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Bitcoin's network activity doubled in 2024 as it processed $19 trillion in transactions compared to 2023's $8.7 trillion. The network also achieved a record hashrate of 1,000 EH/s in early 2025, with US-based mining pools controlling 40% of the global hashrate. Chinese pools maintain majority control.
Tether's market capitalization has dropped to $137 billion, its largest decline since the FTX crash, as the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations took full effect on December 30. The decline coincides with European exchanges delisting USDT due to compliance concerns, though other factors like broader market dynamics likely played a role in the market cap drop. Despite controlling 68% of global stablecoin volume, Tether faces scrutiny under MiCA, which requires stablecoin issuers to maintain adequate reserves and meet strict transparency requirements.
Anon.World is an anonymous social network with a Reddit-like UX. It is based on AnonCast, a protocol for ZK-enabled private posting, and adds in additional capabilities like communities and replies. Users can get credentials proving information about their wallet, like how many ANON tokens they hold. The native app will be launching in a few weeks.
Ethena's ENA token surged 34% following the release of its 2025 roadmap, which includes plans to launch iUSDe, a TradFi-focused stablecoin with a 10% yield, and integrate staked USDe (sUSDe) into Telegram's 900 million-user platform for payments and savings. These moves aim to connect decentralized and centralized finance with traditional markets, targeting both fixed-income investors and everyday consumers.
This guide to decentralized Autonomous General Intelligence (dAGI) emphasizes Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) for ensuring secure, private, and verifiable AI operations across the entire stack. It also explains novel concepts like AI swarms, where agents autonomously create and manage tokens while operating within TEE-secured environments. Phala's framework uses a decentralized GPU network for training, monetized data collection mechanisms, and confidential AI inference capabilities.
Preconfirmations, a new Ethereum feature aimed at improving transaction speed and reliability, allows users to pay extra for instant confirmations backed by economic guarantees from gateways and validators. Future wallet integrations could offer subscription models for faster transactions, better slippage control, and gas sponsorship, signaling a leap forward in Ethereum's user experience.
The IRS has released a new ruleset for DeFi trading platforms that clarifies how the traditional broker rules apply. It states that there are three layers in the DeFi stack: the user interface, the application layer that executes transactions, and the blockchain settlement layer. The interface layer, like the Uniswap webapp, will be treated as brokers and required to collect KYC information, track transactions, and report to the IRS and customers starting in 2027.
a16z's 2025 "Big Ideas" list highlights exciting trends in crypto, from stablecoin adoption by enterprises and onchain government bonds to legal frameworks for DAOs and crypto-specific app stores. The focus on intuitive user experiences and reusing infrastructure aims to bring crypto closer to mainstream adoption.
As the AI agent narrative continues to explode, we must remember that these projects are incredibly early, and the vast majority are extremely overvalued GPT wrappers.
Wayfinder is a platform set to launch with features like $PROMPT tokens for early access users and collateralized paths to earn USD.
A Foundry deployment script led one developer to uncover a blockchain scam involving dust ether, blacklisted tokens, and naive victims.
Jack Kubinec's latest thread polls founders to get their opinion on a variety of topics, including the enduring shadow of FTX, the growing respect for Solana's innovations, and the untapped potential in payments and AI agent infrastructure.
A stablecoin bank could disrupt Visa and Mastercard's duopoly by offering lower fees and new incentives for merchants and consumers, paving the way for a more integrated, cost-effective payment system.