BDAG coin.

Given the strength of the support level 0.1335, Dogecoin cryptocurrency can be expected to rise to the next resistance level 0.1600 (former strong support from the start of November).   Dogecoin reversed from strong support area Likely to rise to resistance level 0.1600 Dogecoin cryptocurrency recently reversed up from the strong support area located between the long-term support level 0.1335 (which has been reversing the price from April of 2025, as can be seen from the daily Dogecoin chart below) and the lower daily Bollinger Band. This is the third consecutive upward reversal from this price level from the end of November – the last time the price reversed from the support level 0.1335 it stopped the previous minor ABC correction 2 – starting the active impulse wave 3 of the medium-term impulse wave (1) from last month. Given the strength of the support level 0.1335, Dogecoin cryptocurrency can be expected to rise to the next resistance level 0.1600 (former strong support from the start of November, which also reversed the previous minor correction in November, as you can see from the daily Dogecoin chart below). [caption id="attachment_175637" align="alignnone" width="800"] Dogecoin Technical Analysi[/caption] The subject matter and the content of this article are solely the views of the author. FinanceFeeds does not bear any legal responsibility for the content of this article and they do not reflect the viewpoint of FinanceFeeds or its editorial staff. The information does not constitute advice or a recommendation on any course of action and does not take into account your personal circumstances, financial situation, or individual needs. We strongly recommend you seek independent professional advice or conduct your own independent research before acting upon any information contained in this article.

Michael Saylor’s firm Strategy has reportedly purchased an additional 10,624 BTC (worth $963 million) to boost its total Bitcoin holdings to 660,624 BTC (roughly $59 billion at the time of writing). The move signals the company’s renewed confidence in Bitcoin as a long-term store of value and reaffirms its commitment to aggressive accumulation. This fresh acquisition, the largest single-week purchase by Strategy in several months, comes amid broader market volatility, suggesting the firm is doubling down and taking advantage of the recent dip in Bitcoin price. According to the press release, the buy was executed via OTC transactions to avoid disrupting market prices and to preserve liquidity for existing holders. Strategy’s Playbook is to Keep Buying the Dip For Strategy, the latest purchase is more of a routine treasury move to continue the company’s signature Bitcoin philosophy. Since 2020, Michael Saylor has framed Bitcoin as the most reliable long-term asset available, shielding corporate treasuries from inflation, currency erosion, and sovereign risk. Interestingly, his company, Strategy, has met every major dip across the past five years with the same accumulation response. According to the company’s disclosures, Strategy executed the latest purchase primarily through OTC channels to avoid disrupting markets — a sign of both scale and sophistication. It also reveals just how methodical the firm has become in its approach. All it does is find liquidity, strike at size, add to the balance sheet, and signal unwavering conviction. Internally, this accumulation strategy has transformed the company’s identity. What began as a conventional enterprise has evolved into a hybrid corporate Bitcoin treasury vehicle. Externally, the market watches every buy closely, as each move reinforces Saylor’s reputation as the leading corporate evangelist for Bitcoin. Institutional Conviction in Bitcoin Gets A “Strategy Boost” Strategy’s huge purchase demonstrates that some institutional actors remain deeply bullish on Bitcoin’s long-term trajectory. By accumulating over 660,000 BTC, Strategy controls one of the largest corporate-held Bitcoin treasuries globally. This reiterates the company’s outsized influence over long-term supply dynamics. For many investors and observers, this serves as a signal that some capital allocators view Bitcoin not as a speculative trade, but as a durable reserve asset. Such large-scale accumulation can help stabilize prices, increase liquidity, and strengthen Bitcoin’s narrative as a safe-haven asset in uncertain macroeconomic environments. The purchase may also influence other firms or institutional investors who have sat on the sidelines: seeing a public company continue heavy accumulation could catalyze a second wave of corporate or fund-level Bitcoin adoption. Yet, concentration risk at this scale is hard to ignore. With hundreds of thousands of BTC held by a single company, any future liquidation event could shock the market. Regulatory scrutiny will also intensify as Strategy’s holdings grow.  Ultimately, whether that bet pays off depends more on macroeconomic stability and regulatory evolution than strictly crypto dynamics.

Some projects sprint. Some projects marathon. And in the world of blockchain innovation, knowing the difference can decide who wins the race for long-term value. The debate around IPO Genie ($IPO) vs BlockDAG ($BDAG) has been heating up. Both have fans. Both have momentum. Both promise a future where blockchain works smarter, faster, and for more people. But which one is actually building a roadmap that can hold up for years, not just the next hype cycle? Let’s break it down in the simplest way possible, using real data and clear examples that make sense for people in crypto investing. Two Different Journeys Toward the Same Future Think of the crypto market like a huge digital landscape. Every project chooses its own path across it. IPO Genie is like a highly trained guide using advanced AI to navigate complex terrain. BlockDAG is like a powerful SUV with a strong engine and a crowd of supporters cheering it forward. Both have power and potential, but they move across the landscape in different ways.  IPO Genie grows smarter. BlockDAG grows larger. Not better or worse. Just different. In the world of top crypto investing, roadmaps act like GPS systems. They show where a project is going, how fast it is moving, and whether the destination makes sense. A strong roadmap usually includes realistic timelines, clear utility, sustainable token design, compliance readiness, and measurable milestones.  Snapshot View: How Each Roadmap Operates? Here is a simple box to help readers visualize the difference without choosing sides. Feature IPO Genie BlockDAG Core Vision AI-powered investing tools High-speed Layer 1 blockchain Growth Style Learns and adapts Expands the ecosystem and miners Roadmap Focus Utility and compliance Mainnet and mining network Community Style Research driven Large and hype driven Token Value Driver AI data and market access Network usage and mining Both show strength in different areas. Now,  let’s explore each project with total clarity. IPO Genie’s Roadmap: A Smart Engine That Learns As It Grows IPO Genie builds around a simple idea. Use AI to unlock opportunities that were once only for major institutions. This includes: AI “Sentient Signal Agents” scanning markets like digital detectives Real-time deal discovery Tokenized private market access A compliance-first foundation through Fireblocks, Chainlink, and CertiK A disciplined presale structure The beauty of this roadmap is that it becomes stronger over time. AI gets smarter. Signals get sharper. User experience improves automatically. Imagine a compass that upgrades itself every time you look at it. That is how IPO Genie behaves in the long run. IPO Genie is also growing fast as the best crypto of December, through real-world visibility.  The project recently sponsored a major Misfits Boxing event, giving it visibility across global fight nights watched by millions. With headline moments like the Andrew Tate vs Chase DeMoor title fight in Dubai, this mainstream spotlight helps build trust and brings new audiences into the ecosystem without complicating its roadmap. BlockDAG’s Roadmap: Big Vision With Big Engineering BlockDAG takes a different approach, but a very impressive one. Instead of AI and private markets, it aims to become a high-speed Layer 1 blockchain with: A hybrid DAG and Proof of Work model EVM compatibility for developers More than 3 million mobile miners Over 19,000 physical miners shipped One of the largest presales in this cycle This project feels like a giant machine built for high performance. The design is bold. It wants to be faster than Bitcoin and more flexible than Ethereum. And it is supported by a very large and enthusiastic community. Big visions often carry more weight. Massive presales, large mining networks, and several launch delays mean the roadmap is heavier to execute. Still, what they are building is remarkable. Many projects never even attempt engineering on this scale. The Turning Point: How These Differences Shape the Future This is where the long-term story becomes clearer. Think of IPO Genie as a tree that grows deeper roots before it grows taller. It becomes stable quietly. Think of BlockDAG as a skyscraper rising fast with cranes and workers. It becomes impressive early. But which structure handles storms better? For crypto investing, long-term value often depends on predictable delivery, sustainable economics, transparent audits, and real-world utility. IPO Genie checks these boxes first. BlockDAG plans to check them as its ecosystem matures. Neither is wrong. They simply move through the race at different speeds and with different loads. Where Each Roadmap Could Be in the Next 24 to 36 Months Let’s keep this grounded, but forward-looking. Ipo Genie Could Achieve: Everyday use of AI tools for investing Rising token demand as features unlock Integration into fintech ecosystems A steady and loyal user base focused on utility Blockdag Could Achieve: Strong mainnet adoption if speeds remain high Growth of a global mining economy A large developer community Strong exchange volume once fully launched Both paths are real possibilities. The outcome depends on execution, not hype. So Which Roadmap Wins Long Term Here is the clearest way to describe it. BlockDAG is building a powerful machine. IPO Genie is building a smart engine. Machines need perfect assembly. Engines need good tuning and fuel. When we look at real-world adoption, compliance, and user accessibility, IPO Genie has a roadmap that looks easier to deliver and easier for users to adopt. It does not need perfect conditions. It only needs steady progress. BlockDAG could achieve massive success if every step lines up smoothly. Its upside is big, but so is the work required. Final Thoughts IPO Genie and BlockDAG both aim to shape the future of crypto, but they take very different paths. BlockDAG focuses on building a large and powerful network, while IPO Genie grows by improving its AI tools and keeping things easy for users.  In crypto investing, long-term success depends on clear goals and steady delivery. BlockDAG aims high but carries more complexity. IPO Genie moves with a simpler and more flexible roadmap. Overall, IPO Genie shows a clearer long-term direction while BlockDAG works toward a much larger vision. Join the IPO Genie presale today:   Official website Telegram Twitter (X) 

What happened: a major exchange–issuer alliance centered on USDC Bybit has announced a strategic partnership with Circle, the global fintech company behind USDC, in a move that strengthens the role of regulated stablecoins across the exchange’s ecosystem. The collaboration aims to make USDC more accessible, more liquid, and more deeply integrated into Bybit’s trading, payments and savings products — effectively positioning the exchange as one of the most stablecoin-focused platforms in the market heading into 2026. The partnership touches several layers of Bybit’s infrastructure. Liquidity enhancements will be rolled out across spot and derivatives markets, USDC on- and off-ramp solutions will be expanded using Circle’s banking connections, and multiple Bybit products — including Bybit Earn, Bybit Card, and Bybit Pay — will introduce deeper USDC functionality. Ben Zhou, Co-founder and CEO of Bybit, said: “Bybit’s partnership with Circle represents a major milestone in our mission to offer a fully compliant, liquid, and user-friendly ecosystem. From trading to payments to savings, we are integrating USDC to power the next phase of our platform’s growth and stability.” Investor Takeaway USDC’s regulatory profile makes it attractive to institutions. Bybit’s integration sets the stage for growth in markets where compliance and transparency drive adoption. Why this matters: stablecoins are becoming the backbone of crypto markets USDC has become a foundational asset across crypto trading, payments and settlement — but liquidity fragmentation and inconsistent on-ramp options still limit the user experience. Bybit and Circle are attempting to solve that by pairing Circle’s infrastructure with Bybit’s global reach. Stablecoin rails are particularly important as volatility fluctuates and institutions demand predictable settlement assets. With USDC now fully integrated into Bybit’s most-used markets, the exchange can offer tighter spreads, deeper liquidity and more efficient capital movement — benefits that matter not only to retail traders but to market makers and professional desks. The partnership is also designed for accessibility. Users in key regions will get faster deposits and withdrawals thanks to Circle’s fiat network, making USDC conversions feel closer to traditional fintech experiences. For markets where banking access remains inconsistent, this is more than convenience — it’s a bridge to reliable dollar exposure. Circle’s Arc network and the next phase of stablecoin-native finance Beyond trading integrations, Bybit has also joined the public testnet of Circle’s Arc network, a new layer-1 chain built specifically for stablecoin-native financial applications. Arc launched in late 2025 with broad participation, including banks, exchanges, Web3 infrastructure providers and enterprises exploring blockchain-based settlement. Circle describes Arc as a network designed for scale and interoperability, where stablecoins act as the primary settlement asset. Bybit’s involvement puts the exchange close to the development work shaping the next generation of on-chain clearing and payments infrastructure. Jeremy Allaire, Chairman, Co-founder and CEO of Circle, added: “At Circle, we are powering the future of internet activity with enterprise-grade infrastructure and stablecoins built for scale. Together, Circle and Bybit are making it easier for retail and institutional users to access and use USDC with the confidence, transparency, and speed they expect.” Investor Takeaway Arc network participation signals where stablecoin settlement is heading: toward high-throughput chains designed for financial institutions, not just retail users. Regulatory context: why Bybit is leaning hard into compliance The partnership arrives during a year when Bybit has made several significant regulatory moves. Most notably, the exchange secured a full Virtual Asset Platform Operator (VAPO) License from the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority — a milestone that made Bybit the first global exchange to receive this level of approval in the region. Bybit has also expanded oversight across the EEA, Turkey and Latin America, presenting the exchange as an increasingly compliance-aligned platform. For stablecoins, where regulatory expectations have tightened dramatically in both the U.S. and abroad, aligning with Circle — the issuer of one of the world’s most heavily supervised stablecoins — reinforces that positioning. USDC itself is backed 1:1 by cash and short-term U.S. Treasuries, held with regulated financial institutions. Independent monthly attestations, which Circle has maintained for years, remain one of the strongest transparency signals in the stablecoin sector. What’s next: expanding utility and pushing toward cross-chain liquidity Bybit and Circle say they are already exploring deeper integrations that go beyond liquidity and fiat access. Potential next steps include cross-chain settlement tools, institutional-grade treasury solutions and more automated USDC flows across Bybit accounts and services. The goal — echoed by both leadership teams — is to make USDC usable everywhere inside the Bybit ecosystem, from trading to yield products to everyday payments. For retail users, that means a more dependable and familiar digital dollar. For institutions, it creates a stable asset that can flow through multiple services without friction. With stablecoin regulation accelerating globally and demand for reliable settlement assets rising, the partnership gives both companies a strategic position in the next phase of digital finance. Whether users are trading derivatives, using crypto cards abroad, or moving funds across ecosystems, USDC is poised to become the connective tissue binding these use cases together.

With so much divisiveness in today’s society, it’s not often that we reach a consensus about anything, so it’s somewhat striking that so many are saying the same thing about artificial intelligence. Pick up a newspaper, switch on the TV or browse the web, and it seems that every news organization, podcast and blogger parrots the same prediction – AI is in a bubble, and it’s going to cause chaos when it bursts. In fact, even the companies leading the AI industry are saying it. Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos recently referred to AI as an “industrial bubble,” while Google CEO Sundari Pichai described the market as having "elements of irrationality." Sam Altman of OpenAI thinks the industry is in a bubble too, and his company’s chairman of the board Bret Taylor agrees. But perhaps even more unusual than the fact everyone seems to agree on the AI bubble talk, they’re not really acting like it’s true. On the contrary – investors continue to shovel hundreds of millions of dollars at AI companies every month, while Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon are still racing to build data centers like there’s no tomorrow, spending billions in the process. Is it possible that maybe, just maybe, this bubble isn’t what it seems? Cultivating Actual Businesses Instead of the bubble bursting, it’s far more likely to deflate slowly, argues Zeev Farbman, Chief Executive of the AI video software company Lightricks. In a recent column, Farbman opined that AI has become synonymous with massive valuations and unlimited scalability, leading to a feeling that no one can compete with the industry’s biggest players. But he says it has now become apparent that’s not really true. Farbman believes the AI industry is shifting towards a different kind of future, where AI companies won’t be desperately searching for subscriptions to try and claw back the huge amounts of money they’ve spent developing models and building data centers. Instead, he sees an industry focused on how AI models can be used to make money for businesses. And that means the resources being invested in newer, more powerful models, will slowly dwindle. “Scale alone is no longer delivering step-function gains,” Farbman said. “Execution, distribution and ecosystem now matter more than raw model size. Adjusting expectations to this new reality will allow the growing AI bubble to slowly deflate, rather than burst and wreak havoc on the economy and financial markets like the dotcom bust did a quarter century ago.” The spending on AI won’t dry up overnight, but that’s fine too, because most of the industry’s biggest spenders can easily afford to keep throwing money at it. Commentator Derek Thompson makes a compelling case for it. Writing in Substack, he pointed out that most of the companies leading the dotcom boom were spending millions, despite not making any money at all. A case in point is Pets.com, which spent almost $12 million on advertising in 1999 while earning only $700,000 in revenue that year. The hyperscalers leading the AI boom are very different beasts, Thompson said. They’re some of the most profitable companies that the world has ever seen, generating billions of dollars in annual revenue and profit. Unlike the dotcom companies, they’re not totally reliant on future profits and they’re not playing with borrowed money. They’re also making quite a lot of money from AI already, despite claims to the contrary. Thompson explains that the likes of Microsoft, Meta Platforms and Google are benefiting in more of a roundabout way by using AI to enhance their existing businesses. For instance, Meta claims to have increased its ad sales by over $1 billion thanks to AI, while Microsoft AI services recently achieved a $13 billion run rate, seeing 157% growth year over year. “The bottom line here is that the AI build-out is unlike anything we’ve seen before,” Thompson wrote. “The richest companies in the world, with the most profitable core businesses in modern memory, are using their obscene cash flow to collectively fund a new national infrastructure project. That’s not like the railroads, or the dot-com bubble, or the housing bubble. It’s not like anything that’s ever happened.” Investing in Something Much Bigger The idea that AI is somehow “infrastructure” is not new. Technologist and futurist Jason Snyder believes that people assume AI is in a bubble because they compare the industry to traditional software. But he argues that AI doesn’t behave like software, because it’s building something far more transformational – an entirely new technology that will forever benefit human society. “AI’s economics resembles the economics of infrastructure,” Snyder wrote. “Valuations may appear disconnected from productivity. Capital may look like it is circulating in a self-reinforcing pattern. Spending may appear excessive. Yet these dynamics appear irrational only through the lens of consumer technology.” According to Synder, OpenAI’s enormous losses may look problematic, but he says that’s only true if its finances are viewed in terms of the cost structure of apps and social platforms. But if we imagine it’s building the infrastructure that’s going to underpin modern life, its spending makes a lot more sense. It’s analogous to the early days of the electricity grid and railroads, which were built at huge expense with very little initial returns. But in the end, those investments totally transformed the economy, just as AI will eventually do. “OpenAI’s spending is no more indicative of a bubble than Edison’s power stations or Bell’s early switchboards,” Snyder wrote. “The economics only appear flawed if one assumes the system they are building already exists.” Groundwork for Value and Revenue The infrastructure AI needs to scale large enough to change the world doesn’t yet exist, but that will change soon enough. And once the infrastructure is in place, companies will quickly work out how to create value and generate the revenue that ultimately pays for it, Farbman believes. “There is no question that AI is the most amazing technology we have today,” he said. Farbman is confident that the value will arrive soon, because the financial barrier is no longer that big. He explained that many of AI’s fundamental components, such as the transformer and diffusion architectures that underpin most large language models, are already open and accessible. So the most pressing challenge now is simply building reliable systems out of these components. “These products and services no longer require investors to front trillions of dollars,” Farbman said. “The defensibility of AI spending now lies in infrastructure optimization, proprietary data, and integration depth. Entrepreneurs with good ideas for solutions that carefully craft or use models with that end-performance in mind will win out over those that seek massive models that can later be scaled for different potential uses.” So instead of thinking of the AI market as a bubble, it might be wiser to look at the bigger picture. The huge amount of money being thrown at the industry is building the foundation of something so consequential that we cannot even conceptualize how big it’s going to be. After all, who in 1999 could have predicted the rise of social media, smartphones, mobile applications and everything else the internet later evolved into? The internet became the springboard for our modern, connected lives, and its impact is lasting. AI will be much the same, and so the real test is not about economics, but about how well we can craft this technology into something truly useful and economically viable. So long as we can do that well enough, chances are good that the road ahead for AI in 2026 won’t be exceedingly rocky.

There’s a familiar regret that many investors quietly carry—the moment a powerful project launches, and the early window disappears before anyone notices. Hedera is one of those stories. Many watched its presale, hesitated, and then spent years wishing they’d acted sooner as the ecosystem expanded and institutional partnerships grew. This week, Hedera returned to the spotlight after community updates and ecosystem enhancements reignited the conversation around its long-term potential. Yet the tone is bittersweet for many who missed its earliest entry point. In that same breath, BlockchainFX ($BFX) is now appearing on screens and whispers among Crypto Whales, with a presale at $0.03, a confirmed $0.05 listing target, over $11.9M raised, and a growing sentiment that this time—no one wants to repeat the same “Hedera moment.” This article will cover the developments and updates of all coins: BlockchainFX and Hedera. Hedera’s Evolution, Features, and That Lingering Sense of Missed Opportunity Hedera built its foundation on speed, enterprise-grade security, and predictable network economics. Its hashgraph structure offers fast finality, making it an attractive choice for applications requiring stable throughput. Recent updates from Hedera’s ecosystem highlight expanding corporate collaborations, new developer incentives, and growing NFT and DeFi integrations. But underlying every bullish update lies an uncomfortable truth. Many early observers hesitated during Hedera’s initial token sale, only to realise later that they had overlooked a high-utility project during its most accessible phase. That is why the current focus around BlockchainFX feels familiar to seasoned investors—the sense that hesitation could create the same long-term regret Hedera holders still talk about quietly. Verified Community Validation Makes BlockchainFX a Best Crypto Presale Contender One of the strongest indicators of BlockchainFX’s potential is its beta-testing success. More than 20,000 traders joined the early beta in Q4 2025, offering feedback with an average score of 4.79 out of 5. Importantly, over 72% expressed intent to use the platform exclusively, demonstrating both product-market fit and deep retention potential. Such validation is rare among early-stage projects. It also supports the argument that BlockchainFX ranks among the Best Cryptos For High ROIs due to its combination of strong user approval and a presale pricing window that still remains undervalued. With the BLOCK30 bonus code giving buyers 30% more tokens instantly, early participation becomes even more appealing. An Experienced Team Supporting One of the Best Cryptos To Buy This Week BlockchainFX is led by professionals with over 25 years of experience in fintech and global trading. This is not a team experimenting with blockchain for the first time. Their past achievements include launching scalable financial systems, navigating regulatory environments, and integrating traditional and digital markets. That depth of experience pushes BlockchainFX closer to the centre of conversations among Crypto Whales who prioritise leadership quality when selecting the Best Crypto presale opportunities. Their mission of merging traditional finance and next-generation blockchain technology creates a stability that many traders seek during market uncertainty. BlockchainFX Visa Card: Real-World Utility That Hedera Cannot Match The BFX Visa Card is one of the project’s defining features. It enables users to spend their trading profits anywhere Visa is accepted—globally, instantly, without hoops or hassles. The card links directly to a user’s trading account, making profits immediately accessible at checkout. This transforms BFX from a speculative token into a lifestyle-ready financial tool. Cashback rewards, international usability and instant conversion place BlockchainFX into a league of utility that Hedera simply does not offer in the same consumer-oriented way. For anyone evaluating the Best Cryptos To Buy This Week or Month, real-world application often creates the strongest conviction. Real-World Utility and Cross-Market Integration Strengthen BlockchainFX’s Lead BlockchainFX supports AI copy trading, instant asset swaps, real-time forex-crypto conversions and a cross-market trading system spanning 500+ assets. This transforms the platform from a trading terminal into a dynamic financial ecosystem. These features put BlockchainFX ahead of many competing networks by making crypto trading practical, accessible and deeply integrated into everyday financial behaviour. For investors comparing BFX to Hedera, the distinction becomes clear: Hedera is powerful in enterprise environments, but BlockchainFX is built for traders, consumers and everyday financial activity. Why BFX Surpasses Hedera in Real-World Utility Hedera excels in enterprise-grade performance and network efficiency, but lacks the consumer-driven, revenue-generating, day-to-day practicality that BlockchainFX provides. The BFX Visa Card, AI tools, multi-asset trading and instant swaps give BFX a tangible edge in actual user behaviour. BlockchainFX bridges the real-world usage gap that Hedera does not fully address. For investors focused on practical impact, BlockchainFX emerges as the Best Crypto presale choice because it addresses real-life financial needs while still offering early-stage ROI potential. A Generational Entry Window That Doesn’t Last Presales priced at $0.03 with a confirmed $0.05 listing target rarely stay open long. Market dips often provide the best entry points—moments where conviction pays off and hesitation becomes expensive. The BLOCK30 Advantage BLOCK30 gives early buyers 30% more tokens instantly, essentially increasing holdings before the project even lists. For investors seeking the Best Cryptos For High ROIs, this built-in leverage is a powerful incentive. Half-Million Dollar Giveaway Showing Massive Community Energy BlockchainFX is offering $500,000 worth of BFX tokens to presale participants. First place earns $250,000, second $100,000, third $50,000, fourth $30,000, fifth $20,000, sixth through tenth $10,000 each, and eleventh through twentieth $1,000 each. Entry is simple: buy tokens, join social channels, leave reviews or share content. Completing all tasks unlocks bonus entries. This activation begins once the presale sells out. Such large-scale engagement highlights the momentum behind BlockchainFX and positions it as a contender among the Best Cryptos To Buy This Month. BlockchainFX Vs Hedera Summarised Hedera continues proving itself as a reliable network built on strong engineering and enterprise trust. Its ecosystem growth and recent news reinforce its importance within the broader crypto world. Yet BlockchainFX brings something different, something more accessible to everyday traders, more lucrative for early buyers, and more aligned with real-world financial habits. With a $0.03 presale, a $0.05 listing target, a Visa card, multi-asset integration, a half-million dollar giveaway and the BLOCK30 bonus adding immediate value, the project positions itself as a leading candidate for the Best Crypto presale and one of the Best Cryptos For High ROIs available today For More Information: Website: https://blockchainfx.com/  X: https://x.com/BlockchainFXcom Telegram Chat: https://t.me/blockchainfx_chat  

Pepperstone has secured a Category 5 licence from the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), a development that significantly enhances its ability to engage with professional clients within the region. The licence grants the firm permission to conduct regulated “Arrangement and Advice” activities, enabling compliant marketing, promotion, and advisory support under the UAE’s onshore regime. The regulatory approval marks a strategic evolution in Pepperstone’s Middle East operations, positioning the broker to operate with greater transparency and closer alignment to local governance expectations. With the SCA continuing to refine its supervisory standards, the licence underscores Pepperstone’s commitment to operating within robust and clearly defined regulatory frameworks. This milestone adds meaningful depth to Pepperstone’s global regulatory footprint, further strengthening the firm’s ability to deliver a consistent, highly governed experience across key international financial centres. For professional clients, the licence enhances clarity, confidence, and access to a global broker committed to regulatory excellence. Takeaway: Pepperstone’s Category 5 licence elevates its onshore regulatory status in the UAE, reinforcing its credibility with professional clients and aligning operations with one of the region’s most advanced supervisory regimes. New Dubai Office Establishes a Regional Hub for MENA Clients The opening of Pepperstone’s new onshore office in Emaar Square, Dubai, marks the next phase of the broker’s regional expansion. The move positions client engagement, commercial support, and relationship management closer to local market participants, strengthening the firm’s physical presence in one of the world’s most active trading centres. Acting as a regional hub for both the UAE and the broader MENA region, the new office provides a central base for supporting institutional partners, professional traders, and introducing brokers. This proximity to stakeholders allows Pepperstone to respond more swiftly to market developments and deepen its contribution to the local trading ecosystem. The Dubai office also underscores Pepperstone’s long-term commitment to the region. With the UAE continuing to attract global financial institutions and talent, the firm is well positioned to play a central role in shaping a market renowned for innovation, sophistication, and growth potential. Takeaway: Opening a dedicated Dubai office enables Pepperstone to integrate more closely with regional trading communities, enhancing service delivery and strengthening partnerships across MENA. Strategic Positioning Supports Professional Traders and Institutional Partners Pepperstone’s enhanced presence in the UAE complements its global network of regulatory licences, ensuring that professional clients benefit from a unified standard of oversight, transparency, and execution quality. This consistency is especially important for institutions and sophisticated traders seeking credible, globally regulated access to markets. By combining local regulatory authorisation with its established international footprint, Pepperstone is able to offer a highly governed environment for its clients, supported by advanced trading technology and robust operational frameworks. This positions the broker as a preferred partner for those who prioritise both performance and regulatory assurance. The UAE expansion also supports Pepperstone’s broader strategy of embedding itself within leading financial hubs globally. As demand for regulated onshore engagement grows, the firm’s strengthened presence in Dubai enables it to meet evolving expectations while contributing to the region’s rapidly growing financial services landscape. Takeaway: Pepperstone’s combination of global regulatory depth and strengthened UAE presence creates a highly governed environment for professional clients seeking advanced, institution-grade trading infrastructure.

FinanceFeeds has released a new podcast episode featuring Editor-in-Chief Nikolai Isayev in conversation with Saul Knapp, Managing Director of Futures and Options at Rostro Group, the parent company of Scope Prime and Scope Markets. In this wide-ranging discussion, Knapp draws on decades of experience in risk, derivatives and liquidity management to unpack what is really happening behind the scenes as gold continues to dominate global trading flows. Rostro Group positions itself as a heavily capitalised, multi-asset provider focused on institutional-grade liquidity and robust risk architecture. Through brands such as Scope Prime and Scope Markets, the group offers CFD and FX liquidity, futures and options access, and a mix of proprietary and third-party technology designed to keep execution stable even when markets are stressed. That combination of balance-sheet strength and in-house risk tooling gives Knapp a unique vantage point on the pressures building up across the gold market. In the episode, Knapp and Isayev touch on all the flashpoints that matter for brokers and traders: explosive growth in gold volumes, the hidden concentration risk sitting on broker books, the constraints of physical delivery, and the knock-on impact for liquidity providers. For readers who want to go deeper into volatility, leverage, toxic flow and the growing role of AI in risk management, this is a must-watch conversation. Watch the full episode on FinanceFeeds here. Takeaway: The latest FinanceFeeds Podcast brings together editorial insight and front-line risk expertise to explain why gold has become the defining product of this cycle – and what that means for brokers, LPs and traders. Gold’s One-Way Trend, Broker Vulnerabilities And Physical Shortages Saul Knapp explains that gold is now the most requested product across Rostro’s client base, with demand coming from CFD brokers, institutional clients and physical buyers, particularly in the Middle East and Asia. What looks like a simple “one-way” uptrend on the chart is, in practice, creating serious concentration risk for brokers that have allowed gold positions to dominate their books without adequate capital or hedging capacity. Many brokers, he notes, are offering leverage levels on gold that bear little resemblance to how the product is margined on exchange. While COMEX margin sits around mid-single digits, some retail-facing firms advertise leverage of 1:500 or even 1:1000 on XAU pairs. When markets move several percent in a single session and clients are all positioned the same way, this leverage mismatch can leave brokers unable to hedge at equivalent terms upstream, creating funding gaps, forced stop-outs and, in extreme cases, existential balance-sheet stress. The discussion goes further into the physical market, where Knapp points to rumours of underreported central bank buying and mounting difficulty in sourcing metal to deliver between LBMA and COMEX. He raises the possibility of a liquidity squeeze and even periods of backwardation if spot demand continues to collide with tight physical supply. For brokers and LPs, that would mean more complex hedging, potentially wider spreads and a far more demanding environment for risk desks already stretched by high-volatility flows. Takeaway: The same forces that are pushing gold to repeated highs are exposing structural weaknesses in broker risk models and the physical delivery pipeline, turning a popular “safe-haven” trade into a serious operational and liquidity challenge. Retail Protection, Toxic Flow And The Rise Of AI-Driven Risk For retail traders, Knapp’s message is clear: survival in this market starts with sensible leverage and broker selection. He urges market participants to avoid overtrading, to respect the volatility profile of gold and to prioritise firms that are well-capitalised and transparent about their risk frameworks. Incentives, bonuses and ultra-high leverage may look attractive at first glance, but they often signal that a broker is taking risks that could ultimately jeopardise client funds when markets move sharply. The conversation then turns to toxic flow, including latency arbitrage, spot-versus-futures strategies and swap arbitrage exploiting rate differentials and swap-free structures. With so much volume and volatility in gold, predatory strategies are more likely to slip into aggregate flows unless brokers and LPs have both the technology and the human oversight to detect them. Knapp describes Rostro’s approach, combining proprietary monitoring systems that refresh every 15 minutes with a specialist team tasked with identifying and neutralising abusive patterns before they damage upstream relationships. Looking ahead, Knapp highlights the growing role of AI and machine learning across Rostro’s quant and risk teams. Automation is being used to enhance stress-testing, route flow more intelligently, refine internalisation logic and reduce manual error across the stack. Rather than replacing human judgment, these systems provide richer data and faster feedback loops, allowing risk managers and executives to make better decisions as conditions change. For brokers, LPs and traders trying to understand where the industry is heading next, his insights offer a rare, candid look at the future of risk infrastructure in the age of AI. Takeaway: In a gold market defined by volatility and complexity, disciplined leverage, robust monitoring of toxic flow and the intelligent use of AI are becoming essential pillars of broker and LP risk management – and key signals for traders choosing where to place their trust.

EToro has introduced its stock lending programme to UK users, marking a significant step in its mission to democratise passive income opportunities. The rollout follows successful launches in Europe and the UAE, underscoring EToro’s ambition to make stock lending a mainstream feature for retail investors globally. The programme enables eligible users to lend out their stocks and earn passive returns, extending a capability historically limited to institutional participants. By opening this avenue to a broader investor base, EToro is reshaping expectations around how retail portfolios can generate additional value. Working with BNY as custodian and clearing provider and EquiLend as the lending facilitator, EToro offers a streamlined model that abstracts the complexity typically associated with securities lending. Users maintain visibility and control while the operational layers run in the background. Takeaway: EToro’s UK launch brings a traditionally institutional income strategy into the retail mainstream, strengthening accessibility and widening investor participation. Expanding Global Stock Lending Capabilities A central feature of EToro’s programme is the ability to lend not only U.S. equities but global stocks held across the platform. This broad coverage enhances yield opportunities and reflects the increasingly international composition of retail investor portfolios. EToro notes that demand for passive income tools continues to grow as investors seek diversified sources of return. Offering lending capabilities across multiple markets positions the platform to meet this demand while differentiating its value proposition among retail brokerages. The UK expansion also lays groundwork for additional future rollouts, signalling a long-term strategy to embed stock lending into EToro’s global retail offering. The firm continues to develop infrastructure and partnerships to support this scale. Takeaway: Allowing lending of global stocks increases earning potential and positions EToro for broader geographic expansion of its passive income ecosystem. Deepening Infrastructure Partnerships With BNY and EquiLend This launch strengthens EToro’s operational relationship with BNY, which supports the platform’s fully funded stocks and ETF offering across 19 global exchanges. The partnership gives UK users access to institutional-grade clearing, settlement, custody and cash management services. EquiLend’s role as the lending platform ensures borrowers are identified efficiently and loans processed securely. The collaboration integrates established market infrastructure with EToro’s retail interface, creating a high-quality lending experience for everyday investors. For BNY, the initiative reflects an ongoing commitment to powering modern, retail-facing investment platforms with institutional capabilities. By combining the scale of its Global Clearing platform with EToro’s growing footprint, both firms are advancing new models of retail market participation. Takeaway: EToro’s collaboration with BNY and EquiLend reinforces the shift toward institutional-grade infrastructure for retail investors, supporting more efficient and secure stock lending.

Crypto ETF markets ended Friday with a sharp contrast in investor behavior, revealing a deepening divergence between major assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum and the rising momentum behind altcoin-linked products. The session reflected growing sensitivity to macroeconomic signals, with institutional investors adjusting their exposure ahead of upcoming inflation reports and broader market volatility. While Bitcoin’s price weakness contributed to heavy redemptions across its ETF products, select altcoins—most notably XRP—continued to attract steady inflows. This shifting pattern suggests that institutional traders are not withdrawing from the crypto market altogether but are reallocating capital toward assets that appear less correlated to current downside pressure. The distinct flows visible in Friday’s trading reinforce an emerging narrative: investors are becoming more selective, leaning toward diversification as the year-end landscape becomes more uncertain. Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs See Significant Outflows Spot Bitcoin ETFs registered one of their worst sessions in weeks, with approximately $195 million in net outflows recorded on Friday. The move underscores a cautious stance among institutional investors as Bitcoin’s price continues to retrace from recent highs. Analysts noted that much of the pressure stems from broader macroeconomic unease as markets wait for updated inflation data—conditions that have historically prompted short-term derisking within crypto investment vehicles. Ethereum ETFs followed a similar trajectory, logging meaningful outflows after a short-lived streak of inflows earlier in the week. Despite the downturn, cumulative year-to-date flows for Bitcoin ETFs remain positive, reflecting enduring long-term interest even as short-term sentiment weakens. With both BTC and ETH facing heightened volatility, ETF investors appear to be hedging rather than abruptly exiting the space, suggesting strategic repositioning rather than capitulation. The decline in flows also coincides with reduced trading activity across major crypto ETFs, reinforcing the view that investors are temporarily stepping to the sidelines. Seasonal positioning ahead of year-end may also play a role, with institutions locking in performance or reducing exposure as part of risk-management frameworks. While the broader crypto market has experienced slower liquidity conditions in recent days, ETF behavior remains a reliable early signal of institutional sentiment—and Friday’s data suggests caution is currently the prevailing mood. Altcoin ETFs—Led by XRP—Continue to Attract Institutional Interest In contrast to the pullback in major asset ETFs, altcoin-focused funds showed resilience, particularly those tracking XRP. XRP ETFs extended their multi-week streak of consecutive net inflows, attracting institutional buyers even as the rest of the market softened. Cumulative inflows have approached the $900 million mark, signaling sustained belief in XRP’s relative value and potential regulatory tailwinds. Analysts have begun to highlight XRP’s increasing decoupling from Bitcoin in terms of fund flows, suggesting that institutional investors may be seeking alternative assets better insulated from macro-driven volatility. Other altcoin ETFs—including those linked to Solana—also posted modest inflows on Friday, further supporting the narrative that capital is rotating within the crypto market rather than exiting entirely. This trend reflects a broader appetite for diversification as investors search for assets with stronger momentum or unique growth catalysts. While Bitcoin and Ethereum remain dominant in market share and institutional attention, the persistence of altcoin ETF inflows indicates growing confidence in a wider set of networks and use cases. As the market progresses through an uncertain macro backdrop, Friday’s ETF flows highlight the evolving sophistication of institutional crypto investment behavior. Rather than treating the sector as a monolithic risk asset, investors are differentiating among opportunities—rewarding assets with compelling narratives while reducing exposure to those more vulnerable to macro-driven swings.  

Rostro Group has obtained a Category 5 licence from the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), marking a pivotal milestone in its expansion strategy and affirming its commitment to operating within one of the world’s most progressive regulatory environments. The licensing approval elevates the Group’s standing as a compliant and trusted participant within the UAE’s rapidly developing financial ecosystem. The award of the licence coincides with the SCA’s ongoing efforts to raise industry standards through enhanced oversight, transparency, and investor protection. For Rostro, the approval reflects both regulatory confidence and alignment with the UAE’s ambitions to build a robust, future-ready financial marketplace capable of attracting global institutional participation. Rostro Group’s regional leadership, guided by CEO Michael Ayres, positions the UAE as a central hub in the firm’s long-term strategy. Ayres emphasised that the financial transformation underway in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is unmatched globally, noting that the UAE is emerging as a peer to financial centres such as London, Singapore, and New York. Takeaway: Rostro Group’s SCA licence solidifies its regulatory footing in the UAE and aligns the firm with the country’s ambitions to become a leading global financial centre. Expansion of CFD Offering and Development of Regional Market Indices The Group has significantly expanded its product suite to include access to more than 60 regional CFD equities, giving traders exposure to some of the UAE’s most active and strategically important companies. This expansion enhances Rostro’s ability to serve both regional and global investors seeking opportunities in the Gulf’s fast-growing markets. In addition to equities, Rostro has developed proprietary CFD indices designed to track the performance of Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock markets. These indices provide investors with diversified, benchmark-style access to the UAE’s capital markets and reflect the country’s increasing relevance within global investment strategies. The widened product offering supports the Group’s objective of creating a unified, multi-brand ecosystem that accommodates various investor categories. Together, Scope Prime and Scope Markets deliver institutional-grade infrastructure alongside streamlined retail access, reinforcing Rostro’s integrated approach to global financial services. Takeaway: Rostro’s expanded CFD equities and proprietary UAE indices strengthen its regional relevance and provide investors with deeper exposure to Dubai and Abu Dhabi markets. Strengthening Regional Infrastructure Through Banking and Brokerage Capabilities Rostro Group has already established key banking relationships within the UAE, ensuring it can support seamless client onboarding and liquidity flows across both institutional and retail channels. These foundations enable the firm to meet regional expectations for operational resilience and regulatory compliance. The Scope Prime division is now positioned to deliver multi-asset prime brokerage services across the GCC, offering institutions access to advanced trading infrastructure. This includes enhanced connectivity, liquidity solutions, and technology frameworks designed to serve sophisticated market participants. Meanwhile, Scope Markets is expanding its retail footprint by offering accounts denominated in multiple currencies, including AED and USD. This flexibility aligns with the UAE’s diverse investor base and supports Rostro’s broader mission to deliver frictionless access to global markets through a unified ecosystem. Takeaway: New banking partnerships and expanded prime brokerage and retail capabilities position Rostro Group to serve both institutional and individual investors across the GCC with greater efficiency and scale.

Farcaster, the decentralized social protocol known for enabling user-owned identities and portable social graphs, has announced a strategic shift toward a wallet-first architecture. The move represents a major step in aligning the platform with its long-term vision of building a fully open, on-chain communication and identity network. By making blockchain-based wallets the primary authentication method, Farcaster aims to streamline onboarding, enhance user sovereignty, and give developers a more flexible foundation for building decentralized applications and social layers. Historically, Farcaster supported multiple login methods, including email accounts, to widen accessibility during its early phases. As adoption has grown and the protocol matured, the team emphasized the need to ensure that user identity and account control remain anchored in cryptographic ownership rather than custodial credentials. The wallet-first transition reflects an effort to unify the network’s authentication standards, simplify developer tooling, and expand composability across third-party applications built on the protocol. User experience transformation, ecosystem design and decentralization goals According to the Farcaster team, a wallet-first design will enable a more native Web3 experience across the ecosystem. Users will authenticate, sign messages and interact with applications through on-chain identities that persist independently of any single client interface. This reinforces the protocol’s core principle that no centralized entity should control user identity, account recovery or social data. The shift also introduces new opportunities for developers building alternatives to the primary Farcaster client. By standardizing identity around wallet keys, the protocol reduces friction for teams building new discovery mechanisms, feeds, messaging tools or niche social experiences. Wallet-based authentication allows developers to rely on predictable identity primitives, reducing complexity and enabling consistent portability of user profiles across clients. Additionally, wallet-first onboarding strengthens decentralization by minimizing reliance on traditional login infrastructure. With identities rooted in on-chain keys, Farcaster’s social graph becomes more censorship-resistant and less prone to single points of failure. The team has stated that improving decentralization of the registry and storage layers remains a major priority and that the wallet shift is one component of a broader infrastructure roadmap. Market implications and what the transition means for Web3 social platforms The transition arrives as decentralized social networks gain momentum amid broader dissatisfaction with centralized platforms and increasing interest in user-owned digital identities. Farcaster’s wallet-first approach differentiates it from hybrid competitors that rely on conventional account systems. Analysts note that the shift positions Farcaster as a more fully Web3-native social protocol, potentially strengthening its appeal to developers, builders and crypto-literate users who value self-custodial identity. However, the model also presents challenges. Wallet onboarding remains unfamiliar to many mainstream users and can create friction if not paired with intuitive design. To address this, Farcaster is exploring wallet abstraction, account recovery tools and improved user flows that reduce the complexity of managing private keys. Ensuring broad accessibility without compromising decentralization will be central to the protocol’s long-term adoption strategy. Despite the hurdles, the shift is widely viewed as a necessary evolution for Farcaster’s growth. As more developers build applications, bots, feeds and extensions using the protocol’s open frameworks, the consistency of wallet-based identity may accelerate ecosystem cohesion and innovation. Developers will gain a clearer path for integrating payments, token-gating, verifiable credentials and cross-app interactions. In summary, Farcaster’s transition to a wallet-first architecture marks a meaningful step toward deepening decentralization and enabling scalable, developer-driven growth. By reorienting identity around cryptographic ownership, the protocol strengthens its foundational infrastructure and sets the stage for a new wave of applications and user experiences built on open social primitives.

zkSync has officially announced that it will deprecate zkSync Lite — its original zero‑knowledge rollup on Ethereum, originally launched in June 2020 — as part of a broader transition toward more advanced, ZK‑stack based infrastructure. The team described the move as a “planned, orderly sunset” for a system that “has served its purpose,” and stressed that the deprecation will not affect any other zkSync systems. For now, zkSync Lite continues to operate, and withdrawals to Ethereum mainnet remain functional. Approximately US$50 million remains bridged on the Lite network, though on‑chain activity has dwindled to fewer than 200 daily operations. The deprecation underscores zkSync’s evolving focus — pivoting resources toward its next‑generation rollup, zkSync Era, as well as broader ZK Stack and modular chain ambitions. Why zkSync Lite Is Being deprecated Sun‑set — From Proof‑of‑Concept to Legacy Status zkSync Lite, originally known as zkSync 1.0, was conceived as a lightweight Layer‑2 scaling solution for Ethereum — optimized for low-cost, high-speed transfers, token swaps, and basic NFT minting. Its zk‑rollup architecture ensured security by posting validity proofs to Ethereum mainnet while processing transactions off‑chain. However, unlike modern rollups, Lite never supported smart contracts or full EVM compatibility. This limitation increasingly constrained its utility as decentralized finance (DeFi), complex dApps, and smart‑contract infrastructure became the norm on Ethereum. With the launch of zkSync Era in March 2023 — a fully EVM‑compatible zkEVM rollup — the adoption of Lite began to decline. Era enabled developers to port existing Ethereum smart contracts and build rich DeFi and NFT applications with lower fees and layered security. As liquidity and developer activity migrated to Era, Lite gradually slid into legacy status. Matter Labs ceased active development on the Lite chain shortly after Era went live. In this context, the decision to retire zkSync Lite represents a natural evolution: a shift from simple payment‑focused rollups to full‑featured, scalable Layer‑2 ecosystems. What Users and Developers Should Do Migration, Safety and Next Steps - For users who still hold assets on zkSync Lite, the deprecation notice is a warning signal to start preparing for migration. Although the team has confirmed that funds remain safe and withdrawals to Ethereum’s Layer‑1 will continue to work, they’ve also pledged to release a detailed migration guide and timeline next year. Given the planned sun‑setting in 2026, early migration is advisable to avoid potential congestion or last‑minute complications. Developers and projects built on Lite also face an urgent decision. With zkSync Era offering full smart contract support, composability, and broader ecosystem compatibility, this is the optimal time to port codebases, smart contracts, and integrations to Era or other chains built on the ZK Stack. Because Era is fully EVM-compatible, moving over should be relatively smooth, minimizing disruption. This consolidation is likely to strengthen the overall zkSync ecosystem, concentrating liquidity and development efforts around a unified, modern infrastructure. Overall, the deprecation of zkSync Lite marks the close of an early chapter in Ethereum scaling — from experimental payment‑focused rollups to robust, feature-rich zkEVM networks. As zkSync redirects its resources toward Era and its modular ZK Stack roadmap, users and developers alike will need to adapt systems and holdings accordingly. Yet the promise of more scalable, versatile, and future‑oriented infrastructure remains, underscoring zkSync’s long‑term vision for Ethereum’s Layer‑2 evolution.  

Argentina's central bank, the Banco Central de la República Argentina (BCRA), is reportedly considering lifting its long-standing ban on traditional financial institutions offering cryptocurrency trading and custody services to clients. This prospective shift represents a significant pivot in regulatory policy, moving from explicit prohibition to managed integration, driven by the nation's unique economic realities and a surging demand for digital assets. Currently, the BCRA's regulations prohibit banks from offering or facilitating crypto transactions, a rule established primarily to mitigate risks and discourage the use of unregulated entities. However, the administration of President Javier Milei, which has expressed a generally pro-market and crypto-sympathetic stance, is reportedly evaluating a regulatory overhaul to allow banks to formally enter the market under stringent new frameworks. The move is a pragmatic response to the reality that Argentines are already among the world's most active crypto adopters, driven by chronic inflation, currency volatility, and the need to preserve savings in assets like US dollar-pegged stablecoins Integrating Crypto as an Anti-Inflation Hedge The primary impetus for institutionalizing crypto trading is to bring the massive, currently existing activity out of the shadow financial system and into the regulated banking sector. For years, ordinary Argentines have relied on Bitcoin and stablecoins as essential tools to bypass the relentless depreciation of the Argentine peso and circumvent foreign currency restrictions. By allowing banks to facilitate crypto purchases, the BCRA can achieve several key regulatory and economic objectives. First, it enables formal institutions to provide a safer, compliant on-ramp for citizens, offering the enhanced investor protection and robust Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) controls that regulated banks must uphold. Second, it allows the government to track and tax this growing segment of the economy more effectively, increasing financial formalization. Finally, by incorporating digital assets into the formal financial system, the government acknowledges their critical function as a de facto inflation hedge and a way for citizens to manage their wealth in an unstable macroeconomic environment, a step that could stabilize domestic capital flows. Competitive Dynamics and Regulatory Hurdles The potential entry of major Argentine banks into the crypto space is set to drastically reshape the local financial ecosystem. Currently, the market is dominated by independent Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) and crypto-native exchanges. Banks, with their extensive customer bases and deep capital reserves, could instantly become dominant players, applying competitive pressure on existing crypto firms. This competition is expected to drive down transaction costs and improve service quality. However, the transition is fraught with regulatory and operational challenges. The Central Bank must not only repeal its existing ban but also establish entirely new prudential rules regarding how banks manage the capital and liquidity risk associated with highly volatile digital assets, potentially aligning with global standards like the Basel Committee’s framework for bank crypto exposures. The challenge is balancing financial innovation, which is desperately needed in Argentina, with systemic stability, ensuring that the integration of volatile assets does not expose the broader banking system to undue risk.

The U.S. financial world is facing a seismic shift as Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins boldly asserted that he expects the entire U.S. financial market, including the stock market, to migrate to blockchain technology within the next two years. This aggressive timeline, delivered during recent public comments, is not merely a technological forecast but a clear signal from the regulatory head that the SEC is actively pivoting toward embracing digital asset innovation. Chairman Atkins characterized this move—the tokenization of traditional assets—as inevitable, foreseeing it bringing immense benefits for transparency, risk management, and market efficiency. Tokenization involves creating a digital representation of a real-world asset (like a share of stock) on a blockchain, allowing for fractional ownership and near-instant, automated transfer and settlement via smart contracts. This transition promises to streamline the archaic post-trade process, which currently relies on layers of intermediaries and multi-day clearing cycles, potentially unlocking vast operational cost savings for financial institutions. Regulatory Clarity Paves the Way for Institutional Migration Chairman Atkins’ prediction is underpinned by the SEC’s active development of a clear and coherent regulatory framework for digital assets, an initiative he refers to as “Project Crypto.” This effort aims to address the long-standing regulatory uncertainty that has deterred major traditional finance (TradFi) institutions from fully committing to the sector. The SEC is reportedly working on providing clear guidance on a token taxonomy, distinguishing between tokens that are genuine securities and those that function as commodities or utilities, and clarifying the application of the Howey Test to evolving digital asset models. By providing transparent rules, the SEC is removing much of the legal ambiguity that has forced innovators offshore. This regulatory clarity is a crucial precursor to institutional adoption, as major exchanges like Nasdaq are already submitting proposals to integrate blockchain technology at the post-trade level. The goal is to ensure that while the technology modernizes markets, investor protections remain robust, thereby encouraging a swift and safe migration of high-value assets onto distributed ledgers. Profound Impact on Market Structure and Efficiency The successful tokenization of the entire stock market within two years would profoundly alter the mechanics of global finance. The primary efficiency gain stems from eliminating the need for many intermediaries, such as central clearing houses and transfer agents, whose functions—recording ownership, clearing, and settlement—are natively handled by the blockchain’s immutable ledger. This shift promises atomic settlement, where the exchange of cash and asset ownership happens instantly and simultaneously, moving beyond the current T+1 or T+2 cycles. While this dramatically reduces counterparty risk and margin requirements, it also introduces challenges related to the loss of netting benefits and the need for pre-funding trades, which can tie up capital. Brokerage firms, prime brokers, and custodians are being forced to evolve their business models, focusing on providing specialized digital custody and on-ramp services to decentralized finance protocols. Ultimately, this tokenization push is expected to democratize access by fractionalizing ownership, making historically illiquid assets more accessible to retail investors and setting the stage for a fully automated, 24/7 global financial market.