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Base Parts Ways With Optimism’s OP Stack

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Base Parts Ways With Optimism’s OP Stack

Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 network launched by Coinbase, is transitioning from Optimism’s OP Stack to a self-managed codebase.

Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain solution developed by Coinbase, is making a significant strategic shift by moving away from reliance on Optimism’s OP Stack.

Optimism’s OP token plunged 7% following the news.

OP Chart

Initially built on Optimism’s OP Stack, Base has decided to transition to its own codebase to gain greater control over its infrastructure and streamline upgrades. This move is expected to double the pace of its major upgrades to approximately six per year.

According to a blog post, the protocol will consolidate upgrades and changes internally, while continuing to collaborate with Optimism as an OP Enterprise client for support during the transition.

Optimism’s OP Stack is widely used by Layer 2 solutions, and Base’s transition might prompt similar moves by other industry players. Base is the largest Layer 2 by total value locked, with nearly $3.9 billion, according to DeFiLlama.

This article was generated with the assistance of AI workflows.

10 Best Crypto Affiliate Programs for 2026

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10 Best Crypto Affiliate Programs for 2026

Cryptocurrency continues to grow in popularity throughout the world. Many different types of businesses are looking for ways to profit from cryptocurrency. They are already integrating crypto exchange APIs and widgets into their websites and earning a small percentage of every user transaction made. The next step to profiting from cryptocurrency is to join a crypto affiliate program.

Crypto affiliate programs allow your business to earn money by referring another business, individual, or crypto project to a cryptocurrency exchange service. If the referral purchases the service after clicking on the affiliate’s unique link, you earn a commission on the sale. 

The question is, which crypto affiliate program is currently the best? Below are the top 10 best crypto affiliate programs for 2026. 

1) ChangeNOW

ChangeNOW offers a comprehensive crypto affiliate programme designed for businesses, developers, and publishers looking to generate ongoing revenue from user transactions. Partners can integrate powerful crypto exchange functionality directly into their platforms and earn commissions from every swap executed by their users.

There are multiple integration options available to suit different business models and technical capabilities. Partners can integrate the Exchange API to build a fully customised exchange flow within their own product, or use the Exchange Widget to embed ready-to-use crypto exchange functionality on their website or platform. Alternatively, affiliates can share a personal referral link with their audience, allowing users to instantly access ChangeNOW’s exchange services while generating profit for the partner.

By default, affiliates earn a 0.4% commission on the transaction volume from every swap completed through their integrations. This commission rate can be adjusted upon request through a dedicated affiliate manager, providing flexibility for partners who want to optimise their revenue strategy. As users continue to perform crypto swaps, affiliates benefit from scalable, recurring income without needing to manage the exchange process themselves.

The ChangeNOW Business account provides partners with advanced tools to manage and grow their affiliate earnings efficiently. This includes a dedicated instruments workspace for easy access to integrations and flexible customisation, as well as a personal multicurrency wallet for secure profit storage. Partners can also convert earnings into their preferred cryptocurrency and monitor performance through detailed transaction history and configurable analytics with export functionality.

The programme is particularly valuable for wallet developers, crypto platforms, and digital publishers, as ChangeNOW’s exchange tools can be seamlessly embedded into existing environments. This enables partners to offer instant cross-chain swaps to their users while generating passive revenue from every transaction.

There are no integration fees, and partners receive full support throughout the setup process. Withdrawals are available in 11 different cryptocurrencies, with a minimum payout threshold of approximately $100 in crypto. With flexible integration options, adjustable commissions, and comprehensive revenue management tools, the ChangeNOW Crypto Affiliate Programme provides a reliable and scalable opportunity for businesses to monetise their crypto audience and infrastructure.

2) Binance

Binance is a renowned brand name in the cryptocurrency field. It already operates one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. However, few businesses realize that Binance has a generous affiliate program where they pay out up to 50% in referral commission on every qualifying trade made by the referral.  

Business applicants must have an established presence in the crypto space. Any business with more than 5,000 followers on a popular social media platform, such as Facebook or YouTube, is eligible for acceptance into the affiliate program. Affiliates receive referral links to promote to their audience on these platforms. 

3) Bybit

Bybit is a well-established crypto platform best known for offering advanced crypto trading services for assets like futures and options. Businesses interested in promoting Bybit’s unique trading platform can join their affiliate program and earn up to 50% commission per transaction. 

The Bybit crypto affiliate program also offers 10% commission for referring sub-affiliates, those who are not traders but rather other partners that you refer to the affiliate program. That means you can profit as an affiliate from referring both traders and other affiliates to Bybit. How great is that?  

4) KuCoin

KuCoin is nicknamed the people’s cryptocurrency exchange since it specializes in offering small-cap crypto assets, otherwise known as altcoins. Customers can usually get an early opportunity to buy altcoin assets before they hit other major exchange platforms. That makes it an excellent program for affiliates whose websites revolve around altcoins or alternative crypto.  

The KuCoin affiliate program pays up to 60% commissions on trading fees made from referrals. Your business simply needs to promote KuCoin to its followers and earn commission from each successful referral. 

5) OKX

OKX is a long-running cryptocurrency exchange that is almost a decade old. It has a vast amount of daily trade volume and has even sponsored major sports teams and events. Crypto sponsorships have revolutionized the sports industry by attracting younger fans who are already fans of crypto. 

The OKX affiliate program offers up to 50% in commission on trading fees from referred customers. The program runs exclusive promotional campaigns on behalf of its affiliates, where it offers welcome bonuses and “Mystery Boxes” to new customers. This helps improve conversion rates. 

6) Coinbase

Coinbase is one of the largest and most popular crypto exchanges in the world. It is a trusted crypto brand name that should be easy for any business to promote to their customers. After all, it is one of the few crypto exchanges that is a public company traded on the stock market. 

The Coinbase affiliate program pays 50% commission on trading fees for the first three months of a referral’s trading activity on the platform. The conversion rates are usually high because Coinbase is such a well-trusted brand name. Sadly, the short three-month window doesn’t leave you much time to profit big from the referrals in the long run. 

7) Kraken

Kraken is one of the oldest and most secure cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. It could be easy for your business to promote Kraken’s services because it has a reputation for never getting hacked. Businesses can trust Kraken to protect their customers and ensure their products and services remain safe and secure for them. 

Kraken’s affiliate program offers 20% commission on lifetime trading fees charged to referrals. Your business could also join the “Pro” futures program and earn up to 40% commission on all the revenue made. 

8) CoinLedger

CoinLedger is a different type of crypto business. It allows crypto exchanges and wallets to connect to its crypto tax software platform to calculate their taxes within minutes automatically. That is an invaluable service for many businesses that struggle to calculate their crypto profits at the end of the year. 

The CoinLedger crypto affiliate program offers up to 25% in recurring commission for each referral that signs up for its crypto tax software. Since there are few crypto services like this available, you could make quick affiliate income by promoting this service to other crypto businesses. 

9) CoinRule

CoinRule is a cryptocurrency trading bot platform that allows individuals and businesses to execute automated crypto trading strategies. There is no need to know any coding because users may choose from more than 150 trading rules, such as daily top performance and stop loss. 

The CoinRule affiliate program pays between 25% to 30% in commission for each referred customer. It is easy to promote the service if you have followers who are interested in making advanced trading decisions without much effort.  

10) iTrustCapital

iTrustCapital is the largest and one of the only crypto IRA platforms in the world. Customers interested in trading crypto within an IRA will have an incentive to join this company’s platform. Does your business have followers who fit this description?

The iTrustCapital crypto affiliate program pays between $100 and $300 for each referred U.S.-based customer. The customer must click on your referral link, open a new account, and fund their account. Once they do that, your business will be eligible for the commission. 

Conclusion

Crypto affiliate programs enable businesses to become affiliate partners of crypto exchange services and promote their products and services in exchange for a commission. Each time a sale is generated after someone clicks on their unique referral link, the affiliate earns a commission on the sale. 

ChangeNOW is the most recommended crypto affiliate program. It offers a fast and straightforward affiliate recruitment program with a history of successful payouts to affiliates. Both the commission rate for affiliates and the average monthly bill for customers make this a highly profitable opportunity for businesses like yours. 







BTC climbs to $67,000 as Trump says U.S. deficit cut by 78%

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BTC climbs to $67,000 as Trump says U.S. deficit cut by 78%

Bitcoin trading remained volatile on Thursday, rising to around $67,000 after briefly dipping near $65,900, as traders weighed a new message from U.S. President Donald Trump claiming the nation’s trade deficit has been cut by 78% thanks to tariffs and could turn positive later this year.

“The United States trade deficit has been reduced by 78% because of the tariffs being charged to other companies and countries,” Trump said in a Truth Social post late Wednesday. “Ot will go into positive territory during this year, for the first time in many decades.”

The claim matters for crypto less because of the math in any single post and more because it pulls the market back to a familiar pressure point.

Tariffs can act like a tax on imports, which can lift prices in the real economy and complicate the path for interest rates. When markets start pricing “rates higher for longer,” the dollar tends to firm and risk assets tend to lose oxygen.

Bitcoin has spent the past two weeks trading like a macro proxy again, reacting to shifts in liquidity and rate expectations rather than any crypto specific catalyst.

There is also a real data backdrop that makes trade a live topic. In early January, the U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply to about $29.4 billion, the lowest since 2009, with analysts pointing to a drop in imports, a jump in exports and the knock on effects of tariff threats.

But economists also noted that a big part of the swing came from non monetary gold flows, which can make month to month numbers look cleaner than the underlying trend.

If the tariffs story hardens into a stronger dollar and tighter financial conditions, rallies can struggle to stick. If it fades into political noise, crypto goes back to watching flows, leverage and whether buyers can reclaim lost levels.

Andy DeVries: Data centers drive utility growth to 8%

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Andy DeVries: Data centers drive utility growth to 8%

Data centers are driving significant growth in the utilities sector, with some companies experiencing growth rates as high as 8%. The power consumption of data centers is expected to increase dramatically by 2035, necessitating careful supply-side planning. Utilities are strategically positioned …

Key Takeaways

  • Data centers are driving significant growth in the utilities sector, with some companies experiencing growth rates as high as 8%.
  • The power consumption of data centers is expected to increase dramatically by 2035, necessitating careful supply-side planning.
  • Utilities are strategically positioned to support data center growth due to their substantial near-term supply capabilities.
  • There is potential oversupply in the data center market, raising concerns about whether demand will meet this increased capacity.
  • Texas energy demand is projected to be significantly higher than zero, with estimates closer to 30 gigawatts.
  • The expansion of LNG exports may result in higher gas prices for American consumers due to increased competition with European buyers.
  • Significant cash collateral postings from major market players indicate a strong future demand for LNG.
  • Utilities are planning to build out twice the capacity forecasted to be needed by 2030, reflecting ambitious growth strategies.
  • Hyperscalers account for a substantial portion of data center energy demand, highlighting their influence on the energy market.
  • The rise of data centers could potentially lower consumer electricity bills by spreading costs among more buyers.
  • Utilities have increased their growth rates due to data center expansion, with some reaching up to 8% annually.
  • The dynamics between data center power consumption and utility supply are crucial for understanding future industry trends.
  • Utilities are financially incentivized to invest in infrastructure that supports data center growth.

Guest intro

Andy DeVries is co-head of investment grade credit and head of utilities and power at CreditSights. He has over 18 years of experience covering the natural gas and power sectors. DeVries analyzes utilities’ infrastructure overbuild relative to data center demand forecasts, projecting capacity twice what is needed by 2030.

Data center growth and utility impact

  • Utilities have generally grown around four, five, 6% a year and then that’s moved to five to 7% a year and now certain names are up to 8% a year.

    — Andy DeVries

  • Data centers are a key driver of increased growth rates in the utilities sector.
  • The financial performance of utility companies is significantly impacted by data center expansion.

  • Data centers now are consuming around 45 gigawatts of power… you need to add 50 for 2035.

    — Andy DeVries

  • Utilities have a substantial near-term supply capacity, positioning them well to support data center growth.

  • They’ve got around a 140 gigawatts of near term supply now… it boosts their earnings growth.

    — Andy DeVries

  • The relationship between data centers and utilities is financially beneficial for the latter.
  • Understanding the demand and supply dynamics is crucial for future planning in the data center industry.
  • Utilities are incentivized to invest in infrastructure that aligns with data center growth.

Oversupply concerns in the data center market

  • There is a lot of supply of data centers coming and it’s very unclear if there’s gonna be demand for this.

    — Andy DeVries

  • The potential oversupply of data centers raises concerns about market saturation.
  • Understanding current market dynamics is essential for forecasting future demand.
  • The balance between supply and demand is a critical factor in the data center industry.
  • Oversupply could lead to increased competition and potential financial challenges for data center operators.
  • Companies must carefully assess demand forecasts to avoid overbuilding.
  • The data center market’s growth trajectory requires careful analysis to ensure sustainable development.
  • Stakeholders need to consider the implications of potential overcapacity on their investment strategies.

Texas energy demand projections

  • I said to the CFO of Encore, I said there’s just no way he said it might not be 30 but it’s gonna be closer to 30 than it is zero.

    — Andy DeVries

  • Energy demand in Texas is expected to be significantly higher than zero, with estimates closer to 30 gigawatts.
  • Understanding the dynamics of energy demand in Texas is crucial for future planning.
  • The conversation with industry leaders provides insight into projected energy needs.
  • Accurate demand forecasting is essential for effective energy infrastructure planning in Texas.
  • Stakeholders must consider regional demand variations when planning energy investments.
  • The Texas energy market presents unique challenges and opportunities for growth.
  • Projections indicate a robust demand for energy, necessitating strategic planning and investment.

LNG exports and domestic gas pricing

  • One of the sort of policy debates around the whole question of building out LNG terminals is it’s gonna make gas more expensive for American consumers.

    — Andy DeVries

  • The expansion of LNG exports could lead to higher domestic gas prices due to increased international competition.
  • Understanding the dynamics of LNG exports is crucial for assessing their impact on domestic markets.
  • The policy debate around LNG terminals highlights potential economic implications for consumers.
  • Increased competition with European buyers could drive up gas prices in the US.
  • Stakeholders must consider the international demand for LNG when planning domestic energy strategies.
  • The LNG market presents both opportunities and challenges for US energy policy.
  • Significant cash collateral postings indicate strong future demand for LNG, impacting market dynamics.

Utility capacity planning and future growth

  • Utilities are already committed to building out I guess twice as much capacity as is forecast to be needed by 2030.

    — Andy DeVries

  • Utilities are planning substantial capacity expansions, reflecting ambitious growth strategies.
  • Understanding energy demand forecasts is crucial for effective capacity planning.
  • The commitment to building out capacity highlights the utilities’ confidence in future demand.
  • Stakeholders must consider the implications of capacity expansion on investment strategies.
  • Utilities’ growth plans align with projected increases in energy demand.
  • Effective capacity planning is essential for meeting future energy needs and supporting economic growth.
  • The utilities sector is poised for significant expansion, driven by demand forecasts.

Hyperscalers and their impact on energy demand

  • All the hyperscalers combined are around 15 gigawatts and that’s gotta be over half the data center demand.

    — Andy DeVries

  • Hyperscalers account for a substantial portion of data center energy demand, influencing market dynamics.
  • Understanding the scale of energy consumption by major tech companies is crucial for planning.
  • The role of hyperscalers in the energy landscape highlights their influence on supply and demand.
  • Stakeholders must consider the implications of hyperscaler demand on energy infrastructure.
  • The energy needs of hyperscalers present both challenges and opportunities for utilities.
  • Effective planning is essential to accommodate the significant energy demands of hyperscalers.
  • The influence of hyperscalers on the energy market underscores the importance of strategic planning.

Economic implications of data center emergence

  • The emergence of a data center can actually lower the a consumer’s electricity bill because there’s just that simple math.

    — Andy DeVries

  • Data centers can potentially lower consumer electricity bills by distributing costs among more buyers.
  • Understanding the financial dynamics of data center construction is crucial for assessing their economic impact.
  • The cost distribution principle highlights a key economic benefit of data center growth.
  • Stakeholders must consider the potential benefits of data centers for consumers.
  • The emergence of data centers presents opportunities for cost savings in utility pricing.
  • Effective planning and investment strategies can maximize the economic benefits of data center growth.
  • The financial implications of data centers underscore the importance of strategic planning in the utilities sector.

South Korea’s Hanwha Backs US Blockchain Firm Kresus With $13M Investment

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South Korea’s Hanwha Backs US Blockchain Firm Kresus With $13M Investment

Blockchain infrastructure company Kresus secured about $13 million from South Korea’s Hanwha Investment and Securities to expand enterprise digital wallets, real‑world asset tokenization and onchain financial workflows. Strategic Investment Kresus, a blockchain infrastructure company, has secured approximately $13 million (18 billion KRW) from South Korean firm Hanwha Investment & Securities. The deal builds on a […]

Anthropic Tries to Change the Conversation With Sonnet 4.6

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Anthropic Tries to Change the Conversation With Sonnet 4.6

Anthropic’s launch of its Sonnet 4.6 model update hones the vendor’s allegiance to enterprise AI, despite controversy over how it managed an open source agentic framework that initially supported its Claude foundation model.

On Feb. 17, the model maker introduced Sonnet 4.6 as the default model in Claude.ai, the web version of the generative AI model, and Claude Cowork for free and pro users. The updated version boasts improved coding skills, with enhancements in consistency, computer use skills, and instruction-following, according to Anthropic. The vendor said that while the model is not as good as humans in computer use, its rate of progress continues to accelerate. The model is also good at reading context before modifying code.

The release of Sonnet 4.6 comes in the wake of news last weekend that OpenAI has hired Peter Steinberger, the developer behind OpenClaw, a recently popular open source framework that enables users to build personal AI agents on their own hardware. At its launch a few months ago, OpenClaw (originally named Clawdbot) directed users to Claude Opus, urging them to run their projects with Claude 3.5. However, Anthropic asked Steinberger to stop using the Claude takeoff name, forcing him to change it to Moltbot before he settled on OpenClaw. The need to rebrand gave scammers a chance to hijack OpenClaw’s account. Moreover, it also allowed OpenAI to swoop in and hire Steinberger,, although OpenClaw will remain open source as part of a foundation at OpenAI.

Related:Nvidia and Meta Agree to Wide-Ranging new AI Chip Deal

A Risky Situation

The situation with OpenClaw jeopardizes Anthropic’s reputation as an enterprise-friendly vendor and — at least this week — overshadows any development the vendor has made with Sonnet, said David Nicholson, an analyst at Futurum Group.

“Anthropic was carving out a space as the enterprise AI partner to partner with over OpenAI. I would say Anthropic squandered all of that,” Nicholson said. He added that while the vendor touted agentic AI as necessary, it failed to recognize the opportunity that a framework like OpenClaw could provide to drive consumption of its services.

Moreover, the stance Anthropic took by forcing OpenClaw to change its name from Clawdbot made OpenClaw’s users more vulnerable to security risks, Nicholson said.

Therefore, while the Sonnet 4.6 release is another example of models improving, for enterprises, it does not matter, Nicholson said.

“Anthropic could have released AGI [artificial general intelligence] this week, and that news would still be overshadowed by the OpenClaw PR disaster,” he said.

Related:Cohere Launches Tiny Multilingual Open Weight Model

More Than Models

Nevertheless, with Sonnet 4.6, Anthropic is trying to prove that it is no longer just a model maker, said Arun Chandrasekaran, an analyst at Gartner.

“Claude 4.6 (Opus and Sonnet) marks a transition from a model provider to an agentic solution for Anthropic, enabling the model to autonomously execute multi-step business workflows with good accuracy,” Chandrasekaran said. He added that by expanding its context window to one million tokens, the updated model enables enterprises to process entire codebases or legal archives with a single prompt.

Moreover, Sonnet 4.6’s support for adaptive and extended thinking on the Claude Developer platform enables enterprises to balance “high-level reasoning with cost efficiency,” Chandrasekaran added.

Integration with MCP connectors for platforms such as Excel also assures enterprises that Sonnet 4.6 can safely interact with their enterprise data, he said.

“Anthropic is clearly transitioning from a model provider to an enterprise AI applications and platform company,” Chandrasekaran said. “While they don’t have all the required capabilities yet, it is the strategic direction they are headed.”

 

Solana Bears Target $50 SOL Price: Here’s why

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Solana Bears Target $50 SOL Price: Here’s why

SOL price looks bearish on multiple chart timeframes, leading analysts to put a short-term target on $50. Will the “extreme” state of SOL’s MVRV indicator prevent another price crash?

Solana’s SOL (SOL) continues to be battered by bearish headwinds since collapsing to $67 on Feb. 6. SOL is more than 72% below its all-time high of $295, and several metrics suggest that the downside may be far from over.

Key takeaways:

  • Solana’s bearish technical patterns lean toward a $50 price target.

  • The MVRV bands suggest SOL may have bottomed, but the data point is an outlier.

  • The spot Solana ETFs continue to attract investor interest, providing hope for a short-term price recovery.

SOL: Price drawdown from all-time highs. Source: Glassnode

SOL chart technicals target $50

Solana’s latest drawdown caused its price to lose key support levels, confirming a head-and-shoulders (H&S) pattern on the weekly chart.

Crypto analyst Bitcoinsensus shared a chart showing SOL validating a H&S pattern, hinting at more downside ahead.

“The next level of support sits around the $50-$60 area.”

SOL/USD weekly chart. Source: Bitcoinsensus

The two-day chart shows that the price had broken below the H&S’s neckline at $120 on Jan. 30. The measured target of the H&S pattern, calculated by adding the head’s height from the breakdown point, is $57, representing a 30% drop from the current level.

SOL/USD two-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Zooming in, the price was retesting support provided by the lower boundary of a bear flag at $80 on the daily chart, as shown in the chart below.

Related: Zora debuts attention markets on Solana, betting on social trends

A daily candlestick close below $80 will confirm the pattern, opening the path to a further drop toward the measured target of the flag at $48. Such a move would bring the total losses to 41%.

SOL/USD daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Solana’s MVRV bands hint at a bottom

Below $80, SOL’s first line of defense is provided by the lowest boundary of its MVRV pricing bands at $73. The bands represent onchain price zones that show when SOL is trading below or above the average price at which traders last moved their coins.

Historically, SOL’s price plunged near or even below the lowest MVRV band before a significant rally took place. This can be seen in March 2022, when SOL price rose 87% within three weeks to $140 after testing the lowest MVRV deviation band around $75. A similar rebound occurred earlier in June 2022 and December 2020.

Solana MVRV extreme deviation pricing bands. Source: Glassnode

Solana’s association with the FTX crash in November 2022 saw a significant deviation below this band, with the price dropping another 70% and bottoming around $7 in December that year.

Solana ETFs inflows provide reprieve

US-based spot Solana exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continued to attract investor interest, with these investment products recording inflows in 66 of 74 days, underscoring persistent institutional demand since their launch in late October 2025.

The spot SOL ETFs added $2.9 million on Tuesday, bringing their cumulative inflows to $877 million and the total net assets under management to over $726 million, according to SoSoValue data.

Spot Solana ETF flows data. Source: SoSoValue

Similarly, global Solana-based investment products logged a total of $31 million in net inflows during the week ending Feb. 13. 

This reinforced the steady institutional demand for SOL-based ETPs, even as the market price weakened.