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Bitcoin is now trading more than 9% below its $124,500 all-time high, reflecting the weight of recent selling pressure. Despite the pullback, bears have struggled to push the price below the $105,000 support zone, a level that has so far acted as a firm floor for the market. The debate among analysts is intensifying—some are calling for a deeper correction that could reset overheated sentiment, while others see current price action as a prelude to another test of all-time highs. Top analyst Maartunn shared fresh insights, describing the current environment as a “major Bitcoin reshuffle.” According to him, old coins are increasingly flowing into ETF wallets, a phenomenon marked by three significant waves: summer 2024, fall 2024, and summer 2025. Unlike past cycles, where such redistribution events typically occurred once before fading, this cycle has shown a repeated pattern of supply rotation. This unusual trend highlights a structural shift in Bitcoin’s market dynamics. Long-term holders appear to be reducing exposure, while ETFs and institutional vehicles continue to absorb supply. Whether this redistribution stabilizes the market or fuels further volatility will be a defining factor for Bitcoin’s trajectory in the coming months. Old Bitcoin Supply Unlocks: Market Dynamics In Focus According to Maartunn, a significant movement of 7,626 BTC aged between three to five years has recently taken place. This type of activity is notable because it signals long-term holders deciding to release dormant coins back into circulation. Historically, such events often coincide with heightened market uncertainty and shifts in investor behavior, reinforcing the narrative that old supply continues to play a decisive role in shaping Bitcoin’s trajectory. Despite this selling pressure, Bitcoin has managed to hold above the $110,000 level, showing resilience in the face of profit-taking from long-term holders. This stability is encouraging, as it demonstrates that buyers are stepping in to absorb supply, though the strength of that demand remains in question. Some market participants are pointing to ETF inflows as the primary reason Bitcoin has avoided a sharper correction. ETFs, by nature, act as a consistent demand sink, channeling institutional capital into Bitcoin through regulated frameworks. However, the risk remains that without robust new demand, the selling pressure from newly unlocked coins could begin to outweigh buying interest. If this happens, recent holders may face the brunt of volatility. For now, the market appears to be balancing between long-term holders’ profit-taking and institutional accumulation. This emerging dynamic highlights how Bitcoin’s current cycle differs from previous ones—ETF participation and repeated redistribution of old coins are reshaping the market structure. The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether ETF inflows are strong enough to offset the increased activity of older supply and keep Bitcoin on a bullish path. Testing Mid-Range Resistance Levels Bitcoin is currently trading at $112,409, showing a modest recovery after recent volatility. The chart highlights a rebound from the $109K–$110K demand zone, which has acted as short-term support during the past week. However, BTC now faces resistance as it tests the 50-day moving average (blue line at $111,661) and the 100-day moving average (green line at $114,382). These levels represent key barriers for bulls attempting to reclaim higher ground. The broader picture shows BTC still lagging behind its all-time high near $124,500, marked by the yellow resistance line. Despite multiple attempts, Bitcoin has struggled to generate enough momentum to retest this level, largely due to persistent selling pressure and cautious sentiment among traders. The red 200-day moving average at $114,746 sits just above current price action, creating a cluster of resistance levels that could limit upside in the near term. If Bitcoin manages to close above $114K, it would confirm bullish continuation and potentially set the stage for a retest of the $120K–$124K zone. Conversely, failure to sustain above $110K could see BTC revisiting lower supports around $106K–$108K. For now, consolidation dominates, with bulls needing fresh demand to push beyond resistance. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

An early Ethereum whale just came back to life in a big way. After nearly a decade of silence, this wallet moved 150,000 ETH into staking. At today’s prices, that works out to roughly $645 million. The wallet originally received one million ETH during the 2015 ICO and had barely moved since. A Surprise Move After Years of Inactivity For years, this address sat untouched. Then suddenly, over the course of one day, it sent huge chunks of ETH across three different wallets and staked it all. This wasn’t a selloff or a quick exit. It was a clear bet on the future. It also sent a strong message to onlookers who still pay close attention to what early adopters are doing. The Whale Still Holds Over a Billion Even after staking such a large amount, the wallet is still holding more than 850,000 ETH. That’s over $1.1 billion based on current prices. It’s the kind of stash that could shake the market if dumped, but instead it’s being used to support the network. That kind of long-term behavior stands out, especially in a space where short-term flips are common. Source: @EmberCN on x.com DISCOVER: 9+ Best High-Risk, High-Reward Crypto to Buy in September2025 Staking Is Becoming the Default for Long-Term Holders Big holders aren’t just letting their ETH sit anymore. Staking has become the go-to strategy. It generates rewards, adds to the network’s security, and shows confidence without needing to sell. This whale’s move fits that trend perfectly. It reflects the kind of mindset we’re seeing more and more, especially among early backers who still believe in Ethereum’s long game. EthereumPriceMarket CapETH$522.00B24h7d30d1yAll time The Timing Makes It Even More Interesting ETH has had a strong year so far, gaining more than 70 percent in recent months. It pulled back slightly from highs above $4,400, but traders are still looking toward the $5,000 level. Moves like this one give that outlook a little more weight. People don’t stake hundreds of millions unless they see more upside ahead. DISCOVER: Next 1000X Crypto: 10+ Crypto Tokens That Can Hit 1000x in 2025 Big Picture Economics May Be Playing a Role This move didn’t happen in a vacuum. Global markets are starting to price in the chance of interest rate cuts in the U.S. That usually boosts riskier assets, including crypto. For a whale sitting on a massive ETH pile, now might feel like the right time to earn some rewards while waiting for the next leg up. Why It Matters for Everyone Else Whales don’t always move like the rest of us, but their actions do have an impact. Staking this much ETH at once takes a lot of sell pressure off the table. It also reminds everyone that Ethereum isn’t just for day traders and memecoins. It’s still attracting long-term believers who are willing to lock up serious capital. And when someone silent since 2015 makes a move like this, the market tends to pay attention. DISCOVER: 20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2025 Join The 99Bitcoins News Discord Here For The Latest Market Updates Key Takeaways An Ethereum ICO whale just staked 150,000 ETH worth $645 million after nearly a decade of inactivity, signaling renewed confidence. The wallet still holds over 850,000 ETH, valued at more than $1.1 billion, showing this move was not an exit but a long-term play. This massive stake follows a trend where large ETH holders are choosing staking over selling, reinforcing belief in Ethereum’s future. The timing aligns with ETH’s strong price action and growing speculation around interest rate cuts, both of which support bullish sentiment. Such whale activity removes potential sell pressure and reminds the market that Ethereum remains a serious platform for long-term holders. The post Ethereum ICO Whale Stakes $645 Million After Long Silence appeared first on 99Bitcoins.

Sora Ventures, a venture firm based in Taiwan, has just announced a billion-dollar Bitcoin treasury fund. It’s being described as the first of its kind in Asia and marks a new chapter for Bitcoin adoption across the region. Until now, most of the major Bitcoin treasury moves have come from the US or Europe. This fund changes that dynamic and gives Asia its own strong entry into the mix. Initial Backing and Ambitious Outlook The fund is already off to a solid start. Sora Ventures has raised $200 million from investors across the region and plans to bring in the remaining $800 million over the next six months. The goal is to use that capital to help companies across Asia build and hold Bitcoin reserves. For many firms, this could be the first real opportunity to treat Bitcoin as a core financial asset rather than just something speculative. A Centralized Pool for Regional Treasury Builders One of the key features of the fund is its shared structure. Instead of each company figuring out how to build a Bitcoin treasury on its own, Sora Ventures is creating a central pool that offers capital, support, and structure. The fund helps with things like tax planning, treasury design, and regulatory strategy, all tailored to the specific needs of each market. That setup should lower the barrier to entry and make it easier for more firms to take part. DISCOVER: Best New Cryptocurrencies to Invest in 2025 Building on Past Momentum in Asia This isn’t a random first move. Sora Ventures has already been involved in several Bitcoin treasury plays around the region. In 2024, they backed Metaplanet in Japan, helping it become the first firm in the country to hold Bitcoin on its books. Since then, they’ve supported similar moves in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Thailand. Each of those efforts laid the groundwork for this larger, more coordinated fund. BitcoinPriceMarket CapBTC$2.21T24h7d30d1yAll time Addressing a Fragmented Landscape One of the biggest problems in Asia has been that treasury adoption felt isolated. Each country had its own pace, its own challenges, and companies were acting alone. This fund aims to fix that by bringing capital and experience into one structure that crosses borders. Instead of a bunch of disconnected efforts, this could create a much more unified strategy across the region. DISCOVER: 20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2025 A Bold Move Toward Institutional Crypto A billion dollars is a big statement. It shows that Bitcoin is no longer just for tech startups or trading platforms. It’s being taken seriously by institutional players who want it on their balance sheets and see it as a store of value. This fund could help move Bitcoin from the edge of corporate finance to something much more mainstream in Asia. What Comes Next for the Fund The plan is to fully deploy the fund over the next six months. If all goes well, more companies across Asia will start building their own Bitcoin treasuries before the year is over. Sora Ventures is also expected to bring in more partners and keep expanding. That could mean more countries, more industries, and eventually, a much broader network of Bitcoin holders across the continent. DISCOVER: 20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2025 Join The 99Bitcoins News Discord Here For The Latest Market Updates Key Takeaways Sora Ventures has launched Asia’s first billion-dollar Bitcoin treasury fund, signaling a major step forward for institutional Bitcoin adoption in the region. The fund has already secured $200 million in backing and plans to raise the full $1 billion within six months to support corporate Bitcoin reserves. This shared fund structure offers companies guidance on tax, regulation, and treasury management, making Bitcoin easier to adopt across Asia. Sora Ventures built this fund on past regional efforts, including Metaplanet in Japan and other Bitcoin treasuries in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Thailand. By creating a unified approach, this fund aims to connect fragmented markets and make Bitcoin a standard part of corporate finance across Asia. The post Sora Ventures Launches Asia’s First Billion Dollar Bitcoin Treasury Fund appeared first on 99Bitcoins.

Reports have disclosed that Ripple has moved to introduce its US dollar–backed stablecoin, RLUSD, into African markets through deals with established regional fintech firms. The token, which debuted in late 2024, now has a market capitalization of close to $710 million. That figure matters because it signals real capital backing the push, even if the coin still sits well below the largest stablecoins. Fintech Partners Open Doors Ripple’s rollout leans on three major fintech partners: Chipper Cash, VALR, and Yellow Card. These platforms already serve millions of users across the continent. According to company statements, the partnerships give RLUSD instant rails into retail and business flows without Ripple having to build consumer trust from scratch. Ham Serunjogi, CEO of Chipper Cash, said RLUSD is “uniquely positioned to accelerate institutional blockchain adoption across Africa and beyond.” That line frames the push as aimed more at banks and big payments firms than at casual traders. Humanitarian Pilots Take Center Stage Based on reports, Ripple is also linking RLUSD to humanitarian work in Kenya. Mercy Corps Ventures is running pilot programs that use the stablecoin to power blockchain-based insurance products for drought and rainfall risks. These pilots are small. But they are meant to show how stablecoins can back practical financial services where climate shocks hit farming communities. For many African users, access to reliable, low-cost payment rails matters more than the token’s total market value. Listings And Institutional Aims RLUSD has been listed on a growing set of exchanges, including Gemini, Kraken, Bitso, Bitstamp, Bullish, LMAX, Uphold, Mercado Bitcoin, Independent Reserve, and CoinMENA. That distribution lets institutions tap RLUSD for payments, settlement, and collateral management. Jack McDonald, SVP of Stablecoins at Ripple, said demand is growing across payments, tokenization, and collateral markets. The listings show Ripple wants the coin to be usable on familiar trading and custody platforms, which can shorten the path to institutional adoption. On-Chain Activity Shows Momentum, But Gaps Remain Meanwhile, on-chain metrics show rising activity. Artemis data points to monthly transaction volumes climbing from almost $120 million in July to $194 million in August. That jump is healthy for a newcomer. Yet it is still small when compared with established stablecoins that process billions each month on Ethereum and Tron. Based on these numbers, RLUSD is gaining traction but has a long way to go if it hopes to match the liquidity and daily flows of market leaders. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView

Solana (SOL) is back in the spotlight after whale investors injected more than $1 billion into DeFi protocols, sparking a dramatic 500% surge in transaction activity across the network. Data from CoinShares shows that inflows in Q3 2025 reached $177 million, pushing year-to-date totals above $1.2 billion. This sharp rise has positioned Solana as one of the most liquid ecosystems for staking, lending, and DEX activity. One notable whale moved 20,000 SOL from Kraken into Kamino Finance, later borrowing $3 million in USDC for leveraged positions on OKX. This reflects how institutional-scale players are increasingly using Solana’s DeFi ecosystem without selling off their core holdings, adding both liquidity and credibility to the market. Why Transactions Are Surging Analysts point to multiple factors behind Solana’s record-breaking DeFi inflows and transaction growth. A key driver is the Alpenglow consensus protocol upgrade, which gained 99% validator approval. The upgrade slashes transaction finality to just 150 milliseconds, making Solana one of the fastest public blockchains. This speed advantage has already lured investors away from Ethereum, where congestion remains a problem. One whale address, previously known for high-value Hyperliquid trades, shifted $7.6 million from ETH into SOL, citing throughput efficiency as the decisive factor. Beyond technical upgrades, Solana has also attracted institutional interest through ETFs and tokenization initiatives, further strengthening its role as a preferred option for DeFi growth in 2025. What This Means for Solana’s Future With whales fueling inflows and Solana’s ecosystem achieving record adoption, market confidence in SOL’s long-term trajectory is strengthening. Transaction surges of this scale often precede deeper liquidity growth and sustained developer activity, two pillars of a healthy DeFi network. However, analysts caution that network activity needs to translate into consistent user adoption to maintain momentum. While speculative capital is accelerating short-term gains, the broader test for Solana will be sustaining real-world use cases beyond whale-led inflows. Currently, Solana stands out as one of the fastest-growing ecosystems in crypto, backed by institutional confidence, whale capital, and groundbreaking technical upgrades. If these trends continue, analysts believe Solana could be at the path of the much anticipated $1000 mark. Cover image from ChatGPT, SOLUSD chart from Tradingview

In a significant move for the SUI market, bulls have successfully broken out of a key technical chart pattern, setting their sights on the next major resistance level at $3.50. This breakout signals a shift in momentum, as the price action re-establishes a clear upward trend. Technical Setup Signals Room For Further Upside Crypto VIP Signal, in a recent update on X, highlighted that SUI has sustained its bullish momentum exactly as anticipated, successfully breaking out of the falling wedge pattern. This breakout is a strong technical signal often associated with trend reversals, suggesting that the token has shifted from a period of consolidation into a phase of renewed upward strength. Such a move indicates that market sentiment is leaning toward optimism, with buyers steadily reclaiming control. The update further explained that following the breakout, SUI retested the support line, a critical step in confirming the validity of the breakout. Holding this support level firmly not only reinforces the bullish structure but also builds a stronger foundation for future gains. This development underscores the resilience of SUI’s price action, as it demonstrates the ability of the market to absorb selling pressure while maintaining upward momentum. Looking ahead, Crypto VIP Signal pointed to $3.50 as the next key resistance level that traders and investors should keep an eye on. If this level is broken, it would likely attract more buyers into the market, creating the conditions for SUI to extend its upward trajectory and establish new short-term highs. SUI Indicators Align For Potential Upside Continuation Adding to the growing bullish outlook for SUI, Gemxbt recently emphasized in a post that the token is showing signs of a strong reversal. The analysis revealed that SUI’s price has crossed above both the 5-day and 10-day moving averages, which strengthens the case for continued upward pressure in the near term. Resistance is currently positioned near $3.35, a zone that will play a pivotal role in determining whether SUI can maintain its bullish breakout. On the downside, strong support is established around $3.20, serving as a safety net in case of short-term pullbacks. Holding this support will be essential for sustaining market confidence. In addition to these key levels, momentum indicators are also aligning with the current bullish narrative. The RSI has begun rising from oversold territory, signaling renewed buying interest, while the MACD has confirmed a bullish crossover. Together, these technical signals suggest that SUI could be gearing up for another upward push, with momentum building toward testing and possibly breaking above the next resistance barrier.

Rare rocks buried deep beneath central Australia have revealed the origins of one of the world’s most promising new deposits of niobium — a metal vital for producing high-strength steel and clean energy technologies. A new Curtin University-led study has found how the deposit formed during the breakup of an ancient supercontinent, and that the newly discovered niobium-rich carbonatites were emplaced more than 800 million years ago, rising from deep within the Earth through pre-existing fault zones during a tectonic rifting event that ultimately tore apart the supercontinent Rodinia. The full study, titled ‘Multi-method geochronology and isotope geochemistry of carbonatites in the Aileron Province, central Australia’, was published in ‘Geological Magazine’. Lead author Dr Maximilian Dröllner, from the Timescales of Mineral Systems Group within Curtin’s Frontier Institute for Geoscience Solutions and the University of Göttingen, said the findings shed new light on how rare, metal-rich magmas reach the surface — and why this particular deposit is so interesting. “These carbonatites are unlike anything previously known in the region and contain important concentrations of niobium, a strategic metal used to make lighter, stronger steel for aircraft, pipelines and EVs and a key component in some next-generation battery and superconducting technologies,” Dr Dröllner said in a statement. “Using multiple isotope-dating techniques on drill core samples, we found that these carbonatites were emplaced between 830 and 820 million years ago, during a period of continental rifting that preceded the breakup of Rodinia. “This tectonic setting allowed carbonatite magma to rise through fault zones that had remained open and active for hundreds of millions of years, delivering metal-rich melts from deep in the mantle up into the crust.” Curtin co-author Professor Chris Kirkland, also from the Timescales of Mineral Systems Group, said the research shows how using advanced geochronology and isotope techniques can unravel such complex histories. “Carbonatites are rare igneous rocks known to host major global deposits of critical metals such as niobium and rare earth elements. But determining when and how they formed has historically been difficult due to their complex geological histories,” Professor Kirkland said. “By analysing isotopes and using high-resolution imaging, we were able to reconstruct more than 500 million years of geological events that these rocks experienced. “This approach allowed us to pinpoint when the carbonatites formed and separate those original magmatic events from changes that happened later in the rocks.” The discovery has big implications for clean energy tech, Curtin said.

Jake Clover, CEO of Digital Ascension Group and a long-time XRP advocate, used a new video published on September 3 to deliver an unambiguous message to traders waiting for one last capitulation: he doesn’t think a 90% collapse is coming back. “I would love it too. I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Clover said, arguing that the market already gave skeptics ample time to buy during prolonged sub-$1 ranges. “When it was 50 cents, nobody wanted to buy it… You had three years to buy it at 50 cents or 30 cents or 40 cents or whatever it was. It ain’t coming back.” Will XRP Never Crash By 90% Again? Clover roots that conviction not in a single catalyst but in what he describes as a structural change to XRP’s market microstructure. He repeatedly cites the role of spot exchange-traded products – Bloomberg’s James Seyffart puts SEC approval in 2025 odds at 95% – and the execution algorithms used by institutional liquidity providers as a persistent source of demand that alters the asset’s downside dynamics. “It’s going to be sustained here because of the ETFs, because of the TWAP and VWAP and them entering the market. They’re not letting it come back down,” he said, referring to time- and volume-weighted execution that systematically slices large orders into the market over extended intervals. He frames the current tape as a test the asset has already passed. “If it was going to [crash], there’s a bunch of stuff that rolled up and then it’s back down 90% since it went up. XRP hadn’t done that,” Clover noted, contrasting XRP’s behavior with other, sharper retracements elsewhere in crypto. In his reading, support has repeatedly asserted itself on the cross with Bitcoin as well. “It’s back on the line here where there’s been support on the Bitcoin and XRP chart. I think it’s up from here, especially if Bitcoin keeps going up,” he said, tying XRP’s path to the broader beta of the cycle. Clover also connects his outlook to a suite of prospective macro and market-structure tailwinds. He points to what he calls a “reverse carry trade,” the prospect of “adoption for the backend settlement of the stock market,” and the influence of ETF flows as scenario drivers that could render near-term entry prices largely irrelevant over a longer horizon. In one of the video’s most pointed passages, he underscores that view with a blunt thought experiment on future price levels: “You’re not going to care if you bought it at $2.30 or you bought it at $2.40 or you bought it at $2 when it’s a hundred dollars or $200 or $500.” The operational takeaway he offers to investors is procedural rather than tactical. Clover is explicit that market timing is a losing game for nearly everyone and that disciplined accumulation outperforms attempts to catch exact bottoms. “Dollar cost averaging is going to be your best bet 99.9% of the time,” he said. “Trying to time the market, you’re not going to do it. It’s like 1% of traders that ever timed the market well. And those that dollar cost average in, you’re going to win. Like you can’t, you can’t lose doing that. You’re going to get highs and lows, but your average is going to be pretty fair.” Risk management, in his account, is non-negotiable. He warns explicitly against taking on debt or leverage that compromises basic obligations in order to chase upside. “Don’t leverage yourself or over leverage yourself to the point where you can’t make your bills or can’t pay other stuff,” Clover said, adding that small, regular allocations made only from surplus cash are the appropriate way to express conviction while surviving the volatility that remains endemic to the asset class. If that thesis holds, the implication for strategy—again in Clover’s own words—is to stop waiting for the ghost of an old regime. “I know everybody wants the most they can get on stuff,” he said, “but dollar cost averaging is going to be your best bet… When you have some extra liquidity, buy a little bit.” At press time, XRP traded at $2.87.

Koryx Copper’s (TSXV: KRY) new preliminary economic assessment (PEA) positions its open-pit Haib project in Namibia among the largest red metal projects in the region by value and contained copper. At a post-tax net present value (NPV) of $1.35 billion and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 20%, the Haib study issued on Thursday shows the highest value for development-stage and producing copper mines in Namibia and Botswana. It’s well ahead of Chinese state-owned miner MMG’s Khoemacau mine in Botswana, which has an NPV of $864 million. “The objective of this PEA was to right-size and optimize the Haib project and reposition it as a credible, low-risk, large-scale, low-cost, high-return, open pit milling and flotation operation,” Koryx President and CEO Heye Daun said in a release. “This project could be rendered shovel-ready, with an advanced feasibility study, secure water and power supply and most major permits in place within just a few years.” Koryx shares gained 12% to C$1.18 apiece by mid-Friday in Toronto for a market capitalization approaching C$113 million. The stock has traded in a 12-month range of C$0.85 to C$1.29. Scramble for copper Copper is becoming an increasingly important metal for its use in electrification as more Western countries seek to secure supply chains outside of Chinese control. While Botswana is the highest-ranking African country for mining investment attractiveness, Namibia was third behind Zambia, according to the Fraser Institute’s 2024 survey. Most contained copper By contained copper, Haib leads resource-stage and mines in the region, with 2.59 million tonnes contained in 414 million indicated tonnes grading 0.35% copper, and 345 million inferred tonnes at 0.33% copper, according to a resource from August 2024. That’s about one-third higher than Khoemacau’s 1.94 million contained tonnes of copper, and more than three times larger than Sandfire Resources’ (ASX: SFR) producing Motheo mine in Botswana. However, Haib is less competitive with its capital costs, which at $1.55 billion make it the highest capex project in the region. Khoemacau’s capex comes to about $893 million and private miner Omico’s feasibility-stage Omitiomire project has capital costs of about $220 million. Haib, in Namibia’s southern Karas region just north of the border with South Africa, could produce 92,000 tonnes per year of payable copper in the first 10 years of a 23-year life.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has taken a big step into a new area of decentralized finance, making it part of a cross-chain lending and borrowing market. This latest move was made possible by an integration with Chainlink (LINK) and a new listing on Folks Finance. Shiba Ibu Official Announcement Confirms Cross-Chain Lending Launch The news was confirmed directly by SHIB’s official account on X. The team said that SHIB is now available for lending and borrowing on Folks Finance. Following the announcement, token holders can participate in new financial activity by depositing the tokens to earn yields or using them as collateral across different blockchains. Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) has enabled Shiba Inu to function as a cross-chain token. By adopting CCIP, SHIB is no longer limited to one network and avoids the liquidity trap on separate chains. With the integration, digital assets can be transferred seamlessly between blockchains, supporting lending and borrowing within a single, interconnected system. According to the official announcement, the CCIP protocol resolves the liquidity issue of liquidity fragmentation. Using Chainlink’s technology, SHIB has entered a new stage where it can serve as part of the cross-chain DeFi market. This key move makes the token the first memecoin to join Folks Finance’s lending markets. In the announcement, the SHIB team also said that incentives for depositors were already active. Depositors and users who add SHIB tokens to Folks Finance can immediately participate in the program and benefit from the new market structure. Folks Finance Hails Shiba Inu As First Memecoin In Cross-Chain Markets Folks Finance also shared the development on its official X account. The platform described the Shiba Inu token as “the first memecoin with cross-chain lending markets.” This description shows the significance of the listing because no other memecoin has reached this level of cross-chain DeFi market presence before. Folks Finance notes that the memecoin has transitioned into a category that allows it to participate in broader DeFi activities. The digital asset now connects to a system that allows lending, borrowing, and liquidity, and the team at Folks Finance also highlights the integration powered by Chainlink’s CCIP. The post also stated that anyone can now deposit and borrow SHIB on any part of the protocol’s chain. The single unified pool with deep liquidity creates a situation where users do not need to worry about fragmented markets. The SHIB team and Folks Finance announcements show that Chainlink’s CCIP has brought Shiba Inu into a new market. The integration has given SHIB new use cases beyond its original status as a memecoin. With cross-chain lending, borrowing, and incentives now available, Shiba Inu could become part of a growing decentralized finance market that spans many chains, opening doors for stronger adoption in the future.

Helium Evolution (TSXV:HEVI) a Canadian explorer developing assets in southern Saskatchewan, announced this week construction at its planned 12 million standard cubic feet per day helium processing facility in the Mankota area is in its final stages of construction, now more than 95% complete. The estimated total cost for HEVI’s 20% working interest share of the Soda Lake Facility is approximately C$5.2 million ($3.8m). The Soda Lake Facility is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2025 and will initially tie-in three helium wells through a dedicated pipeline gathering system, the company said. Helium’s most critical applications are in medical imaging, where liquid helium cools superconducting magnets, and semiconductor manufacturing. It is exclusively a byproduct of natural gas mining, but new large helium deposits are becoming fewer and farther between. The US began mining it in earnest in 1915, when the U.S. Army built the first helium extraction plant at the Petrolia Oilfield in North Texas. “The addition of the Soda Lake Facility marks a transformational milestone for Helium Evolution,” CEO Greg Robb said in a May news release. “This strategic infrastructure unlocks long-term value from our Mankota assets and reinforces our confidence in the region’s helium potential.” Construction of the wellsite metering facilities and associated pipeline infrastructure to the Soda Lake Facility is underway and is expected to take approximately one month to complete. Startup of the purification facility and connected wells remains on track for early in the fourth quarter of 2025, the company said on Thursday.

Bitcoin mining is undergoing a profound shift by increasingly adopting alternative renewable energy sources. This trend has led to a remarkable change in the industry’s energy profile, with more than half of the network’s power now coming from sustainable sources. Why Renewable Energy Is Becoming A Strategic Edge For Miners In an X post, Natalie Brunell explained that Bitcoin mining is a unique process that consumes energy to secure the network, while ensuring its integrity and scarcity. Unlike traditional currencies that a central authority can print, Bitcoin’s supply is fixed. The process of mining is the only way to introduce new Bitcoin into circulation, and it requires expanding real-world resources, specifically energy, to validate transactions and secure the network. This design makes the network inherently ethical and resistant to manipulation because no single entity controls the supply or has the power to create more Bitcoin. However, what makes Bitcoin mining particularly innovative is its flexible and location-agnostic nature. Miners are increasingly plugging into alternative and cheapest renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower, which is often found in places with abundant underutilized or stranded renewable energy, such as East Texas. This flexibility allows Bitcoin miners to act as a crucial stabilizing force for the energy grid. Instead of staining the grid, they help to balance it. When the supply of renewable energy is high and demand is low, miners can soak up the excess power that would otherwise be wasted. Meanwhile, when demand from homes and businesses spikes, miners can shut down in seconds, instantly giving that power back to the grid. This makes them a valuable component of the energy sector, helping to make renewable energy more economically viable. Marathon’s Position Among Public Bitcoin Miners Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA) has delivered a strong performance, highlighting its strategic position as both a Bitcoin miner and a significant corporate holder of the asset. The company’s August report showcases its dual-engine strategy of mining and strategic purchasing. In August, Marathon mined 705 BTC and also made a major move by purchasing an additional 1,133 BTC, actively adding to its treasury. The company’s energized hash rate now stands at an impressive 59.4 EH/s, holding 52,477 BTC in its balance sheet as of the end of August. This shows a proactive approach to accumulating Bitcoin, leveraging market conditions to strengthen its balance sheet. Following this strong August, Marathon mined another 82.6 BTC in September. This continued growth has expanded its Bitcoin treasury to nearly 52,560 BTC, cementing its status as one of the largest publicly traded holders of the digital asset. According to the company’s data, every common share of MARA is backed by $15.68 worth of BTC.

In a landmark development for the Solana (SOL) ecosystem, SOL Strategies has received approval for its listing on the Nasdaq, marking a significant milestone as the first treasury company associated with SOL to achieve this status. The company is set to begin trading under the ticker symbol “STKE” on September 9, 2025. SOL Strategies Set To Make Nasdaq Debut Upon its Nasdaq debut, SOL Strategies will continue to maintain its presence on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the symbol “HODL.” Notably, shares currently trading on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol “CYFRF” will automatically convert to the Nasdaq listing. The listing is contingent upon meeting all regulatory requirements, including the approval of the Company’s Form 40-F Registration Statement by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Leah Wald, CEO of SOL Strategies, expressed enthusiasm about the Nasdaq listing, stating that it aligns the company with some of the most innovative technology firms globally. She emphasized that this approval not only enhances liquidity for shareholders but also positions SOL Strategies to attract institutional investors who recognize the potential of Solana’s infrastructure. Wald further stated: As a leading Solana-focused company to reach this milestone, we’re proud to demonstrate the institutional quality and growth potential that exists within this high-performance blockchain ecosystem. Our listing opens new pathways for institutional capital to access Solana infrastructure through regulated and transparent markets SOL Price Surges The Nasdaq listing is anticipated to accelerate SOL Strategies’ growth in validator operations, driven by increased demand for Solana staking. Furthermore, it is expected to strengthen the company’s role as a gateway for institutional investment in Solana’s ecosystem. According to CoinGecko data, SOL Strategies holds 0.68% of the cryptocurrency’s supply, equivalent to 370,420 SOL tokens. This was reportedly achieved at a total cost of just over $62 million. This investment has resulted in a yield of $13 million for the company; at current prices, it is now valued at $75 million. The announcement sparked a new leg up for the SOL price, reaching as high as $210 on Friday. As of this writing, the altcoin has retraced back toward $205, meaning a 1.2% surge in the 24-hour time frame. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

Ethereum’s recent movements have brought mixed emotions to the market, with a recent price crash to $4,200. While the market navigates these price swings, large holders of ETH, commonly referred to as ‘whales,’ have taken the opportunity to increase their positions significantly. Fresh data from on-chain analytic firms suggest that accumulation among these heavyweight investors is intensifying, even as Ethereum experiences market volatility. Ethereum Whale Accumulation Accelerates According to reports from Santiment, Ethereum’s recent climb toward the $4,500 mark is being largely fueled by accumulation from whales and sharks in the millionaire and small billionaire bracket. These wallets, holding between 1,000 and 100,000 ETH, have been steadily boosting their exposure. Over the last five months, their collective holdings have surged by a whopping 14%, a substantial shift in distribution that highlights renewed confidence in ETH’s long-term outlook. Supporting this trend, Glassnode data reveals a divergence in whale activity throughout August. “Mega whales” reportedly holding more than 10,000 ETH were instrumental in driving Ethereum’s rally earlier in the month, with net inflows reaching an impressive 2.2 million ETH in 30 days. However, this group has since slowed down its activity, pausing further accumulation for now. In contrast, the large whales holding between 1,000 and 10,000 ETH have re-entered accumulation territory. After a period of distribution, this group added 411,000 ETH within the same timeframe, suggesting they see the current price levels as an attractive entry point. This shift in accumulation dynamics underscores the complex layers of market sentiment within the Ethereum investor bases. While mega whales have opted for caution after aggressively buying, the less prominent whales are taking up the slack, underscoring growing confidence despite broader volatility. ETH Slowly Recovers From $4,200 Price Crash The increase in whale holdings comes against the backdrop of Ethereum’s brief crash to $4,200. Despite the sudden drop, ETH has since managed to rebound above $4,380, displaying a level of resilience that continues to attract investors. CoinMarketCap data shows that the Ethereum price saw a slight increase of 1.41% in the last week and over 21% over the last month. However, analysts remain cautious about the cryptocurrency’s near-term trajectory. Pseudonymous crypto market analyst Mrvik.eth has pointed out in a recent X social media post that Ethereum appears to be entering a minor distribution phase after losing the 1D 25EMA support level. While whales have helped in the altcoin’s recovery, he cautions that ETH could still face more turbulence before stabilizing further. According to the analyst, the broader altcoin market has also shown signs of weakness, amplifying concerns of an extended correction phase. With several altcoins already underperforming, he suggests that a minimum decline of 20% across the sector looks increasingly likely.

Ripple and its native token XRP have been given rare mainstream exposure on German finance channel Der Aktionar TV. In a recent segment, the hosts spoke with David Hartmann of Vontobel about the cryptocurrency’s place in global banking and how investors can access it through certificates and futures. Ripple’s Role In International Transfers According to Hartmann, Ripple has become a recognized player in international finance by offering faster settlement solutions for cross-border payments. The discussion emphasized how XRP acts as a bridge currency. Rather than converting euros into US dollars and then into yen, banks could move funds directly using XRP, cutting both cost and time from the transaction. The example was simple: a German bank sending money to Japan typically needs two currency conversions, but XRP reduces it to one. Hartmann said this model positions Ripple as a service provider that eases dependency on the dollar in international transfers. Legal Clarity Boosts Confidence Reports highlighted the impact of Ripple’s recent victory in its case against the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The resolution has given XRP a degree of regulatory clarity that many institutions had been waiting for. Analysts explained that banks and large financial players are unwilling to risk billions without knowing the rules. With the legal outcome now clearer, Ripple is seen as being in a stronger position to attract institutional adoption. The commentary observed regulation of crypto is shifting from its initial “Wild West” image. Here, compliance is not just the legal requirement but also the building block of trust. For banks and investors alike, that trust may decide what projects are taken up at scale. Stablecoins And Market Risks The section also discussed the emergence of US dollar-pegged stablecoins. These instruments provide speed and lower volatility in cross-border payments but also pose risks. Market watchers cautioned that stablecoins should be completely backed by reserves like US Treasury bonds. In the absence of transparency and sound backing, investor confidence can erode rapidly. Attention then turned to investment products tied to XRP. Mini futures and certificates were presented as options for those who want exposure without directly holding the token. Other dangers include fluctuations in the USD/EUR exchange rate and the fact that certificates are debt instruments tied to the issuing entity’s stability. The program closed on a forward-looking note. Ripple, with regulatory clarity on its side and a growing reputation in the payments industry, is seen as being better placed to capture institutional interest. The XRP community quickly reacted online, many pointing out that German media now gives Ripple attention that US outlets have yet to match. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin is trading above the $112,000 level, but its momentum is faltering as selling pressure intensifies. Analysts are divided on what comes next, with some calling for another correction and others suggesting that BTC may continue consolidating before any decisive move. The uncertainty highlights the fragile balance between bullish optimism and market caution. Top analyst Darkfost shared insights that bring back a long-running debate: Does Bitcoin’s traditional cycle structure still hold? While opinions vary, one factor remains consistent across cycles—the influence of long-term holders. Dormant BTC, when moved, often unleashes powerful selling pressure, a dynamic still capable of shaking the market. This cycle has already confirmed that pattern. As BTC climbed to its all-time high earlier this year, Coin Days Destroyed (CDD)—a key on-chain metric tracking the movement of older coins—spiked noticeably. Historically, such spikes have aligned with tops and significant corrections, showing that long-term holders continue to play a decisive role in shaping market direction. Value Days Destroyed Signals Potential Relief For Bitcoin According to Darkfost, the Value Days Destroyed (VDD) metric is offering crucial insights into Bitcoin’s current market structure. Much like Coin Days Destroyed (CDD), VDD tracks the movement of older coins, but it adds another layer by weighting this activity according to price. This adjustment introduces the concept of “value destruction,” giving more weight to long-term holders selling when BTC prices are higher, and less when they are lower. As a result, VDD provides a more nuanced picture of the influence older coins exert on the market. Recently, VDD reached a level of 2.4, a threshold historically associated with significant selling pressure. In past cycles, spikes to this range have often marked moments when long-term holders locked in profits, contributing to local tops or sharp corrections. The latest spike aligned with Bitcoin’s push to its all-time high, reflecting the familiar pattern of dormant supply resurfacing at peak prices. However, VDD has since been declining, now approaching levels similar to those seen during prior correction phases. This suggests that the intensity of selling from long-term holders is easing. If this trend continues, the market may find relief from one of its most persistent sources of supply pressure. Ultimately, easing VDD levels could set the stage for renewed upward momentum, but the key factor will be demand. Without strong inflows and renewed conviction from buyers, the reduction in selling pressure alone may not be enough to spark a sustainable rally. Still, the moderation of long-term holder activity is a promising sign that Bitcoin could stabilize and prepare for another attempt higher in the coming weeks. Price Action Details: Pushing Above $110K Bitcoin is currently trading at $112,286, showing a slight recovery after weeks of selling pressure that pulled the price down from its recent all-time high near $123,217. The chart reveals that BTC is still consolidating within a corrective structure, testing the mid-range between support and resistance levels. The 50-day moving average (blue line) is trending above the current price, acting as near-term resistance around $115K, while the 100-day moving average (green line) sits close to current levels, providing a short-term pivot point. The 200-day moving average (red line) is much lower at $101K, serving as a deeper structural support if bearish pressure intensifies. BTC is forming higher lows after its recent dip to the $110K area, signaling that buyers are cautiously stepping back in. However, momentum remains limited, and the chart shows the market has yet to reclaim any major resistance levels. A breakout above $115K would be needed to shift sentiment and open the way toward retesting the $120K–$123K zone. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

Global uranium demand is expected to soar as nuclear power cements its role in the clean energy transition, according to the World Nuclear Association’s (WNA) biennial Nuclear Fuel Report released Friday. The report forecasts uranium demand for nuclear reactors will climb 28% by 2030, reaching nearly 87,000 metric tons annually, before more than doubling to over 150,000 metric tons by 2040. That compares to about 67,000 tons consumed in 2024. The growth is tied to a rapid buildout of nuclear power capacity worldwide. Current global nuclear capacity of 398 gigawatts electric (GWe), with another 71 GWe under construction, is projected to surge by 13% by 2030 and by nearly 87% to 746 GWe by 2040. “The shift reflects governments leaning more heavily on nuclear power to meet energy security goals and net-zero carbon targets,” the WNA said. Scenarios for growth The WNA examined three scenarios: Reference Scenario – Based on existing government and utility plans, nuclear capacity rises from 372 GWe in 2024 to 686 GWe by 2040. Upper Scenario – Under more favorable policies, capacity could reach 966 GWe. Lower Scenario – If implementation lags, capacity would still grow to 582 GWe. By 2040, demand could range from 107,000 tU in the Lower Scenario to over 204,000 tU in the Upper Scenario. While current uranium mine supply—bolstered by a 22% increase in production between 2022 and 2024 to 60,213 tons—is sufficient in the short term, the WNA warned of looming deficits. After 2030, output from existing mines is forecast to halve, creating a pressing need for new mines and restarts of idle operations. With it taking 10 to 20 years to develop new uranium projects, the association stressed the importance of accelerated investment now to avoid disruptions. “Mine supply is adequate in the short term, but shortfalls could occur after 2030,” the report noted. BMO Capital Markets noted that the WNA’s uranium demand growth forecast has been raised to a 5.3% CAGR through 2040, up from 4.1% previously and well above the bank’s own estimate of ~3.6%. Analysts added that financing solutions are gaining attention as the industry confronts the challenge of tripling nuclear capacity by 2050. “Recent production challenges highlight supply side risk, which could see some improvement in spot market and contracting volumes into year-end as we enter this typically seasonally stronger period of the year,” BMO concluded. Market dynamics and technology shifts According to the WNA, geopolitical tensions—particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—have disrupted regional enrichment markets, driving demand for expanded enrichment capacity. Meanwhile, small modular reactors (SMRs) are also expected to contribute to the growth trajectory, offering cheaper, faster-to-build nuclear options that could expand nuclear deployment beyond traditional large-scale plants. The WNA also highlighted that several countries with phase-out or moratorium policies on nuclear energy are now revisiting those stances amid energy security concerns and decarbonization commitments. The association concluded that the coming decade will be decisive: unless new uranium projects are advanced now, the sector risks significant supply crunches just as nuclear power demand accelerates.

Cheapest Way to Buy Silver: A Practical Guide to Lower All-In Costs You worked for decades, you saved carefully, and now you want something real. If you are searching for the cheapest way to buy silver, remember this: the game is not just price, it is the hidden tolls that pile up between you and the metal. Below is a clear path to getting the most silver for your dollars while keeping your freedom and options intact. The Cheapest Way to Buy Silver Means All-In Cost The fastest way to overpay is to stare at spot price and ignore everything else. Smart buyers look at total cost, the full ticket from start to finish. Consider premiums over spot, the buy-sell spread, payment fees, shipping and insurance, sales tax where it applies, and storage. Premiums rise and fall with demand; common bars and rounds usually cost less than many coins. Payment method matters; wires and checks are often discounted while cards add fees. Spreads and taxes change by dealer and state; shipping and insurance add to the total. Before you click buy, note the ounces, checkout total, shipping and insurance, any taxes, and the posted buyback price if you sold tomorrow. That all-in number is your true cost. Bars vs. Coins vs. Rounds: Pay for Metal, Not Mint Marks Silver bars often deliver the most ounces per dollar because they are simple and efficient. Private-mint bars in 10-ounce and 100-ounce sizes tend to carry lower premiums and stack neatly. Rounds are coin-shaped bars—typically cheaper than most government coins—easy to count and store. Government-mint coins add recognition and security features, sometimes better liquidity, but you pay for that privilege in the premium. Anecdote: A retired lineman at a small coin show carried a notebook. One page tracked his 10-ounce bar purchase price; the next listed the dealer’s buy price the same day. He did this for bars, rounds, and a popular government coin, circled the narrowest spread, and bought that. No drama—just math. Ask yourself: are you buying silver, or a brand to admire? Recognition is useful, but ounces in hand are the point. If premium eats the advantage, choose what brings you closest to melt value. Where to Buy Silver Without Overpaying Online dealers compete on transparency and selection. You can compare premiums in minutes, lock a price, and choose delivery or depository storage. Local coin shops offer speed, cash deals, and face-to-face trust; selection may be narrower and pricing more variable. The secondary market can look cheapest, but counterfeit risk and limited recourse raise the real cost. Cheap is not cheap if it is fake. Online dealers: broad selection, easy comparisons, clear fees. Local shops: fast transactions, relationships, potentially better buybacks. Peer-to-peer: only if you can verify authenticity and accept risk. Payment choices change the math. Wires and checks usually reduce cost; cards add convenience and fees. If you prefer depository storage with an IRA custodian or private vault, budget for storage fees in your all-in price. Authenticity Habits That Save Money Quick verification lowers risk and, over time, your average cost. Buy recognizable hallmarks and common products from reputable firms. Weigh and measure; check thickness and diameter against specs. Use a strong magnet (silver is non-magnetic) and learn simple ring tests. Paper Silver Is Easy; Physical Silver Is Yours Exchange-traded funds and pool accounts offer exposure, liquidity, and simplicity—but not possession. You accept management fees and counterparty structures with no personal claim on a specific bar in your hand. That can be fine for trading; it is not the same as owning money you can hold. Silver is the practical workhorse—lower ticket per ounce, more volatile, and historically a useful hedge over time. Gold is the anchor. People lean on gold to carry purchasing power across messy decades and use silver to add ounces and optionality. They are teammates with different jobs. Fiat Risks vs. Gold Qualities Fiat: issued at will, diluted by policy; Gold: finite, mined at cost and effort. Fiat: value tied to confidence and rates; Gold: value rooted in scarcity and history. Fiat: counterparty exposure in banks and promises; Gold: no counterparty in your hand. Fiat: easy to freeze or restrict; Gold: portable sovereignty on your terms. Silver gives you affordable ounces and flexibility. Gold gives you ballast. Used calmly, together they defend savings from other people’s mistakes. Lower Your Cost Basis with Simple, Boring Tactics Want the cheapest way to buy silver consistently, not just once? Use repeatable rules: Favor common bullion over collectibles; numismatic flair rarely repays its premium. Target popular sizes: 10-ounce bars, 1-ounce rounds and coins, and 100-ounce bars. Buy during quiet weeks; premiums often rise when headlines hit. Compare spreads and check posted buybacks before you buy. Mind taxes and shipping thresholds that change your final price. Choose lower-fee payments when you can; wires and checks usually win. Avoid churn; frequent flipping burns spreads and premiums. Anecdote: A couple in their seventies bought one 10-ounce bar every other month via bank wire from two trusted dealers, alternating to keep both relationships current. They stored at home in a proper safe and logged every purchase on one sheet. After a year, their average premium was lower than neighbors who chased shiny limited releases. Storage and Exit Strategy: Hidden Parts of “Cheapest” The cheapest way to buy silver falls apart if you store it badly or sell it poorly. Think ahead. Home storage: control and privacy; requires a real, bolted safe and basic insurance planning. Offsite vaults: professional security, insurance, and convenient liquidation; recurring fees. Package metal like you will sell it. Keep bars in protective sleeves, avoid scratching coins you plan to resell as BU, save receipts, and know dealer buyback terms. Many dealers pay more for products they originally sold to you—that is relationship, not a trick. For fast liquidity, hold some highly recognizable products; for maximizing ounces, stack lower-premium bars. Spreads are not scams; they are how markets work. Your job is to choose products where the gap is narrow and the path to resale is clear. Silver’s Role, Gold’s Anchor, Your Freedom You are not buying silver because you expect perfection from the financial class. You are buying because you have seen what happens when they misstep. Silver adds real weight to a plan that does not depend on speeches; gold is the hedge against grand experiments. Together, they lower the temperature on retirement and restore a measure of sovereignty. Keep your rules, keep your receipts, and keep your nerve. Silver for affordable ounces and optionality; gold for the ballast that history respects. With patience and humility, you are not speculating—you are preserving. Conclusion: The Cheapest Way to Buy Silver in One Checklist Look at all-in cost, not just spot. Favor common bars and rounds for low premiums; mix in recognizable coins for liquidity. Buy during calm periods, compare spreads, confirm buybacks, and use lower-fee payments. Choose storage that fits your temperament and prepare for resale before you need it. Keep a simple log and avoid churn. This is the cheapest way to buy silver—a repeatable approach that maximizes ounces and minimizes friction. The post Cheapest Way to Buy Silver first appeared on American Bullion.

AI agents are simple to describe and complex to serve: observe → decide → act → learn. Each loop depends on fresh, reliable, permissionless data. In Web2, you can rent this from a few platforms. In Web3, data lives across dozens of heterogeneous chains, node stacks, indexers, and off-chain oracles – each with its own quirks of latency, finality, semantics, and failure modes. The result: agents are hungry; the pantry is chaotic. Let’s understand the problem, public signals, and outline what an AI-ready data layer must look like to unlock the agentic economy for DeFi and beyond. AI is rapidly penetrating Web3, but the bottleneck remains data. Prominent builders are increasingly agreeing that AI and crypto are complementary: AI brings generative capability and autonomy, while crypto brings ownership, provenance, and open markets for compute and data. Chris Dixon has argued that AI systems need blockchain-enabled computing to reopen the internet and align incentives for data and model access. Vitalik Buterin categorizes crypto×AI touchpoints: AI as interface, player, target of economic guarantees and stresses careful incentive design, i.e., you can’t bolt AI onto adversarial markets without thinking through data quality and safety. On the execution side, DeFi itself is moving towards intent-based designs (i.e., you state an outcome; solvers compete to fulfil it), precisely because raw, on-chain data flows are hostile to good UX under latency and MEV. Uniswap Labs and Across proposed ERC-7683 , a cross-chain intents standard, as a shared rail for this pattern. Takeaway: agents are arriving; markets are adapting; data remains the constraint. The Ugly Truth: What AI developers in Web3 run into Heterogeneity. Every chain has its own RPC behaviour, logs, event schemas, reorg patterns, and finality assumptions. Basic queries (e.g., “positions across Base+Solana+Polygon”) turn into N bespoke indexers. Staleness vs. cost. You can get cheap, slow data, or fast, expensive data (custom stream indexers, managed mirrors). Choosing both is nontrivial. Semantics. Blocks are facts; insights are models. Converting logs into entities (pools, positions, P&L) involves constant ETL and re-computation, per protocol and per chain. Reliability under load. Network congestion and oracle lag create precisely the tail risks that autonomous agents are least able to mask. Indexing providers and docs agree on the fundamentals: direct chain queries are complex and slow; you need subgraphs or equivalent mirrors for performance, then you still must solve cross-chain streaming and schema normalization. “Actionable data” defined and why Web3 is short of it Call data is actionable when an agent can decide and execute within a bounded jitter budget while preserving correctness. Concretely: Normalized semantics: tokens, pools, positions, transfers, prices with consistent types/units across chains. Freshness & determinism: p95/p99 latency SLOs, plus finality-aware freshness (soft vs. brutal finality). Verifiability: cryptographic provenance or replayable derivation (subgraph versions, mirror checksums). Compute-near-data: scoring, anomaly detection, route simulation, co-located with the streams. Streaming + time-travel: append-only event streams plus indexed snapshots for “what changed?” queries. Today’s Web3 stack gives you fragments of this (subgraphs, RPCs, analytics APIs), but not the cohesive, cross-chain, low-latency fabric that production agents demand. Even The Graph’s own materials and third-party guides frame direct chain access as complex, pushing developers to indexing/mirroring systems for practicality. Lessons from real incidents: when latency and fragmentation bite Here are a few recent AI×Web3 products that have closed, been shelved, or effectively ceased operating : Planet Mojo’s “WWA” platform for AI gaming agents: shut down on July 1, 2025 alongside the studio’s flagship game Mojo Melee, citing shifting market realities. Brian (AI → onchain transaction builder) : a Web3 “text-to-transaction” assistant that started at ETHPrague 2023; the team announced termination of operations on May 26, 2025 after losing first-mover advantage as agentic executors proliferated. TradeAI / Stakx (AI-trading schemes using NFTs & “algos”) : took in hundreds of millions, then froze withdrawals and stopped operating; now the subject of a U.S. class-action lawsuit alleging unregistered securities and misrepresentations. (A clear cautionary tale of “AI” claims in crypto.) BitAI (“hands-free” AI crypto autotrader) : went offline in March 2024 after promising AI automated profits; Regulatory halts intersecting AI & Web3: While not a permanent failure, Worldcoin (World Network) saw operations temporarily suspended in Indonesia in May 2025, illustrating how compliance risk can abruptly derail AI-adjacent Web3 rollouts. Patterns we observed Latency + data fragmentation kills agents in production. Teams that promised “natural-language to onchain” often struggled with multichain freshness/finality and brittle indexing, leading to misses or costly infra band-aids. Hype-to-ROI gap: Analyst firms expect a high cancellation rate for “agentic AI” projects over the next couple of years-costs, unclear value, and risk controls are the common failure modes. “AI trading” claims = red flag category. Regulators and watchdogs repeatedly flag “proprietary AI bot” pitches as high-risk; many go dark or morph after a marketing blitz. “Data fragmentation is the biggest barrier for AI agents in Web3: too many chains, schemas, and brittle APIs force agents to choose between stale signals or endless stitching. Latency, freshness gaps, and complex on-chain execution turn good strategies into missed trades, while inconsistent formats cause grounding errors, model drift, and brittle behavior. The solution is a unified, real-time semantic data layer with normalized schemas, streaming indexers, canonical events, and deterministic fallbacks, so agents focus on strategy, not plumbing. At Elsa, we’re building this agentic layer with cross-chain liquidity, data endpoints, and real-time RAG (WIP), turning fragmented chaos into reliable autonomous execution.” –Dhawal Shah, Founder and CEO at HeyElsa Patterns that work: solutions around today’s incapabilities Intent rails, not raw calls. Shift from “do X at address Y” to “achieve outcome Z,” then let solvers compete, hedging MEV/latency at the meta-layer Finality-aware freshness. Expose “freshness + confidence” to agents (e.g., soft finality at N confirmations vs. brutal finality after epoch), so policies can adapt. Compute-to-data. Move scoring/simulation to the stream edge to avoid fan-out latency. Proofs & fallbacks. Two independent sources for critical signals (e.g., price) plus explainable derivations to help agents learn from misses. Human-in-the-loop gates. For high-impact actions, require explicit sign-off or bounded policy budgets. NewsBTC analyzed major intent rails and indexing providers, and gathered insights on today’s challenges from a recently launched AI×Web3 product. “AI agents don’t fail on logic, they fail on inputs. Blockchains emit raw, inconsistent log fragments without context. Until we have a neutral layer that normalises and verifies this data in real time, agents in Web3 are operating blind. The challenge isn’t building more intelligent AI. It’s giving them clean, reliable signals to act on.” –Nasim Akthar, CTO at Igris.bot What an AI-ready data layer should look like – spec, not hype Think of it as Programmable, Verifiable, Real-Time, Cross-Chain: Ingestion & normalization: Multi-chain connectors → canonical schemas (tokens, pools, positions, prices, routes) with explicit units and decimals. Streaming + snapshots: Kafka-like streams for events; OLAP snapshots for time-travel and joins. Mirrors with provenance: Deterministic mirrors of subgraphs or equivalent, with versioned transforms and integrity checks so agents can reason about data lineage. On-stream compute: Built-ins for volatility, liquidity depth, route simulation, slippage/risk scores co-located with streams to meet p95 targets. Finality-aware freshness API: Every read returns : freshness_ms, confirmations, finality_level so policies can gate actions. Intent hooks: First-class bindings to intent rails (CoW, 7683, Across) so “decide → act” is one call, with simulation receipts, Safety & audit: Rate limits, kill-switches, replay logs, and post-trade proofs for continuous learning. Future of AI × Web3: markets of agents, paying for provable data With the right data layer, the frontier expands: Agent MM & risk: autonomous market-making that prices data freshness & finality into quotes. Governance copilots: agents that read proposals, simulate outcomes, and stake opinions with cryptographic attestations. Cross-chain portfolio policies: “End with 2 ETH on Base if weekly variance > X,” routed by intent rails under bounded latency. Data markets for models: provenance-aware datasets and inference services with on-chain payment & usage proofs Safety layers: Vitalik’s caution stands – interfaces and policies must be designed to mitigate scams and misalignment. Build rails that bias toward correctness, not just speed. Closing: architecture is destiny If agents are the next user layer, your architecture becomes your product. Teams that continually patch RPC calls and cron ETLs will struggle to keep up with multi-chain, real-time, adversarial markets. Teams that stand up an AI-ready data layer – normalised, mirrored, computable, finality-aware, and wired to intent rails, will ship agents that observe, decide, act, and learn at production speed. Give agents the data fabric they deserve. They’re hungry, and the market won’t wait.

The debate over whether XRP could surpass Bitcoin has gained intensity in this cycle, and many analysts and commentators have weighed in on the possibility. A recent video posted on X by crypto analyst and commentator CryptoSensei touched on this discussion, where he made the bold claim that developments in interoperability, regulation, and tokenized real-world assets could eventually put XRP ahead of Bitcoin. The Pundit’s Claim: XRP In Front Of Bitcoin Although Bitcoin is currently the largest cryptocurrency, XRP’s positioning this cycle has increased discussions of a shift in dominance. Interestingly, XRP has overtaken many cryptocurrencies in the past few months and is now on the heels of Ethereum in terms of market cap. In his video, CryptoSensei focused on the broader trajectory of blockchain adoption over the next decade, which is going to include the integration of real-world assets like stocks, bonds, derivatives, and real estate into digital systems. He noted that only a small fraction of these markets are currently on-chain, and he predicted that this figure will perhaps rise just five to ten percent in the next ten years. The pace of this growth will be determined by global regulatory cooperation, where working groups from the G7 and G20 align laws to allow value to move seamlessly across borders. Interoperability of blockchains would be essential in this process. As such, CryptoSensei highlighted the role of companies like Chainlink, Ripple, and others that are connecting real-world assets to blockchain platforms, and he specifically called out XRP as having the potential to rise to the top. “Obviously, we would love to see XRP number one in front of Bitcoin,” he said, adding that the combination of regulation, interoperability, and tokenization could make this outcome possible. The Altcoin To Surpass Bitcoin? Ripple and its cryptocurrency XRP have long been recognized for their strong ties with banks, payment providers, and financial institutions worldwide. According to Ripple, XRP was designed with a focus on real-world utility in cross-border payments and settlement. This institutional integration distinguishes XRP from Bitcoin, and many analysts have argued adoption by financial institutions is the only way XRP can beat Bitcoin to become the number one cryptocurrency. Crypto analyst BarriC suggested that the adoption of XRP by institutions could see its price settle well above $1,000. Another important factor that might cause XRP to overtake Bitcoin lies in the growing use of the XRP Ledger for tokenization. Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization has grown massively in the past few weeks on the XRP Ledger, with the network growing as the platform for creating and managing tokenized assets. Tokenization of real-world assets is viewed by many as one of the largest growth opportunities for blockchain technology, with trillions of dollars in value expected to migrate on-chain in the next few decades. This will undoubtedly bode well for the XRP price if the XRP Ledger can capitalize well on the tokenization trend.

New Found Gold (TSXV: NFG; NYSE-A: NFGC) is acquiring Maritime Resources (TSXV: MAE) in a deal valued at about C$292 million ($212 million) that would create a multi-asset gold producer in central Newfoundland. The combined company would bring together New Found’s Queensway project, due to start production in 2027, with Maritime’s Hammerdown project, which aims to begin output this year, the companies said Friday. The two projects, 180 km apart, are expected to benefit from shared infrastructure including Maritime’s Pine Cove mill and the Nugget Pond hydrometallurgical plant. The deal comes at nearly a one-third premium to Maritime’s recent share price and 56% more than its July 30 close, the day before the companies signed a letter of intent, New Found CEO Keith Boyle said on a conference call. “We were able to get comfortable with with [the premium] because of the financing synergy associated with using the Hammerdown cash flow to fund a material portion of the Queensway development capex,” Boyle said. “Number two, the addition of Maritime’s processing assets and the associated infrastructure: the mill and tailings was a real significant de-risking event for Queensway’s development.” Shares in New Found Gold fell 3.1% to C$2.52 apiece on Friday morning in Toronto, valuing the company at C$591 million. Maritime’s stock slipped 2.7% to C$1.82 each for a market capitalization of C$212 million. Premium Maritime CEO Garett Macdonald, whose future with the combined company wasn’t yet clear, said the deal offered shareholders longer-term exposure to a larger producer and resource building. “There’s fantastic exploration potential throughout our properties, around the Hammerdown project, and also around the Pine Cove mill,” Macdonald said on the call. “We focused very closely on developing the Hammerdown and getting to cash flow, timing it really well here with gold prices taking off the way they have.” The agreement follows a series of consolidation moves in Canada’s gold sector as companies seek scale and near-term output with bullion hitting all-time highs. Calibre Mining (TSX: CXB) purchased Marathon Gold and its Valentine project in Newfoundland this year. Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX: AEM; NYSE: AEM) last year completed its takeover of Yamana Gold’s Canadian assets through a joint bid with Pan American Silver (TSX: PAAS; NYSE: PAAS). Analysts have said the trend reflects investor preference for producers with multiple assets, lower costs and steady cash flow. According to Investing.com, Maritime enters the transaction with a solid financial position, including a current ratio of 5.05, meaning it has more than five times the short-term assets needed to cover its short-term liabilities. Coupled with a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, the balance sheet suggests Maritime can meet obligations and contribute stability to the merged company. Roughly 70-30 Maritime shareholders receive 0.75 of a New Found share for each Maritime share held, according to the agreement. Once complete, New Found shareholders will own about 69% of the combined company, while Maritime holders will have about 31% based on all shares that could be outstanding if options and warrants were exercised. New Found Gold plans to truck ore at a cost of $75 per tonne to the Pine Cove mill, which has a 700-tonne daily capacity, Boyle said. The Nugget Pond plant can handle 1,300 tonnes a day, he said. Hammerdown is fully permitted and was the subject of a 2022 feasibility study that envisioned 50,000 oz. of annual production at an all-in sustaining cost of $912 per ounce. Proven and probable reserves stand at 1.9 million tonnes grading 4.46 grams gold per tonne for 272,000 contained ounces. The feasibility study calculated an after-tax net present value of C$251 million at a 5% discount rate using a base-case gold price of $2,500 per ounce. The site has produced before: Richmont Mines operated Hammerdown as an underground mine from 2000 to 2004, averaging 15.7 grams gold per tonne and turning out 143,000 oz. during that period. Gold-bearing stockpiles are expected to be processed at Pine Cove starting this fall, with ramp-up to full production planned for early 2026. Two stages Queensway, near Gander, is envisioned as a 15-year mine that would produce 1.5 million oz. at all-in sustaining costs of $1,256 per oz., according to a preliminary economic assessment issued in July. The plan calls for a C$155 million capex stage one output averaging 69,300 oz. annually in the first four years, followed by a C$442 million stage two expansion to about 172,200 oz. per year. The project has a base-case after-tax net present value at a 5% discount rate of C$743 million and an internal rate of return of 56% at $2,500 per oz. gold, according to the July study. At a higher gold price assumption of $3,300 per ounce, the after-tax NPV rises to C$1.45 billion with an IRR of 197%. The companies expect to close the deal in this year’s fourth quarter, after which Maritime’s shares would be delisted from the TSX Venture Exchange. The transaction will proceed under a court-approved plan of arrangement in British Columbia and requires two-thirds approval from Maritime shareholders. About 49% of Maritime’s shares, including those held by investment firms Dundee Resources and SCP Resource Partners, as well as gold bug Eric Sprott, are already locked up in support agreements. New Found shareholder approval is not required.

El Salvador has acquired nearly $50 million worth of gold as part of the nation’s broader move to diversify its international reserves and solidify financial stability amid heavy exposure to Bitcoin. In a social media post, El Salvador’s central bank confirmed that it has bought 13,999 ounces of gold, bringing its total gold holdings to 58,105 ounces, now valued at approximately $207 million. The gold purchase—the nation’s first since 1990—comes in a week during which gold set multiple all-time highs, with prices currently sitting close to $3,600 an ounce. Year to date, bullion has risen by over 36% amid strong buying interest by central banks. Diversification into gold El Salvador’s move signals a cautious recalibration of its reserve strategy. For years, the country—under President Nayib Bukele—has embraced Bitcoin, becoming the first nation to adopt it as legal tender in 2021. To analysts, its latest gold purchase is seen as a way to reassure international partners and stabilize its balance sheet amid Bitcoin’s notorious volatility. According to central bank data, El Salvador’s net international reserves stood at $4.7 billion as of July 2025, compared with about $3 billion in the same month of 2024. About $700 million of the reserves are in Bitcoin. El Salvador’s return to bullion also mirrors a broader central bank trend toward gold accumulation. Over the past two years, global central banks have accumulated gold at a record pace, purchasing more than 1,000 tonnes each year, and are on pace to come close to that mark again in 2025, according to the World Gold Council. Gold now accounts for nearly 20% of global central bank reserves, second only to dollar-denominated assets, WGC data also shows. Earlier this week, Goldman Sachs presented a case where central banks and institutions would continue to allocate funds into gold and away from dollar assets under the current political environment in the US. Under such a scenario, gold prices could continue to skyrocket, and may realistically reach $5,000 an ounce, Goldman’s analysts wrote in a note.

A $105 million deal has been struck between Trump Media & Technology Group, Yorkville Acquisition Corp., and Crypto.com to acquire 684.4 million Cro Crypto (CRO) tokens at about $0.153 each. The purchase amounts to roughly 2% of the token’s circulating supply and will be placed in institutional custody. Devin Nunes, chief executive of Trump Media, called the purchase a statement of confidence in CRO’s role as a payment token. “We’re convinced that CRO has tremendous potential to spread widely as a versatile utility token and a superior form of safe, fast payment and money transfer,” he said. Crypto.com’s Kris Marszalek added that it marks “the first of many steps to driving utility and value for CRO and the Cronos blockchain.” DISCOVER: 20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2025 CRO Price Action and Market Data: Can the Rally Last? (Source: TradingView) Trump Media plans to bring CRO into its Truth Social and Truth+ platforms, rolling out a rewards system through Crypto.com’s wallet that could make the token a core payments channel inside its ecosystem. To formalize the strategy, the companies formed Trump Media Group CRO Strategy, Inc., which will merge with a SPAC and function as a Digital Asset Treasury. https://twitter.com/XRPGOD_X/status/1963967443065610330 All of this comes amid corporate adoption of crypto treasuries. According to Architect Partners, U.S.-listed firms have already announced $133 billion in purchases this year, compared with $82 billion in 2024. It’s a sign of Wall Street’s accelerating appetite for exposure to blockchain. DISCOVER: Next 1000X Crypto: 10+ Crypto Tokens That Can Hit 1000x in 2025 What the Trump Media Deal Means for Cronos Investors Corporate treasuries are increasingly investing in crypto, shifting their balance sheets into Bitcoin and even smaller altcoins. Cronos now enters that mix with the added weight of the Trump family and pro-crypto policy momentum. The total value is locked, and the price action remains strong, but whale selling is still happening in spades. If the strategy holds, Cronos could move from a mid-tier blockchain into a broader payments network with political backing. EXPLORE: Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino Hopes For Net Positive From US Elections, Says Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Is A Great Idea: 99Bitcoins Exclusive Join The 99Bitcoins News Discord Here For The Latest Market Updates Key Takeaways Trump Media & Technology Group has agreed with Crypto.com to acquire 684.4 million Cro Crypto (CRO) tokens. Corporate treasuries are moving deeper into crypto, shifting balance sheets into Bitcoin and even smaller altcoins. The post Trump Media and Crypto.com Bet Big on Cro Crypto as Digital Asset Treasuries Boom appeared first on 99Bitcoins.

Panama is expected to have all information necessary to make a decision on First Quantum’s (TSX: FM) shuttered copper mine by the end of this year, according to its Minister of Commerce and Industry Julio Moltó. Speaking with local media this week, Moltó confirmed that the terms of reference for Cobre Panamá’s environmental and comprehensive audit have been consolidated into a single review process. He added that the Ministry of Environment has already selected the firm responsible for conducting the audit, which was slated to begin this month. “I understand that the company has been defined, and the audit should commence shortly, pending the awarding of the contract and allocation of resources,” he stated in an interview with Panamanian news outlet Telemetro Reporta. “I estimate that this audit will take four to five months at most, so we should have essential information before the year ends. This will allow us to continue making informed decisions while ensuring the safe management plan remains in effect,” he added. First Quantum Minerals’ stock rose 1.4% on Friday, showing strength in a week during which it set a new 52-week high. The company has a market capitalization of C$20.5 billion ($14.8bn). Idled copper mine Cobre Panamá, located about 120 km west of Panama City, has been placed under care and maintenance since late 2023, when Panama’s Supreme Court ruled it to be unconstitutional following mass protests against First Quantum’s renewed mining contract. Before its closure, the copper mine had been producing over 300,000 tonnes of the metal annually, making it one of the world’s biggest producers. At its height, it outputted 350,000 tonnes; that was in 2022, its last full year of production before the shutdown. During its operating years, Cobre Panamá was a major contributor to the Central American nation’s economy, accounting for roughly 5% of its GDP. First Quantum estimates that the suspension has cost Panama as much as $1.7 billion in economic contributions. Due to its economic importance, mine workers and contractors, as well as members of other unions and some local communities, have publicly pushed for its reopening. Panama, however, under the Presidency of José Raúl Mulino, has been cautious with his stance on Cobre Panamá; the environmental audit serves as the first step in determining the mine’s status before his administration can shed any light on its future. First Quantum, meanwhile, has set a maintenance plan for the shuttered mine, which Mulino’s government deemed to be necessary for the parties to engage in further discussions on Cobre Panamá.

Australia dominated the global ranking of best gold assays this year to June 30 with six holes in the top 10 and nine in the top 20 – but it was a Canadian miner that bested all rivals with a bonanza hit at midyear. Assays are ranked according to grade multiplied by width. Wesdome Gold Mines’ (TSX: WDO) drilling program at its Kiena property in Val-d’Or, Quebec, is starting to pay dividends – big time. Hole N127-7035 in the Kiena Deep zone cut 2.9 metres grading 2,349.88 grams gold per tonne from 76.6 metres depth, Wesdome said June 25. That was enough for a score of 6,815 and first place in The Northern Miner’s top 20 best gold assays this year’s first half. Wesdome CEO Anthea Bath said the completion of new underground drill platforms at Kiena last year has significantly expanded the company’s reach, improved drill angles and provided access to targets that were previously unavailable to drill from underground. By midyear, the company had completed about 21,000 metres of exploration drilling at Kiena, whose underground operation already produces gold. Toronto-based Wesdome expects to churn out between 90,000 and 100,000 oz. at the property in 2025 – almost half of its overall target of 190,000-210,000 ounces. Exploration work “is progressing exceptionally well,” Bath said in the statement. “Drilling year-to-date has confirmed the validity of our geological models, further reinforcing the potential to expand existing resources.” Garden Gully Coming in at No. 2 was hole NGGRCDD974 at New Murchison Gold’s (ASX: NMG) Garden Gully project in Australia, which intersected 0.28 metres grading 17,563.69 grams gold per tonne from 251.4 metres downhole, according to an April 30 statement from the company. That gave it a score of 4,918. Located in Western Australia’s prolific Murchison gold district, close to numerous operating mines and within 200 km of five gold processing facilities, Garden Gully is part of a 677-sq.-km land package that includes the Abbotts Greenstone Belt. The project has multiple gold prospects along the belt, the most advanced of which is Crown Prince. A November 2024 update for Crown Prince showed 1.51 million indicated tonnes grading 4.6 grams gold per tonne for contained metal of 226,000 oz., and 693,000 inferred tonnes grading 2.4 grams gold for contained metal of 53,000 ounces. The total updated resource, at 279,000 oz. of contained metal, represents a 16% increase from a February 2024 estimate, according to the company. Gold Top 20. Credit: The Northern Miner Gwalia mine Third on the list was a drill result from Genesis Minerals (ASX: GMD) at Western Australia’s Gwalia mine. Hole UGD2504 intersected 0.4 metre grading 10,800 grams gold per tonne from 374.5 metres depth, Genesis said in an April 8 statement. That gave it a total score of 4,320. Gwalia, which Genesis acquired from St. Barbara in mid-2023, is Australia’s deepest underground gold mine and the deepest trucking mine in the world. It has a depth of 1,600 metres. Measured resources at Gwalia total 3.7 million tonnes grading 4.3 grams gold per tonne for contained metal of 520,000 oz., according to an August investor presentation posted on the company’s website. “Extensive” opportunities exist to increase the mine’s reserves through the conversion of 2.6 million measured and indicated oz., the company says. Two Canadian miners rounded out the Top 5 – Alamos Gold (TSX: AGI) and OceanaGold (TSX: OGC) with results showing more mineable intervals when it’s generally considered stopes should be at least 6 metres. Ontario mine Hole 89046142 at Alamos’ Island Gold operation in northern Ontario cut 6.8 metres grading 584.2 grams gold per tonne from 153.6 metres depth, the company said Jan. 13. Drilling activities at Island Gold over the past year have been among the most successful in the history of the project when looking at the magnitude of high-grade intercepts, CEO John McCluskey said as he announced the drill results. “With the main structure open laterally and down-plunge, and significant high-grade results being intersected within emerging and yet to be defined zones in proximity to the main structure, we see excellent potential for this pace of growth to continue,” he added. OceanaGold’s exploration results at its Haile mine in South Carolina also ranked highly. Hole UGD0073 returned 22.95 metres averaging 149 grams gold from 244.5 metres downhole, the Vancouver-based company said Feb. 24. Buoyed by this success, OceanaGold boosted its exploration budget in the area by 20% to $10 million, CEO Gerard Bond said in announcing the assays. This will be Haile’s largest annual exploration budget since the mine began production in 2017.