Category: Peer to Peer

An automated crypto trading bot transferred tokens worth about $450,000 to a social media user after misreading a post seeking a small sum for medical treatment, triggering debate over the risks of linking artificial intelligence systems directly to blockchain wallets.The bot, known as “Lobstar Wilde”, had been operating on X as an experimental, autonomous trader designed to interact with users, analyse sentiment and execute on-chain transactions. According to blockchain data reviewed by market participants, it sent a substantial holding of

Blockchain ventures built around sport are moving beyond fan tokens towards real-time, onchain markets tied directly to match-day outcomes, marking a new phase for what has become known as SportFi.Developers and investors say the model aims to deepen fan engagement by allowing supporters to trade digital assets linked to specific games, player performances and season milestones, while settling transactions transparently on public blockchains. Proponents argue that the shift could transform passive spectators into active participants in financial ecosystems built around

ProShares’ first exchange-traded fund designed to hold tokenised cash instruments attracted roughly $17 billion in assets on its market debut, igniting speculation across digital asset markets about whether Circle had shifted part of the reserves backing its USDC stablecoin into the vehicle.The scale of the launch marked one of the largest first-day asset gatherings for a US-listed ETF and underscored the pace at which traditional asset managers are racing to capitalise on institutional demand for regulated exposure to blockchain-linked cash

Cybersecurity analysts warn that operators linked to North Korea have expanded their assault on digital asset platforms, a year after a record-breaking breach at Dubai-based exchange Bybit exposed structural weaknesses across the sector.On 21 February 2025, attackers attributed by multiple governments and private security firms to Pyongyang stole about $1.46 billion in cryptoassets from Bybit, marking the largest confirmed theft in the history of the cryptocurrency market. Investigations by blockchain forensics companies and Western intelligence agencies concluded that the operation

Dubai has moved into the next stage of its real estate tokenisation drive, expanding the initiative onto the XRP Ledger in a bid to widen investor access and streamline property transactions through blockchain technology.The second phase of the emirate’s Real Estate Tokenisation Project allows approved investors to trade fractionalised property interests recorded on the XRP Ledger, a public blockchain associated with Ripple. Officials say the move is designed to improve transparency, reduce settlement times and open the market to smaller

XRP’s on-chain metrics have shown one of the sharpest capitulation events in its history, with realised losses reaching levels not seen since late 2022, according to multiple on-chain analytics platforms. The weekly tally of realised losses — the measure of holders selling at prices below their original acquisition cost — ballooned to approximately $1.93 billion, signalling heightened fear and broad selling across the market. That peak represents the most significant wave of losses in roughly 39 months and has drawn

Bitcoin fell about five per cent, sliding below the $65,000 mark as large holders accelerated transfers to exchanges and short-term investors continued to exit at a loss, underscoring fragile sentiment in the world’s largest cryptocurrency.The decline pushed Bitcoin to levels last seen several weeks ago, extending a pullback from record highs above $73,000 set earlier this year. Market data showed the digital asset trading in the mid-$64,000 range at one stage, with volumes rising across major exchanges. The move came

Michael Saylor has indicated that his company could expand its already vast Bitcoin holdings, renewing debate over corporate exposure to the world’s largest cryptocurrency and reinforcing his long-standing conviction that digital assets will define what he calls the “Orange Century”.Saylor, executive chairman of MicroStrategy, now rebranded as Strategy, shared remarks on social media that were widely interpreted by market participants as a signal of further purchases. His comments came after the company disclosed additional fundraising activity, a mechanism it has

Japan’s SBI Holdings has announced plans to issue a ¥10 billion onchain bond that will be settled via blockchain technology and offer XRP rewards to eligible retail investors, marking one of the most prominent efforts by a major financial group to merge traditional fixed-income products with digital asset incentives.The offering, branded as SBI START Bonds, will provide a fixed interest rate and use distributed ledger infrastructure for issuance and settlement. Investors registered on the group’s affiliated exchange platform will be

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has set out a proposal to integrate artificial intelligence into decentralised autonomous organisations, arguing that carefully designed “AI stewards” could strengthen governance while preserving privacy and resisting coercion.Buterin’s concept centres on deploying AI agents within DAO frameworks to assist with proposal analysis, moderation and vote verification, while relying on cryptographic safeguards such as zero-knowledge proofs and secure multi-party computation to shield voter identities and sensitive data. He contends that these tools, combined with trusted execution environments,

KITE, the AI-linked digital token, is showing unmistakable signs of intensified market engagement as large-holder transactions, trading volume and price momentum all point to accelerating on-chain activity. Data from blockchain analytics firms show that transfers exceeding $100,000 clustered more frequently toward late January and into February, and that surge in so-called whale transactions preceded sharp spikes in trading activity and price gains. This sequence suggests that major holders began repositioning their portfolios before broader market engagement widened, shifting KITE out

Markets fluctuated sharply on Friday as digital assets and traditional financial instruments digested the U. S. Supreme Court’s decision that struck down former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff regime, triggering a brief rally in bitcoin followed by rapid sell-offs and mixed sentiment among investors. The ruling, handed down by a 6-3 majority, found that the use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose broad tariffs exceeded executive authority, a finding that cast immediate reverberations across crypto and equity

World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency venture closely associated with President Donald Trump, unveiled plans to issue blockchain-based tokens backed by loan revenue interests tied to the Trump International Hotel & Resort in the Maldives, a luxury development slated for completion in 2030 and being built in partnership with the Trump Organization and Dubai-listed developer DarGlobal. The move forms part of WLFI’s broader real-world asset strategy aimed at diversifying beyond traditional crypto tokens into fixed-income-like offerings designed to appeal to accredited

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds in the United States continue to hold around $85 billion in assets despite a sharp downturn in the price of Bitcoin, highlighting a divergence between investor behaviour in regulated funds and the broader cryptocurrency market. The resilience of these funds, which trade on regulated exchanges and offer exposure to Bitcoin without direct ownership of the digital currency, underscores both the growing institutional participation in crypto and the stress points emerging from market volatility.Total assets under management

Two of Abu Dhabi’s most influential investment vehicles significantly boosted their exposure to BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust during the fourth quarter of 2025, pushing their combined bitcoin exchange-traded fund holdings above the $1 billion mark at the close of the calendar year. The moves, disclosed through quarterly filings with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission, underscore a broader shift among sovereign players toward regulated digital assets even as cryptocurrency markets endure volatility.Mubadala Investment Company, a sovereign wealth

Bitcoin retreated ahead of the US market open, mirroring declines in equity futures as traders returned from a three-day break to a more fragile macro backdrop marked by geopolitical strain and shifting rate expectations.The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell below key technical levels in early trading, extending a pullback that began over the weekend. The move coincided with weakness in US stock-index futures and a firmer dollar, underscoring how digital assets remain closely tied to broader risk sentiment despite their reputation

Ripple has ranked ahead of Bitcoin and Ethereum in a global survey measuring emotional connection between consumers and cryptocurrency brands, underscoring how perception and trust are emerging as competitive factors in a volatile digital asset market.The San Francisco-based blockchain company placed fourth overall in MBLM’s Brand Intimacy Study for cryptocurrency projects, outperforming both Bitcoin and Ethereum in the latest assessment of how strongly users feel bonded to crypto brands. The survey, conducted by branding agency MBLM, evaluates brands based on

NASHVILLE — Nakamoto Inc. has agreed to acquire BTC Inc, the global Bitcoin media and events group, and UTXO Management GP, an asset management and advisory firm focused on Bitcoin ventures, in an all-stock transaction valued at about $107.3 million. The merger agreements were signed on 17 February by the Nasdaq-listed firm as it seeks to build a diversified Bitcoin-centric operating company spanning media, finance and advisory services.Under the terms, holders of BTC Inc and UTXO securities will receive 363,589,816 shares

eToro Group Ltd delivered a stronger-than-expected set of financial results for the full year and fourth quarter of 2025, reporting record yearly profits and bolstering its multi-asset trading platform even as the cryptocurrency market faced sustained volatility. The trading and investment platform posted a net contribution of $868 million for the full year, up about 10 per cent on 2024, and net income under generally accepted accounting principles climbed roughly 12 per cent to $216 million, underpinning a resilient performance across multiple revenue streams.

Dragonfly Capital has secured $650 million for its fourth investment vehicle, pressing ahead with fresh commitments to digital asset infrastructure even as senior partners describe the current venture climate in crypto as a “mass extinction event”. The San Francisco and Singapore-based firm said the new capital will be directed towards foundational blockchain systems, stablecoins, on-chain financial services and tokenised real-world assets, signalling a long-term strategy despite persistent market turbulence.The fundraise comes at a delicate moment for the sector. Venture funding

Standard Chartered has slashed its forecast for the digital asset XRP by about 65%, lowering the anticipated year-end 2026 price to around $2.80 from a previous projection above $8, underscoring deepening stress across broader cryptocurrency markets. That adjustment, communicated in an investor note led by Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital assets research, reflects enduring selling pressure and fading liquidity that have weighed on XRP and other major tokens.The bank’s revised outlook places a considerably more cautious

Metaplanet has reported a dramatic acceleration in earnings, posting a 738 per cent year-on-year rise in revenue and a 1,700 per cent jump in operating profit, underscoring the impact of its aggressive digital asset strategy and restructuring drive.The Tokyo-listed company, which has repositioned itself as a corporate holder of bitcoin, disclosed the figures in its latest financial update, signalling a sharp turnaround from its earlier years as a hotel and leisure operator. Management attributed the surge largely to gains linked

Harvard Management Company has reduced its exposure to bitcoin-linked holdings by about 20 per cent while initiating a new position tied to ether, signalling a recalibration of its digital asset strategy amid shifting market dynamics and valuation pressures.Regulatory filings show that the endowment’s investment arm pared back its stake in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust during the latest reporting period, cutting the value of its holding from roughly $200 million to about $160 million. At the same time, it disclosed a

Galaxy Digital’s head of asset management, Steve Kurz, is projecting a structural shift in the cryptocurrency market as the industry grapples with price volatility and evolving investor behaviour. Speaking publicly this week, Kurz said the downturn in digital-asset prices is better understood as healthy deleveraging rather than evidence of systemic failure, and described a deepening integration between traditional financial systems and digital-asset infrastructure that he believes underpins a positive long-term trajectory for the sector.Kurz’s remarks come as global cryptocurrency