Steven Walgenbach

World Liberty Financial is pushing deeper into global payments—and aiming straight at one of the largest financial markets in the world.
The DeFi platform, which is linked to the family of U.S. President Donald Trump, is preparing to launch a new foreign exchange and remittance product called World Swap. The service is designed to handle currency conversion and cross-border transfers, positioning the project as a lower-cost alternative to traditional money transfer providers.
The move would place World Liberty Financial in direct competition with established FX and remittance firms. Global foreign exchange trading volumes surpassed $9 trillion per day in 2025, while annual personal remittance flows approached $900 billion in 2024. By targeting both markets, the project is attempting to tap into a massive segment of global finance.
World Swap is part of a broader strategy to build out a full-stack financial ecosystem around the platform’s DeFi infrastructure. The company has already launched a lending service and previously sought a national trust bank charter, signaling ambitions to operate across multiple financial verticals. Adding FX and remittance capabilities would extend its reach into everyday payment use cases, particularly cross-border transfers where fees remain high.
If successful, the expansion could give the platform a foothold in one of the most widely used financial services worldwide, while also bringing crypto-based payment rails into direct competition with legacy providers.
However, the project’s growth plans have attracted political scrutiny in Washington. Reports earlier this year indicated that a UAE-linked investment entity acquired a major stake in the platform in a deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The transaction drew attention from several Democratic lawmakers, who raised concerns about transparency and the potential implications of foreign investment into a crypto venture connected to the president’s family.
#Crypto #DeFi #Fintech $WLFI #Trump

Standard Chartered is warning that the crypto market may not be out of the woods yet.
In a new research note, the bank cut both its short-term and year-end price forecasts for major digital assets, pointing to continued ETF outflows and a challenging macro environment as key risks. The firm now sees bitcoin potentially sliding toward the $50,000 level before a more meaningful recovery takes shape later in 2026.
According to the report, the pressure is being driven in part by losses among spot bitcoin ETF investors. Holdings have fallen significantly from their late-2025 peak, and the average entry price for many investors sits near $90,000. With positions now underwater, the bank believes investors may be more inclined to reduce exposure rather than buy dips, adding to near-term selling pressure.
The broader macro backdrop is also playing a role. Slower global growth expectations, uncertainty around interest-rate policy, and delays in regulatory clarity have pushed investors toward traditional safe-haven assets. That shift has weighed on trading activity and sentiment across the crypto market, contributing to a pullback in both bitcoin and the total digital asset market cap.
In response to these conditions, Standard Chartered revised down its end-2026 price targets across several major tokens. The bank now expects bitcoin to reach around $100,000 by the end of next year, down from a previous $150,000 forecast. Ether’s target was cut to $4,000 from $7,500, while other major assets such as Solana, BNB, and Avalanche also saw significant reductions.
Despite the more cautious outlook, the bank does not view the current downturn as a structural breakdown. Analysts noted that the drawdown has been less severe than in previous cycles and, importantly, has not been accompanied by the collapse of major industry players. That relative stability suggests the market may be becoming more mature, even as prices remain volatile.
#Bitcoin #CryptoMarket $BTC $ETH

Is the future of Web3 about to look a lot more like “vibe coding”?
Sonic Labs is rolling out Spawn, an AI-powered development platform that lets users build full-stack decentralized applications simply by describing what they want in natural language. Instead of writing smart contracts, connecting front ends, and handling deployments manually, the system handles the entire workflow from prompt to live DApp.
The idea builds on the momentum of Web2 AI coding tools that have lowered the barrier to entry for software creation. But blockchain development has remained far more complex, largely because of the risks tied to smart contracts and the need for secure deployments. A single flaw in contract logic can lead to major financial losses, which is why many no-code or AI tools have struggled to gain traction in the Web3 space.
Spawn is designed to close that gap. The platform generates the front end, creates the smart contracts, connects the components, and iterates until the application works as intended. It also includes AI-powered auditing features to scan for vulnerabilities before deployment, addressing one of the biggest concerns in automated blockchain development.
For now, Spawn is running in testnet with a limited group of users while the team refines its security and reliability. But the broader goal is clear: turn non-coders into builders and dramatically expand the number of people who can launch decentralized applications.
The shift could change how Web3 ecosystems grow. If more people can easily create applications, the odds of a breakout, consumer-friendly product increase—similar to how a handful of viral apps have historically driven new waves of crypto adoption.
#Web3 #AI #BlockchainDevelopment #SonicLabs $S

The debate around the GENIUS Act is revealing a deeper issue for stablecoins—what happens after stolen funds are frozen.
Recent industry commentary highlights what some are calling a “recovery gap.” Freezing assets may stop the damage, but actually returning them to victims is where the real legal and operational challenges begin.
According to Circuit’s Chief of Staff, Kieran Donnelly, the decision to release frozen funds is one of the hardest calls compliance teams have to make. Once assets are returned, there is usually no way to reverse the decision if it turns out to be wrong. That reality is why the process is slow—and why the industry still lacks clear, standardized recovery procedures.
The discussion also points to bigger shifts underway. As more users move into self-custody, they effectively become their own banks, taking on risks that were once handled by traditional financial institutions. At the same time, stablecoins are carving out what Donnelly calls a “third swim lane” in finance, sitting alongside banks and fintechs as a new payment and settlement layer.
The industry is now pushing for clearer post-freeze standards, as lawmakers and regulators shape what could become the first comprehensive stablecoin framework in the U.S.
#Stablecoins #CryptoRegulation #DigitalAssets #FinTech #Blockchain

ARK Invest believes the biggest story in this cycle isn’t just bitcoin’s price—it’s who’s buying it.
In its latest report, the firm argues that bitcoin is moving away from its reputation as a speculative trade and into a new role as a strategic portfolio asset. According to ARK, the shift is being driven by structural demand from institutions, including spot ETFs, corporate treasuries, and even sovereign entities.
One of the clearest signs of this transition is the scale of institutional ownership. By the end of 2025, spot bitcoin ETFs and digital asset treasury companies together held more than 12% of the total BTC supply. ARK noted that much of this capital comes from long-term allocators rather than short-term traders, which is beginning to reshape market structure.
Corporate adoption is also accelerating. Public companies with bitcoin exposure are now part of major equity indices, giving traditional investors indirect access to the asset. At the same time, digital asset treasury firms collectively control more than a million BTC, reinforcing the idea that bitcoin is becoming a balance-sheet asset rather than just a speculative instrument.
The shift extends to governments as well. ARK pointed to the creation of a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve—built from seized assets—as another signal that bitcoin is entering the mainstream financial system. Moves like these, the firm said, reflect a broader change in how the asset is perceived at the highest levels of finance and policy.
ARK also noted that bitcoin’s market behavior is evolving. Although volatility remains, drawdowns in the current cycle have been less severe than in past downturns, suggesting deeper liquidity and a more diverse investor base.
Taken together, the firm believes these structural changes mark a turning point. Instead of debating whether bitcoin will survive, institutions are increasingly asking how much exposure they should hold—and through which vehicles.
#Bitcoin #CryptoNews #Institutional $BTC

Democratic lawmakers are raising fresh concerns about the direction of U.S. crypto regulation, and the debate is starting to center less on innovation and more on investor confidence.
During a recent House Financial Services Committee hearing, several Democrats argued that the SEC’s softer enforcement posture under Chair Paul Atkins is sending the wrong message to the market. Representative Stephen Lynch warned that the agency’s decision to drop or pause high-profile cases has fueled distrust among retail investors, adding that the reputational damage to the regulator itself could be long-lasting.
One of the main flashpoints was the dismissal of the SEC’s lawsuit against Binance, along with the indefinite pause of the agency’s case against Tron founder Justin Sun. Lawmakers questioned whether these decisions, combined with high-profile political ties and controversial crypto projects, are creating the perception that enforcement standards are becoming inconsistent.
The criticism comes at a time when the crypto market has already shed more than $1 trillion in value during the latest downturn. Some Democrats argued that weaker enforcement only adds to uncertainty, especially for retail investors who rely on regulatory oversight as a signal of market integrity.
The hearing highlighted a broader political divide. Republicans have generally backed a lighter regulatory approach, arguing that it supports innovation and keeps crypto development within the United States. Democrats, on the other hand, are pushing for stronger oversight, warning that reduced enforcement could expose investors to greater risks.
The debate ultimately reflects a larger question facing the industry: whether a more hands-off regulatory stance will encourage growth, or erode the trust needed for long-term adoption.
#cryptoNews #SEC #cryptoRegulation

BlackRock’s latest move into DeFi is already making waves across the market.
UNI jumped more than 3% after the asset-management giant announced plans to bring its $2 billion tokenized U.S. Treasury fund to Uniswap and purchase the protocol’s governance token as part of the rollout. The decision signals a notable shift, with one of the world’s largest financial institutions leaning on public DeFi infrastructure rather than closed, proprietary systems.
The fund, known as BUIDL, has quickly grown into the largest tokenized money market product on the market, with over $2 billion in assets. It’s already been deployed across multiple blockchains, and the Uniswap integration marks another step toward making real-world assets tradable directly on decentralized platforms.
The broader trend is hard to ignore. Tokenized Treasuries and other real-world assets are increasingly being viewed as the next phase of institutional crypto adoption, especially as firms look for yield-bearing instruments that can function inside on-chain financial systems.
UNI’s price reaction may have been modest, but the signal from BlackRock is much bigger: institutions are starting to treat public DeFi protocols as legitimate financial rails.
#DeFi #cryptoNews #Tokenization $UNI

Cardi B’s brief Super Bowl appearance has turned into an unexpected flashpoint for prediction markets.
Two major platforms ended up with conflicting outcomes on a simple question: did she actually “perform” during the halftime show? One ruled no and refunded users, while the other settled the contract as a yes — sparking disputes and even a complaint to U.S. regulators.
The episode brings attention to a key challenge for prediction markets as they grow: translating messy, real-world events into clean, yes-or-no contracts. When definitions are vague, even a few seconds on stage can turn into a multi-million-dollar controversy.
With Super Bowl trading volumes hitting record highs, this kind of dispute could push platforms to tighten their rules and contract wording before the next big event.
#PredictionMarkets #Fintech #CryptoNews

Bitcoin’s biggest holders are stepping back into the market, buying more than $4 billion worth of BTC in just a week. The move helped steady prices after a sharp pullback, but the bigger question is whether this signals a real recovery or simply damage control from large players.
On-chain data shows whale wallets accumulating aggressively, marking the largest buying spree since November. Historically, that kind of activity can slow a downturn, but it doesn’t always lead to a sustained rally on its own.
The challenge now is broader participation. Many #ETF investors are still sitting on losses, and corporate buyers have slowed their accumulation. Without fresh capital entering the market, whale activity alone may not be enough to drive the next major move.
For now, the market appears to be in a holding pattern, with big players stabilizing prices while the rest of the ecosystem waits for clearer signals.
#Bitcoin #Crypto #Blockchain $BTC

LayerZero is taking a big step toward institutional adoption with the launch of its new “Zero” blockchain, and the list of backers is turning heads. Citadel Securities, ARK Invest, and Tether have all stepped in with strategic investments, signaling that major financial players are increasingly interested in blockchain-based trading, settlement, and collateral systems.
The project is being positioned as infrastructure for real financial markets, not just crypto-native activity. With partners like DTCC, ICE, and Google Cloud exploring use cases, the focus appears to be on high-throughput trading, tokenized collateral, and even AI-driven micropayments.
It’s another sign that traditional finance isn’t just experimenting with blockchain anymore. Institutions are starting to place real bets on the technology as performance improves and regulatory clarity advances.
#crypto #blockchain #fintech $ZRO #LayerZero

President Donald Trump is setting extremely high expectations for his Federal Reserve nominee, Kevin Warsh. In a recent interview, Trump suggested the U.S. economy could grow as much as 15% if Warsh delivers in the role — a target far above historical norms.
The comments highlight just how much political and market pressure could be placed on the next Fed chair. With growth typically hovering around 2–3% annually, a 15% expansion would be extraordinary and would likely come with serious inflation considerations.
Warsh’s confirmation process may also face political hurdles, adding another layer of uncertainty at a time when investors are already watching interest rate policy closely.
All of this suggests the next chapter for the Federal Reserve could be one of the most politically charged in decades.
#FederalReserve #Economy #InterestRates #Markets #Trump

Bernstein is sticking to its big Bitcoin call, even after the recent sell-off.
In a new note to investors, the firm said the downturn looks more like a “crisis of confidence” than a structural problem in the crypto market. No major failures, no broken infrastructure, and only modest ETF outflows despite a roughly 50% drop from the highs.
That’s why the analysts are keeping their $150,000 Bitcoin target for 2026.
Interestingly, they also pushed back on some of the popular bear arguments, from AI stealing capital to quantum computing threatening the network. Their view is that these risks are either overblown or still years away from becoming relevant.
At the same time, institutional investors are reportedly seeing the pullback as an opportunity to enter at levels they previously missed, even while short-term traders remain cautious.
It’s another reminder of how divided the market is right now: long-term adoption narratives versus near-term macro pressure.
#Bitcoin #Crypto #Markets #Investing $BTC

MrBeast is making another big move beyond YouTube.
His company, Beast Industries, is acquiring Step, a fintech app built specifically for teens and young adults. The platform already has more than 7 million users and is designed to help Gen Z build credit, save money, and start investing early.
It’s a natural fit. MrBeast’s audience is overwhelmingly young, and this deal gives him a direct channel into financial services for that same demographic. It also shows how top creators are evolving into full-scale business operators, not just content producers.
Beast Industries has already branched into snacks, streaming shows, and other ventures. Now, with a fintech platform in the mix, the company is positioning itself as a broader consumer brand aimed at the next generation.
The message from #MrBeast is simple: give young people the financial education and tools he says he never had growing up.
#Fintech #CreatorEconomy #GenZ

Ray Dalio is sounding the alarm on the future of digital money.
In a recent interview, the billionaire hedge fund manager said central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are likely inevitable. He acknowledged that they could make payments faster and more convenient, but warned that the trade-offs could be significant.
According to Dalio, a fully programmable, government-issued digital currency could give authorities unprecedented visibility into financial activity. While that could help combat crime and tax evasion, it also raises concerns about privacy, political debanking, and direct control over people’s money.
His comments come at a time when dozens of countries are testing or developing CBDCs, even as the United States has paused its own efforts.
The big question now isn’t just whether CBDCs will arrive—but what kind of financial system they’ll create once they do.
#CBDC #DigitalCurrency #Finance #Economy

A recent opinion piece from the Financial Times has stirred strong reactions across the crypto industry, reigniting the long-running debate over Bitcoin’s value and future.
The article, written by FT columnist Jemima Kelly, argued that Bitcoin remains significantly overvalued and could ultimately fall to zero. The piece came in the wake of a sharp market correction that briefly pushed Bitcoin toward the $60,000 level before it rebounded back toward the $70,000 range. While the column was intended as a critical take on the asset, the response from the crypto community was swift and highly critical in return.
Much of the backlash focused on the tone of the article, which used vivid metaphors to describe Bitcoin’s trajectory. Industry participants across social media dismissed the argument as outdated, with some accusing mainstream financial media of repeatedly misreading the asset class over the past decade.
For many traders and long-time Bitcoin investors, the article was interpreted not as a warning, but as a contrarian signal. The idea that strongly negative mainstream coverage often coincides with market bottoms has become a common narrative in crypto circles. Several market participants pointed out that previous “Bitcoin is dead” headlines have historically appeared near periods of price weakness, only to be followed by major rallies.
As a result, some investors even described the column as a bullish indicator, suggesting that such criticism reflects lingering skepticism that could eventually be converted into new demand. Others used the moment to highlight what they see as a widening gap between traditional financial commentary and the growing adoption of digital assets.
With Bitcoin still trading far above levels seen just a few years ago, the clash between skeptics and believers shows little sign of fading. If anything, the reaction to the Financial Times column suggests that the debate around Bitcoin’s role in the global financial system is as intense as ever.
#Bitcoin #Crypto #Media #Markets

Markets are recalibrating their expectations for U.S. monetary policy as the Federal Reserve navigates a leadership transition and shifting economic conditions. According to economist Lyn Alden, the central bank may be moving toward a more moderate and predictable phase of balance-sheet expansion rather than the aggressive interventions seen in past cycles.
Alden suggests the Fed’s future approach could involve expanding its balance sheet at a pace that roughly tracks nominal GDP growth or the size of total bank assets. Instead of large, sudden injections of liquidity, the strategy would likely involve slower, steady increases over time. That kind of policy, she argues, could still support asset prices, but in a more gradual and controlled way.
The discussion comes as markets weigh the implications of President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell. Warsh is widely viewed as more hawkish on interest rates, and his potential leadership has added another layer of uncertainty to the policy outlook. With Powell’s term nearing its end, investors are increasingly focused on how the next Fed chair might shape the pace and direction of monetary expansion.
One of the key signals many analysts continue to watch is the money supply. The Fed’s M2 measure has been trending higher, indicating a gradual expansion of the monetary base. Historically, rising money supply has tended to support risk assets, including equities and cryptocurrencies, as looser financial conditions often translate into higher asset valuations.
At the same time, expectations around interest rates remain fluid. Recent market data suggests the probability of near-term rate cuts has declined, reflecting uncertainty around the Fed’s next steps and the broader confirmation process for new leadership. Policymakers have also acknowledged that there is no risk-free path forward, as they balance inflation concerns with economic growth.
#FederalReserve #Macro #Bitcoin

Global markets kicked off the week with a surge in optimism after Japan’s election results triggered what many traders are calling the “Takaichi Effect.”
The rally followed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decisive victory and her pledge to roll out a massive $135 billion stimulus package aimed at infrastructure spending and tax cuts. Investors quickly interpreted the plan as a potential turning point for Japan’s long-stagnant economy, sending the Nikkei 225 soaring to fresh record highs and setting the tone for a broad global risk-on move.
The momentum didn’t stay confined to Japanese equities. Markets across regions began reacting to the prospect of renewed fiscal expansion in one of the world’s largest economies. U.S. futures opened higher, with the Dow Jones already trading above the 50,000 mark and talk of even more ambitious targets circulating among bullish analysts.
Interestingly, the rally wasn’t limited to stocks. Traditional and alternative safe-haven assets also joined the move. Gold surged to record territory above the $5,000 level, while Bitcoin briefly climbed toward $72,000 before stabilizing above $70,000 during Asian trading hours. The simultaneous rise in equities, gold, and Bitcoin points to a broader shift in global liquidity expectations, rather than a simple rotation into or out of risk assets.
Political signals added to the momentum. U.S. leaders congratulated Japan’s new administration and framed the stimulus as a positive development for global growth, further boosting investor confidence. The coordinated tone from policymakers helped reinforce the idea that fiscal expansion could support markets worldwide.
The so-called “#Takaichi Trade” now reflects a renewed appetite for both growth assets and alternative stores of value. With fresh stimulus on the table and liquidity expectations rising, capital appears to be flowing into equities, crypto, and commodities at the same time.
#GlobalMarkets #Bitcoin #Investing #Gold

Quantum computing is often portrayed as a looming doomsday scenario for Bitcoin, but a new analysis from CoinShares suggests the threat may be far less immediate than many headlines imply.
According to the firm’s research, only a very small fraction of the circulating Bitcoin supply is theoretically exposed to quantum attacks. The vulnerable coins are primarily those held in addresses where public keys are already visible on the blockchain. In contrast, the vast majority of BTC sits in standard wallet structures that do not reveal the public key until the funds are spent, making them significantly harder to target—even in a future with advanced quantum machines.
The concerns around quantum computing usually center on algorithms such as Shor’s and Grover’s, which could, in theory, weaken the cryptographic foundations used in Bitcoin. Shor’s algorithm is often cited as a potential threat to elliptic-curve signatures, while Grover’s could reduce the effective strength of hashing algorithms like SHA-256. However, CoinShares argues that the practical application of these algorithms against Bitcoin would require millions of fault-tolerant qubits—far beyond what today’s quantum computers can achieve.
Even in the most optimistic projections for quantum hardware, the report suggests that cracking the majority of Bitcoin wallets would take an impractically long time. In many cases, it could take centuries or even millennia to break individual addresses, making the idea of a sudden, systemic collapse highly unlikely.
The topic has sparked debate within the Bitcoin community. Some industry figures see quantum computing as a long-term engineering challenge that the network can adapt to over time, especially through potential upgrades like post-quantum cryptographic signatures. Others argue that the threat is existential and that preparations should begin sooner rather than later.
#Bitcoin #Blockchain #quantumcomputing $BTC

Solana appears to be entering a potential exhaustion phase on the daily chart after an extended period of downward pressure. Price action remains below both the short- and medium-term EMAs, with the moving averages still sloping downward—an alignment that continues to reflect a bearish structure.
Momentum indicators tell a similar story. The MACD is still positioned in negative territory, signaling that sellers maintain control, although the shrinking histogram suggests that the intensity of the downtrend may be starting to ease. At the same time, the RSI is sitting in oversold territory, a condition that typically appears when the market is stretched to the downside.
This creates a familiar technical setup: bearish momentum remains dominant, but early signs of selling exhaustion are beginning to emerge. In these situations, markets often transition into either a relief rally or a period of sideways consolidation rather than an immediate trend reversal.
Order-book data highlights a layered support structure just below current price levels, with several bid walls forming a defensive zone. As long as these levels hold, the market may attempt to build a base. However, a decisive breakdown through these support clusters could accelerate the decline and confirm that the broader corrective trend is still in force.
On the upside, multiple sell walls are stacked above the current price, suggesting that any recovery is likely to face step-by-step resistance rather than a sharp breakout. The next major directional move will likely depend on whether buyers can defend the lower support cluster or if sellers manage to push the price through it.
For now, the technical picture shows a market that remains bearish in structure, but increasingly stretched, with the potential for stabilization or a short-term bounce in the sessions ahead.
#Solana #CryptoMarkets #TechnicalAnalysis #Solana $SOL

Bitcoin is approaching a critical technical inflection point on the daily chart as bearish momentum continues to dominate the short-term structure. The price is trading below both the 9-day and 20-day EMAs, with the faster average crossing beneath the slower one—a classic signal that sellers are still in control.
Momentum indicators reinforce this narrative. The MACD remains firmly in negative territory, with expanding bearish pressure suggesting that the downtrend has not fully exhausted itself. At the same time, the RSI has slipped into deeply oversold levels, indicating that the market is historically stretched to the downside.
This combination creates a high-stakes technical standoff. Oversold conditions often precede relief rallies, but they do not guarantee an immediate reversal—especially when the broader trend remains bearish.
Order-book data shows that the key battleground is forming around the $69,000 region. Strong bid liquidity is attempting to hold the price above critical support, while nearby sell walls continue to cap any upside attempts. If this support zone fails, the lack of strong buy interest below could accelerate the decline. On the other hand, a successful defense could trigger a short-term bounce toward higher resistance levels.
For now, the technical picture suggests a market caught between extreme bearish momentum and early signs of exhaustion, with the next decisive move likely to come from how the price reacts around the key support zone.
#Bitcoin #CryptoMarkets #TechnicalAnalysis $BTC