Crypto wallet provider Exodus is rolling out a new “Exodus Pay” feature in its self-custodial storage wallet with aw very simple goal in mind: to making digital assets usable for everyday payments, even for beginners.

On its 13th anniversary, Gate founder and CEO Dr. Han released an open letter, "Unleashing the Power of Change in Cycles," reviewing the platform's journey from early exploration to global development and systematically elaborating on its judgments of industry cycles and future trends. Dr. Han pointed out that as CeFi continues to expand into DeFi, the platform is moving from a centralized trading platform to a more open ecosystem. The crypto industry is shifting from "narrative-driven" to "infrastructure-driven," with the focus of competition shifting from products and scale to system capabilities and structural advantages. In the next cycle, platforms with infrastructure capabilities will no longer be merely market participants but will become an important part of the rules. Dr. Han stated that Gate is gradually shifting from a builder to an industry structure shaper, continuously investing in trading depth, risk control capabilities, and a global compliance system, while simultaneously deploying in areas such as RWA, TradeFi, DeFi, and AI. In addition, Gate continues to promote global brand building, accelerating its connection to a wider global user base through partnerships with top international sports IPs such as the Red Bull Racing F1 team and Inter Milan. In the future, Gate will continue to focus on infrastructure capabilities and deepen its investment in ecosystem connectivity, technological capabilities, and globalization to cope with the higher-dimensional industry competition in the next stage.

Exodus CEO JP Richardson stated that institutions are accelerating their entry into the crypto market this year, while retail participation has declined, suggesting the market may be entering a new institutional-driven phase. He pointed out that stablecoin market capitalization is currently at an all-time high, and traditional financial institutions are continuing to invest, including launching Bitcoin ETFs and establishing crypto-related business units. MN Fund founder Michaël van de Poppe also stated that under inflationary and cost-of-living pressures, retail funds are limited, and this cycle may be characterized by institutional dominance and a longer duration. Furthermore, CryptoQuant data shows that inflows into small accounts holding less than 1 BTC on Binance have fallen to a near nine-year low, indicating declining retail participation. (Cointelegraph)

Binance Wallet announced on X that participants in the Pieverse Booster activities can now claim their PIEVERSE token rewards for phases 1, 2, 3, and 4. Users are encouraged to navigate to the 'Discover' section, select 'Booster,' and then proceed to 'My Total Rewards' to access their accumulated tokens. By clicking on the 'Batch Claim' option in the upper right corner, users can efficiently collect all their rewards in one go. This update marks the availability of token rewards for those who participated in the initial phases of the Pieverse Booster activities. The process is designed to streamline the claiming experience, allowing users to consolidate their rewards with ease. Participants who have engaged in these activities can now benefit from their involvement by accessing their earned tokens through the specified steps. This initiative is part of Binance's ongoing efforts to enhance user engagement and reward participation within its platform.

Something significant is happening right now that could mark the start of the next phase of Bitcoin's price movement.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has expressed its support for a proposal to centralize the regulatory authority for crypto assets within the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). Headquartered in Paris, ESMA could become the unified regulatory body for crypto assets across the EU. Currently, EU crypto regulation is largely fragmented among member states, and while based on the MiCA framework, differences exist in enforcement standards and licensing procedures. This proposal aims to reduce regulatory arbitrage, improve cross-border coordination efficiency, and strengthen investor protection. According to the plan, ESMA may be responsible for regulating stablecoin issuers, supervising trading platforms, and approving related white papers, while the ECB will focus on macro-financial risk assessment. Industry insiders believe this move could reduce cross-border compliance costs, but the specific scope of authority and transition arrangements still need further clarification. (CrowdfundInsider)

Oil prices have climbed above $105 following the breakdown of U.S.-Iran discussions in Islamabad, which has reignited concerns of potential conflict in global energy markets. According to NS3.AI, the Kobeissi Letter reported that Google search interest for 'price of oil' has reached an unprecedented level, surpassing the peaks of 2022 and 2008 by 300%.

According to Onchain Lens monitoring, an address transferred 2,540 ETH to Binance after holding them for approximately three months, worth about $5.56 million. This address had previously withdrawn 2,550 ETH from Binance, worth about $8 million, representing a loss of approximately $2.4 million based on current prices.

Genius announced on its X platform that it has added a "refund" function to its airdrop program based on community feedback. Users can choose to burn all their GENIUS airdrop shares within 48 hours after the TGE event in exchange for a refund of the net transaction fees charged by the platform. The refund is calculated based on net transaction fees and does not include previously distributed trading rebates or referral rewards; it only covers Genius's own fees and does not include third-party protocol fees. The platform stated that whether to hold the tokens or apply for a refund is entirely up to the user.

South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service has issued a warning to consumers regarding increasing abuse in the cryptocurrency market linked to APIs. According to NS3.AI, these application programming interfaces are responsible for approximately 30% of the nation's virtual asset trading volume. The regulator highlighted that automated trading programs are being utilized to artificially inflate transactions and manipulate market conditions. In response, a consumer advisory was released, providing examples of such misconduct to raise awareness among investors.

According to CoinGlass data, XAU is currently trading at $4717.28, down 0.56% in the last 24 hours. Possibly influenced by geopolitical tensions such as the breakdown of the first round of US-Iran negotiations, market volatility has increased. The total trading volume of XAU contracts across all exchanges reached $1.339 billion in the last 24 hours, a 504.45% increase compared to the previous period. Among centralized exchanges, liquidity is mainly concentrated on Binance, Bitget, and OKX, with 24-hour trading volumes of $644 million, $207 million, and $171 million respectively, ranking in the top three.

A recent midday cryptocurrency digest reported a significant security breach involving the Polkadot network. According to NS3.AI, the exploit resulted in the unauthorized minting of 1 billion DOT tokens, raising concerns about the network's security protocols. In addition to the Polkadot incident, the digest highlighted geopolitical tensions, specifically the potential implications of a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Such an action could escalate risks in the region, affecting global markets and investor sentiment.

The Clarity Act has become a litmus test for Washington's determination to regulate cryptocurrencies, and its successful passage will directly determine the United States' competitiveness in the global digital finance sector.

If a new Hong Kong dollar stablecoin enters the market merely as a "compliant payment instrument," it will not be easy for it to grow rapidly. This is because it is not facing a blank market, but a mature network where user habits, liquidity, and channel access are already largely solidified.

World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token—linked to Donald Trump—fell to an all-time low of $0.07714 after the project was caught using billions of its own tokens as collateral to secure $75 million in stablecoin loans, raising fresh concerns about liquidity risk and DeFi market stability.

Kraken Financial has been given a limited Federal Reserve account through the Kansas City Fed, allowing its banking arm to access Fed payment systems like Fedwire under strict conditions and a one-year trial.

The rise of perpetual contracts, the trend of on-chain migration, and emerging opportunities for developers.

Hong Kong's first batch of stablecoin licenses has finally been issued, with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority ultimately selecting only two entities: HSBC and Standard Chartered. All the Chinese-funded institutions that submitted applications had received "window guidance" from relevant departments, requesting them to postpone their participation in this stablecoin license application process.

Major companies are no longer just piling on GPUs; they are simultaneously expanding an entire layer of "CPU scheduling infrastructure" to provide operational support for AI agents. When computing power is no longer scarce, whoever can solve system-level bottlenecks first will have the last laugh in this game.

AI capabilities are iterating at an astonishing pace, and any entity with assets and data that needs protection must pay close attention to this, with the crypto industry being a prime target.