NFTgators

Quick take:

Genius Trading will use the funds to build out a private, high-velocity on-chain trading terminal.

The investment aligns with YZi Labs’ strategy of backing infrastructure that delivers CEX-level speed, liquidity, and discretion while remaining fully user-owned.

As part of the investment, Binance founder and leader of YZi Labs, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), has joined Genius Trading as an advisor.

YZi Labs, an independent investment firm led by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), has invested an 8-figure amount in cross-chain trading terminal Genius Trading.

Genius Trading is designed to aggregate execution across blockchains and decentralized venues, which is how it differs from decentralized exchange platforms. The company plans to use the funds to accelerate the development of its private, high-velocity on-chain trading terminal.

According to YZi Labs’ announcement on the X platform, the investment aligns with the investment firm’s strategy of backing infrastructure that delivers CEX-level speed, liquidity, and discretion while remaining fully user-owned. As part of the investment, CZ has joined Genius Trading as an advisor.

Genius Trading plans to consolidate trading across BNB Chain, Solana, Ethereum, and six other networks into a single venue where privacy and execution speed are prioritized.

“With CZ as an advisor, Genius embodies the core of YZi Labs’ investment thesis: backing infrastructure that fuses the speed, liquidity, and privacy of centralized exchanges (CEXs) without compromising on user ownership or decentralization,” the firm wrote.

In October, YZi Labs launched a $1 billion builder fund to back projects building on the BNB Chain. Blockchain infrastructure was one of the main categories listed among key focus segments.

“The funding is about alignment more than anything else; aligning with YZi Labs means we have the industry’s most thorough and well-resourced backer taking a meaningful swing at creating an ‘on-chain’ Binance, while focusing on what makes CEXs better than DEXs right now: privacy,” said Armaan Kalsi, Co-founder & CEO of Genius.

“I first met Armaan at the NYC Builder Bunker during a BNB Chain MVB demo. He has the distinct energy of a founder who’s going to win: sharp, articulate, and relentless. Even as a student building complex trading infrastructure, he had already secured an angel round from high-profile investors. I pulled him aside after his demo — and I knew we had to be part of his journey,” said Ella Zhang, Head of YZi Labs.

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Quick take:

The structure of the deals was also not disclosed, raising the question of whether its an all-cash or all-equity deal, or a mixture of both.

Polygon said the acquisitions are meant to advance its stablecoin strategy, according to CEO Marc Boiron and Polygon Foundation founder Sandeep Nailwal.

Coinme, which holds a suite of money transmitter licenses in the U.S., specializes in converting cash into crypto and is known for its work with crypto ATMs, while Sequence builds crypto wallet infrastructure.

Polygon Labs, the developer of the enterprise-grade infrastructure for global blockchain-based payments, has acquired two crypto startups in a deal worth more than $250 million. 

According to the announcement on Tuesday, Polygon closed deals to buy the crypto startups Coinme and Sequence as it looks to advance its stablecoin strategy. The company did not disclose the specific deal value for each startup or the structure of the deals.

Coinme, which holds a suite of money transmitter licenses in the U.S., specializes in converting cash into crypto and is known for its work with crypto ATMs, while Sequence builds crypto wallet infrastructure.

The announcement follows Polygon’s launch of the Open Money Stack last week. The company describes the Open Money Stack as an open and integrated stack of services and technologies to instantly and reliably move money anywhere, and put it to work.

This latest double-acquisition furthers the company’s strategy and positions it well to compete with the likes of Stripe.

Describing his company’s stablecoin push, Polygon Foundation founder Sandeep Nailwal called it “a reverse Stripe in a way”. Unlike Stripe, which first acquired a stablecoin startup before building its own blockchain, Polygon already has a robust network of blockchains, where it is bringing startups to build upon it.

“Polygon Labs is becoming a full-blown fintech company,” said Nailwal.

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Quick take:

The SPAC IPO is separate from Kraken’s own IPO announced in November.

KRAK Acquisition expands Kraken’s digital asset footprint in the public markets.

Spanish banking giant Santander is listed as the sole book runner.

KRAK Acquisition Corp, a special-purpose acquisition company backed by Kraken, has filed for an initial public offering to raise $250 million. Although KRAK Acquisition has yet to state its primary target industry, it is reportedly expected to focus on businesses in the cryptocurrency industry. This would further expand Kraken’s digital asset footprint in the public markets.

“We have not selected any business combination target, and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry,” the company wrote in the filing.

The crypto exchange company already filed for its own IPO in November, thereby making KRAK Acquisition’s SPAC offering a separate venture. The company plans to offer 25 million units at $10 each on NASDAQ and will trade under the ticker name KRAQU.

Each unit of offering consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-fourth of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant holder can exercise their rights, which entitle them to purchase a class A ordinary share at $11.50. Each warrant must be excised in full, with no fractional conversions allowed.

According to the filing, Spanish banking giant Santander is listed as the sole book runner. The filing describes KRAK Acquisition as a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination. 

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Quick take:

Standard Chartered is expanding its digital asset footprint after investing in crypto custodian Zodia Custody and institutional trading platform Zodia Markets.

The London-based lender also offers spot crypto trading for institutional clients, which it launched in July.

Standard Chartered is not the only traditional bank expanding into crypto trading services, with U.S.-based JPMorgan also launching a trading service for institutions last month.

Standard Chartered is expanding its digital asset strategy with plans to launch a prime brokerage service for crypto trading, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The new service will be set up within the company’s wholly owned venture capital unit, SC Ventures, which analysts believe is a strategy to get around the financial requirements for running a prime brokerage service within its main business.

This is not Standard Chartered’s first foray into crypto, with the company already a major backer of crypto custodian Zodia Custody and institutional trading platform Zodia Markets. The London-based lender also offers spot crypto trading for institutional clients, which it launched in July.

Standard Chartered is not the only traditional bank expanding into crypto trading services, with U.S.-based JPMorgan also launching a trading service for institutions last month.

They are joining a growing list of financial services companies from both the traditional financial markets and crypto that are expanding into prime brokerage and crypto trading services.

Ripple, the crypto infrastructure and settlement layer, acquired Hidden Road for $1.25 billion in April last year. The company has since gone on to launch its prime brokerage service, announced in November.

In June, crypto exchange platform Kraken also introduced a prime brokerage service for institutional investors. 

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Quick take:

A16z said the funds raised account for over 18% of all venture capital dollars allocated in the United States in 2025.

The firm believes that for America to win the next 100 years of technology, it begins with winning the key architectures of the future – AI and crypto.

It sees those technologies then being applied to the key areas that generate human flourishing: biology, health, defense, public safety, education, and entertainment.

Andreessen Horowitz (A16z), the Silicon Valley, CA-based venture capital firm, on Friday said it raised $15 billion in its latest funding secured across five funds. 

According to a blog post published by Ben Horowitz on the A16z website, about $6.75 billion will go towards scaling startups, $1.7 billion has been allocated to infrastructure, $1.7 billion for various apps, $1.176 billion for American Dynamism (investing in national interests like defense, housing, and supply chain), and another $700 million for biotech and healthcare. 

There is also an extra $3 billion set to go to “other venture strategies.”

According to Horowitz, this latest funding accounts for over 18% of all venture capital dollars allocated in the United States in 2025. The firm wants to power the next growth phase of the technology industry in the United States.

Highlighting the country’s role in leading the world across various industries over the last 250 years, Horowitz said that given the current technological opportunity, presented by AI and crypto, “technological opportunity, it is fundamentally important for humanity that America wins.”

“Our mission is ensuring that America wins the next 100 years of technology. That starts with winning the key architectures of the future – AI and crypto,” he wrote.

The country will then continue applying those technologies to the key areas that generate human flourishing, including biology, health, defense, public safety, education, and entertainment.

Horowitz also highlighted the key steps the United States has taken towards ensuring America wins the tech race for the next 100 years, adding that if the country fails to push its policies of the country in the right direction, it will likely lose its position as the global leader in technology. “We have already seen the beginnings of this in both AI and crypto.”

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Quick take:

The latest funding brings the total raised to $338 million and comes just four months after its Series B and 10 months after its Series A.

The company plans to use the fresh capital to expand its stablecoin settlement infrastructure to new markets and help additional enterprises go live and scale quickly.

The company offers an end-to-end payments platform that allows companies to work with a single partner to launch compliant stablecoin cards that work everywhere Visa is accepted.

Rain, a stablecoin firm helping businesses integrate stablecoin payments into their systems, has raised $250 million in a Series C round led by global investment firm ICONIQ. The fundraising also attracted participation from Sapphire Ventures, Dragonfly, Bessemer Venture Partners, Galaxy Ventures, FirstMark, Lightspeed, Norwest, and Endeavor Catalyst, the New York-based firm said in an announcement on Friday.

According to the press release seen by NFTgators, the latest funding was closed at a valuation of $1.95 billion. The firm has now raised a total of $338 million, following a $58 million Series B announced in August, a $24.5 million Series A announced in March, and a $6 million seed round secured in 2022.

The company plans to use the fresh capital to expand its stablecoin settlement infrastructure to new markets and help additional enterprises go live and scale quickly.

The company offers an end-to-end payments platform that allows companies to work with a single partner to launch compliant stablecoin cards that work everywhere Visa is accepted.

Commenting on the announcement, Farooq Malik, CEO & Co-founder of Rain, said in a statement: “Stablecoins are quickly becoming the way money moves in the 21st century, but adoption by users worldwide requires cards and apps that just work. In the last year, our active card base has increased 30x, and our annualized payment volume has increased 38x, but we’re still in the early innings. This funding lets us bring that infrastructure to new markets and help additional enterprises go live and scale quickly everywhere.”

The company believes that stablecoins are the future of global payments and value transfer. “The next phase of adoption is about making tokenized money the default way that businesses move funds and consumers get paid, save, and spend,” Rain said, adding that enterprises need an infrastructure that lets them shift to on-chain payment rails while preserving the familiar experiences their users already trust.

Kamran Zaki, Partner at ICONIQ, commented: “In our view, Rain has a rare combination of full-stack technology, regulatory readiness, and real-world scale. Their focus on making tokenized money mainstream, rather than a niche financial experiment, may resonate and align with what large enterprises are looking for as they move from exploration to production.”

Rain claims to facilitate more than $3B in annualized transactions for over 200 partners, including the likes of Western Union, Nuvei, and KAST, adding that programs built on its platform have the potential to reach over 2.5 billion people worldwide.

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Quick take:

Based in Toronto, Canada, 3iQ is one of the world’s leading digital asset investment managers with C$1.652 billion in assets under management.

The purchase agreement constitutes approximately 97% beneficial ownership of 3iQ, with plans to offer the same or substantially equivalent acquisition consideration terms to 3iQ’s minority shareholders.

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026.

Coincheck Group (NASDAQ: CNCK), the holding company of the Japanese crypto exchange platform Coincheck, has signed a purchase agreement to acquire 97% of the Toronto-based digital asset investment manager, 3iQ.  The company had C$1.652 billion in assets under management as of December 2025.

According to the announcement, the deal values 3iQ at nearly $112 million, which will be funded using 27,149,684 newly issued Coincheck shares of common stock priced at $4.00 per share.

The new shares will be sold by Monex Group, Inc. (“Monex”), the majority shareholder of Coincheck Group

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, with plans to offer the same or substantially equivalent acquisition consideration terms to 3iQ’s minority shareholders, issuing an additional 810,435 Coincheck Group ordinary shares to own 100% of 3iQ.

Commenting on the proposed acquisition, Gary A. Simanson, CEO and Executive Director of Coincheck Group, said in a statement: “By combining our strengths, we believe we will be better positioned to meet the needs of institutional and sophisticated investors and firms, including traditional financial institutions now seeking to include digital assets in their portfolio offerings to their customers. We also anticipate that the acquisition will be accretive to our earnings.”

Yuko Seimi, CEO and Representative Executive Officer of Monex, added: “We believe that this reorganization of our crypto-asset business segment by moving 3iQ under Coincheck Group unleashes increased opportunities for our growth and success internationally in both our crypto-asset and asset & wealth management businesses. We view this as a ‘win-win’ for both Monex and Coincheck Group shareholders.”

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Quick take:

The chatter allows WLTC to issue USD1, the dollar-backed stablecoin that topped $3.3 billion in circulation within a year.

The company plans to serve institutional customers, including cryptocurrency exchanges, market makers, and investment firms.

WLTC will also offer digital asset custody and stablecoin conversion services, enabling holders of other stablecoins to move into USD1.

World Libert Financial, the crypto conglomerate linked to the Trump family, has submitted an application to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish World Liberty Trust Company, National Association (WLTC), purpose-built for stablecoin operations.

If granted, WLTC will be able to issue USD1, the dollar-backed stablecoin that topped $3.3 billion in circulation within a year. The company will be able to mint and redeem USD1 with no fees at launch.

According to the press release on Wednesday evening, WLTC plans to serve institutional customers, including cryptocurrency exchanges, market makers, and investment firms. The company will also offer digital asset custody and stablecoin conversion services, enabling holders of other stablecoins to move into USD1.

“This application marks a further evolution of the World Liberty Financial ecosystem. USD1 grew faster in its first year than any other stablecoin in history,” said Zach Witkoff, the proposed President and Chairman of World Liberty Trust Company. “Institutions are already using USD1 for cross-border payments, settlement, and treasury operations. A national trust charter will allow us to bring issuance, custody, and conversion together as a full-stack offering under one highly regulated entity.”

The WLTC National Trust Bank will be structured to comply with the GENIUS Act, with operations following rigorous AML and sanctions screening, state-of-the-art cybersecurity protocols, the company said.

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Quick take:

The Open Maoney Stack allows users to “instantly and reliably move money anywhere, and put it to work.”

The system enables merchants to send and receive money in their preferred currency, with instant conversion taking place in the background.

The Stack is designed to work with different blockchains and can be customized for various applications. 

Polygon Labs has unveiled the Open Money Stack, an integrated modular framework for stablecoin payments and global money transfers. The Stack is expected to launch later this year, according to an announcement on Thursday. 

Polygon, which started out as a scalable layer-2 blockchain on Ethereum, has expanded its service offerings over the years, launching AggLayer, the cross-chain settlement layer that connects the liquidity and users of any blockchain for fast, low-cost interoperability.

“Open and interoperable money ensures that it is usable everywhere, by everyone, on their own terms,” Nailwal and Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron wrote in an announcement on the X platform. “And when used on someone’s own terms, money fades into the background so people are free to focus on living and building, improving their lives.”

The Open Money Stack allows users to “instantly and reliably move money anywhere, and put it to work.” The system enables merchants to send and receive money in their preferred currency, with instant conversion taking place in the background.

The Stack is designed to work with different blockchains and can be customized for various applications. 

The Polygon team believes that the Open Money Stack will move all money in the future for consumers, businesses, and AI agents alike. “Today, on-chain money generally needs to return off-chain to be used. With Open Money Stack, however, money that comes on-chain can stay — and be used — on-chain forever,” the team wrote.

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Quick take:

Popular exchange platforms like Coinbase and stablecoin issuers like Tether allow users to swap their Bitcoin for collateral, which means holders lose control of the Bitcoin.

Co-founded by Stanford professor David Tse and Fisher Yu, Babylon is introducing an alternative collateralization system to popular systems, like using wrapped BTC.

Babylon’s protocol enables collateralization without the user relinquishing control of the Bitcoin.

Babylon, a BTC yield-generation protocol, has announced a $15 million funding round from Andreessen Horowitz crypto venture arm A16z Crypto, according to a report by Fortune.

The company is looking to disrupt the BTC collateralization industry that is currently dominated by crypto exchange platforms like Coinbase and Kraken, and stablecoin issuers like Tether, which allow users to swap their Bitcoin for collateral.

Co-founded by Stanford professor David Tse and Fisher Yu, Babylon is introducing an alternative collateralization system to popular systems, which rely on using wrapped BTC. 

The company has built BTCVaults, a protocol that allows Bitcoin holders to directly collateralize their BTC without using a third-party platform or cryptocurrency. Babylon’s protocol enables collateralization without the user relinquishing control of the Bitcoin.

“We’re building protocols using cutting-edge technology to enable people to cut out the middle person and go straight to the goal, which is to be productive,” Tse told Fortune.

According to Tse, Babylon was developed to braided research. His company has no CEO, with him being the Chief Research Officer, while co-founder Yu is the Chief Technology Officer.

“A startup is the natural way of converting research, innovation, and ideas into a product that people can use,” he said.

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Quick take:

The investment is part of the company’s strategy to capitalize on the growing interest in cryptocurrencies.

Barclays also highlighted progress in regulatory processes in several jurisdictions, adoption, and emerging use cases as part of the reason for investing.

Barclays and Ubyx said they remain committed to the responsible development of tokenized money within the regulatory perimeter.

Barclays, the UK’s second-largest bank by market capitalization, has announced a strategic investment in Ubyx, according to a press release seen by NFTgators. The U.S.-based crypto startup offers a clearing system for digital money, including tokenized deposits and regulated stablecoins.

Barclays cited the growing interest in cryptocurrencies as part of the reason for its strategic investment. The U.S. banking giant also highlighted progress in regulatory processes in several jurisdictions, adoption, and emerging use cases, adding that both companies will remain committed to the responsible development of tokenized money within the regulatory perimeter.

Stablecoins in particular are increasingly becoming a popular segment of the industry after President Trump signed into law the much-awaited GENIUS Act last July. The bill provides clarity for regulating cryptocurrencies tied to real-world assets.

Commenting on the announcement, Ryan Hayward, Head of Digital Assets and Strategic Investments at Barclays, said: “Interoperability is essential to unlock the full potential of digital assets. As the landscape of tokens, blockchains, and wallets evolves, specialist technology will play a pivotal role in delivering connectivity and infrastructure to enable regulated financial institutions to interact seamlessly.”

Tony McLaughlin, CEO of Ubyx, commented: “Our mission is to build a common globalised acceptance network for regulated digital money, including tokenised deposits and regulated stablecoins. Bank participation is vital to provide par value redemption through regulated channels. We are entering a world in which every regulated firm offers digital wallets in addition to traditional bank accounts.”

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Quick take:

Nike did not disclose the buyer of the unit or the terms of the deal in the December 16 announcement.

In April last year, the sportswear giant was sued by the buyers of its Nike-themed NFTs, who claimed the closure caused the losses.

In August, the company agreed on a settlement against online reseller StockX for allegedly selling counterfeit shoes and unauthorized NFTs.

Nike, the sportswear giant that briefly ventured into the world of digital assets, has quietly sold its NFT subsidiary RTFKT, according to a December 16 announcement cited by The Oregonian. The sale is reportedly part of the new CEO Elliott Hill-led strategy that refocuses on sports and rebuilding partnerships.

The report, titled “The sale of its NFT unit: a new chapter for the company and its community,” did not disclose the buyer or the terms of the deal.

The announcement comes a year after Nike closed the NFT unit. Since it’s closer, the company has battled various challenges related to the digital collectibles business.

In April last year, the sportswear giant was sued by the buyers of its Nike-themed NFTs, who claimed the closure caused the losses. Purchasers led by Australian resident Jagdeep Cheema said the sudden closure in December of Nike’s RTFKT unit caused demand for their NFTs to dry up.

In August, the company agreed on a settlement against online reseller StockX for allegedly selling counterfeit shoes and unauthorized NFTs. The two companies agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice, ruling out any changes to refile, with terms of the settlement kept confidential.

Nike bought RTFKT in December 2021 when the NFT craze was at its highest. While the terms of the acquisition were not disclosed at the time, the digital collectibles platform had secured funding at $33 million valuation in May of that year.

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Quick take:

The wallet launched with initial support for Tether (USDT), Tether Gold (XAUt), and Bitcoin (BTC), enabling audiences to tip creators natively in crypto.

By embedding crypto payments into the video-sharing platform, Rumble eliminates the need to use ad networks, banks, or payment processors.

Rumble Wallet is built on the Tether Wallet Development Kit (WDK), making it the first real-world deployment of the toolkit.

Rumble Inc. (NASDAQ: RUM) has teamed up with Tether, the issuer of the world’s biggest stablecoin by market capitalization, to launch Rumble Wallet. The non-custodial crypto wallet allows Rumble content creators to keep custody of their crypto while connecting a global video-sharing ecosystem to crypto-native rails.

According to the press release seen by NFTgators, Rumble Wallet launches with initial support for Tether (USDT), Tether Gold (XAUt), and Bitcoin (BTC), enabling audiences to tip creators natively in crypto.

By embedding crypto payments into the video-sharing platform, Rumble eliminates the need to use ad networks, banks, or payment processors.

The wallet is built on the Tether Wallet Development Kit (WDK), making it the first real-world deployment of the toolkit.

“Rumble represents free speech and liberty the same way that cryptocurrency and a decentralized internet represent freedom, and Rumble Wallet is the natural combination of those things,” said Rumble founder and CEO Chris Pavlovski. “We are putting more power into the hands of users and creators so they can engage with and financially support the content they like. That’s another parallel to free expression, and it’s all unique to Rumble.”

Crypto on- and off-ramps will be powered by MoonPay, with traditional payment methods like credit cards, Apple Pay, PayPal, and Venmo also supported, enabling users to move funds between crypto and fiat.

Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, commented: “At Tether, we champion technologies that break boundaries and promote freedom, decentralization, and the fundamental right to free expression. Rumble Wallet brings those ideals together into one product that will give tens of millions of users more control than any platform has offered before, even in the United States.”

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Quick take:

TRES Finance helps crypto companies track their digital asset holdings and asset inflows and outflows from their portfolio.

Its acquisition augments Fireblock’s crypto infrastructure business, which lacks a product to help crypto companies monitor and analyze their crypto holdings in detail.

Fireblocks CEO Michael Shaulov invested in TRES Finance’s $7.6 million funding round in 2022.

Fireblocks, the crypto infrastructure company helping traditional finance and fintech companies integrate crypto payment rails, has struck a deal to acquire crypto accounting platform TRES Finance. The $130 million deal is structured as cash and equity, according to anonymous sources who spoke to Fortune on Wednesday.

This is Fireblock’s second acquisition in three months, following its reported $90 million purchase of crypto wallet startup Dynamic in October. 

TRES Finance helps crypto companies track their digital asset holdings and asset inflows and outflows from their portfolio. While Fireblocks has established itself as a leading provider of blockchain infrastructure for integrating crypto payments, it lacks a product to help crypto companies monitor and analyze their crypto holdings in detail. The TRES acquisition will help augment that.

Fireblocks CEO Michael Shaulov, who invested in TRES Finance’s $7.6 million funding round in 2022, believes that given the rising number of crypto companies that are either going public or are seeking to operate within certain boundaries of traditional finance or fintech, TRES Finance can help CFOs and accountants track their assets better.

With TRES, the Fireblocks team believes it will be able to “create a much broader treasury management solution that is kind of full spectrum,” Shaulov said.

Fireblocks was last valued at $8 billion in a $550 million funding round announced in January 2022.

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Quick take:

The coin is structured like a governance token, allowing holders to vote on reward distribution.

BUCK pays 7% annual yield, with returns accruing minute by minute, and is initially available to non-U.S. users. 

While initially priced at $1.00, BUCK is not marketed as a stablecoin and does not maintain a hard dollar peg, according to founder and CEO Travis VanderZanden.

Buck Labs, a crypto company and issuer of a yield-bearing savings coin aimed at holders of dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies like stablecoins, has launched the BUCK crypto token. The token generates yield from Strategy’s (MSTR) bitcoin-linked preferred stock, according to a press release seen by NFTgators.

The coin is structured like a governance token, allowing holders to vote on reward distribution. BUCK pays 7% annual yield, with returns accruing minute by minute, and is initially available to non-U.S. users.

While initially priced at $1.00, BUCK is not marketed as a stablecoin and does not maintain a hard dollar peg, according to founder and CEO Travis VanderZanden.

“Every healthy economy needs both a way to spend and a way to save, which is why Buck introduces the SavingsCoin,” VanderZanden said. “Stablecoins have become very good at moving money, but Buck is designed for what happens in between, earning rewards on idle capital.”

The launch comes amid the recent rebound in the crypto market, with the Bitcoin price, which the token is indirectly linked to through Strategy, rising to trade above $94,000 for the first time in over a month.

According to VanderZanden, BUCK is designed for users who want to make predictable returns from crypto without actively trading.“People want a simple way to earn rewards in crypto without becoming speculators,” he said. “Buck is designed to make saving in crypto more intuitive.”

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Quick take:

Polymarket will list and operate the markets while Parcl will provide independent index data and settlement reference values.

Real estate is one of the most fragmented markets in the world, which Parcl’s daily indices try to simplify, allowing a simpler way to trade housing outcomes.

The real-time housing data and on-chain real estate platform offer clear settlement rules and public, auditable resolution data.

Polymarket, one of the leading prediction market platforms, has partnered with Parcl, a real-time housing data and on-chain real estate platform, to introduce housing-focused markets that settle against Parcl’s published price indices, offering a data-driven reference point for forecasting where home prices are headed.

According to the press release seen by NFTgators, Polymarket will list and operate the markets while Parcl will provide independent index data and settlement reference values. The two companies seek to simplify one of the most fragmented industries in the world by leveraging Parcl’s daily indices to enable a simpler way to trade housing outcomes.

“Housing is the largest asset class in the world, but it’s still hard to express a clean view on price direction without taking on property-level complexity, leverage, or long timelines,” the companies wrote in an announcement on Monday.

The companies believe they can provide clear settlement rules and public, auditable resolution data powered by Parcl’s daily indices with Polymarket’s event-market structure.

“Prediction markets are gaining substantial momentum and represent a paradigm shift in how views are expressed, and truth is identified,” said Trevor Bacon, CEO of Parcl. “Parcl is the source of truth for real-estate pricing, and we believe real estate should be a major category within the prediction-market ecosystem. Polymarket is a pioneer in the space, and we’re excited to partner with them.”

The partnership will initially focus on major U.S. housing markets, with template questions tied to index movements across defined periods, like whether a city’s home price index finishes up or down over a month, quarter, or year, as well as threshold-style outcomes that settle against published index values.

The first rollout will be in phases, starting with high-liquidity cities and adding more metros depending on user demand.

Matthew Modabber, CMO of Polymarket, commented: “Parcl’s daily housing indices give us a strong foundation to launch housing markets that settle transparently and consistently. Real estate should be a first-class category in prediction markets, and this partnership is how we get there.”

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Quick take:

The company stopped accumulating Bitcoin on December 4, with an existing stash of 510 Bitcoins plus cash, according to reports on Tuesday.

Prenetics has now pivoted to a nutrition supplement brand, IM8, after the board unanimously approved the change in strategy.

In October, the company raised $48 million in an oversubscribed equity round earmarked for Bitcoin accumulation.

Prenetics Global, the Nasdaq-listed health sciences company, has abandoned its digital asset treasury strategy to focus on the IM8 supplement brand, according to a press release on Tuesday. “Prenetics has committed to not allocate any existing capital or new capital for the purpose of acquiring additional Bitcoin,” a statement in the announcement read.

Backed by the former English footballer and media personality David Beckham, the company stopped accumulating Bitcoin on December 4, with the decision gaining a unanimous shareholder approval after agreeing it was the “most promising” way to create sustainable shareholder value by devoting to the  “once-in-a-generation” brand IM8. Prenetics claims that its IM8 supplements brand has already attained an annual recurring revenue of $100 million, eleven months after launching.

“Operating from a position of strength, we are making disciplined strategic decisions that reflect our experience as operators and our commitment to maximizing long-term shareholder value,” said CEO Danny Yeung.

The announcement comes barely five months after Prenetics Global launched its “1 BTC per day” digital asset treasury strategy on August 1, aiming to build a $1 billion Bitcoin portfolio over the next five years.

The company ditcihed its Bitcoin accumulation strategy barely two months after raising $48 million in October. The oversubscribed equity offering was meant to go towards Bitcoin purchases.

By the time the company ended its BTC strategy, Prenetics had 510 BTC (worth about $45 million at the time of writing), plus $70 million in cash and cash equivalents, the company wrote.

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Quick take:

The purchase brings Cypherpunk’s total Zcash holdings to 290,062.67 ZEC, valued at about $152 million and representing an estimated 1.76% of the total circulating network supply.

The acquisition follows a series of strategic purchases over the preceding months as the company looks to accumulate 5% of the Zcash network.

Will McEvoy, CIO of Cypherpunk, said the company will continue to execute a Zcash strategy while expanding its work across a broader set of privacy-preserving technologies.

Cypherpunk, the privacy-focused technology company backed by the Winklevoss twins, has acquired an additional 56,418.09 ZEC tokens for approximately $29 million at an average price of $514.02 per ZEC, according to a press release seen by NFTgators.

The purchase brings Cypherpunk’s total Zcash holdings to 290,062.67 ZEC, valued at about $152 million and representing an estimated 1.76% of the total circulating network supply. It follows a series of strategic purchases over the preceding months as the company looks to accumulate 5% of the Zcash network.

“We continue to execute on our goal of accumulating 5% of the Zcash network,” said Will McEvoy, CIO of Cypherpunk. “As our Zcash position grows, we are well-positioned for a market that is repricing the societal importance of privacy. We are excited to continue executing on our Zcash strategy while expanding our work across a broader set of privacy-preserving technologies and initiatives.”

Cypherpunk’s purchase comes at a time when digital assets treasury companies (DATs) appear to be approaching the sector more cautiously amid the current crypto winter. It is one of the first digital asset treasury companies to establish a portfolio anchored with Zcash.

The Zcash price is down 4.53% to about $507 since the announcement on Tuesday.

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The post Winklevoss-Backed Cypherpunk Ups ZEC Stake to 1.7% of Supply After $29M Purchase appeared first on NFTgators.

Quick take:

The company plans to acquire a 60.5% stake from NXC, Korbit’s largest shareholder, and another 31.5% stake from SK Planet, its second-largest shareholder.

Korbit is South Korea’s fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange platform by volume, with about $11.8 million 24-hour volume.

The acquisition talks have sparked speculation that the deal could disrupt the market domination of Upbit and Bithumb in the country.

Mirae Asset Financial Group is reportedly planning to acquire a 92% stake in the cryptocurrency exchange company Korbit.

According to the report by Korea Times, the company plans to acquire a 60.5% stake from NXC, Korbit’s largest shareholder, and another 31.5% stake from SK Planet, its second-largest shareholder, at a total cost of 140 billion won (approximately $97 million).

If the deal goes through, the purchase will be led by Mirae Asset Consulting, the group’s real estate and consulting affiliate. It is Mirae Asset Financial Group’s biggest unit in the corporate structure, which includes securities, asset management, venture capital, life insurance, and pension operations.

Korbit is South Korea’s fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange platform by volume, with about $11.8 million 24-hour volume, way below Upbit’s $1.2 billion and Bithumb’s $475 million, as per CoinGecko data.

The acquisition talks have sparked speculation that the deal could disrupt the market domination of Upbit and Bithumb in the country. Korbit and Bithumb control about 95% of South Korea’s crypto market, with Coinone, Korbit, and GOPAX sharing the remainder.

According to the report, founder Park Hyeon-joo, who is now the global strategy officer for the company, has been exploring opportunities in businesses that connect traditional finance with digital assets globally. 

A bid would be “in line with Park’s vision for digital asset-based financial innovation,” according to an industry official.

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Quick take:

The latest purchase of 98,852 ether brings Bitmine’s ETH holdings to about 3.37% of the total ETH supply.

The company is now the number 1 Ethereum treasury and the second biggest 2 global crypto treasury, behind Michael Saylor’s Strategy Inc. (MSTR).

Bitmine counts the likes of ARK’s Cathie Wood, MOZAYYX, Founders Fund, Bill Miller III, Pantera, Kraken, DCG, and Galaxy Digital among its top backers.

Bitmine Immersion Technologies, Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN: BMNR), the world’s second biggest crypto treasury, last week acquired 98,852 ether, at about $300 million, bringing its total ETH holdings to 4,066,062. 

According to the press release on Monday, as of December 21, 2025, the Bitcoin and Ethereum treasury company held 4,066,062 ETH at $2,991 per ETH, 193 Bitcoins, $32 million stake in Eightco Holdings’s moonshots, and $1 billion in cash.

Backed by the likes of ARK’s Cathie Wood, MOZAYYX, Founders Fund, Bill Miller III, Pantera, Kraken, DCG, Galaxy Digital, and personal investor Thomas “Tom” Lee, Bitmine is now the number 1 Ethereum treasury and the second biggest 2 global crypto treasury with $13.2 billion in assets, behind Michael Saylor’s Strategy Inc. (MSTR), which has $59 billion in BTC.

Highlighting Bitmine’s goal and fast growth over the past five and a half months, Thomas “Tom” Lee of Fundstrat, Chairman of Bitmine, said in a statement: “We are making rapid progress towards the ‘alchemy of 5%’ and we are already seeing the synergies borne from our substantial ETH holdings. We are a key entity bridging Wall Street’s move onto the blockchain via tokenization. And we have been heavily engaged with the key entities driving cutting-edge development in the defi community.”

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