Crypto World
Analyst Lays Out Dream Trade
ETH is currently close to the buying zone, but the sell side is miles away.
Ethereum’s ETH is gaining steam on the day after the world’s largest asset manager launched a staked ETH tracking its performance in the US.
The token is currently challenging the $2,100 level after a 3% daily increase, but one popular analyst, who has focused on the longer term, laid out what he called a dream trade for ETH.
When to Buy and Sell ETH
Ali Martinez, the crypto analyst with nearly 165,000 followers on X, noted in a recent post that the accumulation zone is close by. He believes investors should accumulate the largest altcoin at levels around $1,070. Although the asset slipped below $1,500 last year, it has not traded anywhere near Martinez’s buy target since December 2022, at the end of the bear market.
If investors are indeed able to purchase ETH at these low levels, then the ‘dream’ profit-taking scenario would be at over $8,600. It’s worth noting that the altcoin has never even come close to such peaks. It would have to stage a 300% surge from its current level (or 700% from the accumulation zone) and smash through its 2025 all-time high of almost $5,000 to materialize Martinez’s trade.
The dream trade for Ethereum $ETH:
• Accumulate near $1,070
• Take profits around $8,670 pic.twitter.com/lBY8ThOsB7— Ali Charts (@alicharts) March 13, 2026
Bullish News for ETH
Fellow analyst CW outlined two factors that could propel ETH to new peaks soon. First, they noted that there’s a notable uptick in the Ethereum active addresses, which “indicates bullish market movements.” A similar pattern was visible near the bottom at the aforementioned bear cycle in 2025, and ETH’s price went on a roll in the following months.
The increase in $ETH active addresses indicates bullish market movements.
Although the price of $ETH has fallen, the network has actually become more active.
This pattern has been observed consistently near the bottom since 2022. This is expected to be due to increased… pic.twitter.com/FLwikGFfsn
— CW (@CW8900) March 13, 2026
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In a separate post, the analyst outlined that Ethereum’s realized capitalization (calculated by the total value of all ETH coins based on the price when they last moved, rather than the current market price) has turned positive again. This, according to their estimations, is a clear signal about “the start of a full-scale bull market.”
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The US dollar continues to strengthen against major counterparts as markets await important macroeconomic data scheduled for release in the coming hours. Investors are focusing on US GDP figures, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, and Canada’s labour market statistics. These releases could significantly influence expectations regarding the future policy path of the Federal Reserve and set the tone for currency market movements.
The strengthening of the US currency has also been supported by rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Over the past 24 hours, the conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel has intensified, leading to a sharp rise in oil prices and increased demand for safe-haven assets. Reports indicate strikes on tankers in the region, along with conflicting information about the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Rising energy prices and heightened geopolitical risks are supporting the dollar as demand for liquid defensive assets increases. At the same time, market participants remain cautious ahead of key data releases that could alter expectations for interest rates.
USD/JPY
The USD/JPY pair continues to move higher and is trading near its annual highs. Technical analysis suggests the possibility of a downward pullback if the 159.45 level holds as resistance. However, if buyers manage to establish a firm break above this level, the pair could advance towards the 160.20–161.00 range.
Key events for USD/JPY:
- today at 14:30 (GMT+2): US GDP
- today at 14:30 (GMT+2): US Core PCE Price Index
- today at 16:00 (GMT+2): US Job Openings (JOLTS)
USD/CAD
The USD/CAD pair is also moving higher, although it remains significantly below its yearly highs compared with USD/JPY. Last week, the price found support near 1.3520, where a doji candlestick pattern formed, signalling a potential reversal. The pair is currently consolidating above 1.3600, and if the upward momentum continues, a test of recent highs in the 1.3720–1.3750 range may follow.
Key events for USD/CAD:
- today at 14:30 (GMT+2): Canada Employment Change
- today at 14:30 (GMT+2): Canada Unemployment Rate
- today at 14:30 (GMT+2): Canada Labour Force Participation Rate
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Bitcoin (BTC) hit eight-day highs into Friday’s Wall Street open as markets awaited key US inflation cues.
Key points:
-
Bitcoin shows resilience despite macro market uncertainty with another push beyond $72,000.
-
Key US inflation data increased the chances of risk-asset volatility to come.
-
BTC price gains outperform macro assets since the start of the Iran conflict.
Trump demands Fed rate cut ahead of PCE print
Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD climbing past $72,000 on Bitstamp for the first time since March 5.
Bitcoin avoided a sell-off despite global uncertainty over the Middle East conflict and its impact on oil supplies. The week’s macro data prints from the US further conformed to expectations, decreasing the risk of excess market volatility.
Friday was due to see the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index release for January — an important gauge known as the Federal Reserve’s “preferred” inflation measure.
The previous PCE print beat anticipated levels to hit its highest since late 2023.
Despite the oil crisis threatening a surge in inflationary forces, US President Donald Trump renewed demands for Fed Chair Jerome Powell to loosen policy.
“Where is the Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell, today? He should be dropping Interest Rates, IMMEDIATELY, not waiting for the next meeting,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
As Cointelegraph reported, odds of a rate cut at the Fed’s March 18 meeting fell below 1% this week.
”Conviction is building” for Bitcoin bullish breakout
Among Bitcoin market participants, the focus was on price strength amid the macro chaos.
Related: Bitcoin’s ‘extremely precise’ macro signal puts $100K target back in play
“Bitcoin has remained surprisingly resilient following the recent geopolitical shock,” onchain analytics platform Glassnode summarized in the latest edition of its regular newsletter, “The Week Onchain.”
Glassnode flagged options-market activity showing that traders were less concerned about short-term risk.
“An accumulation cluster is forming in the $62k–$72k range. However, its intensity is modest relative to prior phases that preceded sustained expansions,” it continued in an X post on Thursday while analyzing the cost basis of investors hodling BTC for six months or less.
“Conviction is building, but the foundation for a mid-term breakout remains thin so far.”
Others noted that BTC/USD had outperformed other macro assets since the start of the events in Iran.
“Passing the geopolitical stress test,” Joe Consorti, head of growth at Bitcoin equity company Horizon, commented.
Bitcoin is the best-performing major asset since last month’s strikes on Iran.
BTC is up 7.3%, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq are down 1-2%, gold is down 3.7%, and silver is down over 10%.
Passing the geopolitical stress test. pic.twitter.com/vg2RvEh9OM
— Joe Consorti (@JoeConsorti) March 12, 2026
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.
Today the US Dollar Index (DXY) climbed above the psychological 100 mark for the first time in 2026, supported by a tense fundamental backdrop, with the military conflict in the Middle East acting as the main driver.
→ Financial market participants are selling riskier assets (such as equities and emerging market currencies) and reallocating funds into the US dollar, which is traditionally viewed as a safe haven during periods of war.
→ Iran’s statements about potentially closing the Strait of Hormuz, along with strikes on fuel infrastructure, are driving oil prices higher and increasing global inflation risks.
→ The strength of the US economy is also supporting the dollar. Yesterday’s labour market data showed no increase in unemployment.
Technical Analysis of the DXY Chart
On the morning of 9 March, while analysing the US Dollar Index (DXY) chart, we:
→ updated the ascending channel (marked in blue), within which the index had set its yearly high at that time;
→ suggested that DXY price movements might begin to stabilise.
Between 9 and 12 March, the DXY chart showed a pullback followed by a renewed upward move, which remained within the range defined by last week’s levels:
→ support at 98.60;
→ resistance at 99.68.
However, the developments mentioned above allowed bulls to regain momentum and extend the rally within the blue channel. In other words, if the earlier fluctuations between these levels reflected a balance between supply and demand, then today, 13 March, buyers appear to be taking the initiative, showing a willingness to pay more for the US dollar.
At present, the market looks overbought, as:
→ the RSI indicator has moved above the 70 level;
→ the price is trading above the upper boundary of the channel that had contained it since late January.
In the short term, a modest pullback cannot be ruled out, although it is unlikely to significantly alter the current market picture.
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Every smart contract platform has a fee asset baked in. For example, Ethereum (ETH) has ETH, Solana (SOL) has SOL, but with Bitcoin (BTC), however, things get messy. If you want expressive apps, you usually end up adopting a second network’s economics.
Summary
- Bitcoin doesn’t price computation, only block space. Unlike Ethereum or Solana, BTC’s fee market is built around sat/vB for transaction inclusion, not metering smart contract execution.
- Execution can move off-chain while settlement stays on Bitcoin. Systems like OpNet run contract logic in a Wasm VM while anchoring payments and final state changes through normal BTC transactions.
- BTC can function as the gas asset without a new token. By pricing execution costs in satoshis and settling interactions through Bitcoin transactions, apps avoid creating a second fee economy.
On Stacks, for example, you pay fees in STX. On EVM-style Bitcoin layers, you might be told that BTC is the gas token, but it’s typically an L2-native representation with EVM-like conventions (including 18 decimals), and you’re still operating inside that L2 environment. Bitcoin itself, meanwhile, already has a clean fee market, where users bid for block space in sat/vB, and miners prioritize higher fee rates.
With this in mind, what if a smart contract interaction could be initiated and paid for as a normal Bitcoin transaction, with fees in BTC terms (no extra gas token or fork) while the smart part runs elsewhere and stays provably tied back to Bitcoin? OpNet is setting out to provide an answer.
Bitcoin doesn’t meter compute (that’s a problem)
Bitcoin’s fee market is excellent at one thing: pricing block space. You compete in sat/vB, miners pick the highest fee rates, and the network stays simple and adversarially robust. What Bitcoin does not do is run a general-purpose execution environment where the chain can measure and charge for arbitrary computation. Bitcoin Script is deliberately stateless and not Turing-complete, specifically lacking loops or gotos, so every node can validate scripts predictably without opening the door to unbounded computation.
That’s why most Bitcoin smart contract approaches end up placing execution on a separate system that can meter compute and run a fee market of its own. Once you have that separate execution layer, it usually comes with a separate fee asset (Stacks, for instance, charges fees in STX).
This isn’t ideal, and a system where you could keep payment within Bitcoin’s native fee market while moving execution elsewhere would be preferable.
Execution isn’t what Bitcoin needs to do
Once you accept that Bitcoin Script is intentionally limited (stateless and not designed for unbounded computation), you start thinking about how to make Bitcoin settle the results and the payments.
Indeed, execution can happen in a dedicated virtual machine that’s built to run smart contract logic deterministically, while Bitcoin remains the base layer that timestamps, orders, and prices the interactions through its existing fee market. In OpNet’s design, contract logic is evaluated by a Wasm-oriented VM (OP-VM), while the broader node stack is explicitly built to manage and execute smart contracts using Bitcoin’s existing transaction and UTXO mechanics.
Crucially, this isn’t paired with a new fee asset. Bitcoin doesn’t need to meter computation to be the gas currency. It needs to be the final settlement layer that everything ultimately pays into and anchors to.
What a BTC-paid contract call looks like
Our interaction model follows a simulate-then-spend flow rather than a conventional smart contract execution pattern, with the final execution step taking place as an actual Bitcoin transaction. First, your app calls a contract method in simulation mode. That request goes through a provider to an OPNet node, which executes the contract in its VM and returns a CallResult (including gas/fee estimates) without broadcasting anything to Bitcoin.
If the call is state-changing, you take that CallResult and send it as an execution. At this point, the library builds a Bitcoin transaction, signs it, and broadcasts it to the Bitcoin network. Two points are worth remembering:
- Miner fees are Bitcoin-native. You choose a feeRate in sat/vB, optionally add a priorityFee in sats, and set a hard cap on fee spending via maximumAllowedSatToSpend (the parameter is literally named maximumAllowedSatToSpend).
- The contract target is expressed as a P2OP-style contract address. The contract instance exposes its p2op address format, and transactions reference a “p2op contract address” as the contract destination.
Meanwhile, OpNet’s own compute metering still exists. But it’s priced in satoshis (estimated SATS Gas, refunds in SATS, etc.), so the unit never drifts into a separate token economy.
Less friction, cleaner incentives
Users no longer have to adopt a second fee economy just to interact with apps. On Bitcoin, fees are already an auction for block space, priced per byte and paid to miners. When contract calls are just Bitcoin transactions, you’re back on familiar ground (with sat/vB fees, mempool churn, and miner incentives), without having to learn a separate gas token market.
Also, the tooling leans into standard Bitcoin workflows such as UTXO handling, provider connections, and even offline/cold signing. Contracts live in a Wasm runtime and are written in AssemblyScript, aiming for Solidity-like expressiveness without pretending Bitcoin Script suddenly became a VM.
Bitcoin as gas, without a second token
The claim that BTC cannot function as gas usually rests on the assumption that the base layer must meter computation to price it. Bitcoin does not meter computation; it meters block space and settles value.
The solution is to let a virtual machine handle execution deterministically, and then route every state-changing interaction through a standard Bitcoin transaction, where fees are expressed in familiar terms such as sat/vB and capped in satoshis. In our case, this is implemented at the client level through parameters like feeRate and maximumAllowedSatToSpend.
So maybe BTC-as-gas is truly plausible. Fees stay BTC-native from end to end, while the contract runtime stays WebAssembly-based (AssemblyScript → Wasm), which keeps the logic expressive without changing the fee currency.
A threat actor has claimed to have leaked source code and other sensitive material tied to Sweden’s e-government platform, prompting an investigation by Swedish authorities and an incident response by CGI Sverige.
Cybersecurity accounts on X and local media reported Thursday that a threat actor calling itself ByteToBreach had published material it said came from CGI Sverige, the Swedish subsidiary of global IT giant CGI Group, and Sweden’s e-government infrastructure, according to local news outlet Aftonbladet.
CGI told Aftonbladet its cybersecurity team discovered an incident involving two internal test servers in Sweden that were not used in production. The company said an older application version and its source code were accessible, but that there was no indication that customer production data or operational services were affected. CGI press secretary Agneta Hansson confirmed to the news outlet that authorities are investigating the leak.
About 95% of Sweden’s 10.7 million population used e-government services in 2024, according to Eurostat data.
The leaked files could include the platform’s source code and configuration files, internal staff database, citizens’ personally identifiable information databases, electronic signing documents and other sensitive data.
Cointelegraph contacted CGI Group and Sweden’s national IT incident center, CERT-SE, for comment on the reported leak.
Swedish civil defense minister confirms cybersecurity incident
However, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Sweden’s minister of civil defense, confirmed the data leak and said the government is working with CERT-SE and the National Cyber Security Center to identify the culprits.
IT security expert Anders Nilsson confirmed that the hacked resources seemed authentic. “Source code for several programs seems to exist, and from what I can see, the hack looks genuine,” Nilsson wrote in an email to media outlet SVT.
Related: SlowMist introduces Web3 security stack for autonomous AI agents
Hackers target Swedish and European infrastructure
Hackers are increasingly targeting public-facing cyber infrastructure throughout Sweden and Europe, warned threat intelligence platform Threat Landscape.
“This is not an isolated incident,” the platform said in a Thursday report.
“ByteToBreach is the same actor responsible for the Viking Line breach posted just one day prior, suggesting an ongoing campaign targeting Swedish and European infrastructure via CGI’s managed services footprint.”
Related: French couple robbed of $1M in Bitcoin by criminals posing as police
The threat actor claimed to have leaked the full source code of the e-government platform, sharing multiple supporting materials.
Threat-intelligence researchers said the exposure could still carry follow-on risk if attackers use the leaked code or documentation to identify weaknesses in public-facing systems, though the full contents of the dump have not been independently verified.
Magazine: Meet the onchain crypto detectives fighting crime better than the cops
TLDR
- Oil prices have surged past $100 per barrel for Brent crude following Iran’s commitment to maintain its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
- In response to what the IEA labels as the most severe supply disruption ever recorded, member nations agreed to deploy 400 million barrels from strategic reserves.
- A temporary exemption from the US Treasury permits certain nations to purchase Russian oil through April 11.
- Intelligence reports indicate Iran has started deploying mines throughout the strait, significantly increasing risks for maritime traffic.
- Plans for US Naval convoy operations through the strait could begin late March, though analysts remain skeptical about their effectiveness in resolving the situation.
Global energy markets experienced severe turbulence this week as Brent crude oil climbed beyond the $100 per barrel threshold, driven by Iran’s promise to maintain its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The dramatic price increase comes amid extraordinary market volatility not witnessed in recent years. West Texas Intermediate approached $97, with both major benchmarks experiencing wild price fluctuations reminiscent of pandemic-era chaos.
In his inaugural public remarks following his father’s succession, Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared his government’s determination to maintain the shipping blockade.
The Strait of Hormuz represents a critical chokepoint situated between Iran and Oman. Approximately 20% of global petroleum supplies transit this narrow passage. Maritime traffic has nearly ceased since hostilities between the US-Israel alliance and Iran commenced on February 28.
The International Energy Agency characterized this as an unprecedented supply crisis in petroleum market history. Member states committed to deploying a historic 400 million barrels from strategic petroleum reserves.
According to New York Times reporting citing American intelligence sources, Iran has initiated mine-laying operations within the strait. This development dramatically escalates hazards for commercial vessels attempting passage.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright indicated that Naval escort operations for commercial tankers could commence before March concludes. However, earlier White House communications suggesting successful escort missions had already occurred were subsequently retracted.
US Eases Russia Oil Sanctions
Seeking to alleviate market pressures, the Treasury Department authorized a limited exemption permitting select countries to accept Russian petroleum shipments that departed before March 12. This temporary measure expires April 11.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent characterized the decision as necessary for global energy market stability. Russian officials estimated approximately 100 million barrels of their oil currently remains in maritime transit.
British authorities announced they would not mirror the American sanctions relaxation. UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks warned such measures could provide Moscow with resources to sustain its military operations.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed opposition, arguing the Hormuz crisis doesn’t warrant Russian sanctions relief. Ukrainian President Zelensky characterized the American decision as a “serious blow” to Ukraine’s position.
Markets and Prices
Stock markets declined throughout the week as petroleum prices climbed. Volatility has been amplified by derivatives trading and exchange-traded fund positioning.
WTI crude fluctuated across approximately $43 this week, marking the widest trading band since prices briefly turned negative during pandemic lockdowns. Brent experienced roughly $38 in range variation.
Asian economies, particularly dependent on Persian Gulf petroleum, implemented emergency measures. Japan, South Korea, and Thailand announced fuel price controls. The Philippines, importing roughly 95% of its crude from Middle Eastern sources, mandated four-day work weeks for government employees to reduce consumption.
Market analysts predict a trading range between $85 and $105 while the confrontation continues. While the IEA reserve deployment may provide temporary relief, experts caution it won’t independently stabilize markets.
President Trump stated via social media that preventing Iranian nuclear weapons development remained his priority over oil price considerations.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on a network accused of helping North Korea generate illicit revenue through overseas information technology workers and cryptocurrency transactions.
Summary
- The U.S. Treasury sanctioned individuals and entities tied to a North Korean IT worker fraud network.
- The scheme allegedly used stolen identities and remote IT jobs to generate funds.
- Officials say cryptocurrency was used to launder and transfer proceeds linked to Pyongyang’s weapons programs.
U.S. blacklists facilitators of DPRK scheme that used crypto to move illicit earnings
In a statement, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the targeted individuals and entities facilitated a scheme in which North Korean IT workers obtained remote jobs using stolen identities and false personas, allowing them to earn income from companies around the world.
Officials say the wages from these jobs were often funneled back to the North Korean government, helping finance the country’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.
The regime has relied on such overseas workers to generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
According to the Treasury, the network also relied on cryptocurrency to move and disguise the proceeds. Facilitators allegedly converted digital assets into cash or used crypto transactions to obscure the origin of funds before transferring them to accounts linked to the regime.
The scheme typically involved North Korean developers posing as freelance programmers or software engineers on global contracting platforms. Using fabricated identities and stolen personal information, they secured jobs at unsuspecting firms in the United States and other countries.
In some cases, authorities say these operatives introduced malware into company networks or exfiltrated sensitive data once they gained access to corporate systems.
Treasury officials said the action forms part of a broader U.S. effort to cut off revenue streams that North Korea uses to evade international sanctions and finance its military programs.
The department added that the sanctions freeze any U.S.-based assets belonging to the designated individuals and entities and generally prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with them.
Washington has repeatedly warned that North Korea increasingly uses cybercrime, cryptocurrency theft and fraudulent IT work schemes to fund its weapons development, posing growing risks to global businesses and the digital asset ecosystem.
Bitcoin rose above $71,500 on Friday, outperforming U.S. equities even as the dollar strengthened and oil prices remained elevated as the war with Iran was set to enter its third week.
A stronger dollar can tighten global financial conditions and often weighs on risk assets such as equities and cryptocurrencies. Higher oil prices — both Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate are hovering around $100 per barrel — reinforce inflation concerns and heighten expectations of interest-rate increases. Higher rates also detract from the attraction of such investments.
Despite these macro and geopolitical pressures, including the Middle East conflict, bitcoin has remained resilient and is among the best-performing macro assets since the war began on March 1. Historically, Fridays during this period have seen the largest cryptocurrency fall some 3%, a pattern that has not repeated so far today.
The Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the strength of the U.S. currency against a basket of major global currencies, topped 100 for the first time since late November. U.S. Treasury yields are also rising, with the benchmark 10-year bond yield climbing above 4.2%, reflecting tighter financial conditions and higher borrowing costs.
The Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ), an exchange-traded fund that tracks the Nasdaq 100 index, meanwhile, was recently little changed.
In crypto-linked equities, Strategy (MSTR), the largest publicly traded corporate holder of bitcoin, added 1% before the start of official trading. The company has acquired roughly 11,000 BTC this week using proceeds from its perpetual preferred security Stretch (STRC).
Today marks the ex-dividend date for STRC, which means it has slipped slightly below its $100 par value to around $99.50.
Meanwhile, AI repurposed bitcoin miners such as IREN (IREN) and Cipher Digital (CIFR) opened slightly lower, while crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN) added about 2%.
Singapore-based fintech MetaComp has closed a Pre-A+ funding round backed by Alibaba, lifting its cumulative total to US$35 million across two rounds in just three months, according to the company’s announcement. The latest round also brought in European early-stage investor Spark Venture, with Beijing-based 100Summit Partners serving as exclusive financial adviser. The capital infusion is aimed at accelerating MetaComp’s StableX Network, a cross-border payments platform designed to weave together fiat rails and stablecoin infrastructure for regulated institutions and high-net-worth clients. MetaComp previously disclosed a US$22 million Pre-A round in December 2025, signaling robust early-stage interest in regulated web2.5 payments infrastructure across Asia.
Key takeaways
- MetaComp’s Pre-A+ round, anchored by Alibaba, raises the company’s total funding to US$35 million in three months, underscoring strong demand for regulated cross-border stablecoin infrastructure.
- The round introduces Spark Venture from Europe as an investor and names 100Summit Partners (Beijing) as exclusive financial adviser, highlighting cross-regional interest.
- MetaComp previously closed a US$22 million Pre-A round in December 2025 with investors including Eastern Bell Capital, Noah, Sky9 Capital, Freshwave Fund and Beingboom Capital, illustrating sustained backing for hybrid fiat-stablecoin payments.
- The company intends to scale the StableX Network to connect regulated financial institutions, stablecoin issuers and partners across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America for real-time cross-border settlement.
- Industry context points to ongoing investor appetite for regulated stablecoin infrastructure in Asia, with forecasts suggesting the stablecoin market could reach around US$2 trillion by 2028.
Sentiment: Neutral
Market context: The funding activity aligns with a broader push to build regulated stablecoin rails that complement traditional banking systems. While regulators in some jurisdictions pursue stricter issuance controls, the Alibaba-backed round signals continued strategic interest in cross-border settlement infrastructure. The market backdrop includes forecasts that place stablecoins on a trajectory toward multi-trillion-dollar scales in the coming years, underscoring a shift toward institutional-grade crypto rails alongside established fiat systems.
Why it matters
MetaComp’s expansion of the StableX Network sits at the intersection of conventional finance and tokenized wealth management. By offering a hybrid model that merges fiat rails with stablecoin networks, the platform aims to provide faster, auditable cross-border settlements for banks, wealth managers and corporate clients. The vision is to enable real-time settlement that adheres to regulatory standards, a critical requirement for institutions seeking to incorporate digital assets into traditional portfolios without sacrificing compliance or risk controls.
The leadership’s explicit framing of a “Web2.5” architecture — where fiat rails and stablecoins operate as a single, interoperable ecosystem — underscores a broader sector trend toward hybrid solutions that deliver both speed and governance. If MetaComp can successfully onboard a network of banks, regulators and stablecoin issuers across multiple regions, the company could help accelerate the adoption of regulated stablecoins for international payments and cross-border trade. The mix of investors—Alibaba alongside European and Asian advisers—signals confidence in MetaComp’s ability to navigate the regulatory and operational complexities inherent in multi-jurisdiction collaborations.
Alibaba’s involvement comes at a sensitive juncture for stablecoins issued outside mainland China. The company has previously explored deposit-token technology for overseas transactions even as authorities tighten issuance rules within the country. The contrast between policy posture and private-sector experimentation highlights a nuanced landscape where international collaborations may unlock regulated cross-border flows, even as domestic issuance remains constrained. The broader market context, including forecasts of substantial growth for stablecoins, suggests a potential win for platforms that can demonstrate robust compliance, interoperability and measurable settlement improvements.
MetaComp’s strategic direction also rests on a global expansion blueprint. By extending the StableX Network to Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, the company aims to capture markets with rising demand for compliant, real-time settlement services. The model envisions a hub-and-spoke arrangement, linking financial institutions with stablecoin issuers and technology partners to streamline remittances, supplier payments and institutional treasury operations. Such an approach could address persistent inefficiencies in traditional cross-border rails while offering a path for asset managers and financial institutions to participate more directly in tokenized wealth solutions.
What to watch next
- Regulatory updates in target regions as MetaComp expands the StableX Network and pilots cross-border settlement solutions.
- New partnerships with banks, stablecoin issuers and wealth-management platforms to demonstrate live use cases and scale pilots.
- Possible follow-on funding rounds or strategic investments, including potential continued support from Alibaba and additional strategic investors.
- Public milestones on onboarding institutions and the rollout timeline for expansion into Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
Sources & verification
- MetaComp press release: Alibaba-backed Pre-A+ round, total US$35 million in three months (PR Newswire)
- MetaComp press release: December 2025 Pre-A round totaling US$22 million, with investors including Eastern Bell Capital, Noah, Sky9 Capital, Freshwave Fund and Beingboom Capital (PR Newswire)
- Summary of MetaComp’s expansion and regional focus (MetaComp page) (MetaComp)
- Stablecoin market projections and regulatory context cited by industry coverage (Standard Chartered projection; referenced via Cointelegraph) (Cointelegraph — Stablecoin forecast)
- Regulatory stance on stablecoins and issuance (China crackdown context referenced in coverage) (Cointelegraph — Alibaba and stablecoins in China)
MetaComp expands StableX Network to accelerate cross-border finance
Singapore-based MetaComp announced a new Pre-A+ funding round led by Alibaba, raising the cumulative total to US$35 million across two rounds in three months. The round also features Spark Venture, a European early-stage investor, with 100Summit Partners (Beijing) acting as exclusive financial adviser. The capital infusion follows MetaComp’s earlier December 2025 disclosure of a US$22 million Pre-A round, which included a roster of notable investors such as Eastern Bell Capital, Noah, Sky9 Capital, Freshwave Fund and Beingboom Capital. The company said the funds will be directed at expanding the StableX Network, a platform designed to harmonize regulated financial institutions, stablecoin issuers and other partners through blockchain-based infrastructure.
At the heart of MetaComp’s strategy is a belief in a Web2.5 architecture where traditional fiat rails and stablecoin networks function together as a single, interoperable system. Tin Pei Ling, MetaComp’s co-president, underscored this vision, saying, “MetaComp was built on a single conviction: that the future of cross-border finance is neither purely traditional nor purely digital — it’s the integrated Web2.5 architecture where fiat rails and stablecoin networks operate as one.” The capital infusion is expected to accelerate the scaling of StableX Network beyond its current footprint into new markets and partnerships that can support real-time settlement with compliance at the forefront.
MetaComp’s expansion plan targets Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, areas where regulators are increasingly receptive to cross-border settlement innovations that preserve safety and oversight while delivering faster settlement times. The network aims to create a bridge between regulated financial institutions and stablecoin issuers, enabling institutions to access tokenized wealth products and stablecoin-based liquidity tools within a compliant framework. The move aligns with a broader industry trend toward building scalable, regulator-friendly infrastructure that can support institutional participation in the digital asset ecosystem.
The partnership profile around this round—Alibaba alongside European and Chinese advisers—reflects a cross-border approach to building out the infrastructure that could underpin more efficient remittances, cross-border corporate payments and wealth-management solutions in the years ahead. While regulatory policies differ across jurisdictions, the strategic emphasis on compliance and interoperability suggests that MetaComp intends to pursue a steady, institution-focused growth path rather than a rapid, consumer-facing rollout.
Investors have paid fees to hold Ethereum in ETFs for years while leaving the network’s native yield on the table, and that inefficiency disappeared this morning when BlackRock turned Ethereum into a productive asset for Wall Street by entering the staking race.
For the first time in US market history, the world’s largest asset manager is offering a product that captures both price appreciation and the network’s validator rewards. Now investors don’t have to choose between holding and earning, both are on the table.
This news comes as the Ethereum price surged +2.8% overnight and is currently trading back above $2,100 as we head into the weekend.
The total crypto market cap is also up, climbing +2% over the past 24 hours and reclaiming the crucial $2.5 trillion level in the process.
BlackRock Enters the Staking Race: ETHB Launches on Nasdaq
BlackRock officially launched the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB) on the Nasdaq exchange today. The product is distinct from the firm’s existing iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA), which holds over $6.5Bn in assets but serves strictly as a passive price tracker.
This new vehicle intends to stake between 70% and 95% of its ether holdings to generate yield. However, the fee structure is aggressive. While the standard sponsor fee is set at 0.25%, BlackRock has implemented a promotional waiver that reduces the cost to 0.12%.
This rate applies to the first $2.5Bn in Net Asset Value (NAV) or for the first 12 months of trading, whichever threshold is breached first.
Jessica Tan, Head of Americas for iShares, positioned the launch as a direct response to client demand for products that reflect the full economic reality of the asset class.
The trust joins a BlackRock digital asset platform that now oversees approximately $130Bn in assets, cementing the firm’s dominance in the digital asset ETF space.
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The BlackRock Ethereum Institutional Pivot: Yield is No Longer Optional
This launch signals that institutional adoption has moved beyond simple exposure. Until recently, regulatory friction prevented US issuers from including staking mechanics in exchange-traded products, forcing investors to choose between the safety of an ETF and the yield of direct ownership. That choice is no longer binary.
The arrival of ETHB suggests that regulators are increasingly comfortable with the technical nuances of proof-of-stake blockchains. Recent coordination between the SEC and CFTC has likely smoothed the path for these more complex structured products.
For allocators, the implications are mathematical: holding ample ETH without staking it is now a decision to accept underperformance relative to the benchmark.
Competitors like Fidelity and Grayscale are now on the defensive. With BlackRock successfully packaging staking rewards into a 0.12% fee product, the pressure to upgrade existing spot ETFs into staking-enabled vehicles will be immediate. The market standard for an Ethereum product has just been raised.
Supply Dynamics: The Scarcity Squeeze for ETH USD
The launch of ETHB introduces a new demand sink for the Ethereum network. Unlike spot ETFs, which simply hold coins in cold storage, staking ETFs lock those coins into the validator network. This reduces the actively circulating supply available for trading.
If capital rotates aggressively from the BlackRock Ethereum ETHA product to its new ETHB staking fund, or if new money enters specifically for the yield, the percentage of ETH locked in staking contracts will rise.
This aligns with broader market trends where Ethereum’s scarcity index is already turning positive. A successful ETHB launch accelerates this dynamic by institutionalizing the lock-up process.
With ETH USD facing immediate resistance at $2,150, the launch of BlackRock’s new Ethereum staking ETF could send it surging straight to the next target at around $2,400.
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The post BlackRock Launches iShares Staked Ethereum Trust With 82% Rewards appeared first on Cryptonews.
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