Cryptopolitan

The US, through its auto safety agency has opened an investigation into Alphabet-owned Waymo after its self-driving vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in California’s Santa Monica.

The incident reportedly resulted in minor injuries. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the child ran across the street last week, on January 23, behind a parked vehicle, and was struck by the autonomous car during normal school drop-off hours.

There were other children in the vicinity when the incident occurred, together with a crossing guard, and several double-parked vehicles. The probe comes as Waymo’s robotaxis are also under probe over incidents at school zones in Austin, although the company reported that there were no confirmed injuries.

NHTSA to probe Waymo’s behavior in school premises

In a blog post on Thursday, Waymo committed to cooperating with authorities during the course of the investigations, adding that the child “suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle’s path.”

As per a Reuters report, the autonomous vehicle noticed an individual immediately as the child emerged from behind the stopped car, and promptly applied brakes. According to the company, the vehicle slowed down from 17 mph to below 6 mph before any contact was made. Waymo called 911 after the collision, as the child stood up and walked away immediately.

Now, the NHTSA revealed on Thursday that it is opening an investigation to ascertain if the Waymo AV exercised appropriate caution given its proximity to the school zone during drop-off period, as well as the presence of young pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.

As such, the NHTSA plans to examine the AV’s “intended behavior in school zones and neighboring areas, especially during normal school pick up/drop off times, including but not limited to its adherence to posted speed limits” and will “also investigate Waymo’s post-impact response.”

Waymo has however defended its AV, arguing it performed better than a human driver. The company revealed that a computer model suggested that a fully attentive human driver facing a similar situation would have made contact with the pedestrian at about 14 mph.

“The vehicle remained stopped, moved to the side of the road, and stayed there until law enforcement cleared the vehicle to leave the scene.”

Waymo.

According to Reuters, the National Transportation and Safety Board also opened an investigation on the same day the incident happened after Waymo’s robotaxis illegally passed stopped school buses in Austin, Texas, and at least 19 times since the beginning of the school year.

This was not the only case reported, as the NHTSA also launched another investigation into its robotaxis following safety violations also involving a stationary school bus in Atlanta, Georgia, as previously reported by Cryptopolitan.

The company reportedly recalled over 3,000 vehicles in a bid to update software that had resulted in vehicles to drive past school buses loading or unloading students. Despite the software updates to resolve the issue, the Austin Independent School District said in November that five incidents had occurred in the same month.

The school system asked the company to stop operating around schools during pick up and drop off time until it could ensure its vehicles would comply with regulations.

Waymo, however, revealed that there were no collisions recorded from the incidents, and the school district said the company had refused to pause operations around schools.

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Nvidia is the world’s most valuable company because its chips run modern artificial intelligence. Those chips do not exist on their own. They come from a supply chain that depends on one company. That company is ASML.

Without ASML, advanced AI chips do not get made at scale. The Dutch firm builds the machines that print tiny patterns onto silicon wafers.

These machines decide how powerful a chip can be. Nvidia designs the chips. Foundries make them. ASML supplies the tools that make the whole thing possible.

EUV machines anchor control over advanced chip manufacturing

Lithography is the step that turns a chip design into real hardware. ASML is the only company in the world that makes extreme ultraviolet lithography machines. These EUV tools are used to produce the most advanced semiconductors. In the wider lithography market, ASML controls about 90% of global share.

Bank of America analyst Didier Scemama said that lead is set to grow. “ASML has industrialised next gen EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography technology, which we believe will underpin many of the disruptive trends of this decade,” Didier wrote in a Wednesday note. He released the note after ASML reported fourth‑quarter 2025 bookings that came in at more than double what analysts expected.

Javier Correonero, an equity analyst at Morningstar, explained why lithography matters. “Lithography was the building block of any chip,” Javier said. He said machines built by ASML have been involved in producing about 99% of all semiconductors made worldwide.

EUV systems matter most for artificial intelligence. ASML produces two versions. Low numerical aperture EUV is used to manufacture today’s AI chips, including Nvidia’s Blackwell processors.

High numerical aperture EUV is more advanced and is currently used for research and development on future chip designs.

Both systems work in the same way. Powerful lasers hit molten tin droplets inside a vacuum chamber. That impact creates plasma. The plasma emits EUV light. Ultra‑precise mirrors guide the light toward a mask that carries the pattern for one chip layer. The image is reduced and projected onto a silicon wafer.

Bookings, pricing, and buyers shape the next phase

These machines are not bought by Nvidia. They are purchased by chip foundries such as Taiwan’s TSMC. Those foundries build chips for designers like Nvidia using tools supplied by ASML.

Javier said competitors remain far behind. He pointed to Nikon and Canon in Japan, which still sell lithography tools for older chip processes. “They are large conglomerates which have invested only a tiny fraction of what ASML has invested over three decades. At this point, catching up is virtually impossible,” Javier said.

EUV tools now make up most of ASML’s order book. In the fourth quarter of 2025, EUV systems accounted for €7.4 billion of €13.2 billion in total net bookings. Across the full year, the company sold 48 EUV systems. Those sales generated €11.6 billion in revenue.

The company does not publish official prices. Analysts said that the most advanced high NA EUV machines sell for between €320 million and €400 million each. Low NA EUV systems sell for about €220 million, Javier said.

TSMC, Intel, and Samsung are already testing high NA EUV tools in laboratory settings. “Once customers are accustomed to the tool, it is gradually introduced into high volume manufacturing,” Javier said. “High NA is expected to reach high volume manufacturing by 2027‑2028, with Intel as the first adopter.”

ASML shares rose 36% last year and climbed another 32% since January 1. Earlier this month, the company became only the third European firm to reach a valuation above $500 billion, a level it has held.

Analysts expect demand to remain strong as advanced chips stay critical to AI infrastructure. ASML forecasts 2026 net sales between €34 billion and €39 billion, compared with €32.7 billion recorded in 2025.

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A group of investors filed a $100 million lawsuit on Tuesday in a US federal court against executives of the San Francisco blockchain data project Cere Network. The complaint accuses insiders of fraud, racketeering, and orchestrating a token dump after the 2021 launch. 

According to the plaintiffs, the business prospects, token restrictions, and customer traction of the project were being misled by Cere Network and its CEO, Fred Jin. The founder of Cere was identified as the perpetrator in the lawsuit. However, there were many other defendants as well.

Cere Network faked promises and investor roles

In the court filing, the plaintiffs claimed the project pitched a vision of a decentralized data storage platform operating within independent servers. Cere presented the system as a solution to the insatiable demand for secure cloud data services, which would also run on a proprietary digital asset, the CERE Token.

The complaint says investors were told the token would power payments and governance on the platform. They were also informed that the token would seek listings on exchanges such as Binance, with proceeds from token sales used to fund infrastructure development.

One plaintiff, Lujunjin “Vivian” Liu of Cupertino, says she was introduced to Jin and his plans for the data network. Liu was recruited as a senior strategic advisor and told that her compensation would be made in CERE tokens.

From 2019 through 2021, Liu says she devoted up to 20 hours per week to the new venture’s fundraising, investor outreach, and token planning ahead of the public sale. She also invested personally and through Goopal Digital Ltd., an affiliated investment firm.

Cere raised about $50 million through private and public token sales in November 2021, the complaint states. The project’s investors were told that insider tokens would be subject to lockups to purportedly prevent insiders from selling their holdings and protect CERE’s market stability.

But the plaintiffs insist those assurances were false, as insiders began selling large quantities of tokens soon after trading began, causing a steep price slump. CERE made a market debut at $0.45 but fell to around $0.06 after weeks of trading. As of Thursday, it was trading near $0.0003384, down more than 99% from its all-time high.

While employees and outside investors were subject to lockups, the complaint says Jin and associates were not bound in practice. They allegedly sold more than $41 million in tokens on public exchanges shortly after launch and transferred the proceeds into personal cryptocurrency wallets.

Goopal and Liu also allege that millions of dollars raised for Cere were moved into shell entities and accounts linked to Jin and partners. Moreover, the plaintiffs argue that Jin used automated bots from Gotbit Ltd. to engage in wash trading.

The US Department of Justice convicted Gotbit’s founder of wire fraud and market manipulation in June last year, Cryptopolitan reported. 

Liu and Goopal are seeking $25 million in compensatory damages and $75 million in punitive damages.

Cere Network CEO is facing another lawsuit and internal control allegations

The federal case comes against the backdrop of another law charge filed two weeks earlier in Delaware. Cerebellum Networks co-founder Ken Wang filed suit in the Court of Chancery against the same defendants, claiming they diverted about $58 million in Cere token assets.

Cerebellum was established in January 2019 after raising approximately $42.9 million from private investors and token sales between 2019 and 2021. The funds were intended to build and operate the Cere Network platform.

Wang alleges that “secret token dumps” began immediately after the November 8, 2021, ICO. He claims roughly $41.78 million in tokens moved from the company treasury to exchanges. These tokens were sold through accounts controlled by Jin and others, despite their claims that project-allocated tokens were “locked.”

The Delaware complaint also indicates that at least $16.6 million was stolen from a Regulation D fundraising wallet. The money, allegedly from Republic’s US investors, was sent to two unknown personal wallets. They were used for crypto trading, resulting in losses of about $9.78 million.

Jin is alleged to have gained control of more than 86% of the financial documents as he tricked shareholders and advisors with misleading financial information. This included fake financial reports, understated fundraising amounts, and misrepresentations of multi-signature wallet information.

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The government of Latvia is evidently trying to snatch some Polish crypto business, with Poland still struggling with delayed efforts to regulate its digital-asset space.

The economy ministry in Riga is now reportedly enticing companies that are tired of Warsaw’s regulatory attempts to relocate to its jurisdiction, promising a friendly attitude and pan-European licensing.

Polish crypto firms wanted in Latvia

Companies from Poland’s crypto industry have been invited to meet Latvia’s Minister of Economy Viktors Valainis, Polish crypto revealed this week.

In a letter, seen by Bitcoin.pl portal, the Latvian official notes he has been “following the incredible development of the Polish cryptocurrency ecosystem with great interest and respect.”

Valainis is encouraging Polish executives to take his nation as a strategic partner and consider it as a place where their crypto firms can transfer their headquarters.

The minister is pitching the opportunity to obtain an EU-valid license under the European Union’s new Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation to lure Polish entrepreneurs.

“We have made every effort to ensure transparency, efficiency, and, most importantly, predictability of the licensing process,” he insisted.

The head of the Latvian economy department also points out that the Bank of Latvia is not just a supervisory authority, but a partner to the industry. He further elaborates:

“The Latvian government has placed Web3 and fintech at the heart of its economic strategy. We offer some of the most competitive licensing fees and operating costs in the EU. We believe your capital should be spent on innovation, not just on administration.”

The invitation is effectively a business offer, something unthinkable for local politicians, highlights Poland’s leading crypto news outlet.

Latvia aims to be a MiCA gateway while Poland loses crypto race

Following the example of other Baltic states, such as neighboring Lithuania, Latvia is trying to become a real gateway for the MiCA-regulated European crypto market.

In December, Invest in Latvia announced that the nation had issued its first MiCA licenses, a signal it wants to become one of Europe’s most crypto-friendly jurisdictions.

The information portal also revealed that almost 130 companies are already working in the Latvian fintech sector, which has an annual turnover of nearly €400 million, as reported by Cryptopolitan.

At the same time, legislative efforts to regulate Poland’s crypto market, arguably Eastern Europe’s largest, are now officially in limbo.

A controversial bill, proposed by the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, was vetoed by the newly elected Polish President Karol Nawrocki in early December.

After prolonged preparation, Poland’s Crypto-Asset Market Act was expected to transpose MiCA provisions into national law last year.

Critics say, however, that the overly strict rules and high fees it’s introducing go far beyond European standards, threatening the very survival of domestic crypto platforms.

Meanwhile, the Latvian economy minister assured Polish companies that the MiCA license issued by his country will provide them with an EU-wide regulatory certainty.

“In the world of cryptocurrencies, we know that ‘trust is good, but verification is better,’” says Viktors Valainis, calling for turning the Baltic region into a “leading cryptocurrency corridor in Europe.”

“I look forward to seeing your project grow under the Latvian flag,” the Riga representative adds in the invitation that urges players on the Polish crypto scene to register for the upcoming meeting with him, scheduled to take place on February 12, in Warsaw.

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Mastercard just reported $4.1 billion in net income for Q4 2025, as strong payment activity kept money flowing. Earnings per share hit $4.52, up 24% from the same quarter in 2024.

Net revenue came in at $8.8 billion, marking an 18% increase year over year, or 15% without currency effects. The surge came from growing card usage, more services sold, and ongoing strength in both consumer and business transactions.

Operating income was $4.9 billion, rising 25%, while operating margin reached 55.8%, climbing 3.2 percentage points. Operating expenses increased 10% to $3.9 billion, driven mostly by higher administrative costs.

Mastercard said part of that cost increase was offset by new government grants tied to late 2025 deals. The effective tax rate hit 16.7%, higher than last year’s 14.1%, pushed up by tax rules affecting Singapore operations.

Payment network and services push revenue higher

Mastercard said the payment network revenue rose 12%, or 9% excluding currency shifts. The total gross dollar volume across its network reached $2.8 trillion, up 7% in local currency. Cross-border volume increased 14%, while switched transactions were up 10%. Higher activity led to more rebates and incentives, which climbed 20%.

Beyond cards, value-added services and solutions jumped 26%, or 22% currency-neutral. Three percentage points came from acquisitions, but most of the growth came from demand for tools like digital security, identity checks, analytics, and customer engagement services. Pricing gains helped too.

Source: Mastercard

Adjusted net income for Q4 reached $4.3 billion, and adjusted diluted EPS was $4.76, both up 22% and 25% respectively. Adjusted operating expenses rose 14% to $3.7 billion, while the adjusted operating margin increased to 57.7%.

Michael Miebach, the CEO of Mastercard, said the company is still winning big from its deals and tech offerings. He pointed to programs like the Apple Card and added that growth in services was 23%, or 21% currency-neutral, for the full year. “We continue to see healthy consumer and business spending,” Miebach said.

Full-year results show higher earnings and big buybacks

For all of 2025, Mastercard brought in $32.8 billion in net revenue, up 16%, or 15% currency-neutral. Operating income hit $18.9 billion, while operating margin expanded to 57.6%. Net income reached $15.0 billion, and diluted EPS totaled $16.52, a 19% jump from 2024.

Adjusted full-year EPS came in at $17.01, with adjusted net income of $15.4 billion. Adjusted operating margin was 59.2%, and adjusted operating expenses rose 14% to $13.4 billion. The adjusted effective tax rate increased to 19.6%, also due to the global 15% minimum tax and a change in how income was spread across countries.

The quarter also saw $13 million in favorable other income, thanks to government grants and a one-time tax interest benefit, despite losses from equity investments. Without those investments, adjusted other income improved by $158 million.

Mastercard ended the year with 3.7 billion cards issued globally across its brands. It repurchased 6.4 million shares in Q4 for $3.6 billion and paid out $684 million in dividends. By January 26, the company had also bought back 1.3 million more shares, costing $715 million, leaving $16.7 billion available under current buyback approvals.

That makes Mastercard a giant still very much on offense.

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Metaplanet plans to raise $137 million (¥20.7 billion) through a new stock offering and warrants to purchase more Bitcoin. The firm’s board met on Thursday and announced that the new shares and acquisition rights will be issued through a third-party allotment.

The Tokyo-listed firm will issue 24.5 million new common shares at $3.25 per share, with the allotment date set for February 13, 2026. The sale aims to raise about (¥12.2 billion)

Metaplanet’s payment of stock offering and warrants is set for February 13

*Notice Regarding Issuance of New Shares and 25th Series Stock Acquisition Rights through Third-Party Allotment* pic.twitter.com/upB0YnvaXT

— Metaplanet Inc. (@Metaplanet) January 29, 2026

Metaplanet also plans to issue 159,440 stock acquisition rights at $3.41 per right, which can be converted into roughly 15.9 million shares. The company’s stock will have an exercise period from February 16, 2026, to February 15, 2027. The payment and allotment date for the stock acquisition rights is set for February 13. The stocks aim to raise about $57.3 million (¥8.8 billion).

The Japanese firm revealed that approximately $91.2 million (¥14 billion) of the funds will be set aside for purchasing Bitcoin. Metaplanet also plans to use $9.78 million (¥1.5 billion) to support its Bitcoin income-generation business. The remaining funds, around $33.2 million (¥5.1 billion), will be used to pay the company’s debts.

“The 65% warrant coverage exercisable at ¥547 for 1 year is a fixed strike (not MS warrants). The financing structure enables Metaplanet to capitalize on common stock volatility to sell shares at a premium to market while raising capital today.”

-Dylan LeClair, Head of Bitcoin Strategy at Metaplanet.

Metaplanet’s focus on buying more Bitcoin shows the firm is doubling down on its BTC treasury strategy in 2026. The initiative follows the board’s recent approval of its plan to acquire 210,000 BTC (1% of Bitcoin’s supply) by 2027. The firm revealed that the process will happen in stages, and its subsidiary, Metaplanet Lightning Capital, will manage its holdings.

The Japanese company said it expects minimal impact on its 2026 financial results. Metaplanet also promised to disclose any major changes later if needed. The firm added that it will continue to value its BTC holdings at market price quarterly and record gains or losses in its earnings.

At the time of publication, Metaplanet has about 35,102 BTC in its holdings, worth more than $308 billion at current Bitcoin prices. The firm recently purchased 4,279 BTC for $452 million at $105,412 per coin during the previous quarter.

Metaplanet’s holdings remain at a loss due to BTC’s price drop

The firm now ranks fourth among Bitcoin treasury firms, with Strategy leading with 712,647 BTC. The Japanese company revealed that it generated about $58.2 million in revenue last year from Bitcoin options and lending strategies. 

Asia’s largest holder of Bitcoin recently raised ¥75 billion (159 million shares) through a MERCURY Class B perpetual share offering. Metaplanet revealed that the funds were for its Bitcoin accumulation strategy, debt management, and income-generating businesses.

Crytpopolitan recently reported that Metaplanet issued a positive outlook for Bitcoin’s medium- to long-term prospects. The firm revealed that its goal is to become one of the top global corporate Bitcoin holders by August 2026.

At the time of publication, Bitcoin is trading at $87,800, down more than 2.3% in the past 24 hours. BTC’s price has remained unchanged YTD, but has dropped roughly 20.6% in the past 90 days.

Metaplanet revealed that the drop in Bitcoin’s price has led to a loss of approximately $680 million on its BTC holdings. However, the firm currently has 1.1 billion issued shares with an average daily volume of 29.85 million in Q4 2025.

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Hyperliquid hit another milestone in establishing its position as a key BTC trading hub. The perpetual futures and spot market surpassed Binance’s depth on BTC pairs. 

Hyperliquid achieved the biggest top-of-book market depth, bringing the most favorable bid and ask prices for BTC. The 1 basis point from mid depth on Hyperliquid reached $3.1M on Hyperliquid, versus $2.3M on Binance, meaning the Hyperliquid market could absorb more selling without slippage. 

Over time, the Hyperliquid market became the most liquid venue for crypto price discovery among both centralized and decentralized markets. Binance perpetual futures came second, despite the exchange’s higher volumes, noted Jeff Yan, Hyperliquid’s founder and technical leader. 

Hyperliquid takes over more of Binance’s market share

The increased market depth is just one of the markers in the competition between Binance and Hyperliquid. The two trading venues have been tracked for months, indicating a shift in trader behavior. 

Hyperliquid is gaining market share, and is already catching up with Binance’s spot market. Binance is still the leader in centralized perpetual futures trading. | Source: Dune Analytics

Hyperliquid remained the leader in perpetual futures trading, still ahead of Aster, a Binance-backed competing exchange. Recently, Hyperliquid also gained market share against Binance’s spot market as a benchmark for crypto activity. 

Binance still carries 86% of the perpetual futures volume against 13.9% for Hyperliquid. However, Hyperliquid’s volume is comparable to the top 100 pairs on the Binance spot market. 

For now, Hyperliquid is still the smallest exchange, but it is still undergoing robust growth. The market carries $7.9B in open interest, trying to recover from the October 2025 deleveraging. 

Beyond a general trading venue, Hyperliquid is still the exchange used by high-profile whales, with positions seen as an indicator of market sentiment. The recent market recovery also led the exchange’s native token HYPE to rise to a one-month high at $33.55. 

HIP-3 volume records boost Hyperliquid’s position

Liquidity on the perpetual futures DEX is not limited to BTC. The HIP-3 platform, which carries user-generated pairs, showed its capabilities in building liquid markets with significant depth. 

According to researcher Shaunda Devens, HIP-3 has a more robust market for silver compared to Binance. The HIP-3 pair offers $33K in liquidity just days after launching, compared to $24K for Binance’s trading pair.

Recently, HIP-3 set records for trading volume and open interest. The platform had $29.35B in trading volumes, reaching a record in the past day. The platform invited more than 72K daily active traders. 

HIP-3 reached peak trading volumes driven by the sudden interest in a new silver-based perpetual futures pair. | Source: HIP-3

The latest expansion in HIP-3 liquidity was tied to the launch of silver trading pairs, reaching record influence in the past day.

Trade XYZ is the most active deployer of trading pairs, recently expanding its influence in trading metals and stock positions. Overall, HIP-3 expanded its influence to make up over 35% of total volumes in the Hyperliquid ecosystem. The competition between deployers is just heating up, trying to open in-demand markets and attract liquidity.

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A Chrome browser extension posing as an artificial intelligence assistant is siphoning OpenAI credentials from more than 10,000 users and sending them to third-party servers. 

Cybersecurity platform Obsidian has identified a browser extension called H-Chat Assistant that reportedly masquerades as a tool that connects people to OpenAI’s chatbot services.

The researchers claim it secretly harvested OpenAI API keys and transmitted user data to external servers, putting their account security and data privacy at risk. It had exfiltrated at least 459 unique API keys to a Telegram channel controlled by hackers months before its discovery.

Chrome extension poses privacy and security risks to OpenAI users

According to Obsidian Security, the software was initially released under the name ChatGPT Extension before being rebranded as H-Chat Assistant. Users who installed the extension were asked to supply their own OpenAI API key to activate chatbot features. 

After receiving the key, the extension largely functioned as advertised, enabling conversations with AI models directly in the browser. That apparent legitimacy convinced users to trust the web feature, but according to the security analysis team, there were hidden data flows in the background.

“Although these extensions are not actively exfiltrating API keys, user prompts, and other data are being quietly sent to third-party/external servers. Several of the extensions impersonate ChatGPT, creating a false sense of trust that conversations and data are only being transmitted to OpenAI,” the analysts explained.

However, Obsidian said the actual theft takes place when a user deletes a chat or chooses to log out of the application. At that moment, the key is transmitted using hardcoded Telegram bot credentials embedded in the extension’s code.

H-Chat Assistant was also requesting read and write permissions for Google’s services, which investigators believe could expose data stored in victims’ Google Drive accounts. 

Obsidian’s security researchers believe the malicious activity began in July 2024 and went unnoticed for months, while users continued installing and using the tool. On January 13, 2025, they discovered the activity and reported it to OpenAI through disclosure channels. 

That same day, OpenAI revoked compromised API keys to cut down the app’s misuse. Even after the disclosure and revocations, the extension was still available in the Chrome Web Store, according to Obsidian’s report. 

H-Chat Assistant is part of a malicious toolset 

At least 16 Chrome extensions promising AI-related productivity enhancements appear to share the same developer fingerprints. These tools are believed to have been built by a single threat actor who is harvesting credentials and session data. 

According to findings cited by researchers, the 16 extensions’ downloads were relatively low, totaling about 900 installations. Still, analysts say the tactic is concerning because of its scalability and the popularity of AI add-ons on browsers.

“GPT Optimizers are popular, and there are enough highly-rated, legitimate ones on the Chrome Web Store that people could easily miss any warning signs. One of the variants has a featured logo that states it follows recommended practices for Chrome extensions,” LayerX Security consultant Natalie Zargarov wrote in a report published on Monday.

Zargarov added that these extensions require a deep integration with authenticated web applications to launch a “materially expanded browser attack surface.” The malicious extensions exploit weaknesses in web-based authentication processes used by ChatGPT-related services.

“Of the 16 identified extensions in this campaign, 15 were distributed through the Chrome Web Store, while one extension was published via the Microsoft Edge Add-ons marketplace,” the researcher explained.

Extension sends metadata and client identifiers, researcher finds

In her analysis, the LayerX consultant found that the extensions were sending more information than just API keys. The extension transmitted extension metadata, including version details, language settings, and client identifiers.

It also sent usage telemetry, event data, and backend-issued access tokens tied to the extension’s services. These combined data points enable attackers to expand token privileges, track users in sessions, and build behavioral profiles. 

Zargarov noted that downloads were small compared with GhostPoster, which surpassed 830,000 installations, and Roly Poly VPN, which exceeded 31,000. Still, she cautioned that AI-focused tools could quickly surge in popularity. 

“It just takes one iteration for a malicious extension to become popular. We believe that GPT optimizers will soon become as popular as (not more than) VPN extensions,” she wrote.

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Tariffs, Toyota, hybrid vehicles and US demand shaped the global auto market in 2025, yet the Japanese carmaker still delivered record results despite President Donald Trump’s trade levies.

According to Toyota Motor, they sold 10.5 million units globally and have maintained the title of the largest automobile manufacturer in 2025 for the 3rd consecutive year. Toyota continues to demonstrate strong sales globally against other competitors like Volkswagen and Hyundai.

The results of Toyota and Lexus (luxury division) combined showed a 3.7% increase year-over-year, due primarily to positive demand from North America and continued growth globally.

Toyota performed better than expected despite 25% tariffs imposed by the United States on Japanese-produced automobiles and later reduced to 15%. Analysts speculated that new tariffs on Japanese vehicles would cause tons of lost volume.

US hybrid sales boosted the growth of Toyota and Lexus

Toyota and Lexus total sales in the US were up 7.3% to 2.93 million units, with hybrids such as Prius and RAV4 accounting for the majority of the volume. With fuel economy being of high importance to US consumers and the rising costs associated with fuel (which were very high at this time), this was a beneficial time for Toyota to promote fuel-efficient vehicles.

In an effort to avoid the shortfall due to large price increases associated with tariffs, Toyota focused on eliminating costs while at the same time increasing production of its vehicles in the US. Due to the fact that approximately 1/5 of total Toyota and Lexus sales were from imports, the company had a significant advantage over competitors like Chrysler that rely more heavily on imported vehicles.

This comes as Toyota has started building batteries in the US for the first time ever. In November, Cryptopolitan reported that the company confirmed production had kicked off at its new $13.9 billion battery plant in Liberty, North Carolina, a facility that’s now officially the automaker’s first in-house battery factory outside Japan.

At the same time, Toyota said it would pump in an extra $10 billion into its US operations over the next five years, on top of what was already planned, with no further specifics given.

Managing costs as tariffs squeeze rivals

Toyota recognizes the impact tariffs will have financially by estimating a 1.45 trillion yen loss from operations for the period ending March 2026. However, it has enhanced its full-year operating profit forecast recently as a result of processing cost controls and strong demand globally outside of the United States.

In comparison, competitors such as Hyundai experienced dramatic contrasts. Global revenue growth of above 6% is attributable to online sales in the United States for hybrids, whereas operating profits for Hyundai declined by almost 20% due to the impact of tariffs. Moreover, Hyundai is significantly more impacted than Toyota because approximately 40% of its US sales are domestically produced.

In late 2025, Toyota raised its operating profit forecast for the financial year ending in March to 3.4 trillion yen (around $30.3 billion), which is higher than the previous 3.2 trillion yen outlook.

Toyota made that forecast even as it warned that new US import tariffs will cost the company 1.45 trillion yen, saying it expects stronger results over the full year despite pressure on quarterly performance.

Nonetheless, they have made commitments to increase production levels dramatically by 2030. Investors in Toyota have responded very favorably to Toyota’s soundness by increasing their stock price by 3%, while analysts are predicting an upward trend for operating profit close to 30% for the latest quarter.

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As the market seeks the best assets to invest in for the coming market cycle, one new crypto is taking attention away from Solana (SOL). The market capitalization of SOL is already quite significant, and the potential for exponential growth is lower than it was during the earlier market cycles. This has paved the way for Mutuum Finance (MUTM), which is currently being touted as the best cheap cryptocurrency to buy today to take the spotlight.

Solana (SOL) Finds Support Amid Market Fluctuations

Solana (SOL) has recently been seen dipping into the demand region of $118-$121 and is currently trying to find its footing after a significant sell-off. The sell-off momentum has slowed down significantly, and the market is ready to see a potential rise back to the $126-$130 region. This could also extend up to the $138-$145 region if the uptrend resumes. While the cryptocurrency has a relatively steady approach to growth, investors looking for the bigger ROI are looking elsewhere.

MUTM Presale: Gaining Early Advantage

MUTM was launched at $0.01 in Phase 1 and has risen to $0.04 in Phase 7. The token is set to be priced at $0.045 in Phase 8. New investors who buy the token at the current price have the chance of seeing their $2,000 investment rise to $2,250 in Phase 8. This means that they will have made $250 in profit even before the token is launched on the public market.

Once the token is launched at the expected price of $0.06, the $2,000 investment has the chance of rising to $3,000. This means that the investor will have made $1,000 in profit before the token is adopted by the public. Looking at the long-term prospects of the token, MUTM has the chance of rising by 25x to $1. This means that the $2,000 investment has the chance of rising to $50,000, reinforcing its position as the best cheap cryptocurrency to buy.

Mutuum Finance Protocol Goes Live

The Mutuum Finance Protocol is officially live on the Sepolia testnet. Users have the chance of accessing the application and its initial provisions. V1 protocol includes several key features. The first one is that depositors have the chance of receiving mtTokens. These are receipt tokens that have the capacity to earn interest. They also have the capacity to be staked for a higher reward. 

The second one is that borrowers have the chance of receiving debt tokens. This shows that the application has full on-chain transparency. The third one is the automated liquidator bot meant to maintain the protocol’s health at all times. The testnet supports USDT, ETH, LINK, and WBTC.

Mutuum Finance Oracle

Mutuum Finance’s oracle system is meant to facilitate the delivery of accurate and real-time price information, thereby creating a stable lending and borrowing environment. For instance, if a user wants to deposit 10 ETH as collateral when the value of the asset is $3,000, the value of the collateral will be $30,000. By utilizing Chainlink’s decentralized pricing feeds, which collect pricing information from several major cryptocurrency exchanges, Mutuum Finance will allow the user to borrow the maximum safe value of the asset, which is about 70% or $21,000. When the price of the asset, in this case, ETH, gets volatile, the value of the collateral will shift too. In situations like this, the accuracy and timeliness of the asset valuation are very important. When the main Chainlink pricing feed is experiencing latency or is down, Mutuum Finance’s fallback system will be activated, thereby providing the necessary pricing information from alternative decentralized feeds, hence eliminating the possibility of delays and unfair liquidation.

How Dual Lending Works

The platform allows one to transform their idle crypto into productive capital while still benefiting from its potential upside. In essence, the platform’s protocol provides two main models of lending, namely, Pool-to-Contract (P2C) and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending. In P2C, users can deposit their crypto into a pool, which is then matched with lending demands via smart contracts. For instance, a user may deposit $7000 USDT into a pool, which mints 7,000 mtUSDT. The user can then earn an 8-12% APY on the mtUSDT , which translates to an earning of $560 to $840 in a year, as well as a share of fees charged on the platform in MUTM tokens as staking dividends. 

For users wanting to customize their experience, the P2P model is also available. In P2P, users can lend to one another directly. For instance, a user can lend 2 ETH ($6,000) to another user who provides $9,000 in meme coin collateral at a negotiated 15% APY. This means a $900 yield in the first year. 

As Solana continues to hold its ground, Mutuum Finance (MUTM) is gaining traction as it boasts of a 3,000% growth potential. MUTM, valued at $0.04, is the  new crypto asset to watch with a live DeFi lending platform and the best cheap cryptocurrency to buy, according to market analysts.

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

Website: https://mutuum.com/ 

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mutuumfinance 

Veera has unveiled one-click cross-chain swaps and unified multi-asset yield as new features to resolve persistent headaches for DeFi users. 

The features will enable users to earn yield and move assets seamlessly across multiple blockchains from a single interface.

The startup raised $10 million in its latest funding round, backed by CMCC Titan Fund and Sigma Capital.

Veera, a budding global on-chain neobank, has announced the launch of two major product features it claims are designed to reduce the friction and complexity plaguing the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. 

The issue of usability in DeFi has seen little progress despite all the years of innovation the space has seen, which quickly turns off newbies. 

Veera announced its one-click cross-chain swap solution and a unified multi-asset yield hub, features that allow users to earn yield and move assets seamlessly across multiple blockchains from a single interface. 

Together, Veera’s new upgrades are pitched as the solution to two problems that have plagued the DeFi space since its inception. 

Veera’s latest development targets two big issues in DeFi 

The newly launched multi-asset yield hub will allow users to earn and manage yield across multiple chains and assets, all within one platform. It eliminates the need to monitor positions across multiple dashboards, wallets, and protocols, and allows other mediums and users to view aggregated yield opportunities all in one place.

“We’ve spent a lot of time watching users struggle with things that have nothing to do with finance and everything to do with complex technology. The yield hub is our way of saying that users shouldn’t need to work through a painstaking learning curve on infrastructure just to earn on their assets,” Sukhdeep Bhogal, Co-Founder and CEO of Veera, said. 

The unified approach not only simplifies yield generation but also preserves access to opportunities across multiple blockchains. This takes the pressure off users as they don’t have to understand where the yield originates across chains nor understand how to deploy assets on different networks. 

When it comes to managing yield, that problem becomes even more complicated, as even veterans of the space sometimes need help figuring out how to go about it. This is mostly because it often requires interacting with multiple protocols across different chains, and cross-chain swaps are not much better. 

It also involves bridges, repetitive approval processes, and several transactions that must be executed in the correct order. 

With the yield hub, users can focus on outcomes while Veera handles the complexity behind the scenes. 

Veera’s one-click cross-chain swaps achieve a similar objective but take the simplification process one step further by getting rid of one of the most persistent sources of friction in DeFi today. It will replace the traditional financial infrastructure with a single action that executes swaps across chains and protocols, all without needing users to be conversant with the underlying steps and complications.

“Our goal was to make cross-chain movement feel as natural as moving money between accounts, without asking users to become experts in how it works. A bank doesn’t ask that of its customers so why should crypto transactions? We’ve overcome this hurdle for all our users,” Bhogal said. 

Veera hits $10M funding milestone

Veera’s new DeFi features come days after it raised a total of $10 million across its pre-seed and seed funding rounds to accelerate product development and expand access to on-chain financial services globally. 

Its most recent seed round of $4 million included $2.8 million from CMCC Titan Fund and Sigma Capital, alongside strategic angel investors. It comes after a $6 million pre-seed round completed in May 2024, led by 6th Man Ventures and Ayon Capital, with participation from Folius Ventures, Reflexive Capital, Sfermion, Cypher Capital, Accomplice, and The Operating Group.

Veera’s official product made its debut in January 2025 but has not stopped rolling out new features. Since its launch, the platform has crossed 2 million downloads, supports over 300,000 multichain self-custody wallets, and has 70,000 holders of its RWA Gold Token (VGT).

The platform reportedly sees approximately 220,000 monthly active users and 20,000 daily active users at its current level and the activity is driven by proof-of-human–verified users interacting with real transactions and partner decentralized applications (dApps).

Over the past year, Veera has scaled to 500,000+ on-chain transactions per month, reflecting sustained on-chain usage rather than speculative activity. Those are great achievements for a startup that was initially launched as a privacy-focused Web3 browser before it transitioned into a fully fledged financial platform.

Bybit has rolled out its payment card in Georgia. People in the country can now use their digital currency at stores that take Mastercard.

The company ranks as the world’s second-largest crypto exchange based on trading volume. The card works wherever Mastercard is accepted, though some rules and location limits apply.

Industry officials welcome the launch

Tekla Iashagashvili runs Bybit’s operations in Georgia. She said the country has become one of the busiest markets in the area. “This launch makes it easier than ever for people to use their digital assets in everyday life, with the security, flexibility, and rewards that Bybit is known for,” Iashagashvili said.

David Zgudadze is vice president for Mastercard in Georgia and Armenia. He called the card launch another key move for digital payments. “Mastercard constantly supports innovations that enable consumers to use crypto assets safely and easily in everyday payments. Such partnerships strengthen the financial ecosystem and promote technological progress in the country,” Zgudadze said.

The card adds to Bybit’s other payment options in the region. Users can spend their crypto on regular daily purchases.

Card features and cashback rewards

People who get approved can access a virtual card right away. It works with different types of cryptocurrency and includes EMV 3-D Secure protection. Exchange rates stay competitive. The card gets accepted worldwide. Users can connect it to Google Pay and similar digital wallets for tap-to-pay transactions where that’s available. A plastic card can be ordered too, depending on availability.

To accompany the launch, Bybit set up a cashback program. 10% off purchases is given to eligible cardholders. Up to $150 in USD equivalent can be earned by new users. Up to $75 is available to current users. But there’s a catch. After being accepted, applicants must deposit at least $100 USD within 30 days.

Participation is limited to those who have completed either Business Verification or Individual Identity Verification Level 1. Only cryptocurrency payments are eligible for the cashback. Money transferred to holding accounts, e-wallets, or prepaid wallets is not eligible.

Sophie Chen leads marketing for Bybit’s payment division. She said the company wants to give users easy, safe, and rewarding ways to pay with crypto. “Expanding the Bybit Card to Georgia reinforces our commitment to bridging the gap between digital assets and everyday spending, ensuring more people can access the benefits of modern financial innovation,” Chen said.

Salim Dhanani is CEO and co-founder of Pave Bank. He called the card launch a big step for Georgia’s digital money sector.

“Pave Bank is proud to support this initiative by enabling compliant banking infrastructure and payments connectivity. This partnership reflects our commitment to fostering innovation, supporting the regulated adoption of digital assets, and connecting global fintech solutions with the Georgian market,” Dhanani said.

The card comes as a virtual version first. That means quick access after approval. A physical version can be requested for broader use. It lets people spend crypto at good rates with full Mastercard acceptance worldwide.

The Georgia launch fits into Bybit’s wider goal of creating financial tools that connect cryptocurrency with regular spending. More information is on the company’s website.

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Universal Digital has become a Foreign Payment Token Issuer after launching the UAE central bank-registered USDU stablecoin. The milestone marks significant progress in the UAE’s efforts to regulate its digital asset infrastructure and positions the USDU as the country’s first compliant digital asset for settlements.

According to Universal, its USDU stablecoin is the first and only token registered under the UAE’s Payment Token Services Regulation (PTSR) framework. The company is also regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), providing a transparent and compliant settlement option for the UAE digital asset market.

Meanwhile, Universal can now enable payments for digital assets and digital-asset derivatives in the UAE, which may only be carried out in fiat or a Registered Foreign Payment Token. The company also has strategic banking relationships with Mbank, Emirates NBD, and Mashreq, revealing the institutional-grade backing behind its USDU stablecoin. 

Universal SEO says USDU sets new standard for regulated digital value

Juha Viitala, Universal’s senior executive officer (SEO), claims that the USDU sets a new standard for regulated digital value. He notes that being the first Foreign Payment Token registered by the UAE central bank and supported by other UAE banks provides institutional clients with clarity and confidence in USDU. Viitala further notes that his company is setting the foundation for a more efficient and transparent market for digital assets in the UAE and beyond.

Emirates NBD’s Anith Daniel also stated that his bank supports Universal’s introduction of the USDU in the UAE financial services sector. He emphasized that his bank’s vision for real-life solutions aligns with Universal’s goal of leading the country and the region in establishing a well-regulated ecosystem. 

“We see growing institutional interest in regulated digital-value instruments, and Universal’s introduction of USDU is a timely step that supports this market’s maturation.”

–Joel Van Dusen, Group head of corporate and investment banking at Mashreq

Meanwhile, Mohammed Khayata, the CEO of Mbank, believes that Universal’s efforts to build a regulated digital asset infrastructure align with his bank’s commitment to establishing the UAE’s future-ready digital payments ecosystem.

On the other hand, Ramez Rafeek, the general manager of AE Coin, adds that his company’s partnership with Universal contributes to the compliant usage of domestic digital assets regulated within the UAE’s financial framework.

The CEO of Aquanow, Phil Sham, further observed that the introduction of the USDU supports the expansion of regulated digital asset settlements. He also explained that the Aquanow platform is designed to provide institutions with secure, compliant market access.

Universal holds reserves backing USDU in onshore accounts

Universal disclosed that reserves backing the USDU stablecoin are held 1:1 in protected onshore accounts at Mbank, Emirates NBD, and Mashreq. It also revealed that a global accounting firm audits the banks independently each month.

According to Universal, this level of transparency aligns with global standards in regulated regimes, such as those in Japan and the EU, as well as a few U.S. frameworks. It has also partnered with AE Coin to power future USDU-AE Coin conversions for domestic settlements. The AE Coin was the first stablecoin to be licensed in the UAE.

Additionally, Universal has revealed that its partnership with Aquanow is part of its go-to-market strategy. Aquanow is registered with the Dubai Virtual Regulatory Authority (VARA) in the UAE and serves institutions across multiple markets.

The collaboration positions the USDU stablecoin for compliant adoption in the UAE and for rapid integration into the country’s digital asset ecosystem through Aquanow’s network of regulated service providers.

Universal further claims that the USDU is designed to connect with international digital asset markets beyond the UAE. The company says this enables institutions to move digital assets across globally regulated platforms. The USDU acts as a trusted link between the emerging digital assets economy and established financial systems. 

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The crypto market is trading well in the red on Thursday, with all but Tron, the top 10 coins by market cap, shedding profits they had made during the week.

Leading coins BTC, ETH, XRP, and SOL have all lost more than 1.5% in the last 24 hours amid a market bloodbath that wiped 1.7% off the total market cap, according to Coingecko data. 

Bitcoin had initially given the market glimpses of a positive marketwide correction after it crossed the $90,000 mark for the first time this week on Wednesday. However, traders seemingly chose to cash out their winnings, leaving the top coin by market cap in free fall.

Crypto market winding down the week in profit shedding

After the world’s largest cryptocurrency slipped below $88,500 in Thursday’s earlier trading session, most of the tokens followed, extending a choppy week of intraday swings. According to Coinglass liquidation data, the last 24 hours have seen the market lose more $300 million in forced selling.

Second in line, Ether hovered near $2,950, while popular altcoins Solana, XRP, and Dogecoin witnessed steeper intraday declines, falling between 2% and 4% during the session. Some market watchers believe that if selling intensifies, prices of several tokens may start testing their support levels and take the sector back to December’s bearish spell. 

Moreover, a brief run during the start of the year had previously helped prevent Bitcoin from slipping below the $86,558 threshold. A sustained break beneath that band could deepen losses, but if bulls manage to hold the price level above $87,000 before the week ends, market sentiment would stabilize.

The fifth-largest coin by market cap, XRP, is also moving toward $1.88, but a resistance wall has been set at the $1.92 to $1.94 range. A short-lived surge in trading volume had briefly pushed prices higher, but momentum quickly faded, and the token slipped back into consolidation, now trading at $1.86 at the time of this publication.

Open interest in SOL futures dropped 1.40% over the past 24 hours to $7.42 billion, per Coinglass. Funding rates also turned negative, printing -0.0042%, a sign that newer participants favored short positions while closing longs and reducing their leverage.

Despite the day-to-day volatility, selling pressure has seemingly eased compared with last weekend’s downturn. That pause allowed digital assets to attempt a short-lived rebound, though a chance for a defined conviction is weak. Many traders have been hesitant to commit to new positions without a clear macro direction.

Market pullback reacts to the US Fed stance and policy persistence  

The Federal Open Market Committee kept its benchmark interest rate at 3.50% to 3.75% on January 28, its first policy decision of 2026. According to the central bank, the choice was “loosely neutral” as last year’s rate cuts continue to filter through the economy.

“Overall, the Fed just wants to stand pat. They feel they’ve got time to wait and see,” former Fed Vice Chair Roger Ferguson said in a CNBC interview Monday. “This feels like a wait-and-see meeting, and we should all be listening to see if there’s any hint or a bias towards a future action.”

After his press briefing on rates, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell addressed queries about the US government’s political influence over monetary policy. He defended the independence of central banks, saying:

“Every advanced economy, democracy in the world has come around to this common practice. It’s just an institutional arrangement that has served the people well, and that is to have a separation between, to not have directly elected official control over the setting of monetary policy.”

President Donald Trump insists that elected leaders should have more say in interest rate decisions, and he threatened to end Chair Powell’s term before this May, Cryptopolitan reported.

“The reason is that monetary policy can be used, you know, through an election cycle to affect the economy in a way that will be politically worthwhile. If you lose that, it’s going to be hard to retain it, and we haven’t lost it. I don’t believe we will … it’s enabled central banks generally not to be perfect, but to serve the public well,” Powell told reporters on Wednesday.

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On January 28, Hang Seng Investment Management announced the launch of a new physical gold exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the LBMA Gold Price.

The Hang Seng Gold ETF started trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Wednesday under the stock code 3170.  The Hang Seng Gold ETF opened at HK$18.40 and closed at HK$17.44, up HK$1.44, or 9%, from its previous close of HK$16.00. 

The fund experienced a turnover of HK$131.98 million during the session with 7.54 million units traded, a bid of HK$17.43, an ask of HK$17.44, a lot size of 50, and an intraday range of HK$17.36 to HK$18.40.

According to product information, the fund is a passive exchange-traded fund (ETF) that holds actual gold bars that meet the London Bullion Market Association’s standards for satisfactory delivery.

Hang Seng launches tokenized gold ETF with restrictions

In a product key facts statement, the fund manager stated that the ETF’s listed class has a board lot size of 50 units and trades in Hong Kong dollars. It has an estimated annual tracking difference of -0.50% and an expected ongoing fee of 0.40% annually. 

According to Hang Seng, the fund has no plans to distribute dividends. Thus, profits will be solely dependent on changes in the price of gold.

In addition to its traditional ETF units, the fund also offers a tokenized class of units. These tokenized units are first issued on Ethereum and may be extended to other public blockchains. According to its prospectus, HSBC is acting as the tokenization agent for the product.

The investment firm noted that, even though these tokenized ETF units are created on a public blockchain, they cannot be freely traded on secondary markets. Instead, investors must only subscribe to or redeem them through authorized distributors. 

Additionally, according to Hang Seng’s product page, the units are not yet available for subscription and won’t be made available until the necessary approvals are obtained.

The Hang Seng Gold ETF debuted as gold extended its rally on Thursday. It reached a new high of $5,523 per ounce. Gold prices increased $217.77, or 4.1%, throughout the day, marking a 30-day gain of $976.65, or a 22.56% increase, as investors continue to look for safe-haven assets amid economic and geopolitical uncertainties. 

HKMA pilot advances real‑value tokenized deposit settlement infrastructure

The debut coincides with Hong Kong’s ongoing efforts to market itself as a hub for cryptocurrency assets under regulatory supervision, with officials supporting trials that connect blockchain technology with traditional finance. 

For instance, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority unveiled the pilot phase of Project Ensemble in November of last year, testing real-value transactions with tokenized deposits and digital assets.

The monetary authority said that the pilot phase moves the project from a sandbox experiment to a live, value-bearing settlement. The HKMA called this a “pivotal” step in Hong Kong’s crypto future.

In 2024, the HKMA launched the Project Ensemble sandbox to test the use of e-HKD to enable tokenization in the conventional banking sector. Using experimental tokenized deposits, the sandbox has enabled participating banks and industry partners to test end-to-end digital asset settlement.

HKMA revealed that the new pilot is anticipated to operate through 2026, and will first focus on tokenized money-market fund transactions and real-time liquidity and treasury management.

According to HKMA, the pilot environment will be gradually improved to enable settlement in tokenized Central Bank Money (CeBM) 24/7. The broader tokenization ecosystem in Hong Kong will continue to grow as a result of this evolution.

“To scale tokenization of investment products, interoperability is key. A critical step in that direction is today’s initiative announced by the HKMA, which will gradually allow interbank settlement of tokenized deposits in real time 24/7.”

–Julia Leung, CEO of  Securities and Futures Commission. 

The HKMA will continue to work closely with the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to advance the practical applications of tokenization technology across a wide range of asset classes, use cases, and sectors within the financial industry.

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Pump.fun memes have the highest graduation rate since the summer of 2025. More tokens are moving to DEX trading after a general revival of the Solana meme space. 

Tokens on Pump.fun are shifting their creation stories, with more projects graduating to PumpSwap or other DEXs. Pump.fun graduations have previously crashed to lows, and are used as a proxy indicator for the general mood of the crypto market. 

Pump.fun graduations spiked to the highest level since the summer of 2025, following a new wave of projects and more liquidity inflows. | Source: Dune Analytics

In the past few weeks, more tokens have moved their liquidity to decentralized exchanges. The shift happened after a period where teams would rug-pull new tokens while still in the “trenches,” draining the initial liquidity. 

In the past day, 269 tokens graduated, or over 1% of all created tokens for the day. The graduation rate is the highest since the summer of 2025, when 0.92% of tokens graduated. 

Pump.fun creator teams aim for longer-lasting meme tokens

While the graduating token number depends on more daily launches, it also signals a shift for some teams, which take effort to preserve their token’s liquidity. 

Putting new tokens into DEX pairs also signals hope for the Solana ecosystem, where memes are enjoying renewed inflows of liquidity and speculative trading. 

Graduations are not a meaningful source of revenues for Pump.fun, as the platform takes a 1.5 SOL fee. However, trading those tokens means an additional 1% in revenues from all subsequent swaps. 

The recently launched tokens are still cautiously accepted, following a period of almost daily launches of cult tokens. Some of the newly graduated assets are still heavily sniped or controlled by insiders. The market cap of newly graduating tokens also rarely rises to significant valuations. While previous graduations happened with valuations between $30M and $100M in the first days of trading, new tokens barely reach $10M in market capitalization.

Is the graduation price on Pump.fun too low? 

Some of the newly graduating meme tokens have a market capitalization of under $50,000. The tokens valued in the millions are rare, and even on DEXs, most survive for a few days before selling pressure accelerates. 

For graduation, tokens need a market cap of $80,000 to $100,000, based on around 80 SOL held in the bonding curve. Some projects readily supply the liquidity for graduation and even continue to pump the token, but rarely ensure organic growth. Meme tokens remain a high-risk trade, although some projects manage to draw significant levels of new liquidity.

For over a year now, Pump.fun has not produced new graduating tokens with a valuation above $500M. Graduation rates depend on communities and teams, as well as liquidity providers and whales, and may vary widely depending on projects and trends. The latest graduations come from new attempts to generate commodity meme tokens. 

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Nvidia Corp.’s top executive says the sale of its powerful H200 artificial intelligence chips in China remains on hold pending a decision by Chinese authorities.

CEO Jensen Huang told reporters in Taipei on Thursday that while Nvidia has made progress in securing a license and has engaged with both customers and government officials in China, Beijing has yet to formally approve imports of the H200 chips, and no orders have been placed by Chinese customers as a result.

“We’re hopeful the Chinese government will allow Nvidia to sell the H200 and are looking forward to a favorable decision,” Huang said, adding that the license process is being finalized.

Chinese government is deciding whether to allow Nvidia to sell its H200 chips

Jensen Huang said that Nvidia hasn’t received any orders from Chinese buyers for their H200 chip. The reason is that China is still considering whether to allow the import of the H200.

The consideration is taking time, but the interest from Chinese companies remains high. He said that the matter is entirely in the Chinese capital and that they are waiting for the final verdict before they can move.

In an interview with Taipei reporters, Huang said he hopes Beijing will allow the company to sell its H200 chip in the Chinese market again, but added that the timing of the decision is beyond its control. He said the company can only wait, but is more than ready to act quickly once it’s made.

Huang traveled to China and met with the company’s customers and government officials to discuss Nvidia’s products and the market landscape. However, there are no reports that China has placed any orders, indicating that the negotiations haven’t gone through yet.

Huang said there is good news: officials in the Chinese government secretly asked top tech companies like Alibaba to begin preparing to receive the H200 chips. This statement implies that officials could go ahead and allow companies to import the chips, but Nvidia hasn’t received official word on the matter.

Nvidia is awaiting US approval to resume selling chips in China

Huang said the H200 is an older generation of AI processors, and that the US government has agreed to allow the company to sell them to China, but will place tighter controls on newer, more advanced models. He also said the US is still processing the export license, so Nvidia has to wait.

According to the CEO, companies in China are very interested in the H200 chips because they know the chips can provide the computing power they need to improve their AI operations.

Huang noted that interest in the H200 chip makes it a very important product for Nvidia as it seeks to regain its position in the Chinese market, which remains the world’s largest semiconductor market.

Nvidia lost significant ground in the Chinese market due to US restrictions that prevented it from shipping its premium AI computing chips to the country. The company is now trying to recover that loss, and the CEO even said the restrictions don’t affect the standards for developing and running AI models.

Huang concluded that demand for AI chips is growing worldwide, so manufacturing capacity needs to increase. He said Nvidia’s biggest manufacturing partner, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., needs to up production over the next decade just to meet the growing demand.

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Tesla announced Wednesday it plans to put $2 billion into xAI, the artificial intelligence company run by CEO Elon Musk, while telling investors that its much-talked-about Cybercab robotaxi remains set to begin production sometime in 2025.

The double announcement backs up Musk’s bigger strategy to transform Tesla from a car company into an AI business. That shift matters a lot to the company’s current value of around $1.5 trillion. Meanwhile, keeping production promises matters just as much since Musk has let investors down before with forecasts that didn’t pan out.

Heavy spending plans dampen initial stock gains

But the push to build Cybercabs, humanoid robots, semi trucks and roadster sports cars means Tesla will need to spend big on factories. Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja said capital spending will top $20 billion this year. Tesla’s stock jumped about 3.5% after the news came out, but the gains shrank to 1.8% once investors heard the spending details.

Thomas Monteiro, who analyzes stocks at Investing.com, said Tesla is now in a change period. The company wants investors to bet on future money from self-driving software and robotaxis before car sales pick back up. “That makes rollout metrics – not deliveries – the most important leading indicator from here,” Monteiro said.

Musk told analysts he thinks fully self-driving cars will work in a quarter to half of the United States by the end of this year. He’s made wrong predictions about robotaxis before. The company now only runs a small robotaxi service in Austin, Texas.

Tesla’s main car business, which still brings in most of the money, has hit some rough patches. Other companies keep launching newer cars, often for less money. A U.S. tax break for electric cars also ended, and Musk’s far-right political comments have turned off some buyers.

On Wednesday, Musk told analysts Tesla will quit making its Model S sedans and Model X SUVs. These were the flagship cars that once made Tesla a big name in electric vehicles, but now they account for just a small slice of sales. The factory space will go toward making robots instead.

Tesla’s total revenue dropped about 3% to roughly $94.83 billion in 2025. This marks the first time the company’s annual revenue has gone down. To keep sales going, Tesla has leaned hard on price cuts and deals. Wall Street thinks the company will deliver 1.77 million vehicles in 2026, an 8.2% jump, based on Visible Alpha data.

Tesla did beat profit expectations in the fourth quarter. Adjusted earnings came to 50 cents per share, higher than the 45 cents Wall Street expected. Even with falling sales, the company did better on car profit margins than expected. The automotive gross margin without counting regulatory credits was 17.9%, up from 13.6% a year earlier.

Energy storage emerges as bright spot amid AI push

One part of the business doing really well is energy storage. People keep buying large batteries for power grids to support renewable energy and keep electricity stable. Revenue from energy generation and storage jumped 25.5% to a record $3.84 billion in the December quarter.

Investors have been watching closely as Musk pushes into self-driving technology and robots. Many want proof that the autonomy plans are turning from talk into real products. “With Tesla’s legacy EV business slowing, Tesla investors can take part in the scorching hot AI boom,” said Andrew Rocco, a stock expert at Zacks Investment Research.

However, Musk warned about a coming shortage of memory chips that could slow Tesla’s plans in the next few years. He suggested Tesla should think about building its own chip factory. “If we don’t do that, we’re just going to be fundamentally limited by supply chain,” he said.

Investors also want to see signs that Full Self-Driving and robotaxis are moving forward, including news on getting past regulations and clearer timelines for the Cybercab, which doesn’t have a steering wheel or pedals. Cybercabs will join the robotaxi service that currently uses Model Y vehicles running Full Self-Driving software.

Last week, Musk said early production of the Cybercab and the Optimus humanoid robot would be “agonizingly slow” before speeding up. On Wednesday, he said Tesla doesn’t expect major Optimus production until the end of 2026. Making the Cybercab also brings regulatory problems since federal rules currently require steering wheels and pedals.

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The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, Binance, has launched a safety awareness campaign in Kenya, where local communities were taught road safety with digital security education. 

Binance’s Africa regional team met with local motorcycle taxi operators during Data Privacy Week on Wednesday to distribute helmets and reflective gear. Riders also received guidance on road discipline while learning about encryption, multi-factor authentication, withdrawal controls, and continuous monitoring systems.

Binance compares road traffic to digital asset market frenzy

According to the trading platform’s Africa Regional Operations officers, digital protection is relatable to taxi driving because busy roads are as dangerous as the packed digital asset industry. Binance said its safety campaign will distribute educational videos, localized social media content, influencer collaborations, and grassroots programs.

Wearing a helmet is a simple yet powerful way to protect yourself on the road. In the same way, Binance’s secure platform empowers individuals to take control of their financial future with confidence and freedom.

Saruni Maina, Regional Operations Lead, Binance Africa.

Boda boda riders account for about 70% of Kenya’s registered motorists in the informal transport sector, a group at high risk of accidents. According to National Road Data, motorcycle operators account for a large portion of severe injuries and fatalities. 

Speaking at the event, President of the Digital Boda Drivers and Deliveries Association of Kenya, Calvince Okumu, said that every accident leads to interrupted incomes, pressure on struggling families, and an overall reduced productivity. Okumu told attendees that protecting earnings online was just as important as using protective gear on the road.

“Just as we rely on helmets to reduce risks on the road, we need tools to protect our earnings in the digital space,” he surmised.

The association head also mentioned that cost barriers prevent many riders from obtaining proper safety equipment. “A helmet can save your life, but many riders cannot afford proper protective gear. Today’s event shows that our safety matters, both on the road and online,” Okumu continued.

The riders’ association outlined its own internal safety framework during the gathering, placing strict measures to improve discipline and accountability. These include mandatory rest days and digital verification of registered riders by ground teams that monitor compliance among members. 

“We train our members regularly on safety,” Okumu explained, “If someone violates our procedures, they are suspended and taken back to training classes. We have teams on the ground to ensure every member conforms. If you see a rider breaking traffic rules, you are encouraged to report.”

The Digital Boda Riders President stated that reports can be filed through the online portal Digital Boda Verify. The association plans to extend the safety outreach in “all corners of Kenya, including rural areas.”

Binance mulls tokenized stocks

Binance has commenced the year with a number of programs, including a roadmap to re-enter the US market and a proposed return to tokenized stock trading. Stock tokens are blockchain-based digital versions of shares in listed companies, which allow investors to buy fractional exposure that tracks real-time market prices.

“Since last year, we started supporting tokenized real-world assets, and we recently launched the first regulated TradFi perpetual contracts settled in stablecoin,” a Binance spokesperson told reporters last Friday. “Tokenized equities are a natural next step in our mission to bring TradFi and crypto closer together as we develop innovative solutions for our users and the industry.”

The exchange first introduced stock tokens in April 2021, starting with Tesla and later adding Coinbase, Strategy, Microsoft, and Apple. However, after financial regulators in the United Kingdom and Germany raised concerns about securities law, Binance closed the product in July that year. 

In the United States, the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are seeking SEC approval to launch similar products, while Binance competitor Coinbase launched onchain stock offerings in December last year.

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