Crypto World
Elon Musk’s X (Twitter) Is Launching Crypto Trading Features
Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is set to integrate stock and cryptocurrency trading directly into user feeds.
This move marks a significant escalation in Elon Musk’s bid to transform the platform into a dominant player in financial technology.
On February 14, Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, said the new functionality will allow users to execute trades immediately after discovering an asset on their timeline.
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The feature centers on “Smart Cashtags,” an evolution of the platform’s existing indexing system. Currently, users prefix ticker symbols with dollar signs—such as $BTC for Bitcoin—to create clickable links.
Under the new system, tapping these symbols will display live price charts and related posts, and offer direct trading options.
This development is the company’s latest move to reduce friction when switching between social media and brokerage applications. By bridging these functions, the update potentially accelerates how quickly retail investors can act on information
The integration is a cornerstone of Musk’s broader strategy to evolve X into an “everything app.” Notably, he has championed this concept since acquiring the company in 2022.
The vision mirrors the utility of Asian “super apps” that combine messaging, social networking, and payments.
Over the past years, X has ramped up efforts to build a financial ecosystem. The firm has laid the groundwork for peer-to-peer transfers, daily consumer payments, and now, active investing.
However, the intersection of social media hype and financial speculation poses moderation challenges.
Bier noted that while the company intends for cryptocurrency to proliferate on the platform, it remains cautious regarding user experience.
He warned that applications that create incentives for spam, raiding, or harassment will not be supported. According to him, such behavior “meaningfully degrades the experience for millions of people.”
So, as X transitions from a town square to a trading floor, the company faces the dual challenge of competing with established brokerage firms while navigating the regulatory complexities inherent in facilitating financial transactions for a global user base.
Blockchain technology is an effective medium for administering social benefit programs, but key compliance challenges remain, according to Julie Myers Wood, CEO of compliance and monitoring consulting firm Guidepost Solutions.
Guidepost Solutions advised the Republic of the Marshall Islands’ government on a regulatory compliance and sanctions framework for its USDM1 bond, a tokenized debt instrument issued by the government, backed 1:1 by short-term US Treasuries.
The Marshall Islands government launched a Universal Basic Income (UBI) program in November 2025 that distributes quarterly benefits to citizens directly through a mobile wallet. Wood told Cointelegraph:
“Any benefit that is currently being distributed through analog means should be explored for a digital delivery option for several reasons. Digital delivery speeds up the process and can provide an auditable trail for provisioning and expenditures.”
Several governments are exploring tokenized debt instruments and administering social benefit programs onchain to eliminate settlement delays and costly transaction fees inherent in traditional finance by disintermediating the issuing and clearing process.
Related: UK government appoints HSBC for tokenized bond pilot
Regulatory compliance and sanctions challenges remain as the tokenized bond market grows
The cost reduction and near-instant settlement times for tokenized bonds and other onchain instruments democratize access to the financial system for individuals who lack access to traditional banking infrastructure.
However, anti-money laundering (AML) requirements and sanctions compliance are two of the biggest regulatory risks for governments issuing onchain bonds to the public, Wood told Cointelegraph.
Governments issuing tokenized bonds must also collect know-your-customer (KYC) information to ensure that funds are directed to the proper recipients, she added.
The tokenized US Treasury market grew by over 50x since 2024, according to data from crypto analysis platform Token Terminal.
The tokenized bond market could surge to $300 billion, according to a forecast from Lamine Brahimi, co-founder of Taurus SA, an enterprise-focused digital asset services company.
Reduced settlement times, transaction costs and asset fractionalization, which allows individuals to purchase fractions of a financial asset, all expand investor access to the global financial system, Brahimi told Cointelegraph.
Magazine: Will Robinhood’s tokenized stocks REALLY take over the world? Pros and cons
Crypto World
ZKP Stage 2 Presale Auction Ends in 5 Days! Buyers Rush Ahead of Supply Drops, as Monero and Cardano Track Trends
The digital asset landscape is shifting, and finding the best crypto to buy right now requires looking beyond the household names. While established players like Monero continue to offer privacy-centric utility, and analysts weigh in on the long-term Cardano price prediction, a new contender is rewriting the rules of entry. Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) is currently capturing the market’s attention with its unique Initial Coin Auction (ICA), a system designed for pure transparency.
As the Monero price USD faces typical market volatility, ZKP is moving through its final days of Stage 2. With the transition to Stage 3 occurring in just 5 days, the window to participate in the current 190-million daily token distribution is closing. Investors are pivoting toward ZKP’s deflationary burn mechanics and fair-launch protocol, seeking the stability and growth potential that traditional presales often lack.
Tracking Volatility and Demand for Monero Price USD
Privacy remains a core focus within the blockchain sector, making the Monero price USD a key metric for those tracking anonymity-centric assets. Recent market data indicate that Monero has faced notable volatility, including a sharp decline of over 50% from its January high of nearly $800. This correction has seen the Monero price USD stabilize around the $340 to $370 range as of February 2026.
Regulatory pressure continues to influence its market standing, with the asset facing approximately 73 exchange delistings over the past year due to tightening global compliance standards. While technical indicators like the RSI currently show oversold conditions, consistent selling pressure from long-term holders has impacted liquidity. Monero remains a specialized utility for private transactions, though it operates under persistent structural headwinds and shifting regulatory frameworks.
Analyzing the Future Through Cardano Price Prediction
Cardano continues to maintain its position as a major cryptocurrency by market capitalization, currently valued at approximately $9.22 billion. When analysts evaluate a long-term Cardano price prediction, they frequently focus on the protocol’s peer-reviewed development phases, such as the Voltaire era for on-chain governance. Technical data from February 2026 shows the asset trading near $0.26, supported by over 1.3 million active staking wallets that contribute to network decentralization.
Recent milestones include the launch of regulated ADA futures on the CME Group marketplace, marking a step in institutional integration. While a conservative Cardano price prediction often accounts for its methodical scaling approach, the network has reached 17,000 smart contract deployments, reflecting the steady development of its underlying technical infrastructure over time.
ZKP’s Stage 2 Presale Auction Enters Final Countdown
While many market participants wait on external price swings, Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) is introducing the first Initial Coin Auction (ICA), a radical shift toward true decentralization. This is precisely why it is being highlighted as the best crypto to buy right now. Unlike traditional models where prices are set behind closed doors, the ZKP price is determined by real-time market demand through a transparent, 24-hour on-chain process.
The urgency has reached a fever pitch as ZKP’s presale auction enter final days of Stage 2. This represents the absolute last window to access the largest remaining daily distribution of 190 million tokens. In just 5 days, the protocol triggers a structural supply cliff, transitioning to Stage 3 where the daily allocation is slashed by 10 million tokens to a 180-million limit.
This aggressive reduction continues across every subsequent stage of the 450-day timeline, meaning the available daily supply is rapidly evaporating. Furthermore, any unallocated tokens are burned permanently at the end of each day, ensuring that every 24-hour cycle is a final opportunity to participate at the current stage’s specific supply level.
To maintain total integrity, ZKP utilizes an “Anti-Whale” protocol, capping daily contributions at $50,000 per wallet. This prevents large players from dominating the auction, ensuring that the best crypto to buy right now remains accessible on equal terms. With no gas wars, no insider advantages, and a daily supply that drops by 10 million tokens in less than a week, the window to secure a position before the Stage 3 reduction is closing fast.
In Summary
In a market defined by choice, the path forward depends on specific objectives. While monitoring the Monero price USD remains vital for privacy-focused utility, and tracking the long-term Cardano price prediction is essential for patient, research-oriented holders, the shift toward transparent infrastructure is undeniable. ZKP stands out as the best crypto to buy right now, offering a fair-launch model that established projects simply cannot replicate.
With Stage 2 and its 190-million daily ceiling ending in just 5 days, the opportunity to secure tokens at this level is vanishing. As the supply cliff approaches and unallocated tokens burn daily, the window for maximum allocation is rapidly closing. The transition to Stage 3 marks a permanent tightening of the ecosystem, positioning ZKP as a high-momentum choice for those observing the shrinking supply.
Explore Zero Knowledge Proof:
Website: https://zkp.com/
Presale: https://buy.zkp.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/ZKPofficial
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
Institutional interest in crypto is accelerating even as markets fluctuate, according to Sui executives at Consensus Hong Kong 2026.
Stephen Mackintosh, chief investment officer of Sui Group Holdings, called 2025 a “landmark year for institutional adoption,” pointing to the boom in digital asset treasury (DAT) vehicles and the success of spot bitcoin ETFs.
“Post the Genius Act, we’ve seen so much more institutional demand and awareness for what the promise of crypto could deliver,” he said, particularly around tokenization and stablecoins.
While sentiment has fluctuated, Mackintosh argued the structural shift is clear. “The market, despite all of the sentiment being low, has never been greater,” he said, citing record options volumes and the entrance of major firms such as Citadel and Jane Street into crypto markets. He described a long-term trend in which “the biggest institutions in finance in the world” are investing in infrastructure and talent to capture market share.
Mysten Labs CEO Evan Cheng framed the next phase as convergence rather than competition between traditional finance and decentralized finance. In his view, TradFi products often operate on “T+1 or T+whatever,” while DeFi is “T+0”—a “strictly better product” in settlement terms.
The convergence, he suggested, will emerge through tokenization. “You acquire [an asset] and immediately you can collateralize and borrow against it,” Cheng said, enabling DeFi strategies layered on traditional exposure.
On whether ETFs compete with DeFi, Cheng said products will evolve. Institutional on-ramps may begin conservatively but could incorporate yield or other on-chain mechanics over time.
Both executives emphasized infrastructure as Sui’s differentiator. Mackintosh described Sui as “a differentiated proposition” built by former Facebook engineers behind Libra, offering low latency and high throughput suited for emerging use cases such as “agentic commerce”, the intersection of AI and onchain transactions.
Coinbase posted a $667 million Q4 2025 loss after crypto markdowns hit its holdings even though it registered record trading growth.
Coinbase reported a $667 million net loss for the fourth quarter of 2025, its first quarter in the red since 2023.
The loss, which was largely driven by non-cash write-downs on the company’s crypto holdings and strategic investments, landed far below analyst expectations and reversed a $1.3 billion profit from the same period last year.
Record Growth Metrics Masked by Portfolio Pain
Coinbase’s shareholder letter, published after market close, painted two divergent pictures of its 2025 performance. On the operational side, the company logged all-time highs in total trading volume ($5.2 trillion, up 156% year-over-year), crypto trading market share (6.4%, double the year before), and subscription revenue.
In the letter, the crypto firm stated that paid Coinbase One subscribers have nearly hit 1 million and that it now has 12 products generating over $100 million in annualized revenue.
However, fourth-quarter financials told a different story, with total revenue falling 21.6% year-over-year to $1.78 billion and missing consensus estimates of about $1.83 billion. Additionally, transaction revenue, the company’s core fee business, dropped 36% from Q4 2024 to $983 million. Adjusted earnings per share of $0.66 also came in below analyst forecasts, which ranged from $0.86 to $0.96, according to market commentator MartyParty.
Per Coinbase’s report, the primary culprit behind the GAAP loss was a $718 million unrealized markdown on the exchange’s crypto investment portfolio, as Bitcoin (BTC) and other tokens declined in Q4.
The company also recorded a $395 million loss on strategic investments, including its stake in Circle, the issuer of USDC, which dropped approximately 40% quarter-over-quarter. Ultimately, Coinbase ended the year with $11.3 billion in cash and cash equivalents.
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Market Share Gains Face New Competitive Pressure
Recent data suggests Coinbase is facing rising competition, with analytics firm Artemis reporting that decentralized derivatives platform Hyperliquid processed $2.6 trillion in trading volume, nearly double Coinbase’s $1.4 trillion in the same period. Artemis also reported a sharp divergence in market performance this year, with Hyperliquid’s token up 31.7% while Coinbase shares were down 27% over the same stretch.
The company’s mixed quarter follows a busy 2025, where it joined the S&P 500, secured approval to operate across the European Union under MiCA rules, and completed major acquisitions, including Deribit. It also benefited from a legal win when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dropped a lawsuit against the firm.
Not all commentary has been positive, though, as shown by security researcher Taylor Monahan’s argument that user protection on Coinbase is still lagging, citing more than $350 million in preventable losses during 2025.
Nonetheless, the exchange has maintained that its strategy focuses on diversification beyond spot trading. It said it is building an “Everything Exchange” that includes derivatives, equities, and prediction markets, and it recently partnered with Kalshi to support event-based contracts. Whether that broader model offsets swings in crypto prices will become clearer in the coming quarters.
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Elon Musk’s social media platform X is set to soon let users trade stocks and cryptocurrencies directly from their timelines as the company pushes deeper into financial services.
The upcoming features, described by the company’s head of product, Nikita Bier, will include “Smart Cashtags.” These will allow users to interact with ticker symbols in posts and execute trades from the app.
The announcement comes as the company prepares to launch an external beta of X Money, its in-house payments system. Musk said the tool is already live in internal testing and will be available to a limited group of users within one to two months.
The idea is to make X a one-stop platform where users can message, post, send money and invest, a version of Musk’s “everything app” vision.
He’s compared the rollout of financial tools like X Money to adding banking services inside the app, saying users could eventually manage most of their daily digital activity without leaving the platform.
Elon Musk’s companies have been involved with crypto in the past. His electric car maker Tesla owns 11,509 bitcoin on its balance sheet, down from an initial investment of 42,300 made in early 2021. SpaceX currently controls around 8,285 BTC.
Over the years Musk has also shown support for the meme-inspired cryptocurrency dogecoin. In 2022, he said SpaceX would accept DOGE for some merchanside, echoing an earlier move from Tesla. Earlier this month, Musk said he may put DOGE “on the moon.”
Crypto World
Best Crypto to Buy Right Now: Why BlockDAG, Solana, BNB, and Cardano Could Shift the Market
In 2026, the digital asset market has matured into a high-stakes arena where architectural precision determines long-term survival. While the era of speculative “moonshots” has faded, the demand for protocols that can handle massive transactional loads without sacrificing decentralization is at an all-time high.
Major assets like Binance Coin and Solana continue to anchor portfolios with their massive liquidity, and Cardano remains a benchmark for peer-reviewed security. However, the narrative is rapidly shifting toward BlockDAG, which has recently transitioned to a live Mainnet environment. For those identifying the best crypto to buy right now, the convergence of proven legacy power and fresh, scalable infrastructure offers a clear roadmap for the current cycle.
1. BlockDAG: Final Call for $0.00025 Entry Before Feb 16 Listings
BlockDAG has moved beyond the development phase to become a fully operational powerhouse in the Layer 1 space. With its Mainnet now live, the network has transitioned into active block production, signaling the true beginning of the Genesis era. For anyone scanning the market for the best crypto to buy right now, the data behind BlockDAG (BDAG) is compelling.
The project has already raised a staggering $452M through its presale batches, and the Token Generation Event (TGE) rails are now active, meaning BDAG is being issued directly on the BlockDAG Mainnet. Minting is complete, and the vesting contracts are running, with the claim function for the initial airdrop set to go live shortly.
The current window represents the final private sale allotment, offering a fixed price of $0.00025 for only the next 3 days. This is a rare structural opportunity, as the coin is confirmed for launch on over 20 global exchanges on February 16 with a target listing price of $0.05. This pricing gap implies a 200x potential at launch.
Unlike many early-stage projects, this final allocation carries zero vesting, ensuring that 100% of the coins are delivered to user wallets on launch day. Furthermore, participants in this round gain the advantage of trading up to 9 hours before the public markets open, allowing them to position themselves ahead of the initial volatility and front-run launch liquidity.
Securing the $0.00025 final allocation is the definitive move before the February 16 launch. With the Mainnet live, this is the last window to front-run global markets and 200x potential.
2. Solana: Testing Recovery Near the $80 Support
Solana is currently hovering around the $80 level, showing tentative signs of recovery after recent market fluctuations. As a high-throughput layer‑1 blockchain, Solana supports a broad spectrum of DeFi, NFT, gaming, and payment applications, leveraging fast transaction speeds and minimal fees. Its utility is particularly strong for developers needing quick finality without high operational costs.
Active staking and network participation help secure the network while incentivizing holders, keeping developer engagement robust. While Solana occasionally faces network congestion and performance challenges, these are typical trade-offs for high-speed chains. For investors assessing the best crypto to buy right now, Solana remains relevant due to its resilient ecosystem and adoption, even as it navigates price recovery and market volatility.
3. Binance Coin: Exchange Utility and BNB Smart Chain
Binance Coin is the native token of the Binance ecosystem, used for transaction fees, participation in launchpad events, and as gas on the BNB Smart Chain. It is currently trading around the mid‑$600s, following recent market fluctuations. The network records millions of active daily users, supporting a variety of decentralized applications and DeFi protocols.
BNB has a circulating supply of approximately 136.36 million, with periodic token burns reducing supply over time. Technical data indicate resistance near $620, while derivatives markets show a balanced long-to-short ratio. For those considering the best crypto to buy right now, BNB provides a practical case study in exchange and network utility, reflecting consistent usage rather than speculative activity.
4. Cardano: CME Futures Launch Amid Institutional Consolidation
Cardano is currently trading in the $0.26 – $0.27 range, reflecting moderate volatility. The network uses a proof-of-stake consensus and emphasizes formal verification and research-driven development. Recently, Cardano futures were introduced on the CME Group, offering institutions a regulated way to participate and adding structure to market activity.
At the same time, the ecosystem is gradually expanding into DeFi, including the integration of USDCx via LayerZero. While price movement remains relatively conservative compared to newer high-throughput networks, its capped supply and predictable issuance schedule provide consistent tokenomics. For those evaluating the best crypto to buy right now, ADA illustrates steady adoption and measured network development, prioritizing security and protocol reliability over rapid growth.
Why BlockDAG Tops the 2026 Rankings
The February 2026 market presents a clear contrast between established utility and high-velocity growth. While Solana, Binance Coin, and Cardano remain functional pillars of the industry, they are currently navigating phases of technical resistance and institutional consolidation. For buyers identifying the best crypto to buy right now, these assets offer reliability but lack the explosive multiplier potential found in a Tier-1 launch.
BlockDAG stands apart because its Mainnet is now live, providing a high-throughput ecosystem paired with a final $0.00025 private allocation. With the February 16 exchange debut approaching and a $0.05 target price, the window to secure a 200x edge is closing fast. This is the definitive moment to act before the fixed-price era ends and global market FOMO takes over.
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
Building blockchain projects in web3 no longer demands months of Solidity coding or six-figure budgets, as production-ready code cuts DeFi costs 90% and slashes timelines from months to days.
Summary
- Web3.Market lets web3 project founders buy production-ready smart contracts, cutting blockchain development costs by 90%.
- Blockchain code marketplaces compress months of Solidity work into days, reducing audit and deployment costs.
- Curated dApp templates and tools on Web3.Market offer secure, ready-to-launch projects beyond GitHub’s open code.
The calculus of blockchain development has fundamentally shifted. Five years ago, launching a web3 project meant assembling a team of Solidity developers, spending months writing smart contracts from scratch, and budgeting six figures before a single line of code touched mainnet.
That approach still works for protocols building genuinely novel mechanisms. But for the 80% of blockchain projects implementing proven patterns — token launches, staking platforms, DEX deployments, NFT marketplaces — custom development increasingly represents misallocated capital and time.
The numbers tell the story. According to industry data, experienced Solidity developers command $150 to $300 per hour. A production-ready DeFi application typically reaches $100,000 to $300,000 in total development costs. Smart contract audits alone range from $10,000 for simple contracts to over $100,000 for complex protocols. And these figures assume everything goes right the first time.
The alternative — acquiring production-ready code from specialized marketplaces — compresses timelines from months to days while reducing costs by 90% or more.
What changed: The rise of blockchain code marketplaces
Software marketplaces are not new. WordPress themes migrated from scattered downloads to organized platforms like ThemeForest. Mobile app templates followed a similar consolidation. The same pattern has emerged in blockchain development.
Web3.Market represents this category, operating as a specialized platform where developers and founders acquire complete blockchain project source code rather than building from scratch. The platform combines a curated marketplace of production-ready smart contracts and dApp templates with a directory of 84 developer tools across 18 categories — from RPC providers like Alchemy and Infura to security frameworks like OpenZeppelin and Slither.
The distinction from open-source repositories matters. GitHub offers abundant smart contract code, but quality varies enormously. Maintenance status, test coverage, and security review are often unclear. Commercial marketplaces apply curation; each listing includes documentation, deployment instructions, and license terms clarifying modification and commercial use rights.
The technical stack: What production-ready actually means
A smart contract that compiles is not the same as a smart contract ready for mainnet deployment with user funds. The gap between these two states explains why marketplace products command premium prices over raw open-source code.
Production-ready blockchain code typically includes:
Security Considerations: Reentrancy guards, integer overflow protection, access control patterns, and emergency pause functionality. These aren’t features — they’re table stakes for any contract handling value. The Smart Contract Weakness Classification Registry documents over 37 vulnerability categories that production contracts must address.
Gas Optimization: Inefficient code translates directly to higher user costs. Production implementations minimize storage operations, batch transactions where possible, and implement efficient data structures.
Upgrade Patterns: Whether using proxy contracts or modular architecture, production systems account for the inevitability of bugs and evolving requirements.
Integration Points: Wallet connection libraries, oracle integration for price feeds, and event emission patterns for frontend synchronization.
Documentation: Setup guides, configuration options, deployment scripts for multiple networks, and verification instructions for block explorers.
This infrastructure development represents the unglamorous work that separates a hackathon project from a mainnet deployment.
The hybrid approach: Where build vs buy gets interesting
The choice between building and buying rarely presents as binary. The most efficient blockchain teams treat it as a portfolio decision — buying commodity functionality while reserving custom development for genuine differentiation.
Consider a team launching a DeFi protocol. The token contract, staking mechanism, and presale infrastructure follow well-established patterns documented in standards like ERC-20 and ERC-721. Custom development here adds cost without differentiation. The novel economic mechanism at the protocol’s core — that warrants custom work.
This hybrid approach accomplishes several things simultaneously:
Capital Efficiency: Development budget concentrates on features that matter competitively. A staking contract purchased for $200 versus $30,000 in custom development frees $29,800 for the unique protocol logic, marketing, or audit expenses.
Timeline Compression: Standard components deploy in hours rather than weeks. Teams reach market testing faster, gathering real user feedback while competitors remain in development.
Reduced Security Surface: Battle-tested code that has already undergone security review presents lower risk than freshly written contracts. The most dangerous code is code nobody has examined.
Focus Allocation: Engineering time is directed toward problems that benefit from original thinking rather than re-implementing patterns available elsewhere.
The developer tools layer
Beyond marketplace listings, modern blockchain development depends on an infrastructure stack that has matured significantly. The fragmentation that once characterized web3 tooling — where developers spent significant time simply identifying which tools existed — has consolidated into clearer categories.
Node Infrastructure: Rather than operating blockchain nodes directly, most application developers rely on RPC providers. QuickNode, Alchemy, and Infura handle the infrastructure complexity while exposing standard interfaces.
Development Frameworks: The tooling landscape has consolidated around Hardhat and Foundry. Hardhat dominates in JavaScript/TypeScript environments with its extensive plugin ecosystem. Foundry, built in Rust, offers faster compilation and native fuzzing support — the direction most new projects have adopted.
Security Analysis: Production workflows incorporate static analysis tools like Slither and Mythril as automated checks before human review. These catch common vulnerabilities — reentrancy patterns, access control issues, integer handling—before code reaches auditors.
Indexing and Data: Raw blockchain data remains difficult to query directly. The Graph provides decentralized indexing, while services like Moralis offer managed approaches for teams prioritizing speed over decentralization.
Directories that catalog these tools — like Web3.Market’s Developer Hub with 84 tools across 18 categories — reduce the discovery overhead that historically slowed web3 development.
Security: The constant that doesn’t change
Regardless of whether code originates from custom development or marketplace acquisition, security requirements remain identical. Any smart contract managing user funds requires a systematic review.
The layered approach that has emerged as the industry standard:
Automated Scanning: AI-powered audit tools and static analyzers run against every code change. These catch low-hanging vulnerabilities — common patterns that automated tools recognize reliably. Platforms now offer free smart contract audit tools that scan Solidity files against 100+ vulnerability patterns in under two minutes.
Manual Review: Automated tools miss business logic flaws and economic vulnerabilities. Human auditors examine how contracts interact, what incentives they create, and how they might be exploited in ways that compile correctly but behave unexpectedly.
Ongoing Monitoring: Post-deployment, production contracts require transaction monitoring for anomalous patterns. Bug bounty programs through platforms like Immunefi provide ongoing security coverage.
The cost profile differs between custom and acquired code. Custom development requires full audit scope. Marketplace code that has previously undergone review may require only delta audits examining modifications and integration points—reducing both cost and timeline.
What this means for different stakeholders
For Founders and CEOs: The build vs buy decision affects runway directly. Custom development of commodity functionality represents opportunity cost — capital and time that could be deployed toward market validation, user acquisition, or the technical innovation that actually differentiates the project.
For CTOs and Technical Leaders: The question becomes which components warrant original engineering. Novel mechanisms, proprietary algorithms, and competitive differentiators justify custom work. Standard infrastructure — token contracts, authentication, basic DeFi primitives — can often be acquired.
For Developers: The landscape offers leverage. Rather than rebuilding proven patterns, development time can focus on problems that benefit from creative solutions. Marketplace code provides reference implementations and learning resources alongside deployable components.
The trajectory
The pattern blockchain development follows mirrors other software markets. As infrastructure matures and patterns standardize, custom development concentrates at the innovation frontier while commodity functionality commoditizes.
This benefits the ecosystem broadly. Lower barriers to entry mean more experimentation. Faster iteration cycles mean faster learning. Reduced capital requirements mean more diverse participation.
The projects succeeding in 2026 are not necessarily those with the largest development budgets. They are those that deploy resources strategically — building where building matters, buying where buying makes sense, and shipping while competitors remain in development.
Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.
Virginia’s crypto ATM regulation bill passed both state chambers and now awaits the governor’s signature.
Summary
- Virginia approves crypto kiosk rules with licensing and limits.
- New users face 48-hour hold to prevent scam-related losses.
- Bill targets fraud as kiosks often mistaken for bank ATMs.
The legislation creates statewide licensing requirements, consumer protections, and transaction limits while prohibiting operators from marketing kiosks as ATMs or using ATM-related language.
Delegate Michelle Maldonado, the bill’s sponsor, cited scam cases across Virginia including a Southwest Virginia victim who lost $15,000 and incidents in Fairfax County.
Scams account for approximately 7% of the crypto kiosk industry’s business. This has prompted lawmakers to establish guardrails before the problem expands.
“The thing about crypto is that once it goes into the exchange, which is in the blockchain environment, there’s no way to trace it. There’s no way to get it back,” Maldonado stated.
Crypto bill implements 48-hour fraud prevention hold
The legislation requires kiosks to register with the state, pay licensing fees, and cap consumer transaction fees.
Operators must implement daily and monthly transaction limits along with ID verification for all transactions. A 48-hour hold applies to new users, allowing funds to be returned if fraud is suspected.
Clear warning notices must appear on all kiosks alerting users to scam risks. The registration system will track operators while refund mechanisms must be available for recoverable portions of funds sent through the machines.
Maldonado explained that crypto kiosks confuse consumers who mistake them for traditional ATMs. “They look like ATMs. They’re shaped like ATMs. But instead of taking money out, you’re sort of putting money in to purchase crypto that goes into a broader exchange,” the delegate said.
AARP Virginia backs protections as scammers target older adults
AARP Virginia called the changes urgently needed as scammers increasingly use unregulated kiosks to target state residents, particularly older adults.
The organization noted seniors face heightened vulnerability to schemes involving fake debts, legal threats, and romantic manipulation.
Maldonado called the bill proactive rather than reactive regulation. “That doesn’t mean that there’s no problem. It means that it’s in the beginning. And so this is the time to put the guardrails and the safeguards in place so that 7% doesn’t grow,” she said.
The bill now requires Governor approval to become law. If signed, Virginia would join states implementing crypto kiosk oversight as the machines proliferate across the country.
Ethereum’s recent price action reflects a market transitioning from impulsive selling into a potential short-term stabilisation phase. After a sharp decline toward the $1,750 demand zone, ETH has reacted with a moderate rebound, yet is expected to continue fluctuating in the short term.
Ethereum Price Analysis: The Daily Chart
On the daily chart, ETH continues to trade inside its descending channel, with lower highs and lower lows still intact. The recent impulsive drop pushed the price sharply into the $1.8K demand area, where buyers reacted and triggered a rebound toward the $2.1K region.
However, the asset remains below the 0.5 Fibonacci level at $2.4K and well under the 0.618 level at $2.5K, confirming that the current move is corrective rather than a confirmed trend reversal.
The $2.7K range, aligned with the 0.702–0.786 retracement levels, stands as a major supply zone and would be the key resistance area if a stronger recovery unfolds. As long as ETH remains below $2.5K, the broader structure favours sellers, while the $1.7K level remains the critical support to hold.
ETH/USDT 4-Hour Chart
On the 4-hour chart, the price action has formed a short-term contracting structure after the sharp bounce from $1.7K. The market is currently fluctuating between the ascending short-term support trendline and the descending local resistance trendline, compressing near the $2.1K area. A successful break above $2.1K could open the path toward $2.5K, which is the next key resistance.
Conversely, losing the $2K intraday support would likely expose the $1.8K zone again. For now, ETH appears to be in a short-term consolidation phase between $1.8K and $2.1K following the recent volatility spike.
Sentiment Analysis
The Ethereum Spot Average Order Size chart shows a notable increase in green dots during the recent decline toward the $1.8K region. These green clusters indicate large whale-sized spot orders entering the market as prices traded at low levels. This behaviour suggests potential accumulation by bigger players during the panic-driven sell-off.
While this does not immediately signal a trend reversal, the concentration of whale activity near $1.8K strengthens this zone as a structurally important demand area. If accumulation continues and price stabilises above $2K, the probability of a broader recovery toward higher resistance levels will gradually increase.
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Bitcoin (BTC) has long been pitched as digital gold—a hedge against monetary instability and market turmoil. Yet recent price action complicates that narrative. As institutions have increasingly adopted traditional vehicles like exchange-traded products, BTC’s trading patterns have begun to align more closely with risk assets. A renewed sell-off in software equities, spurred by questions about AI’s impact on the sector, has rekindled concerns about Bitcoin’s resilience and its evolving role in diversified portfolios. This week’s Crypto Biz surveys growing correlations between Bitcoin and growth equities, a significant Ether (ETH) treasury move, and the broader push by traditional finance giants into tokenization.
New evidence from Grayscale indicates that Bitcoin’s short- to mid-term behavior mirrors growth stocks more than a static store of value. While Grayscale maintains a long-term view of Bitcoin as a fixed-supply, central-bank-independent asset, the near-term price action has tracked the trajectory of software equities. The report, authored by Zach Pandl, notes that the asset’s時 price action has grown more synchronized with high-growth equities in recent years, a trend that has intensified as AI-related sector expectations shift investors’ risk appetites. For readers seeking the underlying data, Grayscale’s market commentary highlights Bitcoin’s correlation to growth stocks over the past two years, a period during which tech-driven selloffs have weighed on broader crypto markets. The juxtaposition underscores a nuanced shift: Bitcoin remains a potential long-term hedge, even as day-to-day moves increasingly ride the waves of tech-sector sentiment.
In parallel, a notable Ether treasury play expanded amid the market weakness. BitMine Immersion Technologies disclosed the addition of 40,613 ETH to its treasury during the latest sell-off, reinforcing its commitment to Ether even as prices declined and on-paper losses rose to multibillion-dollar levels. With the new purchase, BitMine’s holdings exceed 4.326 million ETH, a stake valued at roughly $8.8 billion at current prices. The firm’s unrealized losses, tracked by market data sources, sit at around $8.1 billion, illustrating a sharp gap between its cost basis and current valuations. Despite investor pressure and a sagging stock price, BitMine’s chairman Tom Lee defended the strategy as one aimed at capturing Ether’s long-run upside, rather than chasing short-term price swings. The broader crypto and cash portfolio for the company is reported near $10 billion.
On the institutional side of the crypto market, BlackRock has accelerated its tokenization strategy by bringing a tokenized money market fund to Uniswap. The USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund, known as BUIDL, is now accessible to whitelist-approved institutional traders on the decentralized exchange. In tandem with the on-chain listing, BlackRock purchased Uniswap’s governance token, UNI, signaling a hands-on approach to decentralized finance (DeFi) infrastructure. BUIDL is the largest tokenized money market fund, with more than $2.1 billion in assets, issued across multiple blockchains including Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche. In a notable December milestone, the fund surpassed $100 million in cumulative distributions from its US Treasury holdings. This move by BlackRock dovetails with a broader push to bring traditional financial products onto on-chain rails, potentially expanding liquidity and access for institutional participants.
Meanwhile, Polymarket—the decentralized prediction market—took its regulatory fight to federal court, challenging Massachusetts’ attempts to restrict or disable its event-based trading products. Polymarket’s leadership argues that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) possesses exclusive authority over event contracts, and that state-level actions could fragment a legally regulated national market. The case highlights ongoing debates about the role of state regulation in a space that operates at the intersection of finance, gaming, and information markets.
Key takeaways
- Bitcoin’s short-term dynamics are increasingly linked with growth equities, challenging the notion of BTC as a pure digital hedge.
- An Ether treasury holder expanded its stockpile by 40,613 ETH amid a broad market sell-off, pushing total Ether holdings beyond 4.3 million ETH.
- BitMine’s on-paper losses exceed $8.1 billion, reflecting a large gap between cost basis and current ETH prices, even as the firm emphasizes long-term Ether exposure.
- BlackRock’s BUIDL tokenized money market fund is expanding on Uniswap, and the firm is buying UNI to participate in governance and DeFi ecosystems.
- Polymarket has filed a federal lawsuit against Massachusetts to challenge state-level restrictions on prediction-market products, arguing federal supremacy over event contracts.
Tickers mentioned: $BTC, $ETH, $UNI
Sentiment: Neutral
Price impact: Negative. The broader market softness and the matching sell-offs in software equities have coincided with a decline in crypto prices, tempering near-term upside expectations.
Trading idea (Not Financial Advice): Hold. The current backdrop blends macro-driven risk-off sentiment with structural shifts in institutional crypto access, suggesting a wait-and-see stance until clearer catalysts emerge.
Market context: The period’s liquidity and risk-on/risk-off cycles are shaping crypto flows, with institutions testing on-chain access to traditional assets and examining how tokenized products mesh with existing portfolios.
Why it matters
The evolving relationship between Bitcoin and growth equities matters because it reframes how institutional investors may approach crypto exposure. If BTC increasingly behaves like a growth asset, its diversification benefits could hinge more on macroeconomic cycles and tech-sector sentiment than on the microstructure of monetary policy alone. For traders, this correlation implies that shifts in software and AI expectations can ripple into crypto prices more quickly, potentially amplifying volatility during sector rotations.
BitMine’s aggressive Ether accumulation amid a slide in prices highlights a continued belief among some crypto native players that Ether remains a foundational bet for the longer term. The scale of BitMine’s holdings—together with reported losses—illustrates the tension between long-horizon conviction and the realities of mark-to-market risk. As funds and family offices balance risk and reward, Ether’s role as a potential digital settlement layer continues to attract institutional interest, even as prices remain subdued in the near term.
BlackRock’s foray into tokenized treasuries via BUIDL on Uniswap marks a significant inflection point for DeFi adoption by traditional asset managers. The move not only validates on-chain liquidity for tokenized money market funds but also pushes governance into the hands of institutions that historically steered traditional markets. The accompanying purchase of UNI signals an appetite to participate in on-chain governance and protocol-level incentives, potentially shaping the trajectory of DeFi governance and liquidity provisioning. In parallel, Polymarket’s federal suit underscores the unsettled regulatory environment in the prediction-market space, where federal authority may supersede state actions amid rapid innovation. The outcome could set important precedents for how on-chain markets interact with established regulatory frameworks.
What to watch next
- Monitor Grayscale’s forthcoming market commentary for updated correlations between Bitcoin and growth-oriented equities.
- Track BitMine’s ETH treasury activity and any new disclosures about unrealized losses and cost basis management.
- Follow BlackRock’s Uniswap deployments and UNI governance activity to gauge institutional comfort with DeFi on-ramp products.
- Watch updates on the Polymarket Massachusetts case and any federal rulings that clarify jurisdiction over prediction markets.
Sources & verification
- Grayscale: Bitcoin trading more like growth than gold — https://research.grayscale.com/market-commentary/market-byte-bitcoin-trading-more-like-growth-than-gold
- BitMine Immersion Technologies buys 40,613 ETH during sell-off — https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitmine-buys-40-613-eth-during-sell-off-as-ether-strategy-faces-deep-drawdown
- DropStab portfolio note on BitMine losses — https://dropstab.com/p/bitmine-eth-strategy-portfolio-lipdgyz9ho
- BlackRock BUIDL on Uniswap institutional DeFi adoption — https://cointelegraph.com/news/blackrock-buidl-uniswap-institutional-defi-adoption
- Polymarket sues Massachusetts over regulation of prediction markets — https://cointelegraph.com/news/polymarket-sues-massachusetts-claims-states-can-t-regulate-prediction-markets
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