分类： Blockchain

• The fund targets infrastructure and scalable blockchain use cases, with a focus on emerging markets.
• Market makers have reduced activity since the Oct. 10 crash, while ETF flows signal lower institutional participation.
• The raise follows HashKey’s $206 million IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Institutional capital is taking a longer view of crypto markets as short-term liquidity thins out.

That shift is reflected in the first close of a new fund by HashKey Capital, which has secured $250 million in commitments despite choppier trading conditions.

The rise highlights how large investors are repositioning after a volatile period marked by heavy liquidations, ETF outflows, and retreating market makers.

Rather than chasing near-term price moves, capital is increasingly being directed toward infrastructure, financial technology, and real-world blockchain applications with longer-run potential.

Fund strategy and scale

HashKey Capital said its fourth crypto-focused vehicle, the HashKey Fintech Multi-Strategy Fund IV, exceeded expectations at its first close and is targeting a final size of $500 million.

The fund is designed to deploy capital across multiple strategies, with a focus on core infrastructure and scalable use cases aimed at broader adoption.

According to the firm, emerging markets are expected to play a central role, as these regions are increasingly acting as testing grounds for blockchain-based financial services and applications.

Institutional conviction on the back foot

The timing of the close is notable. Crypto markets have been adjusting after a sharp sell-off earlier in October, when a major liquidation event triggered widespread deleveraging.

In a Tuesday post on X, 10x Research said many traders and market makers had reduced activity following the Oct. 10 crash, contributing to thinner liquidity.

Since early November, the 30-day moving average of net flows into US spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs has turned negative, suggesting that capital is being redeployed or held on the sidelines as conditions tighten.

Track record and expansion

Fund IV builds on HashKey Capital’s established presence in Asia’s digital asset sector.

Since launching in 2018, the firm has grown to manage more than $1 billion in assets and has invested in over 400 projects globally.

Its first fund recorded a distributed-to-paid-in ratio of more than 10x, underlining the scale of returns achieved in earlier cycles.

The firm is headquartered in Singapore and operates across Hong Kong and Japan.

It is part of the broader HashKey Group, which was among the first in Hong Kong to secure a crypto exchange licence.

The group has also been involved in launching the city’s first spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs, adding to its regulatory and market footprint.

The fundraise comes shortly after HashKey’s entry into public markets.

Last week, the company made its trading debut on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong following a $206 million initial public offering.

The listing adds another layer of visibility at a time when scrutiny of crypto firms remains high and access to traditional capital markets is becoming more selective.

• The collaboration follows the launch of the Monad mainnet in November 2025.
• Chorus One secures more than $3.5 billion across 30 blockchains.
• More than $6 million was staked during the first week of the programme.

Chorus One has partnered with cryptocurrency exchange Bitget to expand access to Monad staking at a global scale.

The collaboration focuses on simplifying how users interact with the Monad network, which launched its mainnet in November 2025.

The move places emphasis on infrastructure growth, user access, and the broader shift toward staking services.

Both companies confirmed that Bitget’s more than 120 million users will be able to access staking tools through Chorus One’s platform, creating new pathways for participation in the growing staking economy.

Validator expansion

The Monad network is a layer one blockchain that emphasises high throughput.

It supports Ethereum contracts without requiring any code changes, according to its technical documentation.

The focus of the integration between Bitget and Chorus One is to support a validator environment that can grow with decentralisation, geographic diversity, and long-term stability.

Chorus One already secures assets across more than 30 blockchains and reports securing over $3.5 billion in staked assets.

The platform also holds ISO 27001 certification, which is a standard used to assess security practices.

This places the partnership inside a broader trend where staking providers with stronger compliance frameworks are becoming central to blockchain infrastructure.

User access

Monad allows users to unstake assets in around 5.5 hours. Chorus One’s staking model supports flexible terms, which means both institutional and retail users on Bitget can stake or restake Monad tokens based on their preferences.

The partnership creates a direct path for Bitget users to enter the Monad ecosystem.

Within the first week of the staking programme launch, Chorus One released figures showing that more than $6 million worth of assets had been staked on the network.

The rapid participation signals interest in Monad’s performance-focused design and the integration with a major exchange ecosystem, reflecting a wider demand for accessible staking opportunities worldwide.

Market expansion

Bitget operates in several regions, including the Asia Pacific and African markets.

The platform’s presence in these regions gives the new staking programme a wider reach, especially in places where digital asset demand is growing.

Chorus One has already worked with the Avalanche Foundation to expand validator infrastructure across Africa, which positions the company to contribute to similar regional development for the Monad network.

The companies stated that the partnership aims to support cryptocurrency adoption in emerging markets by providing tools that reduce entry barriers and increase access to blockchain-based services.

With the expansion of new networks such as Monad, staking options are becoming a way for users in developing regions to take part in blockchain activity without needing a complex technical setup or advanced hardware.

• Silk Road-tagged wallets sent $3.14 million in Bitcoin across 176 transfers this week.
• The transactions are the most significant Silk Road-linked activity in five years.
• The wallets sent funds to a new address beginning with bc1qn.

Silk Road-linked cryptocurrency activity has resurfaced, drawing attention to long-quiet Bitcoin wallets connected to the darknet marketplace.

The movement comes less than a year after US President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.

While the pardon focused global attention on Ulbricht’s legal case, blockchain analysts are now tracking renewed activity that marks the highest level of transfers in years.

The latest movement, recorded on Tuesday, is raising fresh questions about dormant coin reserves linked to the marketplace and how much Bitcoin remains undiscovered or untouched across older blockchain addresses.

Silk Road wallets show renewed Bitcoin flows

Silk Road-tagged wallets transferred about $3.14 million worth of Bitcoin BTC $92,626, according to Arkham. The activity involved 176 transactions, making it the most significant movement from these addresses in five years.

Earlier this year, the same wallets carried out only three small test transactions, suggesting that substantial activity had been paused.

The transfers this week were sent to an unknown cryptocurrency wallet with the address prefix bc1qn.

The primary Silk Road-associated wallets still hold about $38.4 million in Bitcoin.

The newly created address holds only the transferred $3.14 million.

Pardon puts focus back on historic Silk Road funds

Interest in the wallets has intensified since January, when Trump issued a full pardon to Ulbricht.

Before the pardon, Ulbricht had been serving a double life sentence without parole for creating and operating Silk Road, which allowed anonymous trading of illicit goods using Bitcoin.

The pardon also sparked new activity around the Free Ross campaign.

Supporters have contributed about $270,000 in Bitcoin donations since the announcement, based on on-chain data.

Unseized Bitcoin linked to Ulbricht gains attention

Alongside the renewed transfers, discussions have shifted to older cryptocurrency holdings believed to be connected to Ulbricht but never seized by authorities.

The US government previously confiscated at least $3.36 billion in Bitcoin from Silk Road, marking one of the largest recoveries in the history of digital asset enforcement.

Yet blockchain analysts tracking historical movements have identified additional reserves that remain untouched.

Coinbase exchange director Conor Grogan highlighted that 430 BTC, worth about $47 million, has not moved for more than 13 years.

These tokens are held in wallets thought to be linked to Ulbricht.

Dormant Bitcoin wallets remain a focal point

Another Silk Road-tagged wallet likely controlled by Ulbricht contains about $8.3 million in Bitcoin.

This wallet has seen only three small test transactions over the past 10 months and has otherwise remained inactive for 14 years, according to Arkham.

The transfers observed this week have therefore shifted attention back to dormant Bitcoin reserves that could hold substantial amounts.

Experts monitoring historical blockchain activity note that movements involving older darknet-linked wallets often prompt speculation about ownership, recovery efforts, or changes in operational control.

The recent activity does not clarify why these wallets began moving again or who controls the receiving address.

However, the timing, extended periods of inactivity, and historical significance of the addresses have made the transfers notable within the crypto community.

As blockchain analysis tools improve and more historical data becomes searchable, renewed activity from legacy darknet sources continues to shape conversations about unseized assets and the long-term movement patterns of early Bitcoin holdings.

• The fund is seeded with $100 million and requires a minimum investment of $1 million.
• Tokenized money-market funds offer faster settlement, continuous trading, and onchain ownership visibility.
• The tokenized money-market sector has grown to $9 billion in assets over the past year.

JPMorgan Chase is preparing to deepen its push into blockchain-based finance through a tokenized money-market fund on Ethereum, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on Monday.

The bank has not formally announced the product, but the report suggests JPMorgan is moving closer to offering onchain versions of traditional cash-management tools as institutional interest in tokenization grows.

The reported initiative comes as large investors look for ways to deploy idle cash more efficiently while maintaining regulatory compliance.

With about $4 trillion in assets under management, JPMorgan’s reported plans highlight how tokenization is evolving from experimental pilots into investment products associated with major global balance sheets.

The proposed fund would enter a fast-growing segment of digital finance where money-market products are increasingly viewed as a bridge between traditional markets and blockchain infrastructure.

Tokenized money-market fund rollout

The fund, known as My OnChain Net Yield Fund, or MONY, has been seeded with $100 million from JPMorgan’s asset management division, the Wall Street Journal stated.

The product is expected to open to external, qualified investors this week, although no official confirmation has been issued by the bank.

The minimum investment is set at $1 million, keeping the fund focused on institutional participation rather than retail investors.

MONY is designed to operate in line with conventional money-market funds, holding short-term debt instruments and paying interest on a daily basis.

Investors would be able to redeem their shares either in cash or through Circle’s USDC stablecoin, reflecting the growing use of regulated stablecoins in institutional settlement and liquidity management.

Why Ethereum and tokenization matter

JPMorgan has built the reported fund on Kinexys Digital Assets, its in-house tokenization platform, with Ethereum selected as the underlying blockchain, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Tokenized funds record ownership onchain, allowing faster settlement, real-time visibility, and continuous trading beyond standard market hours.

These features are attracting attention from asset managers, trading firms, and treasury desks seeking operational efficiency while continuing to rely on low-risk instruments.

Tokenized money-market funds are also increasingly used within decentralised finance ecosystems as reserve assets and as collateral for trading and asset management.

Competition among financial giants

JPMorgan’s reported plans place it alongside other large financial institutions that have already launched tokenized money-market products.

Franklin Templeton introduced its BENJI fund in 2021, becoming one of the earliest traditional asset managers to adopt blockchain-based fund infrastructure.

BlackRock followed in 2024 with its BUIDL fund, developed with tokenization specialist Securitize, which has since attracted about $2 billion in assets, according to data from RWA.xyz.

• The integration will support automated payments and onchain SGD-USD exchange.
• XSGD and XUSD have processed more than $18 billion in onchain transactions.
• StraitsX operates under MAS regulation and is exploring payments with Grab.

Singapore-based stablecoin issuer StraitsX plans to extend its Singapore dollar-backed XSGD and US dollar-backed XUSD to the Solana blockchain by early 2026.

The move reflects a broader push to place regulated stablecoins at the centre of high-speed blockchain settlement, particularly for payments, digital commerce, and emerging AI-driven use cases.

By tapping into Solana’s low-cost and high-throughput infrastructure, StraitsX aims to make SGD- and USD-denominated transactions more efficient across decentralised finance, institutional flows, and everyday payments.

The expansion also positions the company to meet rising demand for programmable money within interoperable, software-native environments.

Solana integration plans

The rollout was announced in collaboration with the Solana Foundation and detailed in a Tuesday blog post.

Once live, users will be able to settle transactions using XSGD and XUSD directly on Solana, taking advantage of faster settlement times and lower transaction fees.

StraitsX said the integration brings multiple financial functions together on a single blockchain, spanning centralised exchange support, decentralised liquidity pools, lending markets, and consumer payments.

The company views Solana as a suitable base layer to support complex payment flows that require speed and scalability without sacrificing reliability.

Demand from AI and commerce

StraitsX said the expansion is designed to support increasing usage from digital commerce platforms and AI-native applications.

Solana has seen growing adoption for x402-based payments, an interoperability standard that enables automated transactions between software agents.

Both XSGD and XUSD already support the x402 standard natively, and this capability will extend to Solana.

As a result, developers and institutions will be able to deploy automated payment use cases, including onchain foreign exchange between SGD and USD, automated market maker liquidity provisioning, lending protocols, and institutional-grade settlement processes.

Onchain volume and token data

XSGD is already live across multiple blockchains, including Ether, Polygon, Avalanche, Arbitrum, Zilliqa, Hedera, and the XRP Ledger.

XUSD is currently available on Ethereum and BNB Smart Chain.

XSGD has a market capitalisation of $13 million with a circulating supply of 16.7 million tokens, while XUSD has a market capitalisation of $52 million.

Combined, the two stablecoins have processed more than $18 billion in onchain transaction volume, highlighting their growing role in cross-chain payments and settlement activity.

Regulation and Grab partnership

StraitsX operates as a licensed Major Payment Institution under the Monetary Authority of Singapore stablecoin framework.

Both XSGD and XUSD have been acknowledged by the MAS as compliant with the upcoming stablecoin regulatory framework, according to their white papers.

Separately, the company has moved to explore consumer-facing applications.

Last month, Grab signed an exploratory memorandum of understanding with StraitsX to develop a Web3-enabled settlement layer for Southeast Asia.

Subject to regulatory approval, the initiative would allow Grab users to hold and spend XSGD and XUSD directly within the app, integrating digital wallets, programmable payments, and stablecoin clearing into daily transactions.

• Enterprise and developers can now view Hedera’s full transaction history on Google BigQuery.
• They can track NFTs, DeFi trends, and tokenized assets across multiple platforms.
• HBAR price gained nearly 10% the past 24 hours.

As the cryptocurrency market hints at recoveries, Hedera Hashgraph has moved toward amplifying blockchain transparency.

According to today’s press release, the blockchain has joined Google BigQuery public datasets.

With this integration, developers, enterprises, and analysts can query Hedera’s complete transaction history, similar to major networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Avalanche, and Tron.

Hedera has been added to @GoogleCloud BigQuery public datasets, enabling highly scalable cross-chain data accessibility.

As we continue to onboard the world’s largest organizations – this provides core infrastructure for institutional-grade DeFi and enterprise applications 🧵 pic.twitter.com/OTJFerAd96

— Hedera Foundation (@HederaFndn) November 10, 2025

The official blog post highlighted:

With Hedera now part of BigQuery’s public datasets, users can perform cross-chain research and analytics at an unprecedented scale. The Hedera Foundation’s commitment to transparency and accessibility is further reinforced by this project, empowering developers and enterprises with critical blockchain insights.

With this move, users can now analyze blockchain activity without the need to handle their own infrastructure.

They can smoothly access query-ready data sets that highlight detailed insights into token activity, transaction volume, and network performance.

For instance, businesses can compare transaction speeds and costs between Hedera and other platforms.

Also, they can track NFTs, DeFi trends, and tokenized assets.

Hedera advances blockchain accessibility through strategic alliances

The integration of HBAR statistics into Google BigQuery follows collaborative efforts between the Hedera Foundation, Hedera developers, Ariane Labs, and Hashgraph engineers.

The primary goal is to make Hedera data accessible and comparable with different blockchains to enhance transparency while enriching enterprise adoption.

Reliable, open, and queryable stats can help businesses integrate blockchain datasets into sectors like DeFi research, ESG tracking, supply chain management, and web3 development.

Moreover, the initiative leverages Google Cloud’s infrastructure to ensure that Hedera statistics are up-to-date and essential for different applications.

The team added:

By making historical Hedera data openly available, the opportunities for innovation, comparative blockchain research, and enterprise-grade analytics are more expansive than ever.

HBAR price analysis

Hedera’s native token trades at $0.1896 after gaining more than 9% the past 24 hours.

The 135% uptick in daily trading volume signals renewed buyer interest, suggesting more gains for the altcoin.

HBAR is trading above a key support barrier of $0.1888.

The current momentum can support surges to the initial resistance at $0.1972.

Overcoming this obstacle can support significant rallies in the near term.

Technical indicators suggest more gains for Hedera’s token.

The 4Hr Relative Strength Index of 63 signals buyer momentum.

Also, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence above the signal line with massive green histograms signals bullish momentum.

Further, HBAR boasts various catalysts that could support robust gains in the coming times.

For example, the approved spot Hedera exchange-traded fund opened the gates for institutions and traditional investor participation.

• Its treasury has surpassed $780M, comprising $713M in Toncoin and cash worth $67M.
• The milestone comes after a $558M private placement completed early this month.
• Verb aims to accumulate 5% of Toncoin’s circulating supply.

Institutional players dominate market trends with dib-buying activities after the current broad market decline.

NASDAQ-listed Verb Technology, which will soon rebrand to Ton Strategy Company, has revealed a key milestone that aligns its vision with the Telegram-based blockchain.

The livestreaming firm has disclosed that its treasury assets have surpassed $780 million, with the Open Network’s native token accounting for the most at $713 million.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 Publicly traded Verb Technology buys $713,000,000 worth of $TON for its treasury. pic.twitter.com/6FzOWVAjDL

— Whale Insider (@WhaleInsider) August 21, 2025

It holds the remaining $67 million in cash.

The development has attracted attention as it follows Verb’s $558 million private placement early this month.

The fundraising drew crypto-oriented investors and over 110 institutions, confirming trust in Verb’s digital asset strategy and the Toncoin project.

Commenting on the milestone, Verb’s Executive Chairman Manuel Stotz stated:

Crossing $780 million in assets just days after our private placement reflects the conviction behind $TON. This is more than building a balance sheet; it’s about contributing to the security of TON blockchain – where participants can build, transact, and benefit directly from the underlying financial protocols.

Verb eyes 5% of Toncoin’s supply

Verb Technology plans to be the central player in the Open Network ecosystem.

It plans to acquire over 5% of Toncoin’s circulating supply (currently at 2.56 billion tokens).

That would make Verb a top participant in securing the TON blockchain.

Moreover, the company plans to add its Toncoin balance on a per-share basis over time, leveraging staking rewards, disciplined market activity, and cash flow reinvestment.

That would ensure Verb’s active participation in supporting the platform’s infrastructure while benefiting from maximized returns.

Stotz added:

By becoming the first and largest publicly traded treasury reserve of TON, VERN is not just holding TON on its balance sheet – we are helping to strengthen the economic foundation of the network itself.

TON and potential

Verb Technology isn’t zeroing in on a random digital asset.

Toncoin remains the first coin to receive support from a leading social site.

Dogecoin appears to have failed in its fight to become X’s (formerly Twitter) payment token.

Telegram, the leading messaging platform with around 1 billion active users per month, collaborated with the Ton Foundation to make Toncoin the sole asset powering its ecosystem.

The integration enriched the alt’s utility, now the backbone for payments, wallets, and emerging decentralized applications (dApps) within Telegram.

The use cases likely elevated TON’s institutional appeal.

Recently, Coinbase Ventures endorsed Toncoin as the ideal token for fueling cryptocurrency adoption.

Toncoin price action

The alt trades at $3.30, reflecting the prevailing broad market declines.

Meanwhile, the minor 0.71% price increase signals a possible momentum shift as the community digests Verb’s updates.

TON could see brief gains in the near term, but the broad market outlook suggests short-lived gains.

Nonetheless, institutional interest positions Toncoin for impressive growth and price performance in the coming months and years.

• The platform halted the trading services during its IPO preparations.
• US traders can start accessing Webull from today, August 25.
• Customers can trade more than 50 tokens, with plans to add more instruments soon.

Webull Corp has reintroduced cryptocurrency trading services to its US customers, starting August 25, 2025.

Notably, the platform supported crypto trading until 2023.

However, regulatory uncertainty and IPO plans forced Webull Pay to become an independent entity.

According to today’s press release, the platform has relaunched trading services.

US users can now buy, sell, and trade digital coins like Bitcoin, Solana, and Ethereum.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 Webull to allow U.S. customers to buy Bitcoin and crypto again.

They previously dropped the service due to regulatory concerns in 2023. pic.twitter.com/fr5YgsxzmG

— Bitcoin Archive (@BTC_Archive) August 25, 2025

For users, the crypto trading resumption feels like a homecoming and a new feature.

Webull CEO Anthony Denier commented on the crypto relaunch, stating:

Our Mission has always been to deliver a streamlined, user-centric investing experience. By integrating crypto trading into the Webull app, we are making it easier for customers to access and manage their entire portfolio, whether they’re trading stocks, options, or digital assets.

Building on Brazil’s comeback

The US reopening comes after Webull relaunched cryptocurrency trading services to users in Brazil in June.

The company used the Brazil comeback to highlight its intent to rejoin the fast-moving crypto industry.

Denier termed it an initial phase of a global push plan to offer clients advanced tools for long-term growth and investment management.

Shifting regulatory climate as a catalyst

Webull’s return to the United States’ cryptocurrency scene isn’t an accident.

The regulatory atmosphere in America has changed since Donald Trump’s victory.

Digital asset entities faced intensified scrutiny under the Biden administration.

Even Webull’s CEO declared that legal uncertainty surrounding crypto at the time partly delayed the firm’s IPO efforts.

However, everything changed since Trump’s inauguration in January.

He promised to make America the hub for digital currency undertakings.

Trump appointed Paul Atkins to replace anti-crypto Gary Gensler, who limited the sector’s growth with unclear policies.

Also, the latest GENIUS law made the US a lucrative nation for crypto activities.

Details of the launch

Webull users in the United States will access over 50 assets, including BTC, ETH, and SOL, at launch.

The platform plans to add more digital tokens and markets in the coming months.

For now, Webull’s over 24 million international customers can enjoy a one-stop venue for managing crypto holdings and traditional investments.

With that, individuals no longer have to depend on many platforms for their digital investments.

That aligns with Webull’s vision of becoming a one-stop shop, allowing investors to manage traditional and crypto assets.

For investors, the timing remains crucial.

Besides the softening regulatory climate in the US, Webull has relaunched amid bullish markets.

Cryptocurrencies have gained popularity in recent months, with most tokens outshining the financial landscape with significant rallies.

Webull Pay CEO Stephen Yip stated that rising crypto popularity fueled their service relaunch.

He said:

Cryptocurrencies have become an essential part of today’s diversified investment strategy. We are excited to again offer crypto trading through Webull to deliver a more unified and convenient experience that reflects how modern investors want to manage their portfolios.

Bitcoin trades at $112,000 after an over 75% increase in the past year. Analysts expect it to close 2025 above $150,000.

Also, Webull’s comeback coincides with the community bracing for a potential altcoin season, which could translate to significant gains for investors.

• Jupiter releases Lend in public beta with $2M in incentives and over 40 vaults.
• The addition introduces higher borrowing limits and simplified earnings with reduced liquidity risks.
• Native JUP has turned bullish following the announcement.

While most cryptocurrencies traded with unclear trajectories on Wednesday, Jupiter Exchange’s native token led the upside with a 6.99% uptick on its daily chart.

The altcoin turned green after the DeFi ecosystem confirmed the Jupiter Lend public beta launch.

Termed as “the most advanced money market on Solana,” the new functionality comes after weeks of development with Ethereum-based developer 0xFluid.

The beta launched with more than 40 vaults and over $2 million in incentives.

After weeks of testing, audits, and feedback, we’re launching with 40+ vaults and $2M+ in incentives from Jup, Fluid, and partners.

Jupiter Lend Public Beta is live 🥳

The most advanced money market on Solana has arrived, built with @0xfluid

After weeks of testing, audits, and feedback, we’re launching with 40+ vaults and $2m+ in incentives from Jup, Fluid, and partners.

Here’s what you need to know 🧵 pic.twitter.com/U3HfGyizcc

— Jupiter (🐱, 🐐) (@JupiterExchange) August 27, 2025

Jupiter Lend aims to transform how users borrow, lend, and maximize returns in the cryptocurrency world.

Simplified participation will likely enrich Jupiter’s DeFi landscape.

The exchange’s native token extended its daily recoveries after the announcement.

It has gained 6.99% on its 24-hour timeframe to press time’s $0.4980.

Built with proven expertise

The partnership has marked the first time two renowned DeFi teams from diverse ecosystems have converged to launch a blockchain protocol.

While Jupiter brought its Solana-native know-how, 0xFluid leverages its 7-year experience in building Ethereum-based money markets to provide an advanced liquidation and lending infrastructure.

Besides user benefits, the launch has attracted attention as it marked the first time two teams from different ecosystems have teamed up to launch a protocol that promises fairness for borrowers and simplicity for lenders.

Jupiter’s team highlighted:

For the first time, two top-tier DeFi teams from two different ecosystems are joining forces. Lend was built together with 0xFluid – a team that has spent 7 years perfecting money markets on Ethereum. We’ve worked together for months to build a Solana protocol that is simpler for lenders and better for borrowers.

Meanwhile, the platform opened Jupiter Lend to the public after months of collaborative development.

Multiple users participated in stress testing, whereas Offside Labs and Zeninth256 performed audits.

JUP’s new utility as a collateral asset

The new feature has enriched JUP’s use cases. The platform confirmed that users can deposit the native token as collateral.

That means individuals can borrow stablecoins like USDC against their JUP holdings while bolstering the ecosystem’s growth.

Such a move reflects the exchange’s emphasis on boosting the community token’s utility as the central asset for the blockchain.

JUP price outlook

The native coin soared nearly 7% over the past 24 hours to $0.4980.

JUP remains poised to extend its rally in the short term as upside sentiments surface.

Buyers are targeting price levels above $0.54.

However, improved trading volumes remain paramount to support sustained rallies.

Also, decisive momentum shifts in the broader market are crucial for JUP’s trajectory in the upcoming sessions.

• GCUL enters private testnet, aiming for 2026 commercial rollout.
• Python-based smart contracts enhance developer accessibility.
• Google-CME partnership tests 24/7 settlement for payments and collateral.

Google Cloud has officially stepped into the blockchain infrastructure space with its Layer-1 platform, Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL), which entered a private testnet phase in late August 2025.

The move positions Google as an emerging competitor in the institutional blockchain market, offering neutral, high-performance distributed ledger technology designed for financial institutions and payment providers.

GCUL supports Python-based smart contracts, making it more accessible for developers and enabling sophisticated on-chain programmable logic.

What it means for financial services and blockchain adoption

Google’s GCUL is designed to serve as a neutral infrastructure layer, tackling a key challenge in existing blockchain ecosystems, where financial firms often hesitate to build on networks controlled by competitors.

For instance, stablecoin issuers like Tether typically avoid blockchains developed by rivals such as Circle, while payment providers like Adyen have been cautious about adopting Stripe’s blockchain solutions.

By maintaining neutrality, GCUL could drive broader institutional adoption, allowing any financial institution to develop blockchain applications without competitive conflicts.

The Google-CME Group partnership, announced publicly in March 2025, underpins GCUL’s early development and testing.

CME Group has completed initial integration and testing, focusing on using the blockchain to enable 24/7 settlement of collateral, margins, and fees, with the potential to reduce costs and improve liquidity.

Full testing with market participants and the commercial rollout of services are expected in 2026.

Google’s blockchain addresses the surging demand for stablecoin transactions and faster payment solutions.

According to a study cited by Google, stablecoin volumes tripled in 2024, reaching $5 trillion in organic transactions, while total volumes climbed to $30 trillion globally.

The report highlighted that fragmented payment systems continue to drive high costs and inefficiencies in cross-border trade, with potential global GDP losses projected at $2.8 trillion by 2030.

GCUL aims to tackle these challenges by providing a transparent, low-latency transaction infrastructure.

What we know about GCUL’s technology and market position

Technically, GCUL features Python-based smart contracts, supporting flexible and widely adopted programming standards.

The platform is built not only to streamline payments but also to function as an infrastructure hub for capital markets, enabling native commercial bank money on-chain and supporting agentic payment capabilities.

Google plans to expand GCUL across its broader cloud ecosystem, granting access to a wide network of institutional partners and developers.

Compared with other emerging Layer-1 blockchain projects, such as Stripe’s Tempo and Circle’s Arc, Google emphasizes GCUL’s role as a neutral player in financial infrastructure.

While Stripe’s blockchain prioritizes payment app performance and Ethereum compatibility, and Circle’s platform focuses on stablecoin transactions, foreign exchange, and capital markets applications, GCUL is designed as a more open, less vertically integrated Layer-1 solution, enabling interoperability across competing institutions.