Bitcoin fell another 2% in 24 hours, dropping below $68,000 for the first time in four days. The decline sparked more than $50 million in long liquidations in the past hour, according to Coinglass, of which roughly 70% came from bitcoin positions alone.
The decline sent shares of crypto-related companies such as Circle Internet (CRCL), Coinbase (COIN), and Strategy (MSTR), the largest public holder of Bitcoin, lower in pre-market activity.
Traders with long positions are betting prices will rise. Liquidations occur when an exchange forcibly closes a leveraged trade because the trader no longer has enough collateral, known as margin, to support the position.
A look at the 48-hour liquidation heatmap, a tool that highlights price levels where large clusters of forced liquidations may occur, shows significant liquidity below $66,000, which signals further downside for bitcoin is possible in the short term.
In another sign of bearish sentiment, funding rates are also negative. Funding rates are periodic payments between traders in perpetual futures contracts, which are derivatives that track an asset’s price without expiry. When negative, short traders, those betting on price declines, pay long traders.
Macro conditions are deteriorating further as the Middle East conflict progresses. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield, a benchmark interest rate for government debt, is nearing 4.5%, its highest since July, making risk assets like crypto less attractive.
The MOVE index, which measures U.S. bond market volatility, has risen 18% over the past 24 hours, indicating increased uncertainty.
Meanwhile, oil prices, including Brent and WTI crude, are up 3% as Ukraine’s disruption of Russian oil flows disrupts President Donald Trump’s plans to ease supplies.
The DXY index, which tracks the strength of the dollar against a basket of major trading partners, is rising toward 100, creating further headwinds for risk assets.
Mastercard is leveraging its global network to transform stablecoins from speculative assets into everyday payment tools, targeting the trillion-dollar remittance market with a focus on trust and regulatory compliance.
Although blockchain technology has been operational for over 15 years, offering 24/7 transactions and transparency, its volatility has long prevented it from becoming a reliable medium of exchange. However, the rise of stablecoins—digital assets designed to maintain a stable value—is beginning to solve this unpredictability, opening the door for practical applications beyond crypto trading.
Speaking to Mete Guney, the executive in charge of Mastercard’s relations with non-financial institutions, it is clear that the payments giant views this technology as a vital component of the future financial ecosystem. Guney explained that while 90 per cent of stablecoin volume is currently linked to crypto trading, the technology is rapidly gaining traction in real-world use cases such as business payments, escrow accounts, and crucially, cross-border remittances.
Solving the Remittance Puzzle
Cross-border payments have long been plagued by high costs, slow settlement times, and a lack of transparency. Sending money internationally can often take several days, with the sender left in the dark regarding the final cost and the current location of their funds.
Guney noted that stablecoins address these specific pain points by offering instant settlement, lower costs, and full traceability. This is particularly relevant in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, a global hub for remittances. Mastercard is already utilizing stablecoins to settle international remittances in this market, signalling a shift from theoretical utility to operational reality.
The Currency of Trust
For stablecoins to move from a niche technology to a mainstream payment method, trust is paramount. Guney emphasised that without trust and regulation, adoption will stall.
“If I come to you and say that, hey, you know what? I introducing my own money… You will be most likely thinking, hey, is this guy crazy?” Guney commented. “Trust needs to be there. And trust comes with regulation, because it endorses a solution by taking care of consumer protection, by taking care of compliance”.
He highlighted the United Arab Emirates as a prime example of a jurisdiction fostering this trust. With regulators like VARA and the Central Bank of the UAE establishing clear frameworks, the region is seeing the emergence of Dirham-backed stablecoins issued by licensed financial institutions such as Al Maryah Bank and Zand.
Building the Infrastructure
Mastercard is positioning itself as the bridge between the fragmented world of digital assets and traditional finance. To achieve this, the company is deploying a strategy heavily reliant on partnerships and infrastructure development.
Collaborations with industry leaders like Circle and Paxos are enabling acquirers to settle in stablecoins and helping financial institutions mint and distribute compliant digital assets. Furthermore, Mastercard’s Multi-Token Network (MTN) aims to standardise these technologies, acting as a “highway” that cuts across isolated domains to simplify access for financial institutions.
A key challenge to adoption is interoperability. With thousands of stablecoins potentially entering the market, merchants cannot be expected to integrate them individually. Mastercard addresses this by enabling stablecoin-backed payment cards.
“We can be the bridge between the world of stablecoins and everyday payments,” Guney explained. “Today this card is attached to your stablecoin wallet or any digital asset wallet and you can use this card at any merchant where Mastercard is accepted”.
Future Horizons
Looking ahead, the utility of stablecoins is expected to expand through programmability—the ability to release funds only when specific conditions are met. This feature, largely underutilised to date, could unlock complex new use cases for automated payments.
Guney also predicts a diversification in the assets backing these coins. Beyond fiat currencies, the market may soon see more stablecoins backed by commodities such as gold or silver, offering users new ways to store and transfer value amidst global economic turbulence.
As the digital economy matures, the convergence of regulated stablecoins and established payment networks appears set to redefine how money moves across borders.
The UK government is cracking down on a $20 billion Chinese-language crypto guarantee marketplace, with sweeping sanctions aimed at cutting the platform off from crypto access.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said in a statement Thursday that Xinbi provides crypto-based services, scam-enabling tools and other illicit services to bad actors and plays a central role in scam centers operating across Southeast Asia.
“The UK’s sanctions will isolate the platform from the legitimate crypto ecosystem, significantly disrupting its operations by affecting its ability to send and receive cryptocurrency transactions,” the agency said.
The latest wording from the UK government highlights a separation between legal and illicit crypto ecosystems rather than lumping them together — a positive direction for the industry’s reputation.
Under the sanctions, any UK assets connected to Xinbi will be frozen, and the platform will be barred from the country’s financial, trade and travel networks. UK-based businesses, including banks, crypto firms and individual citizens, are prohibited from providing goods, services, loans or investments to Xinbi.
Source: Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office
Key infrastructure targeted in crackdown
Chainalysis estimates Xinbi processed more than $19.9 billion between 2021 and 2025 and is deeply interconnected with a range of other illicit services.
The department’s recent sanctions include Thet Li, who allegedly managed the international financial network of Prince Group, a Cambodia-based company accused of orchestrating large-scale crypto fraud schemes.
Hu Xiaowei, who is allegedly involved in the Prince Group’s financial network and #8 Park, a scam compound linked to the group, was also sanctioned.
Blockchain analytics company Chainalysis said in a report Thursday that the sanctions target the scam ecosystem’s on and off-ramps that enable large-scale fraud and are “exploiting the efficient, borderless nature of crypto rails.”
“By blacklisting a well-known Chinese-language guarantee marketplace, the FCDO is addressing the commercial marketplaces that sustain scam operators with payment facilitation and marketing services,” it said.
Related: There’s more to crypto crime than meets the eye: What you need to know
Traditional financial systems, such as wire transfers, have long been exploited for money laundering and fraud, largely because of their scale and global reach.
The Financial Action Task Force estimates that 2% to 5% of global GDP is laundered through traditional financial systems, whereas Chainalysis estimates that less than 1% of crypto transactions are linked to illicit activity.
The US has also intensified sanctions targeting illicit crypto operations. Earlier this month, the Treasury Department sanctioned six individuals and two entities for their alleged roles in an IT worker fraud scheme orchestrated by North Korea, a state actor that frequently targets the crypto industry.
Magazine: Big Questions: Can Bitcoin save you from the dreaded Cantillon Effect?
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Law No. 15,358 gives judges sweeping power to freeze digital assets during investigations as Brasília takes a “financial strangulation” approach to organized crime.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed Law No. 15,358 on March 25, establishing what the government calls the Legal Framework for Combating Organized Crime. The legislation, also known as the Raul Jungmann Law, gives judges the authority to freeze, seize, and forfeit crypto and other digital assets tied to criminal organizations — and funnel the proceeds into public security funds.
The law is notable for explicitly incorporating digital assets into Brazil’s anti-crime toolkit. Article 9 of the legislation authorizes judges to order the “seizure, attachment, blocking or freezing of movable and immovable property, rights and assets, including digital or virtual assets” during investigations, as well as prohibit operations on crypto exchanges and block access to digital wallets — all without prior notice to the accused.
Crucially, the measures don’t require a conviction. Judges can authorize the provisional use or early sale of seized cryptoassets, with proceeds directed to state or federal security funds to finance police operations, intelligence work, and officer training. In cases where illicit origins are clear, an “extraordinary forfeiture” process allows assets to be declared lost even without a criminal judgment.
The bill was first introduced in November, shortly after authorities cracked down on an illegal Bitcoin mining operation. It was drafted to target the financial infrastructure of gangs like Comando Vermelho and the PCC.
The law also introduces two new criminal categories — “structured social domination” and “aiding structured social domination” — carrying sentences of 12 to 40 years. Leaders of ultraviolent criminal organizations face mandatory imprisonment in maximum-security federal facilities, and the use of encrypted messaging apps or privacy tools to conceal criminal activity is designated as an aggravating factor that increases sentences.
The legislation mandates the creation of a national criminal database that maps the financial structures of known criminal organizations, designed to improve coordination between police, prosecutors, and the judiciary across Brazil’s states. The law also enables international cooperation for asset recovery and intelligence sharing, allowing Brazilian agencies to work with foreign counterparts to trace and recover illicit funds.
Upon final conviction, individuals permanently lose access to the formal financial and crypto systems and are barred from contracting with the government, participating in public tenders, or receiving fiscal incentives for 12 to 15 years.
The law stands in pointed contrast to a separate legislative effort introduced in February by Federal Deputy Luiz Gastão. His bill, an expanded version of PL 4501/2024, proposes a Strategic Sovereign Bitcoin Reserve, known as RESBit, to gradually acquire up to 1 million BTC over 5 years. That proposal would explicitly prohibit the sale of judicially seized Bitcoin, retaining confiscated assets within the reserve rather than liquidating them.
Law No. 15,358 takes the opposite approach: it treats seized crypto not as a reserve asset but as a resource to be converted and spent on law enforcement. Whether the two frameworks can coexist — or whether the RESBit bill advances at all — remains an open question.
This article was written with the assistance of AI workflows. All our stories are curated, edited and fact-checked by a human.
Institutional demand for bitcoin appears to be cooling after a strong start to the month.
On Thursday, investors withdrew a combined $171.12 million from the 11 U.S.-listed spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds, marking the largest single-day outflow in just over three weeks, according to data from SoSoValue. BlackRock’s IBIT saw $41.92 million in outflows, while funds such as FBTC, GBTC, BITB and ARKB each recorded withdrawals in the $20 million to $30 million range.
The recent pullback follows a period of robust inflows, with these funds attracting more than $2 billion between late February and mid-month. Since then, momentum has slowed, with just $95.8 million in inflows last week and net outflows of $70.71 million so far this week.
The moderation in flows may point to a pause in institutional accumulation, with investors adopting a more measured approach to these ETFs. Launched in January 2024, the funds allow market participants to take exposure to bitcoin without requiring direct ownership.
The slowdown in demand raises questions about how long bitcoin can maintain resilience near $70,000 amid broader macroeconomic shocks.
Large Bitcoin holders accumulated 61,568 more Bitcoin over the past month against the backdrop of escalating conflict in the Middle East and macroeconomic uncertainty.
Whales and sharks, defined as those holding between 10 and 10,000 Bitcoin (BTC), have increased their holdings by 0.45%, while wallets with under 0.01 Bitcoin have added 0.42%, or 213 BTC, over the past month, Santiment said in an X post Thursday.
The figures support recent data showing that Bitcoin exchange outflows have persisted throughout March, indicating that Bitcoin holders are accumulating rather than looking to sell.
Santiment analysts added that whale accumulation could be a “promising sign” of an eventual breakout from the range.
“Ideally, the ranging pattern will break upwards when large wallets are accumulating, while retail is dumping. This has historically been a very reliable pattern to signal the start of bull cycles,” the analysts said.
Source: Santiment
Tensions in the Middle East escalated in February after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Iran retaliated against several neighboring countries, and the conflict has continued since.
Some whales wait for breakout; small holders driven by FOMO
Some Bitcoin whales are taking a different approach.
On March 19, two Bitcoin whales moved tens of millions of dollars to exchanges as Bitcoin fell and energy prices jumped after attacks on Gulf oil and gas infrastructure deepened during the Iran conflict.
Dominick John, an analyst at Zeus Research, told Cointelegraph that the whales who have been accumulating in the background are likely preparing for the next breakout.
“Whales are scooping up BTC because they’re positioning ahead of a potential breakout, quietly stacking during consolidation periods. Small wallets are chasing the momentum, driven by FOMO during uptrends and the fear of missing the next leg up,” he said.
Related: Binance says US midterms could boost Bitcoin and stocks
“Whales tend to buy in waves, so accumulation could continue if the range holds and macro conditions stay supportive. On the other hand, if retail FOMO overheats, we could see a pause or slight sell-off before the next accumulation phase,” John added.
Fear and greed index in “extreme fear”
Meanwhile, investor sentiment remains deeply uncertain. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index returned a score of 13 on Friday, firmly in “extreme fear” territory.
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has been firmly in “extreme fear” territory. Source: alternative.me
Thursday’s score was 10, and both the prior week and the month of February averaged “extreme fear” ratings as well, according to the index.
Magazine: Banks want to run Vietnam’s crypto exchanges, Boyaa’s $70M BTC plan: Asia Express
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On-chain traders on Hyperliquid can now trade over 250 tokenized U.S. equities.
Felix Protocol has launched tokenized U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds on HyperEVM, delivering on a partnership with Ondo Finance that was first announced in January.
The launch gives on-chain traders access to more than 250 tokenized equities through Felix’s native trading interface, with assets backed by real shares held off-chain through Ondo Global Markets. Felix claims users can execute orders as large as $1 million with net execution costs below 10 basis points — a threshold the protocol says addresses one of the key barriers to on-chain equity adoption.
“On-chain traders no longer have to off-ramp funds to gain exposure to US capital markets,” the protocol said in a post on X. The offering is not available to U.S. users or those in other prohibited jurisdictions.
Ondo Infrastructure
All tokenized assets on Felix are built on Ondo Global Markets’ spot infrastructure, which routes mints and redemptions through Felix’s smart contracts. Each token gives users economic exposure to the underlying asset’s price action and dividends, rather than direct share ownership.
Ondo is the dominant issuer in the tokenized equity space. The protocol’s total value locked (TVL) recently surpassed $550 million in tokenized stocks alone, commanding 59% of the market, according to data from RWAxyz. Ondo’s broader platform — which includes tokenized Treasuries and its USDY dollar-yield product — holds roughly $2.9 billion in total TVL, per DefiLlama.
From Lending to Equities
Felix began as a collateralized debt position and lending protocol on HyperEVM, and has grown into the fifth-largest DeFi application on Hyperliquid’s Layer 1 network. The protocol currently holds approximately $167 million in TVL, according to DefiLlama.
Felix said future iterations of the equities product will include limit orders and dollar-cost averaging across tokenized assets, exposure to international equity markets in countries such as South Korea, Japan, and India, support for hundreds of additional U.S. equities, and the integration of stocks and ETFs as collateral on Felix’s lending markets.
The collateral use case could be particularly significant: it would allow traders to borrow against their tokenized equity holdings on-chain, merging the protocol’s existing lending infrastructure with its new equities product.
This article was written with the assistance of AI workflows. All our stories are curated, edited and fact-checked by a human.
The Kingdom of Bahrain has long taken a different approach and was the first in the region to diversify its economy and used financial services and fintech to do so. How is the economy and fintech ecosystem in 2026?
When I last examined Bahrain’s financial services economy, the Kingdom was already positioning itself as a regulatory pioneer. By 2026, that foundation has evolved into something more deliberate: a fintech ecosystem defined by alignment between regulator, industry and infrastructure.
Bahrain is no longer just an early mover. It is becoming a system builder.
Digital Transformation as Economic Strategy
Fintech in Bahrain is inseparable from its broader economic diversification strategy.
As hydrocarbons have gradually declined in relative importance, financial services and digital industries have become central to the country’s economic model. By last year, non-oil sectors accounted for approximately 85 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), with financial services contributing around 17 per cent, reinforcing the sector’s importance to national growth.
This transformation is underpinned by a clear policy direction.
Government initiatives, supported by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), continue to position fintech as a key pillar of economic diversification. This includes the main catalyst of fintech, Bahrain Fintech Bay, being an active player in the Kingdom. Digitalisation is being applied across sectors – from payments and banking to public services – creating a more integrated digital economy.
At the infrastructure level, Bahrain benefits from near-universal mobile penetration and a digitally literate population, enabling rapid adoption of digital financial services.
Fintech, in this context, is not an isolated industry. It is a core component of national economic transformation.
Financial Services Sector: Digital Transformation in Practice
Event in 2025 announcing amongst other things a framework for licensing and regulating stablecoin issuers. Pictured: Mohamed Al Sadek, Shafaq Al Kooheji, and Richie Santosdiaz IMAGE SOURCE CENTRAL BANK OF BAHRAIN
Bahrain’s financial services sector has long been one of the most developed in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, and it is now undergoing a significant digital shift.
The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) plays an active and central role as a unified regulator, overseeing banking, fintech and capital markets under a single framework. Bahrain was among the first in the region to introduce a regulatory sandbox in 2017, and an open banking framework in 2018, and crypto-asset regulations and licensing frameworks.
Last year, which I got to witness in-person, saw the CBB announce the introduction of a framework for licensing and regulating stablecoin issuers.
Banks and fintech companies are increasingly interconnected through API-driven systems, digital onboarding processes and real-time payment infrastructure. Platforms such as Tarabut Gateway have scaled open banking capabilities across the region, while digital asset platforms like CoinMENA operate under regulatory oversight.
Fintech Ecosystem: From Sandbox to Scale
Bird view of Manama city, Bahrain. Skyline with modern skyscrapers standing on the coast of Arabian Gulf IMAGE SOURCE GETTY
Bahrain’s fintech ecosystem has evolved from experimentation to structure.
Back in 2022 the country’s sandbox hosted around 25 fintech companies, spanning areas such as BNPL, robo-advisory and crypto services.
This year, the ecosystem has expanded significantly. Industry estimates suggest that Bahrain now hosts over 100 fintech companies and digital financial service providers, supported by institutions such as Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB).
Growth has been driven by various factors such as regulatory clarity, access to regional markets, strong institutional coordination and alignment with Islamic finance frameworks
The fintech market itself is projected to grow from $1.4billion last year to $5billion by 2033, reflecting sustained expansion across payments, digital banking and wealthtech.
Unlike many markets, Bahrain’s fintech ecosystem has not been built on startup volume alone. It has been built on regulatory infrastructure.
Compared with its GCC neighbours, Bahrain does not face severe financial inclusion challenges. Access to banking services is already relatively high, supported by a mature financial system. However, further sub sector penetration (such as in insurance where historically as in the Middle East was lower than other developed economies) and also amongst the lower-skilled expatriate community can see further financial inclusion.
Digital wallets, open banking platforms and alternative lending solutions are expanding access to financial services for small businesses and underserved segments. At the same time, Shariah-compliant fintech solutions are opening new avenues for inclusive finance within Islamic banking frameworks.
Recent developments highlight Bahrain’s continued fintech momentum.
The launch and expansion of FinHub973, the Central Bank’s cross-border digital innovation platform, has strengthened collaboration between financial institutions and fintech firms, enabling testing, prototyping and scaling of solutions.
At the same time, partnerships between fintech firms and global players are increasing. Last year, crypto platform CoinMENA partnered with United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based digital bank Zand to facilitate cross-border digital asset transactions, reflecting growing regional integration.
More broadly, Bahrain continues to attract international fintech firms seeking a regulatory testbed.
As noted in recent Fintech Times coverage, the country’s appeal lies in its “single regulator, fast approvals and supportive ecosystem”, allowing fintech companies to move from pilot to production quickly. This combination of regulatory agility and institutional support remains one of Bahrain’s defining strengths.
As with much of the Middle East, unfortunately 2026 has seen better days with the conflict with Iran. Despite that, Bahrain’s fintech ecosystem in 2026 remains optimistic given all the effort and successes it has achieved.
The country has built a financial system where regulation, infrastructure and innovation move in alignment that is boosting its economic diversification efforts.
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The Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed rule to allow crypto investment options for 401(k) retirement plans has cleared the White House’s regulatory review, bringing digital assets closer to the US’s $10 trillion market.
White House Clears DOL’s Proposed 401(k) Rule
The White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has concluded its review of a proposed rule submitted by the Department of Labor that could pave the way for crypto exposure in 401(k) retirement plans.
Notably, the Labor Department rescinded a 2022 guidance that discouraged fiduciaries from including crypto investments in 401(k) plans. The guidance followed a Biden-era executive order (EO) that required the government to assess the risks and benefits of digital assets.
As reported by Bitcoinist, it directed plan fiduciaries under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to exercise extreme caution before incorporating crypto assets into their investment menus, asserting that the digital asset industry’s early stage could pose significant risks.
The DOL’s proposal, named “Fiduciary Duties in Selecting Designated Investment Alternatives,” could amend the fiduciary guidance for plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
White House concludes regulatory review of DOL's proposed rule. Source: OIRA
This could potentially allow plan sponsors to include cryptocurrencies and private equity as designated investment alternatives. The federal agency marked the action as “consistent with change” and designed the proposal as an “economically significant” rule in its review, which concluded on March 24.
According to the OIRA website, the proposed rule carries no legal deadline for finalization. However, the DOL is expected to formally release the proposal in the coming weeks, allowing for a standard 60-day public comment period. Following this, revisions will be made, and a final rule will be issued.
US Push To Allow Crypto In Retirement Plants
The proposal follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last August seeking to allow more private equity, real estate, cryptocurrency, and other alternative assets in 401(k) retirement accounts.
The order directed the DOL, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Treasury Secretary, and other federal agencies to reduce regulatory barriers that prohibited investments in alternative assets in their defined contribution retirement plans and explore ways to facilitate access to these assets.
In January, Bitwise’s CIO, Matt Hougan, discussed the possibility of 2026 being the year investors can own Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in 401(k) retirement plans, citing that the inclusion of digital assets is becoming more common in individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
The executive argued that providers are slow to adapt, but acknowledged that the Trump administration’s pro-crypto stance, which effectively removed the ban on crypto from 401(k)s, has opened the door to the multi-trillion-dollar market.
Recently, some US states have pushed to embed crypto into their public financial systems. In February, Indiana lawmakers advanced House Bill 1042 (HB 1042), also known as the Bitcoin Rights Bill, which requires several state-administered programs, including retirement plans for teachers, public employees, and legislators, to offer self-directed brokerage accounts with at least one digital asset investment option.
Multiple US lawmakers have backed the Trump Administration’s initiatives. In September, nine House members requested that the SEC Chairman, Paul Atkins, provide prompt assistance in implementing the president’s executive order and collaborate with the DOL to safeguard workers.
In addition, House of Representatives member Troy Downing introduced a bill to codify Trump’s directive and grant it the “force and effect of law.” This move aimed to facilitate investors’ access to Bitcoin and other alternative assets within their 401(k) retirement plans.
Bitcoin (BTC) trades at $68,874 in the one-week chart. Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView
Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com
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Mixin, a privacy-first platform for digital asset transactions, has announced a major expansion of its gas fee subsidy program, further reducing costs for users moving assets across multiple blockchains.
Launched in 2025, the program allows users to import external Web3 wallets into the Mixin ecosystem and conduct onchain transactions. While users initially pay gas fees, those costs are fully reimbursed at the start of the following month, effectively eliminating one of the biggest hurdles in everyday crypto usage.
In a media release, Mixin said gas fees have long been a pain point for blockchain adoption, often making small or frequent transfers impractical. This claim is supported by multiple studies, including research published in Frontiers in Blockchain (2024), which found that volatile and high Ethereum gas fees directly reduce user willingness to transact.
Another study from the same year concluded that fee spikes discourage everyday usage and make blockchain less competitive than traditional payment systems. Similarly, a 2023 MDPI study showed that stabilizing fees through Ethereum’s EIP-1559 upgrade improved transaction throughput, underscoring how fee volatility undermines adoption.
Scaling Accessibility Across Major Networks
Mixin’s subsidy model seeks to address this challenge by ensuring transactions remain accessible and cost-efficient, even during periods of network congestion.
“Our goal has always been to make cryptocurrency as simple and private as sending a text message,” said Cedric Fung, co-founder of Mixin. “By subsidizing those costs across supported networks, we’re removing friction from how people move value online.”
The subsidy currently covers major assets and networks, including bitcoin, ethereum and solana, with no restrictions on transaction volume or frequency. Users can move funds between imported Web3 wallets and Mixin’s privacy wallets, which already offer instant, fee-free transfers via Mixin’s decentralized network.
Beyond financial transactions, Mixin integrates encrypted messaging using the Signal Protocol, enabling users to coordinate payments privately within a chat-based interface.
Fung said:
“The future of finance is social, private, and multi-chain. Mixin is building a messaging layer where people can communicate, coordinate, and move value without friction.”
FAQ ❓
What is Mixin’s gas fee subsidy? It’s a program that reimburses blockchaingas fees, making transfers effectively free.
When did the subsidy launch? Mixin introduced the program in 2025 to remove cost barriers in crypto adoption.
Which blockchains are covered? The subsidy applies to major networks like Bitcoin ( BTC), Ethereum ( ETH), and Solana ( SOL).
Why does this matter for adoption? Studies show high and volatile fees discourage everyday crypto use, so Mixin’s model boosts accessibility.
