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Lending

Lending protocols form the backbone of the decentralized money market, allowing users to lend or borrow digital assets without intermediaries. Using smart contracts, platforms like Aave and Morpho automate interest rates based on supply and demand while requiring over-collateralization for security. The 2026 lending landscape features advanced permissionless vaults and institutional-grade credit lines. This tag covers the evolution of capital efficiency, liquidations, and the integration of diverse collateral types, including LSTs and tokenized RWAs.

13921 Articles
Created: 2026/02/02 18:52
Updated: 2026/02/02 18:52
ETHZilla’s NASDAQ relaunch puts $419m Ethereum treasury in the spotlight

ETHZilla’s NASDAQ relaunch puts $419m Ethereum treasury in the spotlight

The rebranded firm, now holding 94,675 ETH, is betting big on Ethereum’s long-term value, with backing from Polychain, Founders Fund, and key DeFi founders. According to a press release dated August 18, ETHZilla Corporation has officially completed its rebranding and…

Author: Crypto.news

2025/08/19

Story Protocol Founder Abandons $2B Company With Measly $45 in Fees Revenue, Community Cries ‘Soft Rug Pull’

Story Protocol Founder Abandons $2B Company With Measly $45 in Fees Revenue, Community Cries ‘Soft Rug Pull’

The crypto community has erupted with accusations against Story Protocol co-founder Jason Zhao, alleging he orchestrated a ‘ soft rug pull ‘ after departing from his $2 billion on-chain intellectual property (IP) venture that generates merely $45 in daily revenue. In an August 16 X announcement, Zhao disclosed his decision to step down from his co-founder position while transitioning to a strategic advisory role within the protocol. After 3.5 years building Story from scratch, I’m stepping out of my full-time role. I’ll stay closely involved as a strategic advisor. While incubating Poseidon, I rekindled my original passion from my DeepMind days: applying AI to frontier industries like science and space.… pic.twitter.com/fd8J0c9uSO — Jason Zhao (@jasonjzhao) August 16, 2025 The announcement ignited a firestorm of criticism from crypto participants who suspect he is departing after securing substantial personal gains. Dev Exposes Truth Regarding Story Protocol Rug Pull Allegations A prominent crypto developer expressed outrage, stating that Story Protocol secured over $130M in funding from elite VCs, including a16z and others, yet delivered minimal practical utility. “The blockchain produced just $45 in fees during the past 24 hours despite assertions of tokenizing $61T in IP.” After so many readings yesterday, I really now understand why everyone has been bashing Zhao recently when he announced he was stepping down from his full time role while staying as a strategic advisor… Imagine a project like Story Protocol which raised over $130M in funding… https://t.co/2zkmnOhBCQ pic.twitter.com/oKFq1OL7dg — Kingjami 🎒 (@_cryptowizard) August 18, 2025 While founder-led exits are unfortunately common in cryptocurrency, such departures rarely occur following substantial capital commitments from prestigious venture capital firms like a16z. Although the impact on the team’s primary product and ongoing development is unclear, numerous commenters on Zhao’s announcement have characterized this as a founder-led exit, prompting widespread accusations of rug pull. Story Protocol’s whitepaper positioned the project as a blockchain initiative designed to transform intellectual property management through on-chain solutions. Rather than relying on outdated copyright frameworks, the platform seeks to empower creators to register, monitor, and monetize their works, including books, films, music, and AI-generated content, through a decentralized network. According to the token distribution structure, Zhao and three additional co-founders control 20% of the total one billion token supply, equivalent to approximately 200 million tokens. STORY PROTOCOL TOKENOMICS RELEASED $IP Distribution: 38.4% Ecosystem and Community 10% Initial Incentives (TGE reward) 10% Foundation 21.6% Early Backers 20% Core Contributors Initial Supply: 1 billion $IP Initial Unlocked Supply: 25% pic.twitter.com/0X4eNmwOqr — Anon Vee (@AnonVee) February 7, 2025 At the current trading price of $5.69, should Zhao hold 5% of the tokens and liquidate his position, he could potentially realize profits of approximately $284.5 million. Source: CoinMarketCap Story Protocol has historically attracted approximately $134.3 million in equity financing across multiple rounds. These include a May 2023 seed round generating $29.3 million , a September 2023 Series A yielding $25 million, and a substantial August 2024 Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz’s a16z crypto division, contributing $80 million. This funding establishes the company’s valuation at roughly $2.25 billion. Hyperliquid Founder Slams Jason Zhao Over Story Protocol’s Meager Revenue Figures Additionally, on August 11, Story Protocol obtained an $82 million token-based investment from Heritage Distilling, a publicly traded entity, as part of a strategic plan to create an IP token treasury within a broader $360 million IP token reserve framework. Joseph Schiarizzi, founder of lending protocol Nerite, condemned the initiative, revealing that Story Protocol’s team sold $150,000 worth of tokens to increase the IP token’s price by 2%. I dont know why everyone is afraid to say this out loud: $150k sell to move the price of IP 2%. Yet they think they can create a $300M reserve for a treasury company?? It's an elaborate scheme to DUMP ON RETAIL These treasury company fronts will get a lot of people hurt. https://t.co/DvW7dWpg8m pic.twitter.com/7jJySTrTar — CupoJOSΞPH 🐌 (@CupOJoseph) August 14, 2025 “Yet they think they can create a $300M reserve for a treasury company,” Schiarizzi stated. He characterized the scheme as “an elaborate plan to DUMP ON RETAIL” The founder of Hyperliquid-based yield protocol Harmonix Finance criticized Story Protocol’s dismal revenue performance, which, according to DeFiLlama, reached an all-time high of $3,163 despite maintaining a $5.8 billion fully diluted valuation (FDV). Source: DefiLama The Harmonix founder said that Hyperliquid didn’t raise a single dime, and both the founder and core contributors have no fancy backgrounds. Yet, they built the number 1 on-chain perp protocol, generatin g an average of $3 million in daily revenue . Zhao’s Departure Explanation Zhao has remained silent since his resignation announcement. However, he indicated in his post that his departure relates to his involvement with Poseidon, an AI data infrastructure layer developed by the protocol, focusing on biopharma and space research applications. Reflecting on his tenure at Story Protocol, Zhao described it as “the most meaningful experience of his life.” He noted: “What began as a whiteboard sketch when I was 22 turned into more than I could have imagined,” addin g that Story IP has evolved into the foundational protocol for intellectual property, including fashion brand Balmain and K-pop group BTS in South Korea, processing millions of transactions. Zhao seized the opportunity to introduce the incoming leadership, who will assume control. What a run, JZ! Very excited to be your key investor and strong AI training data/IP infrastructure partner as you now breakout on your own venture. From a whiteboard session at San Francisco Wework in ‘22 to building Story into a purpose-built IP blockchain serving top IPs, AI… — S.Y. Lee Story/IP (@storysylee) August 16, 2025 According to his announcement, Story Protocol will enter a second phase under S.Y. Lee’s guidance alongside the new CPO, Andrea, who previously contributed to Amazon’s conversational AI initiatives.

Author: CryptoNews

2025/08/19

Funding Rates Flagged Crypto Pullback Before $400M Washout: QCP

Funding Rates Flagged Crypto Pullback Before $400M Washout: QCP

According to QCP’s latest Asia Colour analysis, digital asset markets faced a sharp sell-off, liquidating over $400 million in long positions as bitcoin fell from $118,000 to $115,000 and ether dropped from $4,500 to $4,300, according to analysis by QCP Capital. Pre-Jackson Hole Jitters Fuel Crypto Liquidation Event This heavy selling extends the recent drawdown, […]

Author: Bitcoin.com News

2025/08/19

Japan to roll out first yen-pegged stablecoin: report

Japan to roll out first yen-pegged stablecoin: report

Japan is reportedly gearing up to launch its first official stablecoin, as interest for the asset class deepens across Asia. According to a recent report by local outlet Nikkei Asia, Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is preparing to approve the…

Author: Crypto.news

2025/08/18

This year's Ethereum is the Plus version of last year's Bitcoin

This year's Ethereum is the Plus version of last year's Bitcoin

By Martin, W3C DAO At the end of June 2025, a publicly traded company called BitMine Immersion Technologies launched an Ethereum treasury plan. In the past 10 hours, it has

Author: PANews

2025/08/18

EV Startup Faraday Future Launches $10 Billion Crypto Strategy

EV Startup Faraday Future Launches $10 Billion Crypto Strategy

Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. announced on August 17, 2025, the launch of its “EAI + Crypto” Dual-Flywheel & Dual-Bridge Ecosystem Strategy, aiming to integrate artificial intelligence (AI)-driven electric vehicles (EVs) with Web3 technologies and cryptocurrency investments. The initiative includes the introduction of the C10 Index, a diversified crypto asset basket, and the C10 Treasury […]

Author: Bitcoin.com News

2025/08/18

Galaxy Digital warns of rising risks in leveraged trading in the crypto market

Galaxy Digital warns of rising risks in leveraged trading in the crypto market

PANews reported on August 18th that according to CoinDesk , Galaxy Digital's latest report shows that crypto-collateralized lending grew 27% quarter-over-quarter to $ 53.1 billion in the second quarter, reaching

Author: PANews

2025/08/18

Fed Scraps Crypto Oversight Program After Trump’s “Debanking” Outcry

Fed Scraps Crypto Oversight Program After Trump’s “Debanking” Outcry

The U.S. Federal Reserve has announced that it will dismantle its “Novel Activities Supervision Program,” a regulatory initiative launched in 2023 to more closely oversee banks’ involvement in cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and other emerging financial technologies. The move comes amid political pressure and growing criticism from pro-crypto lawmakers, with some framing the program as part of a broader “debanking” agenda targeting digital asset firms. Fed Says Specialized Crypto Banking Oversight No Longer Needed In a statement released Friday , the central bank confirmed it would “sunset” the program and return to “monitoring banks’ novel activities through the normal supervisory process.” @federalreserve announces it will sunset its novel activities supervision program and return to monitoring banks’ novel activities through the normal supervisory process: https://t.co/GRhepriDhY — Federal Reserve (@federalreserve) August 15, 2025 The central bank said the program, launched in August 2023 under Supervisory Letter SR 23-7, achieved its goal of strengthening its understanding of the risks tied to digital assets and related bank risk-management practices, making the specialized oversight framework unnecessary. The initiative was designed as a risk-focused tool to supervise activities such as crypto-asset custody, crypto-collateralized lending, distributed ledger technology (DLT) projects, and traditional banking services provided to crypto companies and fintechs. It also imposed heightened scrutiny on stablecoin issuance and transactions, requiring pre-approval and proof of robust risk controls. At the time, Fed officials argued that the framework would help resolve “unique questions around permissibility” and mitigate vulnerabilities, including money laundering, customer runs, and cybersecurity breaches. The program brought together digital-asset specialists and conventional bank examiners to merge technical and regulatory expertise. However, crypto-friendly lawmakers criticized the effort as part of “ Operation Chokepoint 2.0 ,” an alleged campaign to cut off banking access for politically disfavored industries, including digital asset firms. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), a vocal blockchain advocate, celebrated the Fed’s reversal on X (formerly Twitter), stating that “Big win for putting an end to Operation Chokepoint 2.0. The Fed announced it’s killing the targeted supervision of digital asset banking activities. There’s still more to do, but this is real progress toward a level playing field for crypto.” Big win for putting an end to Operation Chokepoint 2.0. The Fed announced it’s killing the targeted supervision of digital asset banking activities. There’s still more to do, but this is real progress toward a level playing field for crypto. https://t.co/1eQA4xlg0f — Senator Cynthia Lummis (@SenLummis) August 15, 2025 The policy shift comes against a heated political backdrop. President Donald Trump has repeatedly condemned what he calls “debanking” by federal regulators and has vowed to dismantle programs he sees as hostile to cryptocurrency and innovation. Although the Fed did not reference political pressure in its decision, Friday’s statement suggested the lessons learned from the program would now be integrated into standard oversight. The withdrawal of SR 23-7 removes the extra supervisory layer that applied to banks involved in complex fintech partnerships, stablecoin operations, and concentrated crypto service provision. Going forward, such activities will be assessed under the same risk-based framework used for other bank operations. Still, the Fed stressed that expectations for safety, soundness, and compliance remain in place, meaning banks will continue to face strict requirements for risk management and regulatory approvals before engaging with digital assets. U.S. Regulators Drop ‘Reputational Risk’ Rule, Easing Bank-Crypto Ties Under the Biden administration, U.S. federal banking agencies imposed tight restrictions on how banks could work with crypto businesses. That approach has shifted dramatically since President Donald Trump, a vocal supporter of digital assets, took office earlier this year. In March, Trump signed a long-anticipated executive order establishing a friendlier federal framework for digital asset oversight. The move was followed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) removing “reputational risk” as a supervisory factor , a policy long criticized by crypto advocates as a vague excuse to block banking relationships. The FDIC also issued guidance clearing the way for supervised banks to engage in crypto-related activities without prior approval, provided they meet existing safety and compliance standards. 🏦 The US Federal Reserve, FDIC and OCC discussed how existing laws, regulations and risk-management protocols apply to crypto ‘safekeeping.’ #FederalReserve #CryptoCustody #FDIC https://t.co/OoMS9PNHBF — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) July 15, 2025 In July, the Federal Reserve, FDIC, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a joint statement reminding banks offering crypto custody to maintain strong risk management. The agencies stressed that banks can provide custody in fiduciary or non-fiduciary capacities, but must safeguard cryptographic keys, comply with federal and state laws, and implement protections against cyber threats and mismanagement. 🏛️ The US Federal Reserve removes “reputational risk” from bank oversight, addressing crypto industry concerns about banking access. #Crypto #Banking https://t.co/4xwpC0KqZR — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) June 24, 2025 The regulatory shift continued on June 24, when the Fed formally removed “reputational risk” from its oversight framework, promising more transparent and consistent supervision. Rob Nichols, president of the American Bankers Association, called it “a long-overdue step” toward letting banks make business decisions based on market conditions rather than regulatory opinion. Congress has also moved toward clarity. On July 18, President Donald Trump signed the landmark GENIUS Act , marking the entry of the United States into a new era of federally regulated stablecoins. 🇺🇸 As GENIUS Act passes, regulatory paths stabilize across jurisdictions and digital assets may find stronger footing for long-term planning. #genius #stablecoin https://t.co/Hdq2wceITt — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) July 18, 2025 Meanwhile, Trump signed another executive order urging regulators to remove barriers that prevent 401(k) retirement plans from offering alternative assets such as cryptocurrencies. If enacted, the measure could put digital assets directly into mainstream retirement savings, a landmark shift for U.S. investors.

Author: CryptoNews

2025/08/16

Citigroup Weighs Stablecoin and Crypto ETF Custody—$2.57T Giant Eyes Payments Push

Citigroup Weighs Stablecoin and Crypto ETF Custody—$2.57T Giant Eyes Payments Push

Citigroup is exploring a major expansion into the digital asset space, with plans that could put the $2.57 trillion banking giant at the center of stablecoin custody, crypto ETF infrastructure, and blockchain-based payments. Speaking to Reuters, Biswarup Chatterjee, Citi’s global head of partnerships and innovation for its services division, said the bank is looking at providing custody for the high-quality assets that back stablecoins. Citi’s Stablecoin Plans Could Reshape Digital Asset Payments and Settlement Under the GENIUS Act signed into law this year, issuers must hold safe assets like U.S. Treasuries or cash to support their tokens, creating an opening for traditional custody banks to step in. “Providing custody services for those high-quality assets backing stablecoins is the first option we are looking at,” Chatterjee said. Citi’s services arm, which includes treasury, cash management, and payments for major corporations, has been a core part of the bank even as it undergoes a sweeping restructuring. The interest comes as the stablecoin market grows beyond crypto trading into mainstream payments and settlements. McKinsey estimates about $250 billion in stablecoins have been issued, but usage is still largely concentrated within the crypto sector. Citi sees the recent legislation as a turning point. 🏦 Citigroup @Citi is weighing its own stablecoin and diving into tokenized deposits, CEO Jane Fraser said during the Q2 earnings call, signaling a deeper digital pivot. #Citi #Stablecoins https://t.co/95SaJd4U7k — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) July 16, 2025 Citi is also considering issuing its own stablecoin, an idea CEO Jane Fraser confirmed in July during the bank’s second-quarter earnings call. “We are looking at the issuance of a Citi stablecoin, but probably most importantly is the tokenized deposit space, where we’re very active,” Fraser told analysts at the time. She said the goal was to modernize infrastructure and deliver “the benefits of advancements in stablecoin and digital assets to our clients in a safe and sound manner.” Citi’s ambitions extend beyond stablecoins. The bank is examining custody services for the crypto assets underpinning exchange-traded funds. Since the SEC approved spot bitcoin ETFs last year, the largest, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, has amassed a market cap of around $90 billion. “There needs to be custody of the equivalent amount of digital currency to support these ETFs,” Chatterjee noted. Coinbase currently dominates the ETF custody space, serving more than 80% of issuers. On the payments front, Citi already offers “tokenized” U.S. dollar transfers via blockchain between accounts in New York, London, and Hong Kong, operating 24 hours a day. The bank is now developing services to let clients send stablecoins between accounts or instantly convert them into dollars for payments. Chatterjee said discussions with clients are underway to identify use cases. Regulators, once cautious about traditional banks entering the crypto sector, have adopted a more accommodating stance under the current U.S. administration. Still, Citi will need to comply with anti-money laundering rules and international currency controls. Custody operations, Chatterjee stressed, must ensure assets were used for legitimate purposes before acquisition and must be backed by robust cyber and operational security. Fraser has framed Citi’s approach as a response to client needs and the broader shift toward always-on, instant settlement. “Digital assets are the next evolution in the broader digitization of payments, financing, and liquidity,” she said. “Ultimately, what we care about is what our clients want and how do we meet that need.” With $2.57 trillion in assets under custody, Citi’s entry into stablecoins and ETF crypto custody could reshape how traditional finance integrates with the digital asset economy. U.S. Banking Groups Urge Congress to Ban Stablecoin Yield Payments by Affiliates Major U.S. banking trade associations are urging Congress to bar stablecoin issuers’ affiliates from paying interest to token holders, warning it could drain deposits from banks and limit lending. 🇺🇸 U.S. bank groups seek to expand GENIUS Act limits on stablecoin interest, raising broader questions over global payments policy. #stablecoin #geniusact https://t.co/dhN9j0X3QZ — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) August 13, 2025 In a joint letter, the American Bankers Association, Bank Policy Institute, Consumer Bankers Association, Financial Services Forum, and Independent Community Bankers of America said the GENIUS Act’s current language prohibits issuers from offering yield but leaves a gap that allows exchanges and related entities to do so. They cited Treasury estimates that interest-bearing stablecoins could trigger up to $6.6 trillion in deposit outflows, increasing funding pressure on banks and money market funds. The groups stressed that bank deposits remain a key source for loans, while stablecoins are not designed for lending and lack equivalent oversight. They warned that joint marketing between issuers and exchanges could accelerate withdrawals in times of stress, raising borrowing costs for households and businesses. They called for extending the prohibition to all intermediaries handling stablecoin transactions. The push comes amid rapid sector growth. CertiK reports stablecoin supply rose from $204 billion to $252 billion in early 2025, with USDT dominating and USDC expanding to $61 billion. PayPal’s PYUSD doubled via a Solana integration and launched a 3.7% yield program. Coinbase and PayPal maintain their reward programs, arguing the ban applies only to issuers. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse predicts the market could grow to $2 trillion , driven by institutional adoption and regulation.

Author: CryptoNews

2025/08/15

ETH ETFs Just Hit a $1 Billion Net Inflow Day – Could That Spur Altcoin Rotation This Weekend?

ETH ETFs Just Hit a $1 Billion Net Inflow Day – Could That Spur Altcoin Rotation This Weekend?

ETH inflows reached a record on Monday, with U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs drawing $1 billion in a single session. BlackRock’s ETHA fund accounted for $640 million, and Fidelity’s FETH added $277 million. Overall ETF holdings now total $25.7 billion, and cumulative inflows this cycle exceed $10.8 billion. What ETH Flows Mean Now Large ETH inflows suggest heightened demand for ETH exposure. Historically, these inflows have provided momentum for sectors like DeFi, layer-2 networks, and infrastructure tokens. That trend may extend into a broader altcoin rotation, but timing could vary based on weekend trading volumes and macro sentiment. $ETH ETF inflow + $729,100,000 yesterday. Ethereum FOMO is just getting started. pic.twitter.com/eEQDECt0oW — Ted (@TedPillows) August 14, 2025 Sustained inflows also create a liquidity effect—capital allocated to ETFs often gets mirrored in derivative markets, staking platforms, and liquidity pools. This can influence funding rates and lending demand on ETH-related platforms, impacting trader positioning across connected assets. Early Signs of Spillover Activity Ethereum’s recent performance far outstripped Bitcoin’s. In July, ETH rose roughly 49% compared to Bitcoin’s 8% gain. The total crypto market cap passed $3.7 trillion, buoyed by ETF-driven activity. DEX trading data supports this momentum. Ethereum-based DEX volume hit $24.5 billion over 48 hours, twice Solana’s trading volume during the same window. That indicates capital circulation through Ethereum-native infrastructure. On-chain analytics also show wallet growth in ETH DeFi protocols, with daily active addresses in some L2 ecosystems climbing to multi-month highs. This participation uptick suggests that a portion of the ETF-fueled demand is filtering directly into the broader Ethereum ecosystem rather than staying confined to passive ETF holdings. Weekend Outlook: Where Altcoin Season Could Go If ETH inflows continue, we could see capital migrate into a potential altcoin season : 1. Layer-2 networks, such as Arbi trum and Optimism, as users seek lower-cost, high-speed access to ETH trading and DeFi activity; 2. DeFi protocols like Unisw ap or Aave, especially if staking and liquidity incentives draw in flows from yield-seeking investors; 3. AI-adjacent tokens, such as Render (RNDR) or Fetch.ai (FET), which often attract speculative attention tied to broader sentiment shifts. Key indicators will include shifts in open interest, funding rates, and token pair activity—especially during thinner weekend books. Rotation Based on Value, Not Hype Current sentiment suggests altseason may remain narrow. Funds appear to be flowing into tokens with proven use or structural upgrades. Arbitrage, governance features, and liquidity access will determine if rotation spreads beyond Ethereum. Potential spillover will likely follow tangible developments, rather than headline-driven speculation. If trader and investor interest continues to reflect ETH ETF flows, we may see growing volume in high-utility altcoins during the coming days and into the weekend. For now, ETH inflows remain the clearest driver of momentum. Their influence may spread, but is likely to do so in measured steps tied to adoption, usage, and structural changes across the ecosystem.

Author: CryptoNews

2025/08/15

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