Theme DeFi

The Aave community narrowly approves the first stage of its "Aave Will Win" reform. This close vote paves the way for a new economic framework, supported by significant funding demand and active user participation.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced new legislation aimed at protecting blockchain software developers from certain criminal charges. Sponsors say the proposal would clarify how federal law applies to developers who do not control user funds. Supporters argue that recent prosecutions have created legal uncertainty for builders working on open-source tools. The measure adds to a broader debate in Congress over digital asset regulation.

World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a crypto venture backed by the Trump family, has unveiled a governance proposal that would require long-term staking to unlock voting rights while deepening incentives around its stablecoin, USD1. The initiative is designed to concentrate decision-making power among committed participants and expand USD1’s role within the ecosystem.

The UNI crypto soars 15% in 24 hours after a major vote on the fee switch. DeFi is scaling up. All the details here!

While the market cries, Circle is thriving. 770 million in revenue, USDC soaring, a blockchain accelerating. The others? They look at their shoes, embarrassed.

The Ethereum Foundation has stepped up its involvement in decentralized finance, committing new resources to its DeFipunk initiative even as ETH trades under pressure. The move comes at a time when Ethereum’s price structure remains weak, with sellers in control across several timeframes. While market sentiment leans bearish, the foundation appears focused on shaping the long-term direction of DeFi within its ecosystem.

Tokens 2025 end up in the scrapyard: -71% median. Meanwhile, Coinbase and Circle stocks are flying off the shelves. Institutions change their business. Logical.

Bitdeer Technologies has fully liquidated its corporate bitcoin holdings, reporting zero BTC on its balance sheet as of Feb. 20. A weekly production update posted on X confirmed the move. The decision marks a sharp break from common industry practice, where most listed miners continue to accumulate or hold reserves. It also comes at a time of tightening mining margins and the company's recent capital raises.

Grayscale Investments has increased Cardano’s ADA weighting in its Smart Contract Fund to 20.12%, up from 19.50%, marking another consecutive allocation boost. ADA now accounts for more than one-fifth of the portfolio, reinforcing its role as a core holding within the multi-asset vehicle. The move comes during a period of sustained price weakness for the token. Even so, the portfolio positioning suggests continued conviction in Cardano’s long-term role among leading smart contract networks.

Paying employees in USDT, making purchases without going through a traditional bank… What seemed exclusively reserved for DeFi a few years ago is becoming a measurable reality. A global BVNK report, published in early 2026, paints a striking portrait of stablecoin adoption accelerating far beyond crypto circles.

The boundary between traditional and decentralized finance continues to erode. This time, it is BlackRock that is shifting the lines. The global asset management giant has connected its tokenized fund BUIDL, backed by US Treasury bonds, to the Uniswap infrastructure. An initiative that goes beyond simple technological experimentation, as it materializes the entry of a major institutional player onto the operational rails of DeFi.

Crypto: Aster launches its layer-1 blockchain on testnet. A new step towards a trading-oriented infrastructure. All the details here!

Real World Assets (RWA) come strong in 2026 and four projects alone capture 70% of the market activity! These are Hedera, Chainlink, Avalanche, and Stellar. Why such domination and what opportunities do they offer investors?

Venture capital and institutional investors are moving back into digital asset companies at the start of 2026, even as crypto markets remain under strain. Industry data shows around $1.4 billion committed through venture rounds, ecosystem funds, and public listings. Activity spans on-chain finance, market infrastructure, and consumer-facing platforms, pointing to renewed confidence in select areas of the sector.

The crypto market faced a sharp correction in the final quarter of 2025, with total market capitalization plunging -23.7% to finish at $3.0 trillion. This marked a -10.4% Year-on-Year decline, crypto’s first annual downturn since 2022. While the quarter saw a brief all-time high of $4.4 trillion, a historic $19 billion liquidation event in October, sent prices slumping. Despite the price retreat, volatility pushed average daily trading volumes to a yearly high of $161.8 billion, while the stablecoin sector climbed +48.9% annually to hit a record $311.0 billion.

While DAOs were meant to embody the promise of decentralized governance, Vitalik Buterin today delivers a harsh assessment: their current model is exhausted. In a widely shared post, the Ethereum co-founder denounces rigid structures, dominated by large holders and unable to address complex coordination challenges. His call for a new design marks a pivotal moment for DAOs, urging them to move beyond simple voting logic to become true on-chain infrastructures.

In Washington, crypto puts the Senate in a tailspin: Coinbase says no, the law collapses, and banks fear that open code will become uncontrollable.

U.S. lawmakers have put a major crypto market structure bill on hold after strong pushback from Coinbase. Fresh criticism from the exchange’s chief executive raised doubts about whether the proposal could move forward without changes. As a result, Senate Banking Committee members delayed a planned markup while reassessing industry and regulatory concerns tied to the draft.

Singapore, 16 January 2026 – Veera, a crypto-powered financial services platform focused on inclusion and usability, has raised a total of $10 million across its pre-seed and seed funding rounds to accelerate product development and to expand access to on-chain financial services globally. 

Explosion on the Ethereum network: 447,000 new investors in one day, an unprecedented record in 7 years! All the details here.

In Washington, senators want to "clarify" crypto, but Coinbase slams the door. Clarity or control? The CLARITY Act turns regulation into a political battleground.

Investment firm VanEck expects the first quarter of 2026 to favor risk assets, citing clearer fiscal policy, steadier monetary signals, and renewed interest across several major investment themes. After years of uncertainty, improved visibility is shaping how investors position their portfolios heading into the new year.

Ukraine has just blocked access to Polymarket, a crypto predictive markets platform. The authorities consider that the service resembles unlicensed online gambling. This decision does not only target a site. It mainly reminds that as soon as there is a stake and a possible gain on an uncertain event, the line with gambling becomes very thin. And crypto does not offer automatic immunity.

A new piece is added to the crypto puzzle: World Liberty Financial, supported by Trump’s entourage, wants to turn the stablecoin USD1 into the locomotive of decentralized finance.

A new advertising campaign tied to crypto policy has stirred debate in Washington as lawmakers prepare to review a major market structure bill. Ads airing on Fox News urge viewers to pressure senators to support legislation that excludes decentralized finance provisions. The timing of the campaign coincides with key Senate activity on crypto regulation.

Nexo reinvents itself and announces zero interest crypto loans. The crypto finance market finally seems to turn the page on post-FTX chaos. Beware of getting too excited.

JPMorgan plays the bankers of the future: its JPM Coin infiltrates Canton, the blockchain of the big players. It smells like crypto fragrance on Wall Street, with more control than utopia.

A stablecoin backed by BlackRock, a crypto ecosystem in superapp mode… what if Jupiter was preparing the discreet invasion of the dollar into our decentralized wallets?