Crypto World
BigWater Protocol Launches Blockchain-Based Platform for Global Climate
Dubai, UAE, June 20th, 2025, Chainwire
As the world confronts an escalating climate emergency marked by rising global temperatures, deforestation, water scarcity, and deteriorating air quality, the need for inclusive and scalable solutions has never been greater. BigWater Protocol introduces a new initiative that leverages blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and community engagement to support environmental sustainability on a global scale.
A New Era of Regenerative Action
The Protocol amplifies what nature has always known: trees are our planet’s first air purifiers. With afforestation as its core, BigWater supports India’s Net Zero by 2070 pledge announced at COP26 by PM Narendra Modi. The Protocol will integrate a wide range of green initiatives — from biodiversity conservation to ecosystem restoration — under the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) umbrella, incentivizing citizens to participate in environmental stewardship.
Web3 Meets Earth
BigWater Protocol leverages the power of blockchain, geospatial intelligence, and decentralized governance to align with global environmental commitments — including the Paris Agreement, UN SDGs, and India’s climate vision. This isn’t an isolated initiative — it’s a global movement designed to redefine how humanity interacts with the Earth.
Key Highlights
- Built on the XDC Network – An enterprise-grade, EVM-compatible blockchain for tokenizing real-world assets.
- Backed by Global Safe Water Foundation – A US 501(c)(3) organization subsidizing DePIN device costs to support increased clean water access in emerging countries.
- Supported by JanaJal-JJSUITE – Patented IOT Tech Platform for Clean Water delivery
- Supported by GeoTree – a pioneering geospatially enabled Afforestation and Land Management Platform that provides ground-truth data, satellite validation, and citizen involvement.
What Makes BigWater Unique
Clean Air Meets Clean Water
- Each Smart Air Purifier cleans ~2 million liters of air daily.
- Every device enables 1000 liters of Clean Water as a verified NFT Water Credit.
Greening the Planet at Scale
- Real-time monitoring of geo-tagged plantations and afforestation projects.
- Use of drones and AI for tracking, auditing, and managing ecosystems.
From Data to Impact
- Users earn $BIGW tokens by contributing environmental and tree growth data.
- Tokens are redeemable for water, DePIN devices, and can be traded on exchanges.
Advancing Decentralized Science (DeSci)
- Enables global researchers to access one of the largest decentralized environmental datasets.
- Promotes open innovation driven by community-owned data streams.
Inclusive & Scalable Participation
- From students to rural farmers, SMEs to NGOs — anyone can join and benefit.
- Rewards have real-world value: from clean water to local services and platform benefits.
️ Blockchain for Verified Climate Impact
- Every device, dataset, reward, and impact is transparently recorded on the blockchain.
- Supports Proof of Existence, Proof of Delivery, and Proof of Impact standards.
Traction & Milestones
- Devices shipped to 65 countries and counting
- 33 million geo-tagged trees and 1.5 million verified users onboarded
- Targeting 100 million trees and 6 million users by Oct 2025
- Aiming for 1 billion trees and 50 million users by July 2026
Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 15: Life on Land
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Leadership & Legacy
Dr. Parag Agarwal, Founder, is a veteran social entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience leading global public-good projects. Under his leadership, BigWater has the support of his legacy Company JanaJal; a patented tech platform for decentralized water treatment and last mile delivery of Clean Water that has already achieved the following in India:
- 200M+ liters of clean water dispensed
- 30M+ beneficiaries served in urban and rural India
- 2M+ active subscribers
- 109M single-use plastic bottles eliminated
- 1B+ environmental data points collected over 10 years
A Blueprint for a Regenerative World
BigWater represents a Tech-for-Good paradigm driven by Mission LiFE, rooted in GeoTree’s data transparency and designed to turn climate awareness into measurable, scalable impact.
“BigWater is an Of the People, By the People, For the People initiative. Change must come ground up. We aim to build circularity in Action, Rewards, and Impact by empowering 8 billion global citizens to secure Clean Air and Clean Water for all.” – Dr. Parag Agarwal, Founder, BigWater Protocol
Partners
JanaJal-JJSUITE, Geo Planet Solution, Foundership, XDC Network, UP8 Trust, 0xLabs, CueWeb, Orbital Beam, Global Safe Water Foundation, Marilyn PR, Relate, ImpactableX, and many others.
Joining the Movement
Website: www.bigwater.io
LinkedIn | Twitter | Insta | Discord | TikTok | Facebook | Telegram
These platforms are not just for outreach — they’re hubs of grassroots collaboration, connecting blockchain builders, climate scientists, policymakers, and citizens united by the mission of building a cleaner, greener planet.
“The journey from climate crisis to climate stability begins with one conscious choice — repeated billions of times. BigWater Protocol shows us the path.”
About BigWater Protocol
BigWater integrates Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization, DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network), DeSci (Decentralized Science), and AI-powered environmental analytics to create the world’s most extensive incentive-driven ecosystem for climate-positive behavior.
In a first-of-its-kind innovation, BigWater has developed Smart Air Purifiers that serve as DePIN devices. These purifiers, when connected to the BigWater mobile app, monitor indoor air quality and other environmental metrics — rewarding users daily in $BIGW tokens directly to their wallets. Each Air Purifier device also enables the delivery of 1000 liters of clean water to underserved communities, verified by NFT-based Water Credits.
For media inquiries, partnerships, or interviews, users can contact:
Contact
CEO
Parag Agarwal
BigWater
info@bigwater.io
“Currently, a 10 billion market cap, this thing is not even worth $1 billion,” one X user argued.
The latest cryptocurrency market crash was brutal, sending Cardano’s ADA to multi-month lows.
Some analysts believe the storm may not be over, warning the price could nosedive by as much as 75% in the short term.
The Bad Days for the Bulls Aren’t Over?
Several hours ago, ADA plunged to 0.27, the lowest level since August 2024. Currently, it trades at around $0.29 (per CoinGecko’s data), representing a 15% decline on a weekly scale.
The well-known analyst DrBullZeus claimed that the asset is now nearing “a must hold support zone” at the range of $0.24-$0.28. He thinks that breaking below that level could result in a price crash to $0.125 and even $0.075.
The popular trader Matthew Dixon also chipped in. He suggested that “technically speaking,” ADA has retraced in three waves since the local top seen towards the end of 2024. He outlined $0.24 as a “very important long-term support,” predicting that as long as it holds, the price could rebound.
“A break of support would be a serious concern,” he alerted.
Prior to that, Harmonic Trader predicted that in six months, ADA might trade under $0.10. “Currently, a 10 billion market cap, this thing is not even worth $1 billion,” they argued.
Time to Rally?
Despite ADA’s recent price decline, some other analysts remain optimistic that a resurgence could be on the way. One of them, using the X nickname “Lucky,” asked their almost two million followers whether they plan to increase their exposure to the token at current rates. The analyst also envisioned a potential pump to nearly $1 in the near future.
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LaPetite is also bullish. Several days ago, he forecasted that ADA is about to go “parabolic,” claiming that “huge announcements” concerning Cardano are coming soon.
The recent exchange netflows signal that a rebound could indeed be on the horizon. Data provided by CoinGlass shows that over the past days and weeks, outflows have significantly outpaced inflows. This means investors have been shifting from centralized platforms to self-custody, which in turn reduces immediate selling pressure.
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Aave Labs says it is sunsetting its “umbrella brand” Avara in the company’s latest move to refocus on decentralized finance and simplify its branding.
Aave founder and CEO Stani Kulechov posted to X on Tuesday that Avara, a company encompassing projects including the Family crypto wallet and previously the social media platform Lens, “is no longer required as we go all in on bringing Aave to the masses.”
Kulechov said the Apple iOS-based Family crypto wallet was also being wound down as the team has “learned that onboarding millions of users requires purpose-built experiences, such as savings, rather than generic, open-ended wallet experiences.”
The move marks Aave’s latest effort to refocus on products such as its flagship lending protocol as the project handed stewardship of Lens to the Mask Network last month, with Kulechov saying Aave’s role in the protocol would be reduced to an advisory role so it can focus on DeFi.
Kulechov said in his latest post that Aave was “now united as one team of world-class designers, engineers, and smart contract experts, aligned around a single mission: bringing DeFi to everyone.”
All future projects under Aave Labs
Avara said in a blog post that “all current and future products, including the Aave App, Aave Pro, and Aave Kit, will operate under Aave Labs” to simplify the brand.
It added that accounts linked to the Family wallets “will continue as core infrastructure within Aave Labs products,” but the iOS app would be wound down over the next year.
No new users will be onboarded to the app from April 1, and existing users can continue using the app until April 1, 2027, and will continue to have full access to their funds on Aave’s website.
Related: There is no trust in DeFi without proper risk management
Aave is the biggest DeFi protocol with $30 billion in total value locked, nearly $9 billion more than the next largest project, the staking protocol Lido, which has $21.7 billion in value locked, according to DefiLlama.
The Aave (AAVE) token has traded flat over the past day, down just 0.7% in the last 24 hours at $127.40, according to CoinGecko.
Magazine: Ethereum’s Fusaka fork explained for dummies — What the hell is PeerDAS?
[PRESS RELEASE – Los Angeles, California, February 3rd, 2026]
Backed by Top Consumer, Crypto, and Cultural Investors, BLUFF Quickly Emerges as a Fast-Growing Betting Platform Boasting More Than 125M Bets in Beta
BLUFF, the next-generation betting and entertainment platform, has raised $21 million in strategic investment led by global blockchain technology fund 1kx, with participation from Makers Fund, Maximum Frequency Ventures, Delphi Ventures Founders and other high-profile backers, including sports champion & tech investor, Tristan Thompson. The team includes former senior executives from Stake, Bet365, William Hill and Bodog, drawing on experience operating the world’s leading betting platforms to deliver a truly novel gaming experience. The team will use the funds to advance the innovative betting platform and launch at scale.
BLUFF is building a social centric betting platform and sportsbook designed for the next generation of players. The platform prioritizes speed, transparency and player alignment, with instant onboarding, real-time settlement, provably fair games and reward systems that allow users to participate directly in the ecosystem they help grow.
“When we began building BLUFF, we set out to create a betting platform for the new generation of betters who prioritise fast, high-engagement gameplay, real-time experiences, real stakes and the social energy that defines how players engage online today,” said BLUFF’s Founder. “This funding, and the investors who have backed us, validates our mission of what the future of online betting can look like. Novel content, user-experience obsessed, deep community focus, and hyper-engaging for all users.”
The raise follows an exceptional pre-release phase, during which BLUFF has attracted over 600,000 sign-ups, sustained tens of thousands of daily active users and processed over 125,000,000 bets through its beta in 3 months alone. This early traction positions BLUFF as one of the fastest-scaling new betting platforms in the market with strategic partners across crypto, gaming and consumer entertainment.
“The speed of execution and level of organic demand we’ve seen from BLUFF is rare,” said Peter Pan, Partner at 1kx. “They’re building a category-defining platform with the potential to become the number one destination in betting and entertainment. BLUFF is exactly what the next generation of users is demanding.”
Beyond traditional iGaming and sports betting, BLUFF is building a unified experience that blends betting, live prediction markets, binary outcomes, and creator-led community events within a single platform. Bluff also provides a VIP matching program to make the transition from legacy platforms such as Stake, Shuffle and Rollbit to Bluff as seamless as possible, offering market-leading bonuses, rewards and world-class VIP service through a 24/7 VIP concierge.
“We are thrilled to back the BLUFF team,” said Andrew Willson, Partner at Makers Fund. “They bring a deep, nuanced understanding of player needs combined with an innovative approach to company building and platform design. By prioritizing players and offering a differentiated experience, we expect BLUFF to become a disruptive brand in the betting space.”
To learn more and play now, visit Bluff.com.
####
About BLUFF
BLUFF is built for the new generation of players. A global sports betting and iGaming platform where gaming, real stakes, culture, and community merge into a single, continuous loop to meet today’s users’ demands. It starts as a betting platform and sportsbook and evolves into something much bigger, with novel bet types, loot boxes, and trading that make for a unique betting experience. Backed by global blockchain technology fund 1kx, the founding team includes senior executives and operators from Stake, Bet365, William Hill, Bodog, YOLO, and other category-defining platforms, bringing decades of experience at the highest levels of betting and gaming.
About 1kx
1kx is a research-driven, fundamentals-focused global investment firm. Founded in 2018 by tech entrepreneurs Lasse Clausen and Chris Heymann, 1kx invests at key inflection points for blockchain technologies to create breakthrough opportunities across industries. The firm’s mission is to develop the domain expertise and thought leadership required to accelerate the most consequential markets emerging at the intersection of blockchain and the broader economy. As one of the top-performing and most institutionalized funds in the blockchain space, 1kx partners with a diverse global investor base, including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, endowments, foundations, fund of funds, corporations, and family offices. Renowned for its hands-on approach, technical rigor, and unwavering long-term commitment to founders, 1kx has empowered over 150 visionary startups to scale transformative projects while delivering enduring returns for its investors.
To learn more, visit https://1kx.capital/ or @1kxnetwork on X.
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The decentralized physical infrastructure sector faces a reality check as investors debate if it can deliver beyond the hype.
Stablecoin-driven dusting attacks are increasingly shaping Ethereum’s daily activity profile. After the Fusaka upgrade, which aimed to cut on-chain data costs and streamline postings from layer-2 networks back to Ethereum, observers say cost reductions have coincided with a rise in tiny-value transfers. In practical terms, dusting is now contributing a meaningful share of on-chain activity, even as the majority of transfers remain economically meaningful.
Key takeaways
- The Fusaka upgrade lowered data-availability costs on Ethereum, leading to a noticeable uptick in overall transaction volume and active addresses. Daily transactions have exceeded 2 million on average, with a mid-January peak near 2.9 million and about 1.4 million daily active addresses—roughly a 60% uptick from prior baselines.
- Dusting activity tied to stablecoins now accounts for about 11% of daily transactions and 26% of active addresses on an average day, a sizable jump from pre-Fusaka levels of roughly 3–5% of transactions and 15–20% of addresses.
- Analyses of USDC and USDT on Ethereum from November 2025 to January 2026 show growing decentralization effects: approximately 43% of dust-related updates involve transfers under $1, and 38% under a single cent, highlighting wallets seeded with tiny amounts.
- Security researchers flag a surge in address creation linked to dusting, with a reported 170% rise in new addresses during the week of January 12, often tied to low gas fees and the ability to move minuscule sums cheaply.
- Despite the dusting trend, the majority of stablecoin activity remains organic. Roughly 57% of balance updates exceed $1, suggesting meaningful, economically relevant use alongside the dusting flow.
Tickers mentioned: $ETH, $USDC, $USDT
Sentiment: Neutral
Market context: The surge in on-chain activity coincides with broader shifts in gas economics and the adoption of layer-2 data posting, signaling a transitional period in Ethereum’s usage patterns as users navigate cheaper transaction costs and new data handling efficiencies.
Why it matters
Ethereum’s post-Fusaka landscape presents a nuanced picture for users, developers, and market observers. On the one hand, the upgrade has delivered tangible benefits: lower costs and improved throughput for posting data from layer-2 networks, which translates into more affordable interactions on the main chain. On the other hand, the same efficiency gains appear to have lowered the friction barrier for dusting campaigns—malicious attempts to seed wallets with tiny, nearly worthless amounts designed to contaminate transaction analytics and entice recipients to transact with the wrong counterparties.
Coin Metrics recently analyzed more than 227 million balance updates for USDC (USDC) and USDt (USDT) on Ethereum from November 2025 through January 2026. The findings show a shift in composition: while a portion of this activity clearly reflects genuine use (payments, settlements, liquidity provisioning), a non-trivial slice now consists of very small transfers that serve as digital footprints, wallet seeding attempts, or poisoning attempts. The data show that 43% of observed dust transfers were under $1, and 38% were under a single penny, underscoring the economic minimalism of many such transactions.
The number of addresses holding small “dust” balances, greater than zero but less than 1 native unit, has grown sharply, consistent with millions of wallets receiving tiny poisoning deposits.
Before Fusaka, stablecoin dust accounted for roughly 3–5% of Ethereum transactions and 15–20% of active addresses. Post-Fusaka, those figures climbed to about 10–15% of transactions and 25–35% of active addresses on a typical day, representing a two- to threefold increase in the dust footprint. Yet, the remaining 57% of balance updates involved transfers above $1, indicating that a significant portion of activity continues to reflect genuine economic activity rather than precautionary or malicious watering of the chain.
Post-Fusaka growth in activity reflects genuine usage, though dust activity is a factor worth noting when interpreting headline metrics.
Dusting has also produced tangible financial losses for some victims. One security researcher noted a reported $740,000 in losses tied to address poisoning attacks. In a striking display of scale, the top attacker executed nearly 3 million dust transfers at a cost of only about $5,175 in stablecoins, highlighting how cheap these techniques can be to deploy relative to the potential impact on victims and analytics platforms.
Dust does not represent genuine economic usage
Analysts emphasize that while stablecoin dust activity has surged, it does not necessarily reflect meaningful growth in demand for goods or services on the network. Rough estimates suggest that around 250,000 to 350,000 daily Ethereum addresses participate in stablecoin dust activity, a non-trivial but still partial window into Ethereum’s overall usage. The broader takeaway is that the network’s growth remains real in many dimensions, even as dust-related actions complicate the interpretation of raw metrics.
The majority of post-Fusaka growth reflects genuine usage, though dust activity is a factor worth noting when interpreting headline metrics.
What to watch next
- Monitoring the ongoing impact of Fusaka on gas pricing and data-posting efficiency across layer-2 ecosystems and any subsequent network upgrades.
- Tracking changes in dusting patterns as wallet hygiene tools and defender initiatives evolve, and as user education campaigns address address-poisoning risks.
- Observing whether regulatory guidance or industry standards lead to improved transparency around dust activity and its impact on on-chain analytics.
- Evaluating whether new anti-dust measures or protocol-level mitigations reduce the feasibility or profitability of dusting campaigns.
Sources & verification
- Coin Metrics, State of the Network, issue 349 (Substack) — analysis of stablecoin balance updates on Ethereum from November 2025 through January 2026.
- Coin Metrics balance updates for USDC (USDC) and USDt (USDT) on Ethereum — dataset cited in the analysis.
- Andrey Sergeenkov, observations on new wallet addresses and address-poisoning dynamics in January 2026.
- Cointelegraph — reporting on address poisoning attacks and the broader dusting phenomenon on Ethereum.
Dusting dynamics and the Fusaka uplift
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) has become a focal point for evaluating how protocol upgrades reshape user behavior and on-chain signals. The Fusaka upgrade, completed in December, broadened the network’s capacity to absorb data from layer-2 bridges and rollups by reducing the cost of posting information. As a result, average daily transactions crossed the 2 million mark, with a sharp jump to nearly 2.9 million in mid-January. Daily active addresses also rose to about 1.4 million, marking a 60% uplift from prior baselines. In this shifting environment, dusting activity has moved from a relatively modest slice of the activity pie to a more prominent feature of the daily ledger, complicating the task of parsing “real” usage from artificial traffic.
Coin Metrics’ analysis, based on a substantial data sample from USDC (USDC) and USDt (USDT), underscores a nuanced narrative. While a meaningful portion of dust transfers is sub-dollar in value, there remains a substantial portion of the activity above traditional thresholds that implies legitimate use—staking, payments, liquidity provisioning, and other routine operations. By juxtaposing post-Fusaka metrics with historical baselines, the report illustrates a two- to threefold expansion in stablecoin dust prevalence, without dismissing the persistent proportionality of bona fide usage on the network. The conversation around dust thus sits at the intersection of efficiency gains, on-chain economics, and security considerations for users navigating a more permissive but also more complex transaction landscape.
As researchers continue to scrutinize the data, the narrative remains that dusting is a real factor in Ethereum’s on-chain activity—but not a wholesale indictment of the network’s growth. The balance between authentic demand and opportunistic traffic will likely shape how developers and researchers frame Ethereum’s success in the months ahead. In the near term, users should remain vigilant about dust-induced address-poisoning vectors and ensure they transact with clear, verified destinations to minimize risk. The broader market will watch how these dynamics influence perceptions of network health, gas economics, and the resilience of security models in the wake of evolving usage patterns.
Crypto World
xMoney Appoints Raoul Pal as Strategic Advisor to Support the Next Phase of Global Payments
[PRESS RELEASE – Vaduz, Liechtenstein, February 3rd, 2026]
A globally respected investor and founder of Real Vision brings decades of financial market insight to xMoney’s leadership team
xMoney, a leading provider of compliant payment infrastructure bridging traditional finance and digital assets, today announced that Raoul Pal has joined the company as a Strategic Advisor.
Raoul Pal is one of the most widely respected macro thinkers of his generation. An investor, entrepreneur, and financial commentator, he has spent decades analyzing how money moves, how markets evolve, and how technological shifts reshape global financial systems. His appointment comes at a pivotal moment, as global payments transition toward regulated digital rails, stablecoins, and on-chain settlement.
With Raoul’s strategic guidance, xMoney aims to further strengthen its position at the intersection of payments, regulation, and digital assets – building infrastructure that enables seamless value transfer across traditional currencies, cryptocurrencies, and stablecoins.
A Career Spanning Global Finance and Digital Assets
Raoul began his career in traditional finance, holding senior roles at Goldman Sachs, where he led hedge fund sales for equities and derivatives in Europe, and later at GLG Partners, where he co-managed a global macro fund alongside some of the world’s most respected hedge fund managers.
In 2005, he founded Global Macro Investor (GMI), which has since become a trusted research platform for hedge funds, family offices, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, registered investment advisors, and high-net-worth investors worldwide. GMI is widely recognized for its independent macro research and strong long-term performance track record.
Raoul co-founded Real Vision in 2014, transforming financial media by making institutional-grade market intelligence accessible to a global audience. What began as a video-first platform evolved into a global financial knowledge network with millions of users across nearly every country.
The new xMoney advisor is also the co-founder of Exponential Age Asset Management (EXPAAM), an investment firm built specifically for the digital asset economy. Its flagship fund, the Exponential Age Digital Asset Fund, provides curated exposure to top crypto hedge funds by combining macroeconomic frameworks with deep digital asset research.
Supporting the Future of Payments
Raoul’s long-standing belief is that the world is experiencing a structural shift in money, technology, and market infrastructure – not a temporary trend. Payments, in particular, are undergoing one of the most significant transformations in decades.
Unlike many payment platforms that expand globally first and retrofit compliance later, xMoney has taken a regional-first approach, building its infrastructure within Europe, one of the most highly regulated financial environments in the world. This strategy enables xMoney to meet stringent regulatory standards from day one, while creating a scalable foundation for global expansion aligned with frameworks such as MiCA.
“Crypto only fulfills its promise when it disappears into the background,” said Raoul Pal. “The real winners will be the platforms that make global payments simple, compliant, and invisible. That’s what excites me the most about xMoney.”
As Strategic Advisor, Raoul will work closely with xMoney’s leadership team, focusing on long-term strategy, market structure, and anticipating how global money movement will evolve as regulated stablecoins, compliant on-chain settlement, and hybrid payment models become foundational financial infrastructure.
“We’re building payment rails for the future, starting in the most regulated markets first,” said Gregorious Siourounis, Co-Founder & CEO of xMoney. “That discipline gives us a structural advantage as digital assets move into mainstream finance. Raoul’s depth of experience, macro insight, and clarity of thought reinforce our belief that long-term winners in payments will be compliant, scalable, and globally interoperable.”
The appointment underscores xMoney’s commitment to building a compliant, scalable payment infrastructure that bridges traditional finance and Web3, enabling businesses and consumers to transact seamlessly across borders, currencies, and technologies.
About xMoney
xMoney is a pioneering payments company with strategic European licenses, focused on building a seamless, secure, and future-ready payments ecosystem. By combining cutting-edge technology, strong regulatory compliance, and a broad product suite spanning traditional and digital assets, xMoney bridges traditional finance and next-generation payment rails.
Website: www.xmoney.com
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TLDR
- Western Digital’s board approved an additional $4 billion for share repurchases on top of existing authorization
- The company had approximately $484 million remaining from its prior $2 billion buyback authorization from May 2024
- WDC shares rose about 5% in premarket trading following the announcement
- Stock has surged 57% year-to-date and more than tripled in value during 2024
- Global memory chip shortage is driving up prices and extending lead times as demand from AI and consumer electronics companies increases
Western Digital announced Tuesday that its board has greenlit an extra $4 billion for stock buybacks. The move comes as demand for memory chips used in AI servers continues to climb.
Western Digital Corporation, WDC
The company’s shares jumped roughly 5% in premarket trading. That adds to an already impressive 57% gain so far this year.
Last year was even better. The stock more than tripled in value during 2024.
As of Monday, Western Digital had about $484 million left from its previous buyback authorization. That program was worth $2 billion and started in May 2024.
CEO Irving Tan explained the thinking behind the decision. “Our capital allocation strategy balances reinvestment in the business, debt reduction, and capital returns to shareholders,” he said.
The new authorization takes effect immediately. But the company kept its options open.
Timing Depends on Market Conditions
Western Digital noted that the amount and timing of actual share repurchases will depend on market conditions. Other corporate considerations will also play a role.
The company can suspend or discontinue the program whenever it wants. That’s standard language for buyback programs.
The announcement comes as memory chip makers are riding a wave of demand. AI applications and consumer electronics companies are competing for limited supplies.
This competition has pushed prices higher. Lead times have also stretched out as manufacturers work to increase production capacity.
Last week, Western Digital released guidance that beat Wall Street expectations. The company forecast fiscal third-quarter revenue and profit above analyst estimates.
That optimism stems from sales of hard drives and flash storage for AI servers. These products are in high demand as companies build out their AI infrastructure.
Memory Chip Shortage Drives Growth
A global shortage of memory chips has intensified the competitive landscape. AI companies need these chips for their servers.
Consumer electronics makers also need them for their products. The result is a supply crunch that shows no signs of easing soon.
Manufacturers are scrambling to ramp up capacity. But building new production facilities takes time and massive investment.
The shortage has been good news for Western Digital and its peers. Memory product makers like Seagate Technology and others have seen their stocks soar over the past year.
Western Digital’s strong stock performance reflects this trend. The company is benefiting from its position in the memory chip market.
The $4 billion buyback authorization gives management flexibility. They can repurchase shares when they see value in the market.
Share buybacks can boost earnings per share by reducing the number of shares outstanding. They also signal management’s confidence in the company’s future.
Western Digital ended Monday with about $484 million available under its previous authorization. The new $4 billion adds substantially to that amount.
MetaMask has added access to more than 200 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs through a new integration with Ondo Finance, expanding users’ ability to trade traditional assets directly inside the wallet.
Summary
- Ondo’s tokenized stocks and ETFs are now available inside MetaMask.
- The integration allows users to access traditional assets without brokers.
- The move reflects growing demand for onchain financial products.
Ondo announced the update on Feb. 3, saying its Ondo Global Markets platform is now supported in MetaMask.
The integration allows eligible mobile users in supported regions to access tokenized equities, exchange-traded funds, and commodity-linked products without leaving the app or using third-party brokers.
Tokenized stocks and ETFs arrive inside MetaMask
The partnership gives MetaMask users access to tokenized versions of major U.S. stocks, including Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Amazon. In addition to individual stocks, traders can access tokenized ETFs such as IWM and QQQ. Tokenized funds also provide exposure to commodities such as gold, silver, copper, and rare earth metals.
Since its Sept. 2025 launch, Ondo Global Markets, the arm that issues these products, has grown significantly. The platform’s total value locked has now climbed past $500 million.
Although minting and redemption continue to follow traditional market hours, the tokens themselves can be transferred around the clock across Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain.
The integration brings traditional financial products into a self-custodial setting, allowing users to hold and move tokenized securities alongside cryptocurrencies. Ondo (ONDO) said this setup removes the need for separate brokerage accounts and reduces reliance on centralized platforms.
“MetaMask is where millions of users already manage their onchain assets, and integrating Ondo Global Markets introduces an entirely new asset class into that familiar wallet experience,” said Ian De Bode, President at Ondo Finance.
Joe Lubin, founder of Consensys and co-founder of Ethereum, said the move shows how crypto wallets can bridge traditional and onchain finance without sacrificing user control.
Ondo pushes deeper into institutional tokenization
Ondo revealed the MetaMask integration during the 2026 Ondo Summit in New York, using the stage to showcase how real-world assets can move onto the blockchain. The event brought together voices from banks, regulators, and financial firms, signaling growing momentum for blockchain-based solutions in traditional markets.
During the summit, Ondo outlined plans to grow its Global Markets platform to include thousands of tokenized securities, ranging from individual stocks to ETFs and mutual funds. Ondo Chain came up as well, with speakers emphasizing that it was built specifically to meet regulatory standards and institutional expectations.
Much of the conversation focused on how tokenization could speed up settlement, cut costs, and keep markets operating for longer hours. Several speakers also noted a shift in sentiment, saying banks and asset managers are becoming more open to regulated, onchain access to traditional financial products.
Market watchers view the MetaMask partnership as a practical step toward broader use of tokenized assets, particularly among retail users who already depend on self-custodial wallets for crypto and DeFi activity.
The national affiliate of the International Red Cross has rolled out a blockchain-based aid system that uses ZK proofs to protect sensitive data.
Crypto World
Bitwise Rolls Out Model Portfolio Solutions for Digital Assets on Major Advisory Platforms
TLDR:
- Bitwise introduces seven model portfolios across billion-dollar advisory platforms for crypto exposure.
- Model portfolios include Core options for broad exposure and Thematic models for specific crypto sectors.
- Portfolios offer crypto assets, crypto equities, and blended approaches with systematic rebalancing.
- Risk-managed options rotate between crypto futures and Treasuries based on momentum trading signals.
Bitwise has introduced Model Portfolio Solutions for Digital Assets, making them available across multiple billion-dollar advisory platforms.
The new offering provides financial advisors with seven professionally managed model portfolios designed to help clients access diversified cryptocurrency exposure through exchange-traded funds.
This development addresses a significant gap in the $645 billion model portfolio market, where advisors previously lacked structured options for navigating the expanding digital asset sector.
Comprehensive Portfolio Framework Addresses Growing Advisor Demand
The model portfolio market represents one of the primary channels through which financial advisors allocate assets for their clients. “Model portfolios are one of the most important ways financial advisors allocate to different assets,” according to the announcement.
Despite this market’s substantial size and influence on ETF flows, advisors have faced limited professionally managed solutions for cryptocurrency investments.
The company noted that “advisors have not had many professionally managed options to help them navigate the fast-growing crypto space.”
Bitwise’s new framework changes this dynamic by offering advisors a systematic approach to building crypto allocations.
The seven-model offering includes two distinct categories. Core portfolios deliver broad exposure to the cryptocurrency ecosystem through various investment vehicles. Meanwhile, thematic models concentrate on specific areas such as stablecoins and tokenization.
This structure allows advisors to match portfolio construction with individual client objectives and risk preferences.
As advisors weigh a growing number of cryptocurrency ETF options, “these models are designed to make it easy to build a crypto sleeve that’s tailored to their clients’ goals and preferences.” Bitwise maintains oversight through systematic monitoring and rebalancing procedures to control portfolio drift.
The portfolio options encompass different investment approaches to accommodate varying advisor and client needs. Some models focus exclusively on cryptocurrency assets, while others emphasize crypto-related equities.
Additional portfolios combine both asset types, providing blended exposure across the digital asset investment landscape.
Strategic Options Span Asset Classes and Investment Themes
The Bitwise Crypto Asset Portfolio employs market-cap weighting to deliver diversified cryptocurrency market exposure using spot crypto asset ETPs exclusively.
The offering aims to “offer diversified exposure to the crypto market using only spot crypto asset ETPs, giving investors direct exposure to the underlying crypto assets.”
Conversely, the Bitwise Crypto Equities Portfolio targets investors preferring exposure through publicly traded companies with traditional financial metrics.
The portfolio is “designed for investors who prefer owning real-world companies with revenues and earnings, as opposed to taking direct positions in the underlying spot crypto assets.”
The Bitwise Select Crypto Market Portfolio functions as the foundational offering, providing diversified exposure to major cryptocurrency assets and related equities while applying institutional risk screens.
For broader market coverage, the Bitwise Total Crypto Market Portfolio uses market-cap weighting across crypto investments and crypto-focused equity positions.
Thematic portfolios address specific cryptocurrency sectors and investment strategies. The Bitwise Select Stablecoin and Tokenization Portfolio targets “crypto assets and crypto-linked equities leading the growth of the stablecoin and tokenization ecosystems.”
The Bitwise Beyond Bitcoin Crypto Asset Portfolio serves investors seeking exposure to alternative cryptocurrencies.
It is “designed for investors who either already have significant bitcoin exposure or are looking to invest in crypto assets focused on ‘real-world use cases’ like stablecoins, tokenization, and decentralized finance.”
The models leverage “Bitwise’s eight-year track record in helping institutions and professional investors access crypto.”
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