Polymarket is doubling down on its real-time prediction identity with a Washington, D.C., bar launch and a fresh DeFi acquisition, even as scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers intensifies. Polymarket’s D.C. Bar Debut and Brahma Deal Signal Aggressive Growth Polymarket has unveiled “The Situation Room,” a Washington, D.C.-based bar designed around live monitoring of global events, while […]
Crypto Firms Call For More DeFi Courses at US Colleges
Twenty-one crypto organizations have signed an open letter urging US colleges to incorporate decentralized finance into their curricula, arguing that there will be massive demand for crypto talent on Wall Street.
“Our purpose with this letter is simple: to respectfully urge higher education institutions across the United States to further integrate digital assets, blockchain, and decentralized finance into their business and legal curricula,” the open letter reads, which was published on Wednesday.
The campaign was spearheaded by decentralized protocol aggregator 1Inch, with signatories including the Solana Policy Institute, Blockchain Association, DeFi Education Fund and crypto platforms like Aave, MyEtherWallet, Delphi Digital and Messari.
While 1Inch acknowledged that DeFi is taught in some schools, it argued that current curricula treat it mostly as theoretical, and that students should gain a more practical understanding of a “critical part of the global financial ecosystem.”
“It is wrong to think, as some do, that DeFi and crypto technologies lack practical uses or are somehow deviant to the public good,” 1Inch said, pointing out that stablecoins eliminate cross-border payment friction, lending protocols offer yield opportunities for investors and tokenized assets enable trading around the clock.
“The theoretical phase is over. Ideas have already become infrastructure.”
In comments to Cointelegraph, 1Inch said it is pushing for more DeFi courses to be taught in the classroom because opportunities have expanded beyond developer roles to those in more business and legal roles.
“It’s no longer just hoodies; it’s suits and ties too,” 1Inch said, noting that Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs and PwC are on the lookout for crypto talent beyond the tech-savvy programmers.
“The aim is to build on top of these greater DeFi understanding and practical knowledge, not just among the developers of tomorrow but CEOs and CLOs.”
The open letter asks for more “foundational education” in blockchain architecture and DeFi as a core module rather than as an elective course, with the course material touching on everything from automated market makers and liquidity provision to decentralized autonomous organizations and smart contract risks.
1Inch also suggested that students engage with DeFi systems directly to “gain a real-world understanding of how DeFi works.”
The biggest Wall Street firms are seeking DeFi experts
BlackRock, Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley were recently seen putting out job advertisements for DeFi-related roles.
This has also been reflected in Google search statistics, said 1Inch, showing that Google search volume for “Blockchain jobs” grew 84% between 2024 and 2026.
More specialized roles are accelerating even faster, with “DeFi Developer Jobs” increasing nearly 270% to 246,000 results, 1Inch said.
Related: Columbia professor says NYSE tokenization plan reads like ‘vaporware’
DeFi has had limited exposure to some US Ivy League colleges in the past.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ran an “MIT Digital Currency Experiment” in 2014, which involved distributing Bitcoin (BTC) to students, while it later offered courses touching on blockchain ethics and distributed ledger technology.
Harvard’s extension school also offers a blockchain innovation course, while Texas A&M offered a “Bitcoin Protocol” course to business and engineering students in 2023.
On Tuesday, Bitcoin bull Michael Saylor said the Florida Department of Education approved Saylor Academy — a non-profit education platform — to operate as Saylor University.
Saylor Academy is now Saylor University.
The Florida Department of Education has granted @saylordotorg university status—marking a major milestone in our mission to provide free, world-class higher education for all.pic.twitter.com/SbimeofUkQ
— Michael Saylor (@saylor) March 17, 2026
The move enables students to receive tuition-free master’s degrees, which include programs that teach about Bitcoin and blockchain technology.
Magazine: What’s a ‘Network State’ and are there real-life examples? Big Questions
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When price stops working, yield starts mattering
Welcome to our institutional newsletter, Crypto Long & Short. This week:
- Ruchir Gupta on how we’re moving toward a true fixed-income market for crypto-native yield.
- Clara García Prieto on bitcoin becoming mainstream collateral, but most are not prepared for its risks.
- Top headlines institutions should pay attention to by Francisco Rodrigues.
- Crypto card volumes hit $140 million record in Chart of the Week.
-Alexandra Levis
Expert Insights
When price stops working, yield starts mattering
– By Ruchir Gupta, co-founder, Gyld Finance
There is a pattern that repeats itself across asset classes. Bull markets are simple: buy risk, ride beta, everything looks like genius. Then conditions shift, leverage unwinds, volumes thin and the question changes from “how much did you make” to “what are you actually earning while you wait.”
Crypto is in that shift right now. Prices have corrected significantly, with bitcoin about 50% below its peak. Speculative positioning has compressed. Perpetual funding rates have normalized. For investors holding digital assets through this, yield has become the cushion that makes staying in the trade worthwhile.
Ether (ETH) staking, as measured by the benchmark Composite Ether Staking Rate (CESR), returns roughly 2.5% to 4% annualized. Solana (SOL) validator rewards run closer to 6% to 8%. Lending protocols offer variable rates across collateral types. Crypto-native yield is real, diversified across sources and does not require price appreciation to accrue.
The clearest evidence is in the staking participation data. ETH staking supply has hit all-time highs, with close to 30% of all ETH staked now. That growth continued through periods of significant price weakness. Allocators kept staking regardless of what ETH was doing in spot markets because the yield was there independent of price.
Institutions have noticed. After the SEC provided regulatory clarity around staking in U.S.-registered funds last year, nearly twenty staking-linked ETFs and ETPs have launched or been filed, including BlackRock’s iShares Staked Ethereum Trust and products from VanEck, Grayscale and Fidelity, more than in all previous years combined. Morgan Stanley, which manages roughly $8 trillion in client assets, applied in February for a national trust bank charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to offer crypto custody and staking services to its investment clients.
But every one of these products is, today, a passive fund. You get yield at whatever rate the network happens to be paying, bundled with price exposure, with no ability to manage duration or isolate income from principal. That leaves a lot on the table.
Staking yield has two characteristics that make it particularly interesting as a traded market:
First, rewards are variable and driven by network-level activity. Transaction volumes, validator set size and overall participation all move the rate. Staking rewards behave somewhat like a macro rate: when the network is busy and demand for block space is high, rewards rise; when activity falls, they compress. That variability is not just a risk to be passively absorbed. It is a signal that can be traded.
Second, staking is partly illiquid in a structured way. ETH’s validator entry queue currently runs over two months, meaning capital committed today does not start earning for more than sixty days. That queuing dynamic creates a forward curve. The rate you expect to earn in three months is not the same as the rate available today and the gap between them is something a market should price.
Together, these two features mean staking yield has the ingredients of a proper rates market: a floating benchmark that moves with observable fundamentals, and a term structure created by real illiquidity and expectations of forward network activity. This is exactly the kind of market active managers get paid to navigate.
Capturing that opportunity requires a toolkit that does not yet exist in regulated form: instruments that let you price yield independently of principal, so a buyer can take a view on rate direction without carrying spot exposure; instruments with defined maturities that make the illiquidity premium explicit and tradable; and instruments that separate the income stream from the capital claim entirely, so each can find its natural holder. In traditional fixed income, these are strip bonds, zero coupon instruments and floating-rate notes. They are the building blocks without which you cannot run anything more sophisticated than a passive fund.
Once those instruments exist, the rest follows naturally. The first active staking funds will look like something money market managers do today: rotating across maturities, pricing illiquidity risk and taking views on forward network activity rather than just collecting whatever rate the network is currently paying.
Decentralized finance (DeFi) tackled this problem early, though aimed at a different market and built on different yield sources. Protocols like Pendle Finance have built an elegant yield tokenization engine that separates principal tokens from yield tokens and lets them trade independently. The mechanics work, but the wrapper is unsuitable for institutional capital, as it looks too much like a security in most jurisdictions and lacks regulatory clarity.
What we are moving toward is a genuine fixed income market for crypto-native yield, with term structures, actively managed duration strategies and products that compete on the precision of their yield management rather than simply on access.
Bull markets reward beta. Bear markets reward income. Mature markets reward the ability to manage risk precisely. We are somewhere between the second and third phase, and the infrastructure for that third phase is largely still missing.
Principled Perspectives
Bitcoin as collateral: the shift redefining the financial system
– By Clara García Prieto, founder, BTL
More than five years ago, suggesting that bitcoin could be used as collateral — and that traditional financial institutions might seriously consider it — would have sounded improbable. Today, that scenario is no longer theoretical: bitcoin has entered the financial system and, in doing so, is redefining what we understand as collateral. Bitcoin is not just becoming collateral — it is redefining what collateral means.
As a lawyer, my view is clear: the use of bitcoin as collateral is inevitable, but most participants are not prepared for the risks it entails. In my opinion, this will be the dominant pattern over the next five to ten years.
To understand the magnitude of this shift, it is useful to look at a classic example: a real estate mortgage. In this structure, there is a loan (the principal obligation) and a guarantee (the property) that secures it. Bitcoindoes not fit neatly within the current logic:: it is not tied to a specific jurisdiction, it does not rely on public registries and its control is based on cryptographic keys. This forces us to reinterpret the concept of collateral rather than simply replicate it.
Bitcoin has unique characteristics: it is a digital asset, finite, with a fixed and deterministic supply. Many who hold it — whether individuals or companies — do not to part with it. On the one hand, this is because of its scarcity and potential appreciation; on the other, because of the tax implications of disposing of it. This is where a key shift emerges: obtaining liquidity without selling the asset.
However, there is a structural tension. Bitcoin does not typically depend on intermediaries, but collateralized transactions must depend upon them to some extent. And this is the real critical point.
In centralized models, the primary risk is custody. The user must trust that the entity holding the collateral acts diligently and remains solvent. Translating this to trust to the crypto context is not a minor issue and requires careful analysis of how custody is managed. Traditional financial institutions are already exploring this — for example, by assessing the use of bitcoin ETFs as collateral for institutional clients. The movement has begun, even if we are still only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
In decentralized finance (DeFi), the problem is different. Native bitcoin cannot be used directly, as it requires the use of tokenized representations. This introduces new risks: reliance on smart contracts, protocol risk, potential price discrepancies and the need for active collateral management. Additionally, there may be tax implications, depending on jurisdiction, if the transaction is treated as a taxable event.
At the same time, the use of bitcoin as collateral is beginning to be integrated into corporate treasury strategies. In my view, this will be one of the most relevant developments. Companies with strong liquidity and solid balance sheets can use bitcoin as a strategic asset, reducing their reliance on external financing. Those who adopt it early will have a clear competitive advantage.
That said, bitcoin’s volatility will prevent it from replacing traditional collateral. No financial system can rely exclusively on an asset that can fluctuate significantly over short periods of time, as they require overcollateralization and strict risk management mechanisms.
We are facing a form of collateral with unique characteristics that cannot be ignored. Volatility and the associated risks — custody, counterparty and structural — are real. But so is its potential. The use of bitcoin as collateral is no longer a hypothetical; it will become increasingly common. The question is not whether it will happen, but who is prepared to manage it properly.
Headlines of the Week
– By Francisco Rodrigues
The cryptocurrency industry has kept on slowly maturing over the week, with headlines pointing to the Bitcoin network’s physical resilience, the Ethereum Foundation’s evolution, and further institutionalization of the technology underpinning it.
- Bitcoin can survive 72% of the world’s submarine cables being cut: That’s according to a Cambridge study spanning 11 years and 68 verified cable failures. It found Bitcoin’s physical infrastructure is far more resilient than previously thought.
- Ethereum Foundation publishes new mandate defining its role, core principles: In a 38-page document, the Ethereum Foundation outlined its philosophy and role as a steward of the Ethereum network. The document emphasizes Ethereum’s core mission to enable user self-sovereignty, and that it must preserve censorship resistance, open source, privacy and security.
- European Central Bank unveils tokenized finance plan to bolster EU’s financial autonomy: The European Central Bank published its Appia roadmap, outlining a long-term plan to build a euro-anchored tokenized wholesale financial system using distributed ledger technology and central bank money settlement.
- Mastercard Launches Global Crypto Partner Program with 85+ Companies: Mastercard unveiled its Crypto Partner Program, bringing together more than 85 companies, including Ripple, Solana, Circle, Binance and other major players, to accelerate real-world blockchain use cases in cross-border payments, settlement and consumer crypto spending.
- Prediction markets get tailored U.S. guidance from former foe CFTC: The agency, which was once a legal opponent of certain activity at prediction markets, is now establishing policy for their oversight, with staff-issued advisory to regulated firms and initial guidance rolling out.
Chart of the Week
Crypto card volumes hit $140 million record as Neobank tokens lag behind
Weekly crypto card volumes continue their steady uptrend, reaching a new milestone of $140 million this week driven largely by RedotPay’s dominant $91 million contribution. While the broader Neobank Performance Index (including tokens like Avici and ETHFI) remains down 34% since the start of 2025, it has shown signs of a recent turnaround with a 10% recovery month-to-date. This divergence suggests that while asset valuations are still recovering from yearly lows, the actual utility and transaction volume of crypto cards are scaling to all-time highs.
Listen. Read. Watch. Engage.
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Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc., CoinDesk Indices or its owners and affiliates.
Ather vs Other Electric Scooters: Price, Range & Technology Comparison
Buying an electric scooty today is less about chasing one brochure number and more about matching range, charging, and protection to your daily reality. Use Ather’s published specs as a baseline, then compare any other model you’re considering on the same pillars: electric scooter price, stated range, and ride-impacting technology.
The Ather Range in One Glance
This snapshot shows how Ather positions Rizta for family use and the 450 line for performance.
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Battery (installed capacity) |
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Electric Scooter Price: Compare What You Actually Get
Treat the sticker as step one, then judge whether the spec package fits your routine.
Ather shows two clear entry points: Rizta starts at ₹1,04,999, while the 450 starts at ₹1,19,841. When you compare any other electric scooty, keep it consistent:
● Put the price and stated range side by side.
● Note battery size (kWh) and the home-charging time it brings.
● Compare “km added in 10 minutes” claims if fast charging is part of your plan.
Range: Plan Your Week with Confidence
Range should help you predict your commute days and weekend errands, so compare like-for-like on the label used.
Rizta lists IDC 123 km / 159 km, while the 450 family lists Certified ranges: 122 km / 161 km (450), 126 km / 161 km (450 X), and 157 km (450 Apex).
● Rizta: IDC 123 km / 159 km
● 450: Certified 122 km / 161 km
● 450 X: Certified 126 km / 161 km
● 450 Apex: Certified 157 km
Performance that Matters in Indian Traffic
In the real world, performance is about quick gaps, flyovers, and a steady pace.
Rizta is rated at 4.3 kW peak power, 22 Nm torque, 80 km/h top speed, and 0-40 km/h in 4.7 seconds, with 15-degree gradeability. The 450 line steps up as you move up: 3.9 seconds (450), 3.3 seconds (450 X), and 2.9 seconds with 100 km/h top speed (450 Apex). To compare any other electric scooty, prioritise:
● 0-40 km/h time for stop-go acceleration
● Torque (Nm) for instant pull
● Top speed (km/h) for open stretches
Technology & Smart Features: Where Ather Stands Out
Beyond range and charging, Ather differentiates itself through connected technology and rider-focused features. When comparing any electric scooty, don’t stop at battery size—look at the intelligence built into the machine.
Smart Dashboard & Connectivity
Ather scooters come equipped with a touchscreen dashboard that supports:
● Turn-by-turn navigation
● Bluetooth connectivity
● Call and SMS alerts
● Ride statistics and trip data
● Over-the-air (OTA) software updates
● One App for everything
● ChitChat & Music Sharing
● Auto Wear Detect
Ride Modes
● Eco Mode: Designed for maximum efficiency. It limits speed and acceleration to extend battery range, making it ideal for longer daily commutes where conserving charge matters most.
● Ride Mode: The balanced, default setting. It offers a mix of smooth acceleration, moderate speed, and good efficiency, suited for everyday city riding.
● Sport Mode: Focused on quicker acceleration and higher responsiveness. It delivers a more energetic riding feel while still maintaining a reasonable range.
● Warp™ Mode: The highest performance setting (available on select 450 variants). It delivers the fastest acceleration and the highest top speed for riders who want a sharp, powerful experience.
● SmartEco™ Mode: An adaptive efficiency mode. It intelligently adjusts power delivery based on riding behaviour to optimise range without making the scooter feel underpowered.
Ather Duo Charger
The Ather Duo is a 700W home charger designed for flexible charging. It can function both as a fixed wall-mounted charger and as a portable charger, giving riders the convenience to charge wherever a compatible socket is available.
Key highlights:
● 700W output for home charging
● Can be used as a fixed installation
● Can be detached and used as a portable charger
● Compatible with the Ather Duo Wall Mount for easy switching between modes
● Designed to be the fastest way to charge your Ather at home
Charging: Home Timings and 10-Minute Top-Ups
Charging is where ownership either feels effortless or feels like planning.
Rizta shows 0-80% in 6 hr 30 min / 4 hr 30 min and 0-100% in 8 hr 30 min / 5 hr 45 min (depending on battery). The 450 family lists:
● 450: 0-80% 5 hr 30 min / 4 hr 30 min; 0-100% 7 hr 45 min / 5 hr 45 min
● 450 X: 0-80% 3 hr / 4 hr 30 min; 0-100% 4 hr 30 min / 5 hr 45 min
● 450 Apex: 0-80% 4 hr 30 min; 0-100% 5 hr 45 min
Ather Grid quick charging is stated as the distance gained in 10 minutes:
● Rizta: up to 15 km / 30 km in 10 min
● 450 and 450 X: up to 24 km / 30 km in 10 min
● 450 Apex: up to 30 km in 10 min
Protection and Hardware: Built for Monsoons
Treat protection ratings as non-negotiable if you ride through rain, dust, and bad patches. Ather lists motor ingress protection at IP66 for Rizta and the 450 family, and battery water- and dust-resistance at IPX7 across both families. Rizta also specifies a high-pressure die-cast aluminium battery casing. While comparing another electric scooty, look for:
● A clear motor ingress rating
● A clear battery water/dust resistance rating
● Battery housing detail that signals sturdier protection
Technology Comparison: Focus on the Basics
Compare the tech that changes how the scooter behaves every single day. Rizta uses a PMSM motor, and the 450 range supports coasting regen across variants. When you weigh other scooters, don’t overpay on the electric scooter price for vague promises; ask for:
● Motor type and regen availability
● Fast-charging ecosystem and 10-minute top-up claim
● Battery size (kWh) plus home-charging times
● IP ratings for motor and battery
Family-use vs Performance-Use: Reading the Intent
Ather’s line-up makes it easier to choose based on how you’ll ride, not just on paper specs.
If you’re mostly carrying a pillion, doing school runs, or riding with a calmer throttle hand, Rizta’s 80 km/h top speed and 4.7-second 0-40 km/h time are aimed at steady, predictable progress. If you want a sharper feel for solo commuting, the 450 family is clearly tuned for quicker response times, dropping from 3.9 seconds (450) to 3.3 seconds (450 X) and 2.9 seconds (450 Apex). When evaluating any other electric scooter, ask which side it leans toward: relaxed usability or performance-first energy, before you lock in your budget.
How to Shortlist the Right Scooter for You
Start with your routine, then let performance be the tie-breaker.
If you want a calmer family-first machine, Rizta’s 80 km/h top speed, 4.7-second 0–40 km/h time, and IDC range options set the tone. If you want more punch, the 450 ladder is clear: 3.9 seconds (450), 3.3 seconds (450 X), and 2.9 seconds with 100 km/h (450 Apex). Before you finalise any other electric scooty, answer:
● Is the electric scooter price aligned with the stated range and battery size?
● Does charging at home and during quick stops fit your schedule?
Final word
Ather makes comparisons straightforward by presenting range, performance, charging, and protection. Use those numbers as your baseline, then judge every competing electric scooty by the same rules. When the electric scooter price is backed by the range you need, the pickup you’ll feel daily, and charging that fits your life, you’ll end up with the right scooter, not just the loudest claim.
Ethereum community debates foundation’s new mandate document
Network News
ETHEREUM COMMUNITY DEBATES FOUNDATIONS NEW MANDATE DOCUMENT: The Ethereum Foundation’s new mandate — a sweeping document released to clarify the organization’s role and principles — sparked a torrent of reactions, with supporters praising it as a long-overdue articulation of the blockchain’s ethos and critics saying it reinforces the foundation’s hands-off approach at a time when Ethereum needs stronger leadership to meet the growing needs of institutions. The 38-page document lays out what the foundation described as a constitutional guide to its mission, emphasizing its role as a neutral steward rather than a centralized authority. The mandate frames the foundation’s job as maintaining Ethereum as a decentralized and resilient infrastructure while supporting the protocol layer and public goods across the ecosystem. The document arrived at a pivotal moment for Ethereum. The network has matured into one of the world’s largest crypto ecosystems, and the foundation itself has gone through leadership changes and debates over how actively it should steer development. Reactions on X quickly divided into two camps. Critics were quick to argue the mandate was overly philosophical and failed to address Ethereum’s need to compete for real-world adoption — particularly as institutional interest in blockchain grows. Dankrad Feist, a former Ethereum Foundation researcher and key contributor to Ethereum’s scaling roadmap, said the document does little to address practical business development concerns about how the ecosystem serves real users. Others suggested the mandate risks reinforcing a status quo in which the foundation holds significant soft influence without clearly defined responsibilities. Supporters in the community welcomed the mandate as a reaffirmation of the network’s foundational principles. Chris Perkins, president and managing partner at crypto investment firm CoinFund, said the document helps clarify the foundation’s purpose as a nonprofit steward of the ecosystem. Infrastructure firms in the Ethereum ecosystem also voiced support for the mandate. Nethermind, a company that develops one of blockchain’s core client software implementations, said the document reflects many of the properties institutional buyers already look for when evaluating blockchain infrastructure. — Margaux Nijkerk Read more.
WORLD LAUNCHES AGENTKIT: As AI agents increasingly transact, shop, and act autonomously online — a market that can reach $3 trillion to $5 trillion by 2030 — a key issue comes into focus: how to verify that a real person is behind the activity. Sam Altman–backed identity project World (formerly WorldCoin) says it has the solution. On Tuesday, the company rolled out AgentKit, a developer toolkit that allows AI agents to carry cryptographic proof that they are backed by a unique human, using its World ID system. The product works with x402, a protocol developed by Coinbase and Cloudflare that enables “agentic payments” by embedding stablecoin micropayments into the internet’s communication layer so AI Agents and software can pay each other without human intervention. “Payments are the ‘how’ of agentic commerce, but identity is the ‘who,’” said Erik Reppel, head of engineering at Coinbase Developer Platform and founder of x402. “This is a massive step toward a web where agents aren’t just seen as automated traffic, but as legitimate economic participants.” The move comes as AI agents are rapidly evolving, handling time-consuming and often frustrating tasks from booking reservations to surfing e-commerce marketplaces for the best deals. — Olivier Acuna Read more.
VISA VS. COINBASE ON AI AGENTS: Your AI just made several payments while you read that headline. You approved none of them. Visa processed none of them. And if the crypto industry’s biggest bulls are right, that’s not a bug — it’s the entire future of the internet economy. Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong thinks there will soon be more AI agents than humans making transactions on the internet. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao went further, predicting agents will make one million times more payments than people, all in crypto. The posts landed on the same day last week and lit up crypto X.The core argument is structural. AI agents can’t open bank accounts because banks require identity verification that software cannot provide, whereas a crypto wallet only needs a private key. No KYC, no compliance review, no waiting — and that asymmetry is what Armstrong was pointing at. But the wallet problem is only half the picture. The other half is economics. Agents don’t shop the way humans do. When an AI agent is executing a task — such as researching a topic, coordinating a supply chain, building a report — it might call dozens of specialized APIs in a single session. Each call might be worth fractions of a cent, covering GPU compute time, real-time data feeds, web scraping services, or hiring a sub-agent to handle translation. None of these transactions resembles anything Visa or Mastercard was designed to process. — Shaurya Malwa Read more.
PREDICTION MARKETS AND AI AGENTS: Prediction markets have long promised to aggregate insights about future events. Increasingly, those signals are coming not just from people, but from machines. According to David Minarsch, CEO and co-founder of Valory AG, the team behind the crypto-AI protocol Olas, autonomous AI agents are emerging as powerful tools for trading prediction markets, particularly for retail users trying to compete in an increasingly automated environment. Valory builds products at the intersection of blockchain and multi-agent systems (MAS), and its current focus is Olas, formerly known as Autonolas. The protocol is designed as an infrastructure for autonomous software agents that can run services on blockchains, interact with smart contracts, and cooperate with one another while earning crypto rewards. The broader vision is what Minarsch calls an “agent economy”. A decentralized ecosystem where autonomous AI agents perform useful tasks and generate value for their users. One of the most visible experiments in that vision is Polystrat, an AI agent launched on the prediction-market platform Polymarket in February 2026. The agent trades on behalf of users who self-custody and own it, executing strategies continuously around the clock. “In a nutshell, Polystrat is an autonomous AI agent that trades on Polymarket 24/7 on behalf of its human user,” Minarsch said. The idea is simple: while humans sleep, work or lose focus, the agent keeps trading. — Will Canny Read more.
In Other News
- Mastercard agreed to buy BVNK, a stablecoin infrastructure company, for as much as $1.8 billion as it looks to bolster its use of the digital assets for international payments. By integrating BVNK’s technology, Mastercard aims to connect onchain payments to its global network, enabling use cases such as cross-border transfers, remittances and business-to-business payments, the company said. BVNK provides the technology to bridge traditional fiat systems with blockchain-based transactions, allowing businesses to move money in seconds across more than 130 countries. Its infrastructure, used by firms including Worldpay, Deel and Flywire, processes $30 billion a year, the U.K.-based company said in a blog post. BVNK’s capabilities complement Mastercard’s existing card network, expanding options for moving money across both traditional fiat systems and blockchain-based rails, investment bank William Blair said in a note. — Helene Braun Read more.
- Crypto trading firm GSR said it is acquiring Autonomous and Architech for $57 million, expanding into token advisory and capital markets services. Autonomous will keep its brand and focus on token launch operations, while Architech will anchor a new unit, GSR Digital Asset Advisory. The group will work alongside GSR’s trading, liquidity and asset management businesses. Token launches today often rely on separate firms for structuring, token economics and market making, which can lead to misaligned incentives. The firm said GSR’s model combines those services into one platform, covering governance design, exchange strategy and capital planning. At the same time, many token foundations manage large treasuries without formal financial tools. GSR is expanding into treasury operations, offering support in liquidity planning, risk management and diversification as projects look to move beyond holding their own tokens. — Kristzian Sandor Read more.
Regulatory and Policy
- For the first time, the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission has sought to clearly define different types of crypto assets and how the regulator will approach them, issuing those new standards alongside its sister agency that’s responsible for commodities. The SEC’s interpretive guidance, which doesn’t yet carry the weight of a formal new rule, has been promised by its leader, Chairman Paul Atkins, who was appointed by President Donald Trump to advance a pro-crypto agenda. And it was issued in partnership with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, just days after the two agencies agreed on a formal relationship in which they plan to regulate crypto and other industries as close partners. “After more than a decade of uncertainty, this interpretation will provide market participants with a clear understanding of how the Commission treats crypto assets under federal securities laws,” Atkins said in a statement. — Jesse Hamilton Read more.
- Phantom, a developer of self-custodial crypto wallets particularly popular in the Solana ecosystem, secured a no-action letter from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), allowing it to offer users access to certain regulated derivatives markets without registering as a broker. In a statement, the CFTC’s Market Participants Division said it would not recommend enforcement action against Phantom for failing to register as an introducing broker, provided the firm meets a set of conditions. The relief applies to Phantom’s software, acting as a non-custodial interface that connects users directly with CFTC-registered entities, such as futures commission merchants and designated contract markets. Phantom said in a blog post that the letter enables it to integrate access to regulated derivatives and event contracts directly in its app through registered partners, while ensuring users submit orders straight to exchanges. The company emphasized it does not custody customer funds or intermediate trades.— Margaux Nijkerk Read more.
Calendar
- Mar. 24-26, 2026: Digital Asset Summit, New York City
- Mar. 30-Apr. 2, 2026: EthCC, Cannes
- Apr.15-16, 2026: Paris Blockchain Week, Paris
- May 5-7, 2026: Consensus, Miami
- Sept. 29-Oct.1, 2026: Korea Blockchain Week, Seoul
- Oct. 7-8, 2026: Token2049, Singapore
- Nov. 3-6, 2026: Devcon, Mumbai
- Nov. 15-17, 2026: Solana Breakpoint, London
Institutional Demand Drives Sygnum’s Off-Exchange Custody Assets Past $1 Billion
- Sygnum’s Protect platform crossed $1 billion in assets, reflecting rising institutional demand for safer collateral management in crypto.
- Collateral volumes on Sygnum Protect surged more than 900% year-on-year in 2025, with momentum continuing into 2026.
- The platform is attracting a mix of crypto exchanges, hedge funds, market makers, prime brokers, and traditional finance firms entering digital assets.
- A core selling point is that assets are held off the bank’s balance sheet in segregated, bankruptcy-remote accounts, while still being mirrored for trading on exchanges.
Sygnum said assets on its Protect off-exchange custody platform have surpassed $1 billion. Institutional traders are looking for ways to keep collateral with a regulated bank while continuing to trade on crypto platforms during volatile market conditions.
The digital-asset banking group said collateral volumes on the platform jumped more than 900% in 2025, with activity coming from exchanges, hedge funds, prime brokers and market makers, alongside a growing cohort of technology-led traditional finance firms moving into crypto trading.
The development points to a broader shift in how larger firms want to access digital-asset markets. Rather than parking balances directly on an exchange, off-exchange custody structures are designed to separate trading from safekeeping. It allows collateral to be mirrored to a platform for execution while assets remain in bank-grade custody and off the custodian’s balance sheet.
Sygnum launched Protect with Binance in April 2024, expanded it to Deribit in March 2025 and added Bybit in September 2025. Sygnum mentioned last year that member exchange connected to the platform account for more than 50% of global spot and derivatives exchange volumes, based on Sygnum and CoinGecko data.
That model has gained traction as crypto firms and their institutional clients revisit counterparty exposure after past market failures and security breaches. When announcing the Deribit integration last year, Sygnum said a recent major cyberattack had triggered one of the largest waves of exchange de-risking since FTX, reinforcing demand for trading setups that do not require clients to pre-fund crypto platforms with large balances.
Those concerns were sharpened in February 2025, when Bybit disclosed a hack that drained about $1.5 billion from an Ether wallet. The FBI later attributed the theft to North Korea, making the incident one of the largest crypto heists on record and keeping operational resilience, custody standards and exchange risk management squarely in focus for institutions active in the sector.
A key part of Sygnum’s pitch is capital efficiency. Protect accepts traditional assets such as U.S. Treasuries alongside stablecoins and digital assets as collateral, giving institutions a way to reduce direct exchange exposure while still earning yield on posted assets. That proposition comes as Treasury-linked blockchain products continue to grow more broadly: RWA.xyz data shows tokenized U.S. Treasuries at about $10 billion.
“Investor flight-to-trust is gathering pace as market volatility, platform failures and security incidents from previous cycles raise awareness of the critical importance of where their assets are held, and how their risks are managed,” Dominic Lohberger, Sygnum’s chief product officer, said in a statement shared with AlexaBlockchain..
Wintermute, which Sygnum cited as a user of the infrastructure, said off-exchange custody has become a core control for managing counterparty risk in volatile markets and that yield on collateral can help offset operating costs.
The milestone also adds to Sygnum’s push to position itself as institutional market infrastructure rather than simply a crypto service provider. The company says it has regulated operations in Zurich and Singapore and provides services in Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and the UAE. In January 2025, it raised $58 million in a strategic growth round that valued the group at more than $1 billion.
The $1 billion mark for Sygnum’s Off-Exchange Custody shows the changing trading architecture. As digital-asset markets mature, the traditional finance practice of separating custody, collateral management and execution appears to be gaining ground in crypto as well.
The article “Institutional Demand Drives Sygnum Off-Exchange Custody Assets Past $1 Billion” was first published on AlexaBlockchain. Read the complete article here: https://alexablockchain.com/Institutional-Demand-Drives-Sygnum-Off-Exchange-Custody-Assets-Past-1-Billion/
Read Also: MoneyGram, Pairpoint and eToro Back Midnight’s Privacy Blockchain Before Mainnet
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Image Credits: Sygnum, Shutterstock, Canva, Wiki Commons
UK Has Unique Opportunity to Merge EU, US Crypto Regimes: Circle Exec
Circle’s policy chief Dante Disparte told a United Kingdom House of Lords committee that the UK has a chance to build its crypto regime by combining the clarity of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) with elements of the new US stablecoin framework.
“The model is clear: take the best of both and make it distinctly British,” Disparte said during a Wednesday meeting of the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee. “From Europe, take clarity, definitions, licensing, governance and strong consumer protection from the US and the landmark Genius Act.”
Disparte argued that the absence of a regulatory framework will keep stablecoin activity offshore, leaving UK users more exposed and jeopardizing London’s status as a global hub for financial innovation. The meeting was part of the House of Lords’ inquiry into growth and proposed regulation of stablecoins in the UK, with Disparte and Jesse McWaters of Mastercard scheduled as witnesses.
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been consulting on a broader crypto asset regime that is expected to come into force on Oct. 25, 2027, when companies conducting the new regulated activities will need authorization.
Trusted stablecoins “expand” markets Circle’s Disparte
Disparte also addressed concerns that stablecoins could deplete bank deposits and reduce demand for traditional lines of credit.
“The future is not banks versus stablecoins,” argued Disparte, adding that a clear regulatory framework can manage these risks without stifling innovation by adopting strong reserve and liquidity standards and encouraging bank participation.
“Our growth across currencies and jurisdictions is proof that trusted stablecoins expand markets. They do not shrink them.”
Disparte proposed four governing principles to anchor the UK’s regulatory framework: 1-to-1 reserve backing, requiring high-quality liquid reserves, enforceable redemptions and strong transparency standards.
Related: UK House of Lords presses Coinbase exec on stablecoins, KYC and bank run fears
Circle is the issuer of the world’s second-largest stablecoin by market capitalization, USDC (USDC).
The US’s federal stablecoin framework, the GENIUS Act, was signed into law on July 18, 2025. The EU’s MiCA framework, the first comprehensive regulatory framework for the crypto industry, went into effect for crypto-asset service providers on Dec. 30, 2024.
Related: UK gambling regulator weighs allowing crypto payments for online betting
Stablecoins lack clear value proposition
Mastercard’s McWaters said stablecoins lack a clear value proposition to threaten payment cards.
Stablecoins currently lack a “clear value proposition that would drive customers” to adopt them over the variety of domestic payment options available, McWaters said, while also praising their ability to accelerate cross-border transactions.
“Blockchain technology, the rails on which stablecoins run, provides a new, innovative and potentially significantly additive way of moving money, particularly in cross-border contexts,” he said.
Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy
US Senators Urge Swift Action On Crypto Structure Bill
U.S. Senators are pressing lawmakers to advance legislation aimed at clarifying Bitcoin and broader crypto market structure.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis emphasized urgency in remarks today at the D.C. Blockchain Summit today, saying, “This may be our only chance to get market structure done. I can’t be any clearer: The time for clarity is now.”
She confirmed that the Banking Committee plans to mark up the bill in April, after the Easter recess.
“We really are going to get it out of the Banking Committee in April,” she added.
Lummis also addressed a potential compromise on stablecoin yield, hinted at by Sen. Tim Scott yesterday. “We think we’ve got it,” she said, though she acknowledged she has not seen the negotiated language herself.
She noted banks remain cautious: “We’ve got to get the banks to swallow hard…. Gosh the banks got really dug in on this. But they’re gonna get there.”
Sen. Kevin Cramer echoed the call for speed yesterday, warning that “time is not our friend” and urging passage of market structure legislation before Easter.
The White House’s Patrick Witt is expected to provide further updates on the bill’s progress later today.
The bill is gaining momentum
Efforts to establish the regulatory framework for the U.S. cryptocurrency market are gaining momentum. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott said a revised draft, focused on stablecoins, could be introduced this week.
The bill aims to balance innovation with financial stability, particularly regarding yield-bearing stablecoins, which have become a central discussion point.
Key lawmakers, including Angela Alsobrooks, Thom Tillis, and White House official Patrick Witt, have contributed to refining provisions on digital assets. Broader negotiations address political oversight, compliance standards, and balanced representation within regulatory bodies.
DeFi and anti-money laundering (AML) regulations are also under review. Mark Warner is advocating for stronger AML safeguards, with proposals for enhanced know-your-customer (KYC) requirements to improve transparency and prevent illicit activity.
If finalized, the bill could create a comprehensive regulatory structure for the crypto market. Observers see the stablecoin-focused draft as a major step forward, providing clarity for digital assets while maintaining bipartisan support
In the past, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has pressed lawmakers to act on the legislation, saying the United States must secure clear market structure rules before the end of the spring legislative window.
Report: Kraken Pauses Public Listing Plans, Eyes Better Market Conditions
Crypto exchange Kraken has paused its planned initial public offering as softer market conditions weigh on timing, even as the company keeps the option open for a future listing. “People familiar with the matter” told Coindesk that Kraken’s IPO ambitions remain intact but are likely delayed until market conditions improve, following a period of declining […]
Payward, parent of crypto exchange Kraken, has put its IPO plans on hold
Crypto exchange Kraken, which announced four months ago that it planned to go public, has put its plan on hold, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
The company is still considering an initial public offering, but probably not until market conditions improve, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is private.
A Kraken spokesperson said, “As we announced in November, we filed confidentially with the SEC, and that is all we can really share.”
The downturn in crypto markets since October, when bitcoin touched a record high, has made companies more cautious about going public or raising fresh capital as declining asset prices and weaker trading volumes weigh on valuations and investor sentiment.
Payward, Kraken’s parent, said it confidentially filed a draft S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with a proposed initial public offering of common stock on Nov. 19.
That was the day after Kraken said it was valued at $20 billion when it raised $800 million in new funding, including a $200 million investment from Citadel Securities, to support its push to bring traditional financial markets onto blockchain infrastructure.
Last year, a more favorable environment at the SEC helped several major companies, including Circle Internet (CRCL), CoinDesk parent Bullish (BLSH), and Gemini Space Station (GEMI), successfully list their stock. PitchBook data shows that at least 11 crypto IPOs raised a combined $14.6 billion in 2025, a sharp increase from just $310 million in 2024.
In 2026, crypto IPOs are shaping up to be a pivotal test for the sector, with more infrastructure companies planning to go public. So far, however, crypto custodian BitGo is the only digital asset company to have listed, and has seen its stock price slump 44%, partly as a result of a messy market.
Unlike Kraken, Securitize, a tokenization firm that works closely with asset management giant BlackRock (BLK), said it still plans to go public. The firm plans to IPO as soon as it receives the SEC’s green light, likely in the second quarter.
“We already raised $225 million through a PIPE as part of our SPAC merger when market conditions were better and interest in tokenization continues to be strong in spite of market conditions,” Securitize founder and CEO Carlos Domingo told CoinDesk.
If 2025 was defined by listings linked to digital asset treasuries (DATs), 2026 is emerging as a year centered on financial infrastructure, according to White & Case partner Laura Katherine Mann.
In an interview with CoinDesk, she said the next wave of IPO candidates is likely to highlight compliance maturity, recurring revenue and operational resilience, qualities that align more closely with traditional public-market expectations.
Kraken dismissed its chief financial officer, Stephanie Lemmerman, earlier this year, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Read more: Crypto custody firm Copper in early talks for IPO as crypto ‘plumbing’ becomes new Wall Street favorite
UPDATE (March 18 15:23 UTC): Adds detail about the CFO leaving in the final graf)