Cryptopolitan

Ethereum released a long post on X to recount the high points of its year 2025, a year that its DeFi TVL reportedly grew up to 9 times as much as any competing networks in terms of DeFi. 

According to Ethereum, it was in 2025 that it transitioned from an emerging technology to the foundational “scaffolding” of a digital civilization, a growth defined by technical maturity, institutional integration, and global expansion.

Ethereum has matured into a global clearinghouse

While other L1s optimized for high-speed trading and retail transactions, competing for users, Ethereum was focused on solidifying its position as the secure foundation for the growing digital civilization, subsequently winning the capital. 

Despite all the high-speed trading and retail apps that have emerged on networks like Solana and BNB, their TVL, relative to Ethereum’s, lags significantly behind. 

With more than $99 billion in TVL, which puts it ahead of its closest rival by more than 9x, Ethereum has gone from being just another network to a global financial clearinghouse. 

That lead it has secured means the network can boast of having one of the deepest order books, coupled with robust lending pools in the digital world of decentralized finance. These deep liquidity stats have not gone unnoticed by institutions and whales. 

Deep order books mean the chain can absorb huge trades without triggering massive slippage in prices, which often costs traders. This makes it a suitable destination for institutional capital, which prefers deep liquidity. That capital increasingly deepens the pool, ultimately attracting even bigger players.

According to Ethereum’s post, 2025 saw this play out spectacularly, with the chain holding about 68% of the total DeFi market share. That screams trust, a commodity that is hard to come by and even harder to retain as the cryptocurrency industry continues to grow.

More milestones that defined Ethereum’s 2025 

The year also saw the validation of Ethereum’s hub-and-spoke model, which directly disproved historical sentiment that proclaimed its L2s as vampires fragmenting liquidity and, as a result, weakening the chain. 

In 2025, the chain outsourced high-frequency retail activity to its L2s, including Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base, which gave it the freedom to act as overseer of settlement. Users could enjoy cheap fees on L2s without detracting from the Ethereum ecosystem. 

The outsourcing saw traffic increase on its L2s, but the security and finality of the transactions remain on the Ethereum L1, ensuring that it continued to dominate in TVL.  

There was also the Pectra upgrade, which made smart wallets a global standard. Next in the technical pipeline was the Fusaka upgrade, which lowered fees even more. Both upgrades have ensured Ethereum will remain a global leader for a long time, as it has become a storehouse for where the world’s wealth is stored.

Additionally, in 2025, privacy became a core focus for the ecosystem, driven by project growth and L2 development. According to the X post, privacy protocols on Ethereum reached new all-time highs for value locked, growing by over 60% in 2025. 

By the end of 2025, there were 750+ projects in the Web3 privacy ecosystem with initiatives impacting DeFi, wallets, apps, storage, and more.

The chain celebrated 10 years of going live in July 2025 as well, prompting celebrations across the globe and ushering in a renewed focus on growth and resilience. 

In its 10 years of operation, Ethereum has deployed over 88 million total smart contracts, and daily transactions on-chain reached a new all-time high of 2.23 million as of December 2025, as Cryptopolitan reported. It also boasts the largest developer community of any blockchain, with 32K active developers fueling innovation in the ecosystem. 

“With 10 years of uninterrupted liveness, Ethereum represents trust that is earned over time. Ethereum is infrastructure that has persisted through market cycles and global stress to set the standard for resilience,” the post concluded.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.

In 2025, Coinbase expanded its presence in the international financial market through regulatory actions, the introduction of new product offerings, and a series of acquisitions, which broadened the company’s operating range.

During the same year, Coinbase became the first crypto-native company added to the S&P 500, a move that placed the firm within mainstream equity portfolios and formalized its inclusion in traditional market benchmarks.

Regulatory progress and market access

One of the key changes in 2025 was on the regulatory front. The dispute between Coinbase and the Securities and Exchange Commission was permanently terminated when the latter dropped its suit in U.S. litigation. Independently, the federal policy moved forward with the enactment of the GENIUS Act, creating nationwide standards of stablecoins.

Beyond the United States, Coinbase received authorization under the Markets in Crypto-Assets regime of the European Union and is now authorized to provide regulated services in all EU countries.

Coinbase also relocated to Texas, as the state was considered more open to digital asset activity. On the trading front, the exchange enhanced its U.S. trading platform to include futures products and perpetual-style futures products. Meanwhile, its institutional division initiated 24/7 futures trading and cross-margining between spot and derivatives markets regulated by CFTC.

Coinbase’s acquisitions, infrastructure, and new financial products

The firm also excelled in its growth through its acquisition strategy. Coinbase made the largest acquisition in the crypto market by acquiring Deribit to strengthen its derivatives product.

This was also the year when the company launched products in non-trading areas. Coinbase also added trading and prediction markets, including those powered by Kalshi, and launched Coinbase One in the United States, which offers rewards in Bitcoin on purchases. 

The exchange also launched crypto-backed lending, allowing users to borrow USDC backed by Bitcoin and Ethereum on Morpho, a Base product. The platform later acquired more than 1 billion Bitcoins in loans during the year. In addition, decentralized exchange trading also became a direct feature of the Coinbase app, enabling users to access on-chain markets on Base and Solana. 

Base network growth and outlook into 2026

Base remained the main on-chain infrastructure of Coinbase. In 2025, more than 18 local-currency stablecoins were introduced on the network in the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Europe, enabling routine payments. USDC payments were implemented in the Base at checkout on Shopify, enabling internet merchants worldwide to settle on-chain.

With the introduction of permissionless fault proofs and an independent security council, the Base network achieved Stage 1 decentralization, reducing its dependence on a single operator. The developer team at Coinbase also created the x402 payment standard, which aims to provide native on-chain payments to developers and automated agents.

Looking ahead, Coinbase Chief Executive Brian Armstrong proposed plans for 2026 that included the creation of an all-encompassing financial application combining crypto, equities, prediction markets, and other asset classes.

Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.

Arkham Intelligence data shows that crypto wallets linked to the US Government reportedly moved out more than $225 million worth of USDT. These funds were allegedly seized in connection with so-called “pig butchering” schemes.

However, the transferred amount closely matches a massive seizure announced by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in June 2025. The authority had revealed that they took control of more than $225 million in stablecoins. These funds were linked to largely operated crypto scams and were also seen as the biggest such seizure in US history.

More than 400 victims linked

The enforcement action was disclosed on June 18. The US Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture complaint in federal court in Washington, D.C. The complaint alleged that the funds were traced to a huge money laundering network. The nexus was used by fraudsters to operate “pig butchering” schemes. Such scams usually begin as online romantic relationships and later steer victims into fake crypto investments.

The U.S. Government(Pig Butcher Seizures) just transferred out 225.365M $USDT.https://t.co/C2ftU2amGk pic.twitter.com/ADYoYOuVsS

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) January 6, 2026

Court filings show that the US Secret Service and the FBI investigators tracked hundreds of thousands of transactions linked with the laundering operation. Scammers were actively dispersing stolen funds around a web of wallets. This is done in an attempt to hide the origin and ownership of money. 

Agencies mentioned that the dozens of victims were identified at that time. This number went up to more than 400 suspected victims globally who lost their money to it. However, the fresh numbers are yet to be announced.

Tether is the issuer of the biggest stablecoin, USDT, in the market. USDT holds a market cap of more than $187 billion at the press time. On the other hand, the global crypto market printed red indexes in the last 24 hours after witnessing a recovery rally. Its market cap stood around $3.16 trillion with a 24-hour trading volume of $137 billion.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.

Investors are looking for big returns as the market changes. Many individuals keep a close eye on the Ripple (XRP) market to see if the value climbs, but large investors are moving funds to better opportunities. They are selecting a new investment vehicle named Mutuum Finance (MUTM).

The new crypto coin has already risen by a staggering 300%, for those who have bought it earlier. It has a very bright future ahead of it in terms of growth in the year 2026. With a mere $200, you would have a chance to witness an eventual 35-fold increase in just months. This, in turn, will amount to $7,000.

XRP Under Heavy Market Pressure

Ripple (XRP) is currently experiencing difficulties. The price went down by 38% towards the latter part of 2025. It is currently trading at $1.87, which is very low for its holders. The longtime holders are selling their coins in order to purchase other investments. This is an indication that they already lost hope in their coin. Even with the assistance of big banks, it is not increasing in price as they expected. Ripple (XRP) may remain stagnant for a long while, according to experts. It is lacking unique tools just like other new coins.

The crypto relies too much on age-old news and simple hype. This makes it not the best bet in 2026. Whales are leaving because they want more utility and actual results. They want something that will do more than transfer funds between banks. They want the best crypto with improved technology. Mutuum Finance meets these requirements.

Presale Phase Seven Fast Growth

The presale for Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is doing very well. It has already raised $19,600,000 from investors. Over 18,660 people are already holding this token in their wallets. The price for Phase 7 is $0.04. This is a very good time to invest. The next phase will increase it to $0.045 very soon. When it is launched, it will be sold at $0.06 before rallying to $0.50 according to early predictions. As such, $10,000 invested today will become $12,000 when phase 8 starts, $15,000 at market debut and over $100,000 when MUTM hits $0.50. The project is built to reward early adopters, while hitting the snooze button means leaving life-changing gains on the table. 

MUTM is clearly the next big thing in the crypto market because they have a plan. The project has undergone a code review by Halborn Security to make sure lending and borrowing smart contracts are secure before V1 protocol launch on the Sepolia testnet. The presale now allows card purchases, simplifying the onboarding process for investors who may not be crypto native. That is why this is the next crypto coin to explode for those who are just starting out and getting started is easy.

Smart Buy and Distribute Rewards

The project has a method of helping the loyalists earn more. This is referred to as the ‘Buyback and Distribute Mechanism.’ The protocol charges fees to its users. A fraction of the fees obtained are used to purchase tokens on the marketplace. The tokens are then distributed to individuals who stake in the project. This enhances portfolio growth without contributing to inflation on the platform. It makes Mutuum Finance (MUTM) the greatest crypto to invest in currently for passive income generation.

Peer to Peer Lending Utility

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) additionally supports the Peer To Peer lending concept for its users. This provides individuals with the opportunity to borrow and lend money to each other directly. This is much improved over the old methods utilized in large banks. One may lend $5,000 while gaining $900 in ROI per annum. This provides an excellent return of 18% for the lender. 

MUTM is the next major cryptocurrency for those who wish to utilize their funds effectively. The Sepolia testnet V1 protocol launch is now set for operation. It will feature mtTokens, a liquidator bot and support for ETH and USDT borrowing and lending. More assets will be added later as the project expands. This upcoming launch has earned MUTM the title for the best cryptocurrency to purchase today.

Smart Moves for Smart Investors

Market changes rapidly and investors must keep abreast. Traditional cryptocurrencies are gradually being displaced in favor of new ones with superior characteristics. Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is an entirely new cryptocurrency with a bright future. This initiative is made with the vision of success and progress. It is the new giant cryptocurrency to watch in the year 2026. Whales are already moving into the initiative to reserve places among the best cryptocurrencies.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/ 

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance 

The perpetrator behind the December 18 $27.3 million cryptocurrency theft has withdrawn 1,000 ETH worth $3.24 million from the DeFi platform Aave and laundered it through Tornado Cash.

According to PeckShield, the attacker has now funneled up to 6,300 ETH, valued at $19.4 million, through Tornado Cash since the initial breach.

PeckShield wrote on X, “The drainer, who controls the compromised multisig, holds a $9.75M leveraged long position ($20.5M in ETH against $10.7M in DAI).”

Pig-butchering scam emerges in money trail

Another incident involving laundering and the use of Tornado Cash has caught the eye of on-chain monitors.

On-chain analyst Specter notified the public on X, stating, “A wallet bridged $7M to Ethereum from multiple wallets on the TRON blockchain. Tracing the funds suggests they originate from a crypto investment pig-butchering scam.”

PeckShield also corroborated the story with on-chain data, uncovering a laundering operation that is related to pig butchering.

PeckShield analysis indicated that one address alone had processed 2,479.1 ETH worth $7.9 million through Tornado Cash, with funds traced back to multiple Tron wallets before being bridged to Ethereum.

The attacker’s methodical approach involves depositing funds in 100 ETH batches into Tornado Cash, which severs the blockchain links between deposits and withdrawals, making recovery efforts more difficult.

Another incident highlighted by PeckShield the same day was the one where a “UXLink exploiter labeled address has swapped 248 $WBTC for 23M $DAI within the last hour.”

The on-chain security firm added that “This follows the Sept. 22 hack, where the attacker minted billions of unauthorized tokens and drained tens of millions in crypto assets.”

Crypto industry grapples with losses

The December theft forms part of an increasing pattern of crypto breaches that saw over $117.8 million lost to exploits, according to industry data. In November 2025, around $127 million was lost, with about $45 million frozen or recovered from that loot, according to data from cybersecurity firm Certik.

December saw several significant incidents, including a $50 million address poisoning attack and the exploit of Trust Wallet’s browser extension that saw losses run up to over $8.5 million.

A recent Chainalysis report pointed out that the top ten cryptocurrency hacks of 2025 resulted in a combined loss that exceeded $2.2 billion of the $3.4 billion that was stolen in the crypto industry. The report came out before the Trust Wallet exploit later in December.

The December breach ranks among the year’s most significant private key compromises, a category of attack that security experts consider devastating due to the complete control it grants perpetrators.

Phishing and wallet compromises ranked first and second by category in terms of the amount lost to breaches in December. Despite ongoing monitoring by blockchain security firms, no recovery efforts have been announced.

The attacker’s leveraged position on Aave presents more challenges to an already complicated issue, as liquidation of the collateral could trigger market movements. However, it will also provide opportunities for tracking if the perpetrator attempts to extract value.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.

China’s central bank has revealed its plans to develop the capabilities and expand the reach of the digital yuan in 2026. The policy statement follows earlier reports of the first cross-border transaction involving the digital yuan in a Laos pilot.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has pledged to steadily develop the digital yuan in 2026 while also encouraging its use in various markets. Part of its commitment is to advance the digital yuan’s cross-border capabilities as part of its 2026 work plan, following a two-day conference held from January 5 to January 6, 2026. 

Governor Pan Gongsheng led the meeting, which established monetary policy directions and reform priorities for the year ahead.

The PBOC plans to take the digital yuan international

According to the PBOC’s conference statement, the central bank will “steadily develop digital RMB” while working to “improve the infrastructure for cross-border use of RMB.” The PBOC pledged to facilitate the use of the yuan under trade investment scenarios and encourage financial institutions to enhance cross-border financial services. 

The bank also announced it would welcome more eligible overseas entities to issue panda bonds, which are yuan-denominated bonds sold in China by foreign issuers.

The PBOC plans to leverage currency swap arrangements between central banks to facilitate yuan usage in international trade and investment transactions so countries can exchange currencies without using the U.S. dollar as an intermediary.

The bank is also working to develop the scope of its fast payment system interconnections and promote QR code payment cooperation with other countries. The PBOC stated it will actively coordinate with foreign monetary authorities to establish technical and regulatory frameworks supporting digital yuan transactions.

China is currently developing its central bank digital currency (CBDC). The digital yuan, also known as e-CNY, has been in pilot testing across multiple Chinese cities since 2020, with uses ranging from retail payments to government disbursements.

What is China’s economic policy for 2026?

The PBOC will continue to implement a moderately loose monetary policy in 2026. It also said it will flexibly and efficiently use tools such as reserve requirement ratio cuts and interest rate reductions to maintain sufficient liquidity.

The conference stressed the need to improve the quality of financial services for the real economy, with particular focus on the “five major articles”, including technology finance, green finance, inclusive finance, pension finance, and digital economy finance. 

More than 700 entities reportedly issued over 1.5 trillion yuan of science and technology innovation bonds in 2025.

The PBOC’s 2026 agenda also includes optimizing the mechanism arrangement of “Bond Connect” and “Swap Connect” programs, which allow foreign investors to access China’s onshore bond and derivatives markets through Hong Kong.

The central bank announced that it would support the construction of the International Monetary Fund Shanghai Center and strengthen the supervision of virtual cryptocurrencies. The bank intends to continue cracking down on related illegal activities and also implement stricter anti-money laundering measures.

If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter.

The Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection (BCCP) has announced that it has been able to secure a consent agreement with Bitcoin Depot, a major operator of crypto kiosks, aka ATMs.

The company will pay $1.9 million to compensate Maine residents who lost funds to third-party scans linked to the company’s kiosks. 

Maine Bitcoin Depot ATM victims will be settled 

According to an update shared to the official website of Maine’s BCCP, Bitcoin Depot, with assistance from the Maine Attorney General, has resolved its concerns with Bitcoin Depot’s practices. 

The update claims that the BCCP’s agreement with Bitcoin Depot will see the company pay $1.9 million dollars which will be used to pay Mainers who lost money in scams perpetrated at Bitcoin Depot kiosks throughout the state by a third party. 

The consent agreement also granted Bitcoin Depot a money transmitter license, allowing it to operate legally in the state, although Maine is not listed among active locations on the company’s website.

The agreement comes after a two-year-long investigation, and only people who were taken advantage of by a third party while using a Bitcoin Depot kiosk may be eligible for a refund. Such people must have been Maine residents between 2022 and 2025 and must have used a Bitcoin Depot kiosk in Maine during the same period to convert cash to cryptocurrency. 

They must also have deposited the cryptocurrency into an “unhosted wallet” provided by a scammer or other third-party fraudster. An “unhosted wallet” is a type of digital wallet hosted and controlled by a user, rather than a financial institution, money transmitter, exchange or other virtual asset service provider.

The deadline for filing a claim on the Bureau’s website is April 1, 2026, and claims that come after that day will reportedly be dismissed. Those who tick all the boxes and file a claim within the time limit are expected to receive their refunds sometime in May after processing. 

As for how much the refunds will be, the Bureau has claimed it will not know until it has received and reviewed all of the claims. This is because it is unclear how many Mainers lost funds to scams via Bitcoin Depot kiosks, exactly where they were located, or how much money each victim might receive.

Maine’s Governor praised the Bureau for consent agreement 

The governor of Maine, Janet Mills, praised the Bureau for the consent agreement with Bitcoin Depot, claiming it “will put money back into the pockets of Maine people who were defrauded by predatory third-party scammers.”

Mills is very particular about consumer protection and has urged all Mainers “to talk with their loved ones about the threats of scammers and precautions to take to avoid these cruel and often sophisticated schemes.” 

In response to the increased rate of financial losses linked to scams, Maine has adopted laws that protect consumers from third-party scammers, including the Maine Money Transmission Modernization Act, which was signed in 2024.

Last June, Mills also signed an emergency law, “An Act to Regulate Virtual Currency Kiosks,” that put a cap on daily transmission amounts from virtual currency kiosks, and limited fees and exchange rates, while providing redress for consumers. 

Superintendent of the BCCP, Linda Conti, has praised the new consumer protection laws as the foundation that enabled the consent agreement to happen.

The laws include an unhosted wallet provision, which requires money transmitters to employ new technologies to ensure that Maine consumers own and control their virtual wallets.

Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.

While the beginning of 2026 presents challenges to investors seeking the next potential Solana, the good news is that one new crypto could be the answer. Solana (SOL) took off from an initial price of $1.50 at the beginning of 2021 to an all-time high price point of $256, providing more than 16,000% returns. Another project ready to provide such returns, given its structured presale phase and the utility offered within its system is Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a new crypto priced at an incredibly low price point of $0.04.

Solana (SOL) Rebound During Times of Consolidation

Solana (SOL) seems to be coming out of a long-term downtrend and is currently consolidating around $127 with early signs of a recovery. If it can remain above this area, it may help it move towards higher resistance levels. However, although SOL seems to have made a promising recovery, investors seeking quicker and possibly higher gains are increasingly looking at smaller projects that are still developing within the market, especially one $0.04 token positioned as the next crypto to hit $1.

Early Investors’ Potential ROI in MUTM

Mutuum Finance is currently undertaking the 7th phase of presale with a price of $0.04. With the presale model currently being employed by the platform, early buyers are given a chance to see their money grow long before launch. The token has already experienced a 300% increase from Phase 1 price of $0.01. But analysts say true gains are ahead, where MUTM is set to become the next crypto to hit $1. This means investors buying today are in for a 2400% profit before the end of the year. 

Access Liquidity Without Selling

Mutuum Finance incorporates risk management systems to secure both parties, the lenders and the protocol. There is an LTV and Liquidation Ratio for all assets. For example, for ETH, USDT, or any major assets such as BTC, the LTV Ratio to borrow would be 75% with an 80% Liquidation Ratio, while any risky assets such as Shiba Inu would be limited to borrow at an LTV Ratio of 40% or higher. An investor who holding ETH could be able to borrow against the investment without actually having to sell. At 75% LTV, $20,000 ETH collateral could lead to $15,000 loan. The investor can then use this loan as they like, while their ETH holdings continue to earn profit if the price of Ethereum rises.

Rewards Programs Encourage Engagement and Adoption

Mutuum Finance has reward programs that recognize participation in this presale. One is a $100,000 giveaway that will give ten individuals $10,000 in MUTM. The other is a $500 bonus that goes to the biggest investor daily. The clock on this reward resets every day at 00:00 UTC. The programs are responsible for promoting engagement in Mutuum Finance and helping it increase its number of holders, which is vital for it since more activity translates to faster project growth.

Outpacing Legacy DeFi by Revenue-Linked Growth

Contrary to the other DeFi applications, which depend on inflationary algorithms for reward distribution, MUTM features a deflationary model that gives more tokens to staking investors. Apart from this, MUTM’s non-algorithmic stablecoin and projected multichain expansion puts it ahead of most DeFi platforms with a siloed focus.

MUTM Offers Asymmetric Upside Potential over Early Investors 

Solana past price growth demonstrates the value of early investment in cryptocurrency, which can result in huge profits. MUTM is a similar opportunity by itself regarding early-stage investment, considering entry prices, a genuine DeFi application, presale success, as well as a reward system. Persons seeking the opportunity to reap huge profits akin to those reaped by early Solana investors will find MUTM a relevant opportunity.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

A financial firm has asked regulators to approve what would be the first investment fund focused on companies doing business in Venezuela, arriving on the heels of major political changes in the South American nation.

The exchange-traded fund industry manages $13.6 trillion in assets across almost 5,000 different products. Now it may add another option targeting Venezuelan stocks.

Teucrium filed paperwork Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission to create the Venezuela Exposure ETF. The proposed fund would follow an index tracking Venezuela-based businesses and companies that either keep more than half their assets in Venezuela or make over 50 percent of their money from operations there. This means the fund wouldn’t just buy stocks listed in Venezuela but would also include any company heavily involved in the country.

Political shift drives market surge

The filing came just days after the United States conducted a secret weekend operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power.

If approved, this would break new ground. While several funds currently hold Venezuelan government debt, information from Bloomberg Intelligence shows no existing ETFs attempt to give investors access to Venezuela’s stock market, which remains small with limited trading activity.

The Caracas Stock Exchange jumped 16.45 percent on Monday, building on recent gains.

Eric Balchunas, who analyzes ETFs for Bloomberg Intelligence, said the timing makes sense despite many unanswered questions about Venezuela’s future government and the real-world difficulties of investing there.

“It’s something that isn’t totally ETF-able. It’s a frontier country with no liquidity,” Balchunas explained. “This is the ETF industry being opportunistic and trying to take advantage of the moment.”

Debt restructuring hopes fuel optimism

Maduro’s removal sparked a sharp rise in Venezuela’s bond market. Long-term creditors are now wondering if this could finally lead to negotiations over the country’s debt burden. Venezuela quit making debt payments around eight years ago, and restructuring discussions have been virtually absent due to American sanctions.

The political shift has helped the limited number of ETFs holding Venezuelan debt. One example is the Virtus Stone Harbor Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF, known by its ticker VEMY, which started increasing its Venezuelan bond holdings roughly a year ago, according to portfolio manager Jim Craige.

Craige, who serves as chief investment officer at Stone Harbor Investment Partners, thinks a debt restructuring deal could happen within the next 18 to 24 months.

“The defaulted debt we own in the fund and across our strategies has increased significantly in price and it should continue to do so,” Craige said Monday on Bloomberg Television’s ETF IQ program. “It’s trading at 35 cents on the dollar, and the claim value is between one and a half and two times that. So you do a pretty simple restructuring, we expect a lot of value out of this.”

Even with positive feelings about Venezuelan debt, Balchunas thinks the potential customer base for a Venezuelan stock ETF is probably limited. However, it represents one of the rare unexplored areas for companies competing in the packed ETF marketplace.

Todd Sohn noted that such opportunities emerge when circumstances create possibilities for new investment options.

“Every now and then, an event or catalyst occurs and the industry realizes, no matter how small the gap or niche the matter, that there is potential for a new exposure,” Sohn said. “That’s evident here.“

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.

Prediction market Polymarket quietly added taker fees on 15-minute crypto markets. Polymarket stated that the introduced fees aim to support a new Maker Rebates Program. The introduction of fees marks the end of the prediction market platform’s zero-fee trading model.

Polymarket said that fees influence short-term cryptocurrency trades.

According to Polymarket, the collected fees will be distributed to market makers daily in USDC stablecoins. The redistribution will result in increased liquidity, less spread, and a more straightforward deal in volatile markets.

Polymarket explains the fee curve used in 15-minute markets

BREAKING: Polymarket appears to be introducing fees as high as 3% on the 15-minute Crypto up/Down Markets.

A new page on their documentation website has appeared, which strongly suggests that fees are about to be enabled for these markets. pic.twitter.com/8zIK4YoqI5

— JesterTheGoose (@Jesterthegoose) January 6, 2026

Polymarket noted that the change supports regular, competitive quotations, which help agreements execute more reliably and make markets more resilient during instability.

The fees are computed using the fee curve with up to six decimal places and rounded to four decimal places, according to the prediction market platform. Tiny trades at probability extremes may not incur a fee because the minimum non-zero cost is 0.0001 USDC.

Polymarket noted fees change based on market odds, with the highest costs happening when prices are close to 50%. However, as the chance approaches 0% or 100%, it decreases toward zero. 

Source: Polymarket; Taker fees peak at 50% probability, drop near extremes.

It presented different examples of how the fees will be calculated. A taker deal of 100 shares priced at $0.50 would incur a cost of around $1.56, which is slightly over 3% of the trade’s value at the curve’s apex.

Polymarket adding fees sparks discussion across social media

The introduction of fees in the 15-minute crypto markets sparked discussions across social media.

On January 6, Tawer95.eth, the CEO of the PolyScanner3000 bot and Polymarket user, provided a detailed breakdown on X regarding the introduction of the fees. Tawer95.eth named the headline “scary, but not as bad as it sounds.” In his commentary, he asserted that the plan creates a sustainable flow of income to market makers and, in addition, minimizes the incentives of bots that previously took advantage of free liquidity.

On Tuesday, a trader referred to the introduction of fees as directed against high-frequency bots. In his view, fee rebates would help to tighten the spreads and have more stable liquidity. 

On the same day, a different trader argued that the addition of fees would give more protection against wash trading. The trader stated that Polymarket did not commence charging users in the traditional sense, as the expenses were channeled to market makers.

The introduction of fees on Polymarket follows the recent initiation of a real estate prediction market by Polymarket and Parcl, a housing data platform.

On January 5, Cryptopolitan covered a story of Polymarket and Parcl collaborating to establish real estate prediction markets that utilize daily housing price indexes. The report revealed that the collaboration expands the capacity of prediction markets to include residential property data, with an initial focus on US housing markets.

Parcl stated that the partnership will focus on the U.S. housing market by utilizing templates that include questions about index fluctuations over specific time periods. “Whether a city’s home price index finishes up or down over a year, quarter, or month” is one of these questions. 

The firm also pointed out that to ensure participant openness, the markets will monitor Parcl’s resolution page to ascertain the ultimate settlement.

In a separate report dated January 4, Cryptopolitan reported growing concerns over insider trading on the prediction market. The report covered a story about a trader who profited $80,000 overnight after predicting a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. The trader explained that he believed a strike on Venezuela was imminent, as the U.S. had deployed its largest aircraft carrier.

Sharpen your strategy with mentorship + daily ideas - 30 days free access to our trading program

A top European banking official said Tuesday that Washington’s recent moves against the Federal Reserve are putting the US dollar’s global standing at risk.

Francois Villeroy de Galhau, who sits on the European Central Bank’s main decision-making body, laid out his concerns during a speech in Paris on January 6. He pointed to three areas where American policy choices are creating problems for the currency that has long served as the world’s primary reserve asset.

The French central banker said the White House’s attacks on Fed independence, questions about America’s budget management, and new trade barriers that isolate the country from world markets are all eating away at the foundations that made the dollar dominant.

“Some recent US policies have undermined some pillars of the US dollar’s dominance by attacking the Fed’s independence, raising doubts as to US fiscal discipline, and imposing tariffs that diminish US integration with the global economy,” Villeroy told an audience gathered for an event celebrating France’s leadership of the Group of Seven nations.

Dollar weakness creates an opening for euro

He added that worries about Washington potentially using dollar-based payment systems as a political weapon are pushing other countries to build their own alternatives. These developments are shaking investor trust in dollar-backed investments and will likely speed up the slow but steady movement toward using multiple currencies in international trade, he said.

Officials at the European Central Bank have been saying for some time that the uncertainty surrounding the dollar – largely stemming from President Donald Trump’s public criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell – creates an opening for the euro to take on a bigger role in global finance. However, Villeroy suggested that a world with several major currencies sharing power might actually be more steady than the current system.

During his remarks, he brought up the idea of creating a safe investment product denominated in euros, saying “the creation of a euro-denominated safe asset merits our renewed attention.” He mentioned possibilities like converting some national government debt into European-level debt and combining existing multinational borrowing programs.

Villeroy’s criticism comes at a time when economic conditions in France support his arguments. Fresh data shows France’s yearly inflation rate dropped to 0.8% in December 2025, marking its lowest point in seven months. This figure came in below the 0.9% recorded in both October and November, and under what analysts had predicted. The decline happened mainly because energy costs fell more sharply, dropping 6.8% compared to a 4.6% decrease previously, with fuel prices leading the way down.

This puts Villeroy in a strong position to make his case. While the American government is pushing the Fed to lower interest rates to help a struggling economy, Villeroy can point out that the ECB’s independent, numbers-based strategy has already brought inflation well under the 2% goal without any political meddling.

Search for new Fed chair intensifies debate

Meanwhile, the debate over Fed independence is moving from theory to practice as Trump’s search for Powell’s replacement heats up. Fed Governor Stephen Miran told Fox Business on Tuesday morning that he hasn’t discussed becoming the next Fed chair with Trump and isn’t pursuing the position. He said he’s not on the shortlist, calling the actual candidates “extremely credible.”

Trump is now looking at a final group that includes Kevin Warsh, who previously served on the Fed’s board, and Kevin Hassett, who advises the White House on economic matters. Powell’s term running the Fed ends in May.

Right now, betting markets show Hassett as the front-runner, given his close ties to Trump. However, experts quoted in recent reports from Investopedia and the Wall Street Journal caution that picking Hassett could result in a Fed that coordinates with the White House on interest rate decisions – precisely the kind of arrangement Villeroy argues will damage worldwide confidence in the dollar. Andrew Brenner, vice chairman at NatAlliance Securities, wrote: “The Fed is a process, not a one-man show.“

Join a premium crypto trading community free for 30 days - normally $100/mo.

Investors searching for the next crypto to explode in 2026 have their eyes fixed on Mutuum Finance (MUTM), a promising new crypto coin gaining rapid traction. Priced at $0.04 in presale phase 7, but set to rise toward $0.06 by market launch, those buying MUTM today are set for immediate returns in no time. The new crypto coin is stirring the kind of fervor felt when Shiba Inu first hit it big, but with a decentralized lending and borrowing ecosystem. When it comes to possible price increases down the road, market analysts believe the fixed supply of MUTM, its presale structure, and its adoption potential offer the possibility of reaching much higher price levels, positioning it as the next crypto to explode. 

SHIB Registers Early 2026 Strength

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has shown encouraging strength as 2026 starts, having bounced back after a test of the critical level at $0.00000678. SHIB may well target $0.0000080-$0.0000090 if a clear crossover of $0.00000766 is gained. While SHIB shows strength as a popular meme token, its potential and growth remain limited. The token has a large token supply and lacks significant catalysts, ensuring that despite the presence of volume and interest, the impact may well remain limited and thus not the next crypto to explode.

How $1,000 Could Become $10,000 

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is priced at $0.04 during presale phase 7. The presale has raised over $19.6 million from more than 18,700 unique investors. The presale is set to reward those who invest early. For an investor entering with $1,000 during Phase 7, that move alone could turn the position into $1,500 when the token hits $0.06 at market launch. Post-launch, analysts predict Mutuum Finance could climb to hit $0.40 within months. This 10x rally will turn the $1000 investment into $10,000. As adoption grows, this investment could continue higher to $100,000 and beyond, showcasing MUTM’s potential as the next crypto to explode. This analyst forecast is tied to the project’s rapid presale momentum, growing DeFi ecosystem with an upcoming testnet launch along with juicy APYs. 

MUTM DeFi Functionality

One of the features of Mutuum Finance is the fact that it offers real utility instead of merely being a hype-generating platform. The V1 protocol of their platform will be launched on the Sepolia testnet in Q4 of 2025 and will offer fundamental functionalities like the use of Liquidity Pools, mtTokens, Debt Tokens, and an Automated Liquidator Bot. To begin with, it will support ETH and USDT; more assets will be added to the platform in the coming stages. 

Community engagement has also been incorporated into the platform. Mutuum Finance features a daily leaderboard that rewards the biggest buyer of the day with $500 MUTM bonus. In addition, the platform maintains another leaderboard for its top 50 holders, who will also be rewarded for maintaining a spot among the biggest investors.

The total supply for MUTM has been fixed at 4 billion tokens and with no minting in the future, making it highly superior to the inflationary DeFi platforms. The presale has been allocated 1.82 billion tokens, which constitutes 45.5% of the total. More than 800 million tokens have already been purchased, implying that the supply is continuously declining.

Buyback and Distribute & Lending APYs  

MUTM Buy-Back & Distribution program sees a portion of the profits accrued by the protocol utilized to buy MUTM on the open market. The tokens are subsequently rewarded to those who stake mtTokens. MtTokens are ERC-20 tokens, which symbolize the deposits made in liquidity pool accounts by lenders at a 1:1 ratio. For example, when one locks 7500 USDT, they get 7500 mtUSDT. This will then earn $525 to $900 per year in passive income. The higher the deposit, the higher the APY. 

MUTM vs SHIB

While SHIB faces problems with close price ranges, low volume, and few catalysts, the opportunity with MUTM at $0.04 during Presale Phase 7 appears clean. Its fixed supply and growing community with legitimate use in DeFi present highly beneficial entry conditions. Failure to join now may mean observing others earning huge rewards instead.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://mutuum.com/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Nickel prices jumped hard in London, surging by more than 10% in a single session and logging the strongest daily gain in over three years and hitting a new all-time high of $18,785 per ton on the London Metal Exchange, capping a brutal two-week rally of more than 20%.

The spike came fast and during Asian hours, where most of the buying pressure showed up on a market that had been stuck under heavy supply and weak demand talk for months. Output from Indonesia kept pressure on prices, while electric-vehicle battery demand failed to meet early forecasts.

That story changed quickly as money poured into China’s metals markets and traders started reacting to rising risks around Indonesian production.

China drives metals higher across multiple trading sessions

Trading patterns showed Chinese investors played a direct role in pushing nickel, gold, and other metals higher, as prices jumped during high-volume trading on the London Metal Exchange while Asia was active, according to data from Bloomberg.

Gains picked up again when night trading opened on the Shanghai Futures Exchange. Copper and tin followed the same path, rallying by 3% and 4% respectively during the same windows.

The move also stood out because it came without any major supply cuts. The price jump was driven by positioning, flows, and speed. Traders reacted to where the money was moving, not long-term balance sheets. That flow was centered in China and spread quickly across global exchanges, lifting nickel alongside copper and tin.

Geopolitical shock boosts metals rally into 2026 after an outstanding 2025

The metals surge landed as investors were already leaning into commodities ahead of 2026. The attack on Venezuela ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump added fuel to that trade. Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, was ousted over the weekend, making investors all over the world concerned about global supply security.

Metals had already posted massive gains in 2025. Gold rose more than 64%. Silver jumped over 141%. Copper gained more than 40%. The rally continued Tuesday. Gold pushed higher again. Silver climbed more than 4% toward a record close. Copper surged as much as 5%, breaking $13,000 per ton for the first time.

“I think that industrial metals can go parabolic in ’26,” said Marko Papic of BCA Access. Marko said he had considered taking profits after years of gains, but changed his view after the Venezuela move. He said countries may respond by stockpiling oil, gold, copper, and nickel to protect supply.

“It suggests the United States has a different view on how resources are controlled,” Marko said. “That could push major powers to pull materials off the global market.” He added that global trade in commodities may need restructuring, with prices reacting first.

Amy Gower of Morgan Stanley also flagged rising risk. Amy holds a $4,800 gold target and said recent events lifted demand for precious metals. She pointed to the widespread debate around the dollar’s safe-haven role as another factor supporting metals.

Marko said investors could gain exposure through physical assets or ETFs. In December, Citi Research rated Hudbay Minerals buy high risk and Lundin Mining buy, expecting copper to hit record levels in 2026. Hudbay rose more than 8% this week. Lundin gained nearly 7%.

Sharpen your strategy with mentorship + daily ideas - 30 days free access to our trading program

AMD CEO Lisa Su has said that AI is not cutting jobs at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), adding that hiring is still rising and the company is adding staff across teams.

Speaking Tuesday at CES in Las Vegas, Lisa said that AMD is not slowing recruitment. “We’re actually not hiring fewer people,” Lisa said. “We’re growing very significantly as a company, so we are hiring lots of people, but we’re hiring different people. We’re hiring people who are AI forward.” She spoke while the company continues to scale production of chips tied to AI systems.

AMD builds graphics processing units used to train AI models and run large workloads. That puts the company in direct competition with Nvidia, which controls more than 90% of the AI chip market by some estimates. The rise of AI followed the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT roughly three years ago. Since then, concerns about job losses have grown across the tech sector and beyond.

AMD hires AI-focused workers while expanding chip output

Lisa said AI is now built into how AMD designs, tests, and manufactures chips. She said job candidates who fully use AI tools are getting priority during hiring. “The people who truly embrace it are the ones getting hired,” Lisa said. She added that AI tools are used across engineering and production work as the company pushes out more products.

Lisa’s comments came one day after Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said AI is pushing large companies to slow hiring. He said the labor market could see low hiring and low firing continue for some time. AMD’s data points in a different direction.

Right now, AMD has 28,000 employees worldwide, according to a filing with the SEC in December. Lisa said AI adds speed to internal work instead of removing jobs. “AI is augmenting our capabilities,” Lisa said. “It’s not replacing people. It’s increasing productivity and how many products we can bring up at the same time.”

That hiring strategy runs alongside rising demand for AI hardware. Data centers need powerful processors and massive memory capacity. AMD’s GPUs are part of that demand cycle as cloud providers spend billions to expand AI infrastructure.

Memory chip prices rise as AI data centers expand

Semiconductor stocks climbed at the start of the year, led by memory chipmakers tied to AI demand. South Korea’s SK Hynix is up 11.5% year to date. Samsung Electronics has gained 15.9%. Micron is higher by 16.3%.

Memory is extremely important for AI systems built by Nvidia and AMD. Training and running large models require large amounts of fast memory. As spending on AI data centers increases, supply remains tight.

Dynamic random-access memory used in AI servers saw a sharp price jump in 2025. Prices are expected to rise another 40% through the second quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research. High-bandwidth memory remains a key pressure point as demand continues to outpace supply.

“The recent rally across semiconductors has been driven largely by memory rather than logic chips,” said Ben Barringer, head of technology research at Quilter Cheviot. He said strong AI workloads and limited supply are pushing prices higher.

That setup favors memory makers heading into earnings season. Samsung is expected to report a 140% jump in fourth-quarter operating profit based on LSEG estimates. Micron’s earnings per share are forecast to rise more than 400% year-over-year in the December quarter.

The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them.

Crypto funds finished 2025 with a total of $47.2 billion in new money coming in. That’s just under the $48.7 billion pulled in during 2024. The final week of the year ended strongly, as $671 million came in on Friday, flipping the whole week positive with $571 million, even after some earlier losses.

Charts from CoinShares show the biggest surges happened in week 6 and week 18 of 2025, while the worst hits came in weeks 8 and 35. Most of the cash flowed into the U.S., which raked in $44.524 billion, but that was still down 12% from the year before.

The real surprise was Germany, which flipped from $43 million in losses in 2024 to $2.5 billion coming in last year.

Canada followed the same pattern, with $1.1 billion in inflows after $603 million left the market in the year before. Switzerland saw a small gain; $775 million, up 11.5% from 2024.

Bitcoin flops while Ethereum, XRP and Solana pull billions

Bitcoin didn’t have a great year, as you probably already know. The OG crypto brought in $26.9 billion, which was 35% lower than the year before.

Some traders tried shorting it, as $105 million went into short-Bitcoin funds, but those still only have $139 million total under management.

Ethereum, though, pulled in $12.7 billion, up 138% compared to 2024, while XRP brought in $3.7 billion, a 500% spike, and Solana made $3.6 billion, up by a crazy 1000%. But altcoin flows dropped 30%, landing at just $318 million, according to CoinShares.

Crypto funds flows by exchange country (US$M)

The biggest weekly haul came around week 45. Charts also showed Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other coins with wild inflow swings between week 2 and week 52. One table ranked coins by assets under management. Bitcoin led the pack, with Ethereum behind it. Altcoins Solana and XRP climbed the ladder, but no one passed the top two.

Other tables tracked weekly, monthly, and yearly flows by fund providers like iShares and Grayscale, along with their assets under management. Separate charts showed net new assets across digital asset ETPs from 2019 to 2026, revealing how much fresh money got added over time.

Traders eye Bitcoin breakout and watch MicroStrategy

Meanwhile, options trader Nishant Pant thinks, “The extreme volatility and high capital requirements don’t fit my preferred risk profile.”

Nishant’s top pick is MicroStrategy, but he’s not jumping in just yet.“While MSTR is an excellent proxy, it has been trapped in a persistent downtrend since July,” he said.

For him, it all comes down to Bitcoin’s chart. “We cannot look at the stock in isolation; we need confirmation from the mothership,” he added.

Right now, Bitcoin is sitting a bit above $94,000, which Nishant says is the line in the sand. If it gets past that, he thinks “it will likely act as a rising tide for the entire sector.”

Until that happens, he’s watching three things: RSI, DMI, and support and resistance. “RSI has suddenly pivoted,” he explained. “We are seeing a sharp, vertical trajectory in momentum.”

For DMI, “the DI+ and DI- lines are beginning to curl and change direction.” That signals buying and selling pressure is starting to change.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.

Circle’s U.S. dollar pegged stablecoin USDC recorded a faster growth rate than that of Tether’s stablecoin USDT in 2025. The stablecoin’s growth is mainly attributed to the growing demand for stablecoins at the institutional level, as well as streamlined regulations in the U.S.

The stablecoin market has experienced significant expansion in both market capitalization and transaction volume. Circle’s U.S. dollar-pegged collateralized stablecoin has grown at a faster rate than Tether’s USDT in 2025. Last year’s performance marked USDC’s second consecutive year of outgrowing USDT. 

Analysts credit USDC’s performance to increased institutional demand

Analysts have credited USDC’s recent growth to the rising demand for stablecoins from an institutional level, alongside a streamlined regulatory environment surrounding the issuance of stablecoins. The U.S. government passed the GENIUS (Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins) Act in July 2025, paving the way for a warmer environment for stablecoin issuance and usage. 

Observers note that the GENIUS Act established a comprehensive framework for introducing stablecoins pegged to a real monetary value. The new regulations allowed several banking institutions in the jurisdiction to explore regulated stablecoins such as USDC. The crypto asset is now accessible to companies such as Visa, Mastercard, and BlackRock for treasury operations and powering transactions.

According to data from crypto data aggregator CoinGecko, Tether’s USDT still reigns as the largest stablecoin in market capitalization. The data shows that the stablecoin’s market cap is around $187.3 billion, while that of USDC is $75.8 billion as of the time of this publication.  

The two stablecoins have a combined market capitalization of over $260 billion, equivalent to more than 80% of the global stablecoin market cap. The data also shows that Tether’s USDT has outperformed Circle over the last 24 hours, with a trading volume of $91.3 billion, while Circle’s stands at $15.6 billion.

However, USDC’s market capitalization increased by 73% in 2025 to $75.12 billion, while USDT’s market cap rose by 36% to $186.6 billion. In 2024, USDC grew by 77% while USDT trailed behind with a 50% growth.

Circle Internet is the financial technology company responsible for developing and issuing USDC. The company is based in New York and is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The company backs the stablecoin with cash and short-term U.S. Treasury securities held at regulated entities. 

Circle’s compliance boosts USDC’s appeal among regulated entities

Circle is the primary beneficiary of eased stablecoin regulatory scrutiny. The company has received regulatory greenlight in several states and territories in the U.S. through money transmission licenses.

The company also complies with the European MiCA framework and conducts activities under e-money licences in major regions. On the other hand, Tether has not yet received regulatory greenlight in the U.S. or the European Union. The company operates as a licensed digital asset service provider in El Salvador.

Previous remarks by analysts at JP Morgan highlighted USDC as the go-to stablecoin for institutional investors and regulated entities due to its transparent reserve management and regular audits. The analysts also noted that the stablecoin’s compliance with Europe’s MiCA regulations makes it suitable for use by financial institutions. 

As previously reported by Cryptopolitan, Ethereum-based stablecoins experienced peak activity in 2025, with constant growth throughout the year. The report highlighted that the activity was an extension of a notable trend showing the assets’ steep growth in recent months. The number of active addresses reached a new high on several occasions last year, with more than 590,000 active wallets moving stablecoins daily. 

The year saw stablecoins behave abnormally in a way not witnessed during past market cycles, in terms of both total supply and the magnitude of usage. During the year, over $314B in stablecoins were in circulation, with much more diversified destinations, unlike previous market cycles.

Join a premium crypto trading community free for 30 days - normally $100/mo.

Certain crypto coins perform their best when there is no sound. The market pursues the noisiest charts and they are constructed during months. Then a shift happens. The product is brought nearer to actual application, the security checks are made public and the very token that used to be under the radar is now seen everywhere.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) appears to be entering this visibility stage currently. The project is in its developing stage yet cautions surrounding participation, roadmap development and security preparedness are increasingly difficult to disregard. It is why market commentators continue to mention it as a name in the long-term DeFi crypto to keep an eye on.

Mutuum Finance (MUTM)

Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is a new cryptocurrency project that is building a non custodial lending and borrowing protocol. It is intended to allow users to lend and borrow and deal with collateral in the form of clear, set rules rather than informal loaning or vague conditions.

The project outlines a dual lending plan that would be used to meet various needs as it becomes more adopted. One side is about pooled liquidity, where the deposit by the user upholds the demand to borrow. The alternative side promotes face-to-face matching between users which can provide greater control over the loan terms. The objective is straightforward, maintain lending and borrowing handy even under the fluctuation of demand.

For example, if $2,000 in USDT is deposited into a pool and borrowing demand is low, the deposit yield might sit around 3%. If demand rises and the pool becomes more utilized, the yield could move toward 7% to 9% as borrowers pay higher rates. In a peer-to-peer match, a borrower could agree on a stable-style rate for predictability, such as 8%, instead of accepting a variable rate that may swing day to day. These figures are examples of how the two paths can work, not guaranteed outcomes.

V1 represents the restricting place of turning the quiet work public. Mutuum Finance has stated that V1 Protocol is getting ready to be deployed to Sepolia as to testnet, and then to be deployed to mainnet, timing mentioned as soon. V1 consists of the key elements of Liquidity Pool, mtToken, Debt Token, and a Liquidator Bot. The first assets that are available to lend, borrow and pledge are ETH and USDT.

Growth Metrics

According to Mutuum Finance, they have raised 19.6M and about 18,700 holders. They are not figures that are found overnight. They propose gradual involvement which develops.

That is important to a lending protocol. Lending systems will require trust, as customers will be putting deposits and expect clear provisions concerning the collateral and liquidations. Increasing the number of holders can be an indication of wider faith rather than the exclusive few who are possessing the narrative.

That is why MUTM appears in the lists of potential long-term best cheap crypto. It has established a pool of participants and is yet in its development of the lifecycle.

According to Mutuum Finance, MUTM is selling at $0.04 in its presale Phase 7. In early 2025 it started selling it with Phase 1 price of $0.01. The shift on to $0.04 indicates a 300% point increment in stages. An official post-sale price of $0.06 is also mentioned in Mutuum Finance.

The supply behavior changes as the higher the portion of the sale allocation is distributed to the hands of holders. The number of tokens at lower levels of entry is reduced, and there is a determined number of tokens at each stage. This is the reason why the urgency of buyers can be influenced by stage progress. The price is pushed up, and excess allocation is more valuable.

The Last Move Towards Visibility

One of the best visibility catalysts of DeFi protocols is security. It also happens to be one of the largest filters to serious buyers.

Mutuum Finance refers to a CertiK token scan rating of 90/100. Also, it indicates that Halborn Security audited its V1 lending and borrowing protocol independently. A bug bounty of 50k has also been mentioned on the project.

These measures are important as lending measures deal with collateral and liquidations. A weakness can multiply rapidly when there is an increase in liquidity. Bug bounties and audits do not eliminate risk, but create less uncertainty and send a signal to external review of the team before it is used more broadly.

Phase 7 is not the start. Many of the initial steps are already made at this point. The value of the token is very low at a price of $0.04, the number of holders is already high and the supply has been uniformly distributed.

This is the reason why investors position MUTM as a long-term new crypto to follow. Silent construction is becoming apparent. The supply is shrinking with progressions. Security checks are public. A shift in visibility can be advanced to 2026 provided that V1 delivery remains on course.

For more information about Mutuum Finance (MUTM) visit the links below:

Website: https://www.mutuum.com

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance

Nvidia has partnered with top music giant Universal Music Group to “boost the use of AI” in the way people find music and how artists stay in control of their work, according to a press announcement by both companies on Tuesday.

The announcement said:

“NVIDIA and UMG will undertake collaborative research and development to promote shared objectives of advancing human music creation and rightsholder compensation.”

This deal comes after last year’s legal battle with AI music startups. In 2024, Universal, Sony, and Warner sued Suno and Udio for copyright abuse. But Universal and Warner later dropped the lawsuits and made partnership deals with Udio. Warner also reached an agreement with Suno to build new platforms for AI music creation and streaming.

According to the press release, UMG and Nvidia want to make sure artists get credited and paid when AI gets involved in music creation or promotion, vowing not to “replace anyone.”

The main tool behind all this is Nvidia’s Music Flamingo model, which works off the company’s Audio Flamingo architecture and can process full-length songs, up to 15 minutes, by studying harmony, structure, lyrics, and even cultural tone.

Music Flamingo uses what Nvidia calls “chain-of-thought reasoning.” It’s meant to think more like a human listener, which of course includes picking up on details like chord changes or shifts in tone that would normally go unnoticed by regular search tools.

The model already beats its competitors in more than ten music-specific benchmarks, including instrument spotting, lyric transcription in multiple languages, and music captioning, according to Nvidia.

Instead of showing fans the same songs labeled “pop” or “fast tempo,” Music Flamingo matches listeners to tracks based on themes, emotions, or even cultural moments. Nvidia VP of Media Richard Kerris said, “We’re entering an era where a music catalog can be explored like an intelligent universe; conversational, contextual, and genuinely interactive.”

Artists will test new tools and co‑create the AI music features, says UMG

There’s also a big push to bring artists directly into the development process. Universal and Nvidia are setting up an artist incubator. Songwriters, producers, and performers will test new AI tools in real-life creative settings. They’ll help shape what gets built—so that the outputs aren’t generic, lazy, or what Universal calls “AI slop.” The incubator will be focused on tools that boost originality, not copy-paste machines.

Universal already has experience training models with Nvidia’s infrastructure. Now they’re scaling it up. Their Music & Advanced Machine Learning Lab (MAML) will continue using Nvidia’s systems while working with both internal teams and outside labels, studios, and publishers. They’ll also bring in feedback from top-tier studios like Abbey Road in London and Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.

Sir Lucian Grainge, Universal’s CEO, called this deal a “ground-breaking strategic relationship,” saying it ties together the world’s top tech company and the leading music company to push AI forward responsibly.

Nvidia will also work directly with Universal’s artists for feedback on new features and models, both to fine-tune the tools and give rising artists more chances to be discovered.

Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.

The crypto world brings clarity and high promises to its users. The MaxfulEdge team is an example of professionalism in the financial sector. The company’s specialists combine years of experience, deep knowledge, and a practical approach, making client interactions as productive and comfortable as possible. Their work is evident in every aspect of the company’s operations: from high-quality trading recommendations to platform functionality and security. Thanks to this, MaxfulEdge customers can confidently grow, expand their capabilities, and save time by receiving effective support at every stage of the interaction.

The team creates an atmosphere of confidence, helping clients to feel that their financial goals and objectives are a priority. This allows them to confidently navigate the platform and opens new horizons for growth and improved investment management skills.

Trading Recommendations

One of the key advantages of partnering with MaxfulEdge is professional support. The company’s specialists have extensive experience in financial markets and deep analytical expertise. They closely monitor trends, study data, and formulate recommendations that help clients make informed and strategic decisions.

Every piece of advice provided by the MaxfulEdge team takes into account the current market situation and long-term prospects. This enables customers to confidently plan their actions, save time, and maximise their profits. Furthermore, the broker’s specialists help clients to see the full range of opportunities and select optimal strategies, assisting them in developing their understanding of financial instruments. This approach makes collaboration convenient and educational, enabling investors to achieve better results.

Particular attention is paid to the organisation of processes. The company’s professionals are always ready to provide recommendations on how to effectively use the services and improve workflows, saving time and maximising the value of the client’s experience.

Platform Functionality

The MaxfulEdge platform is a modern and multifunctional tool designed for convenient work with financial instruments. It combines an intuitive interface with extensive analysis and account management capabilities. Regular updates and improvements by the team of specialists ensure that its functionality remains relevant and meets modern user requirements.

The platform’s advantages include flexible settings, easy trade monitoring, and tools for in-depth market analysis. Users can personalise the interface to suit their needs, creating convenient workspaces that save time and increase efficiency

The MaxfulEdge team actively implements innovative solutions aimed at enhancing the level of comfort of the clients. This allows users to focus on strategy and skill development. The platform becomes an assistant in achieving financial goals and increases traders’ confidence in their actions.

Security Level

Security is a top priority for MaxfulEdge. The company employs advanced data and account protection technologies, creating a confident and stable working environment for clients. Every element of the safety system is carefully designed by specialists to ensure the most comfortable and protected interaction.

The company’s team is constantly working to improve mechanisms and implement new control and monitoring methods, allowing clients to feel confident and at ease when working on the platform. Confidence in the security also allows clients to fully focus on strategy and decision-making, which ultimately leads to successful cooperation on a permanent basis.

Conclusion

The high professionalism of the MaxfulEdge team is evident in every aspect of the company’s operations. High-quality trade recommendations, a modern and functional platform, and data security make working with MaxfulEdge comfortable, effective, and inspiring. This allows clients to develop their skills, make informed decisions, and confidently achieve their financial goals. 

The team’s professional support saves time, opens up new opportunities, and makes working with the platform enjoyable and productive. Thanks to the highly competent staff, every trader can feel confident and satisfied, confirming the company’s reputation as a professional partner in the financial sector.