Token Chronicle

Top cryptos

Meme of the week

Market Sentiment:

Market update: The market remains cautious but is edging higher in anticipation of a highly probable US rate cut on September 17th following the PPI/CPI results (which could trigger a significant crypto rally). BTC is stabilizing around $115K, while ETH has rebounded strongly to around $4.8K. Massive investments from banks and corporations continue, particularly around tokenization/RWA. The upcoming week is expected to be more dynamic.

Main points this week:

International Highlights:

1. Japan’s Financial Regulator Considers 50% Reduction in Crypto Taxation – This initiative comes amid growing adoption in Japan, marked by the imminent arrival of a yen-backed stablecoin, companies like Remixpoint paying salaries in Bitcoin, and Metaplanet-backed investments in the Web3 ecosystem.

2. Christine Lagarde Urges ECB to Take Firmer Stance on Stablecoin Regulation – The European Union specializes in aggressive regulation of the crypto sector, often at the expense of informed support for innovation. This reality now applies to stablecoins, whose growth the ECB president wants to control even more strictly in Europe. “In a bank run, investors would naturally prefer to be repaid in the jurisdiction offering the strongest guarantees, which is likely the EU, where MiCAR also prohibits redemption fees. But reserves held in the EU might not be sufficient to meet such concentrated demand.”

3. Why Is Chinese Billionaire Jack Ma Buying Thousands of Ether (ETH)? – Through Hong Kong-based Yunfeng Financial, Chinese billionaire Jack Ma has just acquired 10,000 Ether. Thus, the founder of Alibaba Group—AliExpress, AliPay—is entering decentralized finance (DeFi) with an Ethereum Treasury Company, following in the footsteps of Peter Thiel, the shadow president of Silicon Valley. In a public announcement, Yunfeng revealed that this investment aims to “expand the company’s Web3 activities.” Yunfeng is a company offering diverse financial services: investment, trading, asset management, insurance, and fintech. Ethereum was not chosen at random. Vitalik Buterin’s blockchain will enable the company to support its operations and develop its DeFi services: “Integrating ETH into the company’s strategic reserve assets [...] provides essential infrastructure support for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization activities.”

4. Mining 1 Bitcoin Costs Only $1,300 in Iran, While It’s Worth $110,000 – In Iran, mining 1 Bitcoin costs about $1,300 in electricity, while it’s worth over $110,000 on the market. An immense opportunity, but also a paradox in a country facing an energy crisis where Bitcoin embodies both a lifeline and a scapegoat. In Iran, Bitcoin’s social utility is no longer questioned. Since 2020, its use, along with stablecoins, has spread widely. In 2023, over a quarter of the population already used these currencies. Thanks to vast fossil fuel deposits and state subsidies, electricity is particularly cheap in Iran.

5. Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Proposes Strategic Crypto Reserve – The country’s central bank had already confirmed in June its intention to establish such a reserve, considering Bitcoin as a potential option.

6. Russia Accuses U.S. of Trying to Erase Its $35 Trillion Debt Using Stablecoins – The U.S. recently passed the GENIUS Act, providing a clear regulatory framework for stablecoins. Officially, it aims to regulate this booming market. But for Russia, this initiative hides a far more strategic maneuver: using stablecoins to transfer and devalue part of the $35 trillion U.S. public debt. “The U.S. is now trying to rewrite the rules for gold and crypto markets. Remember the scale of their debt: $35 trillion. These two sectors essentially represent alternatives to the traditional global monetary system. Washington’s actions in this area clearly highlight one of its main goals: to urgently address the loss of confidence in the dollar.”

7. Belarus President Calls on Banks to Embrace Cryptocurrencies – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko assessed the state of digital payments. He encourages banks to favor new assets, believing cryptocurrencies can support the economy.

8. A Crypto Bank Soon in Russia? Government Member Backs the Project – “The Russian Federation must also create its own crypto bank. This will solve a number of current problems. It will legalize clandestine transactions, which amount to hundreds of billions of rubles, thus replenishing the federal budget; and block one of the channels for funding and recruiting our citizens to commit serious crimes, including against the state.”

9. Fitch Downgrades France’s Credit Rating – Rating agency Fitch downgraded France’s rating to AA- on Friday, moving its debt to “Medium Grade.” The problem with a downgraded rating is that, over time, states must borrow at higher interest rates from investors to compensate for potential default risk.

10. Binance just quietly launched Medá in Mexico with a $53 million commitment over four years. This isn't another regional office - it's an independent entity registered as an Electronic Payment Funds Institution, handling peso deposits and withdrawals. While other exchanges pull back from Latin America, Binance is doubling down on Mexico's 125 million population. They now hold licenses in 23 jurisdictions worldwide, but Mexico seems different.

11. Lee Eok-won, nominated to lead South Korea's Financial Services Commission, just declared cryptocurrencies have "no intrinsic value" and can't function as real money. Over 16 million South Koreans, 30% of the population, are crypto users. He's against pension funds investing in crypto and skeptical about crypto ETFs. But he fully supports South Korea's local stablecoin initiative.

12. India topped global crypto adoption rankings for the second straight year, crushing every single category from retail to institutional. Asia-Pacific exploded with 69% growth, jumping from $1.4 trillion to $2.36 trillion in transaction volume. India, Vietnam, and Pakistan are driving this surge.

13. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has received 77 expressions of interest for its stablecoin licensing regime, engaging with a diverse range of potential applicants including banks, tech firms, and Web3 businesses. The HKMA emphasized that these preliminary inquiries do not guarantee approval and that the process remains invite-only—only vetted candidates will receive application forms. Chief Eddie Yue has consistently warned against over-enthusiasm, stating the bar will be set high with only a handful of licenses ultimately approved. The regulator aims to ensure applicants meet strict standards before formal submissions under the Stablecoin Ordinance enacted August 1.

14. Vietnam’s Da Nang has approved Basal Pay, the country’s first licensed crypto-to-fiat conversion service, within its fintech sandbox. The platform enables near-instant conversions at 30% lower costs than traditional methods, targeting foreign tourists in a city that welcomed 11 million visitors last year. This follows similar regional initiatives like Thailand’s "TouristDigiPay" and aligns with Vietnam’s push to become a crypto hub—ranking 5th globally in adoption. A new Digital Technology Industry Law, effective January 2026, will formalize crypto’s legal status, with exchanges likely launching soon in partnership with local banks.

Compliance/regulation/justice:

1. This Major Financial Watchdog Will Monitor Your Crypto Transactions – The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is making a regulatory splash. It announces the launch of a new transaction surveillance platform targeting new financial markets, including cryptocurrencies. The old system was a relic from the 1990s, now unfit for new markets. The new platform, dubbed Nasdaq Market Surveillance, will have a broad monitoring scope: “Nasdaq Market Surveillance will provide the CFTC with automated alerts and cross-market analyses that will benefit each of the agency’s operational divisions and better protect our markets from fraud, manipulation, and abuse.”

2. DeFi, DePin, and Airdrops—SEC and CFTC Bury the Hatchet in the U.S. – The regulatory landscape is radically changing in the U.S., driven by a Trump administration favorable to cryptocurrencies. In this context, a bill aims to reconcile the SEC and CFTC to harmonize oversight of DeFi and DePin sectors, as well as airdrops. “By working together to align our regulatory frameworks, the SEC and CFTC can reduce unnecessary barriers, improve market efficiency, and create space for innovation to thrive. Our common goal is to ensure America remains the global leader in capital markets.” The Responsible Financial Innovation Act adds notable advancements, such as easing traditional finance regulations for developers of decentralized platforms (DEX) or protocols within decentralized finance (DeFi). The goal is to promote effective decentralization of these projects while avoiding certain excesses like the lawsuit against Tornado Cash developers. Secondly, the bill also aims to clarify regulatory treatment of “free distributions” of tokens, commonly called airdrops. This domain would also include staking rewards, liquid staking tokens (LST), and scheduled distributions that do not constitute an “offer or sale” under securities regulations. Finally, a new sector associated with cryptocurrencies is emerging: decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN). Utility tokens enabling these platforms to operate and function will not fall under securities offerings if they meet necessary decentralization requirements. The threshold is set at 20% of the available supply held by a single entity.

3. SEC Announces Public Roundtable on Cryptocurrencies for October 17 – This meeting reflects a desire for enhanced cooperation with the CFTC, aiming to harmonize regulation of DeFi, DePin, and airdrops. Meanwhile, initiatives like the CFTC’s surveillance platform launch illustrate accelerated oversight efforts.

4. SEC Publishes Guidelines to Address Emerging Quantum Threats – The crypto sector’s development is accelerating in a version now widely integrated into traditional finance. This situation has pushed the U.S. SEC to publish a roadmap for its transition strategy regarding quantum risks. This document, titled: “Roadmap for a Secure Quantum Transition of Global Financial Infrastructure,” offers a 74-page synthesis of “current best practices, regulatory guidance, and technological capabilities” needed to address this major challenge. The goal is to trigger “early action” to apply necessary changes focusing on three major objectives: Protect investors by anticipating crypto theft and ensuring confidentiality of sensitive data; Maintain market integrity by avoiding operational collapse of platforms (exchanges and custodians); Promote responsible innovation by developing a secure foundation to support the crypto ecosystem’s evolution.

5. SwissBorg Hack: $41 Million Vanishes After Provider Vulnerability – On Monday, a hack at Kiln resulted in a $41 million loss of SOL on crypto exchange SwissBorg. The hack impacted the Solana staking module via a strategy implemented in partnership with Kiln. A second staking strategy, with Kyros, was not affected. Despite the amounts involved, Cyrus Fazel, CEO and co-founder of SwissBorg, stated that “SwissBorg users will not suffer any losses” and any shortfall will be covered. The $41 million represents 2% of SwissBorg’s assets under management, and fewer than 1% of users were affected.

6. “Crypto’s Time Has Come,” Says SEC Chairman – Since the Trump administration took office, the trend is clearly toward openness in regulatory management of the crypto sector. This dynamic is supported by new SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, who just reaffirmed that “most cryptocurrencies are not securities.” Paul Atkins spoke at the inaugural roundtable of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), organized this Wednesday, September 10, in Paris.

7. World Liberty Financial has frozen 2.3 billion WLFI tokens (worth ~$750M) belonging to Justin Sun, its largest investor and former advisor, days after its token launch. The blacklisting—enabled by a controversial contract upgrade—contradicts the project’s public branding of decentralization and financial freedom, especially given Sun’s prior promotional support and mutual business ties. The move highlights centralization risks, as the team retains unilateral control to freeze holdings without clear regulatory or contractual justification. Counterparties like Aave, awaiting WLFI tokens under a governance deal, now face heightened counterparty risk, while the incident undermines trust in the project’s governance and operational transparency.

8. South Korea's Financial Services Commission issued new guidance on crypto lending services, capping interest rates at 20% and prohibiting leveraged loans beyond the collateral value. The new rules also limit lending to the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market cap or those listed on at least three licensed local exchanges. Platforms offering these services must use their own capital, set lending limits based on user history, and notify borrowers in advance if they are at risk of potential liquidation. The FSC said the guidelines will be applied immediately, with oversight from the Digital Asset Exchange Alliance, and plans to legislate the new rules after review.

9. U.S. regulators demonstrated unprecedented coordination this week as the SEC and CFTC issued a joint statement allowing registered exchanges to list and trade spot crypto assets under existing frameworks. The move clarifies that approved platforms—including national securities exchanges and designated contract markets—can facilitate crypto transactions while applying traditional market safeguards like transparency and investor protection. This coordinated effort bridges jurisdictional gaps that long plagued crypto oversight, providing interim clarity as Congress debates broader legislation. The shift signals a pragmatic, agency-led approach to integrating digital assets into regulated markets without awaiting new laws.

10. The U.S. Department of Commerce has begun publishing key economic data, starting with GDP figures, directly onto multiple blockchains including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Layer 2 networks. This proof-of-concept initiative aims to ensure data immutability and global accessibility, reinforcing America’s position as a blockchain leader. The data was disseminated via protocols like Chainlink and Pyth, with support from exchanges including Coinbase and Kraken. The effort deliberately avoids favoring any single chain, emphasizing neutrality and broad reach in its approach to on-chain transparency.

11. Abu Dhabi’s financial regulator (ADGM) has proposed a comprehensive stablecoin framework requiring all fiat-referenced tokens (FRTs) used in regulated activities to be approved—domestic issuers automatically, foreign ones after review of reserves, jurisdiction, and AML traceability. The rules expand oversight to include custody, intermediation, and payment services, mandating smart contract-level controls for monitoring and freezing assets. With major issuers already approved under ADGM’s 2024 regime, the updated framework aims to position the UAE as a global hub for compliant stablecoin innovation, attracting businesses with clearer regulatory expectations.

12. Japan’s Financial Services Agency (JFSA) has proposed shifting crypto regulation from the Payment Services Act to the stricter Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA), aiming to enhance consumer protection in a market with 12M+ exchange accounts and $33.7B in deposits. The move addresses risks like unclear disclosures, fraud, and market abuse by applying traditional securities safeguards to crypto. Finance Minister Kato recently acknowledged crypto’s potential in diversified portfolios if properly regulated, sparking speculation that the change could eventually pave the way for spot crypto ETFs in Japan.

13. Thailand’s SEC has approved tokenized carbon credits for trading on licensed exchanges to establish the country as a carbon credit hub, while also easing capital rules for custodians by reducing cold wallet requirements to 95% of assets and cutting associated charges from 2% to 1%. Additionally, the Finance Ministry exempted crypto from capital gains tax until 2029, anticipating increased market activity and $30M in indirect tax revenue. These measures aim to boost Thailand’s digital asset ecosystem and position it as a regional leader in sustainable finance.

14. Tether appointed former Executive Director of President Trump's White House Crypto Council, Bo Hines, as CEO of its newly created U.S. arm to lead the rollout of its USAT stablecoin. USAT is designed as a U.S.-regulated, dollar-backed complement to stablecoin behemoth USDT, which already has about $169 billion in circulation. The stablecoin will be issued by crypto infrastructure firm Anchorage Digital, and Cantor Fitzgerald will also play a role, with Tether aiming to launch USAT by year-end. The USAT team will be headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina — Hines' home state.

Traditional finance:

1. SEC and CFTC Propose Non-Stop Financial Markets on the Crypto Model – The crypto market relies on certain historical foundations, like its 24/7 uninterrupted operation. After authorizing crypto trading on U.S. exchanges a few days ago, a new proposal is on the table regarding their trading hours, currently tied to weekday business hours. In practice, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and acting CFTC Chairman Caroline Pham propose to “collaborate to consider the possibility of further extending trading hours” of traditional financial markets.

2. Standard Chartered Anticipates Imminent 50-Basis-Point Rate Cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve – Motivated by disappointing employment figures, this prediction confirms a near-100% probability of a September cut. The debate occurs in a tense political climate around Jerome Powell and the Fed’s independence, recently upheld by the Supreme Court despite repeated criticism from Donald Trump.

3. Cantor Fitzgerald Launches New Bitcoin Fund with Gold-Backed Performance – On Monday, investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald launched its new Bitcoin fund with performance backed by gold. “At Cantor, we create innovative products that reflect the evolving perception of Bitcoin, from speculative risk to strategic opportunity. This fund offers downside protection, giving investors a safer way to access this growing asset class. Thanks to Bitcoin’s fixed supply and accelerated mainstream adoption, we foresee strong potential for continued long-term outperformance.”

4. Ripple (XRP) Continues European Expansion with Spanish Bank BBVA – Ripple is fully benefiting from the regulatory revival in the U.S. following the announced end of the SEC’s case against it. This situation is accompanied by accelerated expansion in Europe, now taking the form of a partnership with Spanish bank BBVA.

5. According to Bitwise, Banks Must Change Strategy to Avoid Losing to Stablecoins – If banks want to compete with stablecoins, they must increase interest paid to customers. This is the advice from Bitwise’s Chief Investment Officer, who believes banking institutions do not remunerate enough. The arrival of stablecoins, some offering up to 5% on deposits, could disrupt the economic landscape.

6. 21Shares Launches ETP on dYdX – A financial product allowing investors to gain exposure to the token of the decentralized finance platform. The token buyback system “guarantees” value appreciation. Indeed, “the protocol allocates 25% of net fees to buy back DYDX tokens, gradually reducing circulating supply and increasing staking yields,” explains 21Shares’ release. This offering strengthens bridges between traditional finance and crypto. New volumes are fueling Web3, adding to existing ETFs and crypto asset treasuries (TCA).

7. Tokenize ETFs? BlackRock Wants to Make It a Reality – Asset management giant BlackRock is exploring the possibility of turning its ETFs into tokenized assets. The goal: enable near-instant trading, potentially 24/7, accessible worldwide—all made possible via blockchain. For BlackRock, tokenizing its ETFs linked to stocks and other real-world assets is the logical next step. This is the vision of its CEO Larry Fink, who states in his 2025 annual letter that “every stock, every bond, every fund; every financial asset can be tokenized.” For the executive, tokenization is the future of financial markets: the perfect means to “democratize returns” by removing legal, operational, and bureaucratic friction limiting access to high-yield investments.

8. Nasdaq is tightening oversight of companies raising funds to buy crypto, requiring shareholder votes for some deals and pushing for expanded disclosures, The Information reported. The exchange may suspend or delist firms that fail to comply, according to anonymous insiders cited by the publication, sparking a sharp selloff in several digital asset treasuries (DATs) after the news. Some 154 U.S.-listed companies have announced plans to raise nearly $100 billion for crypto treasury initiatives since January, a surge from the $34 billion raised by 10 companies before 2025, according to Architect Partners data. Stricter rules could slow deals and add uncertainty as firms scramble to secure capital during favorable market windows.

9. Nasdaq will invest $50 million in Gemini, the crypto exchange founded by billionaires Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, through a private placement tied to the firm's upcoming initial public offering, according to an SEC filing. The deal also links Gemini's custody and staking services with Nasdaq's Calypso collateral platform for institutional clients, Reuters reported earlier on Tuesday. Gemini targets raising over $300 million from its IPO this week, aiming to list on Nasdaq under the ticker "GEMI" on Friday.

10. Nasdaq has filed with the SEC to request approval for trading tokenized versions of listed stocks and ETFs alongside their traditional counterparts on a unified order book. The plan requires tokenized shares to carry identical rights as the underlying securities, with the Depository Trust Company targeted for eventual onchain settlement. Nasdaq argues that markets can adopt tokenization without waiving core investor protections, flagging concerns about some overseas platforms that market tokenized U.S. equities without conferring shareholder rights. The bid comes while Congress is drafting a market-structure bill to define tokenized assets across SEC and CFTC oversight, as Wall Street and crypto firms race to move real-world assets onchain.

Tech News:

1. Justin Sun Aims to Make Tron a Crypto Competitor to the SWIFT Banking System – The accelerated development of the crypto sector is seriously challenging traditional banking structures. An opportunity Justin Sun seems keen to seize to make his Tron (TRX) blockchain a direct competitor to the SWIFT network. To support his claims, Justin Sun believes the Tron blockchain could “easily increase its volume to $400 trillion.” The reason: it offers among the lowest fees in the sector—recently reduced by 60%—while ensuring transactions validated in seconds.

2. Giant Tether (USDT) Enters Gold Mining – Tether, the company behind USDT, is preparing to venture into the gold sector, with investments ranging from extraction to trading. Already holding dozens of tons of precious metal in Switzerland and involved in several mining companies, Tether seems to want to bet big on gold. According to an exclusive Financial Times report, Tether, the company issuing USDT, the crypto market’s most capitalized stablecoin ($168.9 billion), is in talks to invest in gold mining. Tether already has a foothold in rare metals, notably via its gold holdings. Two months ago, Paolo Ardoino, longtime spokesperson and current CEO, stated they held over 80 tons of gold in a Swiss vault. “I think it’s the most secure vault in the world,” he added. For comparison, this equals Australia’s gold reserve.

3. Upbit Launches Its Ethereum Layer 2, Named Giwa – The ecosystem of Layer 2s associated with the Ethereum blockchain is constantly evolving. The latest project: Upbit’s Giwa Layer 2, with ambitions oriented toward developing a South Korean stablecoin. Built using Optimism’s OP Stack development infrastructure, this Layer 2 relies on Ethereum’s Solidity programming language. EVM compatibility supports simplified migration of existing contracts and tools.

4. Tether Unveils USAT, a New Stablecoin Tailored to Conquer the U.S. – Already a market leader with USDT, Tether will launch the USAT stablecoin to comply with the U.S. GENIUS Act.

5. Solana validators have approved Alpenglow, a major consensus upgrade designed to drastically reduce block finality from 12.8 seconds to ~100ms and lower validator costs. The update replaces core mechanisms like Proof of History and TowerBFT with two new components: Rotor for streamlined block propagation and Votor for off-chain direct voting. Developed by ETH Zurich researchers, Alpenglow aims to enhance scalability and resilience while supporting Solana’s broader goals of high bandwidth, low latency, and novel on-chain applications. The upgrade is targeted for deployment at December’s Breakpoint conference, marking Solana’s most significant protocol change to date.

6. Ondo Finance launched tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs on Ethereum. Over 100 companies like Apple and Tesla are now available 24/7 to non-U.S. investors. These aren't just representations - they're backed by real shares held at U.S. broker-dealers. Users can transfer them peer-to-peer anytime.

7. The Ethereum Foundation announced it will sell 10,000 ETH (~$43M) via centralized exchanges over several weeks to fund R&D, grants, and donations, using smaller orders to minimize market impact. This follows a June treasury policy capping annual operational spending at 15% and building a multiyear reserve. The move continues the Foundation’s strategic asset management, including a similar 10,000 ETH sale to SharpLink Gaming in July—marking the first public company purchase from the EF. The approach reflects a disciplined, long-term financial strategy for sustaining ecosystem development.

8. Ethereum is retiring its Holesky testnet after two years, replacing it with new testnets following the upcoming Fusaka upgrade which aims to optimize rollup efficiency by redistributing data storage across validators. Launched in 2023 as Ethereum’s largest stress-testing environment, Holesky successfully trialed major upgrades like Dencun and Pectra but recently suffered validator inactivity leaks and exit queues, rendering it impractical for rapid development. The shutdown underscores the ecosystem’s evolving needs for reliable testing infrastructure as Ethereum prioritizes scalability and validator performance.

9. Coinbase is expanding its derivatives platform with a new Mag7 + Crypto Equity Index Futures product, launching September 22. The index evenly blends 10 components: Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta, Tesla, BlackRock’s Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, and Coinbase’s own stock. This marks Coinbase’s first multi-asset futures offering, aiming to diversify beyond spot trading after reporting softer Q2 volumes. The move aligns with broader efforts to innovate, including recent DEX integrations and exploration of prediction markets, as the exchange adapts to evolving trader demand for structured crypto-equity hybrids.

Adoption (Sentiment, Retail & Corporate Reserves):

1. Virgin Voyages Now Accepts Bitcoin as Payment for Cruises – Joining RAK Properties in the UAE, which accepts BTC, ETH, and USDT for international real estate transactions. These initiatives reflect real adoption in traditional sectors where institutional interest remains strong.

2. EasyJet’s Parent Company Launches EasyBitcoin, a BTC Purchase Service – The company owning EasyJet announced the launch of EasyBitcoin, a subsidiary dedicated to crypto exchanges. It plans to offer buy/sell services with reduced costs, applying its usual method. The new subsidiary will launch via a partnership with Uphold.

3. Eightco, a Firm Linked to Sam Altman’s Crypto Project, Soars 3,000% – Holding company Eightco just saw its stock price explode upward after announcing a treasury in WLD from World (formerly Worldcoin). Originally, Eightco is a holding company making strategic acquisitions and managing subsidiary activities. But now, the company is primarily a treasury. It announced yesterday it is raising $250 million to build a treasury in World (WLD). Recall, the cryptocurrency and company were created by Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI. World offers an identification service based on retinal scans via “orb” technology.

4. Kraken Launches Tokenized Stock Trading in Europe – This Wednesday, Kraken expanded its tokenized stock offering from its Stocks product to European investors. Through this new feature, Kraken continues its push into Europe after obtaining its MiCA license in June from Ireland’s Central Bank. Competitors like Gemini and Robinhood already serve European investors. Kraken offers access to over 60 U.S. stocks and ETFs.

5. Real Vision CEO Raoul Pal predicts crypto users will hit 4 billion by 2030, comparing adoption rates to early internet growth. He claims crypto is growing faster than the web did - 137% annually versus 76% for internet users. The current base sits at 659 million users. Pal also sees crypto's market cap hitting $100 trillion by 2032, driven by currency debasement and adoption.

6. Japan's leading bitcoin treasury firm Metaplanet has bought another 1,009 BTC for around $112 million at an average price of $111,068 per bitcoin, pushing its total holdings to 20,000 BTC. The former hotelier has doubled its stash in less than three months and now ranks as the sixth-largest public bitcoin holder. Metaplanet aims to raise $880 million through a global share offering to keep buying bitcoin over the next two months. Earlier this year, the company revised its year-end target to 30,000 BTC from its initial goal of 10,000 BTC, and said that it may borrow against its bitcoin holdings to buy cash-generating businesses in the future.

7. Public companies now collectively hold more than 1 million BTC worth around $110 billion, according to BitcoinTreasuries data, with 169 entities currently making up the ranks. Michael Saylor's Strategy pioneered the bitcoin treasury play, inspiring firms like Metaplanet, Semler Scientific, Trump Media, and GameStop to follow suit. "Despite today's milestone, a number of indicators suggest institutional bitcoin adoption remains in its infancy," BitcoinTreasuries President Pete Rizzo said.

8. Ant Digital, the blockchain arm of fintech giant Ant Group, aims to tokenize over $8.4 billion in energy and other real-world assets, moving operational data from 15 million renewable devices onto AntChain. The company has already helped three clean energy projects raise about $42 million through RWA tokenization deals, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. Ant is also reportedly exploring offshore decentralized exchanges to boost liquidity for such real-world assets as part of future expansion plans, pending regulatory approval. Ant Digital previously joined a sandbox led by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to explore RWA tokenization.

Funding & Partnerships:

1. Solana: 3 Giants Invest $1.65 Billion in a Treasury Company – Forward Industries Inc. will become the world’s largest Solana Treasury Company thanks to a $1.65 billion investment—in cash and stablecoins. Among investors are Solana blockchain giants: Galaxy Digital, Jump Crypto, and Multicoin Capital, as well as CM Capital Partners, a major shareholder of Forward Industries Inc.

2. MegaETH Partners with Ethena to Launch Innovative Mission-Driven Stablecoin – MegaETH introduced a new stablecoin called USDm, built in collaboration with Ethena. Here, the future stablecoin has a clear goal: offer the most stable and low fees possible on MegaETH. Indeed, Layer 2 revenues mostly come from sequencers, which update the network state on the main blockchain, in this case Ethereum.

3. AI: MistralAI Raises €1.7 Billion, Now Valued at €11.7 Billion – Meteoric rise for MistralAI, the “Made in France” artificial intelligence company. This funding relies largely on a partnership with ASLM, contributing €1.3 billion alone. This Dutch company provides lithography machines used to etch semiconductor transistors. MistralAI distinguishes itself from competitors in several ways: it offers Open Source models compliant with GDPR regulations, a key point in Europe. It has also made computational power optimization its creed, being less resource-intensive than competitors.

4. The Sonic blockchain community near-unanimously passed a $150 million proposal to back a Nasdaq private investment in public equity treasury vehicle and launch a regulated ETF for its native S coin. The plan, titled "U.S. Expansion and TradFi Adoption," includes $100 million worth of S for a PIPE and $50 million to fund ETF operations with a "top-tier" partner. Furthermore, Sonic Labs will launch a U.S. entity, Sonic USA, and issue another 150 million S to support operations and D.C. engagement. The proposal also updates Sonic's tokenomics to make its cryptocurrency more deflationary through fee burns and adjusted distributions.

5. Rain, a stablecoin infrastructure firm focused on payments, raised $58 million in a Series B round led by Sapphire Ventures. Other backers included Samsung Next, Dragonfly, Galaxy Ventures, Endeavor Catalyst, Lightspeed, and Norwest. Etherealize, an advocacy group for Ethereum, raised $40 million in a round co-led by Electric Capital and Paradigm. It marks the group’s first major funding since receiving grants from Vitalik Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation in 2024 to launch its operations. M0, a stablecoin infrastructure developer, raised $40 million in a round co-led by Polychain and Ribbit Capital, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst, Pantera, and Bain Capital Crypto.

6. Taiwan-based crypto venture capital firm Sora Ventures unveiled plans on Friday to raise a new $1 billion fund to back bitcoin treasury companies, with $200 million already committed. Sora aims to complete fundraising within six months, targeting Asia-based firms that hold bitcoin on their balance sheets, a strategy that has recently gained traction among listed firms in the region. Sora previously invested in Japanese bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet, acquired Hong Kong's Moon Inc., and led takeovers of Thailand's DV8 and South Korea's BitPlanet. Founder Jason Fang said the fund marks the first coordinated push to unify fragmented bitcoin treasury efforts in Asia onto a global stage.

7. Wildcat Labs has raised $3.5 million in a seed extension round led by Robot Ventures, valuing the undercollateralized lending protocol developer at $35 million. The fresh capital will be used to expand its team and deepen integration with Ethereum DeFi, opening up access to private credit markets onchain, Wildcat Labs CEO Laurence Day said. Wildcat generates revenue by adding a protocol fee of 5% of the APR offered by borrowers in their markets, currently handling $150 million in outstanding credit with $368 million originated since launch.

8. Stripe and Paradigm unveiled Tempo on Thursday, a payments-focused blockchain positioned as a high-scale Layer 1 network for real-world financial services applications. Currently in private testnet, Tempo follows Stripe's $1.1 billion purchase of stablecoin infrastructure firm Bridge and its more recent acquisition of crypto wallet startup Privy. Early partners testing Tempo include Anthropic, Deutsche Bank, DoorDash, Nubank, OpenAI, Revolut, and Shopify, according to Stripe CEO Patrick Collison. Paradigm co-founder and Managing Partner Matt Huang leads Tempo's team, as previously reported, which aims to serve as a purpose-built infrastructure for stablecoins, payments, and tokenized deposits.

9. Story-based Aria raised $15 million in seed and strategic rounds at a $50 million valuation, co-led by Polychain and Neoclassic with backing from Story Protocol Foundation. The IP tokenization platform focuses on music royalties, with its first IP token, APL, tied to "partial rights" of royalty-generating songs by artists including Justin Bieber, BTS, and Miley Cyrus. APL holders can stake tokens for royalty exposure and upcoming onchain features like licensing, remixing, and programmable IP modules, according to Aria co-founder David Kostiner. Aria plans to use the funding to expand beyond music into art, film, and television while prioritizing ecosystem growth.

10. Avalanche Foundation, the non-profit group behind the Layer 1 blockchain, is in advanced talks to raise $1 billion across two U.S. deals to launch AVAX treasury companies, the FT reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. One deal, led by Hivemind Capital and advised by Anthony Scaramucci, seeks up to $500 million through a private investment in a Nasdaq-listed firm by late September. A second $500 million raise via a Dragonfly-backed SPAC aims to close in October, with both vehicles set to buy AVAX at a discount from the foundation. The move comes amid rising momentum for altcoin-based corporate treasuries, with Avalanche also powering tokenization pilots by BlackRock and Apollo.

Disclaimer: The information disclosed here does not constitute an investment advice ; it is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. You should do your own research while investing in crypto and only invest money you are ready to lose.