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Gaming and DeFi lead DApp sector as AI gains traction — DappRadar
Gaming and decentralized finance (DeFi) remained dominant in the decentralized applications (DApp) sector in January, while artificial intelligence applications gained traction, according to a Feb. 6 report from DappRadar.
DappRadar revealed that the daily average number of unique active wallets (UAW) in January reached 26.7 million. While this represented a 6% decline from December, DeFi applications expanded their market share, maintaining their position as the leading category in the DApp industry.
DeFi accounted for 28.1% of all active wallets, followed by gaming applications at 27.8%. Non-fungible token (NFT) DApps captured 16.1%, while SocialFi applications held a 6.3% share.
AI-powered DApps recorded 2.2 million unique active wallets, representing 8.5% of the total DApp market. DappRadar described AI as a “major growth sector” and a potential catalyst for the next bull market in Web3. Read More
Bitcoin treasury adoption grows in LATAM, mirroring US strategic BTC reserve plan
Large corporations in Argentina and Brazil are embracing Bitcoin by establishing BTC-based treasuries. Cointelegraph explains why.
While discussions about incorporating cryptocurrency into corporate reserves are slowly gaining traction in the United States, some of Latin America’s largest corporations are already jumping on the Bitcoin bandwagon — racking up significant gains on their investments and expanding crypto services to end-users in the process.
Following the lead of major firms like Strategy (formerly known as MicroStrategy) and even sovereign nations like El Salvador, which have accumulated significant amounts of Bitcoin, many in the region have turned to cryptocurrency as a way of diversifying savings and as a hedge against inflation which persistently plagues the continent.
Three Argentine companies, including Mercado Libre, the largest publicly traded firm in the entire region, currently hold a combined total of 1,300 Bitcoin in assets, according to data compiled by BitcoinTreasuries.NET on corporate and sovereign holdings.
The South American nation has drawn interest globally since pro-Bitcoin president Javier Milei took office more than a year ago, implementing a deregulation agenda and facilitating transactions in crypto and other currencies. But in some cases, interest from its corporations dates from even earlier. Read More
US lawmakers propose stablecoin bill to boost dollar dominance
US Representatives French Hill and Bryan Steil have released a discussion draft for a bill that would establish a regulatory framework for dollar-pegged payment stablecoins in the United States.
The legislation would impose a two-year moratorium on issuing an “endogenously collateralized stablecoin,” meaning issuers would be prohibited from creating stablecoins backed by self-issued digital assets.
In addition, it would require the US Treasury Department to facilitate a study on stablecoins.
In a news release, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Hill said the discussion draft would clarify payment stablecoins rules and ensure a federal path for issuers. He said they would work with the Trump administration, the House and Senate to “get this right” and “deliver a dollar-backed stablecoin for the American people.”
The release of the draft bill follows confirmation from the Trump administration that it plans to regulate and bring stablecoins onshore. President Donald Trump’s Crypto Czar David Sacks said stablecoins could “extend the dollar's dominance internationally.” Read More
Fed’s Waller backs regulated stablecoins to boost US dollar’s global dominance
Federal Reserve Bank Governor Christopher Waller says he supports the adoption of stablecoins with clear rules and regulations because it will likely cement the US dollar’s status as a reserve currency.
Waller, chair of the Fed Board’s payments subcommittee, said in a Feb. 6 interview with think tank the Atlantic Council that stablecoins “will broaden the reach of the dollar across the globe and make it even more of a reserve currency than it is now.”
“What I see with stablecoins is they are going to open up possibilities and other ways of doing payments on the rails,” he said.
In Waller’s opinion, good regulation of stablecoins only strengthens the dollar as a reserve currency and its use in international trade, finance and investments.
An October report from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz found US dollars make up more than 99% of stablecoin currency shares, with the largest stablecoin by value, Tether, accounting for nearly 80% of stablecoin trading volume on average. Read More
Copper to provide crypto custody services for Fineqia’s crypto ETNs
Digital asset business Fineqia AG has partnered with crypto custodian Copper to provide custody solutions for its exchange-traded note (ETN) business — a move the company says will bolster the reliability and transparency of its products.
Under the new agreement, Copper will safeguard the underlying assets held in Fineqia’s ETNs, which include the Fineqia FTSE Cardano Enhanced Yield ETN, a product that provides direct exposure to Cardano. The product had more than $45 million in assets under management as of Jan. 29.
The Cardano ETN began trading on the Vienna Stock Exchange roughly 10 months after Fineqia AG was initially granted approval.
The company’s prospectus allows its ETNs to hold other cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, Avalanche and Tron.
Copper is a London-based custodian that is backed by British multinational bank Barclays.
The partnership underscores the growing importance of custodial services for asset managers seeking to attract institutional capital to the crypto space. Through the Copper partnership, Fineqia aims to protect customer assets “from theft, loss or unauthorized access,” the company said.
“This partnership strengthens security by integrating institutional-grade custody solutions, ensuring that our digital asset-backed investment product (Fineqia FTSE Cardano Enhanced Yield ETN) remains protected from counterparty risks and operational vulnerabilities,” Fineqia CEO Bundeep Singh Rangar told Cointelegraph in a written statement. Read More
Could Bitcoin Reach A $1 Million Milestone Sooner Than Later? Here's A Possible Path To Achieving It
In the past half-year, Bitcoin (BTC) has seen remarkable expansion, with its value rising by 50% and breaking the $100,000 barrier for the first time. The cryptocurrency community is bullish on the recent election outcome, expecting President Donald Trump's leadership to fuel further growth and propel Bitcoin to new levels in the years to come. The cryptocurrency space is abuzz with interest, and a recent announcement from the Trump administration, which is seen as more crypto-friendly, has sparked anticipation that it could be a catalyst for even more incredible price appreciation for Bitcoin.
Following Gary Gensler's resignation as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), known for his negative stance on cryptocurrency, Mark Uyeda has taken on the role of acting chairman. Uyeda is recognized for supporting cryptocurrency and blockchain advancements, marking a notable shift from Gensler's strict regulatory strategies. Uyeda's more favorable stance towards cryptocurrency could potentially lead to less stringent regulations, positively impacting Bitcoin's value. Uyeda will serve as acting chairman until the Senate confirms Paul Atkins, the nominated SEC chairman. Read More
Phishing attackers target Phantom wallet users with fake update pop-ups
Phishing scammers are targeting users of the Solana-based crypto wallet Phantom by attempting to steal private keys through pop-ups that spoof legitimate update requests.
Web3 scam detection platform Scam Sniffer posted to X on Feb. 6 to warn that scammers were connecting to real Phantom wallets and attempting to trick users with a fake “update extension” signature request.
If the victims approve the request, a prompt appears asking them to input a seed phrase, which, if entered, would allow scammers full access to the wallet to drain it.
In late January, Scam Sniffer warned Phantom users about pop-ups on malicious websites that mimic the appearance of Phantom’s interface and prompt the user to enter their wallet seed phrase for a fake connection request.
To identify malicious pop-ups, Scam Sniffer suggested right-clicking the links since “phishing pages block right-clicking,” while real Phantom wallet windows will not restrict the action.
The platform also advised checking the URL since genuine Phantom popups show “chrome-extension” as part of the link, which scam web pages can’t mimic. Read More
FDIC Unseals 175 Documents Exposing US Banks Debanking of Crypto Firms
The Federal Insurance Deposit Corporation (FDIC) is unsealing hundreds of documents that expose how US institutions were instructed to be deprived of crypto-related services.
In a new press release, the FDIC – the government agency that insures deposits in US banks – says it is unveiling 175 documents revealing how it supervised banks that participated in or were interested in crypto-related services.
Travis Hill, Acting Chairman of the FDIC, said in the press release that the documents revealed today show the FDIC made it so difficult for banks to expose themselves to digital assets and blockchain services, that many of them gave up trying.
“I have been critical in the past of the FDIC’s approach to crypto assets and blockchain. As I said last March, the FDIC’s approach ‘has contributed to a general perception that the agency was closed for business if institutions are interested in anything related to blockchain or distributed ledger technology’…
The documents that we are releasing today show that requests from these banks were almost universally met with resistance, ranging from repeated requests for further information, to multi-month periods of silence as institutions waited for responses, to directives from supervisors to pause, suspend, or refrain from expanding all crypto or blockchain-related activity.
Both individually and collectively, these and other actions sent the message to banks that it would be extraordinarily difficult – if not impossible – to move forward. As a result, the vast majority of banks simply stopped trying.” Read More
US Sovereign Wealth Fund Could Stockpile Bitcoin, Trump's Crypto Czar Says
Trump’s Crypto Czar David Sacks sees potential for bitcoin in the U.S. sovereign wealth fund as officials explore its role as a strategic reserve asset.
Crypto Czar David Sacks has weighed in on the potential role of bitcoin in the newly announced U.S. sovereign wealth fund. Speaking to CNBC on Feb. 4, Sacks addressed the possibility of digital assets being included in the fund’s portfolio. He said:
It’s possible that the Sovereign Wealth Fund could decide that they want to make bitcoin or digital assets part of its portfolio.
However, he added: “You’re going to have to ask the incoming Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, about that.” Sacks continued: “The item that President Trump asked our working group on digital assets to study is whether. It’s feasible to create either a bitcoin reserve or some sort of digital asset stockpile. And so we’re going to be looking at that question. We haven’t committed yet to doing it, but it’s one of the first things we’re going to be looking at.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 3, calling for the creation of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund. The Order “directs the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce to deliver a plan within 90 days for the creation of a sovereign wealth fund,” according to the White House’s fact sheet. The fund would invest national assets—totaling at least $5.7 trillion—to boost economic growth, reduce tax burdens, and strengthen fiscal sustainability. Trump aims to use the fund for strategic investments and long-term wealth generation. Sovereign wealth funds are used worldwide, and 23 U.S. states already manage similar funds worth $332 billion.
Trump has tasked Sacks with evaluating the feasibility of establishing a strategic bitcoin reserve. This initiative aims to position bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and strengthen the nation’s financial standing. Industry leaders and crypto advocates have lauded this move, highlighting that countries like El Salvador have already integrated bitcoin into their national financial strategies. Read More
Swisstronik Tokenizes Diamonds for Swiss Luxury Brands – The Future of RWA Tokenization is Here
ZURICH, February 5th, 2025 – Swisstronik, a blockchain ecosystem for compliant, privacy-preserving dApps and tokens, has launched the first showcase of its Asset Tokenization Suite in collaboration with Van der Bauwede, renowned for luxury Swiss jewelry and watchmaking, and Swiss Diamond Lab, a trailblazer in synthetic diamond production.
This collaboration proves that legacy industries are willing to adopt blockchain tools when offered a tangible and easily deployable solution – like Swisstronik’s regulatory-compliant, chain-agnostic Asset Tokenization Suite.
Why Swiss Luxury Brands Are Embracing Web3: Inside Their Partnership with Swisstronik
Through this initiative, Swisstronik tokenizes real-world diamonds and creates a verifiable, efficient, and compliant Web3 market for luxury goods. The resulting solution is not only regulatory compliant across numerous jurisdictions and addresses the partners’ tasks at hand – but also opens up brand-new avenues for consumer engagement and trust in the digital economy.
In terms of the products to be delivered, this collaboration is focusing on the following innovative solutions tailored for the B2B and crypto B2C markets: Read More
Africa is the key to crypto mass adoption
Africa’s unique challenges and vast potential drive crypto innovation, potentially catalyzing global adoption and refining blockchain technology for everyday use.
Opinion by: Eli Ben-Sasson, co-founder and CEO of StarkWare:
With a pro-crypto presidency in Washington, a remarkable window of opportunity has opened, and it’s time to think globally. This may sound obvious for a community born to transcend barriers of physical space, but with so much of crypto’s future hinged on decision-making in Washington, there is a danger of this eclipsing our exploration of new and emerging markets.
Do not ignore emerging markets:
This is precisely why we need to be embracing emerging markets. Too many in crypto still see penetrating markets like Africa more as noble philanthropy than a smart strategy.
We need to grasp that crypto needs Africa and other emerging markets as much as they need crypto. To become genuinely relevant for day-to-day use, crypto needs to penetrate markets where it may have the most value.
Sure, regulatory easing in the US will prompt growing numbers to use crypto alongside their bank accounts and other financial structures. Mass adoption is still a long road, however, because the range of different financial and technological offerings is so broad. There lacks a sense of urgent need propelling people to crypto for everyday needs.
It has become a cliché in crypto to talk about the unbanked and the financially excluded. Too often, they are mentioned for the sake of virtue signaling. In reality, the emerging markets where people are waiting for solutions are where the infrastructure for mass use will have its tires kicked and where some of the most transformative decentralized applications (DApps) will likely emerge. After all, necessity is the mother of invention. Investment should focus on emerging markets because they present several key opportunities. Read More
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
Featured Image Source: Pixabay
