The final week of November continues to bring strong activity across the crypto presale market. Multiple early-stage projects are reporting higher engagement as users look for clear development roadmaps, active testnets, and transparent dashboards. Nexchain, WeWake, Mono Protocol, Tapzi, and Bitcoin Hyper are among the presale crypto platforms gaining traction as Black Friday incentives shape buyer behavior. Nexchain – AI Layer-1 With Rising Stage 30 Participation Nexchain remains one of the busiest new crypto presale projects of the week. With the token now priced at USD 0.12 in Stage 30, the project has raised more than USD 12 million. Its Testnet 2.0 release, validator improvements, and hybrid DAG-PoS design continue to draw steady participation. The team also launched a 250% Black Friday bonus, active until November 30. This offer has pushed new interest toward Nexchain’s dashboard, which displays real-time funding progress and current presale coin metrics.  WeWake – Walletless, Gasless Layer 2 for Web3 Mainstream Access WeWake is gaining attention among onboarding-focused web3 crypto presale projects. Its walletless login system, which supports Google, Apple, and Telegram, removes common barriers for new users entering Web3. The project is in Stage 17 at USD 0.0340, with USD 1.435 million raised. Its hybrid execution model uses off-chain speed matched with on-chain security, supporting gasless transactions for a simple user experience. WeWake’s approach continues to draw interest during Black Friday Week as user-friendly networks grow across cryptocurrency presales. Mono Protocol – Chain Abstraction Platform With 100% Black Friday Bonus Mono Protocol has entered one of its most active phases of the year. The project has raised USD 3.52 million and is nearing its Stage 18 target of USD 3.60 million. With a presale rate of USD 0.0525 and a planned listing price of USD 0.500, the platform remains a high-volume entry in the presale crypto landscape. Its 100% Black Friday bonus runs from November 24 to 30. The bonus instantly doubles MONO allocations, creating a surge in participation as Stage 18 approaches capacity. Mono Protocol is positioned as a utility-focused chain abstraction system that enables developers to earn revenue from cross-chain executions. This model continues to attract buyers tracking long-term pre sale cryptocurrency projects. Tapzi – Skill-Based, Gasless Web3 Gaming on BNB Smart Chain Tapzi introduces a gaming-first approach to new crypto presale selections. Built on BNB Smart Chain, the platform supports gasless skill-based games without bots or RNG. Its dual-layer system uses fast off-chain matchmaking and verifiable on-chain results to prevent cheating. The $TAPZI token supports governance, rewards, staking, and developer tools. Developers can deploy PvP games using Tapzi’s SDKs and APIs, creating an accessible ecosystem for both creators and players. With 5 billion tokens planned, Tapzi has become one of the most notable gaming-focused cryptocurrency presales of the season. Bitcoin Hyper – High-Speed Layer 2 for BTC With SVM Execution Bitcoin Hyper continues to attract users tracking scaling-focused crypto presale projects. Its Layer 2 system improves Bitcoin throughput with rapid settlement and enhanced programmability. The Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) powers near-instant smart contract performance, supporting advanced decentralized applications. The platform uses a locked-BTC model that mints wrapped Bitcoin on Layer 2 for faster, low-cost transfers. The HYPER token supplies network rewards, utility, and staking options across a supply of 21 billion tokens. Final View on Black Friday Momentum Black Friday Week continues to shape participation across the crypto presale sector. Tools, bonuses, and stage-based pricing have pushed visibility toward multiple early-stage projects. Nexchain, WeWake, Mono Protocol, Tapzi, and Bitcoin Hyper all report higher activity as users evaluate transparent models, active testnets, and long-term utility. These trends are likely to guide investor attention as November closes and new stages approach across each presale. Learn more about the Nexchain presale here: Website: nexchain.ai/  X: x.com/nexchain_ai  Telegram: t.me/nexchain_ai  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/nexchainai/ 

What Is Robinhood Building With Susquehanna? Robinhood is taking its prediction markets strategy into deeper institutional territory with plans to launch a new futures and derivatives exchange in 2026. The platform will be developed through a joint venture with Susquehanna International Group (SIG), one of the largest trading firms and liquidity providers in global markets. According to Tuesday’s announcement, the joint venture will acquire MIAXdx from Miami International Holdings, including its Derivatives Clearing Organization and Swap Execution Facility. MIAXdx already holds a designated contract market licence from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, giving the new exchange a ready-made regulatory foundation. Under the agreement, MIAX will retain a 10 percent equity stake in the venture. Susquehanna will act as a day-one liquidity provider, with more market makers expected to join ahead of the 2026 launch. The exchange will offer futures, derivative products and an expanded slate of prediction markets—an area Robinhood says has quickly become one of its strongest revenue drivers. JB Mackenzie, vice president and general manager of futures and international at Robinhood, said the exchange is being built in response to fast-growing demand. “Robinhood is seeing strong customer demand for prediction markets, and we’re excited to build on that momentum. Our investment in infrastructure will position us to deliver an even better experience and more innovative products for customers,” he said. Investor Takeaway Robinhood’s entry into full-scale futures and derivatives infrastructure gives prediction markets a regulated home and signals that event-based trading is becoming a mainstream asset class. Why Are Prediction Markets Becoming a Core Business for Robinhood? Prediction markets have quietly turned into one of Robinhood’s fastest-growing business lines. The company reports more than one million customers have traded over nine billion contracts across politics, macro events and sports. The growth has been accelerated by Robinhood Derivatives’ partnerships with Kalshi, which allow users to trade markets tied to U.S. elections, inflation releases, rate decisions and more. In August, Robinhood expanded into sports-related prediction products linked to NFL and NCAA outcomes, again using Kalshi’s regulated markets. This diversification mirrors a broader trend: event-driven speculation is shifting away from informal betting platforms and toward regulated, price-discovery venues. Analysts at Bernstein noted this month that prediction markets are evolving into “information exchanges” rather than simple wagering tools. The firm pointed to accelerating volumes across Kalshi, Robinhood and other platforms as evidence of increasing credibility among traders, analysts and institutions seeking market-based signals. Data from The Block shows Kalshi surpassing Polymarket in monthly volumes since September. In October, Kalshi traded 4.4 billion dollars, compared with Polymarket’s 3.02 billion dollars—an indication that regulated prediction markets are gaining the upper hand over offshore competitors. What Does the New Exchange Mean for Market Structure? The joint venture gives Robinhood something its competitors do not yet have: end-to-end ownership of a regulated futures market, clearinghouse and execution venue under a CFTC-licensed framework. That opens the door to a wide range of institutional-grade products, including: Event-driven futures tied to elections, economic releases or sports outcomes Traditional futures and options across financial and macroeconomic benchmarks New derivatives formats designed specifically for retail-friendly prediction workflows Cleared products supported by MIAXdx’s existing regulatory approvals The combination of Susquehanna’s liquidity and Robinhood’s consumer distribution power could reshape a segment of the market long dominated by niche exchanges. While the CFTC continues to evaluate the boundaries between derivatives, gaming and informational markets, Robinhood’s move gives the firm optionality once the regulatory landscape settles. Susquehanna’s involvement is a strategic advantage. The trading giant is known for deep expertise in options, event-driven strategies and liquidity provisioning. For Robinhood, securing such a partner improves order-book depth, reduces slippage and helps legitimize prediction markets as a serious asset class. Investor Takeaway With CFTC licensing, a clearinghouse and top-tier liquidity partners, Robinhood’s new exchange positions prediction markets for institutional adoption—not just retail speculation. What Comes Next Ahead of the 2026 Launch? The new exchange is expected to begin operations in 2026, pending integration work, additional regulatory steps and onboarding of liquidity partners. In the meantime, Robinhood will continue expanding its in-app prediction markets through Kalshi while preparing to migrate activity to its own infrastructure once the exchange is live. Key developments to watch over the next 24 months include: Product approvals for new event futures and derivatives Additional liquidity partnerships beyond Susquehanna Regulatory clarity around event-contract boundaries Integration of clearing and margin systems built on MIAXdx If successful, Robinhood could become one of the most influential players in the global prediction markets ecosystem—bridging regulated derivatives with retail-friendly event trading.  

Tickblaze has launched a first-of-its-kind 3-in-1 prop firm technology stack, combining its multi-asset trading platform, a native Order Management System/Matching Engine (OMS/OME), and a purpose-built prop firm CRM back office. Developed in partnership with Trade Tech Solutions—winner of the 2025 iFX Expo Prop Tech Award—the system is engineered to eliminate the vendor fragmentation, integration challenges, and operational inefficiencies that have slowed prop firm growth globally. The unified stack provides a full end-to-end infrastructure for firms at any stage, from initial launch to enterprise-level scale. CEO Sean Kozak described the prop trading space as “fragmented and inefficient,” citing the reliance on multiple vendors, high data fees, and mismatched technology components. Tickblaze’s new platform directly addresses these issues by consolidating all core functions—trading execution, risk management, operations, CRM, payouts, and compliance—into a single ecosystem. This streamlined architecture supports stocks, futures, CFDs, forex, and crypto, giving firms a scalable platform with institutional-grade performance. The unified approach reduces time-to-launch and operational risk, making it possible for new firms to deploy a full prop tech stack in as little as 30–60 days. The system also supports migration from existing legacy solutions, enabling established firms to upgrade without disrupting trader operations or internal workflows. By removing multi-vendor complexity, Tickblaze delivers a faster, more consistent, and more cost-effective infrastructure for firms navigating a rapidly evolving prop trading landscape. Takeaway Tickblaze’s 3-in-1 technology stack eliminates vendor fragmentation and gives prop firms a unified, scalable infrastructure built for institutional performance. What Makes Tickblaze’s OMS/OME and CRM Backbone a Breakthrough for Prop Firms? A key differentiator of the new stack is Tickblaze’s built-in OMS/OME, which delivers realistic, high-performance fill logic built to mirror live market conditions across simulation and real trading. This solves a long-standing industry problem where simulated results rarely translate accurately to live environments. By replicating real-world execution behavior, firms gain a more accurate assessment of trader performance while risk managers get better insights into operational exposure. The proprietary trade copier technology further enhances execution control, enabling leader-to-follower, follower-to-leader, and sim-to-live replication without reliance on third-party tools. Its integration into the OMS ensures seamless internal routing and eliminates common syncing issues, execution delays, and operational conflicts that have historically affected prop firm reliability. Trade Tech Solutions’ custom-built CRM and admin dashboard serve as the operational hub, unifying risk monitoring, trader onboarding, compliance, payouts, and funding plan management. The CRM includes automated detection of prohibited behaviors—such as hedging, shared IP usage, and news-based trading—giving firms granular oversight. Integrated KYC, payments, affiliate systems, and trader analytics provide a level of operational control that is typically split across multiple external tools. Takeaway Tickblaze’s native OMS/OME and custom CRM deliver institutional-grade execution accuracy, risk management, and automation in a single integrated system. Why Tickblaze’s Ecosystem Sets a New Standard for Launching and Scaling Prop Firms The Tickblaze stack is engineered to support firms throughout their entire lifecycle, from launch to enterprise-level scale. New prop firms can deploy a complete white-label-ready solution—including trading platform, OMS/OME, CRM, payment connections, and risk tools—within 30 days when core infrastructure is ready. Larger firms benefit from tailored migration pathways that allow integration with existing liquidity providers, fintech partners, and operational systems without losing legacy capabilities. Tickblaze also supports real prop routing, connecting firms directly to major global exchanges for stocks and futures while offering native integrations with top-tier FX, CFD, and crypto liquidity providers. This positions the platform as one of the few solutions capable of supporting both simulated and fully regulated real-prop operations within a unified environment. For traders, the platform delivers a hybrid discretionary-and-algo experience with Python and C# scripting, deep customization, Market Depth tools, strategy marketplaces, and a built-in social community. Designed by a team with hands-on prop firm ownership experience, the platform aims to reduce tech debt, accelerate cash flow, and improve margins from day one. Its emphasis on institutional architecture, rapid deployment, and scalable automation gives both new and established firms the ability to grow faster with fewer operational barriers. With awards for innovation and a proven track record of supporting 70+ firms, Tickblaze positions itself as the new gold standard in prop firm infrastructure. Takeaway Tickblaze’s full-stack architecture shortens launch timelines, reduces operational complexity, and provides a future-ready foundation for prop firms of any size.

Has the Solana price bottomed out? Or, will it drop further first before a reversal? While SOL trades downward, the XRP price is experiencing a rebound—one of the most promising altcoins to buy now? At the same time, Digitap ($TAP), hailed as the best crypto to buy now for its DeFi-TradFi narrative, also surged by 160%.  Following the launch of XRP ETFs, Ripple may become one of the biggest gainers in Q4. $TAP, which recently broke into the spotlight for enabling users to spend crypto like cash via a globally accepted Visa card, also makes a strong argument. Given its solid fundamentals and mainstream appeal, it is arguably the most profitable crypto to buy now.  Will the Solana Price Go Lower?  The Solana price is below its 30-day high of $205—not surprising, considering current market conditions. It has decreased by 28% over the past 30 days. But is a rebound on the cards, or will the price go lower first?  Bulls failing to hold current support may push the Solana price toward $120. However, this might be needed for a more sustainable reversal. SOL finding a solid support and bottoming could fuel a more significant uptrend, potentially breaking past $200. Is it one of the best altcoins to buy at current levels?  For Badger, a top analyst on X, the altcoin could bottom out between $90 and $125. However, their upside targets are $406 and $672, while not ruling out a rally toward $1,103 and $2,247. The launch of SOL ETFs paints a bullish picture and sets the stage for future Solana price rallies, positioning it among the most promising altcoins to buy in 2025.  XRP Price Resumes Uptrend – Has Bull Season Started for Holders?  The XRP price is among the biggest gainers this week as it flips bullish. Regaining lost levels, the payment-based altcoin has returned above $2.2. Despite recent downturns, a 4% gain is visible on its 7-day chart.  Additionally, bulls have forced a 10% rally on the daily timeframe, which may be the start of a significant reversal in the XRP price. Is it the best crypto to buy now? The launch of XRP ETFs in the US contributes to the rising institutional demand and exposure, which experts believe hasn’t been priced in yet.  BarriC, a top analyst on X with 20,000 followers, predicts the XRP price will reclaim $3.0 soon. Other key targets to watch, according to them, include $5, $10, and $20. However, while there are compelling arguments for why Ripple is the best crypto to buy now, its $135 billion market cap isn’t a strong point, as it suggests limited upside potential.  Digitap: The Most Profitable Crypto to Buy Now? Watch Out For 329% Listing Gain Digitap, an up-and-coming DeFi-TradFi coin, is a new favorite among investors. Since the presale kicked off, the price has increased by 160%, rising from the initial cost of $0.0125 to $0.0326 in the second round, alongside funding surpassing $2.1 million in record time.  Given its significant upside potential, smart traders are doubling down on the $TAP token rather than established altcoins. The reasons are pretty simple. At the listing price of $0.14, investors are positioned for a 329% return on their investment. That isn’t all. Experts predict an astounding 15x rally after its launch this quarter, positioning it as the most promising crypto presale of 2025.  Further, by combining the best of the worlds of traditional banking and decentralized finance, Digitap is more than just hype. Its real-world utility revolves around enabling users to spend crypto like cash via co-branded Visa cards, which are globally accepted in-store and online. In addition, these cards require no KYC, promoting true financial anonymity.  USE THE CODE “QUICKTAP40” FOR 40% OFF FIRST-TIME PURCHASES XRP and $TAP – Solid Investment Options Ahead of Solana  While the Solana price is at risk of falling lower, the XRP price is in an uptrend. At the same time, $TAP, outperforming most top altcoins, has surged by 160% since the presale went live. The projected 15x rally this year, alongside its blend of DeFi and TradFi, makes Digitap one of the most promising altcoins to buy now.   Discover how Digitap is unifying cash and crypto by checking out their project here: Presale: https://presale.digitap.app  Website: https://digitap.app   Social: https://linktr.ee/digitap.app    Win $250K: https://gleam.io/bfpzx/digitap-250000-giveaway  

RoboForex has launched a significantly upgraded Copy Trading Service, evolving from its long-running CopyFX platform into a fully integrated component of the broker’s trading ecosystem. The upgrade focuses on making strategy discovery, comparison, and replication easier for both new and experienced users. With copy trading now central to how many retail traders participate in global markets, the platform’s improved accessibility aligns with broader industry trends favouring transparency and automation. At the core of the update is a public, unified strategy rating system that spans MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and R StocksTrader. This integration removes a long-standing barrier in copy trading: the fragmentation of strategies across platforms. Now, users—whether registered or not—can explore trader performance from all three terminals in one consolidated view. This simplifies decision-making and reduces the time investors traditionally spend navigating platform differences. RoboForex has also introduced an intuitive interface with a wider set of performance parameters, helping investors assess risk levels, profitability metrics, and trading styles more effectively. According to Regional Operations Manager Douglas Abreu, the company’s mission is to make the complex simple, enabling investors to focus on choosing high-performing strategies instead of deciphering interface differences or platform limitations. Takeaway RoboForex’s unified strategy rating makes cross-platform strategy discovery easier, giving new and experienced investors a clearer, more streamlined way to evaluate performance. What the Updated Copy Trading Partner Program Means for Users Another major enhancement is the revamped Copy Trading Partner Program, which allows individuals to earn commissions for promoting high-performing trader strategies. This update opens participation to a wider audience—users no longer need to be traders themselves to contribute to strategy growth or monetisation. Copy Partners earn a share of trader commissions from new subscribers they attract, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem for both strategy owners and promoters. The Partner Program now supports both MT4 and MT5, reflecting user demand for compatibility with the trading industry’s most widely used platforms. By adding MT5 support, RoboForex increases accessibility for traders whose strategies rely on more advanced features or multi-asset capabilities. This update also helps partners reach larger audiences, as many investors now operate across both versions of MetaTrader. For strategy providers, the updated Partner Program offers a new channel to grow their subscriber base through organic community promotion. For partners, it introduces a low-barrier path to earn rewards without active trading. Together, these improvements create a more dynamic environment where successful strategies can scale faster and users can engage with the ecosystem in more flexible ways. Takeaway With support for MT4 and MT5, RoboForex’s enhanced Partner Program makes it easier to promote strategies and earn commissions—without being a trader. How RoboForex’s Copy Trading Evolution Supports a Simpler, Smarter Investment Experience The upgraded Copy Trading Service marks a significant milestone in RoboForex’s broader mission to provide a more accessible and robust trading environment. Originally launched in 2012 as CopyFX, the platform now connects millions of traders and investors through a streamlined, professional-grade service. Its appeal lies in its combination of intuitive usability and advanced trading infrastructure, giving investors the ability to replicate strategies across MT4, MT5, and R StocksTrader within a unified ecosystem. The service’s cent accounts remain a key asset, allowing traders to test strategies at lower financial thresholds while letting investors copy with minimal entry capital. Flexible commission systems—including performance fees up to 50%, subscription models, or even free public strategies—give traders and investors multiple ways to participate according to their goals and risk tolerance. This diversity enables experienced traders to monetise their expertise while also allowing beginners to start small and scale gradually. RoboForex continues operating under FSC licence number 000138/32, reinforcing its regulatory oversight and commitment to transparency. With enhanced platform integration, improved strategy discovery, and stronger incentives for partners and traders alike, the upgraded Copy Trading Service positions RoboForex as a competitive player in the expanding global copy trading landscape. The broker’s focus on simplicity, user experience, and multi-platform compatibility supports its goal of empowering clients to trade and invest with confidence. Takeaway RoboForex’s evolved Copy Trading Service enhances platform integration, lowers barriers to participation, and strengthens investor tools for smarter, more accessible trading.

Moving money across blockchains should be carried out effortlessly but history shows the cost of one mistake can wipe millions in seconds. Bridge failures keep repeating but users still rely on them because the demand for cross chain movement keeps rising. The industry needed a way to secure asset transfers without handing control to human oversight. That need birthed a different approach to blockchain interoperability and it introduced the concept of trust minimized bridges. In this article, you will learn how minimized bridges work and what separates them from traditional bridging models. Key Takeaways • Minimized bridges allow assets to move across blockchains without relying on centralized intermediaries. • They leverage cryptography and smart contract logic to automatically validate cross-chain transactions. • Their design ensures security is not dependent on human oversight. • In contrast to conventional bridges, they do not require a few designated parties to approve transfers. • Minimized bridges are vital for building a secure and interconnected multi-chain ecosystem. What are the Challenges with Conventional Blockchain Bridges? Blockchains operate as separate networks that cannot directly interact. Ethereum cannot verify transactions on Solana, and Bitcoin has no way to confirm activity on Polygon. Bridges were created to connect these networks, but most relied on custodians to hold funds and approve transfers. When those custodians were hacked, users could lose everything. This reliance on human oversight made traditional bridges fragile and risky. To address these vulnerabilities, minimized bridges were developed, offering a way to move assets securely without depending on trusted intermediaries. What Makes a Bridge “Trust Minimized”? Minimized bridges are designed to reduce reliance on human trust as much as possible. They use cryptographic proofs and smart contracts to verify that an action has genuinely occurred on another chain. This allows the bridge to confirm transactions mathematically without the need of human oversight. This strategy changes security from a human-based model to a technical one. It leverages systems such as light client verification, zero-knowledge proofs, and optimistic verification models. These tools enable one blockchain to read and validate the state of another blockchain therefore making cross-chain transactions far safer and more reliable. How do Minimized Bridges Work? A minimized bridge continuously monitors the source blockchain, records transactions, and generates cryptographic proofs that confirm those actions occurred. These proofs are then sent to the destination chain, where smart contracts automatically verify their validity. If everything checks out, the transfer is executed without any human intervention or centralized validators holding funds. In essence, the bridge becomes a proof validator that ensures cross-chain transactions are accurate and tamper-proof. This is a formidable concept because blockchains prioritize accuracy and integrity above everything else. Removing human dependency, minimized bridges ensure a secure and reliable way to move assets across networks while preserving the integrity of each blockchain. Conclusion Trust minimized bridges have provided a reliable way to move assets across blockchains without depending on human oversight. By leveraging cryptography and smart contracts to verify transactions, they make each transfer secure and reliable. This approach preserves the integrity of every blockchain while enabling seamless cross-chain activity. As the multi-chain ecosystem continues to expand, minimized bridges will play a central role in supporting safer, more efficient, and fully interconnected networks.  

Why Is Paxos Buying Fordefi’s DeFi Wallet Technology? Blockchain infrastructure firm Paxos is acquiring Fordefi, a New York-based startup focused on institutional crypto wallets and custody technology. While terms were not disclosed in the official announcement, a Paxos spokesperson told Fortune the deal is worth more than 100 million dollars, putting it among the larger infrastructure transactions of this cycle. Fordefi, founded in 2021, built one of the first multi-party computation (MPC) wallets designed from the ground up for decentralized finance. Its product combines MPC key management with governance and policy controls, allowing institutions to set rules for onchain approvals, transaction signing and protocol access. That design addresses a core problem for large players: how to interact with DeFi rails without handing traders raw private keys or sacrificing compliance controls. Paxos said the acquisition will merge its regulated custody and settlement stack with Fordefi’s MPC wallet and DeFi integrations. The combined offering is pitched as a single platform where institutions can: issue and manage stablecoins tokenize assets and settle them onchain store private keys in a regulated custody environment interact directly with DeFi protocols through policy-governed wallets For now, Fordefi will continue to operate independently, while Paxos gradually weaves its technology into the wider infrastructure used by banks, fintechs and trading venues. Investor Takeaway The deal shows that “custody only” is no longer enough. Institutions want regulated storage and DeFi execution in the same stack, with policy controls and onchain connectivity built in. What Does the Deal Change for Institutional DeFi Access? Paxos already occupies a central role in institutional crypto infrastructure. It provides custody, tokenization and stablecoin services for firms such as PayPal, Mastercard and Interactive Brokers, and it holds licences in the United States, Europe and Singapore. It also issues several major stablecoins, including PayPal USD (PYUSD), Pax Dollar (USDP), Pax Gold (PAXG) and Global Dollar (USDG). By adding Fordefi, Paxos moves closer to offering a full-stack institutional toolset: Regulated custody: bank-grade storage governed by trust charters and oversight. Onchain execution: MPC wallets that can interact with DeFi protocols without exposing raw keys. Compliance controls: governance workflows and signing rules for onchain activity. Tokenization and stablecoins: infrastructure for issuing cash-like and asset-backed tokens. This combination targets a gap between pure-play DeFi wallets and legacy custodians. Many large institutions want access to onchain lending, tokenized assets and liquidity pools but cannot rely on retail-style browser wallets or unmanaged private keys. At the same time, traditional custodians often stop at storage, leaving clients to figure out DeFi connectivity on their own. Fordefi’s technology is built precisely for that middle ground: policy-based DeFi access embedded into institutional workflows. Folding it into Paxos’ regulated stack gives banks, asset managers and fintechs a way to keep assets within a supervised environment while still reaching onchain venues. How Does This Fit Into the Broader DeFi Rollout Across Exchanges? The acquisition comes as centralized platforms race to pull DeFi functionality into their own ecosystems, rather than sending users out to third-party protocols and wallets. In June, Kraken deepened its onchain efforts by working with Solana-based DeFi Development Corp, using its xStocks platform to bring tokenized Kraken shares onchain. That followed a May tie-up that enabled the exchange to offer tokenized U.S. equities to users in certain non-U.S. markets. In September, Coinbase integrated the Morpho lending protocol directly into its app, letting clients lend USDC from within a familiar interface. Users no longer needed to set up a separate wallet or learn how to navigate DeFi front-ends; Coinbase handled the routing while advertising potential yields of up to 10.8 percent on USDC. By October, Crypto.com added Morpho to its Cronos blockchain, making it possible for users to earn stablecoin yields on wrapped Bitcoin and Ether without leaving the exchange’s environment. All of this sits on top of a DeFi market that still holds considerable capital. Protocols currently account for about 116 billion dollars in total value locked, according to DefiLlama data, down from roughly 170 billion dollars on October 9, just before the largest liquidation event in crypto history. Even after that drawdown, DeFi remains one of the main destinations for onchain liquidity and yield-seeking capital. Investor Takeaway Large platforms are not trying to replace DeFi; they are wrapping it. Expect more deals where custodians, wallets and exchanges buy DeFi-native tech instead of building from scratch. What Should Institutions and Traders Watch Next? For institutions, the Paxos–Fordefi deal raises a few key questions: How quickly will Fordefi’s MPC stack be folded into Paxos products? Early integrations could show up first in wallet offerings for existing enterprise clients. Will banks use CoinDesk-like DeFi integrations or prefer deeper white-label setups? Some may want direct control over DeFi touchpoints under their own brands. How will regulators view DeFi access through regulated custodians? That interaction could set precedents for how supervision and onchain risk management are handled. For traders and crypto-native funds, the move is another sign that DeFi connectivity is becoming part of the standard institutional toolkit, not just a niche experiment. As more regulated entities offer direct access to lending, tokenization and yield tools, onchain liquidity could become less dependent on retail flows and more anchored by long-term capital. Paxos is betting that the winners in infrastructure will be the firms that can hold assets safely, issue money-like tokens and plug those assets into DeFi—with all three managed under one roof. The Fordefi acquisition is a step toward that model, and it adds another serious contender to the growing field of institutional wallet and DeFi infrastructure providers.

What Does PayPal’s Liverpool FC Deal Actually Do? PayPal has signed a multi-year global partnership with Liverpool FC, positioning itself as the club’s official digital payments provider and marking its first sponsorship of a Premier League team. The move brings together two globally recognised brands at a moment when fintech platforms are fighting for cultural visibility and when top-tier football clubs are expanding how they commercialise fan engagement. The partnership extends well beyond standard sponsorship. PayPal will be integrated across Liverpool’s digital and physical commerce stack, including the club’s online retail platforms, ticketing systems and, potentially, in-stadium payments at Anfield. With more than 400 million active users worldwide, PayPal offers Liverpool an already trusted payment infrastructure across key fan markets. The agreement also introduces fan incentives through PayPal+, a rewards mechanism offering cashback-style benefits and exclusive perks for supporters who check out using PayPal. This aligns with a broader shift in global sports toward personalised engagement and loyalty ecosystems as traditional revenue streams—match-day income and broadcast deals—become more volatile. Investor Takeaway Sports partnerships are evolving from branding exercises to integrated commerce pipelines. PayPal’s Liverpool deal embeds the company directly into one of football’s most active global transaction ecosystems. Why PayPal Is Turning to Sports as Fintech Competition Intensifies The Liverpool agreement reflects a larger strategic push by PayPal as it seeks new growth channels amid increasing competition from Apple Pay, Google Pay, Stripe, Adyen and a fast-growing field of regional e-wallets worldwide. While PayPal remains a powerhouse in digital payments, it faces investor pressure over slowing user growth and margin compression. Sports, particularly global football, provide a high-engagement environment where transactions recur across merchandise, ticketing, subscriptions and in-stadium spending. For PayPal, embedding itself at the “moment of purchase” inside these ecosystems represents a way to strengthen user relationships and encourage repeat usage. The company has steadily expanded its sports footprint over the past decade. PayPal has served as the front-of-jersey sponsor of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns since 2018, partnered with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and supported LaLiga’s RCD Mallorca. More recently, the company entered major U.S. collegiate sports, handling revenue-sharing payments to Big Ten and Big 12 athletes via PayPal and Venmo. Earlier sports initiatives focused on community and CSR activities, such as its partnership with Dundalk FC in Ireland. The Liverpool deal is different: it positions PayPal as both payment infrastructure and fan-engagement engine inside one of football’s most commercially sophisticated digital ecosystems. Why Liverpool FC Is an Ideal Platform for PayPal Liverpool FC offers a uniquely powerful global audience. With strong fanbases across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, the club consistently ranks among the most followed teams worldwide. Under Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool has invested heavily in premium digital channels—including mobile apps, streaming content, retail platforms and data-driven marketing. The club’s commercial model has evolved into a partnership ecosystem spanning aviation, automotive, hospitality, beverages and technology. Nike's ongoing collaboration has also expanded merchandise distribution channels, adding new flagship stores and stronger European retail presence. Integrating PayPal brings several immediate advantages to Liverpool: Reduced checkout friction: familiar payment flows decrease cart abandonment in high-traffic global markets. Higher conversion rates: trusted payment methods typically boost average order value. Loyalty mechanics: PayPal+ rewards can drive recurring purchases, especially among international fans. Enhanced data insights: richer spending data supports segmentation, pricing strategies and targeted campaigns. For Liverpool, the deal is both a revenue driver and a way to modernise global fan commerce. For PayPal, it provides a living laboratory for transaction flows and loyalty mechanics at enormous cultural scale. Investor Takeaway Fintechs are increasingly using sports to gain transactional dominance rather than simple brand exposure. PayPal’s integration with Liverpool positions it at the core of high-volume fan spending. What This Deal Says About the Future of Fintech and Sports Integration The PayPal–Liverpool FC partnership reflects a broader convergence between fintech infrastructure and sports fandom. Payment providers now view sports organisations as fully fledged commercial ecosystems—ongoing cycles of merchandise purchases, membership renewals, subscriptions, ticket sales and in-stadium spending. For PayPal, this creates opportunities to test new features and embed financial tools directly into fan journeys. If successful, Liverpool could become a template for further large-scale integrations with other clubs or sports leagues. This deal also reflects a shift in how football clubs structure commercial relationships. Rather than broad, category-wide sponsorships, elite clubs now create hyper-specific partnership segments: official crypto partner, official hotel partner, official payment provider and so on. This provides partners with clearer ownership of specific touchpoints in the fan experience. For PayPal, the Liverpool partnership is a high-stakes experiment in cultural relevance, user retention and commerce infrastructure. For Liverpool, it is another step in its global commercial expansion, backed by digital tools that can support more efficient monetisation of its worldwide audience. As the lines between fintech, entertainment and retail continue to blur, partnerships like this highlight what the next generation of sponsorships will look like: not just visibility on a shirt—but deep, transactional integration woven into the heartbeat of fandom.

Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) has become one of the most discussed privacy technologies in crypto, and the term is often used interchangeably to describe both the cryptographic method and ZKP, the blockchain project building a full compute network around it. This article breaks down what ZKP actually is, why it matters, and how it compares to other privacy or AI-focused networks. If you’re exploring the best crypto privacy tools or evaluating decentralized computing networks, this guide will provide a structured and unbiased overview. What Is Zero-Knowledge Technology?  Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are cryptographic methods that let someone prove something is true without revealing the underlying data. A simple analogy: you can prove you’re over 18 without showing your ID. In blockchain, zero-knowledge systems enable: Private transactions Verifiable computation Secure identity verification Scalable Layer-2 networks Confidential smart contract logic Projects like zkSync and StarkNet use ZKPs for scalability, while privacy networks such as Zcash use them for shielded transactions. What Makes Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) the Project Different? ZKP is a privacy-first decentralized compute network built using ZK cryptography. Unlike most chains that integrate ZK features later, ZKP was engineered entirely around private computation from the start. Here’s how ZKP stands apart: 1. Fully Built Before Sale More than $100M was invested into infrastructure before the token sale. This includes: Four-layer blockchain architecture Proof generation systems Compute hardware (Proof Pods) A ready testnet that activates with the presale auction Most projects raise first and build later; ZKP flipped that model. 2. Private AI Computation ZKP enables AI workloads to run without exposing raw data. This matters for: Medical datasets Sports biometrics Financial modelling Enterprise confidentiality 3. Daily Auction Instead of Traditional Presale The network uses a daily Initial Coin Auction (ICA): 200M tokens released every 24 hours $50 minimum participation $50,000 maximum per wallet No private allocations This creates a fair distribution curve instead of a private-round price advantage. How ZKP’s Architecture Works (Simplified) ZKP uses a four-layer design engineered for private, verifiable computation. Layer 1: Consensus — Proof of Intelligence + Proof of Space Rewards: Useful computation Efficient storage Not just token staking or energy-heavy mining. Layer 2: Execution — EVM + WASM Developers can build: Standard smart contracts AI computation modules Privacy-enabled dApps Compatibility with Ethereum tooling reduces onboarding friction. Layer 3: Proof Generation — zk-SNARKs + zk-STARKs This is the cryptographic heart. It produces compact proofs verifying that tasks were done correctly. Layer 4: Decentralized Storage Uses IPFS/Filecoin-style systems for compressed, encrypted data. Comparison: How ZKP Compares to Other Networks Feature ZKP (Project) zkSync Filecoin Akash Focus Private AI compute + ZK L2 scaling Storage Cloud compute Privacy End-to-end ZK privacy Partial None None Token Distribution Daily fair auction Traditional Traditional Traditional Hardware Proof Pods None None GPU-based Build State Fully built pre-sale Live Live Live ZKP’s differentiator is that it blends privacy, computation, and hardware in a single system. Real-World Use Cases 1. Healthcare Hospitals can run AI diagnostics without sharing raw imaging data. The model verifies its output using ZK proofs. 2. Sports Performance (e.g., FC Barcelona partnership) Player biometrics stay private while clubs receive validated insights. 3. Enterprise Compliance Banks can prove risk models without exposing internal financial inputs. 4. Consumer Privacy Apps can verify identity or age without storing documents. 5. Distributed AI Training Compute tasks run across Proof Pods while remaining encrypted. How Proof Pods Fit Into the Network Proof Pods are physical devices that perform computation for the ZKP ecosystem. They allow users to contribute compute without needing GPUs or technical expertise. Basic overview: Priced at $249 Operate automatically when the network activates Generate ZKP tokens for verified AI compute Designed for global 5-day delivery (backed by $17M logistics investment) Pods make the ecosystem accessible to non-technical users while anchoring computation in real hardware. Takeaway  Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) sits at the intersection of two major shifts in blockchain: the rise of privacy as a core requirement and the growing demand for verifiable AI computation. By building its infrastructure before raising funds and structuring its token distribution through a fair daily auction, the project distinguishes itself from speculative models, focusing instead on technical substance.  Whether ZKP ultimately becomes a leading network will depend on developer adoption and real-world workload demand, but its architecture offers a strong foundation for users and enterprises exploring private AI solutions. As the ecosystem expands, ZKP has the potential to become a credible layer for organizations that need intelligence without exposure. Explore Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP):  Website: zkp.com  FAQs 1. Is Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) the same as zero-knowledge cryptography? No. ZKP (the project) uses ZK cryptography, but the terms are not interchangeable. 2. When does the ZKP auction begin? The whitelist is now live; the daily auction will activate once the presale officially opens. 3. Do I need hardware to use the network? No. Proof Pods are optional. Anyone can participate via the auction. 4. Is ZKP built already? Yes. The architecture is fully engineered and activates once the presale auction starts. 5. Does ZKP have private investors or VCs? No. The entire system was self-funded to avoid insider allocations.

Given the clear daily uptrend and the bullish euro sentiment seen today across the FX markets, EURUSD currency pair be expected to rise further to the next resistance level 1.1656 (top of the previous impulse wave i).   EURUSD reversed from support zone Likely to rise to resistance level 937.00 EURUSD currency pair recently reversed up from the support zone between the support level 1.1500 (which stopped the previous downward wave C with the daily Morning Star at the start of November , as can be seen from the daily EURUSD chart below), lower daily Bollinger Band, 50% Fibonacci correction of the upward impulse from May and the upper trendline of the recently broken down channel from September (which enclosed the previous medium-term ABC correction 2). The upward reversal from this support zone started the active impulse wave iii, which belongs to the inter mediate impulse wave (1) from the start of November. Given the clear daily uptrend and the bullish euro sentiment seen today across the FX markets, EURUSD currency pair be expected to rise further to the next resistance level 1.1656 (top of the previous impulse wave i). [caption id="attachment_172502" align="alignnone" width="800"] EURUSD Technical Analysis Report[/caption] The subject matter and the content of this article are solely the views of the author. FinanceFeeds does not bear any legal responsibility for the content of this article and they do not reflect the viewpoint of FinanceFeeds or its editorial staff. The information does not constitute advice or a recommendation on any course of action and does not take into account your personal circumstances, financial situation, or individual needs. We strongly recommend you seek independent professional advice or conduct your own independent research before acting upon any information contained in this article.

What Does easyMarkets’ Leadership Transition Signal? easyMarkets has begun a significant leadership shift as long-time Chief Financial Officer Koula Lamprou steps into the role of Chief Executive Officer. She succeeds Nikos Antoniades, who is departing after more than a decade as CEO and nearly 20 years with the company. The move marks a defining moment for one of Cyprus’ oldest and most recognisable trading brands. The appointment reflects the broker’s transition from rapid expansion in its early years to a more governance-focused, multi-jurisdiction strategic phase. Lamprou’s background in finance, risk oversight and regulatory compliance aligns with the new direction the company is positioning itself for. Founded in 2001 as easy-forex, the company rebrand in 206 to easyMarkets to reflect a shift into multi-asset trading, spanning commodities, indices, metals and cryptocurrencies. easyMarkets has since widened its regulatory and geographic reach through CySEC in Europe, ASIC in Australia and an FSCA licence in South Africa obtained in 2024. Investor Takeaway Leadership transitions at long-running brokers often signal strategic refocusing. easyMarkets is shifting toward governance, regulatory depth and operational resilience, aligning with broader industry trends. How Did Nikos Antoniades Shape easyMarkets’ Evolution? Departing CEO Nikos Antoniades has been integral to the broker’s transformation. Joining in 2007, he helped steer easy-forex through the global financial crisis and a volatile early era of online FX. When he became CEO in 2014, Antoniades led the company through its shift into a multi-asset brokerage. Under his leadership, easyMarkets achieved several milestones: Completed its rebrand from easy-forex to easyMarkets in 2016 Expanded its asset offering to include crypto, metals, indices and additional commodities Launched new platforms including enhanced mobile and proprietary trading solutions Strengthened risk and compliance frameworks to meet global regulatory expectations Secured multiple regulatory licences across Europe, Australia and emerging regions His tenure coincided with seismic regulatory reforms—ESMA leverage caps, ASIC product intervention rules and restrictions on promotions, bonuses and execution practices. Why Is Koula Lamprou the Right Fit for the Industry’s Next Phase? Incoming CEO Koula Lamprou brings more than 16 years at easyMarkets, spanning senior roles across finance, operations and compliance. As CFO, she helped guide the firm through expansions into new jurisdictions and was the public face of its South African FSCA licence announcement in 2024. The restructuring also follows other senior hires, including a new Chief Risk Officer earlier this year. Together, these moves point to a deliberate strengthening of the company’s long-term governance infrastructure. Investor Takeaway Lamprou’s CFO-to-CEO transition mirrors a global pattern: strong regulatory literacy and financial discipline are now core requirements for leadership at multi-asset brokers. What Comes Next for easyMarkets? The leadership change arrives during a period of renewed industry transition. Brokers face higher acquisition costs, tighter oversight across major jurisdictions and increased competition from multi-asset platforms with proprietary technology. Meanwhile, clients demand more transparency, innovative tools and seamless platform experiences. As Koula Lamprou assumes the CEO role, the firm appears set to focus on governance enhancements, measured expansion and investment in technology that supports long-term resilience rather than short-term volume. Her mandate reflects where the global CFD and retail trading sectors are headed—not just toward larger product suites, but toward stronger internal systems, more robust compliance cultures and platform differentiation built on stability and trust.

GhostwareOS ($GHOST) will launch GhostPay on November 26, bringing a new privacy layer to Solana-based transactions. GhostPay is the project's private payment system that masks users’ wallet addresses and identities in all transactions. It is an innovative feature that confirms GHOST's commitment to increasing the anonymity of blockchain interactions. The GhostPay launch may confirm the most optimistic GHOST price predictions, helping the coin become a strong contender for the best crypto to buy now. It would also differentiate from the current downtrend in the crypto market, as reflected in the declining DASH price, which is down 62% over the past three weeks. GhostPay: Making Solana Transactions Private and Secure GhostwareOS launches GhostPay amid high FUD in the crypto space. The first anonymous payment layer on Solana is a much-anticipated feature for privacy coin users and more. It gives users direct, decentralized discretion through untraceable transactions and masks their wallet addresses. GhostPay allows anyone to create a private pay link that works like a standard payment request. However, this unique, one-time payment path protects both the sender and the receiver by keeping their details invisible. GhostPay combines several GhostwareOS technologies to ensure complete transaction anonymity. The app uses the platform's proprietary Stealth Addresses feature to hide the receiver's actual wallet. It also uses Tx ShadowNet to route payments through multiple relays to remove traceability. Additionally, GhostPay protects all transaction metadata using HPKE Encryption and employs Multi-Party Computation (MPC) to ensure no single node can deanonymize or reconstruct the route. The resulting transaction is a 100% private, verifiable payment with zero exposure. Some of the main GhostPay features include: Anonymous Pay Links Every payment request generates a new, untraceable address that can only be used once. The address disappears once the transfer completes, and any transaction details cannot be linked to the parties involved. Instant Payouts The receiver gets the payment directly to their connected wallet. Under the hood, GhostwareOS detects the payment and sweeps the funds from the temporary address to their primary wallet. Next, it discards the one-time address to erase all traces of the transaction. QR Integration This feature generates a unique, one-time QR code that simplifies mobile payment scanning. Multi-Token Support GhostPay works with SOL, USDC, GHOST, and other SPL (Solana Program Library) tokens. Reward System Payers earn GHOST tokens for successfully completing private transactions. The app incentivizes and rewards users while maintaining a constant circulation of GHOST tokens. GhostPay is one of the many GhostwareOS features that innovate the privacy coin niche. Unlike most anonymity-focused apps, GhostPay does not hold the users' funds. It does not act as a custodian and doesn't keep any pooled balances. As a result, there's no risk of capital seizure, and funds travel between payers and receivers as standard, with an extra privacy layer. [caption id="attachment_172493" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] With GHOST, users can mask all their blockchain operations.[/caption] Will DASH Recover Anytime Soon? The DASH price is in a continuous decline, consistent with the broader crypto market's current downswing. In the past three weeks, DASH decreased from $146 to around $55, signaling a 62% drop. Recovering this lost value will likely be an insurmountable task for DASH. Unlike other privacy coins, DASH is struggling to withstand intense market volatility. Increased FUD and massive liquidations prove that the traders' trust in this coin is heading toward an all-time low. Moreover, DASH develops slowly and lags behind newer coins, such as GHOST, in innovation.  Lastly, DASH has a market cap of nearly $700 million, well above GHOST’s current market cap of $6.54 million. However, this could work in GHOST’s favor as traders may prefer to onboard a low-cap, up-and-coming coin early for potentially high returns later on. What Is the Best Crypto to Buy Now? The GhostPay launch on November 26 marks a pivotal moment in the development of GhostwareOS. It will mark the first time users can use an anonymous payment layer on Solana to benefit from enhanced privacy and anonymity. GhostwareOS continues its full-fledged development despite the current state of the crypto market. The project defies the ongoing downtrend by addressing the increasing demand for blockchain privacy. Its commitment to innovation and consistent growth make GHOST a strong contender for the best crypto to buy now.

Traders woke up to a slightly greener market today as capital flowed back into large caps, with XRP jumping around 8% toward the $2.20 region and Solana climbing roughly 5% to about $136. There’s a familiar macro story behind the bounce. Softer data and increasingly dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials have lifted rate-cut odds for December’s FOMC meeting, encouraging investors to rotate from cash and treasuries back into risk assets. ETF data shows fresh inflows into ETH, SOL, and XRP products even as some Bitcoin funds are still leaking capital, which helps explain why altcoins are leading the latest move. One striking trend in this environment is how strongly crypto presales have held up. While majors spent most of November grinding lower, presales have continued to attract seven-figure totals, with specialist coverage pointing to steady demand from larger wallets looking for fixed entry prices and high staking rewards rather than choppy spot charts. For investors hunting the best crypto to buy in late 2025, three presales in particular have become magnets for whale capital: the gym-themed meme coin Maxi Doge (MAXI), a gamified mining project called PEPENODE (PEPENODE), and the AI creator platform SUBBD (SUBBD). Each taps a different narrative, but all three show strong Q4 traction from big buyers. Maxi Doge Presale: Viral Gym Meme Coin Pulling in Whales Maxi Doge (MAXI) is a meme-fueled Ethereum token that leans hard into the culture of over-caffeinated, max-leverage traders. This “never skip the pump” lifestyle coin ties holders to a community built around green candles, gym reps, and degen energy rather than sober DeFi minimalism. The ecosystem includes a staking pool with smart-contract-based reward distribution, trading contests for top ROI hunters, and planned partner events with futures platforms. A sizable marketing allocation (40% of the MAXI supply) is geared toward KOL campaigns and social media saturation, giving Maxi Doge the ingredients for viral meme potential if broader risk appetite recovers. That combination is already drawing big money. The MAXI presale has raised about $4.1 million, with totals now pushing toward $4.2 million despite weakness across the legacy meme coin sector. On-chain data shows continued activity in the presale, and investments such as the recent 3.72 ETH scoop (38,000,000 MAXI) are not an uncommon sight. In the current stage, MAXI is selling for $0.00027, while staking offers a chunky 73% APY. With spot markets still wobbling, whales seem happy to park capital in a fixed-price meme coin that blends lifestyle branding with aggressive token incentives. Visit Maxi Doge Presale PEPENODE: Gamified Meme Mining With Huge Staking APY PEPENODE (PEPENODE) takes the meme coin idea in a different direction by turning presale participation into a fully gamified mining experience. This ERC-20 project lets users build virtual server rooms, purchase Miner Nodes, and upgrade Facilities inside a browser-based dashboard that tracks simulated hashpower, energy use, and rewards. The core problem it tries to solve is the boredom of traditional staking. Instead of locking tokens and waiting, PEPENODE holders will be able to construct and optimize virtual rigs, generate rewards, and climb leaderboards. The rewards will be distributed in PEPENODE, as well as established memes like FARTCOIN - one of the biggest memecoin gainers recently, up over 18% in the last 24 hours. Media coverage has already highlighted PEPENODE as one of the more resilient presales during this year’s selloff, noting that the raise recently smashed through the $2 million barrier and continues to climb. Current campaign data shows the sale has raised $2.1 million, edging toward $2.2 million, with tokens priced at $0.0011638. Staking is where things get wild: early buyers can currently earn around 589% APY by locking their PEPENODE allocation while the presale continues. In a market where whales are seeking asymmetric upside and interactive ways to deploy capital, a mine-to-earn meme coin with such elevated staking rewards naturally grabs attention. Visit PEPENODE Presale

Crypto wallet provider Exodus Movement, Inc. has announced a $175 million acquisition of W3C Corp, including its subsidiaries Baanx and Monavate, in a move to expand into regulated on-chain payments. The acquisition gives Exodus control over the full payments stack, from wallets to card issuance and processing, allowing it to issue cards on Visa, Mastercard, and Discover networks and support stablecoin-based payments globally. “Today’s announcement is a major step in our mission to make self-custody and crypto payments practical for everyday life,” said JP Richardson, Co-Founder and CEO of Exodus. “People already trust Exodus to hold their dollar stablecoins and crypto. By bringing card and payments infrastructure in-house, we are closing the gap between holding and spending, and positioning Exodus as the only platform you need for your money.” “The economics from interchange, processing and program fees are expected to become a foundational part of our payments business,” added James Gernetzke, CFO of Exodus. “These offerings will diversify our revenue streams while continuing to allow Exodus to take advantage of crypto market volatility.” The acquisition will be funded through a combination of cash reserves and a Bitcoin-backed credit facility, and is expected to close in 2026, pending regulatory approval. The deal could be a strategic move to diversify revenue beyond wallet and swap services and tap into the growing demand for crypto-native payment solutions. Exodus Builds a Complete Crypto Payments Ecosystem Through Strategic Acquisitions Exodus has been on an acquisition streak to expand its payments capabilities. Just weeks ago, it acquired Grateful to enhance stablecoin payments across Latin America, and now the W3C deal adds card issuance, processing, and on-chain payment infrastructure under the same umbrella. Together, these acquisitions give Exodus the ability to seamlessly bridge holding digital assets, executing stablecoin transactions, and spending via crypto-backed cards — creating a more comprehensive payments ecosystem. The move echoes broader industry trends, such as Coinbase’s launch of a Bitcoin rewards credit card with American Express, which allows users to earn Bitcoin on everyday purchases. As more crypto platforms explore card-based rewards and payment integrations, Exodus’ strategy suggests it aims to capture a growing market of users looking to directly spend digital assets while leveraging stablecoins for everyday transactions.

Why Did ASIC Target Learn To Trade Now? Australia’s financial regulator has taken aim at Learn To Trade Pty Ltd (LTT), imposing new licence conditions after more than a decade of repeated compliance failures. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said the trading education firm consistently missed mandatory reporting deadlines, failed to notify the regulator of key audit changes and breached conditions tied to its Australian Financial Services (AFS) licence. While it may sound like an administrative issue, ASIC’s move is anything but. Financial reporting is the backbone of licence oversight in Australia, and late filings raise questions about solvency, governance and whether a firm can operate safely while influencing retail traders. Learn To Trade, founded by British entrepreneur Greg Secker, has been active in Australia for over ten years and is one of the industry’s most recognizable course providers. But LTT has long carried regulatory baggage. The brand has faced criticism across multiple countries for aggressive marketing, high-pressure sales tactics and training programs that often steered customers toward expensive upsells. In Australia, LTT maintained its licence but remained on ASIC’s radar for years. Now, after repeated lapses, the regulator has acted decisively. Investor Takeaway ASIC is signaling that trading educators must meet the same governance standards as financial institutions. The era of lax oversight in retail trading education is ending. What Exactly Did Learn To Trade Do Wrong? ASIC said it imposed new licence conditions after concluding LTT had failed to lodge its audited financial statements for the 2023 and 2024 financial years on time. These were not isolated lapses. According to the regulator, LTT has filed late “on multiple occasions since 2012,” marking twelve consecutive years of delayed reporting. The company also failed to notify ASIC when appointing a new auditor — an obligation every AFS licensee must take seriously, as auditors serve as an external gatekeeper over financial integrity. While the breaches may appear procedural, the implications are not. On-time audits demonstrate that a business is solvent, adequately resourced and meeting its obligations. Chronic delays undermine trust — and when the firm in question teaches retail traders how to manage leveraged products like forex and CFDs, ASIC’s tolerance evaporates. The regulator’s message is clear: financial educators must meet the same transparency standards as the product issuers and brokers they discuss. What Are the New Licence Conditions? ASIC has ordered Learn To Trade to hire an independent compliance consultant — a significant regulatory escalation typically reserved for firms with persistent governance failures. The consultant will conduct a full review of the company’s controls and must report findings directly to ASIC. The review covers: Financial reporting processes: how the firm ensures timely lodgment of statements and audits Compliance framework maturity: whether LTT meets all AFS licence obligations Breach identification and reporting: how governance failures are escalated Overall corporate governance: whether systems, leadership and culture support lawful operations Two formal reports will be delivered to ASIC, giving the regulator the evidence it needs to decide whether LTT can get back on track or whether tougher penalties — including suspension — are warranted. Investor Takeaway External compliance reviews are often a prelude to heavier enforcement. If deficiencies are significant, licence restrictions or legal action can follow quickly. Why This Crackdown Matters for the Trading Education Sector Learn To Trade received its AFS licence in 2010, giving it authority to provide financial advice on derivatives, forex and securities. But the environment has changed dramatically since then. Between 2018 and 2022, ASIC launched a series of enforcement waves targeting CFDs, leverage limits, binary options, unlicensed signal providers and high-pressure trading funnels. Several brokers were fined or shut down, including ForexCT and AGM Markets. Even reputable firms like Pepperstone, FP Markets and OANDA have faced additional licence conditions. Education providers — once operating in a semi-regulated grey area — are now firmly in ASIC’s sights. Many blur the line between motivational content and regulated advice, using success stories and flashy marketing to target inexperienced traders. ASIC has spent years warning against unrealistic claims and “get rich by trading” sales tactics. Learn To Trade’s compliance failures land squarely in this broader crackdown. The regulator now expects education firms to behave like proper financial services companies, not marketing-driven event businesses. What Happens Next for Learn To Trade? The regulator’s action does not immediately end LTT’s operations. The firm remains licensed but is effectively under probation. The tone of ASIC’s announcement suggests diminishing patience, and the independent consultant’s findings will determine the company’s fate. Possible outcomes include: successful remediation and continued operations under stricter oversight extended licence conditions if governance weaknesses persist suspension or cancellation of the AFS licence in severe cases civil penalties if major breaches are uncovered For now, Learn To Trade continues to operate — but under the most serious scrutiny it has faced in its 14 years in Australia. ASIC’s message to the entire trading education sector is unmistakable: compliance is no longer optional, delays will no longer be tolerated and firms selling trading dreams must now prove they can meet the same standards as the rest of the financial industry.

In bearish conditions, narratives die, and cash flow survives. The recent market downturn has investors scrambling to secure investments in the PayFi sector, and almost all the best altcoins to buy in 2025 are focused on payments. As liquidity tightens and animal spirits unwind, investors are dashing towards products that can show real revenue and growth. That’s why Digitap ($TAP) crypto presale has quietly pulled in more than $2.1 million while other tokens bleed. Its live, no-KYC Visa card has been a game-changer, and with its stablecoin integration, it looks like it could be the best crypto to buy now for anyone bullish on payments. XRP’s original vision for modernising cross-border flows was directionally correct, but stablecoins have become the winning rails. Investors need to adapt, and the leading altcoins to buy in 2025 look very different from the 2021 cohort. Digitap is capturing Gen Z and Millennials with its digital-first approach and rapidly outpacing XRP’s old rails.  XRP’s Rails: Right Idea, Wrong Vehicle Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) showed that crypto rails could collapse settlement times in illiquid corridors from days to seconds. It was a massive breakthrough, and while XRP has built out an impressive list of partnerships, almost nobody is using the XRP ledger to make settlements at scale. Why? Stablecoins arrived. Objectively offering a better solution with fewer moving parts and risk. Ripple itself has admitted this, leaning into stablecoin-powered cross-border solutions. But perhaps it is too little too late—the chart certainly sends that message. As stablecoins displace Ripple, naturally, XRP is no longer the leading altcoin to buy in the payments narrative. Now investors are looking for projects that will benefit from the enormous adoption of stablecoins. Digitap’s No-KYC Visa Card and Omni-Bank UX Digitap approaches payment from the opposite direction. Instead of trying to persuade institutions to adopt a payment rail, it accepts that stablecoins have already won and focuses on making them usable for regular people. Created as the world’s first omni-bank, Digitap offers a single, global money app where users can hold multi-currency fiat balances and on-chain assets in one interface, move value across borders in real-time, and spend on-chain balances instantly with a Visa card. The big feature is the non-KYC virtual Visa card, which can be spun up in minutes and used at millions of merchants worldwide. Thousands of users are already spending, and going after the consumer first seems to be the better strategy in the payments game. Under the surface, Digitap integrates multiple rails, including public blockchains and traditional payment systems such as SWIFT, SEPA, ACH, or Faster Payments.  This is a huge advantage as Digitap can onboard new and faster stablecoin-centric chains as they come online. They make the Digitap product stronger instead of acting as competition. The app, which anyone can download today, feels like a modern neobank but with crypto speed. Going after the consumer with familiar products, such as Google and Apple Pay, regular Visa cards, and a digital-first app, are all things that XRP never did. Gen Z and Millennials don’t want to think about bridging assets; they just want their money to move faster. Digitap takes all these consumer behaviours and wraps them in a single app, and is basically Revolut and Binance joined together. That’s why this payment token has become a leading altcoin to buy this year.  Why Digitap Could Beat XRP as the Best Payments-Focused Crypto to Buy Now in 2025  Another big feature for the Digitap crypto presale is the tokenomics model that uses 50% of platform profits for permanent burns and staking rewards. This allows token holders to share in the platform’s success, and the current pricing of $0.0326 makes $TAP look incredibly undervalued. Ranking among the best cryptos to buy now is not easy, but Digitap has managed it with its token flywheel. Investors should also be on the lookout for the 96-hour Black Friday bonanza that will feature $1 million in giveaways starting this Friday. XRP versus Digitap is a story about where value accrues in a stablecoin-dominated world. XRP proved enormous demand for cheaper, faster cross-border payments. Stablecoins showed how it could be done at an institutional scale. Now Digitap wraps all this progress into a familiar interface for regular users and is the type of app that could onboard the next billion users into crypto. This growth potential is what makes this crypto presale stand out this year, and a clear favorite to be the best crypto to buy now in 2025 for PayFi bulls.  Discover the future of crypto cards with Digitap by checking out their live Visa card project here: Presale https://presale.digitap.app   Website: https://digitap.app  Social: https://linktr.ee/digitap.app Win $250K: https://gleam.io/bfpzx/digitap-250000-giveaway 

KuCoin said Tuesday its Australian subsidiary has been formally registered as a Digital Currency Exchange (DCE) with AUSTRAC, bringing the global crypto platform under Australia’s anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) oversight. The company framed the registration as a milestone in its compliance roadmap and said it will use the approval to expand regulated services for Australian customers. KuCoin said it will pursue registration for additional designated services with AUSTRAC while aligning its derivative products with a locally compliant structure through a partnership with Echuca Trading, an AFSL-holder licensed by ASIC. The arrangement is intended to place KuCoin’s futures business within an Australian regulatory framework tailored to local market requirements. The exchange also announced the rollout of local fiat on-ramp support, giving Australian users more direct and compliant channels to deposit and withdraw funds. KuCoin has been building a stronger local presence in recent months, including the launch of a Sydney office and the appointment of James Pinch as its Australian Managing Director. BC Wong, KuCoin’s Global CEO, described the AUSTRAC registration as a key milestone in strengthening the company’s global compliance architecture, noting Australia’s high standards for digital asset oversight and reaffirming KuCoin’s commitment to transparency and responsible operations. Pinch added that the combination of AUSTRAC registration and an AFSL-backed framework would enable safer, smoother fiat access and ensure KuCoin’s products align with the expectations of Australian users and regulators. KuCoin Ramps up Global Reach With Payments and Institutional Push KuCoin has expanded its global payments and settlement capabilities, notably integrating KuCoin Pay with Brazil’s Pix system. This enables users to convert over 50 cryptocurrencies directly into Brazilian reais and pay merchants via Pix QR codes, bridging crypto with mainstream payment infrastructure. At the same time, KuCoin has upgraded its Fast Tradeservice to allow users to sell USDT and withdraw funds to Visa or MasterCard in 41 different fiat currencies, with most transfers settling within minutes. On the institutional side, KuCoin launched KuCoin Institutional, a division designed for professional investors, funds, brokers, and enterprises. The service combines liquidity, advanced trading infrastructure, custody solutions, and compliance frameworks, allowing institutions to access digital assets securely and efficiently. These expansions underscore KuCoin’s strategy to strengthen its presence in both retail and professional markets while providing seamless, compliant solutions worldwide.

After a brutal series of wipeouts that erased more than $1 trillion from the crypto market since early October, including one of the largest Bitcoin liquidation events on record, prices have finally started to stabilize. The total crypto market cap is currently sitting at the $3 trillion mark and is up 1.9% over the past 24 hours, while Bitcoin is trading near $87,000 after a steep drop from its October all-time high above $126,000. That mix of green daily candles and heavy recent drawdowns has pushed many traders toward shorter-term, defined-risk ideas. Presales fit that brief with their fixed token prices, no exchange order-book slippage to worry about, and staking rewards that can soften the impact of a choppy spot market. At the same time, self-custody wallets and supporting infrastructure remain one of the clearest long-term themes, as more users move funds off exchanges and into non-custodial apps. Best Wallet Token (BEST) sits right at that intersection. Its presale has already attracted close to 17.5 million for a live, non-custodial mobile wallet with over 100,000 active users and more than 1 million downloads – a rarity in a segment where many raises launch without a working product.  With only three days left before the sale ends and $18 million in sight, Best Wallet Token is shaping up as a standout presale play and a longer-term bet on the wallet narrative that the rest of this article will unpack in more detail. Crypto Market Finds Short-Term Support as Cycle Matures Crypto is catching its breath after a wild month, with the total market capitalization pushing back above $3 trillion and 80 of the top 100 coins posting gains over the past 24 hours. Bitcoin has inched up 1.4% to roughly $87,000, while Ethereum has added about 3.3% to trade near $2,880. That kind of slow, positive grind suggests short-term support rather than a full-blown trend reversal. Analysts remain divided on whether the ultimate bottom for this leg is in, but some expect a more durable low to form over the next five to seven months. Research from NYDIG’s Greg Cipolaro points to a reversal in several key on-chain and macro trends and argues that we may be moving into the later stages of the current growth cycle rather than its beginning. At the same time, US equity indices have stopped sliding, which could help Bitcoin avoid a deeper correction if risk sentiment stabilises. ETF flows also show how cautious things have become. U.S. spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs still attracted more than $238 million and $55 million in inflows on Friday, even as sentiment indicators hovered near multi-year lows and more investors took profits and stepped aside.  With major asset managers reporting that clients increasingly see BTC as a long-term store of value rather than a payment asset, short-term traders are looking elsewhere for clearer upside, which is one reason structured opportunities like the Best Wallet Token presale are drawing fresh attention right now. Best Wallet Token Presale Fuels a Live Multi-Chain Self-Custody Ecosystem Best Wallet Token powers a non-custodial mobile wallet that is already live at scale, with more than a million downloads and hundreds of thousands of active users handling their day-to-day crypto in the app. The wallet supports dozens of blockchains in one interface; lets users buy, send, swap, and track thousands of assets; and adds quality-of-life tools like scam filters, portfolio views, and presale alerts so people don’t have to juggle multiple apps. Within this setup, the BEST token is the key to extra utility. Holding BEST unlocks reduced transaction and swap fees, boosted staking rewards, early access to new token launches through the Upcoming Tokens feed, governance rights, and higher cashback rates when using the upcoming Best Card on the Mastercard network. BEST is also at the center of future upgrades such as gasless transactions, a deeper derivatives and staking hub, and integrations with partnered iGaming platforms that can reward holders with bonuses. Nazza Crypto, a crypto analyst and YouTube personality, has openly praised the BEST presale in his latest review, pointing to the rare mix of a working self-custody product, clear in-app token demand, and a growing ecosystem. As the presale moves into its final days, the numbers behind that story are becoming just as important as the features. Best Wallet Token Presale Nears $18 Million With 75% Staking APY The Best Wallet Token presale is closing out on strong numbers. The current token price of $0.025995 gives new buyers a clear entry point at a time when spot markets are still working through heavy volatility. With the raise now inching towards the $18 million mark, BEST is firmly in the upper tier of 2025 presales by size, which matches the fact that it backs a fully-live wallet ecosystem. A 75% APY on BEST, combined with more than 350 million tokens already locked into the staking pool, points to a large base of holders who are positioning for yield from day one instead of quick flips. That lockup reduces the immediate circulating supply once the token lists, which can help support price discovery if demand from wallet users and new investors continues to build. In a market where many traders are taking profits on majors and rotating into clearer asymmetry, the combination of fixed presale pricing, high on-chain participation, and an app with real users puts BEST in a different category from most presales – giving the project a credible bullish case and strong appeal as this cycle matures. With just 3 days left before the presale ends, investors have one final chance to acquire BEST at current prices before exchange listings.  Visit Best Wallet Token Presale

What’s Behind 21Shares Choosing Standard Chartered as Custodian? Standard Chartered has been selected by digital asset manager 21Shares as its new crypto custodian, marking another push by major banks into a field long dominated by crypto-native firms. According to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph, the bank will provide digital asset custody through its Luxembourg-based platform, expanding the bank’s growing crypto infrastructure. Margaret Harwood-Jones, global head of financing and securities services at Standard Chartered, said the partnership allows the firm to extend its expertise into “the fast-evolving digital asset ecosystem.” The move raises a clear question: what happens to 21Shares’ existing crypto custodian? In June 2024, the company partnered with crypto-native Zodia Custody to hold its assets. Zodia was co-founded by Standard Chartered in 2020 but operated separately at a time when the bank publicly distanced itself from direct crypto exposure. Whether Standard Chartered’s new custody unit will replace Zodia or operate alongside it remains unclear. Neither Standard Chartered nor 21Shares nor Zodia responded to media requests at publication time. Investor Takeaway Banks are aggressively reclaiming crypto custody from native providers. Institutional clients may increasingly choose regulated banks over standalone custodians for compliance and risk visibility. Why Traditional Finance Is Expanding Into Crypto Custody The partnership comes amid a broader wave of traditional finance firms entering the digital asset market. Standard Chartered launched an institutional crypto trading service in July, allowing corporate and professional clients to trade major tokens through a fully regulated channel. For 21Shares, one of the world’s largest exchange-traded crypto product issuers, bank-level custody adds perceived security and credibility — key factors for a firm whose products must meet institutional and regulatory standards across multiple jurisdictions. Mandy Chiu, global head of product development at 21Shares, called the partnership an “important milestone” in bringing institutional-grade infrastructure to the digital asset space, citing Standard Chartered’s reputation in traditional finance. The bank is not alone. U.S. Bancorp relaunched its digital asset custody service in September after previously pulling back due to regulatory pressure. Citigroup is exploring cryptocurrency custody and payment tools, and Deutsche Bank has reported plans to allow clients to store crypto assets. European banks, in particular, are positioning themselves for the MiCA era — a regulatory framework that will tighten oversight over stablecoins, custodians and digital asset service providers starting in 2025. How TradFi’s Entry Is Reshaping Crypto Infrastructure As more established banks move into the sector, crypto-native institutions are facing renewed competition. Banks bring regulatory clarity, balance-sheet strength, compliance frameworks and entrenched client relationships — advantages that can be decisive for asset managers managing billions. This competitive shift is not without cultural backlash. Some long-time industry participants view the migration of large Bitcoin wallets into ETFs, institutional channels and bank-backed custodians as a departure from the original crypto ethos. Martin Hiesboeck, head of blockchain and crypto research at Uphold, argued in October that these moves represent “another nail in the coffin of the original crypto spirit,” as Bitcoin transitions from grassroots asset to regulated financial instrument. His criticism followed comments from BlackRock’s head of digital assets, Robbie Mitchnick, who revealed that the asset manager had already processed more than 3 billion dollars’ worth of real Bitcoin conversions into ETFs. Many long-term holders, he said, prefer the convenience of managing exposure through their existing private-bank or advisor relationships. Investor Takeaway The custody battleground is shifting. Institutional flows are increasingly gravitating toward bank-operated platforms, suggesting a consolidation of crypto infrastructure under regulated incumbents. What Comes Next for Crypto Custody and Institutional Adoption? Standard Chartered’s deepening involvement suggests that large financial institutions see digital asset custody as a core future revenue stream, not a side experiment. With ETFs, tokenized assets, and institutional trading volumes rising, custody has become a strategic pillar for banks looking to anchor themselves in the next wave of capital markets infrastructure. For 21Shares, the move reinforces its positioning as a compliant issuer in a market that increasingly requires institutional guardrails. For the broader industry, it underscores a trend: as regulation tightens, traditional finance is not just entering crypto — it is taking over parts of the stack that once belonged exclusively to crypto-native operators. Whether this transition strengthens or dilutes the sector’s long-term identity is still debated. What is clear is that regulated banks now play a central role in the custody of billions in digital assets — and that role is likely to grow.

In the third quarter of 2025, venture capital investments in crypto and blockchain businesses totaled $4.65 billion across 415 acquisitions. This was a significant increase for the industry, and these numbers show that capital deployed has gone up by 290% over the last quarter, while the number of deals has gone up by 9%.  Even though activity is still below the highs of the 2021–2022 bull market, the total for the quarter is the second-highest since FTX went bankrupt in late 2022, which caused investor sentiment to drop for a long time. The rise comes as the market as a whole stabilizes, but analysts say there is no obvious link between the rise in Bitcoin values since early 2023 and the amount of venture capital. So far this year, through the third quarter of 2025, more money has been invested than in 2023 and 2024, even though there have been fewer deals than in previous years. Sector Breakdown Due to Rise in Trading and Infrastructure Investments were highly skewed toward established categories, with trading, exchange, investing, and lending platforms taking in the most money, over $2.1 billion. This area regained its status as the top receiver since there is a lot of demand for financial tools that are compliant and can grow with the changing rules. There was also a lot of interest in infrastructure projects, such as staking and blockchain access solutions. This shows that people are interested in basic technology. With the rise of stablecoins, new fields like AI integration and payments gained ground. Tokenization, on the other hand, stood out as a bright spot in the midst of expected legal clarity.  Web3, NFTs, DAOs, metaverses, and gaming, on the other hand, have become less popular than they were during the profile-picture (PFP) NFT boom of prior cycles. However, early-stage bets are still being made in these areas. The diversified portfolio was filled out by DeFi protocols and payments based on rewards. This showed that the ecosystem was growing and putting utility ahead of speculative excitement. Notable Deals Drive the Rally A few big rounds made up almost half of Q3's total capital. Fintech company Revolut got $1 billion to add more cryptocurrencies to its platform, and exchange Kraken got $500 million to improve its worldwide infrastructure. Erebor's $250 million for institutional-grade custody, Treasury's $146 million in tokenized assets, and Fnality's $135 million for payment networks.   Mesh Connect's $130 million in connectivity solutions and ZeroHash's $104 million in fiat-to-crypto rails were among the other big investments. These acquisitions show that venture firms are investing in startups that are further along and have established revenue streams. This is because they want to take less risk in a post-FTX world. U.S. Maintains Grip on Global Activity The United States received the most capital and deals, accounting for 47% of capital and 40% of deals. The United Kingdom came in second with 28% of capital and 6.8% of deals. Singapore and Hong Kong came in last with 3.8% and 3.6% of deal shares, respectively. The Netherlands had 3.3% of the capital. A pro-crypto legislative agenda, such as the planned GENIUS Act and possible laws regulating the structure of the crypto market, might make this U.S. lead even bigger. These laws could make monitoring easier and bring in more institutional players. Moving Toward Later-Stage Maturity Funding stages showed a preference for later-stage rounds, with 57% of capital allocated to them, compared to 43% for early-stage ventures. There were consistent numbers of deals in the pre-seed stage, but more in subsequent rounds, indicating that the industry is maturing.  The median deal size remained at $4.5 million, while the pre-money valuation rose to a record $36 million, close to the highs of 2021. Cohorts that started in 2018 raised the most money because they had been around longer. Startups founded in 2024 had the most deals, indicating that new ideas were entering the market.