Blackrock CEO Larry Fink warns surging oil prices tied to geopolitical tensions could tip the global economy into a steep recession, while contrasting scenarios highlight how energy markets may determine inflation, growth and investor sentiment. Oil Shock Threatens Global Economy Outlook Mounting geopolitical strain and energy volatility are raising recession concerns as Blackrock CEO Larry
Payy raised $6m led by FirstMark to build a zero-knowledge L2 and wallet that make $USDC payments private by default, targeting enterprise stablecoin flows that avoid fully transparent chains. Summary Payy, a New York-based stablecoin startup, closed a $6 million seed round led by FirstMark Capital in December 2025, bringing its total funding to $8
Key takeaways Superintelligence is set to become the most transformative technology humanity will ever develop. The global race for superintelligence is expected to dominate international priorities and resources. Rising oil prices or increased interest rates could prematurely end the current economic cycle. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have historically influenced oil prices, adding a
Key takeaways Tokenization streamlines traditional finance by minimizing counterparty and operational risks. The integration between global crypto markets and traditional finance is still in its early stages. Stablecoins have become well-integrated into the financial system, particularly in terms of custody. Tokenized funds are emerging, but there’s a lack of integration with decentralized finance. Many tokenized
Key takeaways Acquiring intellectual property can significantly enhance competitive advantage and speed up development. The acquisition of IP has led to a substantial increase in company valuation. Many companies claiming proprietary data are often repackaging existing data. Scalability in tech services requires maintaining quality while increasing efficiency. Recent funding rounds reflect significant growth and favorable
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said Circle could reach a valuation of roughly $75 billion by 2030, laying out a long-term framework that focuses on stablecoin adoption rather than short-term regulatory noise. In his weekly memo, Hougan framed Circle’s value around three variables: the size of the stablecoin market, $USDC’s market share, and the company’s long-term
Startale Group said it closed a $63 million Series A round, adding $50 million from SBI Group to a $13 million first close from Sony Innovation Fund in January. The Singapore-based company, which operates in Japan, builds blockchain tools for both financial firms and retail users. Its products include Strium, a blockchain for tokenized securities
A new development has emerged regarding CEA Industries (BNC), a $BNB treasury company funded by YZi Labs, the investment arm of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. This development comes after a long-standing governance dispute between YZi Labs, the company’s largest investor, and the CEA board of directors. As a result of this development, Hans
Ondo Finance said it will work with Franklin Templeton to bring tokenized versions of traditional investment products to blockchain users, a step that reflects a broader push to merge conventional finance with crypto infrastructure. The effort centers on Ondo Global Markets, a platform that issues blockchain-based tokens backed by real-world assets such as publicly traded