Key Takeaways

• Chainlink is now the official oracle provider for Ondo Finance’s tokenized equities platform.
• Over 100 tokenized stocks and ETFs, worth more than $300 million, are now accessible onchain through 10 blockchains.
• The partnership uses Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) to move tokenized assets between blockchains.
• Institutional adoption is a core goal, with both firms supporting real-world asset tokenization through collaborative initiatives.

What Happened?

Ondo Finance, a leading platform for tokenized real-world assets, has partnered with Chainlink, the top decentralized oracle network, to strengthen data infrastructure for its expanding suite of tokenized equities. Chainlink will now provide custom price feeds and support secure cross-chain data movement for over 100 tokenized stocks and ETFs hosted by Ondo, representing more than $300 million in assets.

Ondo and Chainlink Unite to Bring Global Finance Onchain

Starting today, Ondo and @chainlink are joining together in a landmark strategic partnership to bring financial institutions onchain, building the infrastructure to tokenize trillions.

Together, we will work with leading… pic.twitter.com/qaTqaIpNbN

— Ondo Finance (@OndoFinance) October 30, 2025

Chainlink Becomes Ondo’s Official Oracle

As part of this strategic alliance, Chainlink has been named the official oracle provider for Ondo’s growing ecosystem. This means Chainlink’s secure data feeds will deliver real-time valuations, including critical metrics like dividend payouts and corporate actions, directly onchain. These feeds ensure pricing accuracy and reliability across the 10 blockchain networks Ondo supports.

By tapping into Chainlink’s infrastructure, Ondo can now offer institutional-grade pricing and valuation data, helping ensure consistency in asset value for both decentralized finance (DeFi) users and financial institutions alike.

Cross-Chain Movement Powered by CCIP

The collaboration is also centered around Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), a powerful solution that enables seamless transfer of data and assets between blockchains. This will allow tokenized equities on Ondo to be composable across a variety of networks and applications.

CCIP is already being tested by major financial institutions like Swift, DTCC, and Euroclear, and is now the preferred interoperability standard within the Ondo ecosystem. The protocol enables smart contracts, tokens, and applications to function seamlessly across multiple chains, bringing massive scalability and accessibility to tokenized markets.

Driving Institutional Tokenization

Both companies are deeply invested in bringing traditional finance onchain. Ondo’s tokenized asset offerings are designed for non-U.S. investors seeking exposure to U.S. equities, particularly in regions where accessing traditional brokerage services can be difficult. Its recent expansion to BNB Chain is part of this strategy, reaching deeper into markets across Asia and Latin America.

As part of the collaboration, Chainlink has joined the Ondo Global Market Alliance, a group of exchanges, wallets, and custodians working together to boost adoption of tokenized assets. Ondo, in turn, has joined Chainlink’s corporate actions initiative, which includes over two dozen financial institutions committed to modernizing market infrastructure via blockchain.

Quotes from key figures reinforce the significance of the deal. Sergey Nazarov, Chainlink’s co-founder, stated:

Nathan Allman, founder and CEO of Ondo Finance, added:

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

In my experience, real progress in the tokenization space happens when major players integrate their strengths. What excites me about this Ondo and Chainlink partnership is not just the scale over 100 tokenized assets across 10 chains, but the serious infrastructure behind it. With Chainlink’s CCIP and data feeds, Ondo isn’t just experimenting, it’s delivering what future capital markets should look like. The involvement of giants like Swift and DTCC in related protocols shows that the walls between traditional finance and DeFi are truly coming down. I found the emphasis on accessibility for non-U.S. investors particularly powerful, as it shows how blockchain can help level the playing field globally.

The post Ondo and Chainlink Join Forces to Bring Tokenized Stocks Onchain appeared first on CoinLaw.

Key Takeaways

• Fortify Labs is accepting applications for its 2026 cohort until January 30, 2026, with rolling admissions and notifications by mid-February.
• The seven-month program offers up to $1.3 million in funding, tailored mentorship, and access to exchanges, investors, and 30,000 users.
• Fortify prioritizes depth over speed, limiting cohorts to just seven projects to provide highly personalized support.
• Past alumni like Questflow, Sogni AI, and 5050 saw massive growth after joining, showing real-world success beyond the accelerator.

What Happened?

Fortify Labs, a Web3-focused program run by TZ APAC, has officially launched applications for its 2026 cohort. This initiative, based in Singapore, offers an extended seven-month runway for early and growth-stage Web3 startups, breaking from the rapid-fire format used by traditional accelerators. With a heavy focus on individual support, Fortify Labs continues to chart a new course for building long-lasting Web3 ventures.

High-Touch, High-Impact Approach

Unlike conventional accelerators that rely on generic curriculums and tight timelines, Fortify Labs embraces a more intentional model. The program limits its cohort size to a maximum of seven startups, allowing the team to dive deep into each participant’s challenges and goals.

Whether it’s refining tokenomics, navigating regulatory landscapes, or scaling early user adoption, teams work side by side with specialists across disciplines. Fortify Labs also ensures direct access to exchanges, investors, and a potential user base of 30,000, giving startups a critical early-stage boost.

The 2026 program runs from early March through early October, with two mandatory in-person gatherings in Singapore. Travel stipends will be provided, and for teams ready to begin early, a fast-track option allows access to resources even before the official kickoff.

Proven Results from Past Cohorts

Fortify’s hands-on model has already demonstrated significant outcomes. For example:

• Questflow, an AI automation platform from the 2024 cohort, grew its monthly active users by 156x and closed a funding round that valued the company at $50 million.
• In the 2025 program, Sogni AI, a decentralized creativity platform, progressed from testnet to 90,000 mainnet users and successfully launched a token generation event.
• The prediction market 5050 moved from idea to fully functioning product in three months, securing 600 users within its first two weeks after launch.

These success stories highlight Fortify’s commitment to not just helping teams build products, but also achieve real traction in competitive markets.

Built on Tezos and Etherlink

Fortify Labs requires participating teams to build on either Tezos or Etherlink.

• Tezos has been a leading proof-of-stake blockchain since 2018, processing hundreds of millions of transactions while maintaining energy efficiency and decentralized governance.
• Etherlink, meanwhile, is EVM-compatible, enabling seamless deployment of Ethereum-based codebases and easy asset migration across chains.

This infrastructure gives developers the flexibility and scalability they need without compromising on decentralization or security.

Strong Community Support

Mauvis Ledford, CEO of Sogni AI, praised the program, stating:

He emphasized how Fortify Labs was instrumental across various business fronts including marketing, legal setup, and investor outreach.

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

In my experience, programs like Fortify Labs are exactly what Web3 founders need in today’s landscape. Instead of rushing teams through a cookie-cutter accelerator, this initiative gives startups real time, meaningful support, and access to powerful networks. I found the depth of engagement here especially impressive. Most programs want speed and spectacle. Fortify wants staying power. If you’re serious about building something that lasts in Web3, this could be a game changer.

The post Singapore-Based Fortify Labs Unveils 2026 Web3 Cohort with Major Support Perks appeared first on CoinLaw.

Key Takeaways

• Circle’s Arc blockchain testnet is now live, designed to support large-scale financial applications and enterprise use cases onchain.
• Over 100 major players including BlackRock, Visa, HSBC, AWS, and Coinbase are participating in testing.
• Arc offers dollar-based fees, sub-second finality, opt-in privacy, and integrates directly with Circle’s stablecoin platform.
• The testnet marks a step toward global tokenization, AI-enhanced development, and a decentralized governance model.

What Happened?

Circle Internet Group has launched the public testnet of Arc, a purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain aimed at powering financial services on the internet. The network is seeing broad early adoption from global institutions across capital markets, banking, fintech, and technology. Built around Circle’s USDC stablecoin, Arc aspires to become a global economic operating system, offering programmable infrastructure for payments, lending, asset issuance, and more.

Arc Public Testnet is now live.

Open to developers and enterprises globally, Arc is the Economic OS for the internet that unites programmable money and onchain innovation with real-world economic activity.

Start building: https://t.co/RMjxJmjcsH
Learn more:… pic.twitter.com/OtGfrCIVdY

— Arc (@arc) October 28, 2025

A New Layer 1 for Institutional Finance

Arc is designed to offer enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure tailored for regulated financial markets. Circle’s vision is to build a high-performance, compliant, and scalable platform that enables real-time transactions and supports a broad array of financial use cases.

Key features of Arc include:

• Predictable dollar-based gas fees.
• Sub-second transaction finality.
• Optional privacy controls.
• Native support for stablecoin issuance and FX.
• Tight integration with Circle’s stablecoin and payments stack.

Arc is already being positioned as the backbone for global tokenized finance, covering cross-border payments, foreign exchange (FX), stablecoin swaps, and programmable settlement.

Backed by Global Giants

The testnet has attracted participation from over 100 firms, including:

Capital Markets and Banking:

• Apollo, BNY Mellon, Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE owner), State Street
• BlackRock, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Société Générale, Invesco, SBI Holdings, Standard Chartered

Payments and Technology:

• Visa, Mastercard, AWS, Cloudflare, Nuvei, Paysafe, Vodafone’s Pairpoint, Brex, FIS

Digital Assets and Exchanges:

• Coinbase, Kraken, Robinhood, Coincheck, Galaxy Digital, Wintermute

DeFi and Custody Infrastructure:

• Aave, Curve, Maple, Centrifuge, Fireblocks, BitGo, Copper, Zodia Custody

Developer Ecosystem:

• MetaMask, Ledger, Alchemy, LayerZero, Chainlink, Thirdweb, QuickNode
• AI tools by Anthropic to enhance dev experiences with Claude Agent SDK

Stablecoin Issuers on Testnet:

• AUDF (Forte Securities), BRLA (Avenia), JPYC (JPYC Inc.), KRW1 (BDACS), MXNB (Juno), PHPC (Coins.ph), QCAD (Stablecorp)

These participants span geographies and sectors, creating a diverse and collaborative testing environment that reflects Arc’s ambition to become the economic engine of the internet.

Real-World Tokenization is the Target

With the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) gaining momentum, Arc offers the infrastructure needed for stablecoin-based settlements, programmable FX, and onchain asset trading. Institutions like BlackRock, Invesco, and HSBC are exploring how Arc could optimize fund operations, international payments, and capital flows.

Visa is particularly focused on how Arc might improve cross-border money movement, while Mastercard is working with Circle to develop payment experiences using both fiat and stablecoin rails.

Toward Decentralization and Community Governance

While Circle is currently leading the development, the long-term roadmap for Arc involves opening validator participation, implementing transparent governance, and transitioning to a community-driven model. This aligns with Circle’s goal of creating a neutral, cryptographically accountable public infrastructure for global finance.

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

In my experience watching crypto infrastructure evolve, this feels like one of the biggest moves yet to pull blockchain into the financial mainstream. What makes Arc different is not just the tech stack, but the incredible list of blue-chip partners testing it. If this gains traction, it could redefine how capital flows across borders, how institutions settle trades, and how stablecoins are used beyond crypto.

What really excites me is the focus on compliance and real-world utility. Arc is not trying to be another “Ethereum killer.” Instead, it’s aiming to be the financial plumbing for the internet. This kind of focus, with real companies testing real use cases, could finally bring the promise of crypto closer to everyday business and banking.

The post Circle Unveils Arc Blockchain Testnet to Power Global Finance Onchain appeared first on CoinLaw.

Key Takeaways

• WSPN Checkout lets merchants accept stablecoins like USDT, USDC, and WUSD with real-time settlement and lower transaction costs.
• Merchants can fully integrate the solution within one week, supported by APIs and automated reconciliation tools.
• The product eliminates traditional 3 to 7 day settlement delays and high cross-border payment fees.
• WSPN’s long-term vision is to embed stablecoin infrastructure into global financial products beyond just e-commerce.

What Happened?

Worldwide Stablecoin Payment Network (WSPN) has launched Checkout, a stablecoin-powered e-commerce payment system that allows merchants to accept and settle transactions instantly using leading stablecoins. The launch comes as the stablecoin market reaches a new inflection point, with global usage soaring and transaction volumes surpassing traditional payment networks like Visa and PayPal.

🎉 Exciting news! WSPN introduces Checkout—stablecoin payments for e-commerce merchants.

⚡ Real-time settlement (vs 3-7 days)
💰 Dramatically lower fees (vs 3-7%)
🔗 Multi-chain support (ETH, TRON, BSC, SOL and more)
🚀 Deploy in 7 days

From innovation to… pic.twitter.com/mgPEuGh66q

— WSPN (@WSPNpayment) October 24, 2025

WSPN Brings Stablecoins to the E-Commerce Frontline

WSPN Checkout is designed to solve long-standing issues in global e-commerce, such as delayed settlements, high transaction fees, and currency risk. By embedding stablecoin rails into the checkout process, WSPN eliminates the usual 3 to 7 business day wait for cross-border payments and slashes transaction costs that typically range from 3% to 7%.

The platform supports three major stablecoins: USDT, USDC, and WUSD, across multiple blockchains including Ethereum, Solana, TRON, Binance Smart Chain (BSC), and others. With this broad compatibility, merchants can choose the stablecoin and network that best fits their business needs.

Raymond Yuan, Founder and CEO of WSPN, said:

Powerful Features for Merchants

WSPN Checkout is more than just a payment button. It offers:

• Instant settlement and reduced costs through direct stablecoin payments.
• Full API support for integration within seven business days.
• Automated reconciliation tools for seamless financial operations.
• Programmable payment flows allowing merchants to customize conditions and timing.

The solution works through licensed payment service providers to ensure compliance across jurisdictions while maintaining operational flexibility for merchants worldwide.

Deep Integration of Top Stablecoins

USDT Integration: Tether’s USDT is utilized for its high liquidity and availability across major chains. This empowers e-commerce platforms to instantly settle cross-border transactions with minimal friction and near-zero delay.

USDC Support: With its transparent reserves and regulatory reputation, Circle’s USDC enables compliance-focused businesses to operate with trust and reliability. It is especially well-suited for enterprises managing international transactions and needing accounting simplicity.

WUSD Native Use: WSPN’s proprietary stablecoin WUSD is built directly into the Checkout product. As a fully backed asset pegged 1:1 to the US Dollar, WUSD enables WSPN to manage liquidity and fees efficiently. Its programmable features give merchants added control over recurring or high-volume payments.

Backed by Industry Heavyweights

WSPN’s strategic roadmap goes well beyond e-commerce. The company plans to extend its stablecoin infrastructure into areas like supply chain financing, international payroll, treasury management, and remittances. Backed by a $30 million seed round from Foresight Ventures, Folius Ventures, Generative Ventures, and others, WSPN is positioning itself at the center of a new wave of digital financial products.

Adding further credibility is the appointment of John Partridge, former President of Visa Inc., to the WSPN board of directors. This reflects the company’s serious intent to merge the best of traditional finance with the efficiency of blockchain infrastructure.

Stablecoin Market Nears Explosive Growth

The launch of Checkout aligns with a massive boom in stablecoin adoption. An Andreessen Horowitz report noted that stablecoins processed $46 trillion in annual transaction volume, outpacing PayPal and even Visa. Tether also recently reported over 500 million users for USDT.

These figures signal that stablecoins are no longer niche financial tools but are now becoming core infrastructure for global commerce. With Checkout, WSPN aims to help merchants ride this wave by giving them faster, cheaper, and more reliable payment capabilities.

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

In my experience watching how crypto tools evolve into real-world applications, this is exactly the kind of shift that moves the needle. WSPN is not just hyping stablecoins. They’re offering a plug-and-play solution for e-commerce platforms that delivers real financial advantages. I found the inclusion of programmable payment flows and real-time settlement particularly meaningful. This could really change the game for merchants who operate internationally. If they pull this off at scale, stablecoins might soon feel as common at checkout as credit cards.

The post WSPN Checkout Revolutionizes E-Commerce with Instant Stablecoin Settlement appeared first on CoinLaw.

Key Takeaways

• NHL becomes the first major U.S. sports league to license its branding to prediction markets outside traditional sportsbooks.
• Kalshi and Polymarket gain rights to use official NHL logos, team names, and event designations like “Stanley Cup” on their platforms.
• The deals include access to proprietary NHL data and significant visibility during live broadcasts and major events.
• Kalshi, regulated by the CFTC, can operate nationwide, while Polymarket gears up for a U.S. relaunch backed by a $2 billion investment from ICE.

What Happened?

In a landmark shift for sports and finance, the NHL has inked licensing deals with Kalshi and Polymarket, officially recognizing prediction markets as part of the fan engagement ecosystem. These agreements give the platforms unprecedented access to league branding and data, allowing them to legally operate NHL-themed markets where users can trade on the outcomes of games and events.

Kalshi is now the Official Prediction Market Partner of the @NHL

A Big 4 league. A first-of-its-kind partnership.

The start of a new era. pic.twitter.com/bw1rA15kOe

— Kalshi (@Kalshi) October 22, 2025

NHL Ventures into the World of Prediction Markets

The agreements make Kalshi and Polymarket the first-ever official prediction market partners of a major U.S. sports league. Both companies will now be able to feature:

• NHL marks and logos.
• Proprietary game and team data.
• Use of terms like “Stanley Cup” across their trading platforms.

In addition, their partners and merchants are also licensed to use NHL branding in related products. This opens the door to a new layer of financial engagement for fans, distinct from traditional betting.

According to the NHL, the branding will appear during nationally broadcasted games via Digitally Enhanced Dasherboards (DED) and blue line slot virtual signage across high-profile events like the regular season, Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL Winter Classic, and NHL Stadium Series.

Why This Deal Stands Out?

While the NHL already maintains partnerships with sportsbook giants like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM, this move is the league’s first foray into the non-sportsbook prediction market space. The deals reflect growing institutional interest in the intersection of sports and event-based derivatives.

Kalshi’s regulatory status under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) allows it to legally operate across all 50 U.S. states, even in areas where traditional sports betting remains restricted. This could offer a significant competitive edge over sportsbooks, particularly in states with strict gambling laws.

Meanwhile, Polymarket, a blockchain-powered platform that has previously faced U.S. regulatory challenges, is preparing to relaunch domestically. The company recently received a $2 billion investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, potentially boosting its credibility and reach.

What Industry Leaders Are Saying?

Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour highlighted the importance of the deal, saying:

Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan echoed that sentiment:

From the NHL side, Keith Wachtel, President of NHL Business, stated:

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

In my experience covering the intersection of finance and sports, this deal is not just a novelty. It is a serious signal that prediction markets are becoming mainstream. The fact that the NHL is allowing its trademarks to be used in non-betting, derivative-style platforms shows how far the industry has come. Kalshi’s CFTC backing and Polymarket’s blockchain model are bringing legitimacy and innovation to what was once a fringe corner of finance. I found it especially interesting that sportsbooks’ parent companies like Flutter and DraftKings saw stock dips after this news broke. Clearly, the market sees this as a disruptive force. And if prediction markets continue to grow in popularity, more leagues will likely follow the NHL’s lead.

The post NHL Partners with Kalshi and Polymarket in First-Ever Prediction Market Deals appeared first on CoinLaw.

Key Takeaways

• Solana Mobile has discontinued all software and customer support for the Saga phone, ending its lifecycle after just two years.
• Only 20,000 units were sold, far short of the 50,000 target, but the device became famous for lucrative memecoin airdrops.
• Users are now left with unsupported devices that pose increasing security risks.
• Solana is now focused on its new phone, the Seeker, which already has 150,000 preorders.

What Happened?

Solana Mobile recently issued a quiet update on its website stating that the Saga smartphone has reached its end-of-support period. This means there will be no more software updates, and customer support is now limited to general inquiries only. The company also stated that compatibility with new software or services cannot be guaranteed.

@solanamobile ends support for saga, its first device.

Saga users will no longer get software updates and security patches. pic.twitter.com/BWKITJMRfn

— Crypted_me (@Crypted_mee) October 21, 2025

Launched in May 2023, the Saga was designed to bring blockchain functionality directly to mobile devices. Developed in partnership with California-based hardware firm OSOM, the phone aimed to provide Web3 access outside of the restrictive ecosystems of Apple and Google.

A Bold Vision for Web3

Solana Mobile introduced the Saga to redefine how users interact with crypto on the go. The phone featured built-in wallets, NFT functionality, and access to decentralized apps, powered by the Solana Mobile Stack (SMS). It was part of a broader push to make the Web3 economy more accessible to everyday users.

A Surprise Turn into Memecoin Mania

Although it launched as a serious Web3 device, the Saga’s true impact came from an unexpected source: memecoins. Solana developers began using the Saga’s pre-loaded crypto wallets as airdrop targets. Initially, these airdrops offered small returns that helped offset the phone’s price, but during the 2024 memecoin frenzy, those tokens soared in value. At one point, some airdrops were worth many times the phone’s retail price, turning Saga into a speculator’s dream.

Sales Fell Short, Support Even Shorter

Despite the buzz, the Saga never reached mass adoption. Only about 20,000 units were sold, falling well short of the 50,000-unit goal. Even more concerning was the short two-year support cycle, which stands in contrast to industry leaders like Apple, which provides five years of updates, and Google, which offers seven years for its new phones.

What It Means for Users?

Saga owners now face several issues:

• Increased security risks, as no new security patches will be released.
• Potential app failures, since compatibility with new services is no longer ensured.
• Falling utility, as the phone becomes outdated and unsupported in a fast-evolving tech landscape.
• Unopened Saga phones are still being sold at high prices, reportedly up to three times their original cost, due to the memecoin airdrop potential.

Solana Shifts Focus to the Seeker

The end of Saga support aligns with Solana Mobile’s full pivot to its second-generation device, the Solana Seeker. Launched in August 2024, the Seeker has already shipped to over 50 countries and garnered 150,000 preorders. Analysts project that this could generate at least $67.5 million in gross revenue, signaling a stronger and more mature market response.

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

In my experience following the Web3 and crypto hardware space, the Saga experiment shows how unpredictable this industry can be. What started as an ambitious blockchain-integrated phone ended up becoming an accidental goldmine during the memecoin craze. While some users struck lucky, others are now stuck with a phone that won’t get updates and may soon stop functioning properly. For Solana Mobile, this seems like a strategic reset. They took the lessons learned and built a new phone with better timing and stronger interest. Personally, I found the Saga fascinating not for what it aimed to be, but for what it accidentally became. That story alone might keep its legacy alive, even if its software is now frozen in time.

The post Solana Ends Saga Phone Support After Two Years appeared first on CoinLaw.

Key Takeaways

• Ethena Labs will launch two new stablecoin-focused products within the next three months.
• The company is expanding its team by nearly 50 percent, hiring across engineering, security, and product roles.
• New offerings aim to revolutionize crypto payroll and boost global stablecoin adoption.
• Strong institutional support and partnerships signal Ethena’s growing influence in decentralized finance.

What Happened?

Ethena Labs, best known for its synthetic stablecoin USDe, announced plans to release two new product lines within the next quarter. Alongside this, the company is hiring for ten new roles, marking its first significant team expansion since its founding. These developments position Ethena to become a key player in crypto payroll solutions and broader decentralized finance innovation.

Ethena has stayed roughly flat at ~20-25 contributors for the last 2 years.

We are expanding the team meaningfully for the first time with 10 new roles across engineering and product for two entirely new business lines and products launching in the next ~3 months.

Both of these…

— G | Ethena (@gdog97_) October 20, 2025

A Dual Product Launch to Reshape DeFi

Ethena’s two upcoming products are designed to build upon the success of USDe and USDtb, its existing synthetic dollar-pegged assets. These new offerings are expected to provide more flexible and stable financial tools for startups and enterprises looking to operate in crypto.

• The products are slated for release within three months.
• They aim to provide dollar-pegged alternatives that support stable, predictable payroll and DeFi operations.
• USDe’s delta-hedged design will likely inform the structure of new assets.

Founder Guy Young described these as potential game changers, noting that “each of these initiatives has the potential to become as impactful as USDe itself.“

Major Hiring Drive Fuels Innovation

Ethena is expanding its lean team of around 20 to 25 contributors by nearly 50 percent. Open roles span engineering, backend development, DeFi systems, security, trading, and product design. The hiring spree reflects the company’s ambition to build enterprise-grade crypto financial solutions.

• Positions include head of security, senior backend engineer, trading engineers, and a business development associate.
• This marks Ethena’s first major hiring initiative since its inception.

Stablecoin Salaries: A New Use Case

One of the key goals behind Ethena’s expansion is to enable payroll systems powered by stablecoins. These solutions are increasingly attractive in regions facing currency instability, such as Argentina. Ethena’s new products could bring stability and predictability to employee compensation in crypto-native and traditional businesses alike.

• Stablecoin salaries offer reduced volatility and ease of international payroll.
• Ethena aims to offer regulatory-compliant and secure tools for payroll integration.

Strategic Partnerships and Global Growth

Ethena has secured strategic partnerships and strong institutional backing, which strengthens its credibility and reach. Notably:

• Solana-based platform Jupiter is integrating Ethena’s whitelisting tech for its JupUSD stablecoin.
• Institutional investors like Binance Labs, Fidelity, and Franklin Templeton back Ethena.
• The company recently partnered with Anchorage Digital, a federally chartered crypto bank.

These alliances position Ethena to bring stablecoin solutions to a global audience, particularly in emerging markets.

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

In my experience covering crypto and DeFi projects, it’s rare to see such a strong mix of vision, execution, and institutional support as we’re seeing with Ethena Labs. The focus on crypto payroll is particularly exciting because it solves a real-world problem in a scalable way. I found their strategic hires and partnerships especially telling Ethena isn’t just experimenting, they’re building for serious adoption. If they succeed, they could redefine how startups and enterprises handle compensation.

The post Ethena Labs Unveils Expansion Plans with Two New Stablecoin Products appeared first on CoinLaw.

Key Takeaways

• Argentum AI has introduced a live, market-trained AI system that creates a continuously adapting benchmark for compute markets.
• The AI does not automate decisions but instead offers advisory suggestions with confidence indicators and full transparency.
• Marketplace behavior like bids, offers, and task outcomes feed the AI, allowing real-time optimization of pricing and workload placement.
• This system aims to make global compute access as seamless as capital flow, fostering fair and borderless access to GPU resources.

What Happened?

Argentum AI, a decentralized compute marketplace based in Menlo Park, has launched what it calls the world’s first “living benchmark” for compute markets. The system uses real-time market data and behavioral signals to train its advisory AI, helping enterprises, researchers, and developers make smarter decisions in global GPU trading environments.

A Human-Guided, Marketplace-Trained AI System

Unlike traditional optimization models that run autonomously, Argentum’s AI acts as an advisor. It watches live marketplace activity, including:

• Bids and counteroffers
• Auction outcomes
• Order fills
• Execution telemetry from compute nodes

Based on these, it recommends pricing, task placement, and auction configurations. Each recommendation includes a clear rationale and confidence score, keeping the human user in full control. This design aligns with Argentum’s broader goal: to create a fair, transparent, and user-centric compute marketplace.

CEO Andrew Sobko emphasized the mission, stating:

How the AI Works?

Argentum’s system processes two main data streams:

• On-chain market activity, such as postings, bids, cancellations, escrow events, and payouts.
• Execution telemetry, including runtime data, energy usage, and efficiency reports from compute nodes.

These data points feed into a model that updates continuously, allowing the artificial intelligence to refine price forecasts, runtime predictions, and provider reliability rankings.

The platform also tracks behavioral metrics like:

• Order-book depth
• Bid-acceptance ratios
• Staking behavior

These insights help shape adaptive recommendations for optimal bidding, reserve price levels, and workload routing.

Focus on Ethics, Transparency, and Traceability

A standout feature of Argentum’s model is its commitment to ethical design. The company rejects opaque or autonomous systems in favor of transparent processes that users can verify and audit. This includes:

• Cryptographically signed execution proofs.
• Redundant verification runs.
• Quadratic voting and community-based oversight.

The result is a trustworthy system where every participant can see how the AI reaches its conclusions.

Measurable Impact on Performance

Argentum’s living benchmark aims to improve the real-world performance of compute markets. So far, the platform has seen:

• Reduced pricing inefficiencies.
• Higher task completion rates.
• Lower average GPU-hour costs.

Every verified transaction adds to the system’s knowledge, making the benchmark smarter and more useful over time.

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

In my experience covering AI infrastructure and decentralized technology, this launch from Argentum AI is a huge leap forward. By making compute markets more like transparent financial markets, they’re creating a space where every developer and researcher has a fair shot at powerful computing, not just the tech giants. I found their approach to be not only innovative but also ethically sound, which is rare in an industry so focused on automation. This is definitely a project to watch.

The post Argentum AI Unveils Living Benchmark to Transform Global Compute Markets appeared first on CoinLaw.

Key Takeaways

• Yakovenko has published a GitHub repository titled “Percolator”, describing a self-custodial perpetual DEX built on Solana.
• The protocol proposes an architecture using “sharded matching engines” also referred to as “slabs” and a central routing program to enable efficient order matching and collateral management across parallel engines.
• The move appears motivated by the rapid growth of the perpetual DEX sector and the dominance of Hyperliquid, along with the desire to strengthen Solana’s DeFi infrastructure.

What Happened?

Yakovenko has released detailed documentation and code on GitHub under a repository named “Percolator.” The protocol is positioned as a high-performance, onchain perpetual futures exchange built natively on Solana and designed to facilitate trading of perpetual contracts through decentralized infrastructure. While a full official launch date has not yet been announced, the project is described as implementation-ready according to the GitHub documentation.

this must be the most obvious answer

to why there are that many perpDEXes,

and why @aeyakovenko is building his own now.

Toly just dropped a new repo on github called Percolator, a full-on perpetuals exchange being built directly on solana.

but let’s be real for a second —… pic.twitter.com/EmgqiqsgkU

— Hanzo 🉐 (@DeFi_Hanzo) October 20, 2025

Why It Matters?

The perpetual futures market is one of the most active segments in DeFi, with platforms like Hyperliquid handling hundreds of billions of dollars in monthly volume. For Solana, which has long been competing with other major chains for DeFi share, having a native high-performance perpetual DEX could be a strategic advantage. Additionally, Yakovenko’s direct involvement signals a serious commitment from the Solana ecosystem rather than a third-party integration.

How Percolator Works?

According to the GitHub documentation:

• The protocol consists of two main onchain programs: a Router and multiple Slab programs.
• The Router handles collateral vaults, cross-slab portfolio margining, user positions, and program orchestration.
• Each Slab represents a self-contained matching engine with its own order book, positions, risk parameters, and settlement logic.
• The model divides the order book across multiple parallel slabs instead of a monolithic engine, allowing independent liquidity pools, faster matching, and potential performance gains.

Technical Features

• Memory-budgeted state per slab (10 MB) with no dynamic allocations after initialization.
• Fixed-point math for prices and profit or loss, VWAP calculations, and reserve or commit models for order execution.
• Anti-toxicity features such as JIT penalty detection, aggressor round-trip guard, and kill-band parameters to prevent predatory behavior.
• Cross-slab portfolio margining allows a user with positions in multiple slabs to be treated as a unified portfolio.

Current Development Status

According to the repository, the core data structures and matching engine logic are completed. However, modules such as the liquidation engine and full integration testing are still in progress. No official public launch has been announced.

Competition and Strategic Implications

The perpetual DEX field is becoming increasingly competitive. Hyperliquid continues to lead in trading volume and has introduced builder-deployed perpetual contracts. Competing platforms like Aster on BNB Chain are also gaining momentum. Percolator could shift market dynamics by taking advantage of Solana’s high-throughput architecture and Yakovenko’s deep technical insight.

For Solana, this project could reclaim momentum in DeFi infrastructure. A dedicated native perpetual DEX may attract liquidity, derivatives traders, and institutional-style flows that currently lean toward other chains.

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

In my experience covering DeFi infrastructure, this move by Yakovenko and Solana is a big deal. The fact that the project is coming directly from a core founder and not an external team shows that the ecosystem is doubling down on performance-driven DeFi. I found the architecture especially fascinating. The “sharded matching engines” concept directly tackles a core issue in perpetuals like latency, liquidity fragmentation, and trade execution.

If Percolator delivers on its promises, it could become a serious competitor to existing players like Hyperliquid. That said, we still do not have a launch timeline, and key components like the liquidation engine are still under development. I will be watching closely for community testing, audits, and how the team structures LP incentives.

The post Solana’s Anatoly Yakovenko Developing ‘Percolator’ DEX to Compete With Hyperliquid appeared first on CoinLaw.

Key Takeaways

• Kraken now offers access to CME futures, including contracts for oil, gold, S&P 500, and major FX pairs.
• The move is part of Kraken’s plan to become a full-service trading platform ahead of a potential $20 billion IPO.
• The integration includes ultra-competitive pricing at 0.5 basis points per trade and market data deals for retail and institutional users.
• Kraken is leveraging its $1.5 billion NinjaTrader acquisition to expand into traditional asset classes and compete with brokers like Robinhood.

What Happened?

Kraken has expanded its derivatives offering to include a broad range of CME Group’s futures contracts, enabling users to trade traditional financial assets like equity indices, oil, gold, and major FX pairs. The expansion, launched through Kraken Derivatives US, is a major step in the company’s mission to become an all-in-one trading platform for both crypto and traditional markets.

🍚 Do you like rice? You can trade it now.

🐄 Moo-re into cattle? Futures got you.

🌕 Feeling precious? Gold’s on the menu.

TradFi CME futures → LIVE now!

🇺🇸 Only for US users 🇺🇸

👉 Start trading: https://t.co/0CjUGFR3Ft pic.twitter.com/y6hT3w0BVK

— Kraken Pro (@krakenpro) October 9, 2025

Kraken Integrates CME Futures into Its Platform

Kraken is connecting traders directly to CME’s globally regulated futures markets. Through this integration, users can now trade:

• Equity index futures including S&P 500, NASDAQ, and Dow Jones.
• Commodities like gold, oil, silver, rice, cattle, and soybeans.
• Major FX pairs such as EUR, GBP, JPY, and AUD.
• CME exchange products from CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX.

This move significantly broadens Kraken’s offerings, which previously centered around digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum. It positions Kraken as a serious competitor to both traditional brokers and crypto-native exchanges entering the traditional finance space.

Targeting Serious Traders with Competitive Pricing

Kraken is clearly aiming to attract professional and high-volume traders. The exchange has priced its CME futures contracts at a highly competitive 0.5 basis points per trade, making it an appealing alternative to established futures platforms.

Additionally, Kraken is offering discounted market data packages, providing both retail and institutional users with enhanced access to pricing and trading insights. This dual-pronged strategy aims to grow Kraken’s footprint across both ends of the trading spectrum.

Strategic Moves Ahead of Public Offering

This expansion follows Kraken’s strategic acquisition of NinjaTrader earlier this year for $1.5 billion, which marked the largest-ever merger between a crypto exchange and a traditional finance firm. That acquisition provided the infrastructure Kraken needed to bridge the traditional and crypto derivatives markets.

Since then, Kraken has launched CME-listed Bitcoin and Ethereum futures on its Kraken Pro platform and is expected to expand further into commodities, FX, fixed income, and equities by the end of the year.

Kraken is reportedly preparing for an IPO that could value the firm at around $20 billion, with early talks underway with potential underwriters.

Competing with Robinhood and Others

Kraken is not alone in its ambition. It now directly competes with platforms like Robinhood, which is also expanding into traditional markets such as oil and gold. Outside the U.S., both companies are vying for dominance in tokenized equities, a rapidly emerging segment of the financial ecosystem.

Kraken’s all-in-one platform approach could give it a strong competitive edge as traders increasingly look for unified access to both crypto and traditional financial markets.

Uncertain but Promising Trading Hours

One key question remains unanswered: Will Kraken follow CME’s 24/5 schedule or adopt 24/7 trading? While CME CEO Terry Duffy recently confirmed plans to offer round-the-clock trading for crypto derivatives, Kraken has not yet announced its own operating hours. A move to 24/7 access could further differentiate Kraken in the competitive futures landscape.

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

I think this is one of the smartest moves Kraken has made in years. In my experience, crypto exchanges that lean into regulated and diversified offerings tend to build stronger user loyalty. By giving traders access to oil, gold, equities, and FX from the same place they buy Bitcoin, Kraken is rewriting the playbook. This isn’t just about expansion, it’s about transformation. I found the 0.5 basis point pricing especially bold. If Kraken delivers on seamless execution and round-the-clock access, it could become the go-to platform for serious traders crossing between crypto and TradFi.

The post Kraken Expands into Traditional Markets with CME Futures Integration appeared first on CoinLaw.