Binance Labs, the venture capital arm and incubator of Binance Holdings, is getting a fresh start as Changpeng Zhao transitions it into a family office.

On Jan. 23, Binance Labs announced its rebranding to YZi Labs and unveiled a new leadership team led by Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao, known also as CZ.

According to the announcement, CZ will run YZi Labs alongside Ella Zhang, who co-founded Binance Labs in 2018. During her tenure at the VC platform, Zhang oversaw the incubation of multiple crypto projects that have grown into top ecosystems in the market, including Polygon, Injective, Dune Analytics, Certik, and SafePal.

Under its new family office initiative, YZi Labs will expand its focus beyond cryptocurrency and blockchain. The announcement highlighted new areas of investment, including artificial intelligence, web3 and biotechnology.

“Rebranding to YZi Labs is more than a name change—it signifies an expanded vision as we broaden our horizons to include transformative sectors like AI and biotech,”  CZ said.

Zhao stepped down as Binance CEO in 2023 after reaching a settlement with U.S. authorities. He also served a four-month prison sentence in the U.S. before returning to the industry following his release from a correctional facility in California on Sept. 27, 2024.

Binance’s decision to sever ties with its VC arm began taking shape after CZ’s release. In a post on X following his incarceration, Zhao stated that he would focus on “impact” investments rather than financial returns. He also announced plans for an educational project called Giggle Academy.

With YZi Labs, CZ plans to refine the venture capital unit’s incubation program, which will include reintroducing residency initiatives for project founders. The firm will also continue to support its existing portfolio of 250 projects.

Bitcoin’s price actions were somewhat dull for most of the day, but the asset went on a wild rollercoaster in the past hour or so, pumping and dumping by several grand.

This has caused a lot of pain for over-leveraged traders, with more than 120,000 such market participants getting wrecked in the past 24 hours.

As reported earlier today, the primary cryptocurrency had started to lose traction following the Monday drop, subsequent all-time high, and yet another decline, and stood at $102,000. Its value decreased a bit more as the day progressed and slipped to $101,200.

It recovered some ground to $102,000 but then exploded out of the blue to $106,000 within minutes. This somewhat surprising rally was met by a steep rejection that pushed it south to $102,500 before the bulls sent it to $104,000 as of now.

Perhaps the most evident reason behind this substantial volatility is a cryptic couple of tweets by US Senator from Wyoming – Cynthia Lummis. The long-term BTC supporter, who has actively been pushing for a Bitcoin reserve in the US, used the asset’s logo to say, “₿ig things are coming” at 10 AM (probably EST).

Although that time has passed and there’s no big announcement yet, her comments were seen by almost 4 million people in an hour, which could explain the hype around BTC.

Fox Business’ Eleanor Terrett picked up the post and said that Lummis is likely to be voted in to become the chair of the digital asset subcommittee.

The Senate Banking Committee is set to vote at a 10AM EST markup on @SenLummis becoming chair of the digital assets subcommittee.

Unclear if anything else will be announced. https://t.co/OfTE4WHd7I

— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) January 23, 2025

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Data from CoinGlass shows that the total value of liquidations is up to $300 million on a daily scale, with 124,000 traders wrecked within the same timeframe. The biggest liquidated position took place on OKX and was worth almost $6 million.

BlackRock, one of the biggest investment companies in the world, has given crypto enthusiasts a new reason to be excited. Its CEO, Larry Fink, has said that Bitcoin can be expected to make huge price moves, potentially reaching the $700K mark soon.

The BlackRock CEO explained how political and economic instability is acting as a catalyst for Bitcoin, which serves as an internationally recognized currency free from any local fears. What’s more, Bitcoin is still holding steady above $104K, with a 12% uptick in the last month.

With all the signs looking positive for BTC, and keeping in mind that the overall crypto market follows Bitcoin’s footprints, now is one of the best times to be a crypto investor. To help you out, here are 5 crypto presales that can offer up to a 100x return.

1. Wall Street Pepe ($WEPE) – Overall Best Crypto Presale for First-Time Investors

Wall Street Pepe ($WEPE) has undoubtedly been one of the best crypto presale performances to date. Launched just over a month ago, $WEPE’s presale has already raised over $57.5M, with both retailers and whales gobbling it up at a breakneck pace.

The presale ends in 24 days, so this could be your last chance to grab one of the best meme coins.

What makes Wall Street Pepe stand out is its personal vendetta against crypto whales, who have been abusing insider information to manipulate the crypto market and feast on innocent retailers.

The project aims to eliminate this lopsidedness by creating a frog army of retail investors and providing them with unique market insights, trading strategies, and real-time alpha calls.

If you, too, want to beat the market and become a profitable crypto investor, join the $WEPE army for just $0.0003665 per token. For more, here’s how to buy $WEPE.

2. Solaxy ($SOLX) – World’s First-Ever Layer 2 Solana Ecosystem

Solaxy ($SOLX) has been created to unlock the full potential of Solana, which currently struggles with issues like network congestion, failed transactions, and limited scalability. Solaxy has set aside a healthy 30% of its total token supply to resolve these issues.

After raising $350K in the first 24 hours, the $SOLX presale is still going strong, with the total presale purse reaching over $13M. Don’t miss out on one of the next 100x meme coins, and get some for only $0.001612 each. Here’s a guide on how to buy $SOLX.

3. Mind of Pepe ($MIND) – AI Agent Offering Crypto Investment Advice

MIND of Pepe ($MIND) is a self-sovereign AI agent with the ability to adapt and form his own opinions, as well as drive conversations and trends on dApps and online platforms such as X.

$MIND uses hive-mind analysis to identify market trends before anybody else. He’ll then share his insights and access to new investment opportunities on his X and Telegram channels, giving token holders a real edge in the market.

You can grab the best AI agent coin for just $0.0031762 if you get in now — here’s how to buy $MIND. Prices increase in the next 11 hours, so interested investors should hurry up.

4. Rexas Finance ($RXS) – Transforming Real-World Asset Tokenization

$RXS is the native currency of Rexas Finance, an interesting crypto project that’s tokenizing real-world assets, such as real estate, gold, art, and commodities. The biggest benefit of this platform is that it simplifies investments.

Investing in gold and other precious metals, for instance, will no longer be difficult and will involve just a few clicks.

Plus, token holders will get to participate in fractional ownership. For example, let’s say there’s a massive mansion spread across multiple acres of land, and you don’t have enough funds to buy it all by yourself.

In that case, you can use Rexas to own a fraction of the property for a fraction of the price. Speaking of $RXS’s presale, it’s coming to an end, meaning prices aren’t as low as they were, say, a couple of months ago.

However, they’re still the lowest you’ll ever get them for. Each token is priced at $0.200, with the total presale funding at $43M so far. Out of the 500,000,000 total token supply, 434,925,318 have already been sold.

5. LuckHunter ($LHUNT) – Online Casino Where You Can Create a Custom Metaverse

$LHUNT is the official token of the LuckHunter online casino. The platform itself is like any other: you can play casino games, bet, and win. However, what makes it unique is it lets you create a metaverse of your own digital casinos that you can rent.

These casinos will be based in different cities, Las Vexus and Utlantic City (modeled after the real Las Vegas and Atlantic City), and you can lease the tables at your virtual casino for short-term or long-term profits.

You can also customize the tables and ambiance and create your own gaming rules. What’s more, you can even host VIP events involving high-stakes games and special tournaments to earn luxurious rewards.

1 $LHUNT is currently available for $0.00138, but the price will increase by 10.5% as it enters the next stage of presale in just a couple of hours from now.

Having already raised $1.1M in its ongoing presale, $LHUNT’s official website mentions that its potential listing price will be $0.005, which is more than 260% of the current price.

Bottom Line

While there’s little doubt that the above-mentioned crypto presales can go to the moon in 2025, it’s important to mix caution with chaos and only invest an amount you’re comfortable losing. There will be ups and downs, so make sure you do enough cardio to prepare your heart!

Also, none of the above is financial advice, and we highly recommend doing your own research (DYOR) before investing.

In today’s issue, Alec Beckman from Advantage Blockchain explains stablecoins and their growing use cases for institutions and advisors.

Then, CK Zheng from ZX Squared Capital shares tips on preparing for tax season in Ask and Expert.

– Sarah Morton

You’re reading Crypto for Advisors, CoinDesk’s weekly newsletter that unpacks digital assets for financial advisors. Subscribe here to get it every Thursday.

Stablecoin Use Case for Advisors

One of the primary hurdles for blockchain adoption to date has been utility, especially when looking through the lens of financial advisors and how these public blockchains and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols can impact their clients.

Stablecoins – digital currencies pegged to stable assets like the U.S. dollar – have emerged as a powerful tool for modernizing savings, payments, and settlement processes. These innovations present a significant opportunity for advisors to enhance the value they offer to clients while staying ahead of market trends.

How can advisors leverage stablecoins to streamline operations, reduce costs, and provide cutting-edge financial solutions? Here’s how stablecoins can become a transformative tool for your clients:

Savings account / going bankless

• Financial Inclusion: Stablecoins provide a way for clients to store value outside of traditional banking systems, granting access to financial services for the unbanked or underbanked. Anyone with an internet connection can use stablecoins.
• Stability: Unlike volatile cryptocurrencies, full-reserve, dollar-backed stablecoins maintain a consistent value (ex. USDC is tied to the value of $1).
• Liquidity & Accessibility: Funds in stablecoins are globally accessible 24/7, offering liquidity without dependence on conventional banking hours.
• Better Yield: Using on-chain finance, stablecoins can generate significantly more yield than a savings account (Ex. Coinbase offers slightly over 4% APY, beating traditional savings accounts).
• Self Custody: Many people, including myself, have been held up by a third-party custodian or bank. If someone can keep you from spending/sending money, it is not your money. The ability to self custody your own assets provides a more seamless way of transacting your own funds.

Payments

• Efficiency: Transactions using stablecoins are fast and cost-effective with no global restrictions, relevant for those sending payments domestically or cross-border.
• Value Retention: The stability of these digital assets ensures that the amount sent is equal to the amount received.
• Adoption by Institutions: Financial institutions are recognizing stablecoins as a complementary payment system, signaling growing mainstream acceptance.
• Adoption by Commerce: Stablecoins are less costly and more efficient than credit card payments for merchants.

Settlement

• Instantaneous Transactions: Settlements via stablecoins are near instantaneous, improving liquidity and reducing counterparty risks for clients managing high-value transactions.
• Lower Costs: By eliminating traditional clearing and settlement processes, stablecoins significantly reduce fees.
• Global Versatility: Whether your clients are trading internationally or managing investments across borders, stablecoins streamline and simplify the settlement process.

Real-world application: SpaceX’s strategic use of stablecoins

SpaceX uses stablecoins to manage foreign exchange (FX) risks from its global Starlink operations. SpaceX shields itself from FX volatility by collecting payments in various currencies and converting them into stablecoins. The stablecoins, pegged to the U.S. dollar, provide a stable intermediary before being converted back to dollars.

This approach offers several advantages:

• Reduced Currency Risk
• Enhanced Efficiency
• Liquidity Preservation

This strategy demonstrates how stablecoins can be a powerful tool for multinational corporations and can be applied to managing client portfolios.

Why This Matters to You and Your Clients For financial advisors, stablecoins can elevate portfolios and modernize financial strategies. These assets aren’t just a novelty – they’re a bridge to a more inclusive, efficient, and adaptable financial future. By integrating stablecoins into conversations about savings, payments, or settlements, you position yourself as a forward-thinking advisor prepared to navigate these changes.

– Alec Beckman, president, Advantage Blockchain

Ask an Expert

Q: What’s the 101 on stablecoins and liquidity?

The stablecoin market cap has reached a record $215 billion, predominantly concentrated in the two coins Tether and USDC, having a combined 85% of the market cap. The liquidity of the stablecoin market stays healthy as more stablecoin issuers such as Visa, Stripe, and PayPal enter this unique digital asset sub-class. Given the new Trump administration’s pro-crypto attitude, we expect more crypto-friendly rules and regulations for this asset in the coming months, which will support the further growth of the stablecoin market.

Q: Are stablecoins risky compared to traditional finance (TradFi)?

Stablecoins are typically designed to stay pegged to the U.S. dollar (though they don’t need to be). The functionality of stablecoins in the crypto market is comparable to money market funds in the traditional financial market. The money market funds have reached a $10 trillion market cap, which serves the purpose of short-term investment and a place to park money. Stablecoins will serve a similar purpose in the digital asset space. The quality and liquidity of the issuer’s holdings of fiat-denominated short-term assets are some of the critical risks associated with stablecoins, especially when the financial market is under great stress.

Q: Do country borders matter when it comes to stablecoins?

Country borders matter greatly as different countries may have different rules, regulations and license requirements for the stablecoin market. One of the key regulatory requirements associated with stablecoins is around the stability, liquidity, disclosure and transparency of the short-term assets the issuers hold for the underlying stablecoins.

– CK Zheng, co-founder & CIO, ZX Squared Capital

Keep Reading

Britain is projected to face more frequent technical recessions in the coming years as the economy’s growth potential has significantly slowed, new analysis from Bloomberg Economics has revealed.

The study suggests the UK’s reduced economic capacity has made it more vulnerable to growth shocks, painting a concerning picture for the nation’s financial future.

Analysts are warning the UK faces multiple recessions

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From 1955 to 2009, the UK’s trend growth rate averaged 2.5 per cent annually but this has now halved to just 1.2 per cent for the years ahead.

Bloomberg Economics identified 15 episodes since 1955 when the economy experienced shocks substantial enough to trigger a technical recession, based on current trend growth rates.

The frequency of these downturns is expected to increase significantly, with recessions potentially occurring every five years and marks a concerning shift from the historical pattern, where recessions typically happened once every eight years.

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Bloomberg Economics’ chief UK economist Dan Hanson said: “There are good reasons to think technical recessions will be more frequent in coming years than in the past.

Experts are warning the UK economy could take a hit GETTY

“The UK’s trend rate of growth has fallen, meaning the shocks that would previously have prompted growth just to slow, are now enough to generate a fall in output.”

However, Hanson offered some reassurance, noting that these more frequent technical recessions are unlikely to result in major economic downturns accompanied by surging unemployment.

The UK economy has already shown signs of this increased vulnerability to downturns, having experienced a mild recession in the latter half of 2023.

This downturn was primarily driven by the combined pressures of inflation and higher interest rate with more recent data showing the economy continued to struggle, as GDP showed no growth in the third quarter of 2024.

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The Bank of England’s outlook remains cautious, with expectations of zero growth for the fourth quarter of 2024 as well. While some improvement is anticipated for 2025, growth is expected to remain significantly below pre-financial crisis levels.

These recent economic indicators appear to support Bloomberg Economics’ analysis of a more fragile British economy, increasingly susceptible to periods of negative growth.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

Starmer has promised to grow the UK economy

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Labour’s Chancellor Rachel Reeves has emphasised her commitment to addressing these economic challenges. Speaking at Davos on Wednesday, Reeves highlighted the need to “turbocharge the economy” in an interview with Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait.

She specifically pointed to the importance of infrastructure projects and planning decisions, arguing that Britain needs to change its approach.

“That’s been the problem in Britain for a long time,” Reeves said. “That when there was a choice between something that would grow the economy and sort of anything else, anything else always won.”

The Chancellor also stressed that the “answer can’t always be no” when it comes to major infrastructure projects. This comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Government, which took power last July, faces pressure over a sharp economic slowdown during their tenure.

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