TLDR CRYPTO 2025-06-13

* thrive alongside HIGH CALIBER COLLEAGUES

* are eager to build the never-been-built * and are inspired by Coinbase's mission to increase global economic freedom

→ COINBASE'S APPROACH TO CULTURE [6]no link

→  TOP TALENT IS COINBASE'S #1 OPERATING PRIORITY [7] (3 minute read)

→ COINBASE.COM/CAREERS [4]no link

SHOPIFY PARTNERS WITH COINBASE AND STRIPE IN LANDMARK STABLECOIN DEAL

Shopify will natively support USDC payments later this year by integrating a custom payments protocol built with Coinbase on its Base blockchain and partnering with Stripe, making it the first major e-commerce platform to offer opt-out stablecoin checkout for merchants in the U.S. and Europe. The system handles retail-specific flows—chargebacks, refunds, etc.—and offers merchants up to 0.5% cashback on USDC transactions, with customer rewards to follow. Unlike prior opt-in third-party plug-ins, this deep, built-in integration reflects Shopify's strategic embrace of crypto, aligning with CEO Tobias Lütke's vision and Coinbase board ties. Industry watchers predict it will catalyze broader stablecoin adoption and push other payment processors to follow suit.

COINBASE TO INTEGRATE BASE DEXS, EVERY TRADABLE ASSET ON ITS MAIN APP

Coinbase will embed Base's top decentralized exchanges directly into its main app, with plans to roll out integrations for other chains like Ethereum and Solana. It will begin with Aerodrome, which handles over half of Base's ~$5 billion weekly volume. Any asset tradable on Aerodrome will be made available for over 100 million Coinbase Retail App users.

MORPHO V2

Morpho's Markets V2 is a peer-to-peer marketplace for fixed-rate, fixed-term loans with open bidding, bespoke collateral options, onchain KYC, and cross-chain settlement. Vaults V2 will offer flexible yield vaults with instant liquidity and variable-rate returns across any protocol. This intent-based design delivers market-driven pricing and multi-collateral flexibility, meeting institutional demands for predictable, customizable loan terms while avoiding liquidity fragmentation. By combining fixed-rate direct lending with variable-rate vaults, Morpho V2 aims to unlock trillions in onchain credit and complement Morpho V1's existing infrastructure.

COINBASE TO LAUNCH BITCOIN REWARDS CARD WITH AMEX

Coinbase is partnering with American Express to launch the Coinbase One Card this fall, offering up to 4% bitcoin cashback on purchases, boosted USDC rewards, and enhanced staking and transaction credits on its Base L2 network. This follows a broader trend among crypto platforms, including MetaMask and Kraken, which are issuing payment cards to bridge digital assets and everyday spending. At its State of Crypto Summit, Coinbase also signaled plans to bring perpetual futures trading to U.S. customers by working with the CFTC on “perpetual-style” futures contracts.

AI X CRYPTO CROSSOVERS

As AI systems reshape how we work, learn, and transact, crypto offers decentralized infrastructure to balance ownership, transparency, and composability. From persistent identity and portable agent credentials to decentralized compute, privacy-preserving ads, and onchain micropayments, crypto enables more open, user-owned AI ecosystems. This crossover overlaps both infrastructure (e.g., DePIN, agent marketplaces, and proof-of-personhood) and user experience (AI companions, registry-based IP, and smarter monetization), with blockchain tools offering the rails for trust, coordination, and value alignment in an increasingly AI-mediated world.

POLYGON ROADMAP TO 100K TPS

Polygon's Gigagas roadmap outlines a phased scaling path from 1,000 TPS and ~5 second finality in July to 5,000+ TPS with single-block instant confirmations and AggLayer cross-chain liquidity by year-end, before targeting a 100,000 TPS “gigagas” throughput in 2026 and beyond. Key upgrades include gas-fee stabilization, smart account features, stateless block validation, validator-elected block production, and zero reorgs to ensure predictable, low-cost transactions for high-frequency stablecoin payments and real-world assets. With deep institutional integration and high USDC and USDT usage, Polygon is positioning itself as the universal layer for global payments and RWA settlement.

US STABLECOIN MARKET COULD EXCEED $2 TRILLION PROJECTION BY END OF 2028

The U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin market could surpass $2 trillion by 2028 if legislation like the GENIUS Act passes. The bill, which advanced in the Senate this week, mandates full backing by U.S. treasuries, annual audits for large issuers, and clarity on foreign participation, aiming to reinforce the dollar's global dominance. Backed by President Trump, the Act is catalyzing rapid movement in the sector, with major banks preparing launches and Circle's recent IPO signaling renewed institutional momentum.

SPOT ETHEREUM ETFS PULL IN $240 MILLION, BEATING BITCOIN'S ETFS' $164 MILLION

Spot Ethereum ETFs saw $240M in net inflows Wednesday, beating Bitcoin ETFs' $164M and extending ETH's inflow streak to 18 days. Analysts credit the surge to SEC support for DeFi, growing institutional ETH demand, and bullish spillover from BTC. Ethereum also led in derivatives volume at $106B and continues gaining momentum post-Pectra upgrade, positioning it as a key bet for crypto-forward investors.

ETHEREUM NFT TRADERS REBOUND TO 2022 LEVELS

NFT traders on Ethereum surged to 40,000 daily active users, primarily due to OpenSea's points program and new games with NFT collectibles.

SEC DELAYS NEXT STEPS FOR DOGECOIN, HEDERA, AND AVALANCHE ETF FILINGS

With dozens of digital asset ETF applications coins awaiting approval from the SEC, many smaller coins have been delayed.

EUR STABLECOINS QUIETLY OUTPERFORM AS FX SHIFTS BOOST AEURE RETURNS

While the 180-day average APY on $EURe via Aave v3 Gnosis sits at 2.66% (lower than typical USD stablecoin yields).