UNITED NATIONS, December 9 (IPS) - More than one year since its adoption, the UN Pact for the Future is held up as a critical framework for countries to address today's issues through global cooperation. Its agenda for global governance and sustainable development is ambitious, and it is for this reason the Pact poses implementation challenges when it comes to the direct impact on local communities. Since 2016, ICO has worked to empower minority communities in conflict-affected areas through education and capacity-building opportunities. ICO focuses on directly supporting efforts to build up underrepresented groups' involvement in community initiatives and diplomatic dialogue and address systemic, societal inequalities. Several Permanent Missions to the UN, including Bahrain, Guyana, Hungary, Kuwait, Samoa, Singapore, Tajikistan, and Uganda, co-sponsored the event. The UN Pact for the Future represents a shared set of global commitments to sustainable development, peace and security, and redefining global governance for member states. While its adoption marks a decisive moment of global consensus, there remains the challenge of translating the Pact's guiding principles into meaningful action at the national and regional levels. Through its ‘Best Practices' blueprint, the ICO report distills their findings into an adaptable methodology designed to equip policymakers with the tools they need to implement the Pact's goals effectively. Abdulla Shahid, ICO International Ambassador and former President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, said it was crucial for the world to unite. This report demonstrates that lasting peace is built not only at negotiation tables but also through empowering communities themselves, ensuring that no group is left behind.” He added that the ICO's report embodies this principle, showing how global aspirations can intersect with local action. Current and former high-ranking UN officials were also in attendance. Presenting the report, ICO's UN Programme Manager Mia Sawjani broke down its findings and recommendations. She emphasized that countries would need to empower and promote the agency of local actors. Countries must recognize adaptability in assessing situations on the ground, particularly in conflict settings that transform institutions and structures. After the event, Holmes was heartened by the outpouring of support for ICO's work, noting that many more countries had agreed to partner with them for future projects. By maintaining their focus on working with minority communities, ICO can “play a major global role” in implementing the Pact for Future. “I have a big vision, and I have a lot of ambition for ICO,” Holmes told IPS. Local actors and stakeholders, namely governments, academia, the private sector and civil society, would play a key role in implementing the Pact's agenda. “The more we are able to bridge communities, the more successful it will be for states to deal with Track I diplomacy,” Shahid said to IPS, referencing the formal channel of diplomacy between governments on international issues. Island states like Samoa and Tonga, for example, are uniquely impacted by climate change, energy, and the global financial structures that need to better serve developing countries. “For us in the Pacific, progress is measured not by rhetoric, but by real improvements that are felt in our villages, outer islands and vulnerable communities,” said Viliami Va'inga Tōnē, the Permanent Representative of Tonga. Accountability and transparency will also be crucial to ensure countries follow through on the promises of the Pact. They're all important, because we can't continue to work in silence. Dr. Agnes Mary Chimbiri-Molande, Permanent Representative of Malawi, told IPS that the people who serve in multilateral systems like the UN need to “renew or even rebuild trust” with local communities. At a time when people are questioning the UN's relevance, she said, these discussions must be held and all perspectives need to be respected. We are not working for ourselves,” Chimbiri-Molande said. “So in fact, to be hearing the voices of those peoples, it's very, very important to inform our work here, whether we are making an impact or we are making differences in the lives of the people in the community.” Shahid reiterated that the decisions made in the halls of UN Headquarters will affect local communities, adding that the UN's success is also contingent on its partnerships with civil society and how important it is for civil society to recognize the UN's relevance. He also made efforts to promote inclusivity by opening the General Assembly to more participants, including civil society groups. Even after his presidency ended, he told IPS, he wanted to continue to deliver on the ideals that defined his tenure. “I thought that there's no need to end the presidency of hope after one year. Let us keep delivering the message of hope through other platforms. And ICO provides me the platform, because it is a platform through which I can actually reach out to communities at [the] household level and inspire them not to give up. Bookmark or share this with others using some popular social bookmarking web sites: Add the following HTML code to your page: UN Pact for the Future Requires Global Solidarity and Localized Solutions, Inter Press Service, Tuesday, December 09, 2025 (posted by Global Issues) “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.” — Dom Hélder Câmara

The theft comes amid a surge in phishing losses. Roughly $7.77 million was drained from more than 6,000 victims in November, Scam Sniffer's monthly report found, representing a 137% jump in total losses from October, even as the number of victims fell by 42%. “Whale hunting intensified with a top hit of $1.22 million (permit signature). Despite fewer attacks, individual losses grew significantly,” the company noted. Permit-based scams revolve around tricking users into signing a transaction that looks legitimate but quietly hands an attacker the right to spend their tokens. Malicious dapps may disguise fields, spoof contract names, or present the signature request as something routine. The convenience becomes a vulnerability when those rights are granted to an attacker. DOJ, FBI, Secret Service Unveil 'Strike Force' to Combat Crypto Scams Rooted in China “What's particularly tricky about this attack type is that the attackers can either conduct the permit and transfer of tokens in one transaction (a smash and grab type approach) or they could give themselves access via the permit and then lay dormant waiting to transfer away any later added funds (as long as they set an appropriately far away access deadline within the permit function metadata),” Tara Annison, head of product at Twinstake, told Decrypt. “The success of these types of scams relies on you signing something that you don't quite realise what it will do,” she said, adding that, “It's all about the human vulnerability and taking advantage of people's eagerness.” Annison added that this incident is far from isolated. “There are many big value and high volume examples of phishing scams designed to trick users into signing something they don't fully understand. MetaMask, for example, warns users if a site appears suspicious and attempts to translate transaction data into human-readable intent. “You can check the amount, so often they'll try and give unlimited approvals, like that.” “The best way to protect yourself from a permit, approveAll or transferFrom scam is to ensure that you know what you are signing. What actions will actually be done in the transaction? “Many wallets and dapps have improved user interfaces to ensure that you're not blindly signing something and can see what it will result in, as well as warnings for high risk functions being used. However it's important that users are actively checking what they're signing and not just connecting their wallet and hitting the sign,” she said. “In phishing attacks, you're dealing with an individual whose entire goal is to take your funds.

Stablecoins were born from necessity and arose to move dollars on-chain, becoming crypto's core money layer. Efforts to balance speed, trust, decentralization and efficiency produced competing models, centralized, crypto-collateralized and algorithmic, with each exposing unavoidable compromises. Major failures (TerraUSD) and near-failures (USDC's depeg) showed that stablecoins are fragile promises whose risks can cascade, underscoring that their future hinges on hard-earned lessons, not linear progress. Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required. By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Over the past 11 years, stablecoins have evolved from a niche workaround for traders into the backbone of cryptocurrency markets and, increasingly, have become a candidate for global payments infrastructure. Today, policymakers, banks and FinTech firms are racing to define stablecoins' role as future “digital dollars for the internet.” That future, however, cannot be understood without examining the messy, improvised and at times catastrophic path that got stablecoins here. Understanding their evolution matters because it reveals the trade-offs that cannot be wished away. Stablecoins, after all, did not emerge from an elegant theory of money. They emerged from necessity in the crypto space. As crypto markets grew, traders needed a stable, on-chain substitute for cash that could move quickly without touching banks, which led to Tether being created in 2014 under the name “Realcoin.” When Tether launched, cryptocurrency markets faced a basic operational problem. Exchanges struggled to maintain banking relationships, cross-border transfers were slow and traders needed a way to move in and out of volatile assets without touching the traditional financial system. Tether's proposition was simple: each token would represent one U.S. dollar held in reserve. Tether has faced persistent questions about whether it actually holds sufficient reserves, due to opaque disclosures and fragile banking relationships, and also faced questions around its role in market manipulations. Liquidity matters more than trust when markets are moving fast, and Tether today boasts a roughly 60% share of the stablecoin market. The token would be redeemable at par under clear legal frameworks. At the same time, stablecoins were no longer just a trader's tool. They became the unit of account for crypto markets themselves. Bitcoin, ether, and thousands of other tokens increasingly traded against stablecoins rather than fiat. In effect, stablecoins became cryptocurrency's base layer of money. By the 2020–2021 bull market, stablecoins surpassed bitcoin in transaction volume. Entire decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems ran on stablecoin liquidity. Not everyone in the Web3 space was comfortable relying on centralized issuers holding dollars in banks to issue stablecoins. That discomfort fueled experiments in decentralized stablecoins, most notably MakerDAO's Dai. Its value stability was enforced through incentives, liquidations and governance decisions rather than bank accounts. For crypto purists, this was the holy grail: money that was stable, censorship-resistant, and independent of the traditional financial system. As markets evolved, Dai increasingly relied on centralized assets like USDC as collateral, blurring the line between decentralized idealism and practical compromise. Basis attempted a fully algorithmic, non-collateralized stablecoin, adjusting supply dynamically to maintain its peg. Ampleforth (AMPL) experimented with elastic supply rather than price stability, redefining what “stable” could mean. The most dramatic stablecoin failure came in 2022 with the collapse of TerraUSD (UST), an algorithmic stablecoin that relied on market confidence and arbitrage incentives rather than collateral. In March 2023, USDC temporarily de-pegged after Silicon Valley Bank, where Circle held a portion of its reserves, collapsed. Read more: Big Banks Push Stablecoins Into a New Cross-Border Fight It is tempting to see stablecoins' future as a straight line toward mainstream adoption. Stablecoins did not succeed because they were well-designed from the start. Stablecoins settle instantly, operate 24/7, and move at internet speed. They can be embedded in software, automate compliance, and reduce reliance on correspondent banking networks. But achieving this vision may depend on lessons learned the hard way. We're always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors. PNC Bank Launches Bitcoin Access Powered by Coinbase Consumer Loans Harder to Track in Private Credit Era

Crypto Shorts Get Rekt as Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP Spike Ahead of Fed Decision Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies are suddenly flying high on Tuesday, surging in value ahead of Wednesday's Federal Reserve meeting conclusion that's widely expected to bring a third interest rate cut. Altcoins are faring even better, however, with Ethereum extending its recent rebound with an 8% daily spike to a recent price of $3,359, pushing its weekly gain to more than 16%—the largest spike among the top 10 cryptocurrencies during that span. Crypto traders betting on the future performance of top assets are being hit with liquidations on Tuesday, and while most of the major liquidation days in recent months have been focused on long positions hit by falling prices, it's mostly shorts getting pummeled on the day. Over $376 million worth of positions have been liquidated over the last day, per data from CoinGlass, with shorts making up $297 million of those. Bitcoin currently dominates the crypto carnage, accounting for about $153 million worth of impacted positions, with Ethereum next up at $110 million. According to CME FedWatch data, interest rate traders currently project a nearly 90% chance that the Fed issues another 25 bps rate cut. Bitcoin and other risk assets typically perform well in a low interest rate environment, though Tuesday's crypto surge could mean that traders are buying the rumor—with plans to sell the news on Wednesday. Users on Myriad—a prediction markets platform operated by Decrypt's parent company, Dastan—are increasingly bullish on the prospect of Bitcoin returning to a price of $100,000 sooner than it will crash to $69,000, giving the spike a nearly 80% chance as of this writing. That mark has climbed by 9% over the last day. The latest news, articles, and resources, sent to your inbox weekly.

In a wide-ranging presentation at Bitcoin MENA, Saylor urged the region to seize what he described as a $200 trillion opportunity by enabling banks to custody bitcoin, offer BTC-backed credit, and eventually launch yield-generating digital money products. A “big idea,” said Saylor, was for sovereign wealth funds to invest in bitcoin. A “bigger idea” was to build banks that custody bitcoin and extend credit on it. “You won't draw a little bit of bitcoin,” Saylor said. Saylor claimed that the U.S. now leads the global regulatory shift toward bitcoin, pointing to what he described as near-unanimous support from government officials. “There is a profound consensus amongst everyone running the United States,” he said. Strategy holds more than 660,000 BTC and is now issuing a range of BTC-backed credit instruments, including perpetual preferred stocks and short-term notes that pay monthly dividends. Saylor framed these innovations as the foundation for a new kind of financial system. Ethereum's P2P Layer Is Improving Just as Institutional ETH Buys Pick Up Early PeerDAS performance is proof that the Ethereum Foundation can now ship complex networking improvements at scale. Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services.

As it progresses its explorations into a prospective UK central bank digital currency (CBDC), the Bank of England (BoE) is wanting to speak to businesses with a view on how a digital pound could ‘add value.' A decision has yet to be made on whether to introduce a CBDC in the UK but the BoE, like many similar authorities worldwide, has been exploring how to create what has been described as a ‘major national infrastructure project.' The exercise is modest – the central bank is ‘looking for two to four participants' that would get involved on a ‘voluntary, unpaid basis.' RELATED ARTICLE BoE publishes findings on point-of-sale testing for digital pound payments – a news story (2 June 2024) on experimentation testing the technical feasibility of using point-of-sale (POS) hardware for potential CBDC payments Information about the exercise are specifically found on a BoE webpage titled ‘digital pound – case studies', which is aimed at showcasing ‘how existing companies may choose to integrate a digital pound into their business models.' The study's aim is to provide insight into two topics: where a ‘retail digital pound' could add value to different businesses; and features ‘expected to be the most/least valuable for different kinds of businesses.' The BoE states that it anticipates exploring features including: conditional payments; instant settlement; international interoperability; offline payment capabilities; and tourist (digital) wallets. The BoE kicked off this year (2025) on the CBDC front by revealing plans to create a ‘Digital Pound Lab' as a ‘technology sandbox environment [to] enable hands-on experimentation' through which it would test application programming interface (API) functionality, ‘innovative use cases', and potential business models for payment interface providers (PIPs) and external service interface providers (ESIPs). RELATED ARTICLE UK CBDC architects warned against creating ‘expensive infrastructure that no-one uses' – a report (21 March 2024) from a panel session titled ‘Stablecoins and CBDCs – what will be their impact on the payments industry?' The BoE's Digital Pound Lab webpage contains details of experimentation to date. It states that during ‘phase one' participants were invited to test a small number of use cases across point of sale, ‘tiered' digital wallets, ‘micro merchants', conditional business-to-business payments, omni-channel payments and temporary tourist wallets. LINK, in collaboration with Consult Hyperion, focused on cashback at point of sale. Their solution used the LINK messaging network to demonstrate point of sale payments and cash withdrawals (cashback with and without purchase) through digital pound wallets. NOBO Finance, in collaboration with Applied Blockchain, explored conditional business-to-business payments. Its solution was a ‘transport payment platform designed from the perspective of transport operators residents, and visitors, enabling a frictionless payment experience across travel networks.' Senior BoE figures involved include Diana Carrasco, who joined as head of digital pound a couple of years ago from Lloyds Banking Group. She has also previously worked at HSBC and Visa, among other companies.

Key insight: A new survey of consumer credit companies revealed deteriorating business conditions in the third quarter, and signs of increasing stress among some consumer segments. Key insight: Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould says national trust banks have always been allowed to perform certain non-fiduciary functions and that custodying digital assets is no different. Forward look: Gould says the OCC will continue individual reviews of digital asset firms' applications despite growing pushback from community banks. Key insight: The changes will impact fewer than 5% of customers in JPMorganChase's business banking segment, which has been steadily growing. Supporting data: From 2019 to 2024, business banking deposits at the bank grew by 72%. What's at stake: The fee changes come as the bank aims to capture greater wallet share of affluent and small-business customers. Supporting data: Since January 2025, the FBI has logged over 5,100 complaints of account takeover fraud, resulting in losses exceeding $262 million. What's at stake: A recent court ruling against Citibank challenges industry norms, potentially making banks liable for unauthorized wire transfers under the EFTA. Key insight: Regulators are urging banks to abandon single-point defenses in favor of "Protect, Detect, Respond" frameworks and rigorous employee training. Key insights: JPMorganChase is expanding its deposit token to a public blockchain. What's at stake: Banks are looking for an alternative to stablecoins, which could pressure bank deposits. This is veary excellent work and great service and is good for the people around the world thanks for sharing this chep it up you people are doing good work best wishes to each and everyone thair ❤🤝🏽🤝🏽🤝🏽🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Navigating these shifts likely presents unique hurdles, but the dedication to innovation is truly commendable. Imagining a future where these advancements create smoother experiences for everyone involved is incredibly motivating. To view or add a comment, sign in

This gives an estimated 80 % of UK internet users – about 40 million people aged 14+ – greater control over how they are tracked online. That success follows months of targeted assessments: the ICO evaluated whether sites loaded non-essential advertising cookies only after users made an explicit choice, whether rejecting non-essential cookies was as easy as accepting them, and whether any cookies were dropped without consent. As a result, 979 websites passed and 564 corrected their practices after intervention. That makes personalized advertising easier, but at the expense of true user choice. For businesses and publishers, this shift also opens the door to “privacy-friendly online advertising models,” giving them a way to monetize content without undermining user trust or running afoul of data-protection laws. The ICO announcement aligns with the findings in our 2025 Consumer Cybersecurity Survey, which paints a compelling picture of how people actually deal with cookies, consent, and online privacy. According to our survey, 48% of respondents accept all cookies without reading the consent notice, and 75% either skim or completely ignore the terms — prioritizing speed over privacy. This suggests that even as websites improve compliance, many people remain effectively “opt-in by default” because they don't engage with the complicated cookie choices. Our report argues that convenience and complacency often collide with real cyber-risk. Even though users worry about scams, identity theft and financial loss, their online habits (like blindly accepting cookies) often make these threats easier. The ICO's push is thus vital, yet not enough by itself. The ICO's success should encourage more websites to adopt compliant, transparent cookie practices by default. The next update on our work will be provided in 2026.” Teen Hackers Responsible for Most UK School Cybersecurity Incidents, ICO Warns

When I was at IBM, I watched enterprises struggle with the same problem over and over again. This acquisition may look like a classic enterprise AI move, but its implications stretch well beyond artificial intelligence. This deal signals a deeper shift in how companies will build intelligent systems, manage real time data, secure digital transactions, and create trust in a world where AI and blockchain are colliding. At its core, Confluent is the world's leading real time data streaming platform, designed to continuously move events, transactions, signals, and intelligence across distributed systems. In a world increasingly run by AI agents, decentralized applications, tokenized assets, and on-chain governance, real time data is no longer a feature. IBM is not simply buying a data company. It is buying the connective tissue of next-generation intelligent systems. Traditional batch processing cannot keep up with the velocity of intelligent automation. Confluent solves this problem by turning data into a streaming nervous system. Through this acquisition, IBM is strengthening three pillars of its AI strategy: In short, this acquisition accelerates IBM's AI strategy by reinforcing what AI actually needs to function at scale: trustworthy, reliable, real time data. Blockchain adoption has consistently been slowed by the gap between on-chain and off-chain information. Enterprises want the trust and transparency of blockchain, but they also rely on fast-moving off-chain systems: payments, identity, compliance, logistics, and operational data. Today, many companies stitch these worlds together through brittle integrations or custom tools. Real time data streaming is the missing link between blockchain and enterprise operations. As more institutions experiment with stablecoins, tokenized treasuries, and on-chain clearing, they will need real-time price feeds, compliance signals, and settlement events. For decentralized identity, every attribute change, credential update, or verification event must be instantly logged. Streaming ensures that identity remains accurate and tamper-evident. AI monitoring powered by real-time streams can detect anomalies, flag suspicious transactions, and automate compliance reporting. This acquisition positions IBM to offer a unified AI + blockchain infrastructure stack. In the next decade, as AI agents begin transacting autonomously on-chain, these capabilities will become essential. We are entering a world where transactions, identity, compliance, and insights must all move at streaming speed. Batch processing is simply not fast enough for autonomous AI systems or financial markets built on tokenized assets. Its technology sits at the intersection of trust and intelligence. It is a fusion of intelligence + trust + real-time data, integrated into one enterprise stack. For CEOs, CFOs, CTOs, and CIOs, this acquisition highlights three strategic realities: AI agents will require new operational models.This includes real-time decision streams, continuous monitoring, and auditable logs. Infrastructure investments like this one are early signals of where the market is heading. Tokenization and Web3 are moving into mainstream enterprise.As stablecoins, tokenized treasuries, and Real World Assets (RWA) markets grow, companies will demand real-time interoperability. IBM is now well-positioned to serve that need. Trust will define competitive advantage.Enterprises will choose systems that can prove what happened, when it happened, and why. AI and blockchain will intertwine around that requirement. This deal is more than a technology acquisition. It is a marker of where intelligent enterprises are going next and it reinforces that the next decade will be shaped by the convergence of AI, blockchain, and data streaming into a single, trusted ecosystem. IBM's acquisition of Confluent is not simply a bet on AI.

That's an immediate roadblock for large institutions like banks, whose clients largely don't want their balances and payments history open to prying eyes. Now, the crypto giant Circle has partnered with the blockchain Aleo to launch a “private” version of its stablecoin called USDCx, which will obscure transaction histories, Howard Wu, cofounder of Aleo, told Fortune. “People don't want to reveal their business revenues. They don't want to reveal business intelligence,” Wu said. The new Circle-backed token, which like other stablecoins is pegged to underlying assets like the U.S. dollar, won't be truly private. Every transaction of the token will include what Wu called a “compliance record,” which Circle will be able to access in case law enforcement or other authorities reach out about specific transactions. Still, for public users looking at a blockchain log, the transactions will look unintelligible and like “blobs of data,” Wu said. The launch of USDCx comes amid a broader push from the crypto industry to persuade big banks and institutions to use blockchain technology. The asset management giant BlackRock has launched its own tokenized money market fund BUIDL, the online brokerage Robinhood has dabbled in blockchain-based stock trading, and fintech giants like Stripe have invested huge sums of capital into stablecoins. Wu, the cofounder of Aleo, has seen interest in privacy-enabled stablecoins from a swathe of potential customers, including the crypto payroll processors Request Finance and Toku. He also said that prediction markets, or locales where gamblers can bet on real-world events and sports, are also interested in experimenting with stablecoins like USDCx. There are other cryptocurrencies—most famously Zcash—which also promise users encrypted transactions. However, these cryptocurrencies are much more volatile than stablecoins, which, as their name implies, are designed to stay stable relative to the U.S. dollar or other currencies. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.

Share this article OBOOK Holdings today partnered with Visa to launch OwlPay Cash, a blockchain-powered mobile remittance app that enables US users to send money directly to bank accounts across various international regions. The app leverages Visa Direct technology to facilitate cross-border payments, offering users a streamlined platform for international money transfers. OwlPay Cash represents OBOOK Holdings' entry into the digital remittance market through blockchain integration. Visa has been expanding partnerships with blockchain-focused companies to enhance remittance services, aiming to provide direct and lower-cost international money transfer options. The collaboration reflects broader industry trends toward mobile-first payment solutions for cross-border transactions. The launch positions OwlPay Cash among emerging Visa-powered apps designed to offer US users more seamless options for international financial transfers through mobile platforms. Sign in to your account Don't have an account? Create one Create your account Already have an account? Sign In Forgot your password? Sign In

Tether's USDT just secured regulatory approval in Abu Dhabi's financial hub, officially recognised as a fiat-referenced token by ADGM. This move allows licensed firms to offer regulated custody and settlement services using USDT. This makes investors confident enough to explore early-stage crypto projects again. And DeepSnitch AI is quickly rising to the top. With 77% of its presale already completed and over $720K raised, DSNT is shaping up to be one of the best altcoins to buy in 2025. Tether gains regulatory approval in Abu Dhabi's financial hub Tether's USDT has been officially recognized as an “accepted fiat-referenced token” by the Abu Dhabi Global Market. This enabled licensed firms to offer regulated custody, trading, and settlement services using the stablecoin. ADGM had previously recognized USDT on Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche, but this latest designation expands its regulatory use. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino welcomed the approval, calling stablecoins “essential components” of modern finance. The decision follows similar recognition for Ripple's RLUSD and precedes a potential dirham-pegged stablecoin. Tether's USDT just got recognised as an official fiat-referenced token in Abu Dhabi, and both China and Japan are injecting massive liquidity into their economies. That's the fuel for what could be a monster bull run in 2026. And that's exactly why investors are piling into early-stage gems like DeepSnitch AI. The presale has already rallied 77%, with over $720K raised so far. And people are calling it one of the best altcoins to buy. With Gartner projecting $1.5 trillion in global AI spend this year alone, and the entire sector expected to 25x, the timing couldn't be better. At just $0.02682, DSNT is an early opportunity experienced investors wouldn't pass on. https://youtu.be/HVnjHC08u_Y?si=fVFWtqeY7aqoiB74 Hyperliquid HYPE was holding just above the $29-$30 support zone on December 9. This level has triggered rebounds before, but now the price is stuck after a choppy week. Ali Martinez spotted a rounding top on the daily chart, hinting at weakness. CryptoGodJohn's Fib model points to future targets at $35.32, $48.81, and even $59.23. Whales are holding $45.85 million in long positions, according to Coin Bureau. That shows conviction in HYPE's role within Hyperliquid's perp ecosystem. After a clean bounce off the 75% Fibonacci level, SOL looks ready for another move. With sellers thinning out, attention is shifting to $140 as the next key zone. TedPillows notes sell-side depth is fading, hinting at a return of volatility. Analysts like Elja and 0xBossman see long/short liquidations and trend exhaustion building beneath the surface: early signs of a new base forming for one of the best altcoins to buy right now. Closing thoughts SOL and HYPE might still have some fuel left, but their 100x days are behind them. At this stage, you're more likely to see steady growth than explosive gains. That's exactly why whales are rotating into earlier plays like DeepSnitch AI. FAQs What are the most undervalued altcoins to watch right now? With its low presale price, DSNT offers serious upside before launch. While many coins have peaked, DeepSnitch AI is just getting started. Its 77% presale run and growing adoption make it one of the most promising breakout altcoin picks heading into 2026. Altcoins with strong upside are rare in this cycle, but DeepSnitch AI is one of them. Backed by five AI agents and CEX rumors, it's quickly becoming 2025's top-performing presale. Disclaimer: Trading cryptocurrencies/digital assets carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. You should be aware of all the risks associated with cryptocurrency/digital asset trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor. Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices, or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary, and does not constitute investment advice. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). Take your experience further with Premium access.Thought-provoking Opinions, Expert Analysis, In-depth Insights and other Member Only Benefits It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as trustees.The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind.

And being close to those capital flows has traditionally been a way to make a ton of money by taking tiny tolls along the way. Assuming this trend holds, I predict that XRP (XRP +3.93%) will prove to be the best fintech coin investors can buy with $2,000 between now and 2027. As you doubtlessly know by now, XRP is the native coin of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), a network designed to handle international payments with fast transaction settlement and minuscule fees. Ripple, the coin's issuer and the company behind much of the chain's ecosystem, offers a bunch of different financial services that lets banks and fintechs send money in seconds instead of days by using XRP and stablecoins as bridge assets rather than using prefunded accounts. The idea is to work with banks and offer a solution that updates their financial infrastructure, which is a friendlier narrative for regulators and risk committees than some of XRP's peers, which sometimes claim to be trying to replace outdated sections of the financial system entirely. Where XRP really starts to look like a highly competitive fintech solution is in its compliance tooling, which, as boring as it might sound, is actually one of the most critical features for the target users (banks). There's simply no way that a major financial institution is willingly going to use a piece of technology that's difficult to audit or that adds a significant regulatory compliance burden. The XRPL offers compliance features that allow issuers to restrict who can hold a coin and let them halt suspicious accounts if needed, among many other benefits. On top of that, Ripple recently launched RLUSD, a U.S. dollar stablecoin. Ripple explicitly positions it for use in cross-border payments, as a treasury holding, and as tokenized real-world asset (RWA) trading collateral. It's an important part of the chain's capital base and its ecosystem, and with a market cap of $1.2 billion, it's actually large enough to be useful in the size that financial businesses need. In other words, most of the components you would want in a fintech are available for those who are willing to hold XRP to pay transaction fees. And in the long run, that's likely to pay off for those who secure some of the supply now. The rest of the fintech coin category includes projects like Stellar, Algorand, and even stablecoin platforms like Tron. Stellar's design is aimed at cross-border remittances. MoneyGram, for example, uses Stellar's network to power cash-to-crypto on- and off-ramps in multiple markets. But there's no institutional finance story here, which caps the upside by quite a bit. Algorand, for its part, has been a testbed for central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilots and asset tokenization experiments. Still, the compliance tooling on Algorand is not as tightly vertically integrated as what Ripple is building. Tron, meanwhile, began as a platform for digital entertainment and content sharing. Over time it expanded into payments and decentralized applications, but its strongest brand identity still centers on consumer entertainment and high throughput for stablecoin transfers rather than regulated finance. Ripple is spending heavily to acquire companies that will help it to stitch payments, stablecoins, lending, and tokenized assets into one big institution-ready package. Expect some volatility along the way, and be ready to hold through this coin's next leg of growth. Alex Carchidi has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends XRP. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close. Get stock recommendations, portfolio guidance, and more from The Motley Fool's premium services.

The Russell 2000 Index, which comprises approximately 2,000 small-cap companies, has long served as a barometer of investor appetite for growth and high-risk equities. Analysts quickly noticed its correlation with the crypto market. When risk-on sentiment spreads into the crypto market, it can help push Bitcoin and altcoins higher. Russell 2000 Flashes a Breakout Signal, Raising Hope for Crypto However, it remains important, especially for investors who seek higher risk. This risk appetite aligns closely with many crypto investors. The breakout is considered a clear risk-on signal. This suggests that capital is shifting back to riskier assets, which can serve as fuel for Bitcoin BTCUSD and altcoins. The Bitcoin Vector — an institutional Bitcoin report published by Swissblock — noted that in late 2020, the Russell 2000 broke through new highs and later turned that level into support. “Last time this setup appeared, BTC delivered over 390% upside. This time the structure is different, but we're starting from an environment that precedes liquidity expansion. And when liquidity turns, risk assets take the lead,” Bitcoin Vector stated. Several analysts also believe this is a bullish sign for altcoins. “Russell 2000 is the biggest indicator for Altseason, and it's about to hit a new all-time high,” Ash Crypto said. By comparing the altcoin market capitalization with that of the iShares Russell 2000 ETF — a fund that tracks US small-cap equities — analyst Cryptocium highlighted a correlation. Altcoin market cap (OTHERS) often surges when the iShares Russell 2000 ETF breaks above its previous all-time high. Analyst Duality Research noted that, although the index rose in 2025, small-cap ETFs within the index still recorded net outflows of approximately $19.5 billion this year. This contrasts sharply with past rallies, which have typically been accompanied by strong ETF inflows. CUSIP Database provided by FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. SEC fillings and other documents provided by Quartr.© 2025 TradingView, Inc.

Despite the recent altcoin downturn, one analyst believes a major indicator is flashing green and could kickstart a major bull run. “Russell 2000 is the biggest indicator for Altseason, and it's about to hit a new all-time high. – Both Russell 2000 and ALTS MCAP peaked in Nov 2021, marking the cycle top. – Now, Russell is retesting its Nov 2021 highs, a key resistance zone. If Russell breaks out, ETH and alts will follow it. The crypto market is in a state of fear following the 10/10 flash crash, and all leverage is flushed, which means it's a perfect scenario for a parabolic pump to start. Must keep an eye on Russell as it will give an idea of how alts will move in the coming weeks.” According to reports, there has been a 0.75 annual correlation between the Russell 2000 and altcoins since early 2024. It is opposed to the regular stock market, which hosts some of the world's largest publicly traded companies, aka blue-chip companies. In essence, it is an index that has historically attracted blue-collar workers seeking to capitalize on its volatility. Currently, it is hovering around its ATH above 2500 points, a roughly 17% increase since June 11. The index is poised to go ballistic, and cryptos like Solana, XRP, BNB, and others could follow suit immediately. The small-cap digital currencies are more volatile and are made up of thousands of smaller projects, just like the Russel index. So, when the Russel 2000 records a new ATH due to improving liquidity, analysts believe that the similarly positioned altcoins are also in for a major price rebound.

This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Imagine a busy city where every neighborhood has its own roads, yet none of them connect. Its Layer-3 system brings liquidity from Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana into one organized layer, giving the market a cleaner structure for cross-chain movement. Separate chains often create independent environments that do not interact well. LiquidChain addresses this through a Layer-3 structure that sits above Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. This shared layer acts as a single access point for liquidity. Applications can rely on it without switching between several tools. The shared layer supports a routing system designed for clear movement between chains. Each transfer follows a consistent path, which helps reduce delays. This creates a smoother experience for platforms that depend on quick transfers. The network uses verification steps that confirm activity on every connected chain. The method supports trust for teams that need precise cross-chain activity. Instead of separate bridges and external tools, the network uses one organized framework. This helps builders reduce the number of pieces they manage and gives them a more efficient environment to create new products. This structure aims to keep the ecosystem stable and create conditions for steady growth as LiquidChain develops. This supports builders who depend on consistent costs when sending or receiving assets. Predictable fees also help new applications connect to the Layer-3 without facing sudden cost changes. These tokenomics place $LIQUID in a stable position as adoption grows. This phase supports further progress on routing tools, integrations, and technical features. These rewards help maintain steady liquidity inside the shared layer. They also create a reliable pool of support as the project develops. The model also supports long-term planning for developers who need a stable environment. LiquidChain enters the market with a clear focus on unified liquidity and simpler cross-chain movement. Its Layer-3 system provides a structured environment for activity across Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. This approach positions the project well as demand for multi-chain tools increases. The roadmap includes plans for additional integrations and updated routing technology. The market continues to show interest in tools that support cleaner cross-chain communication. LiquidChain offers a design that fits this trend with clarity and purpose. Its tokenomics, crypto presale structure, and staking system all contribute to a stable long-term direction. More applications can connect to the Layer-3 system as LiquidChain builds out its ecosystem. Established in 2013, 99Bitcoin's team members have been crypto experts since Bitcoin's Early days. Having delved into futures trading in the past, my intrigue in financial, economic, and political affairs eventually led me to a striking realization: the current debt-based fiat system is fundamentally flawed. This revelation prompted me to explore alternative avenues, including... Read More BTC Stalls At $90K As Fed Turns Dovish: But Biggest Upside Is Now Shifting To Side-Ecosystem Bitcoin Hyper Mine-to-Earn ICO Slams $2.3M Raise as Smart Money Lock-In on PepeNode Coin Ethereum (ETH) Loses 20% in Market Cap While New DeFi Crypto Hits 96% Sellout Dogecoin Turns 12: Maxi Doge Emerges as the New Alpha with Explosive Upside Crypto Winter Threatens: Bitcoin Hyper Could Be The Best Shelter For Gains While At Presale Stay ahead with the latest updates, exclusive offers, and expert insights! Sign up for our newsletter today and never miss a beat.

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), expressed his support for blockchain and stablecoin on Monday, stating that the banking giant is open to leveraging the technology to improve services for its clients. “As a payment system, a network, if we can use things like that to do something better, faster, cheaper for clients, we're going to,” said the CEO of America's largest bank. See Also: Michael Saylor Claims Bitcoin Is Bigger Than Google And The US Navy Combined Dimon emphasized the need for regulatory “guardrails” around these technologies, citing the bank's adherence to rules, regulations, pricing, anti-money laundering, know your customer, and regular government oversight. “I hope they come up with rules and regulations that make it a rational, usable, fair product,” Dimon stated. JPMorgan rolled out a deposit token, JPM Coin, to its institutional clients last month. The token, which represents dollar deposits at the world's largest bank, allows users to send and receive money via Coinbase‘s (NASDAQ:COIN) public blockchain Base. Dimon believes that the leading asset lacks intrinsic value and is primarily utilized by criminals. He even suspected Bitcoin's scarcity narrative, asking how the 21 million supply cap was determined. Price Action: Shares of JPMorgan closed 0.05% higher at $315.21 during Monday's regular trading session, according to data from Benzinga Pro. JPM ranked moderately high on the momentum and growth metrics as of this writing. To check out how other banking stocks stack up, visit Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings for more details.