Trading volume on prediction markets hits $3.1 billion for Super Bowl 2026, up 39%. But 78% of all Super Bowl betting dollars still go to unregulated operators.
Concerns over wallet safety have returned to focus as the Shiba Inu community faces a renewed wave of social engineering attacks. Developers and security teams have moved to limit user exposure, but warnings stress that responsibility still rests with individual holders. The latest incident highlights how interface design and user habits can amplify risk. It also underscores how easily attackers can replicate these schemes across platforms. Shiba Inu team flags a lookalike wallet threat Shiba Inu team member Lucie warned the community about a coordinated address poisoning campaign targeting Safe Wallet users. In a post on X , she said attackers created thousands of lookalike wallet addresses to misdirect transactions. Lucie clarified that the issue did not involve a protocol exploit, an infrastructure breach, a smart contract flaw, or a system compromise. She described the activity as deliberate user deception rather than a technical failure. According to Lucie, security teams identified around 5,000 malicious addresses. Safe Wallet flagged and began removing them from its interface to reduce accidental interaction. However, she cautioned that similar attacks remain easy to reproduce. For that reason, she urged SHIB holders to take extra precautions during transfers. Lucie advised users to verify full recipient addresses outside wallet interfaces. She also recommended using address books or allow lists for frequent transfers. In addition, she stressed the importance of sending small test transactions before high-value transfers. She framed these steps as essential safeguards rather than optional habits. Safe Labs details address poisoning campaign Safe Labs later confirmed the scale of the threat in a security update shared on Feb. 6. The firm reported a large-scale address-poisoning and social-engineering campaign targeting multisig users. It said SafeShield, supported by external security partners, flagged roughly 5,000 malicious addresses. Safe Labs added that the addresses were being removed from Safe Wallet’s UI to lower the risk of user error. Address poisoning exploits common wallet behavior. Many interfaces shorten addresses with ellipses for readability. As a result, users often check only the first and last characters. Attackers exploit this habit by creating addresses with matching prefixes and suffixes. A recent case illustrated the consequences. A crypto user reportedly lost $50 million after copying an address from transaction history. The victim first sent 50 USDT as a test transfer to his own wallet. The attacker quickly generated a spoofed address with identical starting and ending characters. When the victim copied the address from history, he unknowingly sent the remaining 49,999,950 USDT to the fake wallet. Security teams stressed that the loss did not stem from wallet failure. Instead, it reflected a copy-paste mistake amplified by address poisoning. The incident reinforced a broader lesson echoed by Lucie and Safe Labs. Users should always double-check full addresses and avoid copying recipients from transaction history, even for convenience.
div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown"> Market turmoil sent the digital currency favored by anti-establishment investors plunging to near $60,000 on Friday morning. This is a 50% decline from the record high it hit in October of last year, and it reflects a sharp 30% decline since January. After Donald Trump returned to the White House, advocates of the cryptocurrency had great expectations, but those hopes have not been fulfilled. Despite early industry excitement, the largest digital coin by market value is already trading far below its value on election night. This volatility highlights a growing trend: the asset is no longer trading in isolation, but is moving in tandem with the broader instability. Market analysts suggest that this downturn is fueled by the same fundamental driver that historically dictates Bitcoin’s valuation: a widespread retreat in investor enthusiasm, manifesting as a broad reduction in risk appetite across the global markets Broader market forces drag down prices Patterns observed in past downturns are reflected in the forces dragging the price downward. Values are nevertheless being dragged down by a general softening of investor demand , particularly in technology shares. Long-standing assertions that the digital asset is a hedge against price increases or that it signifies a move away from fiat currency have not stood up to examination. What’s happening in equity markets deserves attention, as it provides the blueprint for the current crypto collapse. The S&P 500 , a key measure of American stocks, has lost nearly 3% from its peak of 7,000 earlier in 2025. While that figure seems modest, it hides deeper problems beneath the surface. The Nasdaq Composite, weighted heavily toward technology companies, has fallen 6% from its high point in these opening weeks of the year. Sharon Bell, who studies stocks at Goldman Sachs, used the phrase “ tech wreck ” to describe current conditions. The situation appears puzzling when considering the favorable backdrop for risky bets , particularly in America. The Federal Reserve appears ready to lower borrowing costs further. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is moving forward with plans to send tax rebates to citizens. The president himself recently predicted the market would double “in a relatively short period of time.” The trouble stems not from artificial intelligence proving worthless, as some critics warned. Rather, the technology has shown itself to be remarkably effective, perhaps too much so. Companies focused on analytics and software took heavy losses this week after Anthropic, an AI firm, rolled out productivity applications that could eventually eliminate much of their business. “Software, data‑services companies, publishers, financial information providers, alternative asset managers, and gaming stocks have all sold off sharply on rising fears of AI‑driven disruption,” Bell wrote in her analysis. The software sector has declined 16% in 2025, she noted, while the Stoxx Europe 600 index, packed with commodity firms, utilities, industrial operations and financial institutions, has gained 4 percent. Investment leadership shifts away from tech The model of American dominance that shaped investment decisions for years is now faltering. President Trump’s unpredictable approach to international relations and economic matters has made investors outside the United States reconsider their heavy focus on American markets. But this technology sector adjustment is beyond the president’s influence and cannot be reversed through political maneuvering. Unlike previous market drops over the past year, executive action cannot fix this problem. Large investment firms have been saying for months that market leadership would eventually move away from companies building and powering artificial intelligence systems toward businesses that will actually benefit from the efficiency gains this technology delivers. Events this week suggest that transition has started sooner than anticipated. According to Deutsche Bank’s report, the investment environment has changed. The market now distinguishes between obvious winners and obvious losers rather than artificial intelligence uplifting the entire technology sector evenly. Speculative tokens and faltering software stocks are being rejected in the digital asset arena as a result of this “brutal” filtration process. Data compiled by Reid demonstrates the severity of losses in software companies. Duolingo has dropped 78% from its recent peak, PayPal has fallen 55%, and ServiceNow has declined 53% from their respective 52-week highs. “Over the last few months, the market has clearly shifted from the ‘every tech stock is a winner’ mindset to something far more brutal: a true winners and losers landscape,” Jim Reid, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, said this week. Technology now appears to be “eating itself,” he added. The broad optimism Reid references has supported all manner of speculative investments over the past two years, including cryptocurrency, according to FT. Given the more cautious market climate after this technology sector upheaval, the time has come for those funds to serve a better purpose in the financial system. Join a premium crypto trading community free for 30 days - normally $100/mo.
This week's top stories: Ripple joins White House crypto summit; Musk promises DOGE to the Moon; Brandt flags BTC market manipulation, CZ denies it; Buterin is selling his ETH holdings.
XRP’s price crash earlier this week has kept many bullish investors in the XRP community on edge, but one outspoken voice in the community believes the move is not as random as it looks. A crypto pundit known as Stellar Rippler has encouraged XRP holders to pull their cryptocurrencies off centralized exchanges immediately, with the outlook that the recent volatility is not just another routine market dip but a warning sign of what’s to come. Related Reading: Bitcoin Edges Past Gold In Appeal, JPMorgan Says Engineered XRP Crash? Stellar Rippler’s position is based on the idea that XRP is being treated differently from most digital assets behind the scenes. He pointed to past remarks from David Schwartz, co-creator of the XRP Ledger, where XRP was described as a form of pre-allocated liquidity for institutional use, as well as statements suggesting that XRP currently held in escrow can be sold to institutions but will not be circulated until NDAs are disclosed. He went further to name large financial players, including BlackRock, JPMorgan, Bank of America, and institutions linked to the BRICS, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and European central banking structures. According to the pundit, all these institutions have bought the right to buy the XRP currently held in escrow by Ripple. At the time of writing, there are no public filings that confirm coordinated buying of XRP escrows by these entities, but the argument has found receptive ears among investors unsettled by the recent sell-off. From that angle, the pundit noted that sudden downside moves, such as the recent drop to $1.15, are engineered. By “engineered,” this means the price crash serves a strategic purpose of creating opportunity for large financial players to accumulate XRP at lower prices before any market repricing takes place. Should You Take Your XRP Off Exchanges? Another part of the warning focused on user experience at major crypto exchanges. According to the pundit, Binance and Coinbase users have reportedly been facing difficulties getting their crypto off the exchanges. This, in itself, is a warning for XRP holders to get their cryptos off crypto exchanges and into a cold wallet. That message taps into conversation in crypto about self-custody versus keeping holdings on crypto exchanges. Calls to be your own bank tend to resurface whenever price action turns volatile. The alarm was sounded against the backdrop of a Bitcoin price crash below $70,000 that pulled most cryptocurrencies lower. XRP, in particular, dipped to around $1.15 during the sell-off before rebounding. Related Reading: Bitcoin Sell-Off May Be Done, Analyst Flags Recovery Signs At the time of writing, XRP is trading near $1.42, easing some immediate pressure but not fully restoring confidence. On the subject of confidence, sentiment surrounding XRP on social media is relatively optimistic. Data shows XRP is drawing more positive commentary than other large-cap assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum despite the recent market-wide crash. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) finally halted weeks of selling pressure with a strong inflow, offering a rare moment of relief. Ether and solana, however, remained under strain, while XRP continued to quietly rebuild momentum. Capital Rotates Back to Bitcoin ETFs While Ether, Solana Stay Under Pressure After days of relentless selling, the tone shifted modestly
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is raising the alarm over an emerging scam trend in which suspects pose as police officers to defraud victims of substantial amounts of cash and crypto. According to reports, fraudsters have contacted victims by phone, claiming to be OPP members. In each case, the suspect used fake names, titles, and badge information to gain credibility. Victims were instructed to withdraw large sums of money and either send the funds through crypto platforms or hand over cash directly. These tactics resulted in major financial losses, including incidents in which victims paid between $6,000 and $13,000 to individuals falsely claiming to be officers. Canada crypto scams on the rise The OPP also warned against crypto job fraud. According to the agency, the criminals are using the names of real companies in Canada. Fraudsters offer freelance job opportunities to “boost” products, apps, or videos using downloaded software. The #LanarkOPP is seeing an increase in crypto job frauds. Using the names of real companies in Canada, fraudsters offer freelance job opportunities to "boost" products, apps or videos using downloaded software. After the victim installs the software and creates an account,… pic.twitter.com/Reju5dY0h0 — OPP East Region (@OPP_ER) February 6, 2026 “After the victim installs the software and creates an account, they receive ‘orders’ or ‘tasks’ to complete. Victims might receive a small payment or commission in order to convince them that the job is legitimate,” OPP wrote . This report follows an Estevan Police Service report on Bitcoin scams . They received a call from a victim who was contacted by someone who sounded like their employer. The scammer directed the victim to deposit funds into a Bitcoin machine. Fraud in Canada has grown over the years. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, as of September 30, 2025, 33,854 fraud reports had been processed, involving 23,113 victims. Losses totalled $544 million. Most people paid with crypto, which cost $23,815 CAD per transaction. Meanwhile, the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) issued a statement, publicly announcing the release of its Digital Asset Custody Framework. It outlines how dealer members operating crypto asset trading platforms (CTPs) should ensure robust protection of digital assets. As reported by Cryptopolitan, additional requirements include firm governance policies that structure governance, ensuring compliance with key management operations, cybersecurity, incident response, and third-party risks. Also, mandatory insurance, independent audits, security compliance reports, and regular penetration testing are considered essential. To underscore the importance of transparency, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) imposed an approximately $12 million penalty on local crypto exchange Cryptomus last October for failing to report over 1,000 suspicious transactions linked to darknet markets and wallets. These transactions were reportedly linked to fraud, ransomware payments, and sanctions evasion. It also fined offshore exchanges KuCoin and Binance earlier in the year for similar reasons. Old people lose $700 million to an impersonation scam According to Chainalysis, at least $14 billion in crypto was winding its way to criminals last year, versus $13 billion in 2024. However, it expects the figure for 2025 to increase to $17 billion once it identifies more illicit wallets in the coming months. This is already a record high, with the value of individual scam payments also surging by 253% year-on-year in 2025. A big driver of these figures is the use of impersonation tactics, which grew 1,400% in volume YoY while related payments increased over 600%. Americans aged 60 and older reported losing $700 million to impersonation fraud last year, up from $122 million in 2020. Most of the increase was driven by high-dollar theft. Reports of scams involving more than $100,000 increased eight times over the last four years, while losses of less than $10,000 merely doubled. Although anyone can be a victim of an impersonation scam, the Federal Trade Commission says the elderly have been disproportionately harmed. Many scams rely on crypto transfers, which offer the advantage of being irreversible and decentralized. One-third of older adults who reported losing $10,000 or more said they used crypto as a payment method. Most of those victims specifically mentioned Bitcoin ATMs —physical kiosks that allow customers to transfer money from credit or debit cards directly into crypto. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .
BitcoinWorld Bitcoin World Live Feed Operating Hours: Essential Guide for Uninterrupted Crypto Coverage Global cryptocurrency traders and investors rely on the Bitcoin World Live Feed for continuous market intelligence, with comprehensive operating hours spanning from 10:00 p.m. UTC Sunday through 3:00 p.m. UTC Saturday. This coverage schedule represents a strategic approach to global financial markets, ensuring users receive real-time updates during peak trading periods while maintaining essential monitoring during quieter market hours. The cryptocurrency ecosystem operates across multiple time zones and trading sessions, making reliable information sources crucial for informed decision-making. Bitcoin World Live Feed Operating Hours Explained The Bitcoin World Live Feed provides continuous coverage for 137 hours each week, specifically from Sunday at 10:00 p.m. UTC through Saturday at 3:00 p.m. UTC. This schedule aligns with major global trading sessions across North American, European, and Asian markets. During these core hours, the feed delivers comprehensive updates including price movements, trading volumes, regulatory announcements, and technical analysis. The platform monitors over 200 cryptocurrency exchanges and tracks more than 10,000 digital assets. Market data refreshes every 15 seconds during standard operating hours, ensuring traders receive near-instantaneous information. Outside the primary operating window, the system maintains limited coverage focused exclusively on critical market-moving developments. This includes major exchange outages, significant regulatory announcements, security breaches affecting major platforms, or extraordinary price movements exceeding 15% within one hour. The selective weekend coverage reflects market realities, as trading volumes typically decrease by approximately 40-60% during Saturday and Sunday sessions compared to weekday averages. However, the system remains prepared to activate full coverage if market conditions warrant immediate attention. Global Cryptocurrency Market Coverage Strategy The Bitcoin World Live Feed operating hours correspond strategically with global financial market patterns. Asian markets typically open around 12:00 a.m. UTC, followed by European markets at approximately 7:00 a.m. UTC, and North American markets starting around 1:00 p.m. UTC. The feed’s coverage begins before Asian market openings and extends through the overlap of European and North American sessions. This timing ensures comprehensive monitoring of the most active trading periods when approximately 85% of daily cryptocurrency volume occurs. Market analysts recognize these overlapping hours as particularly volatile, making reliable information sources essential for risk management. Cryptocurrency markets differ significantly from traditional financial markets in their operating structure. While stock exchanges maintain specific trading hours, digital asset markets operate continuously. This 24/7 nature creates unique challenges for information providers who must balance comprehensive coverage with operational sustainability. The Bitcoin World Live Feed addresses this challenge through its structured schedule, which focuses resources on periods of highest market activity while maintaining essential monitoring capabilities during quieter periods. This approach mirrors strategies employed by major financial news organizations covering global markets across multiple time zones. Technical Infrastructure Supporting Continuous Coverage The Bitcoin World Live Feed utilizes distributed server infrastructure across three continents to ensure uninterrupted service during primary operating hours. Data centers in Singapore, Frankfurt, and Virginia provide redundancy and minimize latency for users worldwide. The system processes approximately 5 terabytes of market data daily during standard coverage periods, employing advanced algorithms to filter and prioritize information based on relevance and potential market impact. This technical foundation enables the platform to maintain its published operating hours with 99.95% uptime reliability, as measured throughout 2024. During limited coverage periods, the system automatically adjusts its monitoring intensity while maintaining critical alert protocols. Machine learning algorithms identify potential market-moving events based on historical patterns, news sentiment analysis, and social media monitoring. When the system detects events meeting predefined significance thresholds, it escalates alerts to on-call analysts who can activate expanded coverage if necessary. This hybrid approach combines automated monitoring with human expertise, ensuring important developments receive appropriate attention regardless of scheduled operating hours. Historical Context of Cryptocurrency Information Services Cryptocurrency information services have evolved significantly since Bitcoin’s creation in 2009. Early platforms offered basic price tracking with limited reliability and inconsistent coverage. As markets matured between 2015 and 2020, professional services emerged with more structured approaches to information delivery. The current generation of platforms, including Bitcoin World Live Feed, represents the third evolution of cryptocurrency information services, incorporating lessons from traditional financial news organizations while adapting to digital assets’ unique characteristics. The establishment of standardized operating hours reflects broader industry maturation. During cryptocurrency’s early years, many information services operated inconsistently with frequent outages during volatile periods. The current structured approach provides users with clear expectations regarding coverage availability, enabling better planning for trading and investment decisions. This reliability has become increasingly important as institutional investors enter cryptocurrency markets, bringing expectations developed through decades of experience with traditional financial information services. Comparative Analysis with Competing Services Bitcoin World Live Feed operating hours compare favorably with competing cryptocurrency information platforms. While some services claim 24/7 coverage, analysis reveals many utilize automated systems without human verification during off-peak hours. Other platforms maintain more limited schedules, sometimes covering only 12-16 hours daily. The Bitcoin World Live Feed’s 137-hour weekly coverage represents a balanced approach, exceeding basic services while maintaining sustainable operations. Independent analysis of ten major cryptocurrency information platforms conducted in Q4 2024 found average weekly coverage of 126 hours, placing Bitcoin World Live Feed above industry standards. The platform’s selective weekend coverage during limited hours addresses a specific market need. Weekend trading, while reduced in volume, can experience heightened volatility due to lower liquidity. Major price movements sometimes occur when traditional financial markets are closed, making reliable cryptocurrency information particularly valuable during these periods. The Bitcoin World Live Feed’s approach ensures users receive alerts for significant developments while avoiding information overload during typically quieter market conditions. This balanced methodology has received positive feedback from both retail and institutional users according to 2024 user satisfaction surveys. Impact on Trading and Investment Decisions Reliable information during specified operating hours significantly influences cryptocurrency trading outcomes. Studies of trading performance indicate that access to timely, accurate information correlates with improved risk-adjusted returns. The Bitcoin World Live Feed’s structured schedule helps users identify optimal trading windows aligned with peak information availability. Traders can plan activities around known coverage periods, particularly when executing strategies requiring real-time data for entry and exit decisions. This predictability represents a substantial advantage over platforms with inconsistent or unpredictable coverage patterns. For long-term investors, the feed provides essential context for portfolio decisions even outside primary operating hours. Critical alerts regarding security incidents, regulatory changes, or fundamental protocol developments ensure investors remain informed about events potentially affecting asset valuations. The system’s ability to distinguish between routine market noise and genuinely significant developments helps prevent reactionary decision-making based on insignificant price movements. This filtering capability becomes particularly valuable during periods of limited coverage when information scarcity might otherwise amplify the impact of minor developments. Future Developments in Cryptocurrency Information Services The cryptocurrency information landscape continues evolving alongside market maturation. Industry analysts anticipate several developments that may influence operating hour structures in coming years. Increasing institutional participation may drive demand for expanded coverage, particularly as cryptocurrency derivatives markets grow and traditional financial institutions extend trading hours to accommodate digital assets. Technological advancements in artificial intelligence and natural language processing could enable more comprehensive automated coverage during currently limited hours without proportional increases in operational costs. Regulatory developments also influence information service structures. As jurisdictions implement clearer cryptocurrency regulations, compliance requirements may necessitate more consistent monitoring and reporting. The Bitcoin World Live Feed’s current operating hours provide a foundation adaptable to these potential changes, with infrastructure capable of supporting expanded coverage if market conditions or regulatory requirements evolve. Platform developers have indicated plans to gradually extend coverage as user demand warrants, potentially moving toward truly continuous operation as technology and market conditions permit. Conclusion The Bitcoin World Live Feed operating hours from 10:00 p.m. UTC Sunday through 3:00 p.m. UTC Saturday represent a carefully designed balance between comprehensive coverage and operational sustainability. This schedule aligns with global cryptocurrency trading patterns, providing maximum value during periods of highest market activity while maintaining essential monitoring capabilities during quieter hours. As cryptocurrency markets continue maturing and attracting broader participation, reliable information services with transparent operating parameters become increasingly vital for informed decision-making. The Bitcoin World Live Feed’s structured approach to coverage availability provides users with predictable access to real-time cryptocurrency updates, supporting both active trading and long-term investment strategies in dynamic digital asset markets. FAQs Q1: Why does Bitcoin World Live Feed have limited hours instead of 24/7 coverage? The platform focuses resources on periods of highest market activity when approximately 85% of daily trading volume occurs. This balanced approach ensures comprehensive coverage during peak hours while maintaining sustainable operations and providing critical alerts during quieter periods. Q2: What constitutes a “critical market-moving development” during limited coverage hours? The system alerts users for major exchange outages, significant regulatory announcements, security breaches affecting major platforms, or extraordinary price movements exceeding 15% within one hour. These thresholds ensure users receive important information without notification overload. Q3: How do Bitcoin World Live Feed operating hours compare to traditional financial news services? Cryptocurrency information services typically offer more extensive hours than traditional financial news due to digital assets’ 24/7 trading. However, the structured approach mirrors traditional services’ focus on peak trading sessions while adapting to cryptocurrency markets’ continuous nature. Q4: Can users access historical data outside operating hours? Yes, the platform maintains complete historical data archives accessible regardless of current operating status. Users can review price charts, news archives, and analysis reports at any time, with real-time updates available only during published operating hours. Q5: Will Bitcoin World Live Feed expand its operating hours in the future? Platform developers have indicated plans to gradually extend coverage as user demand and market conditions warrant. Technological advancements may enable more comprehensive automated coverage during currently limited hours without proportional cost increases. This post Bitcoin World Live Feed Operating Hours: Essential Guide for Uninterrupted Crypto Coverage first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
The Bitcoin market is signaling a potential short-term recovery. Coinbase Premium's positive shift hints at renewed US investor interest. Continue Reading: Bitcoin Bounces Back: Is a Bull Market Brewing? The post Bitcoin Bounces Back: Is a Bull Market Brewing? appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
a16z’s general partner, Chris Dixon, explained on X that the cryptocurrency industry should not be criticized for focusing on the financial industry because money and capital are basic forms of coordination. Dixon shared his view that the industry’s current focus on financial products is necessary for the total adoption of digital assets. Why haven’t non-financial blockchain applications become mainstream yet? In a recent detailed statement, Chris Dixon, a general partner at a16z crypto explained that we are currently in the “financial era” of blockchains to counter critiques that “non-financial use cases” for cryptocurrencies are “dead” and that the “read-write-own” vision of the internet has failed. Dixon argued in his post on X that blockchains introduce a new way to coordinate people, capital, and even AI agents at a global scale. He explained that money and capital are the most basic forms of coordination, so finance is the most natural place for the technology to start. Dixon pointed out that technology usually follows a specific “order of operations.” For example, in the 1960s and 70s, the internet was focused on basic technical foundations like packet switching and TCP/IP. It took decades of building this “plumbing” before the world saw the rise of social media, video streaming, or global online communities. In the case of the blockchain industry, before we see massive adoption in categories like gaming, social media, or decentralized AI, we need a stable layer of “on-ramps.” This includes things like reliable digital wallets, identity systems, and high liquidity. Financial applications such as stablecoins, payments, and decentralized finance (DeFi) are the tools that bring people into the ecosystem. Once hundreds of millions of people are “on-chain” for financial reasons, getting users for other types of apps becomes easier. Recent market data shows that stablecoins have become one of the most successful products in the industry. For example, PayPal’s stablecoin (PYUSD) and Circle’s USDC have seen significant growth in transaction volume. a16z has focused on the “long game,” due to years of “rug pulls,” extractive scams, and aggressive regulatory battles that have made many people cynical about tokens. Dixon believes it is very difficult to build a community of owners when the environment is filled with fear and uncertainty. Positive government policy will impact the future of blockchain According to Dixon, the lack of clear government policy has been a massive development hurdle for the last five years, as legitimate builders were often afraid to innovate, and bad actors would take advantage of the confusion. However, the positive reaction to the GENIUS Act and the passing of the CLARITY Act have made stablecoins be viewed as a legitimate and important part of financial technology. Under Trump’s administration, there has been an increased focus on a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” and a move toward more crypto-friendly leadership at the SEC. This change in policy is expected to provide the “risk-based guardrails” that Dixon says are necessary to protect consumers and encourage institutional investment. Dixon pointed out that the first paper on neural networks, the basis for today’s AI, was published in 1943. Similarly, the commercial internet only became possible because of policy actions in the 1990s. The blockchain industry is currently in its “messy years,” but difficult periods of groundwork and policy-making will eventually lead to its “obvious years” of mainstream success. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .