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BASE INTRODUCES BATCHES

Base Batches is a global program that offers buildathons, incubation, and demo day pitch events. It is giving builders worldwide a chance to earn up to $1M for developing innovative onchain applications.

INTRODUCING HYPER

HYPER, the native token of the Hyperlane interoperability protocol, is now live and available for claiming. It rewards message-sending, staking, and securing cross-chain interactions across 140 blockchains. The token's design is meant to align incentives with transparent onchain mechanisms and phased unlocks, and includes strategic distribution and sybil filtering to ensure long-term network security and sustained growth.

CRYPTO OVERCOMING AI'S CHALLENGES

AI faces challenges in resource aggregation, composability, and interacting with native payment rails. Crypto solves these problems through incentivization mechanisms to encourage participation and collaboration among parties. Projects like EigenLayer help solve for composability through verifiability, which ensures that agents perform tasks in their expected manner and can thus be chained together.

RETHINKING OWNERSHIP, STABLECOINS, AND TOKENIZATION

Traditional asset ownership relies on obscure, centralized ledger systems that could be disrupted by native onchain tokenization. Stablecoins are like tokenized dollars, and operate similarly to fractional reserve banking by creating net new money backed by treasury assets. This dynamic raises questions about how crypto can properly integrate with traditional finance, particularly as regulatory frameworks evolve.

DO NOT LAUNCH ON A CHAIN FOR MARKETING

Builders should choose a blockchain based on its user base, technical suitability, and long-term potential rather than relying on the chain to market their product for them. Ultimately, success comes from solving a real problem and creating a compelling solution, not from external marketing support.

0X'S DEX AGGREGATOR MATCHA EXPANDS TO SOLANA

Matcha has expanded to the Solana blockchain, introducing cross-chain support to improve trading capabilities. It plans to implement features aimed at protecting users from memecoin rug pulls, thereby increasing security and trust within the platform.

THREE TYPES OF STABLECOINS

There are three models of yield-generating stablecoins.

MANTLE BANKING

Mantle is introducing a comprehensive banking solution that unifies fiat and crypto with multi-currency accounts, stablecoin yield savings, and debit card payments.

STABLECOINS UNDER THE HOOD

Stablecoins are quietly reviving "narrow banking", a safer, fully reserved alternative to traditional banking, by storing value onchain in cash or government securities without lending or creating credit.

SONIC CROSSES 1B

Sonic reached a TVL of $1 billion within four months of launching.

THE STATE OF THE NON-USD STABLECOIN ECONOMY ON BASE

Base has 10 non-USD stablecoins on its chain, $88 million in weekly DEX volume, and $36 million in TVL.

VANECK REGISTERS ENTITY FOR POTENTIAL FIRST BNB ETF

VanEck has allegedly registered an entity in Delaware for a spot BNB ETF, indicating that the firm is progressing toward launching the fund in the U.S. This filing suggests VanEck is expanding its footprint in the crypto ETF space as institutional interest in digital assets grows. However, fake filings have been made in the past. Official confirmation of the report is still pending.

FIRST DIGITAL TRUST DECLARES INSOLVENCY

First Digital Trust (FDT) is insolvent and unable to fulfill client fund redemptions, posing serious risks to users. Justin Sun has urged for immediate action to secure assets and calls on Hong Kong regulators and law enforcement to close loopholes in trust licensing and risk management to safeguard the region's financial reputation.

ACCTUAL INTRODUCES INTEREST-BEARING INVOICES

Acctual has introduced a new feature that allows businesses to issue interest-bearing invoices, enabling them to charge clients interest for late payments. This is a global solution that accrues interest every second, charging up to 500% for payment delays and operating in over 130 countries to help businesses get paid faster.

JAPAN'S SECOND-LARGEST BANK SMBC EYES STABLECOIN LAUNCH WITH AVA LABS

Japan's second-largest bank, SMBC, is exploring a stablecoin launch alongside Ava Labs as part of its efforts to integrate digital assets into traditional finance. This move reflects a broader trend among financial institutions seeking to use blockchain technology for innovative payment and asset management solutions amid evolving regulatory landscapes.

BETWEEN EXTREMES: A DEFI-NATIVE BLUEPRINT FOR SUSTAINABLE TGES

Traditional TGE models, where low float/high FDV or fair launches, struggle to foster sustainable market structures due to opaque price discovery, liquidity challenges, and misaligned incentives. A DeFi-Native TGE blueprint integrates onchain liquidity with phased liquidity provision, price-based incremental unlocks, and smart contract-based controls on the supply. It aims to convert sell pressure into structured market depth and align insiders, teams, and new investors for long-term growth and sustainability.

SOLANA STABLECOIN REPORT

Stablecoins, with over $200B in circulating supply and trillions in annual transaction volume, are revolutionizing global payments by enabling transactions at costs below $0.001 with settlement times as fast as 0.4 seconds. Solana has high throughput, minimal fees, and innovative features like token extensions and permissioned environments, which together are driving widespread adoption and financial inclusion.

A TOKEN WON'T SAVE YOU

Token launches are a double-edged sword. While they drive economic activity and growth if a protocol demonstrates strong product-market fit, they can also tarnish a project's reputation if it underperforms. Tokens should amplify genuine, revenue-generating products rather than serve as a shortcut to quick liquidity and attention, as a down-only token will impede adoption. Coordinated launches are particularly important for ecosystems to avoid splitting demand and diluting market impact. They should be profitable and sustainable, rather than relying on speculative community capital.

CROSSCHAIN: ONE WORD, ONE ETHEREUM

The Ethereum community will now be using “crosschain” as one word to signal a cultural move toward a more unified, interoperable ecosystem. It underscores a broader effort to eliminate fragmentation and streamline intent-based transactions across rollups. ERC-7683, developed by Across and Uniswap, allows for trust-minimized interactions and will play a pivotal role in future interoperability developments.

FIDELITY LAUNCHES CRYPTO-FOCUSED IRA LETTING INVESTORS TRADE IN BITCOIN, ETHER, AND LITECOIN

Fidelity has launched a crypto-focused IRA that allows investors to trade Bitcoin, Ether, and Litecoin, offering a regulated platform for retirement accounts to access digital assets.

BEAR MARKET SIGNALS

Potential bottom signals in the crypto market include a big drop in engagement and news, a shift in conversations from altcoins to macro topics, and prolonged fear in the market with altcoins down over 90% from their highs.

$355K DRAINED FROM SIR TRADING VIA STORAGE COLLISION EXPLOIT

SIR Trading, a DeFi project built on Ethereum's new transient storage feature, lost its entire $355K TVL after a hacker exploited a fatal memory slot collision in the protocol's smart contract.

BEST CURRENT STABLECOIN YIELDS

Dolomite on Berachain has multiple 30%+ APR strategies for leveraged stablecoin yield farming.

COINBASE STAKING SUIT AXED IN THREE US STATES

Coinbase's staking lawsuit has been dismissed in three U.S. states, demonstrating a shift in regulatory momentum. The decision comes as regulators recalibrate their approach to digital assets, marking a notable win for Coinbase as it continues to expand its staking services.

BINANCE ENDS TETHER USDT TRADING IN EUROPE TO COMPLY WITH MICA RULES

Binance has paused spot trading pairs for Tether's USDT in the European Economic Area (EEA) to comply with MiCA regulations. EEA users can still custody USDT and trade it via perpetual contracts. This move aligns with local regulatory requirements. Other exchanges, like Kraken, have taken similar actions.

AI-INFUSED BLOCKCHAIN AMBIENT TO 'REPLACE BITCOIN,' SAYS CO-FOUNDER

Ambient is a blockchain that aims to deliver transparent, decentralized, and cheap AI. It is ultimately designed to replace Bitcoin and its aging encryption system, which could become obsolete within five years and leave miners looking for a new proof-of-work system. Miners in its network help guarantee reliable AI outputs through its “verified inference” process, which will first power a 600B+ parameter model.

CHAINLINK PAYMENT ABSTRACTION IS NOW LIVE

Chainlink Payment Abstraction is now live on mainnet. It allows users to pay for Chainlink services using various tokens that are automatically converted into LINK using Chainlink Automation, Price Feeds, and a DEX. The system will eventually channel these converted fees to LINK stakers, streamlining node rewards and bolstering the network's economic sustainability.

BUILDING SUSTAINABLE TOKENOMICS

Sustainable tokenomics ensures that projects can properly navigate market cycles and requires balanced distribution, controlled supply, genuine utility, and active governance. Well-crafted token models mitigate risks like inflation and misaligned incentives, setting the stage for long-term growth. Comparing Jupiter's successful community-first model to DYDX's design flaws illustrates that even strong products can falter without sound tokenomics.

THE CASE FOR “OFF THE GRID'S” $GUN

Off the Grid is an onchain game that demonstrates the potential of robust, blockchain-based economies in modern gaming. With the steady addition of tens of thousands of new players every day and continuous game updates, it is poised to quickly become a top onchain app by revenue and one of the few with true product-market fit. The $GUN token model is meant to drive sustained revenue correlated with the game's success and marketplace volumes.

SOCIAL CURRENCIES ARE THE FUTURE OF MEMECOINS

Social currencies represent the next evolution of memecoins by transforming fleeting hype into sustained, value-driven community engagement. Unlike traditional memecoins that roughly monetize virality and attention, social currencies are designed to continuously generate trends, brand partnerships, and integrate into real-world applications. Tokens will serve as both a cultural asset and a long-term, productive investment vehicle, appealing to both retail and institutional participants.

IP IS DEAD…

Traditional IP enforcement is losing ground as the AI era fuels a remix culture where derivative works reshape creative value. The AI-generated Studio Ghibli phenomenon showcases how remixing can build vibrant, community-owned creative universes without relying on outdated legal battles. Instead of fighting over copyright, innovators can use decentralized platforms like DreamNet to turn remixing into a strategic asset that drives audience growth and monetization. Ultimately, the future belongs to those who construct rich, collaborative data ecosystems that redefine creative licensing.

CONSUMER MINDSET ON CORE PRODUCTS

Mainstream consumers only care that their products work well. These consumers appreciate faster, better, and cheaper services so crypto founders should focus on familiar concepts rather than technical jargon.

TETHER BOUGHT 8,888 BITCOIN IN Q1

Tether acquired 8,888 bitcoin in Q1 2025 for ~$735M, increasing its total holdings to 92,646 BTC, valued at ~$7.8B.

METAPLANET BUYS ANOTHER 696 BTC, UP TO 4K BTC TOTAL

Japanese hotel company Metaplanet has added to its Bitcoin reserve with a $58.5 million purchase.

CIRCLE EARNED ~$1.7B REVENUE IN 2024

Circle reported approximately $1.7 billion in revenue in 2024, with over $900 million paid to Coinbase as a distribution partner for USDC.

MASTERCARD BUILDING BLOCKCHAIN PAYMENT NETWORK

Mastercard is developing a blockchain-powered payment network to facilitate fiat-to-crypto transactions for banks and consumers.

CIRCLE INTERNET FINANCIAL TAPS JPMORGAN, CITI FOR DELAYED IPO

Circle Internet Financial, the company behind the USDC stablecoin, is preparing for an IPO with help from JPMorgan and Citi. It aims to go public by mid-2025. A previous SPAC attempt fell through. The IPO would mark one of the biggest crypto-related listings since Coinbase, though questions remain about Circle's revenue model, which heavily relies on interest from USDC reserves.

BITCOIN MINER MARA EYES $2 BILLION STOCK OFFERING

A SIMPLE L2 SECURITY AND FINALIZATION ROADMAP

Vitalik Buterin's vision for Ethereum involves advancing L2 security and finality with expanded blob space targets and new high-quality zkEVM options for shorter finality times than optimistic rollups. A proposed 2-of-3 proof system using optimistic, ZK, and TEE-based provers would deliver instant finality under normal conditions and trustlessness when proof systems perform as expected. Standardized proof aggregation layers across Ethereum are required to streamline costs for various apps and L2s and improve interoperability.

PRIVACY POOLS HAS LAUNCHED

Aiming to "Make Privacy Normal Again," Privacy Pools has officially launched on Ethereum mainnet, offering users a way to transact privately while filtering out illicit activity. Backed by figures like Vitalik Buterin and firms like Bankless Ventures, this compliant, non-custodial system allows screened ETH deposits of up to 1 ETH, with user-friendly features like partial withdrawals and a single privacy seed phrase.

ANATOMY OF A BEAR MARKET

The crypto market has been leaning bearish, with significant declines in Bitcoin and altcoins amid broader economic uncertainty. There are three potential scenarios – a prolonged, choppy downtrend driven by liquidity constraints and hedging pressures, a rapid collapse following overextended leveraged positions, or minimal upward momentum – each with unique risks and opportunities. Disciplined trading, effective risk management, and capital preservation are critical to navigating the persistent volatility and uncertainty of the markets.

DEMYSTIFYING THE NORTH KOREAN THREAT

A massive hack on Bybit, initially mistaken for routine maintenance, turned out to be the largest crypto theft ever. The attack was attributed to North Korea's highly sophisticated cyber unit, which had compromised SafeWallet infrastructure to target the exchange. The article breaks down North Korea's complex cyber apparatus, including groups like Lazarus, AppleJeus, and TraderTraitor, and offers insights into their tactics, structure, and how the crypto industry can defend against them.

WHY DEPIN MATTERS

DePIN protocols aim to change how we view traditional infrastructure (e.g., energy, telecom, and storage) by decentralizing control, reducing capital expenditures, and enabling permissionless innovation, which can break the grip of inefficient monopolies. To succeed, these projects must accurately verify physical services and effectively integrate with existing centralized systems so that the resulting networks are transparent, competitive, and capable of unlocking new economic opportunities.

UNLEASHING ONCHAIN INTEREST IS A WIN-WIN

A new push is underway to allow stablecoin holders to earn onchain interest, letting consumers, not just issuers, benefit from the yield on U.S. Treasuries that back tokens like USDC. Advocates argue that enabling this would democratize access to fair market returns, expand dollar access globally, and strengthen the U.S. economy, all while modernizing outdated financial laws.

WHY L1S WILL BECOME L2S

Celo's transition from an independent blockchain to an Ethereum-based L2 marks a strategic shift in economic design.

UNISWAP'S APP STORE RANKING DIVES AS USER ACTIVITY AND TRADING VOLUME DECLINE

Uniswap's app store ranking has dropped significantly (#99 to #364) because of decreasing user activity and trading volume, highlighting a slowdown in platform engagement.

FTX TO BEGIN CRYPTO REPAYMENTS

FTX will begin compensating creditors with claims over $50k on May 30 using its $11.4B cash reserve.

ALTCOINS SEE INFLOWS FOR FIRST TIME IN 5 WEEKS

Global crypto funds saw $226M in net inflows last week, marking the second consecutive week of positive sentiment.

JAPAN MULLS OFFICIALLY CLASSIFYING CRYPTO AS FINANCIAL PRODUCT

Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) is considering officially classifying cryptocurrencies as financial products, a move that would bring digital assets under a formal regulatory framework similar to traditional securities(e.g., stocks and bonds).