Crypto World
The Autonomous Web Agent Revolution is Here
Introduction
Runner H is a groundbreaking product recently launched by H Company, designed to redefine how artificial intelligence interacts with the internet. More than just a software tool, Runner H is a complete autonomous web browsing agent. Paired with the open-source Surfer H framework and the Hollow One family of vision-language models, it is setting a new standard for intelligent automation. This article explores the mechanics behind this innovation, its real-world applications, and the reasons it is being described as a breakthrough in browser-based automation. The project is particularly notable for its open-source approach and the high level of transparency in its technical documentation and research methodology.
What is Runner H and How Does it work
Runner H functions as a digital assistant that receives a task in natural language and executes it independently. Users can request operations such as searching for active listings on eBay, compiling information into a Google Sheet, or navigating complex websites. The agent follows instructions by visually interpreting websites just as a human would, performing clicks, scrolling, typing, and even validating the results of its actions. It can work across several tasks simultaneously, which opens the door to impressive levels of productivity in both consumer and enterprise use cases.
Surfer H: The Open Source Framework
At the heart of this system is Surfer H, a framework built to empower agents to operate with human-like behaviour in web environments. It does not rely on APIs, structured data access, or pre-defined site integrations. Instead, the system uses screenshots to understand the interface and generate a plan of action. The architecture is composed of three essential components. The Policy module determines what actions should be taken to complete the task. The Localiser identifies where on the screen to interact by predicting coordinates based on the content of screenshots. Finally, the Validator reviews the outcome of each action and confirms whether the task was completed correctly. If not, it feeds back that information and the agent iterates accordingly, refining its strategy until the goal is met or the cost or time budget is reached.
Hollow One Models: Small, Fast and Open
The models behind this system belong to the Hollow One family. These are compact, efficient vision-language models specifically designed for interpreting web interfaces. Available openly on Hugging Face, they are trained to understand UI images and respond to tasks such as “Book a hotel in Paris for three nights in August.” The model generates a navigation sequence, identifies the relevant parts of the screen, and proceeds as if it were a user. This approach works regardless of the underlying code or document structure of the website. It means the agent can navigate any site as long as it can see it. Developers can even download, fine-tune, and redeploy these models for custom use cases, ensuring full flexibility and long-term viability.
Research Highlights: How Surfer H Works
The research paper released by H Company provides a detailed explanation of the system. It presents Surfer H as a visual web retrieval agent trained through reinforcement learning techniques. The agent does not use the document object model or accessibility trees but instead relies entirely on visual input and learned behaviour. The three-part system is tightly integrated. The Policy module suggests what to do. The Localiser figures out where to do it. The Validator confirms if it was done correctly. If the result is unsatisfactory, the system updates its memory and revises its actions. This loop continues until the task is completed or a cost or time limit is reached. What makes this setup so powerful is that it mirrors human decision-making without depending on brittle or hard-coded logic.
Benchmark Results and Performance
In performance tests, particularly the Web Voyager benchmark, Runner H, powered by Hollow One, achieved a state-of-the-art success rate of 92.2 per cent. It also demonstrated exceptional cost efficiency. For example, while using the 7 billion parameter version of Hollow One, each task cost only 13 cents. In contrast, using Surfer H with GPT-4 yielded a lower success rate at a significantly higher cost per task. These results highlight the strategic balance between accuracy and computational cost that Hollow One achieves. Charts in the official documentation demonstrate that Hollow One models consistently outperform their peers in both precision and economic value, making them an ideal choice for real-world deployment.
Why This Matters: Real-World Use Cases
One of the most powerful demonstrations of Runner H is its ability to handle tasks in parallel. Multiple agents can be launched simultaneously, each pursuing a different task. This level of scalability makes it suitable for enterprise automation scenarios, such as data extraction, lead generation, content monitoring, or customer service integration. For small teams and startups, the open-source nature of the tool allows for experimentation and implementation without major upfront costs, levelling the playing field for innovation.
Integrations, Autonomy, and Control
Additionally, Runner H includes native support for popular platforms and services. It can integrate with Google Docs, Google Sheets, Notion, Slack, and Zapier. Users can upload files as context, connect their accounts for seamless access, and even set up autonomous workflows that involve document generation or API interaction. Soon, payment capabilities will also be introduced, allowing agents to perform online purchases or transactions on behalf of users. Another feature worth noting is the customisation of automation depth, letting users choose between high human involvement or full autonomy depending on the use case and level of trust in the agent’s ability.
Tester H: Automated Web QA is Coming
H Company has also introduced Tester H, a related product currently in private beta. It enables fully automated quality assurance testing for websites and applications. By writing natural language test scenarios like “Open Airbnb and confirm the image of the orange bed appears,” users can automate UI testing without scripting. This complements the broader ecosystem being built around intelligent browser agents. Once Tester H is fully released, it could revolutionise the way software development teams validate their releases and deploy code safely.
A General and Scalable Solution
What truly differentiates Runner H and Surfer H from other automation platforms is their generality. Most browser automation tools depend on specific integrations or developer-maintained scripts. Runner H requires none of that. It is capable of understanding, reasoning, and interacting with any interface it can see. This makes it ideal for environments where APIs do not exist or where flexibility and adaptability are paramount. Because the system is model-agnostic, it can be paired with various large language models and vision systems, giving organisations the ability to choose the right balance of speed, price, and performance.
Conclusion
In summary, H Company’s release of Runner H and Surfer H is a major milestone in the evolution of web automation. By combining advanced vision-language models with an intuitive and robust framework, they have built an open system that performs human-level web tasks at scale, with minimal setup and outstanding accuracy. Whether used in research, industry, or everyday productivity, Runner H represents the next phase of digital agents. It is autonomous, intelligent, efficient, and fully open to the world. This is not only a technical achievement but a signal that the future of AI-driven human-computer interaction is more accessible and flexible than ever before.
Polymarket is taking its brand offline, opening a free grocery store in New York City and backing it with a $1 million donation to fight food insecurity.
Summary
- Polymarket will open a free grocery store in NYC on Feb. 12, open to all residents.
- The company donated $1 million to Food Bank For New York City.
- The move blends community support with a high-profile brand push.
Polymarket, the crypto-based prediction market platform, announced on Feb. 3 that it will open New York City’s first free grocery store later this month as part of a community-focused initiative.
The pop-up store, called “The Polymarket,” is set to open on Feb. 12 at noon ET and will offer groceries at no cost to visitors. The company said no purchase will be required, and the store will be open to all New Yorkers. Polymarket has not yet disclosed the exact location.
Alongside the launch, Polymarket donated $1 million to Food Bank For New York City, a non-profit that supports hunger relief across all five boroughs. The company described the donation as part of its effort to give back to the city it calls home.
A physical bet on community impact
Polymarket framed the project as a “real, physical investment” in New York. The company said the store will be fully stocked and emphasized that the initiative is meant to address food insecurity rather than function as a traditional retail operation.
Food Bank For New York City said the donation will support its ongoing work to expand access to food and strengthen long-term food security. Polymarket encouraged members of the public to contribute to the organization as well.
Sources familiar with the project say the grocery store is expected to run for a limited time, likely spanning several days around the opening weekend.
Marketing push amid rising competition
The move also comes as competition heats up among U.S.-based prediction market platforms. Rival Kalshi earlier staged a smaller free grocery giveaway in New York, prompting comparisons between the two campaigns.
Both efforts echo campaign rhetoric from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who previously floated the idea of city-run grocery stores. Polymarket currently hosts active markets tied to whether such stores will open in the city by mid-2026, adding another layer of symbolism to the initiative.
The launch follows a busy stretch for Polymarket. In late January, the platform announced a multi-year partnership with Major League Soccer, becoming the league’s official prediction market partner. On Feb. 2, Polymarket integrated with decentralized exchange aggregator Jupiter, allowing users to access markets directly on Solana.
The company is also navigating regulatory pressure. A Nevada state court issued a temporary restraining order last week preventing Polymarket’s U.S. affiliate from offering certain contracts to Nevada residents, with a hearing scheduled for Feb. 11.
There’s always a bull market somewhere.
While bitcoin and shares of bitcoin holder Strategy are falling, an exchange-traded fund designed to move in the opposite direction of MSTR and double its daily change has hit a record high.
That exchange-traded fund is the GraniteShares 2x Short MSTR Daily ETF, trading under the ticker MSDD on Nasdaq. It is an actively managed fund designed to deliver -200% of the Strategy’s daily performance. In simple terms, if MSTR falls 2% in a day, the ETF targets a 4% gain that same day (before fees/decay).
The fund debuted on Jan. 10, 2025 and is seen as a high-risk short-term tactical tool for bears betting against MSTR. And it has lived up to its repute.
MSDD’s price hit a record high of $114 on Tuesday, up 13.5% on the year, extending the past year’s 275% surge, according to data source TradingView.
MSDD’s compatriot, the Defiance Daily Target 2x Short MSTR ETF (SMST), also clocked an 11-month high of $113 on Tuesday. This fund debuted on Nasdaq in August 2024.
In other words, MSTR bears out there who loaded up on these ETFs have made a killing.
Strategy fell to $126 on Tuesday, the lowest since September 2024, extending its multi-month bear market. The stock is now down a staggering 76% from its lifetime high of $543 in November last year.
Strategy is the world’s largest publicly listed bitcoin holder, stashing 713,502 BTC ($54.24 billion) at press time. Naturally, its share price tends to follow swings in bitcoin’s market value.
Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency by market value, has dropped 12% this year and traded as low as $73,000 on Tuesday. That was the weakest since late 2024. Since then, prices have bounced back to $76,000, thanks to narrowly approved funding package that alleviated near-term U.S. shutdown risk and stabilized risk sentiment in financial markets.
“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.
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