‍CLAPS Crypto Casino Launches Mafia-Themed Web3 Gamification CLAPS crypto casino has introduced an innovative mafia-themed gamification model to enhance player engagement. The system features a comprehensive hierarchy of player ranks, from "Newcomer" to "The Godfather," along with missions, collectible badges, and an internal currency (CLAPS Points). Players progress by completing "contracts" and earning rewards, with unique badges showcasing achievements. A "Wheel of Crime" mechanic adds an element of chance for additional bonuses. Future updates plan to include NFT integration, social features, and tournaments, leveraging Web3 elements for a structured and engaging iGaming experience.
‍Recall & EigenCloud Pioneer Verifiable AI Performance Recall and EigenCloud are partnering to bring unprecedented transparency to AI model evaluation. This collaboration integrates EigenLayer’s verifiable inference technology into Recall's decentralized skill markets. The initiative establishes the industry's first end-to-end framework for verifiable performance data on AI models. EigenCloud's infrastructure, built on EigenLayer, allows independent verification of model outputs, ensuring cryptographically provable rankings. This addresses critical trust gaps in AI, verifying both execution and excellence. Andrew Hill, CEO of Recall, stated, "By combining our community-driven skill markets with cryptographically proven computation, we are delivering the first framework where an AI’s performance is not just claimed, but proven." This partnership showcases a powerful application for EigenCloud's infrastructure, enhancing integrity in the AI field.
‍Ethereum Flashes Bearish Signal: Historic Precedent for Price Drops Ethereum (ETH) is currently showing a "sell" signal on its weekly MACD indicator, a pattern that has historically preceded significant price corrections. Previous instances of this signal have led to ETH price drops ranging from 46% to over 60%. The $4,000 support level is crucial for bulls; a break below it historically led to a 78% decline. Analysts are divided, with some suggesting potential for an upside move if $3,899 holds, while others warn of imminent downward acceleration if $3,745 breaks.
‍Philippines Explores On-Chain Budget for Transparency, Faces Centralization Concerns The Philippines is considering Senate Bill 1330 to place its national budget on a blockchain, aiming to enhance transparency and combat corruption. However, legal experts raise concerns about potential centralization and privatization risks. Experts like former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay warn that a centralized blockchain may offer limited benefits over traditional systems. They emphasize that technology alone cannot fix institutional weaknesses in procurement, audits, or whistleblower protection. Recommendations include using open-source protocols, ensuring data portability, and preventing the de facto privatization of public information systems to mitigate risks. True blockchain benefits require careful design and public control, not just adopting the technology.
‍Visa: Stablecoins Could Revolutionize $40 Trillion Global Credit Market Payments giant Visa has outlined how stablecoins could unlock significant opportunities for traditional financial institutions. The company's report highlights the potential for migrating substantial portions of the $40 trillion global credit market onto programmable, blockchain-based rails. Stablecoin lending has already originated $670 billion in loans over the past five years. Circle's USDC and Tether's USDT dominate this space, accounting for 98% of current stablecoin borrowing. The total stablecoin market cap has increased by $100 billion year-to-date. However, risks remain. The IMF has cautioned against potential excessive risk-taking and leverage within the financial system due to stablecoin growth. Operational challenges, such as a recent incident involving the accidental minting and burning of $300 trillion in PayPal USD (PYUSD), also underscore the need for robust infrastructure.
‍Steak 'n Shake Celebrates Bitcoin Adoption with Branded Burger and Sales Surge The fast-food chain has reported double-digit same-store sales increases in Q2 and Q3, attributing some growth to the "Bitcoin community's fervor." Steak 'n Shake also launched a "Bitcoin Steakburger" and, following community pushback, reaffirmed its exclusive acceptance of BTC payments over ETH. This move highlights Bitcoin's growing utility and the influence of crypto communities on business strategies.
‍Babylon Labs Introduces Trustless Bitcoin Collateral for Ethereum DeFi Babylon Labs, co-founded by Stanford professor David Tse, has unveiled a novel system enabling native Bitcoin (BTC) to serve as trustless collateral for borrowing on Ethereum. The innovation utilizes BitVM3 for Bitcoin smart contract verification, allowing users to lock BTC in vaults. Withdrawals are secured by cryptographic proofs verified on the Bitcoin blockchain, eliminating the need for centralized custodians or bridges. An experimental token, VaultBTC, is currently being tested on the Morpho lending protocol. This advancement significantly reduces trust assumptions inherent in current DeFi practices, such as reliance on Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) custodians. While the core collateral mechanism is trustless, Babylon acknowledges trust assumptions in the liquidation process (reliant on whitelisted liquidators) and the accuracy of price oracles. Despite these considerations, the development marks a substantial step towards greater Bitcoin integration within DeFi, unlocking significant capital and liquidity.
‍France Launches Europe's First Tokenized Stock Exchange The Lightning Stock Exchange (Lise), a subsidiary of Kriptown, has received a DLT trading and settlement (TSS) license from France's ACPR. This makes Lise the first authorized tokenized equity exchange in Europe. Backed by BNP Paribas and Bpifrance, Lise aims to revolutionize IPOs for SMEs by reducing costs and increasing efficiency through asset tokenization. It plans to conduct its first tokenized IPOs in early 2026.
‍Temple Digital Group Raises $5M for Privacy-First Institutional Trading Platform Temple Digital Group has secured $5 million in seed funding to develop a privacy-focused trading platform on the Canton Network. The platform aims to unlock 24/7 digital asset markets with built-in compliance and seamless connectivity for institutions. Leveraging Canton's privacy-preserving architecture, the platform will offer automated order routing, all-to-all liquidity, robust reporting, instant settlement, and non-custodial wallets. Temple plans to expand its offerings to support a wider array of assets and integrations across blockchain networks, positioning itself as a "core trading engine" for institutional digital asset use cases.
‍Everstake Achieves Unprecedented Five Institutional-Grade Certifications Everstake, the leading non-custodial staking provider, has become the first crypto staking company to hold all five key institutional certifications. This includes NIST CSF 2.0 alignment, CCPA compliance, alongside existing SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and GDPR compliance. These independently audited certifications, verified by Prescient Security, establish a new benchmark for security in digital asset staking, addressing a key barrier to institutional adoption cited by 55% of institutions. Everstake's NIST CSF assessment achieved an "Optimized" maturity level (4.16), placing it among the top 4% globally.