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How Bet365 and ZunaBet Show Online Gambling Is Splitting in Two

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Zunabet Mobile

There was a time when online gambling moved in one direction and every operator followed the same path. Build a sportsbook, add some casino games, process payments through banks, and compete on odds and marketing spend. Bet365 mastered that formula better than almost anyone. But the path is forking. A new class of platforms is emerging that runs on different infrastructure, targets a different audience, and measures success by different standards. ZunaBet is the clearest example of that new class. Setting it alongside Bet365 does not just compare two gambling platforms. It maps the point where the industry started heading in two directions at once.


Bet365: The Company That Defined the Category

Bet365 started in a portable building in Stoke-on-Trent in 2000. Denise Coates had a hunch that betting was about to move online in a serious way, and she was right in a manner that produced one of the most remarkable business stories in British corporate history. Twenty-five years later, Bet365 is still privately held by the Coates family, still headquartered in Stoke, and still one of the most visited gambling websites on the planet.

Sports betting is the product that made Bet365 what it is. The coverage is extraordinary. Every globally recognized sport and dozens of regional ones are represented with deep markets and consistently sharp odds. The live betting product deserves particular mention — thousands of events run simultaneously with in-play markets that update in real time, paired with a streaming service that gives players direct access to the action. It is the kind of product that took years of investment and iteration to build, and it shows.

Zunabet Mobile
Zunabet Mobile

The casino has grown into a meaningful part of the business over time. Thousands of titles from established providers cover slots, table games, and live dealer formats. It is a stronger casino offering than most sportsbook-first operators manage, though it has not expanded as aggressively as platforms that treat casino as their primary business.

Financial transactions go through the standard set of traditional channels. Debit cards, bank transfers, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, and assorted regional options. No cryptocurrency. Withdrawal times depend on the method — e-wallets are typically the quickest while bank transfers can take several days depending on the player’s location and their bank’s processing schedule.

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New accounts are greeted with bet credit offers that vary by market. Ongoing loyalty operates without a formal tier structure — Bet365 sends personalized promotions to active players on its own terms. The company has always operated on the principle that the product itself is the best retention tool, and its financial results suggest that principle holds up.

Bet365 perfected online gambling as it existed through the 2000s and 2010s. Every part of the operation reflects that era’s best thinking about how a betting platform should work. The question hanging over it — and every operator of its generation — is whether that thinking still applies to the players who are showing up now.


ZunaBet: Starting Where Others Have Not Reached Yet

ZunaBet launched in 2026 through Strathvale Group Ltd with an Anjouan gaming license and a founding team with more than two decades of combined gambling industry experience. The platform was not built on top of anything that came before it. There was no legacy system, no prior business model, and no inherited assumptions about how things had to work. The team started fresh and built a product that reflects the current state of technology, player expectations, and financial infrastructure rather than the state of things when Bet365 opened its doors.

The game catalog is the most striking entry point. ZunaBet lists over 11,000 titles drawn from 63 providers — Pragmatic Play, Evolution, Hacksaw Gaming, Yggdrasil, BGaming, and a long tail of additional studios covering every format in the casino space. Slots dominate the count but RNG table games and live dealer rooms run deep. That library exceeds what Bet365 offers on the casino side, which is an extraordinary position for a platform that has existed for a fraction of the time.

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ZunaBet Website
ZunaBet Website

Sports betting runs parallel to the casino as an equal product rather than an add-on. Football, basketball, tennis, NHL, combat sports, and virtual sports are all covered comprehensively. The esports section stands apart from what most traditional operators provide, featuring dedicated markets for CS2, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Valorant with genuine depth rather than surface-level inclusion. Bet365 keeps a clear lead in live betting complexity, event streaming, and the breadth of niche sporting markets available. ZunaBet answers with a globally oriented sportsbook and an esports product built for the audience that is growing fastest.

The entire financial layer runs on cryptocurrency. Over 20 coins are accepted — BTC, ETH, USDT on several blockchains, SOL, DOGE, ADA, XRP, and more. No transaction fees from the platform. Withdrawals that clear without banking intermediaries slowing the process. Every movement of money on ZunaBet happens on blockchain rails, which means no third-party timelines, no weekend blackouts, and no fees extracted between the player and their funds.

Zunabet Sports
Zunabet Sports

New players receive up to $5,000 in deposit matches plus 75 free spins across three deposits — 100% up to $2,000 with 25 spins first, 50% up to $1,500 with 25 spins second, and 100% up to $1,500 with 25 spins third. That welcome package carries substantially more value than what Bet365 extends in most markets.

The technical package wraps everything in a dark-themed HTML5 interface with responsive design, fast performance, native apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and MacOS, and round-the-clock live chat support.


The Loyalty Split

Bet365 rewards regular players on its own terms. Personalized bonuses and promotional offers arrive in active accounts based on criteria the platform sets internally. There are no published tiers, no branded progression system, and no public roadmap showing players what continued activity will earn them. The approach is quiet and closed, reflecting a philosophy that strong product quality should be sufficient to keep players engaged without layering a complex rewards structure on top.

ZunaBet built its loyalty program to be the opposite of quiet. The dragon evolution system puts progression front and center through a mascot called Zuno and six defined tiers — Squire, Warden, Champion, Divine, Knight, and Ultimate. Rakeback starts at 1% and increases to 20% at the top tier. Free spins climb to 1,000 at the highest levels. VIP club access and double wheel spins reward players as they advance through the stages.

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Zunabet VIP Levels
Zunabet VIP Levels

Everything about the system is designed for visibility and engagement. Players know exactly where they stand at all times. The next tier is always visible, its requirements are always clear, and the rewards for reaching it are always published. The gamified design draws from video game progression systems where advancement is part of the core experience rather than something that happens passively in the background. Bet365’s closed-door approach works for players who do not particularly care about loyalty mechanics and just want a good sportsbook. ZunaBet’s open-book approach works for players who want their time on a platform to feel like it is building toward something.


Two Financial Worlds

Bet365 processes payments at a scale that few companies in any industry can match. Its infrastructure connects to banking systems, card networks, and e-wallet providers across dozens of countries, handling millions of daily transactions with the reliability that its size demands. That achievement should not be minimized.

What cannot be engineered away, however, are the limitations that come with that infrastructure. Banks dictate processing windows. Card networks impose their own policies. E-wallets introduce additional intermediary steps. Public holidays and weekends create gaps. Fees attach at various points depending on the method and the jurisdiction. The player enters a system where speed, cost, and timing are controlled by institutions outside the platform.

ZunaBet removed those institutions from the equation. Crypto goes directly between the player’s wallet and the platform without passing through any intermediary. There is no processing window because there is no processor. There is no weekend delay because the blockchain does not observe weekends. There is no fee because no middleman exists to charge one. A player’s withdrawal follows the same path and the same timeline regardless of when it is initiated or how much it involves.

Welcome Bonus
Welcome Bonus

The practical impact of this difference grows every time a player experiences it. Speed becomes the expectation. Fee-free becomes the baseline. Consistency becomes the standard. Going back to a system where a withdrawal might arrive tomorrow or might arrive Thursday starts to feel like a step backward once the alternative is familiar. And the number of players for whom that alternative is familiar expands with every month that cryptocurrency adoption continues to grow.


Where Each Platform Sits in the Bigger Picture

Bet365 represents the summit of what online gambling built on traditional infrastructure can achieve. No operator has done it better, and the company’s position within that framework is as secure as any in the industry. For players who operate in fiat currency and prioritize sportsbook depth and live betting above all else, Bet365 is still the answer.

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ZunaBet represents what happens when the framework itself changes. Different financial infrastructure. Different player expectations. Different ideas about what a loyalty program should feel like and how many games a platform should offer and how quickly money should move. It launched with over 11,000 games, 63 providers, more than 20 cryptocurrencies, zero fees, a $5,000 welcome package, dedicated apps everywhere, a complete sportsbook with real esports depth, and a loyalty system designed by people who understand gaming culture as well as they understand gambling operations.

The industry is splitting in two. One side runs on banks and cards and serves an audience that has been gambling online for years. The other runs on crypto and serves an audience that is arriving with new expectations and new habits. Bet365 owns the first side. ZunaBet was built to lead the second. Both platforms are good at what they do. But only one of them is aimed at the part of the market that is growing, and the numbers it launched with suggest it knows exactly how to capture that growth.

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Blackstone’s BCRED Posts First Monthly Loss in Over Three Years as Investor Withdrawals Hit $3.7B

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Brian Armstrong's Bold Prediction: AI Agents Will Soon Dominate Global Financial

TLDR:

  • BCRED reported a 0.4% loss in February 2025, its first monthly decline since September 2022’s 1.3% drop.
  • Investors withdrew $3.7 billion from BCRED in Q1 2025, surpassing the fund’s typical quarterly redemption volume.
  • Blackstone wrote down loans for select borrowers, including software firm Medallia, per a letter to financial advisers.
  • Blackstone shares have dropped over 28% this year as banks tighten lending and rivals cap investor withdrawals.

Blackstone’s private credit fund, BCRED, recorded its first monthly loss in over three years in February 2025. The $82 billion fund reported a total loss of 0.4%, drawing attention to growing pressures across the private credit sector.

Investor concerns around liquidity, credit quality, and withdrawal surges have grown steadily this year. This development marks a turning point for one of the largest private credit vehicles in the world.

BCRED Reports February Loss as Withdrawals Surge

BCRED’s last recorded monthly loss before February was in September 2022, when it posted a decline of 1.3%. The February 2025 loss of 0.4% comes as investor sentiment around private credit has noticeably shifted.

For context, the Morningstar LSTA index of publicly traded leveraged loans fell 0.8% in February, per Morningstar’s website.

During the first quarter of this year, Blackstone’s fund faced a larger-than-usual wave of redemption requests. Investors pulled $3.7 billion from BCRED, a figure that exceeded typical quarterly withdrawal volumes.

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The fund allows investors to withdraw a portion of their holdings every quarter, which adds a layer of liquidity pressure.

Financial news reporter Kristen Shaughnessy shared the development on social media, drawing wider public attention. The post referenced a Financial Times report citing a letter sent to financial advisers by Blackstone. According to that report, customer service software firm Medallia was among the companies whose loans were written down.

BCRED wrote down the value of a “select” number of loans during February, per the Financial Times report. Despite this, Blackstone maintained that the fund has delivered a 9.5% annualized total return since inception for Class I shares. The firm also noted that BCRED has outperformed the leveraged loan market by 100 basis points so far this year.

Private Credit Sector Faces Growing Scrutiny From Banks and Investors

Private credit funds have come under growing scrutiny due to weakening credit quality across the sector. Their high exposure to vulnerable sectors such as software has raised concerns among analysts and investors. Additionally, a lack of transparency has made it harder for market participants to assess underlying risks.

These concerns have spilled over onto Wall Street, where some major U.S. banks have tightened lending to the private credit industry.

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JPMorgan Chase marked down the value of certain loans to private credit players earlier this month. That move is expected to reduce available lending to funds operating in the space.

Morgan Stanley and BlackRock were among the firms that moved to limit withdrawals from their own funds. Both firms acted following a surge in redemption requests from investors. This pattern across multiple funds points to a broader trend of tightening liquidity across private credit markets.

Shares of Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, have lost more than 28% of their value so far this year.

That decline mirrors the broader unease investors have expressed toward the alternative asset space. As the sector navigates these pressures, fund managers are being watched more closely than at any point in recent years.

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XRP Open Interest Drops Across Exchanges While 2026 Regulatory Catalysts Build

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Brian Armstrong's Bold Prediction: AI Agents Will Soon Dominate Global Financial

TLDR:

  • XRP open interest is falling across major exchanges, with Binance still holding the largest derivatives market share.
  • Liquidation spikes and soft taker volume confirm that leveraged XRP positions are actively being unwound market-wide.
  • XRP has gained dual commodity classification from the SEC and CFTC, marking a turning point in regulatory clarity.
  • ETF inflows of $1.44B and Ripple’s $2.7B in acquisitions reflect rising institutional confidence heading into 2026.

XRP open interest continues to contract across major derivatives exchanges, reflecting an ongoing deleveraging trend in the market.

Despite this broad decline, Binance maintains the largest share of XRP open interest among top platforms. At the same time, a growing set of regulatory and institutional developments is taking shape in 2026.

Analysts are watching closely to see whether these catalysts can reverse the current market structure.

Binance Dominates as Leveraged Positioning Unwinds

Binance remains the primary venue for XRP leveraged trading, holding the most open interest across major exchanges.

However, the exchange’s own 24-hour data shows continued weakness in positioning, with no strong recovery in sight.

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Net taker volume on Binance also remains soft, which points to limited aggressive demand from new buyers. This combination suggests the market is still in a reset phase rather than entering a fresh expansion.

Liquidation data adds further weight to this view. Recent liquidation spikes show that forced leverage cleanup has played a role in driving open interest lower.

Rather than reflecting fresh long conviction, the current structure points to position unwinding. Speculative appetite across XRP derivatives continues to fade as a result.

The overall trend across exchanges mirrors what Binance is showing internally. Open interest is falling in a broad and sustained manner, not in isolated bursts.

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This pattern typically follows periods of elevated speculation and leverage buildup. For open interest to recover, the market would need stronger directional participation from both retail and institutional traders.

Until that recovery arrives, the market structure for XRP derivatives remains under pressure. Binance will likely continue to lead the space by volume and open interest.

However, the gap between Binance and other exchanges may shift if conditions improve on other platforms. Traders are watching these metrics carefully as a leading signal for XRP’s next move.

Regulatory and Institutional Catalysts Are Aligning in 2026

On the fundamental side, a series of developments are converging that some analysts say could drive a major move.

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XRP has been officially classified as a digital commodity by both the SEC and the CFTC, bringing long-awaited regulatory clarity.

The CLARITY Act markup is targeting April, and Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has placed the odds of passage at 80 to 90 percent. Additionally, a stablecoin yield compromise is reportedly near completion.

Institutional interest is also building at a fast pace. XRP-related ETFs have pulled in $1.44 billion in inflows, while Evernorth has filed its S-4 for a Nasdaq listing.

Ripple has also made over $2.7 billion in acquisitions and is expanding its global footprint. A Ripple National Trust Bank application is currently under review as well.

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Crypto analyst X Finance Bull noted on X that in 2024, XRP ran from $0.49 to $3.60 on news alone. The analyst argued that the 2026 setup carries heavier weight, with regulation, infrastructure, and institutional capital aligning together. That framing has drawn attention from traders reassessing their positions.

Whether the derivatives market responds to these catalysts remains to be seen. Open interest recovery alongside stronger volume would signal a shift in market sentiment. For now, XRP sits at a crossroads between fading speculative leverage and growing structural support.

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Fidelity Requests More Clarity From SEC on Tokenized Assets and DeFi

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Decentralization, SEC, United States, DeFi, RWA, RWA Tokenization

Fidelity Investments told the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday that it should continue to develop the regulatory framework for broker-dealers to offer, custody and trade crypto assets on alternative trading systems (ATS).

The letter from the US’ third-largest asset manager was in reply to a call for comments earlier this month by the regulator’s Crypto Task Force.

Fidelity said it is “critical” for the SEC to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework and clear rules of the road for tokenized securities trading, including rules for trading tokenized securities issued by third parties. 

Decentralization, SEC, United States, DeFi, RWA, RWA Tokenization
Fidelity Investments’ letter to the SEC requesting more information on alternative trading system rules. Source: Fidelity Investments

Tokenized instruments have different issuance structures, legalities, and valuation models, the letter said. For example, tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) span entirely different asset classes like equities, real estate, bonds, or private credit. 

“Tokenization models vary significantly in structure and in the rights afforded to holders,” the letter said. The company explained:

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“In some models, the crypto asset represents a holder’s indirect interest in the underlying security through a securities entitlement, while in others, the crypto asset may constitute a securities‑based swap, which may be offered only to eligible contract participants.” 

Fidelity also urged the SEC to bridge the regulatory gap between centralized and decentralized trading systems to “consider how intermediated and disintermediated trading venues can evolve and coexist,” the company’s general counsel, Roberto Braceras, wrote.

Decentralization, SEC, United States, DeFi, RWA, RWA Tokenization
Differences between centralized and decentralized crypto exchanges. Source: Cointelegraph

This includes overhauling existing reporting rules to reflect that decentralized finance (DeFi) trading platforms and other “disintermediated” systems cannot produce the detailed financial reporting required by the SEC because there is no central authority.

Additionally, Fidelity recommended that the SEC issue guidance permitting broker‑dealers to use distributed ledger technology for ATS and other recordkeeping purposes.

Overhauling reporting requirements to reflect this technological reality removes “undue burden” from decentralized systems, the letter said.

The Securities and Exchange Commission, under the leadership of Chairman Paul Atkins, has repeatedly signaled support for 24/7 capital markets and has given the regulatory approval for financial companies to experiment with tokenized trading.

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Related: SEC interpretation on crypto laws ‘a beginning, not an end,’ says Atkins

US regulators say tokenized securities are subject to the same capital rules as underlying assets

Tokenized securities, which include equities, debt instruments, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other securitized assets, are subject to the same banking capital requirements as the underlying assets they hold.

This view was shared in a joint policy statement published in March from the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). 

“The technologies used to issue and transact in a security do not generally impact its capital treatment,” according to the agencies.

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