DeFi and DApps
Protocol launches, governance changes and decentralised application updates. Each article is summarised by AI into a clear, factual overview of 30 words or fewer.

Pendle Plans Replacement of Governance Token to Improve Adoption Rates
Pendle is set to gradually replace its governance token, vePENDLE, with a new token, sPENDLE, in hopes of increasing its adoption. The transition is planned for this month and aims to introduce a more flexible model for users.

Gas Town Token Valuation Falls to $1.1 Million After AI Developer Withdraws
The Gas Town token experienced a significant decline, dropping to a valuation of $1.1 million. This decrease occurred just four days following a peak valuation that exceeded $60 million.

Intercontinental Exchange Plans 24/7 Tokenized Stock Trading Platform
The Intercontinental Exchange is developing a new platform for 24/7 tokenised stock trading. This initiative aligns with its wider digital strategy amid the rising popularity of tokenised stocks.

Bitcoin Falls Below $93K Amid Market Reaction to President Trump's Tariff Threats
The value of Bitcoin has declined sharply, dropping below $93,000, as all top-10 cryptocurrencies experience losses. This downturn follows President Trump's discussion of potential tariffs concerning Greenland, impacting market sentiment across the cryptocurrency sector.

Cross-Chain Bridges May Pose Risks Similar to FTX Failures
Cross-chain bridges in cryptocurrency are said to centralise trust and concentrate risk. These factors create vulnerabilities that could potentially lead to a systemic crisis in the crypto market, particularly in times of heightened stress.

Paradex Experiences Service Outage, Cancels Existing Open Orders
Paradex, a decentralised perpetuals exchange, announced that multiple core services were impacted due to a service outage. The platform is currently undergoing a rollback and recovery process that has resulted in the cancellation of all open orders.

Uniswap's UNI Remains Under $6 Despite Increased Whale Activity
Uniswap's UNI token struggles to exceed the $6 mark, as profit-taking poses challenges. Although whale accumulation continues, it remains insufficient to drive significant price increases. The current demand needs to surpass profit-taking pressures for a potential breakout above this resistance level.

Investigator Details $282M Theft in Hardware Wallet Scam Involving Bitcoin and Litecoin
ZachXBT reported a theft of $282 million in Bitcoin and Litecoin linked to a hardware wallet scam. The attacker converted the stolen funds into Monero and transferred Bitcoin across various chains using Thorchain.

DeFi Leaders Raise Concerns Over Future of CLARITY Act Review
Members of the DeFi sector express concerns regarding the uncertain timeline for the Senate Banking Committee to review the CLARITY Act. The industry anticipates that it may take weeks before lawmakers proceed with the markup process.

Bags Launchpad Activity Increases Following 700% Surge in GAS Token
Bags Launchpad, based on the Solana blockchain, is experiencing increased activity due to a rise in creator-linked cryptocurrencies. The surge in interest is particularly linked to the GAS token's significant price increase.

Bitcoin Surpasses $95,000 as ETF Flows Rebound Amid US Policy Delays
Bitcoin has recently surpassed $95,000, reflecting a broader market recovery. This increase comes as investors respond to delays in the implementation of the CLARITY Act in the United States, which aims to provide clearer regulations for cryptocurrencies and related financial products.

Base App Shifts Focus to Trading Features, Reducing Social Emphasis
Base app, led by Jesse Pollak, will prioritise trading capabilities over its previous social-focused direction. This change comes six months after the app's rebranding to SocialFi.

Crypto Cards Gain Popularity as Stablecoin Usage Reaches $18 Billion in Spending
Crypto-linked cards are becoming an important method for stablecoin transactions. Annual spending volumes are now approaching those of traditional peer-to-peer on-chain transfers, indicating a shift in how consumers utilise stablecoins.

Retail Interest in Crypto is Declining, Experts Indicate Growing Disengagement
Recent analysis suggests that retail participation in cryptocurrency markets is decreasing, with social and trading data across various platforms indicating a notable disengagement. This decline is attributed to factors beyond just the current state of Crypto Twitter.

Bitcoin Dips Below $95K Amidst Lower Crypto Market Momentum
Crypto markets are experiencing a downturn, with analysts highlighting an important price range for Bitcoin. The overall market shift indicates a decrease in momentum, affecting Bitcoin's position as it falls below the $95,000 mark.

CLARITY Act Sparks Dispute Over Control of Onchain Dollar Yields
The CLARITY Act is causing disagreements over who controls onchain dollar yields, with potential implications for decentralised finance companies and established firms. This conflict may lead to the relocation of US dollar yields to offshore platforms.

DeFi Protocols Capture More Revenue Than Blockchain Networks
The blockchain industry is experiencing a shift as decentralised finance (DeFi) protocols start to capture a larger portion of fees compared to the underlying networks. This trend indicates a potential movement of investor interest towards front-end applications within the Web3 ecosystem.

Galaxy Tokenises First CLO on Avalanche with $50 Million Investment
Galaxy has launched its CLO 2025-1, totalling $75 million, marking the first private credit deal on the Avalanche blockchain. The initiative includes a $50 million allocation from Grove, expanding opportunities for tokenised assets in the financial sector.

Felix Protocol Becomes First Liquid Spot Equity Provider on HyperEVM
Felix Protocol, in collaboration with Ondo Finance, is launching as the initial liquid spot equity provider on the HyperEVM platform.

Ondo Finance's TVL Exceeds $2 Billion in Under One Year
Ondo Finance has seen its total value locked (TVL) double to over $2 billion, driven by the success of its tokenised U.S. Treasuries fund. This significant increase occurred in less than a year, highlighting the growing interest in Ondo's offerings.

Fogo Launches Mainnet Following Successful Binance Token Sale
Fogo, a Solana-compatible Layer 1 blockchain, launched its public mainnet on Thursday. The launch includes live applications, exchange listings, and a token airdrop.

KAITO Sees Decline Following X's Ban on InfoFi Rewards
Nikita Bier, X's head of product, announced a ban on InfoFi rewards. This decision has led to a significant decline in KAITO’s value.

Privy CEO Discusses Stripe's Crypto Strategy and Trade-Offs in Digital Currency
Privy CEO Henri Stern highlights how Privy supports Stripe's stablecoin strategy. He emphasises the need for practical trade-offs in the cryptocurrency space, criticising the absolutist views surrounding decentralisation.

Starknet's STRK Token Now Available on Solana Through NEAR Partnership
Starknet's native token, STRK, has been launched on the Solana ecosystem following a partnership with NEAR. This development occurs shortly after Solana's official X account made remarks about Starknet's low usage.

Bitcoin Drops Below $97K Amidst Stable Crypto Market Conditions
Crypto markets remain largely static, with high ETF inflows. Analysts suggest Bitcoin is experiencing a transitional phase.

BitMine to invest $200 million in MrBeast's Beast Industries
BitMine Immersion Technology will invest $200 million in MrBeast's Beast Industries, connecting cryptocurrency investment with a prominent creator platform.


DeFi Protocols Shift from Discord to Ticketed Support Amid Scam Issues
Major DeFi protocols are transitioning from Discord channels to ticketed help desks and live support. This change is driven by an increase in scams affecting public channels, prompting a reevaluation of communication strategies within the decentralised finance sector.

Senator Lummis anticipates delay in crypto market structure legislation markup
Senator Lummis has indicated that the markup of the crypto market structure bill may be postponed. This potential delay stems from disagreements over stablecoin reward provisions within the CLARITY Act, with various banking and cryptocurrency stakeholders advocating for differing priorities.

Coinbase CEO Criticises Senate's Draft Legislation on Cryptocurrency Regulations
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has retracted his support for a Senate draft bill concerning cryptocurrency. He argues that the proposed legislation may impose restrictions on tokenised equities, decentralised finance (DeFi), and stablecoin rewards.

Gacha Volume Reaches Record High as CARDS Token Values Rise
Tokenized trading card platforms are experiencing a resurgence, with activity levels nearing all-time highs.

Berachain Surges 40% Following Launch of Business Development Initiative
The Berachain Foundation has announced plans to build, acquire, or partner with businesses aimed at generating value for the BERA token.

Dash Price Rises Nearly 50% After Integration with Alchemy Pay
The cryptocurrency Dash experienced a significant price increase, rising from approximately $55 to $86. This surge occurred in the context of a continuing rally for privacy coins.

Crypto Scammers Favour DeFi for Laundering, Total Losses Exceed $17 Billion
A report by Chainalysis reveals that crypto scammers are increasingly utilising DeFi protocols for money laundering. Total losses from such impersonation scams have surpassed $17 billion in 2025, highlighting a growing trend in the use of decentralized finance for illicit activities.

Vitalik Buterin Highlights Challenges in Decentralised Stablecoins for DeFi
Vitalik Buterin discusses the inadequacies of decentralised stablecoins in the DeFi sector. He identifies issues such as benchmark risk, flaws in oracle design, and the influence of staking-driven incentives, emphasising the need for more resilient solutions in decentralised finance.

Bitcoin Approaches $97K as Crypto Market Rally Continues for Second Day
The cryptocurrency market is experiencing increased risk appetite, with spot Bitcoin ETFs recording their highest daily inflows in three months. This follows traders' considerations of macroeconomic risks associated with U.S. tariff rulings, contributing to the ongoing rally in prices.

Mantra Reduces Workforce Following Significant Token Value Decline
Mantra has reduced its staff after its native token experienced a dramatic decrease in value last April. The project's founder attributed this decline to forced liquidations by centralised exchanges, which they described as reckless.

Perp DEXs are closing the gap on TradFi investments, says Delphi Digital
Delphi Digital reports that while perpetual decentralised exchanges (DEXs) currently manage a small portion of trading activity compared to traditional finance (TradFi), their infrastructure is improving. This progress may lead them to increasingly compete with the more time-consuming and fragmented centralised trading platforms.

BNB Chain Shifts Focus to User Experience and Builder Options
BNB Chain is implementing a new roadmap aimed at enhancing user experience and providing more options for builders. This plan is seen as a foundation for future developments, setting the stage for potential advancements by 2026.

Bitcoin Surpasses $95K as U.S. Inflation Data Stabilises Market Sentiment
The recent Consumer Price Index report revealed that U.S. inflation remained steady in December. This development has contributed to stabilising sentiment among investors, who are currently cautious due to the ongoing consolidation in the fragile cryptocurrency market.

Paxos' Total Assets Increase by 450% Over the Past Year
Paxos has experienced a significant growth in its asset base, rising over fivefold within the last year. This increase has been driven primarily by the performance of its products, PYUSD and PAXG.

YO Faces $3.7 Million Loss from Unintended Stablecoin Exchange
YO has reported a loss of $3.7 million resulting from an unintended stablecoin swap. Security firms indicated that the trade, based on Ethereum, may have avoided slippage protections, contributing to the financial setback.

Polygon Acquires Coinme and Sequence to Operate as US Payments Platform
Polygon has acquired Coinme and Sequence, acquiring their licenses to operate as a regulated payments platform in 48 states across the United States.

Solana Price May Reach $190 Fueled by Positive Market Trends
Steady inflows into ETFs and a bullish cup and handle chart pattern suggest potential growth for Solana. Improved sentiment within the broader cryptocurrency market may further support an increase in Solana's price, with projections indicating a possible rise to $190.

NYC Token Faces Rug Pull Claims After $2.5 Million Withdrawn
On-chain analysts report that a wallet associated with the NYC token deployer withdrew approximately $2.5 million in USDC liquidity. This has raised concerns regarding potential rug pull allegations surrounding the token, which is backed by Eric Adams.

ZI Labs Makes Significant Investment in Cross-Chain Trading Terminal
YZi Labs has invested eight figures in the Genius Trading terminal. This move reflects the increasing importance of execution-focused tools in the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency trading across various blockchains.

Major Banks Embrace Tokenized Deposits to Leverage Blockchain Benefits
Following JPMorgan's lead, several large banks are exploring tokenized deposits. This approach aims to integrate blockchain advantages while maintaining control, highlighting a growing trend among traditional financial institutions in the realm of digital asset innovation.

Euler Protocol's CEO Departs Amid Institutional Refocus
Euler, a DeFi lending protocol, has undergone a significant revival in 2025 after a hack in 2023. As the protocol shifts its focus towards institutional clients, its founding CEO has stepped down to facilitate this change.

Franklin Templeton Updates Money Market Funds for Stablecoin and Blockchain Use
Franklin Templeton has made updates to two Western Asset money market funds, enabling them to accommodate stablecoin reserves and utilise blockchain technology for fund distribution.

Solana Policy Institute Calls for SEC Exemption for DeFi Developers from Exchange Regulations
The Solana Policy Institute has requested that the SEC differentiate between non-custodial DeFi code and traditional exchanges. The institute cautions that existing regulations may hinder innovation in the DeFi space.

