Category: Business

  • Ripple Moves to Scrap Key XRPL Amendment

    Ripple Moves to Scrap Key XRPL Amendment

    Ripple is recommending that the $XRP Ledger community withdraw the long-running XChainBridge (XLS-38) amendment that is focused on bringing cross-chain bridging to the network.

    According to the company, the technology is no longer needed for its main intended use case. Moreover, it has failed to secure sufficient developer demand.

    Ripple cannot unilaterally remove the feature since it controls only one validator vote on the $XRP Ledger. The withdrawal still has to proceed via the network’s standard amendment process.

    XLS-38 was created to provide a native bridging framework for the $XRP Ledger. The proposal would allow assets to move between the XRPL mainnet and connected sidechains with the help of “witness servers.”

    The system was designed with custom sidechains, including private and permissioned networks as well as experimental chains. It was also originally intended to serve as the bridge connecting the $XRP Ledger to the XRPL EVM Sidechain.

    The Axelar alternative

    Ripple said it selected the Axelar network for the EVM Sidechain. Axelar’s network currently has more than 75 validators and supports broad interoperability with more than 50 blockchain networks.

    Ripple initially decided to use Axelar for the XRPL EVM Sidechain in June 2024. At the time, the company said it would continue leaving XLS-38 available for a community vote.

    Ripple now says that there is little evidence that such demand exists.

    “The primary use case that motivated XLS-38’s development is fully addressed, and we believe better addressed, by the Axelar integration,” RippleX said.

    The company also argued that maintaining the dormant implementation has become a liability. Removing XChainBridge would allow developers to eliminate more than 10,000 lines of code.

    Ripple’s decision could be reversed. Those devs who are actually building around XLS-38 have been asked to present some compelling use cases that could convince the company to change its mind.

  • HPC stays on policy offensive with CFTC push to prioritize perpetual contracts

    HPC stays on policy offensive with CFTC push to prioritize perpetual contracts

    The Hyperliquid Policy Center (HPC) made its stance clear in a filing with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Thursday, August 27, 2026, pushing the regulator to prioritize perpetual contracts in its innovation agenda.

    The HPC’s latest push drops another ping on the radar of US traders who have been shut out of a derivative market that has gone beyond $500 billion in offshore volume.

    Perpetual contracts took over CFTC meeting

    The statement arrives just after the CFTC held its first Innovation Advisory Committee meeting on August 20. Perpetual contracts were not a part of the main agenda.

    The main agenda included digital assets, artificial intelligence, and prediction markets. However, members of the committee could not stop mentioning the topic of perpetual contracts in each of the three sessions, according to HPC.

    HPC took this as proof of demand and decided to make four arguments in its statement:

    • that perpetuals are critical to CFTC’s innovation work
    • that they meet real hedging needs
    • that a friendlier CFTC is presently bringing these markets onshore
    • and that public blockchains can modernize derivative plumbing, thus rewriting the law.

    Jake Chervinsky, chief executive of HPC, signed the statement, alongside senior counsel Brad Bourque. HPC submitted the statement to Commission Secretary Christopher Kirkpatrick.

    HPC self-describes as an independent research and advocacy organization with ties to the Hyperliquid Foundation. HPC was founded by the Hyperliquid Foundation in February 2026.

    Who spoke at the committee meeting?

    In the statement, HPC mentioned the names of the members who brought up perpetuals, citing timestamps in the meeting webcast.

    Tyler Winklevoss of Gemini said that US firms are being left behind as perpetual contracts make up a bulk of global digital assets trading volume. Don Wilson of DRW perceives perpetuals to be risk tools that registered funds would rather hold next to dated futures.

    Brian Armstrong of Coinbase, Raghu Yarlagadda of FalconX, and Multicoin’s Tushar Jain also spoke in favor of perpetuals

    Why a contract can track a price despite it expiring

    A huge part of HPC’s filing centers on the mechanics of a perpetual contract. A perpetual contract has no settlement date, cannot be rolled over, nor delivered. Rather than expire, money is transferred between long and short holders by a recurring funding payment. This is done so the price can move back toward a reference price.

    HPC views this as a better solution for exposures that do not end. It gave examples like: an airline consuming aviation fuel, a fund that manages portfolio risk, and an AI developer that has rising compute costs. They all have unending costs, and hedging them with dated futures will mean traders get to experience a roll cycle that includes risk with timing and transaction costs.

    A kinder CFTC docket with a lawsuit to match

    The statement arrives at a perfect time. It comes at a point when the CFTC has developed a friendlier vibe toward perpetuals.

    In May, the CFTC approved the first US-listed perpetual futures contract, Kalshi’s BTCPERP. It further released a policy statement and staff guidance that broached continuous trading. In June, it requested comment on extending the product to storable energy commodities.

    HPC and the HIP-3 deployer trade[XYZ] issued a joint response to the energy request on August 26. Then, HPC went on to file a separate response on August 24, requesting the SEC and CFTC to see qualifying equity perpetuals as security futures.

    Walt Lukken of the FIA released committee figures which showed the agency was in charge of 30 designated contract markets, up from 16 in 2003 and 17 pending applications. The agency also oversees 6,700 listed contracts, up from 2,100 in 2023.

    Not everyone is on board, though. CME Group took the CFTC to court in June, arguing perpetuals are swaps and not futures, and CME’s outgoing chief, Terry Duffy, has referred to the product as “a disaster waiting to happen.”

  • MemeToro vs AlphaPepe Tokenomics: Comparing Two Leading Crypto Presales in 2026

    MemeToro vs AlphaPepe Tokenomics: Comparing Two Leading Crypto Presales in 2026

    MemeToro and AlphaPepe are both attracting attention in the 2026 crypto presale market, but their strategies are different. MemeToro has reached Stage 6 at $0.00350 and is approaching $100,000 raised, while AlphaPepe has advanced to Stage 20 with more than $2.5 million raised from over 11,100 wallet holders.

    MemeToro is building an AI-powered $BNB Chain launchpad with automated security scanning, while AlphaPepe focuses on a broader ecosystem featuring rewards, rankings, referrals, and planned exchange access.

    Comparing their tokenomics and utility helps explain why both projects have gained attention among investors searching for the best crypto presale opportunities.

    MemeToro Focuses Token Utility on AI Launch Infrastructure

    MemeToro’s $MT token is connected to an ecosystem designed around AI-assisted memecoin creation and launch infrastructure. The project is currently in Stage 6, with the token priced at $0.00350 and fundraising nearing $100,000.

    Its defining feature is the AI-powered launchpad on $BNB Chain. The platform uses an AI agent to help identify trends and develop memecoin concepts, while its automated security scanner is designed to detect developer backdoors and honeypot-style mechanisms before deployment.

    This gives MemeToro a clear utility narrative within the AI crypto presale category. Rather than relying solely on community hype, the project is building a product around the process of creating and evaluating new meme tokens.

    For investors comparing a crypto presale with established meme assets, that infrastructure focus is an important distinction. The $MT narrative is tied directly to the platform’s future ecosystem.

    Here’s a video to watch if you prefer visuals over reading to discover everything about the MemeToro ecosystem.

    AlphaPepe Brings a Larger Presale Ecosystem

    AlphaPepe has already progressed considerably further through its fundraising cycle. The project has surpassed $2.5 million raised and has attracted more than 11,100 unique wallet holders.

    Its Stage 20 presale is priced between $0.02789 and $0.02817, while a 48-hour Bonus Drop gives buyers an opportunity to unlock additional ALPE tokens.

    AlphaPepe’s ecosystem includes several features designed around user engagement and participation. Its broader model includes rewards, rankings, referrals, marketplace activity, and planned exchange partnerships.

    Project updates also highlight upcoming trading partnerships with CEXs including Azbit and BiFinance. That gives AlphaPepe a strong listing and community-growth narrative alongside its presale.

    For readers following crypto presale news, the difference is straightforward. AlphaPepe emphasizes ecosystem engagement and market expansion, while MemeToro emphasizes AI-powered token creation and security infrastructure.

    Comparing the Two Presales for 2026

    The best way to compare the projects is to look at what each is attempting to build. MemeToro is positioning itself around AI and launch infrastructure, while AlphaPepe is building an ecosystem around community activity, rewards, rankings, referrals, and exchange access.

    Their current progress also differs considerably:

    • MemeToro: Stage 6 at $0.00350
    • AlphaPepe: Stage 20 at $0.02789–$0.02817
    • MemeToro: approaching $100,000 raised
    • AlphaPepe: more than $2.5 million raised
    • MemeToro: AI launchpad and security scanner
    • AlphaPepe: rewards, rankings, referrals and CEX roadmap

    That makes the comparison useful for investors researching the latest crypto presale market. MemeToro offers exposure to an AI-powered $BNB Chain launchpad, while AlphaPepe offers a broader community and rewards ecosystem.

    Both also fit into the expanding memecoin presale category, but their product narratives are distinct. MemeToro’s strongest differentiator is AI-driven infrastructure, while AlphaPepe’s strength is its established presale momentum and engagement-focused ecosystem.

    More Information on MemeToro ($MT) Presale Here:

    Website: https://memetoro.com/

    X: https://x.com/memetoro_mt

    Telegram: https://t.me/memetoro_mt

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY0jgWy_DtA

  • Bitcoin experts prefer this defined-risk strategy for the next leg higher in prices

    Bitcoin experts prefer this defined-risk strategy for the next leg higher in prices

    Missed bitcoin’s $BTC$79,672.47 initial climb to $80,000 and looking for a smart way in? Industry experts favor a defined-risk strategy known as call spreads for the next leg higher.

    The strategy is popular with traders looking to profit from an expected price rise while capping potential losses. It involves buying the right to purchase $BTC at a given price, such as $80,000, and simultaneously selling the right for someone else to buy it at a higher price, say $90,000, capping both the upside and downside.

    The maximum profit is the difference between the two strike prices minus what the call spread buyer paid for the spread. The maximum loss is limited to the initial premium.

    “Call spreads remain an appealing mechanism for upside exposure into September,” said Jean-David Pequignot, the chief commercial officer at Deribit, the world’s largest crypto options exchange by volume and open interest.

    “Long call spreads allow traders to buy the cheaper wing of a skew leading toward downside puts, capturing potential post-expiry upside while maintaining defined risk ahead of Fed and inflation catalysts,” he told CoinDesk.

    He added that put options, which are bets that protect against $BTC price losses, remain relatively expensive.

  • Bitcoin tests its largest supply wall at $80,000, near ETF holders’ average price

    Bitcoin tests its largest supply wall at $80,000, near ETF holders’ average price

    Bitcoin faces a significant resistance wall between $80,000 and $82,000, the largest concentration of supply across any comparable price range.

    According to Glassnode’s Realized Price Distribution (URPD), nearly 8% of bitcoin’s supply was acquired within this band. The metric shows where the existing supply last moved, assigning each entity’s total balance to its average purchase-price bucket.

    Around 5% of bitcoin’s supply is concentrated at $80,000, the largest cluster at any individual price level, while $82,000 represents the fourth largest. The $78,000 level contains the second-largest cluster, accounting for approximately 3.7% of supply.

    These concentrations matter because investors who acquired bitcoin around these levels may sell as the price returns to their cost basis, creating overhead resistance.
    While, the average cost basis of deposits into the U.S. bitcoin spot ETFs is also around $80,000 to $82,000 adding to the potential sell-pressure.

    BTC: Average Cost Basis of US Spot ETF Deposits (Glassnode)

    A similar dynamic developed between $60,000 and $63,000, where more than 6% of supply is concentrated. That area became a strong support zone after bitcoin traded within the range for much of 2026 and only briefly fell below $60,000 during the summer but reclaimed that price level quickly.

    The 50-week moving average, which tracks bitcoin’s average closing price over the previous 50 weeks, currently sits at $81,081. Bitcoin has remained below it since November 2025. The previous two major recoveries above this trend line, in May 2020 and March 2023, were followed by sustained bull runs.

  • First Historic Step Taken Against the Major Quantum Threat in Bitcoin! Here Are the Details

    Recent rapid advancements in quantum computing technology have brought the quantum threat back to the forefront of security concerns for cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin.

    The possibility that sufficiently powerful quantum computers could break the current cryptographic systems of cryptocurrencies raises concerns about the long-term security of digital assets.

    Therefore, transitioning to quantum-resistant technologies and preparing existing networks against quantum attacks is becoming increasingly important in the crypto sector.

    First Quantum Secure Transaction Completed!

    At this point, StarkWare announced that it had completed the first transaction designed to provide protection against security threats arising from quantum computing on the Bitcoin mainnet.

    The company announced that the quantum-resistant transaction took place on the Bitcoin mainnet using the Quantum Safe Bitcoin (QSB) method and was verified by miners.

    The statement explains that quantum-resistant Bitcoin, or QSB technology, uses a hash-based cryptographic system resistant to quantum algorithms, instead of traditional elliptic curve cryptography.

    What Does QSB Technology Do?

    A significant portion of Bitcoin’s current security architecture relies on elliptic curve-based cryptographic methods such as ECDSA and Schnorr. It is thought that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could overcome these mathematical problems via the Shor algorithm, making it possible to derive the private key from the public key. This could potentially make Bitcoin addresses that have previously published their public keys vulnerable to quantum attacks.

    Therefore, it was stated that the most important feature of QSB technology is that it can be implemented immediately within Bitcoin’s existing scripting standards without changing the consensus algorithm or requiring a soft fork.

    It was also noted that QSB uses an additional protection mechanism to prevent the public key from being revealed before the transaction is confirmed by the Bitcoin network.

    The Cost of the Procedure is High!

    One of QSB’s most significant disadvantages, it was noted, is its high computational cost compared to existing Bitcoin transactions.

    In research published in April 2026, StarkWare researcher Avihu Levy predicted a GPU cost of approximately $75 to $150 to create the process. However, following actual testing on the mainnet, the cost was reported to be around $150–$200, or several hundred dollars. It was also noted that the calculation process took hours.

    Therefore, QSB is currently considered more of an experimental method for protecting high-value Bitcoin assets against quantum threats, rather than an economical alternative for daily Bitcoin transfers.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • Solana takes its first step toward sub-second speed by cutting block confirmation times across the network

    Solana takes its first step toward sub-second speed by cutting block confirmation times across the network

    Solana’s mainnet is producing blocks faster after its first staged slot-time reduction moved the network’s target from 400 milliseconds to 350 milliseconds.

    Faster slots shorten block-level feedback and confirmation thresholds measured in slots, while throughput depends on a separate set of limits.

    The Solana Foundation confirmed the mainnet change after the feature gate activated at slot 440,208,000, the first slot of epoch 1019. A feature gate is the switch validators use to coordinate a protocol change, and under the one-epoch delay required by SIMD-0525, the new timing applied when epoch 1020 began on Aug. 21.

    A slot is the window in which a designated validator can produce a block, while an epoch is a fixed period of 432,000 slots.

    Trillium, a Solana validator-telemetry provider, measured a slot-weighted mean of 365.4ms across 431,505 timed slots in post-change epoch 1021. Its view of pre-change epoch 1015 recorded a 420.7ms mean.

    The same dataset recorded 331 skipped slots in epoch 1021, or 0.077%, compared with 1,890 skips and 0.438% in epoch 1015. The lower post-change reading offers an early stability signal across those two epochs, though the comparison cannot establish that the timing cut caused the change.

    What faster slots change

    Shortening the slot window reduces the wall-clock time for confirmation thresholds measured in slots. It also cuts the four-slot leader window from a nominal 1.6 seconds at 400ms to 1.4 seconds at 350ms, narrowing the period one block producer controls.

    The proposal keeps four slots per leader and 432,000 slots per epoch. It scales per-slot compute, account-write, vote, data, and shred limits down with each shorter target. Blocks arrive more frequently and carry smaller budgets, leaving approximate work capacity per second broadly unchanged.

    The 365.4ms telemetry reading measures observed spacing between slots, and it also supports faster block-level feedback, while finality remains a separate metric.

    Solana’s official upgrade roadmap calls for distinct steps to 300ms, 250ms, and eventually 200ms. Each feature gate carries a one-epoch delay so validators can apply the timing and reduced shred limits together.

    Solana’s one-epoch delay cut mean slot spacing to 365.4 ms in epoch 1021, with 331 skipped slots and a 0.077% skip rate.

    The 300ms stage remained pending as of Aug. 26. Solana Compass reported that Anza CEO and SIMD author Brennan Watt said it was intended to become effective at epoch 1024, around Aug. 28.

    Solana’s roadmap says the network can pause between stages if skipped-block rates climb, making the 350ms stage a live test of how much validator timing can tighten before the path to 200ms continues.

  • Binance co-founders CZ and Yi He adopted Simpsons cartoon aliases ‘Homer’ and ‘Marge’ in company meetings

    Binance co-founders CZ and Yi He adopted Simpsons cartoon aliases ‘Homer’ and ‘Marge’ in company meetings

    Yi, who is now the co-CEO of Binance alongside its other chief Richard Teng, still uses the name Marge in meetings and chats, a person who previously worked with her at the firm told CoinDesk. The fact that the Simpsons cartoon characters are yellow is a reference to the corporate color of the exchange’s logo and marketing, the person said.

    CZ resigned as the CEO of Binance in November 2023 after the U.S Department of Justice alleged he violated the Bank Secrecy Act. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four months in prison in April 2024. In October 2025, the ex-Binace CEO was given a presidential pardon by President Donald Trump.

    According to Forbes, Zhao is the richest Canadian and the 17th-richest person in the world, with a net worth estimated at $111.1 billion as of April 2026.

    Up until recently, Yi maintained a relatively low profile at Binance, having served as the firm’s chief marketing officer.

    In August 2022, Yi became the head of YZi Labs (formerly known as Binance Labs), a venture capital firm and family office associated with Zhao that invests in Web3, artificial intelligence and biotechnology companies.

    It didn’t take long for the rapacious crypto memecoin ecosystem to swoop on the news and create meme tokens in honor of the crypto power couple’s Simpsonian masquerade.

  • Cryptocurrency Company Doppler Finance Launches New Altcoin, 1% of Supply Allocated for Airdrop! Here Are the Details

    Cryptocurrency Company Doppler Finance Launches New Altcoin, 1% of Supply Allocated for Airdrop! Here Are the Details

    Doppler Finance is preparing to launch its native token, XDP. According to the company’s statement, XDP is designed as a utility and governance token to be used in the coordination layer of the protocol.

    Doppler Finance stated that XDP aims to increase user participation in the protocol, support decentralized governance, and contribute to the growth of the ecosystem. The total supply of XDP will be limited to 10 billion tokens. More than half of the supply will be allocated to areas such as ecosystem development, vaults, partnerships, and community growth.

    It was announced that the shares allocated to investors in the token distribution will be subject to certain lock-up and vesting conditions. This aims to prevent all investor tokens from being released to the market at once and to encourage long-term participation.

    During XDP’s token generation event (TGE), 1% of the total supply will be distributed in an unlocked state. The distribution, which will be carried out as part of the Genesis airdrop, will include early adopters, contributors, and participants supporting the Doppler Finance ecosystem.

    In addition, 43% of the total supply will be allocated to ecosystem incentives. This share will be used to support future Doppler Points seasons, XDP staking activities, and community programs.

    Doppler Finance’s token economy is structured to encourage user participation and the long-term development of the protocol, with a high level of ecosystem allocation being noteworthy. The Genesis airdrop will allow early users to directly benefit from the token launch.

    With the launch of XDP, Doppler Finance plans to shape its governance mechanism and user incentives around its native token. More information regarding the launch date and technical details of the distribution is expected to be shared later.

    *This is not investment advice.

  • DeFi Development Corp. launches State of Solana dashboard to track network health in real time

    DeFi Development Corp. launches State of Solana dashboard to track network health in real time

    DeFi Development Corp., the Nasdaq-listed company that has spent the past year turning itself into a $SOL treasury vehicle, just shipped a product that isn’t a token purchase. The firm launched State of Solana on August 26, a public dashboard that pulls together real-time data on the Solana network’s market trends, staking yields, validator performance, and broader ecosystem activity.

    The pitch is straightforward: give investors a single pane of glass for Solana intelligence instead of forcing them to stitch together data from a dozen block explorers and analytics sites. Additional research tools are planned, though the company hasn’t detailed a timeline.

    What the dashboard actually tracks

    State of Solana consolidates metrics that currently live across scattered sources. Users can monitor staking data, validator decentralization, DeFi activity, and ecosystem growth alongside $SOL’s price action.

    The timing lines up with some notable on-chain milestones. Solana’s total value locked in DeFi sits at roughly $10.15B as of August 2026. The network’s token holder count recently hit a record 176.5 million, a figure that underscores just how much the user base has expanded over the past cycle.

    $SOL itself was trading around $96.61 at the time of launch, putting the network’s market capitalization near $56.36B. For context, that TVL-to-market-cap ratio of about 18% suggests meaningful capital is actually being deployed on-chain rather than just sitting in wallets.

    The dashboard is designed to surface these kinds of relationships. Rather than treating price as a standalone signal, it frames $SOL within the network’s operational reality: how much is staked, how validators are performing, where yield is flowing.

    DeFi Development Corp.’s bigger Solana bet

    If the dashboard feels like a side project for a company whose primary strategy is accumulating $SOL, that’s because it kind of is. DeFi Development Corp. has been on a buying spree, amassing 2,311,523 $SOL in its treasury as of August 2026. The company has set a target of 1.0 $SOL per share by December 2028, essentially asking shareholders to evaluate the stock as a proxy for Solana exposure.

    Think of it as the MicroStrategy playbook, but for Solana instead of Bitcoin. The company trades on Nasdaq under the ticker DFDV, with shares hovering around $4.58 and a market cap near $142M.

    That market cap is worth pausing on. The firm holds over 2.3 million $SOL tokens worth roughly $223M at current prices, yet the equity trades at a meaningful discount to its net asset value. Part of that discount reflects the stock’s rough stretch: DFDV has fallen 67.9% over the trailing twelve months.

    The company also operates in on-chain finance directly. Its dfdvSOL token can be used as collateral on Jupiter Lend with up to 92% loan-to-value ratios and a 93% liquidation threshold. Those are aggressive parameters that let holders lever up their $SOL exposure through the firm’s liquid staking derivative.

    Launching a data dashboard, in this context, is less about building a SaaS business and more about strengthening the information layer around the asset class DeFi Development Corp. has bet its entire balance sheet on.

    Why ecosystem transparency matters now

    Solana’s growth over the past year has been impressive by the numbers, but it has also been messy. Network congestion episodes, validator concentration debates, and the memecoin cycle’s boom-bust dynamics have all raised questions about the chain’s long-term fundamentals versus its speculative appeal.

    A dashboard that surfaces validator distribution, staking yields, and TVL trends gives investors the raw ingredients to form their own views on those questions. It’s the kind of infrastructure that institutional allocators tend to want before committing meaningful capital.

    With 176.5 million token holders on the network, Solana’s retail base is already enormous. The gap has been in structured, accessible analytics for the segment of the market that runs due diligence before buying. State of Solana appears aimed squarely at closing that gap.

    For DeFi Development Corp. specifically, the dashboard could serve a dual purpose. If it drives broader awareness of Solana’s on-chain health metrics, that awareness could indirectly support the investment thesis behind DFDV itself. A more informed investor base is, in theory, one that better appreciates the value embedded in a treasury holding over 2.3 million $SOL tokens.

    The risk, of course, is that transparency cuts both ways. If Solana’s metrics deteriorate, the same dashboard will make that visible too, and for a company whose stock has already shed nearly 68% of its value over the past year, that kind of visibility could amplify selling pressure rather than build confidence.

    Whether State of Solana becomes a go-to resource or fades into the crowded field of crypto analytics tools will depend largely on execution: how quickly new features arrive, how granular the data gets, and whether the platform can differentiate itself from established competitors like Dune, DefiLlama, and Solana-native explorers that already serve overlapping audiences.