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Ethereum price prediction: $2,500 in focus as OI spike amid Vitalik’s calls for scaling

cryptonews — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:17:31 +0000

Ethereum rally above $2,100 follows a sharp spike in open interest.
A break above the resistance at $2,175 could open the path toward $2,500.
Large ETH withdrawals from exchanges point to tightening supply.

Ethereum has climbed above the $2,100 after a strong daily rally that pushed the asset higher amid renewed interest in derivatives markets.

The move follows a period of consolidation that had kept the price trapped near the $2,000 level for several sessions.

The surge has now placed the $2,500 region firmly on the radar of short-term traders.

At the same time, comments from Vitalik Buterin about the future direction of the network have sparked fresh discussion across the ecosystem.

Open interest spike signals renewed trader activity

One of the strongest signals behind the recent price jump is the sharp rise in derivatives market activity.

Open interest (OI) in Ethereum futures has climbed significantly in recent weeks as traders increase their exposure to the asset.

The open interest reflects the total number of active futures contracts and often rises when new money enters the market.

The latest spike indicates that traders are positioning for larger price swings in the coming sessions.

Besides the increase in open interest, short liquidations also played a key role in the rally that pushed Ethereum above $2,100.

When bearish traders are forced to close positions, they must buy back the asset, which can quickly accelerate upward momentum.

This chain reaction tends to create sudden bursts of volatility that drive prices higher within a short time frame.

However, derivatives data still shows mixed sentiment among traders, with funding rates shifting between positive and negative levels, suggesting that the market remains divided on the next direction.

Ethereum supply tightens as investors withdraw coins

Another factor supporting the recent recovery is a notable decline in the amount of Ethereum held on centralised exchanges.

According to data obtained from CryptoQuant, Large amounts of ETH have been moved away from trading platforms over the past month.

Source: CryptoQuant

These withdrawals from crypto exchanges often indicate that investors intend to hold their assets for a longer period rather than sell them immediately.

When coins leave exchanges, the amount available for instant trading becomes smaller.

This shift can create tighter supply conditions, especially if demand begins to increase at the same time.

On-chain data also shows that large investors have continued to accumulate Ethereum during recent market weakness.

This trend suggests that some market participants view current prices as attractive entry levels.

Such accumulation can help stabilise the market during periods of volatility.

Ethereum technical analysis place $2,500 in focus

From a technical perspective, Ethereum’s price is currently trading between key support and resistance zones.

The $2,023 region has emerged as an important short-term support level based on recent price movements.

A break below that zone could expose the market to further downside toward the $1,901 support area.

On the upside, the $2,175 level has repeatedly acted as immediate resistance.

A sustained move above this barrier could open the door for a rally toward the next resistance near $2,396.

If buying pressure remains strong, the market may then shift its focus toward the $2,525 region.

This level sits close to the psychological $2,500 mark that many traders are watching.

A decisive breakout above this area would signal a stronger bullish trend forming in the short term.

Vitalik Buterin says, “Ethereum needs to scale”

Beyond the price charts, discussion around Ethereum’s long-term direction has intensified following recent comments from Vitalik Buterin.

The Ethereum co-founder has emphasised the importance of developing what he described as “sanctuary” technology within the ecosystem.

This concept centres on strengthening decentralisation and ensuring that Ethereum remains a secure and neutral platform.

Buterin also highlighted concerns that some scaling solutions are drifting away from Ethereum’s core security model.

His remarks have sparked debate about how the network should evolve as demand continues to grow.

Some observers believe these discussions could influence how developers approach future upgrades and scaling strategies.

The post Ethereum price prediction: $2,500 in focus as OI spike amid Vitalik’s calls for scaling appeared first on CoinJournal.

Ethereum price prediction: $2,500 in focus as OI spike amid Vitalik’s calls for scaling

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/ethereum-price-prediction-2500-in-focus-as-oi-spike-amid-vitaliks-calls-for-scaling/

Ethereum price analysis: ETH tests local bottom amid a possible trend reversal

cryptonews — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:29:30 +0000

Ethereum (ETH) is stabilising near $1,800–$1,900 after a prolonged sell-off.
Whale accumulation and falling leverage hint at reduced downside risk.
Strong fundamentals support a potential shift from decline to consolidation.

Ethereum (ETH) is showing early signs of stabilisation after weeks of steady downside pressure.

The price has been trading near the $1,800–$1,900 zone, an area that has repeatedly acted as support during recent sell-offs.

This level matters because it reflects a point where sellers appear to be losing momentum.

The broader market context remains cautious, but Ethereum’s behaviour suggests the panic phase may be fading.

Over the past month, ETH has declined sharply from its previous highs, erasing a large portion of earlier gains.

That drop pushed sentiment into deeply bearish territory.

However, sharp declines often set the stage for reassessment rather than continued free fall.

Ethereum now appears to be testing a local bottom rather than accelerating lower.

ETH technical analysis

On the chart, Ethereum has been consolidating after bouncing from recent lows.

This type of sideways movement often follows strong sell-offs.

Momentum indicators show selling pressure easing, even if bullish strength remains limited.

However, ETH is still trading below key moving averages, which confirms that the broader trend has not fully flipped.

Ethereum price chart | Source: TradingView

At the same time, the distance from these averages highlights how stretched the downside move has become.

Historically, similar conditions have preceded relief rallies or longer periods of accumulation.

Support around the $1,800 range has held despite multiple tests.

Each successful defence of this zone strengthens its importance.

A clean break below it would reopen the door to deeper losses.

For now, buyers seem willing to step in at these levels.

Resistance, however, remains overhead near the psychological $2,000 mark.

A sustained move above that area would likely improve the short-term sentiment.

But until then, ETH remains in a cautious recovery phase rather than a confirmed uptrend.

On-chain activity shows whale accumulation

Beyond price action, on-chain data shows large holders have been steadily increasing their ETH balances.

This behaviour often signals long-term confidence.

Whale accumulation, however, does not guarantee immediate price gains.

Nevertheless, it suggests that experienced players see value at current levels.

At the same time, derivatives data show declining open interest, pointing to reduced leverage in the market.

Often, lower leverage typically means less forced selling during volatility, although Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has been offloading his ETH during the bearish market.

Vitalik Buterin earmarked 17,000 ether, worth about $43 million, for privacy projects in January.

A month later, his wallet balance is down by roughly that amount, and the token he’s selling has lost more than a third of its value.

Arkham Intelligence data shows Buterin’s attributed wallets held about 241,000 ETH at the start of February.

That figure now sits at 224,000 ETH after a steady series of outflows through the month, including $6.6 million over three days earlier in February and roughly another $7 million in the past three days alone.

While Vitalik’s ETH selling can weigh on sentiment, its actual impact on overall liquidity has been limited.

Most notably, Ethereum’s daily trading volume has remained large enough to absorb these offloads.

The post Ethereum price analysis: ETH tests local bottom amid a possible trend reversal appeared first on CoinJournal.

Ethereum price analysis: ETH tests local bottom amid a possible trend reversal

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/ethereum-price-analysis-eth-tests-local-bottom-amid-a-possible-trend-reversal/

ETH price prediction as Ethereum prepares for ERC-8004 mainnet rollout

cryptonews — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:30:02 +0000

Ethereum (ETH) holds near $3,000 as institutions accumulate despite mixed short-term sentiment.
Strong staking, wallet growth, and ETF inflows support Ethereum’s price floor.
ERC-8004 could unlock AI-driven on-chain demand and long-term ETH value.

Ethereum is entering a pivotal phase as price action, institutional flows, and protocol-level innovation begin to converge.

After a volatile start to the year, ETH has reclaimed the $3,000 level, signalling renewed confidence among both traders and long-term holders.

At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading near $3,010, with a market capitalisation of roughly $364 billion and a 24-hour trading range between $2,899 and $3,028.

This recovery comes despite ETH still trading nearly 40% below its August 2025 all-time high near $4,946.

The broader context suggests that Ethereum’s current consolidation may be less about weakness and more about preparation.

Market structure shows resilience despite mixed sentiment

Ethereum’s recent dip below $3,000 was short-lived, as buyers stepped in aggressively to defend the psychological support level.

On-chain data indicates that ETH is trading within a dense cost-basis cluster, which often reflects accumulation rather than distribution.

The number of non-empty Ethereum wallets has reached a record high, highlighting continued network adoption even during periods of price uncertainty.

Staking demand remains robust, with validator entry queues expanding while withdrawal activity stays relatively muted.

This imbalance suggests that more participants are committing ETH to secure the network than looking to exit positions.

Institutional behaviour further reinforces this trend, as reports indicate that companies and funds have added over one million ETH to their balance sheets in recent months.

Spot Ethereum ETFs have also returned to net inflows after several days of outflows, led primarily by strong demand for Fidelity’s ETH product.

However, selling pressure from US investors remains visible, as the Coinbase Premium Index continues to signal cautious domestic sentiment.

Ethereum Coinbase Premium Index | Source: CryptoQuant

This divergence between institutional inflows and retail hesitation has kept ETH locked in a tight range rather than triggering an immediate breakout.

From a technical perspective, Ethereum faces near-term resistance around the $3,050–$3,100 zone, aligned with the 20-day exponential moving average.

A decisive close above this region could open the door to a move toward $3,260, while a loss of $2,880 support would shift focus to lower demand zones near $2,775.

Ethereum price chart | Source: TradingView

Bullish long-term narratives remain intact

Despite short-term consolidation, many traders argue that Ethereum’s broader market structure still supports significantly higher valuations.

Several analysts point to historical cycle patterns and Wyckoff-style accumulation models that continue to project upside scenarios.

In these frameworks, ETH’s current range is viewed as a re-accumulation phase rather than a topping formation.

Some traders, like Annie and Bitcoinsensus, maintain that a sustained breakout could eventually place $10,000 ETH back on the table later in the cycle.

This outlook is reinforced by steady growth in daily transactions, active addresses, and smart contract deployments across the network.

Notably, Ethereum has achieved this activity growth while transaction fees have declined to multi-year lows, improving usability without sacrificing demand.

Lower fees are often interpreted as a catalyst for long-term adoption, particularly for applications that rely on high transaction throughput.

These structural improvements strengthen the long-term Ethereum price forecast as 2026 unfolds.

ERC-8004 rollout adds a new fundamental catalyst

Against this backdrop, Ethereum is preparing for the mainnet rollout of ERC-8004, a new standard designed to support decentralised AI agents.

ERC-8004 is going live on mainnet soon.

By enabling discovery and portable reputation, ERC-8004 allows AI agents to interact across organizations ensuring credibility travels everywhere.

This unlocks a global market where AI services can interoperate without gatekeepers. https://t.co/Yrl0rvnSxj

— Ethereum (@ethereum) January 27, 2026

ERC-8004 introduces on-chain identity, reputation, and verification frameworks that allow autonomous AI programs to interact trustlessly.

By enabling portable and verifiable agent reputations, the standard aims to eliminate reliance on centralised intermediaries for AI coordination.

This development positions Ethereum as a foundational settlement and trust layer for emerging AI-native economies.

The timing of the rollout is notable, as it coincides with increasing interest in autonomous agents across both crypto and traditional technology sectors.

If adoption materialises, ERC-8004 could drive new categories of on-chain activity, from automated services to agent-to-agent commerce.

Such use cases would likely increase demand for block space, staking, and ETH itself as the network’s core economic asset.

The post ETH price prediction as Ethereum prepares for ERC-8004 mainnet rollout appeared first on CoinJournal.

ETH price prediction as Ethereum prepares for ERC-8004 mainnet rollout

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/eth-price-prediction-as-ethereum-prepares-for-erc-8004-mainnet-rollout/

Everclear launches cross-chain asset settlement on Mantle, enabling 60-second wETH-to-mETH swaps

cryptonews — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 18:43:18 +0000

Swap wETH to Mantle’s mETH from major chains in under 60 seconds.
No traditional bridges, slippage, or complex onboarding steps required.
Netting + rebalancing cuts liquidity fragmentation and operational costs.

The blockchain industry’s liquidity fragmentation problem has a new solution.

Everclear, the interoperability protocol formerly known as Connext, has launched cross-chain asset settlement on Mantle Network.

The partnership will allow users to convert wrapped Ethereum (wETH) from major chains including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, and Polygon directly into Mantle’s mETH token in under 60 seconds.

The integration bypasses traditional bridging entirely, marking a significant infrastructure breakthrough for decentralized finance adoption.

The partnership tackles one of DeFi’s most stubborn challenges: liquidity fragmentation.

As blockchain ecosystems have proliferated, identical assets now exist in multiple representations across different networks.

This fragmentation creates inefficiency, higher costs, and friction that deters both retail and institutional participation.

Everclear’s clearing infrastructure solves this problem by netting cross-chain flows and automatically rebalancing inventory, dramatically reducing redundant liquidity and operational costs.

How the settlement layer works

The mechanics are elegant in their simplicity. Users holding wETH on any supported chain select Mantle as their destination.

Everclear’s solver network fills the intent immediately, delivering mETH to the user’s wallet while managing settlement and rebalancing operations behind the scenes at optimal pricing.

The result is zero slippage, fast execution, and capital efficiency that traditional bridges cannot match.

Nikita Bulgakov from the Everclear Foundation explained the vision:

Everclear was built to be the settlement layer for a fragmented, multi-asset future. By connecting different representations of the same asset, we enable partners like Mantle and mETH Protocol to offer a truly chain-abstracted experience to users.

Accelerating Mantle’s institutional adoption

Mantle has emerged as a serious contender in the liquidity infrastructure space, anchoring over $4 billion in community-owned assets and positioning itself as the premier gateway for institutions connecting with on-chain liquidity and real-world assets.

The mETH Protocol, Mantle’s flagship liquid staking solution, achieved a peak total value locked of $2.19 billion and is now integrated across 40+ major platforms including Bybit, Ethena, and leading custody providers like P2P and Copper.

“Real-world usability of on-chain assets depends on efficient settlement across chains,” said Emily Bao, Key Advisor of Mantle.

This integration reinforces Mantle’s RWA and ETH-native strategy by removing onboarding friction and enabling capital to flow into the ecosystem in a more scalable, institutional-grade way.

The Everclear partnership removes a critical barrier to growth.

Previously, users navigating multiple chains faced bridge risks, slippage costs, and complexity that discouraged participation. Now, onboarding becomes frictionless.

Expanding the settlement layer

Everclear already processes approximately $400 million in monthly volume across blue-chip assets and stablecoins, serving professional users including market makers, solvers, bridges, and exchanges.

The Mantle launch marks the beginning of expanded cross-asset settlement capabilities, with plans to support additional ETH-based assets, stablecoins, and emerging blockchain networks.

This development underscores the industry’s evolution toward chain-abstracted finance, where users and institutions interact with blockchain infrastructure without managing underlying complexity.

For the DeFi ecosystem, it represents a meaningful step toward mainstream adoption.

The post Everclear launches cross-chain asset settlement on Mantle, enabling 60-second wETH-to-mETH swaps appeared first on CoinJournal.

Everclear launches cross-chain asset settlement on Mantle, enabling 60-second wETH-to-mETH swaps

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/everclear-launches-cross-chain-asset-settlement-on-mantle-enabling-60-second-weth-to-meth-swaps/

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always conduct your own research (DYOR).

Former NYC mayor backed token tumbles on Solana amid liquidity fears

cryptonews — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 16:55:52 +0000

Some crypto community members accused the project team of removing liquidity, sparking rug pull fears.
Rune flagged data suggesting $3.4 million was drained from the token’s liquidity pool.
Bubblemaps showed $2.5 million in USDC removed near the peak, with $900,000 not returned after partial additions.

Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams has launched a Solana-based meme coin that he said is aimed at fighting antisemitism and supporting the next phase of innovation in the city.

The token, called the New York City token (NYC), was announced in a Jan. 13 post on X and quickly went live for trading on the Solana decentralised exchange Jupiter.

In the post, Adams shared a link to the token’s official website and said the project was built to fight the spread of antisemitism and anti-Americanism across the US and New York City.

The NYC token initially saw strong momentum after it began trading.

It rallied to a high of $0.58 and briefly reached a market cap of $580 million, according to DEXScreener data.

Liquidity movements trigger rug pull allegations

As the price fell, accusations surfaced online that the team behind the token may have removed liquidity, adding to fears of a potential rug pull.

Crypto analyst Rune flagged data indicating that at least $3.4 million had been drained from the token’s liquidity pool.

Separately, analytics posted by Bubblemaps suggested that a wallet linked to the token’s deployer removed $2.5 million in USDC liquidity when the token was trading near its peak.

After the price had already plunged by more than 60%, about $1.5 million in USDC was added back.

Still, roughly $900,000 was not returned, which further fuelled suspicion among some community members and investors.

The allegations have not been confirmed, but the timing and size of the liquidity movements quickly became a central focus of discussion.

Team cites TWAP strategy to manage volatility

In response to the concerns, the NYC token X account released a statement claiming the project is using Time-Weighted Average Price (TWAP) mechanisms to manage price stability.

The account said funds were being added to the liquidity pool gradually to reduce the risk of further disruption after the initial volatility seen during the launch.

Despite that explanation, the episode has kept attention on how liquidity is handled for newly launched meme coins, especially when trading activity accelerates rapidly across decentralised markets.

Website details token split and proposed use cases

While the token’s official website offers limited detail about the project’s long-term direction, Adams said in a Fox Business interview that proceeds from the NYC token would go toward nonprofits focused on raising awareness about antisemitism and anti-Americanism through educational campaigns.

Other proposed use cases include funding blockchain and crypto education, along with scholarships for students in underserved communities.

Adams officially stepped down as mayor on Jan. 1, after being replaced by Zohran Mamdani.

During his time in office, he was one of the most outspoken political figures in support of cryptocurrency.

His initiatives included converting his first three paychecks into Bitcoin and Ethereum, creating the Office of Digital Assets and Blockchain Technology, and launching the NYC Blockchain Plan to encourage responsible innovation and attract Web3 businesses.

The post Former NYC mayor backed token tumbles on Solana amid liquidity fears appeared first on CoinJournal.

Former NYC mayor backed token tumbles on Solana amid liquidity fears

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/former-nyc-mayor-backed-token-tumbles-on-solana-amid-liquidity-fears/

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always conduct your own research (DYOR).

Truebit protocol hack exposes DeFi security risks as TRU token collapses

cryptonews — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:58:40 +0000

The TRU token collapsed from $0.1659 to near zero, wiping out market value.
Liquidity on decentralised exchanges dried up following the exploit.
The attacker wallet was linked to a Sparkle protocol attack 12 days earlier.

A serious security breach at Truebit Protocol has triggered one of the sharpest collapses seen in decentralised finance this year.

The blockchain project, which focuses on verified computing, lost around $26.5 million after an attacker exploited a weakness in its smart contract system.

The incident sent the protocol’s native TRU token crashing to near zero and left liquidity across decentralised exchanges severely strained.

On-chain movements following the exploit show how quickly funds were siphoned away, highlighting ongoing risks around smart contract design and monitoring across the DeFi sector.

How the exploit unfolded

The breach was first flagged by blockchain security firm PeckShield, which detected a series of suspicious transactions on the Ethereum network.

Analysis showed that the attacker drained nearly 8,500 ETH from Truebit Protocol.

At the time of the exploit, the stolen cryptocurrency was valued at about $26.5 million.

On-chain data indicates that the funds were quickly split and transferred to two separate wallet addresses, identified as 0x2735…cE850a and 0xD12f…031a60.

Dividing funds in this way is a commonly used technique to complicate tracking and reduce the chances of recovery.

PeckShield’s preliminary findings suggest the exploit targeted a flaw within the protocol’s contract structure, although a detailed technical breakdown has not yet been published.

Token collapse and liquidity shock

The market impact was immediate. Truebit’s native TRU token suffered a near-total collapse, falling from a daily high of $0.1659 to a low of $0.000000018.

The move effectively erased the token’s market capitalisation within hours.

Liquidity across decentralised exchanges also dried up rapidly.

With pools depleted and confidence shaken, many token holders were unable to exit positions.

The episode underlined how tightly token valuations are linked to protocol security, particularly for smaller DeFi projects where confidence can evaporate quickly once an exploit is confirmed.

Protocol response and containment steps

After the breach, Truebit Protocol issued an official update acknowledging the incident.

The team confirmed that a specific smart contract had been compromised and warned users not to interact with it until further notice.

The protocol stated that it is working alongside law enforcement authorities and taking steps to limit further damage.

Users were also advised to rely only on official communication channels for updates as investigations continue.

No timeline has yet been shared for remediation or potential recovery efforts.

Link to earlier DeFi attack

PeckShield further reported that the wallet involved in the Truebit exploit had been connected to a separate attack on the Sparkle protocol roughly 12 days earlier.

In that case, the attacker acquired tokens and later routed funds through Tornado Cash, a privacy service often used to obscure transaction trails.

The repeated use of similar techniques points to an experienced exploiter actively scanning for vulnerabilities.

The connection has raised broader concerns across the DeFi ecosystem, where a series of linked attacks can amplify risk perception beyond the affected projects.

The post Truebit protocol hack exposes DeFi security risks as TRU token collapses appeared first on CoinJournal.

Truebit protocol hack exposes DeFi security risks as TRU token collapses

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/truebit-protocol-hack-exposes-defi-security-risks-as-tru-token-collapses/

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always conduct your own research (DYOR).

Wyoming launches state-backed stablecoin as public finance experiment

cryptonews — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 08:48:27 +0000

Wyoming has launched FRNT, the first stablecoin issued and backed by a US state government.
The dollar-pegged token is fully backed by cash and Treasuries and managed by Franklin Templeton.
Interest from reserves is directed to Wyoming public schools rather than token holders.

Wyoming has formally entered the digital asset market by issuing the first stablecoin created and backed by a US state government.

The launch places a publicly managed dollar-pegged token directly onto open crypto networks, marking a shift from privately issued stablecoins that currently dominate the market.

Known as the Frontier Stable Token (FRNT), the project reflects years of legal and technical groundwork and positions Wyoming as a testing ground for how blockchain-based money could function inside public finance systems.

The token’s debut also arrives as US regulators continue to debate how digital dollars should be governed, leaving states to explore their own approaches within existing frameworks.

How the token enters crypto markets

The Frontier Stable Token went live on January 7, according to an announcement carried by Wyoming Public Media and confirmed by the state’s Stable Token Commission.

Trading is initially available on Kraken, a Wyoming-based cryptocurrency exchange, with issuance beginning on the Solana blockchain.

While Solana is the first network used, the token has been designed for broader reach.

Through Stargate, the stablecoin can move to Ethereum, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Base, Optimism, Polygon, and Solana.

This multi-chain structure allows the token to circulate beyond a single ecosystem, increasing its potential use across decentralised finance applications and payment rails without being locked into one network.

Backing structure and reserve controls

Wyoming has allocated $6 million to the project so far, with further funding still under discussion as public trading begins.

The reserves backing the token are held in a Wyoming-chartered trust and managed by Franklin Templeton.

Those reserves are reported to be fully backed, consisting of US dollars, cash equivalents, and short-term US Treasury securities.

Rather than being distributed to token holders, interest generated from the reserve assets is directed to Wyoming public schools.

Why holders receive no yield

At launch, the stablecoin does not offer yield to users who hold it.

State officials have linked this decision to regulatory uncertainty in the US surrounding interest-bearing digital assets.

By avoiding yield payments, Wyoming aims to reduce legal risk while federal rules remain unsettled.

Officials have indicated that the structure could be revisited in the future if clearer guidance emerges at the national level. Any changes would depend on how regulators define the boundaries between stablecoins, securities, and banking products.

Testing payments inside government systems

Beyond acting as a digital dollar, the stablecoin is also being explored as a payment tool for government services.

Wyoming officials have highlighted the cost of card processing fees, which can significantly reduce net revenue for local administrations.

In counties with high transaction volumes and fixed margins, these fees are seen as a growing strain.

By settling payments on-chain, the state is examining whether digital tokens could lower costs and speed up settlement while keeping more value within public systems.

The public launch follows several delays over the past year, although no technical or liquidity issues have been reported so far.

Early trading volumes remain modest, which is typical for a newly issued stablecoin, particularly one issued by a government.

The Wyoming Stable Token Commission is scheduled to meet on January 15 to review early performance and discuss next steps as the experiment moves forward.

The post Wyoming launches state-backed stablecoin as public finance experiment appeared first on CoinJournal.

Wyoming launches state-backed stablecoin as public finance experiment

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/wyoming-launches-state-backed-stablecoin-as-public-finance-experiment/

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always conduct your own research (DYOR).

Starknet faces fresh mainnet disruption

cryptonews — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:07:11 +0000

Starknet uses zero-knowledge rollups to batch transactions off chain and settle on Ethereum.
The project is also pursuing Bitcoin DeFi integration through its BTCFi initiative.
The STRK token price remained stable despite the disruption.

Starknet, an Ethereum layer-2 network built on zero-knowledge rollups, entered 2026 dealing with an unexpected mainnet disruption that temporarily interrupted network activity.

The incident surfaced at a moment when layer-2 infrastructure is increasingly critical to Ethereum’s scaling roadmap, with developers and users relying on these networks for faster execution and lower costs.

As decentralised applications expand across finance, gaming, and experimental Bitcoin-linked use cases, even short periods of downtime draw attention to operational resilience.

The latest disruption placed Starknet under that spotlight, testing its response processes while the broader ecosystem monitored network stability.

The Starknet team acknowledged the issue through an X post, confirming that the network was experiencing downtime and that engineers were actively investigating the cause.

The update stressed that work was underway to restore full functionality as quickly as possible, although no technical explanation was shared at the time.

When the message was published, the mainnet had already been unavailable for just over two hours, marking a notable interruption for developers and users relying on live applications.

Network interruption

The disruption did not come with immediate details on whether transaction sequencing, proof generation, or another component was affected.

Starknet’s architecture relies on batching large volumes of transactions off chain before submitting cryptographic proofs to Ethereum.

Any failure along that pipeline can temporarily halt activity, even if user funds remain secure on the base layer.

During the outage window, on-chain data indicated stalled execution rather than loss of state, aligning with typical safety mechanisms used by ZK-rollup networks.

How Starknet works

Starknet operates as a ZK-rollup based layer-2, processing transactions away from Ethereum’s main chain and periodically settling them with validity proofs.

This design aims to deliver higher throughput and lower fees while inheriting Ethereum’s security guarantees.

The network has positioned itself as an infrastructure for complex smart contracts, decentralised finance protocols, and gaming applications that require fast settlement.

Its reliance on cryptographic proofs means performance gains are tied closely to the reliability of off-chain components.

Bitcoin DeFi focus

Beyond Ethereum-native use cases, Starknet has been promoting a Bitcoin DeFi, or BTCFi, arc.

The initiative frames the network as a bridge for Bitcoin-related financial applications seeking exposure to Ethereum’s programmability.

By enabling Bitcoin-linked assets or logic to interact with decentralised applications, Starknet has aimed to broaden its relevance beyond a single ecosystem.

The timing of the disruption, however, highlights how operational stability remains central as these cross-ecosystem ambitions develop.

Market response

Despite the mainnet downtime, the STRK token price held steady at $0.08898 at the time of writing, suggesting limited immediate market reaction.

Source: CoinMarketCap

Short-term resilience in the token contrasted with the technical interruption, indicating that traders may be viewing the issue as operational rather than structural.

As engineers continued work on restoring full functionality, attention remained focused on updates from the team and the duration of the disruption rather than price volatility.

The post Starknet faces fresh mainnet disruption appeared first on CoinJournal.

Starknet faces fresh mainnet disruption

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/starknet-faces-fresh-mainnet-disruption/

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always conduct your own research (DYOR).

Stablecoins, Base and ‘everything exchange’: a look inside Coinbase’s strategy to expand in 2026

cryptonews — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 14:17:14 +0000

Stablecoins and the Base network sit at the core of its plans through 2026.
The strategy places Coinbase closer to retail brokerages and derivatives platforms.
Security and support concerns remain a constraint as the platform broadens.

Coinbase is entering 2026 with a platform that looks increasingly different from a traditional crypto exchange.

The company is placing greater emphasis on stablecoins, its Ethereum layer-2 network Base, and a wider range of trading products that stretch well beyond digital tokens.

The shift reflects how crypto platforms are adapting as growth in spot trading cools and competition intensifies.

Rather than positioning itself only as a gateway to cryptocurrencies, Coinbase is aligning its business around broader financial access, with trading, payments, and onchain activity increasingly converging inside a single ecosystem.

Platform strategy shift

In a New Year’s post, Brian Armstrong reiterated Coinbase’s ambition to build what it calls an “everything exchange.”

The strategy focuses on expanding product lines so users can trade and interact with multiple asset classes from one interface.

That direction was formalised at the company’s year-end conference in December, where Coinbase rolled out stock trading and prediction markets.

These launches marked a clear move beyond cryptocurrencies and into areas traditionally dominated by retail brokerages and derivatives platforms.

Coinbase executives have framed the rollout of stock trading on the main app as a key step toward enabling round-the-clock access to markets, with crypto, equities, and exchange-traded funds sitting side by side.

Expansion beyond crypto

Coinbase’s product push is not limited to its exchange. The company has rebranded its wallet as an “everything app,” adding social networking features and deeper onchain functionality.

The aim is to keep users active across more use cases, rather than relying solely on trading volumes.

The company has also launched onchain prediction markets in partnership with Kalshi, allowing users to participate in markets tied to real-world events.

Alongside this, Coinbase has flagged plans for perpetual futures that would cover both crypto assets and stocks.

These additions move the platform further into direct competition with firms that operate across equities, derivatives, and commodities, rather than only crypto-native rivals.

Stablecoins and Base

Stablecoins form a central part of Coinbase’s longer-term roadmap.

The company has described them as essential financial infrastructure, particularly for cross-border payments, payroll, and settlement.

Armstrong has said banks are likely to seek interest-bearing stablecoin products over time, underlining Coinbase’s view that stablecoins will play a growing role in mainstream finance.

Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network, is positioned as another pillar of this strategy.

The network is designed to support consumer applications, creators, and onchain services that can scale beyond Ethereum’s main chain.

However, Base’s handling of creator coins has attracted criticism from some developers, who argue the approach risks prioritising viral growth while the company promotes creators as a key onboarding channel.

The post Stablecoins, Base and ‘everything exchange’: a look inside Coinbase’s strategy to expand in 2026 appeared first on CoinJournal.

Stablecoins, Base and ‘everything exchange’: a look inside Coinbase’s strategy to expand in 2026

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/stablecoins-base-and-everything-exchange-a-look-inside-coinbases-strategy-to-expand-in-2026/

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Unleash Protocol hacker moves stolen funds through Tornado Cash

cryptonews — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:22:13 +0000

Hacker Protocol drained 1,337 ETH via compromised Unleash multisig governance.
The stolen funds have been sent through Tornado Cash to obscure transaction trails.
The breach is limited to Unleash, and Story Protocol infrastructure is unaffected.

A hacker who recently exploited Unleash Protocol has begun laundering stolen funds through the Ethereum-based privacy service Tornado Cash, according to on-chain data and blockchain security firms.

The attacker is attempting to obscure the trail of roughly 1,337 ETH, valued at close to $4 million, drained from Unleash earlier this week.

Security companies PeckShield and CertiK have reported that the funds were transferred to Ethereum and broken into multiple batches, often around 100 ETH each, before being deposited into Tornado Cash, a well-known crypto mixing protocol.

Governance takeover led to the Unleash exploit

Unleash confirmed on Tuesday that it had suffered a significant security breach, resulting in approximately $3.9 million in losses.

The protocol has paused operations and launched a forensic investigation into the incident.

According to Unleash, preliminary findings indicate that an externally owned wallet gained unauthorised administrative control over the protocol via its multisignature (multisig) governance system.

The attacker then executed an unauthorised contract upgrade that enabled withdrawals of user funds without proper approvals.

“This upgrade enabled asset withdrawals that were not approved by the Unleash team and occurred outside our intended governance and operational procedures,” the team said in a statement posted on X.

Security analysts suggest the compromise may have been the result of phishing or another form of social engineering that allowed the attacker to gain control over governance keys, effectively bypassing standard safeguards.

The stolen assets bridged and mixed

The stolen assets reportedly included Wrapped IP (WIP), USDC, Wrapped Ether (WETH), stIP, and vIP tokens.

On-chain analysis shows that most of these assets were first bridged to Ethereum, then consolidated into ETH and routed through Tornado Cash, an approach commonly used by hackers to hinder tracking and recovery efforts.

CertiK said it initially detected suspicious withdrawals of WETH and IP-related tokens that were sent to an externally owned address created using Safe’s SafeProxyFactory, a popular smart contract framework for multisig wallets.

#CertiKInsight 🚨

We have detected deposits of 1337.1 ETH (~$3.9M) into Tornado Cash from 0xc946981F5dFBFA10cf858B95d51Fc06DCD15BfE3.

The fund traces to suspicious withdrawals of Wrapped ETH and Story tokens from a multisig that may have been compromised.… pic.twitter.com/YIFEAEwilc

— CertiK Alert (@CertiKAlert) December 30, 2025

No broader ecosystem impact, says Unleash

Unleash emphasised that the breach was confined to its own governance and administrative contracts.

The Unleash team stated there is currently no evidence that Story Protocol, the Layer 1 blockchain Unleash is built on, was compromised.

“The impact appears limited to Unleash-specific contracts and administrative controls,” the Unleash team said, adding that Story Protocol’s validators, core infrastructure, and contracts remain unaffected.

Unleash is one of the higher-profile applications in the Story Protocol ecosystem, which focuses on tokenised intellectual property and on-chain IP management.

PIP Labs, the company behind Story Protocol, has raised around $140 million in funding from prominent investors.

Users warned as investigation continues

The Unleash team has urged users not to interact with the protocol while the investigation is ongoing and said it will provide updates on the incident and potential remediation measures as more verified information becomes available.

As of the time of writing, Unleash had not disclosed whether it plans to pursue fund recovery efforts or compensation for affected users, and the use of Tornado Cash by the hacker may significantly complicate any attempts to trace or reclaim the stolen assets.

The post Unleash Protocol hacker moves stolen funds through Tornado Cash appeared first on CoinJournal.

Unleash Protocol hacker moves stolen funds through Tornado Cash

Source: https://coinjournal.net/news/unleash-protocol-hacker-moves-stolen-funds-through-tornado-cash/

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