Crypto Breaking

Grayscale a depus o cerere la Comisia pentru Valori Mobiliare și Burse din SUA pentru a transforma fondul său de încredere de urmărire Aave într-un fond tranzacționat pe bursă, semnalizând o continuare a eforturilor de a aduce expunerea la finanțele descentralizate investitorilor tradiționali. Cererea, dezvăluită printr-un Formular S-1 pe 13 februarie 2026, preconizează redenumirea vehiculului în Grayscale Aave Trust ETF și listarea pe NYSE Arca sub tickerul GAVE, cu Coinbase servind ca depozitar și broker principal. Dacă va fi aprobat, produsul ar deține direct tokenuri AAVE, mai degrabă decât să utilizeze un amestec de valori mobiliare și active.

The lack of privacy for on-chain transactions is a core obstacle to mainstream crypto payments. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao argues that privacy gaps deter businesses from using crypto to settle expenses, including payroll. He highlighted a scenario in which a company paying employees in crypto on-chain could have salary details exposed simply by inspecting sending addresses. The remark underscores a broader debate about whether public ledgers can sustain enterprise-level use without compromising sensitive information. In a separate exchange with Chamath Palihapitiya, host of the All-In Podcast, CZ connected these concerns to physical security, suggesting that transparency could heighten corporate risk even beyond financial data. The conversation comes as privacy-focused narratives—rooted in crypto’s cypherpunk origins—reassert themselves in a landscape where AI and data security add new layers to the discussion.

Key takeaways

The privacy question sits at the center of enterprise crypto adoption, with executives arguing that transparent on-chain activity deters payrolls and other payments.

A concrete example cited by CZ shows how salary information could be inferred from transfer histories, illustrating a tangible risk for corporate use cases.

The revival of cypherpunk values in crypto debates signals a shift toward prioritizing user control over data and resistance to pervasive surveillance on public ledgers.

Industry voices warn that as AI-powered tools become more capable, centralized servers and on-chain data could become more attractive targets for attackers, elevating the need for privacy-preserving technologies.

Policy and product developments around on-chain privacy—alongside pragmatic privacy narratives in media and research—are likely to shape how institutions view crypto as a payments and settlement layer.

Tickers mentioned:

Sentiment: Neutral

Market context: The privacy debate in crypto intersects with ongoing discussions about regulatory expectations, enterprise data handling, and the evolving threat landscape. As institutions weigh the benefits of programmable money against the risks of exposure, privacy-preserving technologies are entering broader conversations, alongside calls for pragmatic privacy implementations in the industry. The issue sits within a wider trend of renewed Cypherpunk-inspired discourse and a cautious approach to on-chain transparency in corporate contexts.

Why it matters

Privacy is not a niche concern but a practical constraint on the practical use of blockchain technology for everyday business. The payroll example alone illustrates how a lack of on-chain privacy can undermine a core financial function, potentially stalling broader corporate adoption. For enterprises, the risk is twofold: accidental data leakage that reveals payroll structures, vendor relationships, or strategic alliances, and the more subtle threat of data aggregation by adversaries who can piece together a company’s financial health from transaction patterns.

Industry voices emphasize that corporate workflows—trade secrets, supplier networks, and internal budgets—rely on confidentiality even when the underlying infrastructure aims to be transparent. The Kaspa project’s privacy emphasis, echoed in conversations about enterprise adoption, highlights that a meaningful on-chain privacy layer can be a prerequisite for companies to feel safe transacting with crypto as a payment method. As AI systems grow more capable, the ability to infer sensitive information from on-chain activity could become easier, making robust privacy protections not just desirable but necessary for security of business data.

These threads align with a broader narrative about cypherpunk values resurfacing in crypto discourse: the principle that encryption and privacy are foundational to a decentralized, censorship-resistant financial system. The idea that privacy tools can coexist with auditability and compliance is increasingly a focal point for developers building privacy-enhanced protocols and for policymakers considering how to balance innovation with consumer protection. The conversation is not about anonymity at all costs but about ensuring that legitimate users—businesses and individuals—have the ability to shield sensitive data while preserving the integrity of financial ecosystems.

In parallel, industry commentators point to a future in which on-chain privacy becomes a standard part of enterprise-grade crypto infrastructure. This includes recognition that centralized data stores and surveillance risks will attract AI-assisted threats, making privacy technologies a strategic requirement for any organization looking to deploy blockchain-based financial solutions. The discussion is complemented by media and research highlighting pragmatic privacy innovations and the potential for privacy-centric architectures to coexist with regulated, auditable systems. These developments suggest a trajectory where privacy enhancements are not a tech niche but a core governance and risk-management consideration for the crypto economy.

As regulators scrutinize the balance between transparency and confidentiality, the industry is watching for concrete privacy implementations that can satisfy both corporate needs and compliance frameworks. The dialogue around privacy has also gained renewed attention from mainstream voices who emphasize that the absence of privacy could undermine trust and slow adoption, particularly in areas like cross-border payments, supply chain finance, and employee compensation. The culmination of these conversations points to a broader, more nuanced approach to privacy in crypto—one that enables legitimate use while guarding sensitive information from exposure and misuse.

Further reading on related privacy themes includes discussions on the cypherpunk ethos and the evolving privacy landscape in crypto, including analyses of pragmatic privacy strategies and infrastructural approaches to privacy-preserving transactions. For a broader view of where privacy discussions are headed and how they intersect with industry and policy, see discussions on cypherpunk values in crypto, the role of privacy in CBDCs, and analyses of AI’s impact on on-chain data security.

What to watch next

Regulatory and industry acceptance of privacy-preserving on-chain transactions for enterprise use, including payroll and treasurer workflows.

Advancements in privacy-focused protocols and projects, with attention to practical implementations that can meet corporate governance standards.

Analysis of how AI-enabled data analytics could exploit on-chain transparency and what mitigations are being proposed.

Public discourse around cypherpunk values and their influence on product design, governance, and interoperability in crypto networks.

Emerging coverage and research on pragmatic privacy in crypto, highlighting specific case studies and measurable privacy gains.

Sources & verification

Changpeng Zhao’s comments on on-chain privacy and payroll visibility, via his X post: https://x.com/cz_binance/status/2023016538677371079

Cypherpunk values and their place in modern crypto debates: https://cointelegraph.com/news/cypherpunk-values-dying-but-not-dead-yet-show

Ray Dalio on privacy concerns around CBDCs: https://cointelegraph.com/news/zero-privacy-highly-controlled-cbdcs-coming-soon-warns-ray-dalio

Kaspa’s perspective on enterprise privacy and adoption drivers: https://cointelegraph.com/news/institutions-wont-embrace-web3-without-privacy-options-dop-exec

On-chain privacy in the context of AI and security threats: https://cointelegraph.com/news/onchain-privacy-necessity-age-ai-shielded-ceo

Privacy as the missing link for on-chain adoption

The on-chain privacy dilemma is not a theoretical debate but a practical bottleneck that could shape how quickly crypto-based payments move from pilot projects to everyday business operations. CZ’s remarks place a spotlight on concrete use cases—like payroll—where public visibility of transactions may undermine trust and willingness to adopt crypto at scale. The ongoing discussion around cypherpunk principles, combined with rising concerns about data security and AI-enabled threats, suggests that the next phase of crypto development will hinge on privacy-by-default features that preserve confidentiality without sacrificing auditable and compliant frameworks.

Ultimately, the market will look for a balanced path: privacy tools that protect sensitive information, clear governance around data handling, and privacy-preserving infrastructure that supports legitimate business needs. As projects and policymakers continue to test and refine these approaches, the industry’s ability to reconcile transparency with confidentiality could determine whether crypto payments become a mainstream, trusted option for corporate finance and everyday transactions alike.

Further reading on privacy’s role in the crypto era includes explorations of pragmatic privacy implementations and the revival of cypherpunk philosophies in today’s landscape, offering a framework for how technology and policy might converge to empower users while mitigating risk. The conversation remains dynamic, with developments that could redefine what “privacy” means in a decentralized economy and how enterprises securely participate in the programmable money revolution.

This article was originally published as CZ: Lack of On-Chain Privacy Holds Back Crypto Payments on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

Strategia, vehiculul de trezorerie Bitcoin co-fondat de Michael Saylor, și-a extins seria neîntreruptă de achiziții la săptămâna 12, în timp ce piața crypto mai largă s-a confruntat cu o volatilitate reînnoită. Compania a menținut un ritm de acumulare vizibil public, semnalizând o convingere pe termen lung în Bitcoin ca rezervă de trezorerie. Cele mai recente activități subliniază un tipar care a atras atenția pe piețele crypto, Saylor folosind graficul de acumulare al firmei pe X pentru a comunica viteza și amploarea. Cea mai recentă achiziție, executată la începutul lunii februarie, se adaugă la un bilanț care se află deja printre cele mai mari rezerve BTC dezvăluite public. Luate împreună, deținerile Strategiei au crescut la un nivel substanțial, firma menționând următoarea sa tranzacție BTC cu numărul 99 în mesajele publice, un moment de cotitură care a devenit un semn distinctiv al desfășurării capitalei strategiei.

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) se apropie de ceea ce cercetătorii on-chain descriu ca fiind o zonă subevaluată pentru prima dată în mai mult de trei ani, conform celor mai recente date de la CryptoQuant. Raportul valoare de piață-la-valoare realizată (MVRV), un instrument clasic pentru a evalua dacă Bitcoin este evaluat corect în raport cu prețul la care oferta a fost ultima dată mutată, a avansat spre un punct de echilibru după o tendință descendentă de câteva luni care a urmat unui maxim istoric din octombrie 2025. Acțiunea de preț de săptămâna trecută a văzut BTC scăzând sub $60,000, un nivel care a conturat sentimentul pieței și testarea suportului în ciclurile recente. Cu metrica MVRV fluctuând în jurul valorii de 1.1, analiștii spun că activul se apropie de un teritoriu care, istoric, însoțește acumularea și o potențială inversare, deși ei avertizează că niciun indicator unic nu garantează un minim.

Adoptarea proiectului de lege CLARITY privind structura pieței cripto ar putea îmbunătăți sentimentul într-o perioadă de declin generalizat, conform secretarului Trezoreriei Statelor Unite, Scott Bessent. Într-un interviu pentru CNBC, el a descris stagnarea proiectului de lege ca fiind un impediment pentru moralul industriei, subliniind că claritatea asupra cadrului ar oferi un ancoraj de care investitorii și incumbentele au mare nevoie. El a subliniat că avansarea rapidă a legislației - ideal până în primăvară, în fereastra dintre sfârșitul lunii martie și sfârșitul lunii iunie - ar putea stabili tonul pentru un mediu de reglementare mai previzibil pe măsură ce peisajul politic se schimbă înaintea alegerilor de la mijlocul mandatului din 2026. Bessent a avertizat că dinamica congresului, în special reechilibrarea controlului în Cameră, va influența șansele ca un acord să devină lege.

O nouă analiză Amberdata sugerează că un token DeFi de nișă legat de familia Trump ar fi putut avertiza piețele despre stres cu mult înainte de o scădere mai amplă a criptomonedelor. Studiul examinează activitatea din jurul World Liberty Financial Token (WLFI) pe 10 octombrie 2025, o zi în care aproximativ 6.93 miliarde de dolari în poziții criptografice cu efect de levier au fost lichidate în decurs de o oră. În aceeași zi, Bitcoin și Ether s-au mișcat decisiv în jos, cu altcoins mai mici suportând pierderi mai mari. La acel moment, Bitcoin se afla în jurul valorii de 121.000 de dolari, arătând un stres imediat limitat, în timp ce WLFI a prezentat o scădere pronunțată cu câteva ore înainte de declanșarea vânzărilor pe piața mai largă.

Traderii de Bitcoin au primit cu entuziasm o imprimare a IPC-ului din SUA mai moale decât era de așteptat, pe măsură ce inflația s-a răcit, ajutând criptomoneda să depășească nivelul de 69.000 USD vineri. Această mișcare a reaprins speranțele pentru o recuperare pe termen scurt după o perioadă de consolidare în apropierea unor zone tehnice cheie. Participanții de pe piață urmăresc dacă taurile pot depăși o bandă de rezistență încăpățânată în jurul valorii de 68.000 USD până la 70.000 USD, cu mai mulți analiști conturând o cale potențială către ținte mai mari dacă prețul poate stabili o bază deasupra suportului critic în apropierea valorii de 65.000 USD. Cele mai recente acțiuni de preț vin pe fondul unei piețe mai largi caracterizate prin apetit de risc fluctuant, dinamica lichidității și discuții continue despre rolul produselor tranzacționate pe burse în expunerea la criptomonede.

Mirae Asset Consulting, o filială a grupului sud-coreean Mirae Asset, își propune să preia controlul asupra bursei locale de criptomonede Korbit. Într-un document de reglementare, compania a convenit să achiziționeze 26.9 milioane de acțiuni Korbit pentru 133.48 miliarde won, aproximativ 93 milioane dolari, asigurându-și o participație de 92.06% în bursă. Achiziția va fi plătită integral în numerar, iar afacerea a primit aprobarea consiliului începând cu 5 februarie. Finalizarea este așteptată în termen de șapte zile lucrătoare după ce toate condițiile contractuale de închidere sunt îndeplinite, subliniind o mișcare rapidă pentru consolidarea unei afaceri reglementate de active digitale în cadrul infrastructurii în evoluție a criptomonedelor din Coreea. Documentul menționează că Mirae Asset intenționează să asigure viitoare motoare de creștere prin afaceri de active digitale (active virtuale).

Doi senatori din SUA au presat Departamentul de Trezorerie să examineze o investiție susținută de UAE în World Liberty Financial (WLFI), invocând potențiale probleme de securitate națională și confidențialitate a datelor. Într-o scrisoare de vineri adresată secretarului Trezoreriei, Scott Bessent, Elizabeth Warren și Andy Kim au îndemnat Comitetul pentru Investiții Străine în Statele Unite (CFIUS) să determine dacă o revizuire formală este justificată într-o afacere în care un vehicul de investiție susținut de UAE ar achiziționa aproximativ 49% din WLFI pentru aproximativ 500 milioane dolari. Aranjamentul, dezvăluit cu câteva zile înainte de inaugurarea lui Donald Trump, ar face din investitorul străin cel mai mare acționar al WLFI și singurul său investitor public cunoscut. Dezvăluirile leagă finanțarea de Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan și includ locuri de guvernanță pentru executivi legați de firma de tehnologie G42, care a fost anterior supusă unei atenții din partea agențiilor de informații din SUA, din cauza potențialelor legături cu China.

Îngrijorările în creștere cu privire la amenințările cuantice la adresa Bitcoin au captat atenția instituțiilor și investitorilor veterani. Într-o apariție recentă pe podcastul Bits and Bips, capitalista de risc Nic Carter a avertizat că deținătorii mari ar putea deveni nerăbdători cu dezvoltatorii dacă acțiunile privind criptografia rezistentă la cuantă întâmpină întârzieri, ceea ce ar putea declanșa schimbări în guvernanță. El a argumentat că un ritm lent ar putea determina jucătorii majori să înlocuiască contribuitorii de bază cu echipe noi mai dispuse să avanseze o soluție. Dezbaterea se concentrează pe gestionarea riscurilor, control și ritmul schimbării într-o perioadă în care rețeaua rămâne unul dintre cele mai mari active, verificabile public în lume.

Roundhill Investments, un emitent de ETF cu sediul în SUA, a făcut pași pentru a aduce șase fonduri tranzacționate pe burse legate de contracte de eveniment care pariază pe rezultatul alegerilor prezidențiale din 2028 din SUA. Dosarul depus la Comisia pentru Valori Mobiliare și Burse descrie ETF-uri care ar folosi un derivat specializat cunoscut sub numele de contracte de eveniment pentru a specula asupra rezultatelor politice. Dacă vor fi aprobate, produsele ar putea lărgi accesul la expunerea de tip piață de predicție în cadrul unui ambalaj tradițional tranzacționat pe burse, o dezvoltare pe care observatorii ETF o caracterizează ca fiind potențial revoluționară. Cele șase fonduri acoperă rezultatele prezidențiale, din Senat și din Cameră în ambele partide mari: Roundhill Democratic President ETF, Roundhill Republican President ETF, Roundhill Democratic Senate ETF, Roundhill Republican Senate ETF, Roundhill Democratic House ETF și Roundhill Republican House ETF. Dosarul subliniază, de asemenea, că reglementatorii continuă să evalueze cum ar trebui clasificate și reglementate astfel de instrumente.

BlackRock has taken a formal step into decentralized finance by listing its tokenized U.S. Treasury fund on Uniswap, signaling a measured pivot toward on-chain trading of real-world assets. The USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) is being tokenized with the help of Securitize and will be tradable on a public decentralized exchange, a first for the asset manager in DeFi. This collaboration sits within a broader backdrop of continued institutional exploration of crypto rails even as traditional markets wrestle with ETF flows and shifting sentiment. In parallel, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) posted modest weekly gains of about 2.5% but failed to clear key psychological levels, pressured by a pattern of ETF inflows and subsequent outflows that underscored the fragility of near-term upside in a risk-off environment.

Bitcoin ETFs started the week with some inflows but quickly surrendered ground, registering net outflows of $276 million on Wednesday and $410 million on Thursday, according to data from market trackers. Ether ETFs displayed a similar pattern, with two light days of inflows followed by $129 million and $113 million of outflows on the same two days. The net effect was a market that, while buoyed by a perceived liquidity boost from tokenized assets, remained sensitive to shifting flows and investor appetite for risk-sensitive exposure. The weekly price action did not decisively break above crucial levels, leaving traders weighing the significance of macro liquidity versus on-chain adoption momentum.

Against this backdrop, BlackRock’s move into DeFi stands out as a milestone for institutional participation. The BUIDL fund is described as a tokenized version of a money-market approach to Treasuries, issued across multiple blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, Aptos and Avalanche. The asset manager’s public-facing rationale centers on providing transparent, on-chain access to highly liquid, U.S. Treasury–backed instruments for institutions that favor self-custody and programmable settlement. The collaboration is being driven by Securitize, a tokenization platform that previously partnered with BlackRock on the BUIDL launch, and the Uniswap deployment aligns with the exchange’s mission to expand institutional liquidity into DeFi.

Initial trading is described as selective, with eligibility limited to certain institutional investors and market makers before broader access is opened. The official rollout underscores a broader trend: institutions are increasingly testing the on-chain infrastructure that underpins tokenized real-world assets as counterparties seek improved settlement speed, on-chain custody options, and transparent governance. In the wake of this development, industry observers noted that BlackRock’s involvement could set a precedent for other asset managers exploring tokenized securities and on-chain liquidity solutions.

The BUIDL fund is reported to hold more than $2.18 billion in total assets, according to RWA.xyz, and its cross-chain issuance has brought it to multiple networks, including Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, Aptos and Avalanche. That breadth matters because it signals an on-ramp for real-world assets to traverse different ecosystems—potentially expanding liquidity across layers and enabling more nuanced risk and yield profiles for institutional participants. In December, BUIDL reached a milestone of surpassing $100 million in cumulative distributions from its Treasury holdings, reflecting the ongoing interest in tokenized treasury income streams and the potential for on-chain yield to complement traditional fixed-income exposure.

Beyond the specific instrument, the broader DeFi landscape remains mired in a tension between innovation and regulatory scrutiny. In a separate development this week, a New York federal court dismissed a Bancor-affiliated patent suit against Uniswap, ruling that the asserted patents described abstract ideas related to calculating on-chain exchange rates and did not meet the standards for patent eligibility. While the dismissal was without prejudice, the ruling represented a procedural win for Uniswap and illustrated the ongoing IP and legal risk environment that surrounds major DeFi protocols. The court’s decision does not end the dispute, but it does provide a window for Uniswap to continue operating while the case can be refined in future filings.

On the crypto market’s more tactical front, Binance completed the conversion of $1 billion in Bitcoin into its SAFU emergency fund, adding another tranche of BTC to its reserve. The exchange disclosed that the SAFU wallet now holds 15,000 Bitcoin, valued at just over $1 billion, acquired at an average cost basis of about $67,000 per coin. Binance had announced the move earlier in the month, stating it would rebalance the fund if volatility pushed its value below a defined threshold. The decision to anchor the SAFU reserve in Bitcoin reinforces the ongoing narrative of BTC as a long-term store of value within the ecosystem’s risk-management framework.

Meanwhile, voices within the blockchain community continued to draw lines around what constitutes “real” DeFi. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin argued that DeFi’s true value lies in rethinking risk allocation and governance, rather than chasing yield on centralized assets. He cautioned that yield-centric strategies tied to fiat-backed stablecoins can obscure issuer risk and counterparty exposure, a reminder that the sector’s risk dynamics remain a central theme as institutions seek scalable, on-chain alternatives to traditional finance.

The broader DeFi market activity remained resilient in its own right, with data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showing a majority of the top 100 cryptocurrencies finishing the week in the green. Among standout performers, the Pippin (CRYPTO: PIPPIN) token surged as the week’s top gainer in the broader ranks, followed by the Humanity Protocol (CRYPTO: H), which posted notable gains. The week’s digest also highlighted continuing interest around tokenized assets and on-chain credit vehicles, even as volatility persisted and risk sentiment remained tepid.

In short, a week marked by a landmark institutional move into DeFi coexisted with ongoing market frictions—ETF outflows, macro caution and a series of regulatory and IP questions that continue to shape the pace and scope of blockchain-enabled finance. The juxtaposition underscores a sector attempting to bridge the gap between traditional liquidity channels and the new, programmable infrastructure driving tokenized real-world assets across multiple chains.

Hayden Adams

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Why it matters

The listing of BlackRock’s BUIDL on Uniswap marks a watershed for institutional access to tokenized real-world assets. It demonstrates a willingness among large asset managers to experiment with DeFi infrastructure not merely as a speculative overlay but as a potential avenue for compliant, on-chain trading of regulated securities. If the model proves scalable and cost-efficient, more traditional asset managers could follow, accelerating the normalization of tokenized fixed income within institutional portfolios and potentially expanding liquidity pools for tokenized securities on public exchanges.

From a market dynamics perspective, the week’s ETF flow patterns reaffirm that short-term price action remains highly sensitive to inflows and outflows. While BTC and ETH posted modest gains, the absence of a sustained breakout suggests that the macro backdrop—comprising liquidity conditions, risk appetite, and regulatory signals—continues to constrain upside despite positive structural developments in DeFi adoption. The Bancor-Uniswap ruling also underscores that the legal framework governing DeFi protocols remains unsettled, with patent arguments still in flux and ongoing debates about what constitutes innovation versus abstract idea protection.

For on-chain participants and developers, the Binances SAFU move reinforces the idea that reserve designs are evolving under pressure to balance security, liquidity, and risk management. The repeated emphasis on Bitcoin as a reserve asset signals confidence in BTC as a durable anchor for risk-averse users and institutions seeking transparent, auditable reserves in a rapidly changing landscape. In parallel, Vitalik Buterin’s call for a clearer definition of DeFi’s core value proposition keeps attention on risk-sharing mechanisms and the governance of on-chain ecosystems, moving the debate beyond yield optimization toward sustainable, systemic risk management.

What to watch next

Broader rollout of BUIDL to additional institutional clients and potential cross-chain expansions in the coming weeks.

Further tokenization of real-world assets and the adoption trajectory of Securitize’s platform across more issuers.

Resolution or further filings in remaining IP and patent matters related to DeFi protocols, shaping protocol-level risk profiles.

Continued monitoring of ETF and on-chain liquidity flows to gauge whether institutional demand for tokenized assets translates into sustained price action.

Regulatory signals and macro liquidity shifts that could either reinforce or dampen the case for tokenized fixed income and DeFi-enabled settlement rails.

Sources & verification

Uniswap-Labs and Securitize collaboration to unlock liquidity options for BlackRock’s BUIDL — Business Wire

BlackRock’s BUIDL tokenization milestone and Uniswap collaboration — Fortune

Bitcoin ETF and Ether ETF flow data — Farside Investors

BUIDL asset data and cross-chain issuance — RWA.xyz

Bear-market inflection point discussion and Kaiko Research notes

This article was originally published as BlackRock Joins DeFi as Institutional Crypto Push Accelerates on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

X se îndreaptă spre integrarea serviciilor financiare mai profund în platforma sa socială cu o caracteristică cunoscută sub numele de Smart Cashtags. Nikita Bier, șeful de produs al platformei, a semnalat într-o postare din weekend că utilizatorii vor putea în curând să tranzacționeze acțiuni și criptomonede direct din cronologia lor, marcând un pas semnificativ în apropierea piețelor tradiționale și a activelor digitale de interacțiunea socială. Cronologia pentru lansare, a indicat Bier, include o secvență de caracteristici care vor fi lansate în următoarele câteva săptămâni, sugerând o abordare etapizată mai degrabă decât o actualizare unică și cuprinzătoare. Ideea se bazează pe experimentele anterioare ale lui X cu Cashtags și reflectă ambiții mai ample de a îmbina comerțul și finanțele în activitatea de zi cu zi pe aplicație, alterând potențial modul în care milioane interacționează cu piețele în timp ce derulează.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has grown wary of how prediction markets are evolving, warning they risk becoming short-term price betting engines rather than tools that support long-term infrastructure. In a post on X, he argued that the current trajectory shows “over-converging” focus on immediate price moves and speculative behavior. He called for a shift toward onchain prediction markets that serve as hedges against price exposure for consumers, rather than betting mechanisms that amplify fiat-driven volatility. The thrust of his critique centers on moving from pure price bets to broader markets that can stabilize expenditures over time. He suggested a framework that blends prediction markets with AI-driven tools to counter inflationary pressures faced by households and businesses alike. In essence, his stance positions prediction markets as potential risk-management primitives if redesigned with real-world spending in mind.

Key takeaways

Buterin argues prediction markets are tilting toward short-horizon price betting, which he views as unhealthy for long-term building in crypto and beyond.

He envisions a model where onchain prediction markets are paired with AI large-language models to hedge consumer price exposure across goods and services.

The proposed system would create price indices by major spending categories and regional differences, with prediction markets for each category.

Each user could have a local LLM that maps their expenses and generates a personalized basket of prediction-market shares representing several days of future outlays.

Supporters say such markets can offer valuable market intelligence and hedging capabilities, potentially improving price stability in a fiat-dominated environment.

Existing prediction-market platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi are cited as part of the broader ecosystem that could be reoriented toward hedging and risk management rather than speculative bets.

Tickers mentioned: $ETH

Sentiment: Neutral

Market context: The discussion sits at the intersection of onchain finance, risk management, and regulatory scrutiny, as investors and developers weigh how to apply AI tools to price hedging while navigating evolving policy debates around prediction markets.

Why it matters

The idea of coupling onchain prediction markets with AI-assisted personal finance tools signals a broader attempt to retrofit crypto-native mechanisms for real-world stability. If successful, the approach could reframe how individuals and businesses manage price risk—shifting from a speculative posture to a practical hedging framework that protects purchasing power in an inflationary fiat environment. Buterin’s proposal emphasizes a user-centric model in which private data about expenses informs a custom set of market instruments. That alignment between individual spending patterns and market-based hedges could, in theory, yield more predictable budgeting for everyday goods and services.

Critics of prediction markets often point to concerns about manipulation, liquidity distribution, and regulatory risk. But proponents argue that when linked to digital, onchain ledgers and AI-driven personalization, these markets can deliver more resilient price signals and a public-good function by aggregating diverse information. The debate touches broader questions about how decentralized finance should interact with traditional market dynamics and consumer protection standards. In this framing, the role of prediction markets extends beyond forecasting political events or commodity prices to becoming a probabilistic toolkit for household and business planning.

As the ecosystem evolves, the boundary between information services and financial instruments remains a focal point for policymakers and practitioners alike. The discussion around onchain prediction markets is part of a wider push to explore how AI can augment human decision-making in finance, risk assessment, and purchasing power. The outcome will hinge on how convincingly the model demonstrates real-world utility, addresses liquidity and governance challenges, and remains compliant with applicable rules in various jurisdictions.

What to watch next

The publication of any whitepapers or technical notes detailing the proposed onchain prediction-market architecture and the role of local LLMs in personal expense modeling.

Emerging experiments or pilot programs that test category-based price indices and category-specific prediction markets in real-world settings.

Regulatory responses or clarifications around prediction markets and onchain hedging tools, particularly in jurisdictions weighing consumer protection and market integrity.

Public discussions and research from academics and practitioners about the feasibility and governance of personalized prediction-market portfolios.

Follow-up statements or interviews from Vitalik Buterin or affiliated teams that expand or refine the proposed framework.

Sources & verification

Vitalik Buterin’s X post outlining concerns about prediction markets and the proposed shift to hedging mechanisms. Link: https://x.com/VitalikButerin/status/2022669570788487542

Cointelegraph op-ed discussing onchain prediction markets and the integration of AI LLMs. Link: https://cointelegraph.com/opinion/blockchain-prediction-markets

Cointelegraph coverage on prediction markets and information markets, including perspectives on market intelligence. Link: https://cointelegraph.com/news/prediction-markets-information-finance

Cointelegraph coverage of academic perspectives on prediction markets, including comments from Harry Crane of Rutgers University. Link: https://cointelegraph.com/news/prediction-markets-polymarket-polls

CFTC-related developments regarding proposals on prediction markets, cited in Cointelegraph coverage. Link: https://cointelegraph.com/news/cftc-withdraws-proposal-ban-sports-political-prediction-markets

Rethinking prediction markets as hedging tools with AI

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has grown wary of how prediction markets are developing, warning they risk becoming short-term price betting engines rather than tools that support long-term infrastructure. In a post on X, he argued that the current trajectory shows “over-converging” focus on immediate price moves and speculative behavior. He called for a shift toward onchain prediction markets that serve as hedges against price exposure for consumers, rather than betting mechanisms that amplify fiat-driven volatility. The thrust of his critique centers on moving from pure price bets to broader markets that can stabilize expenditures over time. He suggested a framework that blends prediction markets with AI-driven tools to counter inflationary pressures faced by households and businesses alike. In essence, his stance positions prediction markets as potential risk-management primitives if redesigned with real-world spending in mind. He proposed a system in which price indices are constructed across major spending categories, with regional variations treated as distinct categories, and a dedicated prediction market for each.

Buterin elaborates a mechanism where each user—whether an individual or a business—operates a local AI model that understands that user’s expenses. This AI would curate a personalized basket of market shares, effectively representing “N” days of predicted future outlays. The intent is to offer a dynamic hedge against rising costs, allowing participants to hold a mix of assets to grow wealth while maintaining a safety net against inflation via tailored prediction-market positions.

Supporters of prediction markets argue they provide valuable information about global events and financial trajectories, potentially serving as a hedge against a variety of risks. They point to platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi as examples of how publicly sourced probabilities can supplement traditional data sources. Academic voices, including Rutgers professor Harry Crane, contend that well-structured prediction markets can outpace conventional polls in forecasting accuracy and should be treated as a public good in principle, assuming robust governance and safeguards. Critics, however, worry about misuse, regulatory constraints, and the potential for manipulation if markets are driven by centralized or biased actors. The debate straddles both the philosophy of information markets and the practical design challenges of turning them into reliable hedges for everyday life.

Ultimately, the question is whether a hybrid system—combining onchain markets with AI personalization—can deliver tangible price stability without sacrificing liquidity or inviting abuse. If such a model proves viable, it could redefine how crypto-native financial instruments interact with the real economy, offering tools that help households and firms weather price fluctuations while contributing to a broader ecosystem that values data-driven risk management.

This article was originally published as Buterin: Prediction Markets Must Evolve Into Hedging Platforms on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.

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Puncte cheie

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Nota editorului: Ziua Îndrăgostiților este o perioadă de vârf pentru cadourile digitale, dar cardurile cadou și ofertele online atrag de asemenea escroci. Acest editorial evidențiază modul în care escrocii profită de opțiunile populare de cadouri și ce pot face consumatorii pentru a rămâne în siguranță. Cu câteva zile înainte de zi, următorul comunicat de presă de la Kaspersky conturează escrocheriile actuale, semnalele de risc și sfaturile practice pentru a te proteja pe tine și pe cei dragi de frauda legată de cardurile cadou. Scopul este de a oferi un context clar și acționabil pentru cititori care navighează într-o creștere a cadourilor digitale și a activității de phishing.

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Nota editorului: Acoperirea de astăzi subliniază o mișcare esențială în infrastructura reglementată a activelor digitale. Open World Ltd. și VerifyMe, Inc. au semnat un acord de fuziune definitivat care își propune să combine tokenizarea activelor din lumea reală de calitate instituțională cu infrastructura digitală a activelor scalabile. Fuziunea este poziționată pentru a modela standardele de guvernanță, a extinde listele de tokenuri și a sprijini alinierea reglementărilor transfrontaliere pe măsură ce piața tokenizării activelor se maturizează. În timp ce companiile urmăresc aprobările de reglementare și o listare pe Nasdaq, acest moment semnalează o colaborare strategică în creștere între finanțele tradiționale, tehnologia blockchain și ecosistemul în evoluție al activelor din lumea reală.