Crypto World
Wall Street Adds BMNR Stock; DeFi Lenders Are Pressured by Illiquidity
Large institutional investors continued to add exposure to crypto treasury companies over the past week, even as bear-market illiquidity forced another round of shakeouts across decentralized finance (DeFi).
The biggest corporate shareholders of Bitmine Immersion Technologies, including Morgan Stanley and Bank of America, increased exposure to the Ether (ETH) treasury company during Q4 2025 despite a broader market sell-off.
Still, ongoing bear-market illiquidity is forcing some protocols to wind down operations, with DeFi lender ZeroLend shutting down. Crypto analytics platform Parsec has also shuttered, citing crypto market volatility as the main reason.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC) and ETH each rose about 2.6% during the past week, amid mounting outflows from US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which logged three consecutive days of selling leading up to Thursday’s $165 million outflow, Farside Investors data shows.
Ether ETFs started the week with $48 million in inflows on Tuesday, but reversed to log two successive days of outflows, including $41 million in outflows on Wednesday and $130 million on Thursday.
Morgan Stanley, other top holders add Bitmine exposure amid sell-off
The largest shareholders of Bitmine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) stock increased their investments in the leading Ethereum treasury company in the fourth quarter of 2025 despite a wider crypto market crash and poor stock price performance.
Morgan Stanley, the top reported holder, increased its position by about 26% to more than 12.1 million shares, valued at $331 million at the quarter’s end, according to its Form 13F filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. ARK Investment Management, the second-biggest holder, increased its stake by about 27% to more than 9.4 million shares worth $256 million, its filing shows.
Several other top institutional holders also increased exposure. BlackRock increased its BMNR holdings by 166%, Goldman Sachs by 588%, Vanguard by 66% and Bank of America by 1,668%.
Wall Street adds BMNR exposure despite 48% stock slide
Each of the top 11 largest shareholders increased exposure to BMNR during Q4 of 2025, including Charles Schwab, Van Eck, Royal Bank of Canada, Citigroup and the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, according to official filings compiled by crypto investor Collin.
The accumulation came despite a sharp drop in Bitmine’s share price. BMNR fell about 48% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and about 60% over the past six months, trading near $19.90 in premarket action Thursday, according to Google Finance.
DeFi lender ZeroLend shuts down, blames illiquid chains
Decentralized lending protocol ZeroLend said it is shutting down completely after the blockchains it operates on suffered from low user numbers and liquidity.
“After three years of building and operating the protocol, we have made the difficult decision to wind down operations,” ZeroLend’s founder, known only as “Ryker,” said in a post the protocol shared to X on Monday.
“Despite the team’s continued efforts, it has become clear that the protocol is no longer sustainable in its current form,” he added.
ZeroLend focused its services on Ethereum layer-2 blockchains, once touted by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin as a central part of the network’s plan to scale and remain competitive.
However, Buterin said earlier this month that his vision for scaling with layer 2s “no longer makes sense,” that many have failed to properly adopt Ethereum’s security, and that scaling should increasingly come from the mainnet and native rollups.
DerivaDEX debuts Bermuda-licensed derivatives DEX
DerivaDEX has launched a Bermuda-licensed crypto derivatives platform, becoming what it says is the first DAO-governed decentralized exchange to operate under formal regulatory approval.
According to a statement from the platform, the exchange received a T license from the Bermuda Monetary Authority and has begun offering crypto perpetual swaps trading to a limited number of advanced retail and institutional participants.
The BMA’s T, or test license, is issued for a digital asset business seeking to test a proof of concept.
At launch, DerivaDEX supports major crypto perpetual products and said it plans to expand into additional markets, including prediction markets and traditional securities. The company said the platform combines offchain order matching with onchain settlement to Ethereum, while allowing users to retain non-custodial control of funds.
Parsec shuts down amid ongoing crypto market volatility
Onchain analytics company Parsec is closing down after five years, as crypto trader flows and onchain activity no longer resemble their past configurations.
“Parsec is shutting down,” the company said in an X post on Thursday, while its CEO, Will Sheehan, said the “market zigged while we zagged a few too many times.”
Sheehan added that Parsec’s primary focus on decentralized finance and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) fell out of step with where the industry has now headed.
“Post FTX DeFi spot lending leverage never really came back in the same way, it changed, morphed into something we understood less,” he said, adding that onchain activity changed in a way he never understood.
NFT sales reached about $5.63 billion in 2025, a 37% drawdown from the $8.9 billion recorded in 2024. Average sale prices also declined year-on-year, falling to $96 from $124, according to CryptoSlam data.
Kraken’s xStocks tops $25 billion in volume with more than 80,000 onchain holders
Kraken’s tokenized equities platform, xStocks, has surpassed $25 billion in total transaction volume less than eight months after launch, underscoring accelerating adoption as tokenization gains traction among mainstream investors.
Kraken disclosed Thursday that the $25 billion figure includes trading across centralized exchanges and decentralized exchanges, as well as minting and redemption activity. The milestone represents a 150% increase since November, when xStocks crossed $10 billion in cumulative transaction volume.
The xStocks tokens are issued by Backed Finance, a regulated asset provider that creates 1:1 backed tokenized representations of publicly traded equities and exchange-traded funds. Kraken serves as a primary distribution and trading venue, while Backed is responsible for structuring and issuing the tokenized instruments.
When xStocks debuted in 2025, it offered more than 60 tokenized equities, including shares tied to major US technology companies like Amazon, Meta Platforms, Nvidia and Tesla.
Kraken said onchain activity has been a key growth driver since launch, with xStocks generating $3.5 billion in onchain trading volume and surpassing 80,000 unique onchain holders.
Unlike trading that occurs solely within centralized exchanges’ internal order books, onchain activity takes place directly on public blockchains, where transactions are transparent and wallets can self-custody assets.
Growing onchain participation suggests users are not only trading tokenized equities but also integrating them into broader decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems.
Kraken said that eight of the 11 largest tokenized equities by unique holder count are now part of the xStocks ecosystem, signaling increased market share in the emerging tokenized equities sector.
DeFi market overview
According to data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView, most of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization ended the week in the green.
The layer-1 blockchain Kite (KITE) token rose 38% as the biggest gainer in the top 100, followed by stablecoin payment ecosystem token Stable (STABLE), up over 30% during the past week.
Thanks for reading our summary of this week’s most impactful DeFi developments. Join us next Friday for more stories, insights and education regarding this dynamically advancing space.
The event hosted at Mar-a-Lago blended politics and digital assets, signaling deeper ties between industry and power brokers.
Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) returned to the United States this week for the first time since his release from a California federal prison in 2024.
The visit took place at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where Zhao attended a 500-person convention hosted by the Trump family-backed World Liberty Financial.
CZ Makes Appearance at Crypto Event
A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report revealed that the gathering brought together prominent figures from finance, technology, and entertainment.
Guests included Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, New York Stock Exchange president Lynn Martin, “Shark Tank” personality Kevin O’Leary, and Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong, who had also attended a smaller VIP dinner on Tuesday evening alongside Trump’s sons and CZ. Rapper Nicki Minaj, who has publicly supported the Trump administration, also held a “fireside chat” on that day.
Posting on X during the occasion, Zhao shared a photo of himself listening to a top federal crypto regulator, writing, “Learned a lot.”
CZ, whose crypto exchange has been barred from operating in the U.S. since 2023 for violating anti-money-laundering rules, pleaded guilty to a related charge that same year. He was then sentenced in April 2024 to four months in prison and officially released in late September after serving his term.
Later in October 2025, the crypto entrepreneur received a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump. During a recent interview on the “All-In” podcast, Zhao said he “didn’t do anything” to secure the clemency but noted that it could help the exchange resume its efforts to return to the American market.
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World Liberty Unveils Ambitious Crypto Vision
World Liberty’s leadership used the occasion to lay out its vision for the cryptocurrency industry. CEO Zach Witkoff described the company’s goal as creating a “new digital Bretton Woods system,” referencing the 1944 conference that established a post-war economic order.
His co-founders, the Trump sons, talked about the scale of the event, with Donald Trump Jr. joking about how much it would have been unimaginable a year ago. Meanwhile, Eric Trump compared it to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, saying it offered “better hospitality, better food, better weather, better group of people, less wokeness.”
The firm also promoted its stablecoin, USD1, and outlined plans to sell digital tokens that would give accredited investors a share of loan revenues from a Trump resort under development in the Maldives.
The president’s sons also addressed questions about foreign investment in World Liberty, including a $500 million deal with a senior Abu Dhabi royal, stressing that such moves are standard in global finance and unrelated to government agreements.
Several other Trump administration officials were also in attendance, including Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael Selig and Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg.
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Broker-dealers regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) can treat their stablecoin holdings as regulatory capital, according to a tweak this week to a frequently-asked-questions document maintained by the agency.
That’s a seismic shift offered in the form of a minor addition to the SEC’s “Broker Dealer Financial Responsibilities” FAQ. It’s on-brand for a regulator that has made a steady series of changes to its crypto approach through informal guidance, industry correspondence and staff statements ever since its Crypto Task Force began work during the administration of President Donald Trump.
In this case, a new question No. 5 was added about what kind of “haircut” a firm should take on its holdings of stablecoins — the dollar-tied tokens such as Circle’s USDC and Tether’s USDT. The answer was 2%, meaning that instead of the previous understanding that such assets were not considered measurable against a broker-dealer’s capital tally (100% haircut), the firms will be able to count 98% of those holdings.
“While this guidance does not create new rules, it helps reduce uncertainty for firms seeking to operate compliantly under current securities laws,” said Cody Carbone, CEO of the Digital Chamber.
This puts stablecoins on the same footing as other financial products.
“That means stablecoins are now treated like money market funds on a firm’s balance sheet,” Tonya Evans, a former professor who now runs a crypto education business and is on the board of directors at Digital Currency Group, wrote in a post on social media site X. “Until today, some broker-dealers were zeroing out stablecoin holdings in their capital calculations. Holding them was a financial penalty. That’s over.”
Before, the more stringent SEC limits meant those companies — firms registered with the SEC to handle customers’ securities transactions and also trade in securities on their own behalf — weren’t easily able to custody tokenized securities or act as a go-between for trading. Now the firms that follow this steer from the agency will be able to more easily provide liquidity, aid settlement and advance tokenized finance.
“Everywhere from Robinhood to Goldman Sachs run on these calculations,” Larry Florio, deputy general counsel at Ethena Labs, wrote in an explainer posted on LinkedIn. Stablecoins are now working capital, he said.
SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce runs the agency’s task force and issued a statement on the change, contending that using stablecoins “will make it feasible for broker-dealers to engage in a broader range of business activities relating to tokenized securities and other crypto assets.” And she said she wants to consider how the existing SEC rules “could be amended to account for payment stablecoins.”
That’s the drawback of informal staff policies — they’re as easy to reverse as they were to issue, and they don’t carry the weight (and legal protections) of a rule.
The SEC has been working on some crypto rules in recent months, but they haven’t yet been produced, and the process usually takes several months — sometimes years. Even a formal rule can still be reversed by a new leadership at the agency, which is why crypto advocates are pushing for more legislation from Congress that would set the government’s digital assets approach into law, such as last year’s Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act.
UPDATE (February 20, 2026, 22:23 UTC): Adds comment from Digital Chamber CEO.
A macaque monkey called Punch that’s emotionally attached to his IKEA plushie has spurred on a memecoin run reminiscent of Moo Deng’s fame after he was bullied by the rest of its housemates at a Japanese zoo.
The Punch token (PUNCH) was launched on February 6 as memes and stories around the monkey began to circulate.
Punch was born at the Ichikawa City Zoo, where he was rejected by his mother during a heat wave and raised by the zoo staff. He was reintroduced to his group of monkeys but has struggled to become accepted ever since.
The little guy has been chased and harassed by the other monkeys, but what’s caught everyone’s attention is the comfort he’s found with an IKEA monkey plushie.
This virality has led to PUNCH’s trading volume rising to $46 million and the price of the token shooting up 12,777% across the week to $0.031.
A lot of memecoin traders have felt that there hasn’t been a good “runner” in some time. This is a type of token that gains significant attention and increases in price.
Read more: Paul brothers business partner claims ‘0% rug pull risk’ with new memecoin
When a penguin from Werner Herzog’s 2007 documentary “Encounters at the End of the World” became viral earlier this year, a token themed around that penguin attracted $500 million in trading volume and hit a market cap high of $153 million.
Another successful runner similar to Punch was the launch of the Moo Deng token back in 2024, a token based on a viral baby hippo that was filmed biting its carers. The Moo Deng token reached a market cap of over $600 million.
Both tokens, however, are down over 90% since their all-time highs, like most memecoins.
PUNCH token shows signs of market manipulation
Popular crypto trader The White Whale issued a warning about the Punch token, suggesting that it’s showing signs of “market manipulation” and that the sheer volume of liquidity the token attracted suggests that it’s not organic.
They said, “The project and project dev is most likely not behind the things I’m warning about here. The project may or may not be a good project. But this is cabal action. Plain and simple.”
It’s not just crypto traders who have jumped on the monetary potential of a viral monkey, as users have already suggested buying up the plushie monkey from their local IKEAs and selling them on at an inflated price.
Read more: What are TikTok coins?
Scalpers or not, IKEA has recorded an increase in sales of the plushie thanks to Punch’s fame.
The zoo itself is also experiencing a surge of visitors who have come just to see Punch the monkey.
Punch has even caught the eyes of Justin Sun, the billionaire founder of Tron, who donated $100,000 to the zoo housing Punch via his exchange HTX.
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LINK slips ~1% in 24h as ETFs absorb 1.16% supply on steady $630k inflows.
Summary
- LINK ETFs now hold 1.16% of circulating supply after ~$630k net inflows, signaling institutional accumulation and reduced exchange‑available liquidity.
- LINK trades near $19.1, up ~0.8% on the day but down ~5% week‑on‑week, with ~$627.6M in 24h volume as price consolidates below nearby resistance.
- On‑chain and ETF data show no weekly outflows, while DeFi oracle demand and CCIP integrations continue to expand Chainlink’s role in infrastructure.
Chainlink exchange-traded funds have accumulated holdings equivalent to 1.16% of the cryptocurrency’s total circulating supply, according to market data reported this week.
The ETFs registered net inflows of $630,000, bringing institutional holdings to the 1.16% threshold. The accumulation represents a shift toward long-term custody positions among institutional investors, according to market observers.
Chainlink’s price has remained in a relatively narrow trading range during the period, according to exchange data. The token’s consolidation occurs as the broader decentralized finance sector’s total value locked surpasses key milestones, according to industry tracking platforms.
Technical indicators including the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) and Relative Strength Index (RSI) show signs of momentum improvement, according to market analysis. The token faces potential resistance levels that could be tested in February if buying pressure increases, analysts stated.
The ETF products provide institutional investors with regulated exposure to Chainlink without direct exchange purchases, according to investment analysts. By holding tokens in custody rather than on exchanges, the funds reduce available supply for trading, creating potential scarcity effects, market participants noted.
Chainlink operates as a decentralized oracle network that provides external data to blockchain smart contracts. The project’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) enables asset transfers between different blockchain networks, a feature that has attracted institutional attention, according to industry reports.
The DeFi sector’s expansion has increased demand for oracle services, as smart contracts require reliable external data feeds to function, according to blockchain analysts. Each new protocol integration expands the utility of oracle networks, industry observers stated.
The 1.16% supply threshold marks a notable milestone for institutional accumulation in the Chainlink ecosystem, according to market commentators. Continued weekly inflows could support price stability by reducing exchange-available supply, analysts noted.
Pension funds and other institutional investors have shown interest in cryptocurrency ETF products that offer liquidity and regulatory structure, according to investment industry sources. The products appeal to large investors seeking low-slippage entry points into digital assets, market participants stated.
Crypto World
Dubai Real Estate Tokenization Enters Secondary Market Phase With 7.8 Million Tokens Now Up for Trading
TLDR:
- Dubai’s real estate tokenization enters Phase Two, putting 7.8 million tokens up for regulated secondary market trading.
- Ctrl Alt and DLD built a controlled trading framework to test market efficiency while protecting investor interests and governance.
- ARVA management tokens and ownership tokens work together on-chain to create one immutable record of property ownership.
- All Phase Two transactions settle on the XRP Ledger, secured by Ripple Custody within Dubai’s regulated digital asset framework.
Real estate tokenization in Dubai has reached a new milestone. Ctrl Alt and the Dubai Land Department (DLD) have launched Phase Two of their Real Estate Tokenization Project Pilot.
This phase introduces controlled secondary market trading for tokenized property assets. The move follows a successful pilot that tokenized ten properties worth over $5 million.
Around 7.8 million tokens issued during the first phase are now eligible for resale within a regulated trading environment.
Secondary Market Trading Opens Under Regulated Framework
Phase Two creates a structured environment for investors to trade tokenized real estate assets. Trading takes place on the project’s distribution platform, keeping transactions aligned with existing land registry processes. All on-chain activity continues to run on the XRP Ledger and is secured by Ripple Custody.
The Dubai Land Department and Ctrl Alt designed the secondary market to test market efficiency and operational readiness.
Governance structures and investor protections remain central to the framework’s design. This approach ensures trading activity stays within regulatory boundaries set by VARA.
Ctrl Alt serves as the tokenization infrastructure partner for the project. The firm minted and issued the original title deed ownership tokens during Phase One. Now, it is deploying the secondary market functionality for Phase Two operations.
Robert Farquhar, CEO, MENA at Ctrl Alt, spoke about what the phase represents for Dubai’s digital asset landscape:
“We’re proud to work with the Dubai Land Department and VARA on Phase Two of the project, demonstrating what is possible when governments and institutional-grade innovation come together to build market-leading digital rails. Secondary market trading is essential to that outcome.”
Dual Token Framework Supports Smooth Fractional Ownership
For Phase Two, Ctrl Alt will issue Asset-Referenced Virtual Asset (ARVA) management tokens. These tokens facilitate regulated secondary-market transfers alongside the original ownership tokens. Both token types are recorded on-chain, creating one immutable ownership record.
Ctrl Alt engineered a technical framework to support the dual operation of ARVA management tokens and ownership tokens on-chain. This structure handles the complexity behind the scenes.
Distribution platforms like PRYPCO can then deliver fractional real estate experiences without building their own tokenization infrastructure.
Matt Acheson, CPO at Ctrl Alt, described the engineering approach behind the system:
“Our goal was to build a secondary market infrastructure that is efficient for the entire ecosystem while maintaining the controls and governance required by the DLD and VARA. We manage the underlying complexity of this tokenization technology so that distribution platforms can deliver smooth, fractional real estate experiences to their end users.”
Ctrl Alt holds a licensed Virtual Asset Service Provider status and was the first firm to receive an Issuer license from VARA.
The company additionally holds a Broker-Dealer license, strengthening its position to support regulated token transfers.
These credentials allow Ctrl Alt to operate within Dubai’s formal digital asset framework while supporting government-led real estate innovation.
TON pivots Web3 toward mainstream, using Telegram wallet, social NFTs, and compliance‑ready infrastructure.
Summary
- TON embeds its wallet in Telegram, enabling payments, gifts, and asset transfers without traditional crypto UX, targeting over 1B users.
- CEO Max Crown says TON is “built to serve everyday users,” focusing on distribution, onboarding, and UX rather than just technical specs.
- Telegram gifts and NFT stickers have driven nine‑figure NFT volume, over 500k wallets, and rapid Toncoin (TON) account growth, signaling rising institutional and retail interest.
The TON Foundation is utilizing Telegram’s billion-user platform to advance mainstream Web3 adoption through consumer-focused design, integrated wallets, and social NFTs aimed at simplifying user onboarding, according to statements from company leadership.
TON (TON) CEO Max Crown stated the blockchain was designed for large-scale usage from its inception, with priority given to speed, low latency, and mobile-like applications. The TON wallet is embedded within Telegram, enabling users to interact with payments, digital gifts, and assets without traditional cryptocurrency workflows, Crown said.
TON uses Telegram wallet and social NFTs
Crown stated that NFTs on the TON blockchain serve cultural and social purposes primarily, with financialization positioned as a secondary function—a shift designed to improve mainstream engagement.
Institutional interest has grown alongside user adoption, with substantial Toncoin purchases reported this year, according to Crown. Network stability, compliance infrastructure, and Telegram’s embedded distribution model make TON appealing to investors while maintaining a user-focused approach, Crown said. Regulatory navigation in the United States remains a priority for the foundation.
Crown distinguished between the decentralized protocol and application-level compliance, noting the foundation works with blockchain intelligence firms for transaction monitoring and sanctions screening.
Recent leadership consolidation at TON aims to align strategy with operational execution as the ecosystem scales, according to the foundation.
TON positions itself against competing Layer-1 blockchains by emphasizing distribution through Telegram rather than technical features alone, aiming to provide developers with rapid access to millions of mainstream users. The foundation plans to introduce improved developer tooling and plug-and-play primitives to further ease adoption.
The US Supreme Court recently blocked President Donald Trump from using emergency powers to impose broad global tariffs.
However, Trump quickly responded by announcing new tariffs under a different legal authority. This has created confusion about whether tariffs are actually being reduced—or increased. Here’s what is really happening.
What the Supreme Court Actually Banned
The Supreme Court did not ban tariffs entirely. Instead, it ruled that Trump cannot use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs.
IEEPA is a law designed for emergencies. It allows presidents to freeze assets, block transactions, or restrict trade. But the Court said it does not allow tariffs, which are considered a form of tax. Only Congress has clear constitutional authority to impose taxes.
This means the specific tariffs Trump imposed using emergency powers must stop.
However, the ruling did not remove other tariff powers.
Trump’s Reaction: Using Other Laws to Continue Tariffs
In response, Trump said existing tariffs under Section 232 and Section 301 will remain in place. These tariffs target imports based on national security risks or unfair trade practices. The Supreme Court did not block these laws.
More importantly, Trump announced a new 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. This is a separate law that allows the president to impose temporary tariffs to address trade imbalances.
In simple terms, Trump is replacing the banned tariffs with new ones using different legal authority.
He is also launching investigations that could lead to even more tariffs in the future.
Why Trump Says His Power Is Still Strong
Trump argues that the ruling actually clarified his authority rather than weakening it. The Court limited one tool, but confirmed that other tariff powers remain valid.
This means the president can still impose tariffs legally—as long as he uses the correct laws passed by Congress.
The key change is not whether tariffs exist, but how they are imposed.
How Markets Could Be Affected
Markets reacted positively at first because the ruling reduced uncertainty. Investors prefer clear legal rules over unpredictable emergency actions.
Stocks and crypto initially rose because the decision lowered fears of sudden trade disruptions. Bitcoin, which is sensitive to global liquidity and risk sentiment, also showed signs of recovery.
However, Trump’s new tariff announcement could still create inflation pressure and trade tensions. Tariffs increase costs for businesses, which can slow economic growth and reduce investor confidence.
Commodities like gold and silver may benefit if tariffs increase economic uncertainty. These assets often rise during periods of global tension.
For now, tariffs are not disappearing. Instead, they are shifting to a new legal framework—meaning trade tensions and market volatility could continue.
The partnership pairs Bitcoin settlement with FedNow plumbing.
Lightspark, a Bitcoin Lightning Network startup founded by former Meta executive David Marcus, who oversaw the development of Meta’s Libra token, is pushing the idea of using BTC for everyday payments rather than long-term holding.
In a Wednesday announcement, Feb. 18, Lightspark said it had teamed up with Cross River Bank, a crypto-friendly, FDIC-insured bank, to support 24/7 settlement of Bitcoin network transactions through the U.S. banking system.
Cross River has become a key banking partner for crypto firms in the U.S., providing banking services to companies such as Circle, Coinbase and others, particularly across cards and stablecoin-linked programs.
Under the arrangement, Lightspark processes transactions on the Lightning Network, while Cross River settles the fiat legs via faster payment systems such as FedNow. The announcement says the collaboration targets B2B, cross-border and retail flows where immediate settlement materially changes cash management.
Usage Outpaces TVL
Lightning Network has had a strong but uneven run so far. Total network capacity climbed to new highs in late 2025 before easing slightly in mid-February of this year, while data from DefiLlama shows that total value locked stands near $338 million, a figure likely influenced by Bitcoin’s recent price pullback.
Despite the relatively low TVL compared to Ethereum Layer 2s, data cited by Sam Wouters, director of marketing at Bitcoin infrastructure firm River, shows the network processed an estimated $1.17 billion in volume in November 2025 alone across more than 5.2 million transactions, with the average Lightning transfer being around $223.
Still, Wouters noted that today the “most common use case for Lightning transactions is sending funds from and to exchanges,” highlighting how far the network still has to go as a retail payments rail.
At the same time, data from Mempoolspace shows growing infrastructure concentration, with more than 40% of Lightning nodes hosted on just two providers, Amazon and Google Cloud, with Amazon alone accounting for over a quarter of the network’s node power.
Bitcoin’s mining difficulty has climbed to 144.40 trillion (T) at block 937,524, marking one of the sharpest accelerations in network competition since the 2021 bull cycle.
Summary
- Bitcoin’s mining difficulty has climbed to 144.40 trillion at block 937,524, marking one of the fastest accelerations in network competition since the 2021 bull market.
- Total hashrate has jumped to 996.99 EH/s, just shy of the 1 zettahash per second (ZH/s) threshold, reflecting a sharp expansion in mining power through 2024 and 2025.
- While rising hashrate and difficulty strengthen network security and signal miner confidence, rapid growth could squeeze margins for smaller operators if Bitcoin’s price fails to keep pace.
At the same time, Bitcoin’s (BTC) total hashrate has surged to 996.99 EH/s, hovering just below the symbolic 1 zettahash per second (ZH/s) milestone.
For context, Bitcoin difficulty is an adjustment mechanism that ensures blocks are mined roughly every 10 minutes. When more computing power joins the network and hashrate rises, the protocol automatically increases difficulty to maintain that steady issuance schedule.
Bitcoin hashrate refers to the total computing power being used by miners to process transactions and secure the network. A higher hashrate means more machines are competing to validate blocks, making the network stronger and more resistant to attacks.
The two metrics are tightly linked, and together they help explain why the network is seeing its fastest pace of growth in years.
Bitcoin hashrate near 1 ZH/s
The hashrate chart shows a steep climb through 2024 and 2025, with computational power accelerating sharply in recent months. After dipping during prior market downturns, the network has staged a powerful recovery, pushing toward 1,000 EH/s or nearly 1 ZH/s a historic threshold for Bitcoin.
When hashrate rises rapidly, it signals that miners are deploying more machines and bringing new facilities online. This expansion is typically driven by improved profitability, access to capital, and infrastructure scaling.
The current pace mirrors the aggressive buildout last seen during the 2021 rally.
Bitcoin difficulty follows higher
Bitcoin’s difficulty adjusts roughly every two weeks to ensure blocks are mined every 10 minutes. As hashrate rises, the protocol increases difficulty to maintain balance.
The difficulty chart reflects that dynamic. After a brief pullback from a recent peak near the 150T level, difficulty remains elevated at 144.40T, a level that represents a dramatic increase from just a few years ago. The slope of the curve over the past year is among the steepest on record.
This sharp upward trend signals intense competition among miners, with more computational power chasing a fixed block reward.
Historically, sustained increases in hashrate and difficulty are seen as long-term bullish indicators. They reflect miner confidence and make the network more secure and resilient.
However, rapid difficulty growth can compress margins, particularly for smaller or higher-cost operators. If Bitcoin’s price does not keep pace with rising competition, weaker miners may face pressure, potentially leading to consolidation.
Feeding a well-crafted prompt into Claude reveals surprising 2026 forecasts for XRP, Solana and Dogecoin.
According to Claude’s projections, all three assets could rise at least 5x by Christmas.
Here’s a breakdown of why Claude is bullish on them.
XRP ($XRP): Claude Charts a Long-Term Path Toward $8
In a recent update, Ripple reaffirmed that XRP ($XRP) sits at the center of its strategy to position the XRP Ledger as a global, enterprise-grade payments network.
Thanks to rapid transaction settlement and extremely low fees, XRPL is likely to corner two of crypto’s fastest-growing sectors: stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets.
With XRP currently trading around $1.39, Claude’s long-range model suggests the token could rally to $8 by the end of 2026, representing a near sixfold increase from today’s levels.
Technical indicators support this scenario. XRP’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) is relatively low at 38, while the price sits well below its 30-day moving average, signalling an attractive entry point.
Several catalysts could accelerate this move, including institutional inflows following the approval of U.S.-listed XRP ETFs, Ripple’s expanding list of partnerships, and the potential passage of the U.S. CLARITY bill this year.
Solana (SOL): Claude Forecasts a Push Toward $450
Solana ($SOL) currently hosts around $6.6 billion in total value locked (TVL) and has a market capitalization of nearly $48 billion.
Institutional interest has also intensified following the launch of Solana-linked exchange-traded funds from asset managers such as Bitwise and Grayscale.
Despite these tailwinds, SOL endured a lengthy correction in late 2025 and spent much of February trading below the $100 mark.
Under Claude’s most optimistic projection, Solana could climb from its current price near $82 to around $450 by Christmas. That move would deliver more than 5x upside while exceeding Solana’s previous ATH of $293, set in January 2025.
Additionally, major asset managers, including Franklin Templeton and BlackRock, are issuing tokenized real-world assets on the network, strengthening Solana’s position as a scalable platform for institutional finance.
Dogecoin (DOGE): Can the Original Meme Coin Break the $1 Barrier?
Launched as a parody in 2013, Dogecoin ($DOGE) has evolved into a major crypto asset with a market capitalization of roughly $17 billion, representing more than half of the $36 billion meme coin market.
DOGE last reached an ATH of $0.7316 during the retail-fueled bull run of 2021.
The Doge community has long targeted $1, and Claude’s outlook suggests a strong bull market could push Dogecoin past ATH to come close.
From its current price, a fraction under $0.10, a move to $0.90 and beyond would be an easy 9x.
Real-world adoption continues to expand.
Tesla accepts DOGE for selected merchandise, and major fintech platforms such as PayPal and Revolut now support Dogecoin transactions, reinforcing its use beyond speculation.
Maxi Doge: As Major Coins Eye New Highs, a New Meme Challenger Steps Forward
While XRP, DOGE, and SOL have 5x to 9x potential, the real moonshots can be found in meme coin presales.
Maxi Doge ($MAXI) is one of the most talked-about new meme coins of 2026, raising $4.6 million so far in its ongoing funding round.
The project revolves around Maxi Doge, a loud, gym-obsessed, unapologetically degen alpha doge, and a distant cousin and self-declared rival to Dogecoin.
The concept taps directly into the irreverent energy that powered the 2021 meme coin explosion.
MAXI is an ERC-20 token built on Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network, giving it a significantly lower environmental footprint compared to Dogecoin’s proof-of-work design.
Early presale participants can currently stake MAXI tokens for yields of up to 68% APY, with staking rewards reducing as the pool grows.
The token is priced at $0.0002805 in the current presale phase, with automatic price increases triggered at each funding milestone. Purchases are supported by any wallet, such as MetaMask and Best Wallet.
Stay updated through Maxi Doge’s official X and Telegram pages.
Visit the Official Website Here.
The post Leading AI Claude Predicts the Price of XRP, Solana and Dogecoin By the End of 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.
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