Crypto World
Fold Pays Off $66M Debt, Frees Up BTC Collateral
Fold, a Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin financial services firm, has removed a major liability from its balance sheet after eliminating $66.3 million in convertible debt. The move also released 521 Bitcoin previously pledged as collateral, giving the company direct access to assets that had been locked against its financing obligations. By removing convertible notes that could have been turned into equity, Fold has reduced potential share dilution while gaining more operational flexibility. The restructuring comes as the company prepares to expand its consumer-facing product lineup, including a Bitcoin rewards credit card designed to attract mainstream users interested in accumulating digital assets through everyday spending.
Key takeaways
- Fold retired $66.3 million in convertible debt, removing the possibility of future equity dilution tied to those notes.
- The repayment freed 521 Bitcoin previously used as collateral, restoring full corporate control over the assets.
- With the debt eliminated, the company says it now operates under fewer financing constraints.
- Fold is preparing to launch a consumer Bitcoin rewards credit card as part of its growth strategy.
- The firm became publicly listed in February 2025 after completing a SPAC merger with FTAC Emerald Acquisition.
- Competition among crypto rewards cards is intensifying, with multiple platforms offering similar spending incentives.
Tickers mentioned: $BTC, $FLD
Sentiment: Neutral
Price impact: Neutral. The balance sheet improvement may strengthen fundamentals, but no immediate market reaction is indicated.
Market context: Crypto-financial companies are increasingly exploring debit and credit card products that reward users in digital assets, reflecting broader efforts to integrate cryptocurrency with everyday payments.
Why it matters
Balance sheet restructuring can significantly affect how financial technology companies operate in volatile markets. By removing convertible debt, Fold eliminates a potential source of dilution that could have impacted shareholders if the notes were converted into stock. For investors, this simplifies the company’s capital structure and clarifies its long-term financial obligations.
The release of more than 500 Bitcoin also increases the firm’s strategic flexibility. Digital asset reserves can be used for corporate operations, liquidity management or ecosystem initiatives, particularly as competition among crypto-financial platforms continues to intensify.
More broadly, Fold’s focus on rewards-based Bitcoin accumulation highlights a growing trend within the industry. Instead of positioning cryptocurrency primarily as a speculative asset, many platforms are now embedding it within consumer finance tools, potentially accelerating mainstream adoption.
What to watch next
- The rollout timeline and adoption metrics for Fold’s planned Bitcoin rewards credit card.
- How the newly released Bitcoin holdings are allocated within the company’s corporate strategy.
- Potential financial disclosures showing the impact of the debt restructuring on Fold’s balance sheet.
- Competitive responses from other crypto card providers expanding into consumer payment services.
Sources & verification
- Fold’s official disclosure announcing the elimination of its convertible debt.
- Public filings and investor communications regarding the company’s capital restructuring.
- Market data showing Fold’s share performance following its Nasdaq listing.
- Public announcements from crypto payment platforms offering reward-based cards.
Fold removes debt overhang as crypto rewards competition intensifies
Fold, a publicly traded financial technology company focused on Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) services, has eliminated $66.3 million in convertible debt, a move that simplifies its financial structure and restores access to digital assets that had previously been pledged as collateral. The decision removes a potential source of future shareholder dilution while improving the company’s operational flexibility as it prepares to expand its consumer products.
According to the company’s disclosure, Fold repaid two outstanding convertible notes. These financial instruments allow lenders to convert debt into equity at a later date under predetermined terms. While such financing can provide early-stage capital, it also carries the possibility of share dilution if creditors exercise conversion rights.
By retiring the notes entirely, Fold removed that risk. The company’s management indicated that the repayment strengthens the balance sheet and clarifies its capital structure, which can be particularly important for publicly traded firms navigating volatile market conditions.
The restructuring also released 521 Bitcoin that had been locked as collateral for the debt. With the notes settled, the digital assets are no longer encumbered and can be redeployed for corporate use. This may include treasury management, strategic initiatives or other operational needs as the company continues expanding its services.
Access to those holdings could become increasingly important as Bitcoin-focused financial companies look to build new products around digital asset accumulation and spending. While Fold has not detailed how it intends to deploy the newly available BTC, the company emphasized that the removal of financing restrictions provides greater flexibility for future initiatives.
Founded in 2019, Fold built its reputation through a consumer rewards platform that allows users to earn Bitcoin while making everyday purchases. The company’s core offering includes a debit card linked to a rewards system in which spending in traditional currency generates BTC cashback instead of points or fiat rewards.
That model aims to encourage gradual accumulation of cryptocurrency without requiring users to directly buy or trade digital assets. For many consumers, rewards-based programs offer a simpler entry point into the crypto ecosystem.
Fold entered public markets in February 2025 following a special purpose acquisition company merger with FTAC Emerald Acquisition. The transaction resulted in Fold shares trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker FLD (NASDAQ: FLD), making it one of the first companies dedicated to Bitcoin-based financial services to list on a major US exchange.
Since its public debut, the company has faced the same volatility affecting many crypto-related equities. Market data shows that the stock has declined significantly since listing, reflecting broader market uncertainty and the fluctuating performance of digital asset markets.
Despite these challenges, Fold continues to focus on expanding its consumer-facing offerings. One of the company’s most anticipated upcoming products is a Bitcoin rewards credit card. Unlike the existing debit-based rewards system, the new card would allow customers to accumulate BTC through credit purchases, potentially increasing engagement and transaction volumes.
The launch comes amid rising competition in the crypto rewards card market. Several companies are now targeting consumers who want exposure to digital assets through everyday financial tools rather than direct trading.
For example, the Coinbase Card enables users to spend cryptocurrency balances while earning crypto rewards on transactions. The product forms part of Coinbase’s broader strategy to integrate payments, trading and financial services into a unified digital platform.
Other providers have adopted slightly different models. The Nexo Card allows customers to borrow against their crypto holdings and spend fiat without liquidating their assets, while still earning rewards on purchases.
Meanwhile, exchanges such as Bybit and Crypto.com offer Visa-branded cards that distribute rewards in tokens associated with their platforms. These products aim to create loyalty incentives while also encouraging users to remain within each company’s ecosystem.
Traditional financial networks are also entering the space. Mastercard has collaborated with MetaMask to introduce a crypto-linked payment card that converts digital assets into fiat at the point of sale, enabling purchases at any merchant accepting Mastercard.
Such developments highlight the increasing overlap between cryptocurrency infrastructure and mainstream financial services. As payment networks, fintech firms and exchanges compete for users, reward-based incentives have become a central strategy for attracting and retaining customers.
Fold’s debt repayment and product expansion plans therefore arrive at a time when the sector is becoming more crowded and technologically advanced. The company’s focus on Bitcoin accumulation rather than direct spending positions it somewhat differently from competitors that emphasize transactional crypto payments.
Whether that strategy resonates with a broader consumer base will depend on adoption of its forthcoming credit card and the effectiveness of its rewards program. If successful, the model could appeal to users who prefer gradually earning Bitcoin through spending rather than purchasing it outright.
For now, the elimination of convertible debt represents a structural improvement for Fold’s financial position. By removing potential dilution and reclaiming control of its BTC collateral, the company has taken a step toward strengthening its balance sheet at a time when crypto-focused businesses continue to navigate rapidly evolving market dynamics.
TLDR:
- Bitwise donated $233K from BITB profits to Bitcoin nonprofits in its second annual giving cycle.
- BITB now manages $2.7B in assets, directly increasing the size of this year’s developer donation.
- Brink, OpenSats, and HRF’s Bitcoin Fund split the contribution across open-source development grants.
- Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan says BITB is the only ETF with an ongoing profit-share pledge to developers.
Bitwise Asset Management has donated $233,000 to three Bitcoin-focused nonprofits. The funds come directly from profits generated by its Bitwise Bitcoin ETF, ticker BITB.
This marks the second consecutive year the firm has fulfilled a pledge made at the ETF’s January 2024 launch. The commitment ties 10% of gross annual profits to open-source Bitcoin development support.
Bitwise Bitcoin ETF Profits Fund Developer Grants for Second Straight Year
Bitwise directed the donation across three organizations. Brink, OpenSats, and the Human Rights Foundation’s Bitcoin Development Fund each received a portion.
All three groups focus on funding and training developers who maintain Bitcoin’s core infrastructure. None of them operate for profit.
The pledge originated when BITB first launched in January 2024. Bitwise committed to donating 10% of gross profits annually. The first donation followed that same year. This second contribution signals the firm intends to make the practice routine.
BITB has grown considerably since its debut. The fund now manages approximately $2.7 billion in assets under management. That growth directly increased the size of this year’s donation compared to the first.
Larger assets mean larger profits, and a larger share flows to developers.
Bitwise’s Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan pointed out that BITB stands alone among ETFs in making this type of ongoing commitment.
No other Bitcoin ETF has structured a recurring donation tied to fund profits. The observation drew attention within the Bitcoin community.
Brink, OpenSats, and HRF Bitcoin Fund Split the $233,000 Contribution
Brink focuses on supporting full-time Bitcoin protocol developers through fellowships and grants. OpenSats funds open-source contributors working on Bitcoin and related projects.
The Human Rights Foundation’s Bitcoin Development Fund supports developers in regions where financial freedom is restricted.
Each organization allocates funds independently based on its own grant criteria. Bitwise does not direct how recipients distribute the money. The structure keeps the donation at arm’s length from any product or promotional interest.
Bitwise shared the announcement publicly via its official channels. The post credited investors who chose BITB for making the donation possible. It framed the contribution as a reinvestment into the ecosystem supporting the ETF itself.
The broader Bitcoin development community responded positively. The model connects institutional capital with open-source infrastructure in a direct, measurable way. Observers noted it creates a feedback loop: more BITB investment leads to more developer funding.
Bitwise has not disclosed projections for next year’s donation. The amount will depend on BITB’s profit performance through 2025.
Stablecoin firm Tether has led a $50 million strategic investment round in sleep technology startup Eight Sleep, to help the company integrate artificial intelligence agents into its sleep tech products.
The latest funding round was announced on Tuesday, with Eight Sleep raising $50 million at a $1.5 billion valuation. It follows a $100 million raise last August. The firm specializes in sleep health products, primarily across bedding and supplements.
In an announcement on Tuesday, Tether expressed its strong conviction in health technology to support “longevity, performance, and disease prevention,” and will collaborate with Eight Sleep to bring artificial intelligence-based health technology products to market.
Tether has been using its capital stockpile to invest in a wide range of areas outside crypto. Its investments span the gold sector, media, biotechnology and AI. The firm has also made multiple attempts to buy professional football clubs.
“Technologies that can turn continuous health data into clear, practical insights will shape the future of consumer health and wellness,” Tether said.
“The investment is designed to empower Eight Sleep and establish a long-term collaboration to build advanced AI-driven health technology using, among others, Tether’s QVAC architecture and leveraging QVAC’s edge intelligence to enhance Eight Sleep products,” it added.
Tether’s QVAC is a privacy-focused health tech service launched in December that enables users to integrate their bio-health data from multiple services or products, like smart rings, into a single platform, supported by local on-device AI to help users with data management and health insights.
Eight Sleep has stated that it plans to build a sleep-focused AI agent to support its Pod, a sleep tech product that automatically adjusts bed temperature, elevation, and sound based on factors such as heart rate, breathing, snoring, time asleep and sleep stages.
Related: Stablecoin giving grows as ‘crypto philanthropy’ matures: Report
The Pod already has AI integrations to track sleep health data; however, Eight Sleep has said the funding will help evolve the company’s current AI tools and capabilities.
“We’ve built the most seamless AI-powered health sensing system in the world, and this partnership with Tether gives us the infrastructure to take that intelligence beyond the Pod, into every aspect of personal health,” noted Franceschetti as part of Tether’s announcement.
On X, Franceschetti provided more detail, saying that Eight Sleep is now building a predictive agent trained on over 1 billion hours of sleep data; meanwhile, it is also “advancing FDA filings for sleep apnea detection.”
“Passive. Every night. No wires, no clinic visits,” he said.
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Bitcoin remained bid Thursday amid signs of persistent demand for spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The leading cryptocurrency traded near $72,500 on Thursday, according to CoinDesk market data. The U.S.-listed spot ETFs pulled in another $155 million in net inflows on Wednesday, extending a recent streak of institutional buying that has helped lift prices after weeks of sluggish activity.
The fresh inflows bring total allocations to roughly $1.47 billion over the past two weeks, according to data curated by SoSoValue, marking a sharp reversal after several weeks of withdrawals earlier this year.
Institutional demand through ETFs has begun to stabilize after a difficult start to the year. Investors have poured roughly $1.7 billion into U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs since Feb. 24, according to Bloomberg Intelligence data previously reported by CoinDesk, suggesting some investors are growing more comfortable that the market may have found at least a near term floor.
Earlier this week, analysts at Bitfinex cautioned that ETF inflows do not always translate into immediate buying pressure in the spot market. Authorized participants can create and short ETF shares before sourcing the underlying bitcoin, delaying the impact of those flows on price.
Still, the spot ETF inflows and bitcoin’s recent resilience during geopolitical tensions indicates growing macro relevance of the cryptocurrency, according to some market participants.
“Bitcoin is increasingly being repriced by the market as a geopolitical hedge rather than just a risk asset,” said Livio Weng, CEO of Bitfire. “Unlike gold, bitcoin trades 24/7 and can move across borders instantly, which makes it a natural escape valve for capital during periods of geopolitical stress.”
On-chain data calls for caution
Despite the rebound in flows, underlying demand signals remain fragile, according to Glassnode. In a recent report, the firm said buy-side momentum has weakened significantly, with the 30-day moving average of realized profit falling about 63% since early February.
The share of bitcoin supply held in profit has also slipped to roughly 57%, a level historically associated with early stages of deeper bear market conditions. Glassnode added that the cost basis of short-term holders near $70,000 could act as a key behavioral ceiling, potentially turning rallies into distribution zones as traders exit positions near breakeven.
The U.S. banking industry is pushing back against the Federal Reserve’s decision to grant crypto exchange Kraken direct access to its core payments infrastructure, warning the move could introduce new risks to the financial system.
Summary
- Kraken Financial became the first crypto firm to gain access to the Federal Reserve’s core payment systems through a limited-purpose master account.
- Trade groups including the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) say the move could introduce risks and bypass regulatory safeguards.
- Critics warn the decision could set a precedent allowing other crypto firms to seek similar direct access to U.S. financial infrastructure.
Kraken’s Wyoming-chartered banking arm, Kraken Financial, recently secured a limited-purpose Federal Reserve “master account,” making it the first crypto-native firm to connect directly to the central bank’s payment rails.
The account allows the firm to process transactions through systems such as Fedwire without relying on intermediary banks, enabling faster fiat transfers tied to digital asset markets.
U.S. banking lobby warns of risks after Kraken gets Fed payment account
While the approval represents a milestone for the crypto industry, major banking groups have voiced strong concerns about the decision. The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) said it has “deep concerns” about granting a master account to Kraken Financial, arguing that crypto-focused institutions operate under different regulatory frameworks than traditional banks.
Banking lobby groups also questioned the approval process. The Bank Policy Institute said the Kansas City Federal Reserve granted what appears to be a “limited purpose” or “skinny” master account before the Federal Reserve Board finalized the policy framework governing such access.
According to the group, the move lacked transparency and could undermine consistency across the Fed system.
Critics also point to Kraken Financial’s status as a Wyoming Special Purpose Depository Institution (SPDI), which is not federally insured like traditional banks. Banking advocates argue that allowing uninsured institutions to access the Fed’s settlement infrastructure could pose financial stability and compliance risks.
The debate highlights growing tensions between traditional financial institutions and the digital asset industry.
If upheld, Kraken’s approval could serve as a precedent for other crypto companies seeking similar integration with the U.S. banking system, potentially reshaping how digital assets interact with traditional financial infrastructure.
The SKY token rallied roughly 10% over the past 24 hours as investors responded to the protocol’s ongoing token buyback program and governance updates designed to reshape its tokenomics.
Summary
- SKY gained roughly 10% in the past 24 hours, according to on-chain and market data.
- The protocol has repurchased over 1.8 billion SKY tokens through its ongoing treasury-backed buyback program.
- Recent proposals approved adjustments to staking rewards and treasury management, which could reduce token inflation.
SKY climbs double digits as protocol buybacks fuel rally
According to on-chain data, the token’s latest move comes amid renewed interest in the project’s supply reduction strategy. The Sky protocol has been actively repurchasing its native token through a treasury-backed buyback mechanism, which removes tokens from circulation and can reduce selling pressure.
Data from the protocol’s public buyback dashboard shows that more than 1.8 billion SKY tokens have already been repurchased through the program. The buybacks are funded using USDS from the project’s treasury and are executed directly on the market.
The strategy mirrors traditional corporate share buybacks, a model increasingly adopted by some decentralized finance protocols to return value to token holders and support price stability.
Momentum also appears to have been boosted by recent governance developments within the Sky ecosystem. A newly approved executive vote introduced several operational updates, including adjustments to staking rewards and treasury management functions.
One of the key changes involves the normalization of SKY staking rewards, a move that effectively slows the rate at which new tokens are issued to participants.
By reducing emissions, the protocol aims to limit inflationary pressure on the token while maintaining incentives for network participants.
The governance vote also included operational updates related to agent onboarding and settlement cycles within the protocol’s broader infrastructure.
Taken together, the buyback activity and emission adjustments have strengthened the narrative around SKY’s evolving tokenomics, which increasingly emphasize supply management and revenue-backed incentives.
The rally highlights growing market interest in DeFi projects experimenting with token value accrual models that resemble equity-style financial mechanisms.
If the buyback pace continues and governance changes further tighten supply, analysts say SKY could remain a closely watched token in the decentralized finance sector.
Crypto asset manager Bitwise has now donated a total of $383,000 to support developers who maintain and secure the Bitcoin network since 2024, with its latest $233,000 contribution announced on Wednesday.
Its second payout, funded by 10% of gross profits from its Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB), adds to the $150,000 that it donated in February 2025 after BITB’s first full year.
“Bitwise is proud to donate $233,000 to support the unsung heroes maintaining and securing the Bitcoin network,” Bitwise said in a post to X on Wednesday.
Around the time of BITB’s launch in January 2024, Bitwise pledged to direct 10% of gross profits to Bitcoin developers, who play a key role in securing what has become a $1.4 trillion network.
“As $BITB continues to grow, so too does our contribution. Bitcoin is changing the world, and Bitwise will always strive to do our part to be a good steward of this incredible ecosystem.”
Bitwise said three Bitcoin-friendly non-profit organizations will allocate the funds: Bitcoin Brink, OpenSats and the Human Rights Foundation, through its Bitcoin Development Fund.
The $233,000 donation suggests Bitwise generated $2.33 million in gross profits from BITB in its second year.
Bitwise earns money from BITB by charging a 0.2% fee on BITB assets under management.
BITB is still third in total Bitcoin ETF flows
BITB has seen $2.2 billion worth of inflows since January 2024, trailing only BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) and the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), Farside Investors data shows.
However, IBIT and FBTC are far ahead, having amassed $62.4 billion and $11 billion worth of inflows, respectively.
Related: TradFi to adopt 24/7 crypto rails sooner than expected: Bitwise
Many Bitcoin ETFs have seen net inflows fall at the start of 2026 amid a broader crypto market pullback.
BITB has managed to weather that storm, however, increasing marginally from $2.17 billion to $2.21 billion across the first nine weeks of the year.
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Crypto World
Bitcoin Outflows Hit 28,700 BTC: Is the Bitfinex Transfer Distorting the Market Signal?
TLDR:
- Bitcoin recorded its largest single-day outflow since November 2025, totaling 28,700 BTC across exchanges.
- Bitfinex alone accounted for 24,627 BTC of the total outflow, dropping reserves from 431,767 to 407,140 BTC.
- A single transaction moved 23,588 BTC to a newly created wallet, pointing to a possible internal treasury operation.
- Analysts urge caution as the outflow data may not reflect true accumulation without an official statement from Bitfinex.
Bitcoin outflows across major exchanges surged recently, reaching 28,700 BTC in a single day—the highest recorded since November 2025.
The bulk of this movement came from Bitfinex, where reserves dropped sharply within a short window. While such outflows are traditionally seen as a sign of accumulation, this event carries a distinct characteristic.
Market analysts are currently calling for caution before treating this data as a clear directional signal.
Bitcoin Outflows Reach Highest Point Since November 2025
The 28,700 BTC net outflow recorded across exchanges is not a routine figure. It marks the largest single-day outflow seen in several months.
Data shared by analyst Darkfost on X pointed to this unusual spike. The numbers quickly caught the attention of traders watching on-chain metrics.
According to Darkfost’s post, large Bitcoin outflows from exchanges often suggest accumulation behavior. Investors withdrawing BTC from platforms typically plan to hold rather than sell.
This reduces the available supply on trading venues over time. Historically, such patterns have been associated with periods of price strength.
The trend of moving Bitcoin off exchanges has appeared at various points in past market cycles. Reduced exchange reserves have often preceded upward price movement in those periods.
On-chain analysts widely reference this relationship. The pattern carries a reputation as a positive market signal.
However, this event does not fit neatly into that historical framework. The outflow was not distributed across many exchanges, as would be expected.
Instead, it was concentrated almost entirely on one platform. That concentration shifts the analysis considerably.
Single Bitfinex Transaction Raises Questions About Market Interpretation
Bitfinex saw its reserves fall from 431,767 BTC to 407,140 BTC within a very short period. That represents an outflow of roughly 24,627 BTC from the exchange alone.
This single platform accounted for the majority of the total outflow. The scale and speed of the movement stood out to on-chain analysts.
Within that movement, 23,588 BTC were transferred in a single transaction to a newly created wallet address. A single-block transfer of that size to a fresh address is uncommon in regular user activity.
Such transactions more closely resemble internal treasury operations or wallet restructuring. Exchanges carry out these moves for security or operational management purposes.
As of the time of writing, Bitfinex had issued no public statement about the transaction. Without official confirmation, analysts are working from observable on-chain data alone.
The characteristics of the transaction point more toward a platform-led operation. A newly created destination address and single-block execution are consistent with exchange-managed transfers.
Because of this, Bitcoin outflow data from this event may not reflect genuine accumulation activity. The actual market effect could be far smaller than the raw numbers suggest.
Analysts recommend waiting for further clarity before drawing any conclusions. Additional confirmation is needed before investors adjust their positions based on this data.
Analyst EGRAG says only a weekly close above a certain level would flip XRP’s long-running descending channel bullish.
XRP is attempting to push above the 200 EMA and the $1.55 level, a move that market analyst EGRAG CRYPTO says would signal short-term strength if confirmed with a weekly close.
Despite the attempted rally, the token remains trapped inside a descending channel that has defined its price action for months, leaving the broader trend corrective until a breakout above $2.20 flips the structure bullish.
XRP Tests 200 EMA
In a post published on X on March 4, EGRAG CRYPTO said XRP is “pushing above 200 EMA” but warned that the price is still trading inside a descending channel on the weekly timeframe.
According to their breakdown, a weekly close above $1.55 would weaken the current downward trajectory, while a close above $2.20 would invalidate the bearish structure and open the path toward $2.70 to $3.60.
If XRP fails to reclaim $1.55, the analyst outlined a move toward $1.26, with a possible sweep of macro support between $0.95 and $0.85. In a separate post, they assigned a 55% to 65% probability to a deeper sweep and a 35% to 45% chance of an early breakout reclaim.
“Structure > Emotion,” they wrote, arguing that the descending channel still defines the trend. The technical standoff comes at a time when derivatives and spot activity are contracting. Analyst Amr Taha previously noted that XRP futures open interest had dropped 70% since October 2025, falling to $203 million.
Binance open interest slipped below $270 million, levels last seen in April 2025 before a major rally. Historically, such resets have coincided with local bottoms as leverage is cleared out, though they do not guarantee a rebound.
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Price Action Reflects Fragile Recovery
At the time of writing, data from CoinGecko showed that XRP had gained about 4% in the last 24 hours and roughly 3% over the past week, bouncing from a recent low near $1.27.
Even so, the token remains down more than 12% over 30 days and about 40% across the past year. Furthermore, it is still more than 61% below its July 2025 all-time high of $3.65.
The recent rebound has occurred within a 24-hour range between $1.34 and $1.42, with market capitalization holding near $86 billion.
For now, the weekly close relative to $1.55 is the immediate focus. A decisive break above $2.20 would alter the chart structure described by EGRAG, while rejection below the 200 EMA will keep the descending channel intact and leave lower supports in play.
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Crypto World
SKY jumps nearly 10% after governance vote slows new token creation while buybacks tighten supply
SKY, the native token of DeFi platform Sky (formerly Maker), climbed nearly 10% after the protocol executed a governance proposal that slowed how quickly new tokens are created through staking rewards, expanded its lending system around the USDS stablecoin, and kept up a large buyback program that is pulling tokens out of the market.
The governance proposal, which passed Feb. 27 and was executed March 2, introduced several changes across the Sky Protocol, including adjustments to staking rewards and the onboarding of new credit infrastructure designed to expand the reach of its USDS stablecoin ecosystem.
One of the most closely watched changes involved staking rewards – the rate at which new coins are issued as a return for locking up existing holdings in the protocol.
Slower supply growth
The proposal “normalized” the so-called SKY staking emissions by setting the distribution at roughly 838.18 million tokens over the next 180 days, representing a reduction of about 161.82 million tokens compared with the previous schedule. Lower emissions can reduce dilution pressure, a factor traders often watch closely when evaluating governance tokens.
At the same time, the protocol has been steadily repurchasing its own token through an automated buyback program funded with USDS. According to Sky’s dashboard, the system has spent roughly $114.5 Million buying back about 1.83 billion SKY tokens so far.
The purchases occur in small transactions throughout the day, typically around $10,000 per trade, creating a steady bid in the market. In total, the program is currently removing roughly 3.6 million SKY tokens from circulation each day.
Combined with the emissions adjustment, the buybacks have tightened the token’s effective supply. Data from the protocol indicates that roughly 67% of SKY is currently staked, leaving a smaller portion actively trading in the market.
The governance proposal also approved new infrastructure to expand credit markets around the protocol. Two new “Launch Agents” were onboarded to help deploy credit and manage liquidity infrastructure connected to the USDS stablecoin system.
Industry trend
Across the crypto market, a growing number of protocols are shifting toward token models built around buybacks and lower emissions, replacing the inflation-heavy incentive systems that dominated early DeFi.
In the past, many protocols distributed large amounts of newly minted tokens to attract liquidity providers, traders, and governance participants. While those incentives helped bootstrap networks, they also created persistent selling pressure as recipients often sold rewards into the market.
More recently, protocols have begun moving in the opposite direction. Rather than issuing more tokens, some are using protocol revenue to repurchase tokens on the open market or reduce emissions altogether.
Hyperliquid offers a recent example. The decentralized exchange allocates a portion of trading fees to buy and burn its HYPE token. When trading activity surged last week, the protocol generated more than $13 Million in weekly fees, allowing roughly $9 Million worth of tokens to be burned over seven days.
Other projects are pursuing similar approaches. Solana-based Jupiter voted in February to eliminate net new emissions for its JUP token in 2026, preventing additional supply from entering circulation. Meanwhile, derivatives protocol dYdX approved a plan allocating 75% of protocol revenue toward token buybacks.
The shift reflects a broader effort to tie token demand more directly to protocol activity while limiting dilution for existing holders.
Crypto venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz is doubling down on crypto despite a major market downturn, seeking $2 billion for a new crypto fund.
A16z Crypto, the blockchain arm of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, is raising a fifth fund focused on crypto with plans to close by mid-2026, according to Fortune, citing anonymous sources on Wednesday.
The latest round is significantly smaller than its previous $4.5 billion fund from 2022, but the company has shifted to a shorter fundraising cycle to remain flexible to ever-changing crypto narratives.
The move comes amid a crypto bear market that has seen more than $2 trillion wiped from total market capitalization since its peak of around $4.4 trillion in early October.
A16z crypto chief Chris Dixon’s Web3 philosophy envisioned a decentralized internet with applications built on blockchains, according to his 2024 book, “Read Write Own.”
But many of those investments have not panned out, notably decentralized X (Twitter) competitor Farcaster, which returned $180 million to investors after selling off its infrastructure in January.
Crypto VCs exploring non-crypto tech
Wall Street crypto buffs have narrowed their focus lately toward stablecoins, real-world asset tokenization, and financial products, with many venture capitalists following that shift. Others have started to look towards other areas of technology.
Co-founder of venture firm Multicoin Capital, Kyle Samani, stepped down in February to “explore new areas of technology,” such as AI, longevity, and robotics.
Meanwhile, crypto venture firm Paradigm is expanding into artificial intelligence and robotics with its latest fund seeking to raise $1.5 billion, as reported in late February.
Related: Crypto slides, but tokenized RWAs and VC push ahead
A16z raised over $15 billion in January to invest in companies and technologies it deemed critical to secure America’s future, mentioning AI and crypto and including technologies in “key areas that generate human flourishing,” such as biology, health, defense, public safety, education, and entertainment.
A16z sees opportunity in AI, crypto in 2026
A16z recently highlighted crypto and AI as major themes for 2026, stating that it expected AI to automate cybersecurity work, AI models to become app stores, privacy to become the “most important moat in crypto,” prediction markets to get “bigger, broader, and smarter,” and stablecoins to become more intertwined with traditional banking and finance.
According to DeFiLlama’s fundraising aggregator, crypto startups raised $895 million in February, down almost 40% from the $1.47 billion raised the previous month and marginally less than the $1 billion raised in February 2025.
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