A DePin company that has 3.5 million users and is currently raising for a Series A won this year’s PitchFest at Consensus Hong Kong.

Hong Kong-based zkME Technology won the $20,000 prize after a grueling two-day event where competitors positioned their solutions as key for various problems in the crypto sector.

“If DeFi really wants to become mainstream, this is the only solution,” said founder and CEO David Alexander Scheer.

Scheer told CoinDesk that 2026 is going to be “the year in which the lines between TradFi and DeFi converge” while remaining grounded, saying that Monday morning will be “back to work.”

The competition was judged by Alasdair Foster, CEO of Bullish Capital Management (the venture capital arm of CoinDesk parent Bullish Global); Augie Ilag, CMT Digital’s Head of Asia; Fabric Ventures co-founder Richard Muirhead and Ella Zhang, head of YZi Labs.

The three other finalists were Switzerland-based tokenized real world asset company OnchainLabs, U.S.-based DePin firm Coinbax and Hong Kong-based Hubble AI.

In the runner-up spot was Hubble AI, a company that lets users build bespoke trading strategies via prompts to its AI model.

“We provide infrastructure, not strategy,” the company’s CEO said during the pitch, responding to a question about how public the AI’s trading capability would be.

Onchain Labs co-founder Florian Ehrbar’s pitched Engage, a platform that lets crypto firms offer tokenized gold solutions and answered questions from the judges on revenue and user experience.

Peter Glyman, founder of CEO of Coinbax, explained how his company creates the infrastructure and smart contracts for crypto firms and has plans to rollout a mainnet in Q2 of this year

There were eight other semi-finalists including London-based tokenized real world asset project Agant, Barcelona-based Brickken, Hong Kong-based Satsume Labs, BetterX and OKcontract Labs from Singapore, Malaysian-based Morpheus AI, Japanese-based PokeSeed and Dubai-based Synnax Technologies FZCO.

• LINEA has surged 24% amid strong social engagement and trading volume.
• The launch of trustless agents and ERC‑8004 has boosted ecosystem adoption and interest.
• The immediate support in case of a pullback lies at $0.0037, while the immediate resistance is at $0.00413.

LINEA has surged by 24% in just 24 hours, marking one of its strongest short-term rallies in recent months.

The token is currently trading at $0.003805, recovering from a recent low of $0.002987.

This price jump comes after weeks of consolidation, where LINEA had been hovering in the $0.003–$0.004 range.

The sudden momentum signals a possible shift in market sentiment.

Recent catalysts driving the rally

One of the key drivers behind this surge is LINEA’s growing presence in the crypto community.

Social engagement metrics have shown that LINEA has outperformed other Layer‑2 projects in terms of mentions, interactions, and overall online attention.

This heightened activity appears to correlate with price movement, suggesting that increased visibility and investor interest are fueling the recent uptick.

Technical indicators also support the bullish momentum, with LINEA recently breaking above a multi-week resistance zone around $0.00370.

This breakout coincided with the token reclaiming its 20-day exponential moving average (EMA), which traders often see as a signal for short-term trend reversal.

Furthermore, momentum indicators, including the Relative Strength Index (RSI), are approaching overbought levels, indicating strong buying pressure but also cautioning that a brief pullback or consolidation could occur.

In addition, volume trends show a notable increase in trading activity, further reinforcing that the market is responding to both sentiment and technical factors.

Beyond market activity, developments in LINEA’s ecosystem are adding to optimism.

The launch of trustless agents powered by ERC‑8004 introduces verifiable identity and portable reputation for AI-driven smart contracts.

This feature positions LINEA as more than just a Layer‑2 scaling solution, highlighting its potential as a platform for next-generation decentralised applications.

Analysts suggest that these technological milestones could attract developers and new users, supporting both short-term interest and long-term adoption.

LINEA price forecast

Looking ahead, analysts predict that LINEA could continue to show volatility but remain within a defined range.

The token’s support level is around $0.00370, which traders will watch closely to gauge whether the recent breakout can hold.

Immediate resistance is near $0.00413, aligning with longer-term moving averages.

If LINEA breaks through this level, it could test higher targets, with analysts projecting potential upside toward $0.0939 by the end of the year.

Conversely, a failure to hold support could push the price down toward $0.0308, highlighting the token’s potential for significant swings.

Traders should monitor volume, sentiment, and key technical levels to navigate this highly dynamic market.

Overall, LINEA’s combination of social momentum, ecosystem development, and short-term bullish technical signals suggests that the token remains one to watch.

While risks remain, the current rally and forward-looking developments provide a compelling case for both traders and investors looking for opportunities in the Layer‑2 crypto space.

TLDR:

• RENDER processes record 1.5M frames monthly while token crashes 76% to $1.30 from May 2025 peak of $5.50 
• Network burned 1.04M tokens with 35% of all-time frames rendered in 2025 alone despite brutal price action 
• AI rendering launch and Dispersed.com platform expand services while trading volume collapses 87% in 30 days 
• 5,600 active GPU nodes and partnerships with Nvidia, Apple signal strong fundamentals amid $671M market cap
  

RENDER token crashes to $1.30 after plummeting 76% from its May 2025 high of $5.50, creating a stark disconnect between price action and explosive network growth.

The cryptocurrency’s market capitalization sits at $671 million following a 66% collapse from previous peaks, while the platform processes record-breaking 1.5 million frames monthly.

Trading volume of $28.7 million reflects an 87% monthly decline, yet network fundamentals surge to unprecedented levels across multiple metrics.

Price Crashes While Network Usage Explodes

The contrast between price performance and network activity reaches extreme levels. RENDER bleeds across all timeframes with a 3.59% drop in 24 hours, 17.63% decline over seven days, and catastrophic 49.97% collapse in 30 days.

Meanwhile, the network hit a monumental milestone of 67 million total frames rendered since inception. The data reveals something remarkable: 35% of all-time frames were processed in 2025 alone, making it the strongest year in platform history.

Network infrastructure expanded dramatically during the price decline. Active GPU nodes grew to 5,600 contributors powering the distributed rendering network.

Token burns reached 1.04 million RENDER tokens through network fee mechanisms. Monthly frame processing hit an all-time record of 1.5 million, demonstrating actual usage growth while token holders suffer massive losses. The divergence between utility metrics and price creates a puzzling scenario for market participants.

Social indicators suggest accumulation despite the carnage. Sentiment analysis shows 80% positive outlook among community members.

Social dominance spiked 158% while AltRank climbed 270 positions in just 30 days. Volume collapse of 87% over the past month signals capitulation-level selling or complete trader exhaustion. The question becomes whether this represents final washout or further downside ahead.

GPU demand for artificial intelligence workloads surges globally while RENDER prices tank. The platform sits at the intersection of two massive narratives: AI infrastructure and decentralized physical infrastructure networks.

Enterprise-grade hardware onboarding through RNP-021 brings NVIDIA H200 and AMD MI300X chips to the network.

These developments target professional-grade computational workloads worth billions in traditional cloud markets.

AI Expansion Launches as Token Holders Face Pain

RENDER launched AI rendering capabilities on January 26, 2026, marking a strategic pivot beyond traditional graphics rendering.

The Dispersed.com platform went live, aggregating global GPU resources for machine learning and AI model training.

This infrastructure directly addresses exploding demand for computational power in the AI sector. Partnerships with Nvidia, Apple, and Stability AI validate the technical approach and market positioning.

The fundamentals tell an insane story of growth. Processing 1.5 million frames monthly while burning over one million tokens creates deflationary pressure amid increasing utility. Network activity proves real users pay real fees for real computational work.

Enterprise GPU integration brings institutional-grade hardware to a decentralized network. The technical roadmap advances with Octane 2026 integration scheduled and RenderCon 2026 event planned.

Price action tells a brutal counter-narrative. The 76% collapse from $5.50 to $1.30 destroys holder value across the board. Market capitalization evaporated from roughly $1.9 billion to $671 million in less than a year.

Trading volume contraction suggests either accumulation by strong hands or complete market disinterest. Traditional investors face cognitive dissonance: fundamentals scream strength while charts scream weakness.

The setup creates a classic value versus momentum dilemma. Bears point to relentless selling pressure and macro headwinds crushing all risk assets.

Bulls highlight record network usage, strategic partnerships, and positioning in high-growth AI markets. The 87% volume decline could signal final capitulation or prolonged bear market ahead.

Either scenario presents radically different outcomes for current price levels and future potential.

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) treasury company Strategy will lean more heavily on its perpetual preferred stock program to finance additional Bitcoin purchases, moving away from a reliance on issuing common stock. CEO Phong Le outlined the pivot during Bloomberg’s The Close, explaining that the company intends to shift from equity capital to preferred capital as a core funding channel. The move centers on Stretch (STRC), Strategy’s perpetual preferred offering launched in July, which targets investors seeking steadier returns through an annual dividend north of 11%. The instrument has been positioned as an alternative to diluting the company’s stock while it continues to amass BTC holdings. The development comes as Strategy eyes a broader rollout of STRC later in the year, signaling a potential shift in how corporate treasuries wield equity-like instruments to grow crypto reserves.

Le emphasized that the preferred stock will “take some seasoning” and marketing before traders fully embrace the product, but he remained upbeat about STRC’s trajectory. He told The Close that, in the course of this year, Stretch could become a cornerstone offering for Strategy as it seeks to fund further Bitcoin acquisitions. The company’s financing strategy has repeatedly leaned on STRC to finance BTC purchases since its inception, providing a mechanism to accumulate digital assets without triggering immediate dilution of common equity. The approach is part of a broader class of crypto treasuries that use perpetual preferreds to balance income generation with asset accumulation.

STRC, which was introduced to market as Strategy’s fourth perpetual preferred instrument, was explicitly designed to appeal to buyers seeking long-term stability. It carries an annual dividend and is marketed as a capital-structure play rather than a plain equity raise. The instrument’s structure aims to deliver predictable income while enabling Strategy to keep building its Bitcoin stack. The narrative around STRC has fed into a wider discussion about how corporate treasuries are managing liquidity, risk, and exposure to crypto markets without immediately triggering shareholder dilution. Critics, however, have warned that the space has grown crowded and that some companies’ holdings now exceed their market capitalization, raising questions about concentration risk and governance.

Strategy could restart offerings as STRC hits $100

In late trading, STRC regained its par value of $100 for the first time since mid-January, a development Le described as the “story of the day.” The move back to par could unlock renewed appetite for STRC issuances, potentially enabling Strategy to fund additional Bitcoin purchases without issuing new common shares. Earlier this month, the stock traded under $94 when Bitcoin briefly slid below $60,000, underscoring how BTC price dynamics can influence the attractiveness of STRC as a funding mechanism. With Bitcoin trading roughly around $66,800, the market environment remains relatively constructive for asset accumulation through alternative financing vehicles, even as volatility lingers on near-term horizons.

Bitcoin’s price trajectory has been steady but not spectacular in the immediate term, hovering around the mid-$66,000s after peaking above $68,000 intraday. The price backdrop supports narratives that corporate treasuries can pursue more disciplined, income-generating avenues for finance, while still chasing the long-term upside of BTC exposure. The evolving dynamics around STRC and similar instruments come as crypto returns and risk sentiment influence decisions across corporate balance sheets, with issuers seeking to optimize cost of capital and dilution concerns in parallel.

Buying Bitcoin treasury rivals a “distraction”

Analysts have cautioned that the crypto treasury space is becoming crowded as several firms vie for a relatively small pool of traders and investors. In a crowded market, some observers warn that corporate treasuries could face diminishing marginal value as more players announce similar funding structures. The fragmentation raises questions about price discovery, liquidity, and the true strategic value of perpetual preferreds in maintaining BTC accumulation over the long run.

Related: Saylor’s Strategy buys $90M in Bitcoin as price trades below cost basis

Beyond pure competition concerns, Le dismissed the notion that Strategy would pursue aggressive consolidation through acquisitions of underperforming peers. He argued that focusing on the core STRC product is preferable to pursuing opportunistic takeovers, likening the approach to other technology or finance markets where companies emphasize product development over opportunistic acquisitions. “In any new market, whether it be electric cars or AI or SaaS software, you want to focus on your core product,” Le said. “It would be a distraction to go buy, at a discount to net asset value, another digital asset treasury company.”

As the wider market digests these developments, Strategy’s stock, traded as MSTR, closed down more than 5% at $126.14, reflecting a sentiment that remains cautious in the near term even as STRC gains traction. The price action underscores the delicate balance investors weigh between funded BTC accumulation and the potential dilution risk associated with new equity or preferred stock offerings. The discussion around STRC also feeds into broader debates about how corporate treasuries manage risk, yield, and the opportunity cost of capital when BTC becomes a strategic asset rather than a speculative instrument.

To contextualize the conversation, industry observers have pointed to a broader trend: as more companies adopt crypto treasuries, the market could see consolidation through mergers and acquisitions or more aggressive share-issuing strategies when faced with capital needs. Yet Strategy’s leadership seems intent on refining its preferred-stock route rather than chasing rapid expansion through bolder balance-sheet moves. The decision to prioritize a steady, dividend-bearing instrument aligns with a philosophy of measured growth and risk control, even as BTC remains a volatile, high-beta asset that can swing strategic outcomes in a single trading session.

In parallel, the crypto treasury sector has become a focal point for investors seeking visibility into how corporate treasuries navigate liquidity, risk, and regulatory constraints. Analysts suggest that while the category has matured in some respects, it remains a moving target shaped by Bitcoin’s price action, macroeconomic conditions, and evolving market structure. The emergence of streaming discussions around STRC and similar products indicates a willingness among issuers to experiment with bespoke capital-structure solutions as legitimate means of funding crypto purchases. The question remains: how durable will these instruments prove in different market regimes, and will investor demand stabilize as more issuers publish performance data and governance disclosures?

Why it matters

For investors, Strategy’s pivot toward preferred stock as a primary funding mechanism highlights a shift in how crypto treasuries can balance income with exposure to Bitcoin outright. The STRC instrument promises yield and stability, potentially reducing the pressure to issue more common stock and mitigate dilution. If STRC continues to perform and attract sufficient investor interest, Strategy could emerge as a case study for how treasuries combine traditional fixed-income features with crypto exposure to create a hybrid financing model.

From a market perspective, the development reinforces the idea that institutional players are increasingly treating BTC as a fundamental corporate asset rather than a speculative risk. The use of perpetual preferreds could provide a template for other issuers seeking to augment BTC reserves without triggering immediate equity dilution. Yet the crowded nature of the space also invites closer scrutiny of governance, risk management, and the alignment of incentives between a company’s treasury activities and shareholder interests. The balance between discipline in funding and the pursuit of BTC upside remains a central tension, one that Strategy appears intent on navigating with caution and clarity.

For builders and researchers, the case raises questions about the transparency of crypto-treasury deals, the long-term performance of perpetual preferreds in crypto contexts, and how such instruments should be regulated as they gain traction in mainstream finance. The evolving narrative around STRC and related products could influence product design, disclosure standards, and investor education as more firms explore innovative capital-structure solutions to support digital-asset accumulation.

What to watch next

• Progress in STRC marketing and adoption, including any new issuances or marketing milestones (dates to watch).
• Bitcoin price movements and any corresponding shifts in Strategy’s BTC purchase cadence or balance-sheet disclosures.
• Regulatory developments affecting corporate crypto treasuries and preferred-stock financings.
• Q3 and Q4 earnings context for Strategy (or related entities) that could reflect changes in capital-raising strategies.
• Market sentiment indicators for crypto treasuries, including liquidity and trading volumes for perpetual-preferred products.

Sources & verification

• Bloomberg – Phong Le interview on The Close discussing Strategy’s move from equity capital to preferred capital and STRC’s role (YouTube link provided in original coverage).
• Cointelegraph – Strategy raises $2B in preferred stock to back Bitcoin purchases (article detailing STRC launch and purpose).
• Cointelegraph – Why Saylor’s Strategy keeps buying Bitcoin: Long-term investment rationale and treasury approach.
• Cointelegraph – Saylor/Strategy buys $90M in Bitcoin as price trades below cost basis (context on BTC purchases and treasury activity).
• Cointelegraph – Crypto treasury more merger/acquisition cycle mature (analysis of competitive dynamics in the treasury space).

What to watch next

Market development and official disclosures in the coming quarters will be critical to assess STRC’s effectiveness as a funding tool and Strategy’s broader strategy for growing its BTC holdings through preferred-stock issuances.

The American Bankers Association (ABA) is urging the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to slow its approval of national trust bank charters for crypto and stablecoin firms until the regulatory landscape under the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act is clearer. 

In a Wednesday comment letter on the OCC’s national bank chartering notice of proposed rulemaking, the trade group warned that recent and future applicants engaged in stablecoin and digital asset activities face still‑unsettled oversight from multiple federal and state regulators. 

The ABA said that the OCC should not advance applications where an institution’s full regulatory obligations, including under forthcoming GENIUS Act rulemakings, are not yet fully defined.

​The association warned that uninsured, digital asset‑focused national trusts raise unresolved safety and soundness, operational and resolution issues, particularly around the segregation of customer assets, conflicts of interest and cybersecurity. 

Related: OCC boss says ‘no justification’ to judge banks and crypto differently

It also cautioned that national trust charters could be used to avoid registration and scrutiny by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) when firms engage in activities that would otherwise trigger securities or derivatives regulation. 

The ABA urged the OCC to be “patient,” resist applying traditional timing expectations to these applications, and ensure each charter applicant’s regulatory responsibilities “come fully into view” before moving applications forward. 

​The association further called for greater transparency around how the OCC calibrates capital, operational and resilience standards in conditional approvals for crypto‑related charters, and pressed the agency to tighten naming rules so that limited‑purpose trust banks that are not engaged in the business of banking cannot use “bank” in their names. 

That, it argued, would reduce the risk of consumer confusion about the status and safety of obligations at uninsured entities.

Related: Stablecoin rewards provisions face industry test in Senate crypto bill

​Warning after new crypto trust charters

The intervention comes less than two months after the OCC granted conditional national trust bank approvals to five crypto firms: Bitgo Bank & Trust, Fidelity Digital Assets, Ripple National Trust Bank, First National Digital Currency Bank, and Paxos Trust Company.

On Dec. 12, 2025, the OCC greenlighted a path for these companies to hold and manage customer digital assets under a federal charter while remaining outside the deposit-taking and lending business. 

The same banking lobby is also pressing Congress, through pending crypto market structure legislation such as the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, to curb stablecoin rewards, contending that yield‑bearing stablecoins and affiliate “rewards” programs would function as bank‑like products without being subject to the full bank regulatory regime.

Magazine: When privacy and AML laws conflict — Crypto projects’ impossible choice