Lighter is set to allocate half of the token supply to the ecosystem, while the remaining half is allocated to the team and investors.
The venture capitalist argues 2026 will favor proven crypto infrastructure, while several fast-growing segments reshape how the industry expands.
Hyperliquid Labs is set to receive its first major allocation of HYPE tokens, worth about $31.2 million, on Jan. 6.
The crypto markets are bracing for one of the calmest yet most interesting year-ends, much more diverse than the previous one. The top two tokens are consolidating just below their respective psychological barriers; Chainlink also seems to be following the trend. In times when liquidity has stayed selective, the LINK price is drawing attention, not …
The Uniswap price has gained significant attention in the past few days following the rollout of Uniswap’s Unification, which burned 100M UNI tokens. With the supply crunch in place, the UNI price was believed to experience a strong push. In the past 24 hours, the price faced a notable upswing after maintaining a narrow trade, …
In a recent report, the data aggregator CoinGecko has unveiled the leading crypto narratives of the year, with the Real-World Asset (RWA) sector emerging as a major contender with notable returns RWAs Lead Crypto Market Growth The report highlights that RWA has become the standout narrative in 2025, boasting an impressive average price return of 185.8% year-to-date (YTD) across key tokens, such as Figure Heloc, Chainlink (LINK), Stellar (XLM), Tether Gold (XAUT), and BlackRock’s BUIDL. This surge in the RWA sector can largely be attributed to the performance of specific platforms. Notably, Keeta Network has skyrocketed by 1,794.9% YTD, while Zebec Network and Maple Finance have recorded gains of 217.3% and 123.0% respectively. Related Reading: Bitcoin Correction Timeline: Analyst Predicts Potential Bottom In October 2026 Current statistics show that the crypto RWA sector boasts a Distributed Asset Value of $18.88 billion, reflecting a 2.56% increase over the past month. However, the Represented Asset Value has seen a slight decline, standing at $407.93 billion, down 2.36%. For context, RWA’s approach facilitates asset managers and projects the digital transformation of tangible assets, such as real estate and commodities, creating a solid foundation for trading, managing, and securing these assets. Layer-1 (L1) solutions have emerged as the second most profitable narrative this year, achieving an average price gain of 80.3% YTD. The success of this narrative can be attributed to the performance of privacy-focused blockchains such as Zcash and Monero, which have seen rallies of 691.3% and 143.6%, respectively. Another noteworthy crypto narrative, “Made in USA,” is also on track to end the year positively, with average gains of 30.6% YTD, primarily driven by Zcash’s performance that mitigated the moderate losses of other tokens in that category. Top Meme Tokens Suffer Heavy Losses Despite their popularity, narratives such as memecoins and artificial intelligence (AI) have struggled this year, with average returns of -31.6% and -50.2% year-to-date, respectively. Leading memecoins in the crypto space, such as Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB), have demonstrated the volatility of this sector by suffering significant losses of over 60% year-to-date. Similarly, the report notes that many artificial intelligence-focused crypto assets have recorded declines between 49.8% and 84.3%, with only Alchemist AI and Kite performing relatively better. Related Reading: Ethereum Fails To Surpass $3,000: Predictions For The Final Days Of The Year Lastly, the decentralized finance narrative faced a challenging year, experiencing average returns of -34.8%, which is consistent with the returns seen in the memecoins segment. The decentralized exchange (DEX) narrative has mirrored this decline with average losses of -55.5%, while layer-2 (L2) solutions have also struggled, recording average returns of -40.6% for the second year in a row. At the time of writing, the market’s leading crypto, Bitcoin (BTC), was trading at $88,960, having recorded losses of 10% year-to-date. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
The privacy narrative is positioned for continued relevance into 2026, driven by practical adoption needs rather than speculative momentum.
Hayes' investment shift towards DeFi tokens suggests a growing confidence in decentralized finance's potential amid evolving market dynamics.
The post Arthur Hayes acquires $2 million in LDO, PENDLE tokens amid DeFi rotation appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Flare Network has rolled out a new yield-focused product in collaboration with Upshift and Clearstar that offers XRP holders a way to earn returns without selling their XRP holdings. XRP’s price action has been bearish in recent weeks, and that calm has carried into the past trading sessions. The cryptocurrency is trading around $1.87, after staying confined between roughly $1.83 on the downside and $1.88 on the upside in the latest session. This subdued price behavior has preoccupied recent discussions, but development around its ecosystem has continued quietly in the background. Flare Launches New XRP Product Flare Network has officially introduced a new product designed to expand what XRP holders can do with their cryptocurrencies besides holding or trading. The product, which is called earnXRP, is positioned as the first on-chain yield solution that is fully denominated in XRP, and at the same time, addresses a long-standing gap in the ecosystem where earning yield typically required moving into stablecoins or other assets. Related Reading: The Decision That Could Change Everything For XRP Investors The launch is built around Flare’s FAssets system, which allows XRP to be represented on the network as FXRP on a one-to-one basis. To participate in earnXRP, holders deposit FXRP (XRP represented 1:1 on Flare) directly into an on-chain vault, where those assets are deployed across yield-generating strategies. In return, users receive a receipt token that tracks their deposited FXRP along with any yield accrued over time, with earnings remaining fully denominated in XRP. Users receive earnXRP, which represents the user’s deposited FXRP plus any yield generated over time. This structure removes much of the complexity typically associated with DeFi participation. Strategy execution, rebalancing, and compounding are handled within the vault. Users can also request withdrawals at any time, a process where their earnXRP tokens are burned, and FXRP is returned to their wallet. Muted Price Reaction For The Altcoin Flare’s earnXRP is one of the few avenues XRP holders can participate in DeFi. FXRP is a 1:1 ERC-20 representation of XRP that unlocks DeFi utility not possible on the XRP Ledger alone. Related Reading: XRP Price Falls To Critical Support Level, Is It Time To Panic? “Only 0.1% of XRP supply is utilized in DeFi, despite it being the 5th largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Users have not had an easy way to capture sustainably high returns. We’re excited to work with Flare and Clearstar to unlock XRP yield using the new Flare XRP Yield vault,” said Ethan, Growth Lead at Upshift. Despite the significance of the launch from a utility standpoint, the immediate market response has been limited. XRP is still trading within its recent range, with the price still below $1.9 and showing little reaction to the announcement. This response shows that the altcoin is currently heavily influenced by broader market conditions and macro sentiment, which have weighed on price action across the entire sector. Featured image from Pngtree, chart from Tradingview.com
The proposal shifts a portion of trading fees from liquidity providers to the protocol, which will be used to burn native token UNI.
The crypto markets are becoming choppy nowadays as the prices of most of the tokens are heading towards their local support range. Meanwhile, the Chainlink (LINK) price is trading near the $12 zone, extending a broader downtrend that has been in place since October. While volatility has cooled, the chart shows that LINK is not …
A growing part of the XRP community is paying closer attention to infrastructure changes taking shape on the XRP Ledger, especially as they relate to long-term utility and institutional adoption. That context explains why crypto market commentator Brad Kimes, widely known on X as Digital Perspectives, reiterated a long-standing message that continues to resonate with many XRP holders: “Never sell your XRP.” His comment was in anticipation of the upcoming XRPL Lending Protocol. Why You Shouldn’t Sell Your XRP The comment from Digital Perspectives was a response to a post from Ed Hennis, a software engineer at Ripple, who recently outlined the upcoming proposal for the XRPL Lending Protocol. The proposal introduces fixed-term, fixed-rate, underwritten credit directly at the protocol level of the XRP Ledger. This approach is interesting because it moves lending away from smart-contract layers into a standardized, protocol-native system governed by validator consensus. Related Reading: Here’s Why The XRP Price Keeps Crashing According to the explanation by Ed Hennis, the proposed loans on the XRPL Lending Protocol are going to be done with structured, clear terms, predictable interest, and explicit authorization, features that real-world institutions expect before committing capital. Therefore, Digital Perspectives’ “never sell” message is a reflection of a longer-term view where holders never sell their XRP and instead use them as collateral for loans. Instead of relying on generalized liquidity pools like most lending protocols, the design of the XRPL Lending Protocol places each loan inside a segregated Single Asset Vault. This structure isolates risk to a specific credit facility and avoids the cross-contamination that has plagued many DeFi lending platforms during periods of market stress. Therefore, the XRPL Lending Protocol reduces execution risk and creates a framework that resembles traditional credit markets more closely than existing crypto lending models. Real-World Applications Of The XRPL Lending Protocol Most decentralized lending systems today depend on heavy overcollateralization to offset volatility and the risk of anonymity. That approach might work for traders, but it is inefficient for real businesses that operate on predictable cash flows and underwritten credit lines. Enterprises are accustomed to borrowing without locking up more capital than the value of the loan itself, and that mismatch has kept many institutions on the sidelines. Related Reading: Ripple Reveals How It’s Hijacking A $16 Trillion Industry Using The XRP Ledger The XRPL’s approach introduces undercollateralized, institutionally underwritten lending alongside existing overcollateralized models. This expands the range of viable borrowers and aligns on-chain credit with how financing actually works in traditional markets. As noted by Hennis, real-world use cases of XRPL’s lending protocol include market makers borrowing XRP/RLUSD for inventory and arbitrage, Payment Service Providers (PSPs) borrowing RLUSD to pre-fund instant merchant payouts, and fintech lenders accessing short-duration working capital. The feature is slated to be available for voting at the end of January 2026. From there, the voting decision is up to validators on the XRP Ledger. Once the lending protocol goes live and XRP begins to play a direct role in institutional credit markets, selling XRP at that stage may be short-sighted. Featured image from Pngtree, chart from Tradingview.com
BitGo's move enhances institutional access to blockchain staking, potentially increasing institutional adoption and trust in crypto assets.
The post BitGo launches Aptos staking for institutional clients appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
The battle for control of Aave, the $52 billion decentralized lending giant, has escalated from a debate over interface economics into an open civil war regarding governance legitimacy. What began as a dispute over $10 million in annualized swap fees and brand ownership has, in the last 24 hours, mutated into a bitter procedural fight […]
The post Aave prices are crashing as insiders warn a “hostile” holiday vote could destroy the protocol’s dominance appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The DeFi space has entered a crucial phase wherein the two popular platforms are facing governance issues. Curve DAO and Aave, both protocols, have entered an active dispute over the revenue share. As a result, the AAVE price has come under selling pressure, while the CRV price has maintained a substantial ascending trend. In times …
Aster DEX buyback program enters Stage 5 on Dec 23, directing up to 80% of daily fees to $ASTER, enhancing token value and reserves.
The post Aster launches new buyback program, directing up to 80% of daily fees to $ASTER purchases appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
2025 pushed DeFi further along its maturity curve, with discernible credit cycles, growing institutional inflows, and increasingly robust trading venues. Onchain credit expansion resumed in H2 as risk appetite returned, while the ascent of RWA tokenization showed that institutions now view blockchain infrastructure as a viable distribution channel. Trading dynamics also shifted. Perp DEXs posted […]
The introduction of earnXRP could significantly boost XRP's DeFi participation, enhancing liquidity and yield opportunities in the ecosystem.
The post Flare, Upshift, and Clearstar introduce earnXRP, a new XRP-denominated yield vault appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Three entities — Upshift, Clearstar, and Flare — have jointly launched earnXRP, a new product that allows users to earn yield denominated in XRP.
Aave DAO unrest has intensified after Aave Labs unilaterally escalated a high-stake proposal on brand-asset ownership to a Snapshot vote.
On Dec. 15, Elizabeth Warren put two names at the top of a letter that signals where she thinks US crypto policy is actually written: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Attorney General Pamela Bondi. The ask is simple on paper but awkward in practice. Are their departments investigating what she calls “national security risks” tied […]
The post Elizabeth Warren is using PancakeSwap to force Trump’s regulators into a conflict trap they can’t escape appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The Maple Finance CEO says institutions will stop distinguishing between DeFi and TradFi as private credit moves onchain, and stablecoins process $50 trillion in payments.
The Uniswap (UNI) price has moved back into focus as traders react to a major governance vote that could reshape the token’s long-term value. While the broader crypto market remains cautious, UNI has shown relative strength, driven by expectations around changes to token burns and protocol fees. With the vote entering its final stage, UNI …
Jeff Yan, founder of Hyperliquid, has quietly built a $308 billion volume DEX with over half a million users, influencing DeFi while avoiding public attention.
Hyperliquid has posted more than $430 million in weekly outflows as competition from fast-growing rivals Lighter and Aster intensifies.
Glamsterdam and Hegota are expected to continue Ethereum's twice-a-year upgrade schedule in 2026 following Pectra and Fusaka.
The firm holds about 6.8 million SOL tokens, more than the next three largest SOL DATs combined, according to The Block's SOL treasury data.
Ethereum researchers have proposed new approaches to address centralization and cost concerns stemming from the protocol's state bloat.
Personal wallet hacks and private key breaches on centralized services are on the rise while DeFi hacks remain suppressed, Chainalysis said.
The proposal would activate protocol fee switches, burn 100 million UNI, and formally align Uniswap Labs with governance.