Stacks and Fireblocks Partner To Bring Bitcoin-Based DeFi to Institutions

Fireblocks, an institutional-grade crypto infrastructure company, announced on Wednesday that it will integrate Stacks, a decentralized finance (DeFi) layer for the Bitcoin protocol, to give institutional clients access to lending and yield-bearing opportunities. The integration bypasses the 10-minute Bitcoin block time by leveraging the Stacks blockchain, which has an average block time of about 29 … Read more

Ethereum L2 Builders Debate Scaling Role After Vitalik’s Rollup Rethink

Several layer-2 builders responded after Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said the original vision of L2s as the primary scaling engine “no longer makes sense,” calling for a shift toward specialization. In a Wednesday post, Buterin argued that many L2s have failed to fully inherit Ethereum’s security due to continued reliance on multisig bridges, while the … Read more

Bitwise to Acquire Chorus One as Crypto Staking Demand Accelerates

Bitwise Asset Management is reportedly acquiring institutional staking provider Chorus One, extending its push into cryptocurrency yield services. The acquisition adds a major staking operation to the crypto asset manager’s platform as demand for onchain yield products increases among both retail and institutional investors. Chorus One provides staking services for decentralized networks and currently has … Read more

Polymarket, Kalshi Give Free Groceries Amid Prediction Market Boom

Two leading prediction market platforms, Polymarket and Kalshi, have both turned to giving away groceries amid a fight for dominance in the fast-growing prediction markets space. Kalshi offered a $50 grocery giveaway to over 1,000 people in Manhattan on Tuesday, while competitor Polymarket announced plans to open a free grocery store starting next week. Thousands … Read more

Spain to Follow UK with Plans to Ban Social Media for Under 16s

Pedro Sánchez announced that Spain would implement several changes to laws impacting social media platforms starting next week, with potential criminal liability for executives. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that the country plans to ban access to social media for children under the age of 16 and require platforms to implement age verification systems … Read more

Spanish Red Cross Rolls Out RedChain for Private Donations

The Spanish Red Cross (Creu Roja) has deployed a new blockchain-based aid distribution system, RedChain, that promises real-time donor transparency without exposing the identities of the people receiving assistance.  According to a release shared with Cointelegraph, the platform, developed with Barcelona-based infrastructure provider BLOOCK and zero-knowledge credential firm Billions Network, aims to digitize “the entire … Read more