Crypto World
Strive’s $50M STRC bet is already underwater
On March 11, Strive Inc. bought Strategy’s 11.5% dividend-paying STRC at its full par value of $100 per share “instead of holding idle cash.”
It inaccurately insinuated that its $50 million STRC purchase would somehow pay for $50 million worth of dividend payouts to Strive’s shareholders while earning extra benefits.
Indeed, it claimed that holding STRC instead of cash would earn dividends at a higher rate than a money market, lengthening Strive’s runway for servicing dividend payments on its own STRC competitor, SATA.
Fast-forward to Friday’s close of business in New York, however, and Strive’s $50 million STRC purchase, inclusive of its three paid monthly dividends of $480,000 apiece, is now worth just $48,140,000.
In other words, holding STRC instead of cash has cost Strive $1.86 million, a loss of 3.7% in just three months.
Strive is the bitcoin treasury company co-founded by Vivek Ramaswamy and a former Bud Light executive. It bought 500,000 shares of Strategy’s STRC fully priced at $100 apiece.
The pitch was that STRC behaves like cash but pays a generous yield. Well, it does pay a generous yield, and also, the shares closed at $93.40 on Friday — down 6.6% since Strive purchased them three months ago.
A money market competitor that loses money
Despite dubious ads and endless comparisons, STRC isn’t a bank account, money market, bond, swap, note of indebtedness, nor any other product that enjoys FDIC or SIPC insurance.
To the contrary, STRC is a stock and trades at any price set by Nasdaq traders. Strategy has never promised to bid for STRC, and shareholders have no right to redeem STRC for their original investment.
Historically, STRC has paid $0.96 monthly dividends per share, but Strategy may suspend dividends at any time and at its discretion.
Strategy allegedly designed STRC to hover near its $100 par, adjusting the rate every month “to encourage trading around STRC’s $100 par value and to help strip away price volatility.”
Unsophisticated retail investors, as well companies that benefit from Bitcoin-branded media attention like Strive, bought into that guidance.
Read more: Jim Chanos was right about Strategy — just not patient enough
Strive bought STRC for ‘stable price behavior’
Chief executive Matt Cole, a former CalPERS portfolio manager, framed the purchase as smart treasury management.
“Instead of holding idle cash earning low yields in money market funds, we believe it makes sense to allocate a portion of those reserves to instruments like STRC that provide strong yield dynamics while maintaining stable price behavior,” he said in March.
It took less than three months to decimate that “stable price behavior” guidance.
Strive’s own chief risk officer, Jeff Walton, claimed STRC “offers clear advantages over traditional fixed income assets.”
Stable price behavior was the whole point. Strive bought STRC with more than a third of the company’s cash at the time of purchase.
Got a tip? Send us an email securely via Protos Leaks. For more informed news and investigations, follow us on X, Bluesky, and Google News, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Crypto World
The Next Yield Meta: Revenue Sharing vs Token Emissions
Are Emissions Finally Dying? For years, crypto investors chased one thing above all else: yield.
Protocols compete by offering eye-catching APYs, often paying users with newly minted tokens. Liquidity flooded in. TVL exploded. Communities celebrated.
Then reality arrived.
As token emissions increased, prices often moved in the opposite direction. Rewards that looked attractive on paper became less valuable as inflation diluted holders and sell pressure mounted.
Now, a new narrative is gaining momentum across DeFi:
Revenue Sharing. Real Yield. Sustainable Value.
The question is no longer how much yield a protocol can offer.
The question is whether that yield comes from real economic activity.
The Old Model: Inflationary Token Rewards
Token emissions powered the first generation of DeFi growth.
Protocols distributed newly created tokens to users who:
- Provided liquidity
- Staked assets
- Borrowed and lent funds
- Participated in governance
This model worked remarkably well in attracting capital.
A protocol offering 100% APY could quickly attract millions in deposits.
But there was a hidden problem.
Most of the yield wasn’t coming from revenue.
It was coming from inflation.
Imagine a protocol generating $100,000 in annual fees while issuing $10 million worth of new tokens to incentivize users.
The rewards appeared attractive, but the economic foundation was weak.
As recipients sold their rewards, the token supply expanded and prices declined.
This created a cycle:
- Protocol emits tokens.
- Users farm rewards.
- Users sell rewards.
- Token price falls.
- Protocol increases emissions to maintain attractiveness.
- More selling pressure emerges.
Many DeFi projects entered what became known as the “yield death spiral.”
The rewards were real.
The value often wasn’t.
The Rise of Real Yield
As markets matured, investors began demanding something different.
Instead of asking:
“How much yield does this protocol pay?”
They started asking:
“Where does the yield come from?”
This shift gave birth to the Real Yield movement.
Real Yield refers to rewards generated from actual protocol revenue rather than token inflation.
Sources may include:
- Trading fees
- Borrowing fees
- Platform commissions
- Liquidation fees
- Infrastructure revenue
- Subscription models
In this model, users receive a share of the value created by genuine network activity.
The protocol becomes more like a business generating cash flow than a token-printing machine.
Revenue Sharing: Aligning Users With Protocol Success
Revenue-sharing models distribute a portion of protocol earnings directly to token holders or stakers.
This creates a powerful alignment.
When protocol usage grows:
- Revenue increases
- Rewards increase
- Demand for the token may increase
- Long-term holders benefit
Unlike emissions, the rewards are tied directly to economic performance.
This encourages users to think like owners rather than short-term farmers.
Instead of asking:
“How fast can I sell my rewards?”
Participants begin asking:
“How much revenue can this protocol generate over the next five years?”
That’s a fundamentally different mindset.
Buyback-and-Burn: Creating Scarcity
Another emerging model is the buyback-and-burn mechanism.
Rather than distributing revenue directly, protocols use earnings to purchase tokens from the open market.
Those tokens are then permanently removed from circulation.
The process creates two potential benefits:
1. Continuous Buy Pressure
Protocol revenue becomes a recurring source of demand.
As usage increases, buybacks may increase as well.
2. Reduced Supply
Burning tokens decreases the circulating supply over time.
If demand remains stable or grows, scarcity can strengthen token economics.
This model has become increasingly popular because it rewards holders without creating additional taxable distributions in some jurisdictions and can simplify token value accrual.
Why Investors Are Paying Attention
The shift toward revenue-backed value isn’t happening by accident.
Crypto investors are becoming more sophisticated.
Many now evaluate protocols using metrics traditionally associated with businesses:
- Revenue growth
- Fee generation
- Profitability
- User retention
- Cash flow
- Capital efficiency
A protocol generating millions in fees may deserve a premium valuation compared to one relying solely on emissions.
The market is slowly moving from speculation toward fundamentals.
Not entirely.
But noticeably.
The Challenges of Revenue Sharing
Despite its advantages, revenue sharing is not a perfect solution.
Several risks remain:
Lower Initial Growth
Emission incentives can rapidly bootstrap liquidity and adoption.
Revenue-sharing models may grow more slowly.
Regulatory Questions
Direct profit-sharing mechanisms may attract greater regulatory scrutiny in certain jurisdictions.
Revenue Dependence
If protocol activity declines, rewards decline as well.
Sustainability depends on continued user demand.
Competitive Pressure
Protocols must continue innovating to maintain fee generation.
Revenue today does not guarantee revenue tomorrow.
What the Next Yield Meta Might Look Like
The future may not be emissions versus revenue sharing.
The winning protocols could combine both.
A balanced framework might include:
- Limited emissions for early growth
- Revenue sharing for long-term retention
- Buyback-and-burn mechanisms for value accrual
- Sustainable tokenomics focused on utility
Instead of endlessly printing tokens, protocols may increasingly reward participants through actual economic output.
This represents a major evolution in how DeFi creates value.
Final Thoughts
The era of emissions-driven growth is not completely over.
Token incentives remain an effective tool for bootstrapping networks and attracting liquidity.
But the market is becoming less willing to reward inflation for inflation’s sake.
Investors increasingly want evidence that a protocol can generate real revenue, create sustainable demand, and return value to participants without relying on perpetual token issuance.
Revenue sharing, buyback-and-burn mechanisms, and Real Yield models are all responses to that demand.
The next generation of DeFi winners may not be the protocols offering the highest APY.
They may be the protocols generating the most genuine economic value.
And if that trend continues, the biggest yield opportunity in crypto won’t come from token emissions.
It will come from owning a share of the revenue-producing networks of the future.
REQUEST AN ARTICLE
Crypto World
This startup wants to reduce payment friction on prediction markets
In this photo illustration, Apps for online prediction market sites are shown on an electronic device on Feb. 25, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.
Scott Olson | Getty Images
As prediction market volumes continue to march higher and platforms increasingly look to institutional players to engage, a startup is seeking to make it easier to move money around on event contract exchanges.
EDGE Markets — which runs a banking platform designed for gambling and prediction market spending — is set to debut two products, the company shared exclusively with CNBC ahead of a Monday announcement. It will also reveal a $29.2 million Series A funding round, led by venture capital firm CoinFund.
The company will announce EDGE Connect, a real-time payments system to reduce the time it takes for individual traders to transfer funds from their bank accounts into wallets on prediction market exchanges.
Users get access to EDGE Connect if they use EDGE Boost, a financial platform that only allows deposits to be used for spending on gambling and prediction markets. CEO Seni Thomas told CNBC in an interview that EDGE Connect is currently available on Kalshi, and that the company is actively working to implement the technology on five other platforms in the coming months.
Kalshi confirmed to CNBC the partnership with EDGE.
“We have 24-hour markets… and you can’t get money in at the same velocity,” Thomas said. “Any one of our users can sign into our consumer bank accounts and actually push out up to $10 million per day, and it hits your Kalshi account within two minutes.”
The company is also announcing EDGE Pro, a platform that will serve as a hub for institutional market makers to easily move money between various prediction markets regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Pro will launch to a waitlist as EDGE awaits regulatory approvals from the National Futures Association.
Thomas said that Pro solves a unique issue that institutional traders face in the prediction market space.
“You’re going to now have 10 different liquidity pools, actually offering very similar contracts,” he said. “You need to have a very, very fast infrastructure to be able to kind of move all that in real time.”
EDGE Markets was founded in 2020 by Thomas and then launched EDGE Boost in March 2025. Boost has processed over $2 billion in transactions since then.
“The biggest moments in gaming and prediction markets happen on nights and weekends, exactly when the banking system slows to a crawl. EDGE built the rails to match that reality,” Alex Felix, a managing partner at CoinFund, said in a statement. “We think EDGE becomes the default settlement layer for an entirely new category of financial markets.”
Disclosure: CNBC and Kalshi have a commercial relationship that includes customer acquisition and a minority investment.
Crypto World
Ripple Price Analysis: Is XRP Ready for a Comeback After Reclaiming Major Support?
XRP remains under pressure on higher timeframes after extending its decline within a broad descending channel. However, the asset is now attempting to stabilize above an important support region while showing early signs of recovery against Bitcoin. The coming sessions could determine whether it can establish a meaningful bottom or continue its longer-term downtrend.
Ripple Price Analysis: The USDT Pair
On the daily timeframe, XRP has recently broken below the local support around $1.30 and quickly dropped into a major demand zone between $1.10 and $1.20. This region has historically attracted buyers and once again produced a reaction, with the price rebounding after briefly dipping below the lower boundary of the zone.
Despite the bounce, the broader market structure remains bearish. XRP continues to trade inside a long-term descending channel while remaining below both the 100-day moving average at approximately $1.35 and the 200-day moving average near $1.60. The bearish alignment of these moving averages suggests that sellers still maintain control of the higher-timeframe trend.
For the buyers, the first challenge is reclaiming the 100-day MA and turning the $1.35-$1.40 region into support. A successful recovery above that area could open the door for a move toward the next major resistance zone around $1.80.
On the downside, failure to hold the current support between could expose the channel’s lower boundary and potentially trigger another leg lower. Meanwhile, the RSI has recovered from near-oversold conditions and currently sits around 33, indicating that bearish momentum has eased slightly, although no strong bullish reversal signal has emerged yet.
The BTC Pair
Against Bitcoin, XRP appears to be showing more constructive price action after several months of underperformance. The pair recently found support near 1,700 sats and has since produced a series of higher lows, suggesting that selling pressure may be weakening.
The price is currently trading around the 1,820 SAT region, which coincides with an important resistance area and sits just beneath the declining 100-day moving average. A decisive breakout above this zone could strengthen the recovery narrative and allow XRP to target the next resistance area around 2,000 sats, where the 200-day moving average is also located.
The broader trend, nevertheless, remains negative, as the pair is still trading inside a long-term descending channel and below both the 100-day and 200-day moving averages. As a result, any bullish continuation will likely require a sustained break above the 1,850 sats resistance cluster.
Moreover, the RSI on the BTC pair has improved notably and is hovering near the neutral 55 level, reflecting strengthening momentum compared to the USDT chart. As long as XRP holds above the 1,700 sat support, the probability of an extension toward higher resistance levels remains elevated. However, a breakdown below that floor would invalidate the recent recovery structure and shift focus toward the lower channel support near 1,500 sats.
The post Ripple Price Analysis: Is XRP Ready for a Comeback After Reclaiming Major Support? appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Crypto World
Best Exchanges to Trade Oil With Crypto in 2026: The Complete Guide
The crypto industry isn’t what it was a few years ago. I remember when I started, there were a handful of exchanges – all centralized- and nobody would ever consider that buying stocks or commodities on them was even possible. Well, that’s not the case anymore. Tokenization is now a major part of the field, and trading commodities such as oil is not only possible but also generates billions in trading volume every single day.
As blockchain infrastructure evolves, traders in 2026 can access oil markets through tokenized assets and decentralized platforms without relying on conventional brokers.
In the following, I will walk you through everything you need to know about trading oil with crypto – starting from the exchanges you can use, a step-by-step tutorial on how to use them, their fees, pros, cons, differences, and more.
Main Takeaways:
- Trading oil with crypto typically provides synthetic exposure to crude oil via perpetual futures.
- Most of the products are settled in stablecoins like USDC and USDT.
- You can trade oil with crypto on both centralized and decentralized exchanges.
- The best platform will depend on your preference.
- Hyperliquid, Binance, and Bybit are amongst the best options.
Understanding the Link Between Oil Markets and Cryptocurrency
The connection between oil markets and cryptocurrency has strengthened and become more pronounced as multiple digital asset platforms expand beyond spot trading into derivatives and real-world asset (RWA) exposure.
Traditionally, oil trading has been largely dominated by futures contracts on regulated exchanges. Now, however, crypto infrastructure has evolved to enable similar exposure through tokenized alternatives. Instead of holding physical barrels of oil or using legacy brokers, traders can speculate on oil prices using crypto-collateralized perpetual contracts that mirror crude oil benchmarks such as Brent or WTI.
In fact, several major platforms have already accelerated this process. Most famously, the popular decentralized perpetual contracts exchange Hyperliquid quickly became the preferred place to trade oil during the weekend when the war between the US, Israel, and Iran started. It remains a preferred platform for trading tokenized oil, with billions in open interest within weeks.
Centralized exchanges are also becoming increasingly popular. Binance, for example, offers oil-linked derivatives that function much like traditional oil futures but are settled in crypto. Bybit has also introduced trading interfaces that bridge traditional finance concepts and digital assets, allowing users to gain exposure to commodities such as crude oil alongside crypto markets.
In any case, this evolution reflects a broader trend: cryptocurrency exchanges are quickly becoming multi-asset trading venues. Oil, as one of the most liquid commodities in the world, is nothing but a natural extension.
It’s worth noting, though, that the link remains synthetic rather than physical – the prices are derived from external markets, and the positions are usually settled in stablecoins or other cryptocurrencies.
Best Exchanges to Trade Oil With Crypto: Detailed Comparison for 2026
.cp-only-mobile{display:none}
@media(max-width:720px){
.cp .table .price .cp-only-mobile{display:inline;font-weight:600;margin-right:.25rem}
}
| Name | Features | Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
||
|
||
|
I have to divide this section into two categories: decentralized and centralized exchanges that feature oil-linked products tradable with stablecoins.
For years, the consensus has been that centralized exchanges are easier to use, but, to be honest, Hyperliquid comes very close to that experience without requiring you to custody your funds with them. This will be reflected in my following review.
Decentralized Exchanges
Hyperliquid: Best for On-Chain Derivatives Traders
Hyperliquid is the largest decentralized cryptocurrency exchange by far, capturing over 90% of the DEX market share for perpetual futures trading. It also pioneered oil-linked derivatives after they launched HIP-3 on mainnet. For a long time, it was the only place where users could trade OIL contracts using crypto, even on weekends, making it a valuable instrument for price discovery during times of military conflict in the Middle East.
So, yes, Hyperliquid treats crude as a 24/7 on-chain perpetual market. Instead of going through a traditional commodity broker, users can post crypto collateral and take long or short exposure to oil-linked contracts.
In my opinion, this is the most crypto-native experience of the three – you get wallet-backed access, on-chain settlement, perpetual futures, funding rates, and continuous trading all at once.
Of course, centralized venues eventually caught on, but Hyperliquid accounts for a huge portion of the trading volume and for a good reason. Of course, there are some drawbacks. Hyperliquid is not a regulated commodity exchange (but neither are Binance or Bybit). The onboarding experience for non-crypto users can be a bit intimidating, because they would have to set up a wallet and bridge funds to the exchange – something that many people might find scary. However, if you have connected a wallet to any Web3 dApp before, you will experience no problems whatsoever.
Now, it’s worth noting that the markets available on Hyperliquid are deployed by 3rd-party firms, who build on top of the exchange’s infrastructure – that’s what their builder codes program is for. That said, this also suggests these companies support the markets, meaning that the Hyperliquid team isn’t responsible for them.
Presently, the teams offering oil-linked perps on Hyperliquid include:
- WTIOIL-USDC (By trade.xyz)
- BRENTOIL-USDC (by trade.xyz)
- USOIL-USDH (by Kinetiq)
- OIL-USDH (by Felix)
Together, they account for close to $1 billion in daily trading volume.
Pros:
- Fully crypto-native oil trading experience
- Wallet-based access without using a broker or a custody service
- 24/7 trading
- Strong fit for experienced on-chain derivatives traders
Cons:
- Oracle and infrastructure risk are part of the trading environment
- Less beginner-friendly
- Third-party providers for the markets themselves
Centralized Exchanges
Binance: Best for Existing Binance Futures Users
- Identical interface to standard crypto futures
- Deep liquidity and robust learning tools
- Effortless deployment of existing stablecoin balances
- Geographic access limitations
- Requires trusting a centralized party with assets
Binance offers direct exposure to crude and Brent oil prices through its derivatives platform, Binance Futures. The pairs are:
- CLUSDT for Crude Oil
- BZUSDT for Brent Oil
Now, the convenience here is rather evident – Binance is the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange with millions of daily active users. These traders now have a way to gain exposure to oil perpetual future contracts right at their fingertips. The trading experience is exactly the same as for cryptocurrency derivatives, and there is literally no learning curve.
Trading is 24/7, and maximum leverage is currently set at 100x.
Pros:
- Familiar platform for existing crypto traders
- Strong ecosystem, wallet infrastructure and educational resources
- Convenient for users who already hold stablecoins on Binance
Cons:
- Product availability can vary by region
- Users have to custody their funds with Binance
Bybit: Best for Multi-Asset Crypto Traders
- Quick stablecoin-settled oil exposure
- Streamlined system combining crypto and TradFi
- Advanced features with mobile accessibility
- Restricted in certain jurisdictions
- Requires close tracking of overnight swap charges
Bybit is a direct option for trading oil with crypto. Just like Binance, it’s well-suited for people who already use the platform to trade cryptocurrencies.
The exchange offers a TradFi service, enabling trading of WTI and Brent oil using USDT. It gives the experience a very familiar structure for crypto derivatives traders.
I have found this model easy to understand, and it’s clear that centralized exchanges are expanding into stocks and commodities in a way that doesn’t disconnect users from their existing experience.
The main strength in that is convenience. Bybit bridges crypto balances and traditional markets without requiring a separate commodities broker. The platform also offers mobile access and advanced tools.
Pros:
- Uses USDT, which is convenient for crypto traders
- Familiar derivatives-style trading interface
- Useful for traders who want crypto, commodities, and other markets in one account
Cons:
- Regional restrictions may apply
- Spreads, commissions, and overnight/swap fees require your close attention
Fees and Costs
Fees vary widely across the platforms I’ve chosen to review. They can also change based on account tier, trading volume, region, and market conditions.
In general, I strongly suggest that you look beyond the headline-maker-and-taker fee. You should consider funding rates, spreads, slippage, withdrawal fees, bridging costs, and any commissions or overnight costs before settling down on an exchange.
The following table attempts to simplify your choice:
.binance-dark-container-inline * {
box-sizing: border-box !important;
}
.binance-dark-container-inline table,
.binance-dark-container-inline table * {
margin: 0 !important;
padding: 0;
}
.binance-dark-container-inline table {
border: none !important;
border-spacing: 0 !important;
max-width: 100% !important;
}
.binance-dark-container-inline table tbody tr:hover {
background: #1f2937 !important;
}
Why Traders Are Using Crypto Platforms to Trade Oil
If you’ve traded commodities – you know, oil has traditionally been traded through brokers, futures exchanges, CFDs, and other conventional financial platforms. For many crypto traders, these routes can feel slow. I know when I was setting up my brokerage account, I had to go through lengthy administrative procedures – something that I just don’t have to deal with to that extent when trading on a crypto-native platform.
And let’s face it – you are highly unlikely to trade in physical oil, so derivatives is likely to be what you’re looking for. That said, here are some advantages I like about trading oil with crypto.
24/7 Market Access
This is undoubtedly why many traders use crypto platforms for oil exposure, because they provide around-the-clock access. Traditional oil futures tend to follow exchange trading hours, while many crypto-native markets are designed to operate continuously. This can be very attractive, and it is to me, especially during holidays, weekends, or periods of geopolitical tension, when oil-related news may break while traditional markets are closed.
Trading with Stablecoins
If you already use it, then chances are you are holding some stablecoins, or at least trade against them. With all of the above trading platforms, you can trade oil directly with your stablecoins.
They also make the experience feel familiar, which I will touch upon a bit later, but for now – know that you can post collateral, open long or short positions, monitor profit and loss, and settle trades in dollar-denominated stablecoins like USDT or USDC.
No Brokers Required
Crypto platforms can reduce (I’m not saying they will entirely replace it) the need for a separate commodities broker.
For those of you who already trade crypto, this removes a whole lot of friction. You won’t need to open new accounts with a legacy brokerage, get used to a new interface, or move capital between different financial platforms.
As you can already imagine, this is particularly appealing for crypto-native users.
Familiar Trading Experience
Oil-linked products on crypto exchanges resemble the perpetual futures markets that most of you might already be familiar with. If not, they are basically tailored to regular users with plenty of quality-of-life upgrades. This is especially true for centralized exchanges, which basically hold your hand throughout the entire setup process.
Now, these are just some of the benefits, but others include:
- Access during high-volatility events
- One account for multiple markets
- Ability to trade both directions, and more.
Key Risks of Trading Oil With Crypto
Most of the risks present in all sorts of perpetual futures are also inherently present in oil trading with crypto. Namely, these include:
- Market volatility
- Leverage and liquidation risk
- Funding rate risk
- Liquidity and slippage risk
- Platform and custody risk
However, there are a few specifics I should address.
Oracle and Pricing Risk
Crypto-based oil markets rely on external price feeds, for the most part, including index calculations or various oracle systems designed to track benchmarks such as Brent or WTI. If the oracle is delayed, inaccurate, manipulated, or temporarily disconnected from the underlying market, traders may face unexpected pricing issues.
Now, it’s hard to say if this risk is present more with decentralized or centralized exchanges, since both types (even the large names) have experienced them at some point in the past, but it’s one that you should keep into account if you’ve decided to tap into crypto-based oil trading.
Decentralized vs Centralized Platforms: Comparison Table
I can’t recommend a single best option for every trader. The truth is that decentralized platforms and centralized exchanges come with different trade-offs, and the right choice largely depends on your experience level, custody preferences, and risk tolerance.
Here’s a summarized table that will help you in your choice:
.binance-dark-container-inline * {
box-sizing: border-box !important;
}
.binance-dark-container-inline table,
.binance-dark-container-inline table * {
margin: 0 !important;
padding: 0;
}
.binance-dark-container-inline table {
border: none !important;
border-spacing: 0 !important;
max-width: 100% !important;
}
.binance-dark-container-inline table tbody tr:hover {
background: #1f2937 !important;
}
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you trade oil with crypto?
Yes, many crypto platforms now offer oil-linked products that let traders gain exposure to crude oil prices using stablecoins or crypto collateral. In most of the cases, these are derivatives or synthetic markets rather than physical oil ownership.
Are crypto oil products backed by real barrels of oil?
Usually, no. Most oil-linked crypto products track benchmarks such as Brent or WTI through derivatives, perpetual contracts, indexes, or oracle-based pricing rather than giving traders ownership of physical crude oil.
Which crypto exchanges let you trade oil?
Oil-linked products are available on exchanges such as Hyperliquid, Binance, and Bybit. Availability can change, so you should always check the live platform before you decide to deposit funds.
Can you trade oil with crypto on weekends?
Yes, most of the crypto-based oil markets are open 24/7. However, weekend trading usually comes with wider spreads, lower liquidity, and pricing differences from traditional oil markets.
Is trading oil with crypto safe?
Yes, trading oil with crypto is generally considered to be safe. Of course, you need to consider market volatility, leverage risk, liquidation risk, and all the caveats that come with perpetual futures trading.
Do you need USDT or USDC to trade oil with crypto?
Yes, you need USDT or USDC to trade oil with crypto. Most of the exchanges support at least one of the stablecoins, so make sure to check which is it before you deposit.
Final Verdict: Best Crypto Exchange to Trade Oil
Hyperliquid is the best crypto exchange to trade oil if you are a crypto native and prefer an on-chain experience. Both Binance and Bybit are great options if you are an existing user or if you are looking for a reliable, trusted, and safe centralized exchange to trade oil.
Keep in mind that the main appeal here is convenience. For inexperienced traders, it might feel a little intimidating, but I’ve found that crypto exchanges do a very good job of walking you through the basics, as well as providing ongoing learning materials for you to improve as a trader.
In short, trading oil with crypto can be incredibly useful for those of you who value speed, stablecoin settlement, and crypto-native access. Of course, it’s not a shortcut around risk.
The post Best Exchanges to Trade Oil With Crypto in 2026: The Complete Guide appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Crypto World
Why Stablecoins Are Becoming Crypto’s Killer App
The biggest crypto adoption story isn’t Bitcoin.
For years, crypto promised revolution through volatility—wild charts, moonshots, and memes. But the real breakout use case turned out to be the exact opposite: boring, stable, dollar-pegged digital cash that actually works.
Stablecoins didn’t “win” because they were exciting. They won because they solved something painfully practical: money that moves at internet speed without behaving like a rollercoaster.
And now they’re quietly eating the financial system from the edges inward.
💸 Payments: Crypto’s First Real Product That Doesn’t Feel Like Crypto
Most crypto apps still feel like experiments. Stablecoins feel like infrastructure.
With assets like USDC and Tether USD (USDT), sending money is:
- Instant (no banking hours nonsense)
- Global (no borders pretending to matter)
- Cheap (no 5-day settlement drama)
On networks like Ethereum, stablecoins behave like programmable dollars—usable in apps, wallets, and smart contracts.
Strong opinion:
👉 Payments is where crypto stops being “tech” and starts being “infrastructure you forget exists.”
🌍 Remittances: The Quiet Killer Use Case
If you’ve ever sent money internationally, you already know the pain:
- High fees
- Slow settlement
- Random middlemen
- Worse exchange rates “for reasons.”
Stablecoins flip that entirely.
A worker can send value home in seconds using USDC or USDT, and the recipient can cash out locally or hold digitally.
This is especially powerful in emerging markets like the Philippines, where remittances are not just common—they’re part of the economic backbone.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth for legacy rails:
👉 stablecoins don’t need to “compete” with remittance systems. They route around them.
🏦 Treasury Management: Corporate Finance Just Got Upgraded
Companies holding cash face a simple problem: idle money loses value.
Stablecoins introduce a new treasury layer:
- Instant settlement between partners
- 24/7 liquidity
- On-chain transparency
- Programmable cash flows
Firms can hold USDC instead of sitting on slow-moving bank rails, especially in global operations or crypto-native businesses.
Even traditional finance is starting to realize:
👉 Idle cash is now a design flaw, not a strategy.
🌏 Emerging Market Adoption: Where the Real Explosion Is Happening
This is the part most Western commentary underestimates.
In many emerging economies, stablecoins aren’t “crypto investments”—they’re survival tools for inflation, currency instability, and banking friction.
People use them to:
- Preserve value in USD exposure
- Receive freelance income
- Pay for imports and services
- Move money across borders without permission layers
And because smartphones + wallets are enough, adoption doesn’t need banks to “approve” anything.
That’s the real unlock:
👉 stablecoins don’t ask for permission from financial systems—they just exist on top of them.
💰 Stablecoin Yield: The New Battleground
Now we’re entering the next phase: what do you do with stablecoins when you’re holding them?
This is where yield emerges:
- Lending protocols
- Tokenized treasury bills
- DeFi money markets
- Revenue-sharing protocols
Suddenly, stablecoins aren’t just “digital dollars.” They’re productive capital.
But here’s the tension:
👉 The moment yield enters stablecoins, they start competing with banks, money markets, and even sovereign debt instruments.
That’s not a small shift. That’s a financial system rewrite.
🧠 The Bigger Picture: Stablecoins Already Won (They Just Haven’t Been Recognized Yet)
The narrative used to be:
Bitcoin is digital gold
Ethereum is programmable money
Stablecoins are… boring
Reality flipped it.
Now:
- Bitcoin is macro asset speculation
- Ethereum is a settlement infrastructure
- Stablecoins are actual money in motion
And money in motion always wins.
🚀 Final Thought
Stablecoins aren’t “the future of crypto.”
They are crypto’s first real product-market fit that normal people actually use without thinking about it.
No hype cycle needed. No ideology required. Just:
Everything else is just commentary around the system that has already started replacing the old one.
REQUEST AN ARTICLE
Crypto World
MetaMask Debuts Agent Wallet for Autonomous DeFi Access
TLDR
- MetaMask launched Agent Wallet to enable AI-driven self-custody trading on Ethereum.
- The wallet supports swaps, perpetual futures, prediction markets, and liquidity provisioning.
- Every transaction undergoes simulation, threat scanning, and MEV protection before execution.
- Risky transactions require two-factor authentication approval from the user.
- Safe transactions qualify for up to $10,000 under Transaction Protection coverage.
MetaMask has introduced Agent Wallet, a self-custodial product built for autonomous trading agents on Ethereum networks. The Consensys-owned wallet said the tool allows software agents to execute decentralized finance strategies while users retain control of funds. The company opened a limited early-access program and plans a wider release in the coming months.
MetaMask Builds Agent Wallet with Enforced Security Controls
MetaMask designed Agent Wallet to support swaps, perpetual futures, prediction markets, and liquidity provisioning across EVM chains. The wallet also integrates with Hyperliquid, expanding trading options for automated strategies. The company said the product targets software agents that manage capital on behalf of users.
MetaMask stated that every transaction must pass a simulation before execution. The system also applies threat scanning and MEV protection checks to each action. If the system flags a transaction as malicious, it requires two-factor authentication approval from the human user.
The wallet enforces preset spending limits and protocol allowlists defined by each account holder. Users can activate a default Guard Mode that maintains strict approval requirements. They can also opt into Beast Mode, which reduces prompts but still blocks risky transactions.
MetaMask confirmed that transactions cleared as safe qualify for up to $10,000 in Transaction Protection coverage. The company said coverage remains subject to specific terms and conditions. Blockaid powers the threat scanning system that identifies scams and other risks.
Consensys Outlines Rollout Plans and Compatibility Framework
Consensys CEO and Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin described the launch as part of a shift in onchain activity.
“The next great expansion of the onchain economy won’t be driven by humans alone,” Lubin said. He added that agents will manage real capital and require infrastructure that maintains user control.
Lubin also stated that machine intelligence will transact and coordinate over crypto protocols. He said crypto networks suit autonomous actors because they support verification and transparent execution. MetaMask positioned Agent Wallet as a framework-agnostic product compatible with multiple development tools.
The company confirmed compatibility with OpenClaw, OpenAI Codex, Claude Code, Nous Research Hermes Agent, and Cursor. It said developers can connect agents through a command-line interface during the early access phase. MetaMask plans to expand availability later this summer.
MetaMask holds about 26% of the wallet market share, according to Token Terminal data. The company described Agent Wallet as its first agent-focused wallet with full-stack security controls. Early access remains limited while MetaMask prepares for general availability in the coming months.
Crypto World
Bounty-chasing Pump Fun users are tattooing crypto tickers on their faces
An Indian man who tattood the ticker of a recently-launched Pump Fun token onto his forehead as part of the platform’s new GO bounty program was stiffed by the bounty’s creator after he got the spelling wrong.
The man in question, known only as Arivu, hoped to scoop a $2,500 bounty by tattooing the word “$boutywork” on his forehead.
Arivu apparently met all of the bounty’s conditions, namely being filmed holding a sheet of paper bearing the social handle belonging to the bounty’s creator, @ayushquantt, while getting the tattoo.
However, @ayushquantt appears to have misspelled the ticker belonging to their launched token $bountywork, forgetting an “n” in the bounty description.
Despite Arivu tattooing the correct word per the description and subsequently pleading for payment, @ayushquantt didn’t pay up.
The bounty has been dubbed dystopian and depressing by onlookers.
Read more: Memecoin ‘cult’ offered $50K to anyone willing to skydive into World Cup match
Rival crypto token gives Arivu $42K after tattoo mistake
In a number of X Spaces sessions, @ayushquantt appears to have convinced Arivu to go back and film himself correcting the tattoo to the correct spelling.
However, another crypto X user called @Illyriannft talked Arivu out of going along with any more of @ayushquantt’s requests, and directed him to a token actually called $boutywork that was launched in response to his misfortune.
Another X user who claims to have seen the Spaces discussion says @ayushquantt claimed that he was sending Arivu fees. However, the money Arivu was receiving actually came from $boutywork and had nothing to do with @ayushquantt.
The creator of $boutywork was routing 100% of the reward fees to Arivu, who has, at the time of writing, received almost $42,000.
Read more: Gaza coins, fireworks, and pornstars: Pump Fun livestreams are back
Multiple other people have tattood the $bountywork ticker onto their bodies and shaved their heads in an effort to make a quick buck.
Pump Fun bounties were controversial at launch, and one determined memecoin group has already promised $50,000 to anyone who can skydive into an ongoing World Cup match and invade the pitch for 30 seconds.
This bounty was later removed, but others that offer money in return for streaking or throwing a dildo on an NBA court still exist.
Read more: Crypto clout chasers arrested after Punch the monkey stunt
The memecoin platform already launched a livestream feature last year that saw users perform outrageous stunts to boost the price of their tokens.
With GO, Pump Fun appears to be attempting to rival lesser-known platform Dare Market, which created a similar bounty program that intends to promote chaotic content.
Got a tip? Send us an email securely via Protos Leaks. For more informed news and investigations, follow us on X, Bluesky, and Google News, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Crypto World
ZIGChain integrates Ondo tokenized stocks, ETFs to expand onchain access
- ZIGChain adds Ondo tokenized stocks and ETFs to its ecosystem.
- Partnership expands onchain access to US financial markets.
- Rollout begins in phases across selected ZIGChain applications.
ZIGChain announced on Monday that it is integrating with Ondo Finance to bring tokenized US stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to users across its blockchain ecosystem, expanding access to on-chain versions of traditional financial assets.
The partnership combines ZIGChain’s infrastructure for regulated investment products with Ondo Finance’s tokenized securities platform, extending their shared goal of making publicly traded US assets more accessible through blockchain technology.
According to the companies, the integration strengthens ZIGChain’s broader real-world asset (RWA) ecosystem, which already includes Valdora Finance’s Liquid RWA Vaults and Beehive’s tokenized small and medium-sized enterprise private credit pipeline.
Partnership expands tokenized asset ecosystem
ZIGChain said the integration aligns with its strategy of bringing established financial products onchain rather than creating entirely new investment instruments.
Ondo Finance has developed infrastructure that enables publicly traded US stocks and ETFs to be represented as programmable blockchain-based assets.
Through the partnership, these tokenized products will become available across the ZIGChain ecosystem, with a particular focus on expanding access for users in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and beyond.
The companies said the collaboration is designed to provide onchain exposure to institutional-grade financial products while reducing traditional barriers such as intermediaries and minimum investment requirements.
“The next phase of onchain finance is not about replicating access that institutions already have. It is about taking those instruments and making them genuinely accessible to a broader universe of participants, through transparent, scalable onchain infrastructure, without the minimums and intermediaries that have always stood in the way,” said Abdul Rafay Gadit, Co-Founder, ZIGChain.
“Ondo has done the hard work of bringing these products onchain. ZIGChain is the infrastructure through which that reaches a new generation of users. For us, this is deeply aligned with our mission: to make high-quality financial opportunities more open, more programmable, and more globally accessible.”
Ondo aims to broaden distribution
Ondo Finance said expanding access to tokenized securities across new blockchain ecosystems is a core part of its strategy.
The company, which focuses on tokenizing real-world assets, has built infrastructure intended to bridge traditional financial markets with decentralized networks.
Through Ondo Global Markets, investors outside the United States can gain economic exposure to US stocks and ETFs using blockchain-based tokens backed by the corresponding underlying assets.
“Bringing tokenized US stocks and ETFs to new ecosystems and user bases is core to what the Ondo Global Markets platform enables. ZIGChain’s infrastructure gives investors across the GCC onchain exposure to the world’s most in-demand securities, with the execution quality and transparency that institutional markets demand. This is exactly the kind of distribution that expands the reach of tokenized finance where it matters most,” said Oya Celiktemur, EMEA Director, Ondo Finance.
Rollout to begin in phases
According to the announcement, access to Ondo-tokenized products through ZIGChain will be introduced gradually, beginning with selected ecosystem applications and partners before expanding more broadly over time.
The companies noted that the integration does not represent a token launch and does not guarantee investment returns or yield.
Underlying assets are issued by Ondo Global Markets (BVI) Limited, while ZIGChain does not custody the underlying real-world assets.
The partnership comes as blockchain companies continue to focus on tokenizing traditional financial instruments, seeking to combine regulated market exposure with the accessibility and programmability offered by decentralized infrastructure.
Crypto World
XRP price rebounds, but fading volume raises doubts over recovery
XRP recovered above $1.14 after falling to a local low near $1.055, but exchange data shows a divided market.
Summary
- XRP’s Binance volume spike reached a four-month high before collapsing below its 30-day average again.
- Bybit open interest fell 36%, but Binance leverage stayed near its recent peak after liquidations.
- XRP rebounded above $1.14, yet fading volume leaves the recovery without strong participation for now.
Trading activity surged on Binance during the sell-off, while leveraged positions cleared sharply on Bybit.
XRP traded near $1.16 at the time of writing, up about 2% over 24 hours but down roughly 11% over seven days, according to crypto.news data. The rebound eased immediate pressure, though volume and derivatives data have not produced a clear direction.
Binance XRP volume spike quickly loses momentum
CryptoQuant contributor Arab Chain reported that XRP’s 30-day Volume Z-Score on Binance rose to nearly 4.5. That marked its highest level in four months and showed activity running far above its recent average. The spike came as XRP fell toward $1.13, linking the burst to selling, repositioning and forced exits rather than a confirmed breakout.

The Z-Score then dropped to about -0.70, placing volume below its 30-day average soon after the surge. The reversal suggests that the rush of activity did not gain steady follow-through. XRP’s price fell as volume climbed, which can happen when holders sell into weakness or leveraged traders close positions. The later volume decline suggests that much of that repositioning may have already passed.
The falling spot-volume Z-Score does not conflict with elevated futures activity. The two measures track different markets. Spot volume measures direct XRP trading, while open interest counts outstanding derivatives contracts. Heavy futures positioning can remain even after spot participation drops.
Bybit open interest drops while Binance stays crowded
A separate CryptoQuant review by Amr Taha showed a sharp reset on Bybit. XRP open interest fell to $181 million, its lowest level since Feb. 13. It had reached about $283 million on May 22, placing the decline near 36%. Several long liquidation events exceeded $3.5 million as falling prices forced leveraged traders to exit.
Binance showed a different setup. XRP open interest remained near $246 million, only about 2.4% below its June 2 peak of $252 million. Binance also processed about $1.85 billion in XRP futures volume on June 5. Bybit recorded $727 million, OKX handled $429 million and Bitget posted $423 million. Combined volume reached about $3.43 billion, with Binance accounting for roughly 54%.
The exchange split shows that traders did not reduce risk evenly. Bybit removed a large share of open positions, while Binance kept most of its leverage. That structure may leave Binance more sensitive to another sharp price move in either direction.
XRP rebound faces resistance between $1.17 and $1.20
XRP bounced more than 8% from the $1.055 low and returned above $1.14. Buyers entered after the leverage flush, but the fading Binance volume reading leaves the recovery without strong confirmation from sustained activity.
As previously reported by crypto.news, near-term liquidity sits around $1.17 to $1.20. A move through that area could force short sellers to close positions and extend the rebound. XRP would then need to reclaim $1.31 and $1.50 before the larger downtrend starts to weaken.
Support remains close. A move below $1.10 would place $1.08, $1.05 and the recent low back in focus. A deeper break could expose $0.90, a long-term area followed by analyst Ali Martinez. Binance’s crowded positioning could support a short squeeze if XRP rises, but it could also feed another long-liquidation wave if support fails.
Historical bear-market pattern comes with major doubts
ChartNerd said past XRP bear markets lasted about 400 to 790 days and produced declines of 85% to 96%. The analyst placed the current correction near 350 days, with XRP down about 71% from its July 2025 record high. That comparison points to possible room for more weakness before a cycle low forms.
“A genuine shot in the dark” that “could be completely wrong,” ChartNerd said when describing the forecast. The analyst said XRP could fall further or move sideways before a new accumulation phase begins. The comments place doubt around the projected long-term path rather than presenting it as a fixed outcome.
The longer-range targets of $8, $13 and $27 rely on future Fibonacci extensions and do not describe the next short-term move. Current traders still face the closer levels around $1.10, $1.20, $1.31 and $1.50.
The latest data presents two separate resets. Bybit has cleared a large share of leveraged positions, while Binance remains close to peak open interest. XRP has recovered from its local low, but spot volume has already fallen below average. The next move may depend on whether fresh demand appears before Binance leverage starts to unwind.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
Crypto World
More Than $500,000 in NFTs Rescued in Yuga-Led White-Hat Operation
Yuga Labs has recovered 68 NFTs worth more than $500,000 in an emergency white-hat operation, securing assets exposed by a Flooring Protocol exploit before attackers could drain them.
The recovered haul includes 29 Bored Apes, two CryptoPunks, and four Mutant Apes, now held in Yuga’s custody for return to owners once the protocol is fixed.
How the Exploit Unfolded
Flooring Protocol is an NFT liquidity platform. Users lock NFTs and receive fungible fpTokens pegged one-to-one to those deposits.
The attacker started with a small amount of Wrapped Ether (WETH). They then abused a flaw in the protocol’s packed accounting logic to mint a near-infinite fpToken balance.
According to Yuga’s VP of blockchain, 0xQuit, a maliciously crafted token ID created what he called a ghost ownership state. Ownership checks passed under one reading while internal bookkeeping diverged under another.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Two unchecked underflows followed, wrapping the attacker’s balance to an enormous figure. They dumped fpToken prices toward zero and drained the affected pools.
Why Yuga Stepped In
Researchers then found a second attack path that exposed higher-value pools, including blue-chip NFT collections. Those assets had escaped the first wave only because their pools held little liquidity.
The stakes sat in those flagship lines. Bored Ape floors stood near 8.95 ETH, about $15,121, while CryptoPunks held above 32 ETH, or roughly $55,248, according to CoinGecko data on June 8.
At those levels, the 29 Bored Apes alone were worth about $441,000, the largest single line in the haul.
That math squares with the figure of more than $500,000 across all 68 NFTs cited by 0xQuit. The exploit also struck over the weekend, when fewer teams monitor on-chain activity.
Flooring Protocol entered sunset mode last year, and its NFT division was left largely unmanaged. The original architect stayed on as a liquidity provider and lost his own assets in the attack.
CEO Michael Figge said he instructed the GrailsOTC desk to front money and NFTs for the rescue. The team then deployed a contract that used the same bug class defensively, echoing earlier white-hat recovery efforts across DeFi.
Yuga, which also acquired the CryptoPunks collection, framed the move as temporary. The architect, posting as 0xFreeLunch, took responsibility and blamed gas-optimized code that hid the bug from auditors.
What Happens Next
The architect also suspects the attacker used advanced AI tooling, given the exploit’s complexity. Quit, meanwhile, urged holders to stay clear of the platform.
“It’s important to NOT deposit any more NFTs into Flooring Protocol, as these could become immediately vulnerable,” Quit stated.
The exploiters still hold other stolen NFTs, so the case is not closed. Like other DeFi projects after exploits, Flooring now faces possible contract relaunches and decisions on compensating affected holders.
The post More Than $500,000 in NFTs Rescued in Yuga-Led White-Hat Operation appeared first on BeInCrypto.
-
Fashion3 days agoWeekend Open Thread: Evereve – Corporette.com
-
Business7 days agoJade Biosciences, Inc. (JBIO) Discusses Positive Interim Results From JADE101 Phase I Healthy Volunteer Study and Development Plans Transcript
-
Crypto World3 days ago
Jensen Huang Approves Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron for NVIDIA (NVDA) HBM4 Memory Supply
-
Sports6 days agoFrench Open 2026 results: Alexander Zverev beats Rafael Jodar and will play Jakub Mensik in semi-finals
-
Tech6 days agoCryZENx Releases Fresh Playable Content Deep Inside Jabu-Jabu for His Ocarina of Time Remake
-
Business5 days agoTrump Taps Housing Chief Bill Pulte as Acting Intelligence Director After Gabbard Exit
-
Business2 days agoThe Pain Points Taking a Fragile Tech Rally Down a Notch
-
NewsBeat6 days agoRepublicans balk at Trump’s attempt to appoint a MAGA enforcer to lead National Intelligence
-
Crypto World3 days ago
LBank Surpasses 25 Million Users Worldwide as AFA Partnership Continues to Drive Global Growth
-
Tech3 days agoMicrosoft launches MXC, an OS-level sandbox for AI agents, with OpenAI and Nvidia already on board
-
Tech3 days agoRCS Messages Between iPhone and Android Get End-to-End Encryption With iOS 26.5
-
Crypto World6 days ago
Seagate (STX) Stock Surges to Record High on AI Boom and Legal Settlement
-
Crypto World1 day agoTrump’s AI Ownership Plan Could Benefit Anthropic at OpenAI’s Expense
-
Tech3 days agoMeta steals a tactic from Tesla and builds data centers in tents
-
Business3 days ago(VIDEO) Justin Bieber Delivers Surprise Happy Birthday Serenade to Diners at Los Angeles Mexican Restaurant
-
Entertainment5 days agoDid The Mandalorian And Grogu Already Ruin The Next Star Wars Movie?
-
Crypto World5 days agoEU AI Data Center Project Faces Delays as Funding Gaps Grow
-
Business5 days agoAehr Test Systems Stock Soars 17% Amid Surging AI Demand and Conference Spotlight
-
Crypto World3 days ago
Merlin (MRLN) Stock Soars 32% on Major USSOCOM Autonomy Milestone
-
Tech3 days agoCredit card theft campaign abuses Stripe to host stolen payment info







You must be logged in to post a comment Login