U.S. TikTok Influencer Helped North Korean Workers Steal Millions via Crypto

The post U.S. TikTok Influencer Helped North Korean Workers Steal Millions via Crypto appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News This is a shocker you’re not ready for! A U.S.-based TikTok influencer has been sentenced to prison for helping North Korean operatives land jobs at over 300 American companies including targets in tech, aerospace, and possibly crypto. Christina Marie Chapman, 50, was sentenced to 102 months in prison for running a complex operation that allowed North Korean IT workers to pose as U.S. employees. Authorities say her actions helped the regime funnel over $17 million out of the U.S., while putting sensitive industries at risk. A Remote Job Scam With Global Stakes Chapman ran what investigators described as a “laptop farm” from her home in Arizona. She used stolen or borrowed identities to help North Korean workers apply for remote jobs. Once hired, the laptops sent by U.S. companies were connected to operatives based near North Korea , making it look like the work was being done from within the U.S. She even shipped at least 49 devices overseas, including to a city near the China-North Korea border. A search of her home in 2023 uncovered over 90 laptops, many tagged with fake or stolen identities. Her setup was helping them access corporate systems, receive payments through U.S. banks, and send that money abroad under false names. Over 300 Companies Fooled – Crypto Not Spared! According to the Department of Justice , at least 68 stolen identities were used to trick 309 U.S. companies and two international firms into hiring North Korean workers. Some of these job applications even targeted U.S. government agencies, though those attempts reportedly failed. While specific crypto companies weren’t named, the industry is firmly in the line of fire. North Korea has a long track record of using fake remote jobs to embed workers into Western firms, especially crypto startups. In fact, a report by Chainalysis shows DPRK-linked hackers stole $1.34 billion in cryptocurrency in 2024 alone. Crypto Hiring Needs a Reality Check The crypto space often has fewer checks in place for remote roles. That’s exactly what makes it attractive to North Korean operatives, according to U.S. intelligence reports. Despite increased efforts by law enforcement, officials believe hundreds of DPRK-linked IT workers are still active inside global firms including in crypto.

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Corporate Bitcoin holdings surge 35% in one quarter, Here’s who is buying

Public companies are accumulating Bitcoin ( BTC ) at an unprecedented pace, with corporate holdings surging 35% from Q1 to Q2 2025, according to exclusive research from Fidelity Digital Assets. The data, compiled by analyst Zack Wainwright and distributed by Chris Kuiper on Thursday, July 24, reveals that companies now hold nearly 900,000 BTC, growing from virtually zero in 2017, with the steepest growth curve occurring in recent quarters. Bitcoin accumulated by public companies holding 1,000+ BTC. Source: Fidelity Fidelity Digital Assets has been closely monitoring this trend through public company filings and announcements. The research firm’s data shows consistent growth in both the number of participating companies and total Bitcoin accumulation since tracking began. Rapid corporate adoption Fidelity’s tracking shows the number of public companies holding 1,000+ BTC jumped from 24 companies at the end of Q1 2025 to 30 at the end of Q2, and has now reached 35 companies partway through Q3. This represents a 46% increase in participating companies in just two quarters. Total public companies holding 1,000 BTC. Source: Fidelity Corporate Bitcoin purchases totaled 99,857 BTC in Q1 2025 before accelerating to 134,456 BTC in Q2 2025, representing a 35% quarter-over-quarter increase. What makes this trend particularly significant is how the buying patterns have evolved. According to Kuiper’s analysis, “from Q1 to Q2,Bitcoin purchases became more widely distributed across public companies rather than concentrated among a few large buyers.” The pie charts accompanying Fidelity’s research show a clear shift in acquisition patterns. While Q1 2025 was dominated by one massive buyer (represented by the large orange slice), Q2 2025 shows much more diversified purchasing across multiple companies, with several medium-sized buyers entering the market. Public company Bitcoin acquisitions Q1 vs. Q2 2025. Source: Fidelity This broadening of participation could provide more sustained demand compared to periods dominated by a single large purchaser. Featured image via Shutterstock. The post Corporate Bitcoin holdings surge 35% in one quarter, Here’s who is buying appeared first on Finbold .

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Bit Mining: Undervalued, Unproven, And Eyeing Solana

Summary Bit Mining's pivot to a Solana treasury strategy introduces speculative upside, especially if SOL rallies and the company executes its planned crypto purchases. Despite declining revenues, Bit Mining has improved operational efficiency, narrowed losses, and deleveraged its balance sheet, but ongoing dilution remains a key risk. BTCM trades below book value and at modest sales multiples, positioning it as a high-risk, leveraged crypto proxy if Solana outperforms in this bull cycle. Investors should be cautious of negative operating margins, liquidity constraints, and heavy dilution, but BTCM offers asymmetric upside for risk-tolerant crypto equity investors. Bit Mining Limited (BTCM) is one of the lesser-covered Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) mining companies in the industry, but has gained investor attention since the recent adoption of a corporate Bitcoin treasury strategy last December and, more recently, a planned pivot into Solana ( SOL-USD ) treasury strategy. Crypto treasury strategies have been one of the latest financial engineering tools to attract crypto-aligned capital, ever since Strategy ( MSTR ) made that first-mover leap about four years ago. Hundreds (if not thousands) of publicly traded companies (even non-Bitcoin-native companies and, in some cases, non-technology companies) have adopted a crypto-backed balance sheet. Like every other Bitcoin treasury company I've covered, I'll take a look at the Bit Mining's underlying business (if there is any), and analyze the balance sheet to gauge liquidity risk, prior debt and equity raises, and to understand the potential dilution risk or upside as an investor, and finally compare the company's market valuation to the underlying assets in the corporate treasury and identify the discount or premium to the underlying asset. Issuing equity at market or ATM offerings and using the proceeds for a treasury has been the default fundraising option for most companies pursuing the corporate treasury strategy. This comes with dilution risk for investors; therefore, an objective due diligence on the business model, financing structure, and treasury composition is an absolute necessity. Bit Mining Limited: Company Overview Bit Mining Limited has been around for a while, but remained relatively less covered compared to most of the other mining peers. And the fact that the company has been relatively unknown presents some fresh upside for investors if the company executes both its crypto mining and related businesses well, and the crypto market maintains momentum, thus re-rating the crypto assets in its treasury. There has always been this recurring pattern in crypto market cycles where a new entrant or recently de-SPACed miner breaks into the spotlight and gains significant market valuation in a crypto bull market. A good example is Cipher Mining ( CIFR ), which went public via SPAC in 2021 and despite being a relatively late entrant, saw its valuation swell during the 2021 crypto bull run, purely on the strength of future capacity projections and macro tailwinds, not because of any extraordinary technological edge at the time. I think it is easier for Bitcoin miners to break into the spotlight in the Bitcoin mining industry compared to other tech sectors, like AI, where a cutting-edge product would be the minimum threshold for such breakthrough. Mining is often a timing game, not a tech breakthrough game. Bit Mining isn't exactly a new Bitcoin mining company, but its relatively unknown status puts it in the same category as a new entrant miner with the potential for a bull market re-rating. Bit Mining was formerly a Chinese online sports lottery company that operated under the brand name 500.com. The company entered the crypto mining business in December 2020, and following that business pivot, there was a rebrand from 500.com to Bitcoin Mining Limited in early 2021. The rebrand was also followed by the exit of mining operations from China, following the crypto mining ban in China in 2021. Bit Mining now runs its facilities in the U.S. and Africa. Bit Mining has active operations in crypto mining, data center operations, and mining machine manufacturing. All the business segments are currently still operational and revenue-generating. Bit Mining currently operates around 133.5 MW total active power across its facilities, with a significant portion of this capacity dedicated to hosting services, while the remainder supports the company's self-mining operations. These facilities are located in Ohio (82.5 MW) and in Ethiopia, East Africa (51 MW). The East Africa expansion is ongoing, and some of the total 51 MW capacity at the Ethiopia data centers were acquired just last week . This ongoing and active investment in the underlying Bitcoin mining business is the first clear indication that Bit Mining isn't planning to become a pure-play crypto treasury company. I believe Bit Mining's ongoing capital deployment in the underlying Bitcoin mining business is a point worth highlighting. As we go further in this article, a peer comp will show why the fact that there is still ongoing investment and expansion in the Bitcoin mining business, despite the Solana strategy pivot, is an undervalued signal of strategic intent. Bit Mining's other business segments include the manufacture of ASIC mining hardware in collaboration with its fully-owned subsidiary Bee Computing , primarily used in-house. The mining hardware built by Bit Mining is mainly designed for alternative PoW cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin ( DOGE-USD ), Litecoin ( LTC-USD ), and Ethereum Classic ( ETC-USD ). The mining operations utilizing this hardware generated a significant $4.5 million in revenue from DOGE/LTC production in Q4 2024, notably surpassing their Bitcoin mining and even data center service fee revenues for that period which generated $0.3 million and $3.8 million respectively. Total revenue for Q4 FY24 was $8.8 million. Bit Mining released its unaudited Q4 FY24 and full year FY24 results earlier this year, but the full-year results were formally filed in the 20F with the SEC more recently. And for this piece, I'll focus more on the full-year result for a more holistic and comprehensive view of the company's performance over an extended period, thus smoothing out any quarterly fluctuations that might misconstrue the company's broader financial trend. Bit Mining: A Look at Fiscal Year 2024 Financials Bit Mining Limited has experienced a continuous decline in total revenues over the three-year period presented in the FY24 results. Bit Mining's total revenue has been mainly composed of crypto mining and data center operations. Total revenue declined from $57.03 million in 2022 to $43.1 million in 2023, then further contracted to $33 million last year. Notably, within the revenue composition, crypto mining revenue was the primary driver of the total revenue decline. Crypto mining revenue has declined by ~64% from $46.83 million in 2022 to $17.1 million last year. Revenue breakdown (Company filing) On the other hand, the data center segment initially showed growth in sales, rising from around $10 million in 2022 to $21.54 million in 2023, before declining slightly to $15.83 million last year. Despite last year's contraction in data center revenue, data center services have become a relatively more significant component of the overall revenue mix compared to cryptocurrency mining. Last year's data center revenue ($15,83 million) was almost on par with cryptocurrency mining revenue ($17.1 million), whereas in 2022, mining revenue was almost 5x larger than data center. Bit Mining has narrowed its net losses and reduced major operating expenses [OpEx] despite the declining revenue. The reduced OpEx is naturally expected since a big portion of the sales has been linked to crypto mining operations, which are tied directly to the cost of revenue related to crypto mining, thus the reduced OpEx. It would have been a worrying story and an operational red flag right off the bat without going further into other aspects of the financials if the OpEx trend did not mirror the revenue trend. Operation costs and expenses (Company filing) The total OpEx figures show a nearly 50% decline between 2022 and 2024, dropping from $85.7 million in 2022 to $43.8 million in 2024. Despite the seemingly impressive reduction in OpEx highlighted, it is worth mentioning that total OpEx has remained very high compared to total revenue, and this has caused an ongoing severe margin compression. Operating margins for Bit Mining have been negative for the three consecutive years reported in the financial statement. The gap between total revenue and total OpEx has, however, narrowed over time; it shrank from $28.7 million in 2022 to just $10.8 million in 2024. Statement of operations (Company filing) The cost management has resulted in a positive trend for Bit Mining's profitability, showing a reduction in operating losses. The financial statement shows a strong improvement in the bottom line from a substantial net loss in 2022 of $158.42 million to a net income of $11.92 million in 2024. Note that the $158.42 million bottom line figure in 2022 includes both continuing and discontinued operations. In 2022, the former lottery business was still bleeding significant cash and recognized that massive loss. The loss was substantially reduced in 2023 and then turned into a profit last year, indicating the successful winding down or disposal of these operations. Investors' interest moving forward should, however, focus on Bit Mining's underlying continuing operations. The operating losses in continuing operations themselves have also narrowed. Though net income in continuing operations remained negative, it came down to a manageable level of $7 million as of the 2024 end, compared to 2022 and 2023 figures of $79.4 million and $29.4 million, respectively. This is an indication that Bit Mining's core crypto-related businesses are becoming much more efficient and less loss-making. And just to clarify, the net profit of $11.92 million mentioned earlier for the ultimate bottom line was as a result of the successful winding down and final disposition of the unprofitable discontinued (lottery) operations, which culminated in a substantial one-time gain of $18.7 million last year, as the "gain on disposal of discontinued operations" line shows in the company's financial statement above. Balance sheet (Company filing) Bit Mining maintains a very strong equity base relative to its liabilities. The balance sheet has been deleveraged. Total liabilities decreased by nearly 60% from FY23 levels, from $47.46 million as of FY23 end to $19.55 million last year end. The company's total debt or interest-bearing liabilities now stand at $2.55 million; that figure used to be over $4 million in 2022 and 2023. The overall debt burden is now low. The company appears to be playing it safe financially. While the debt is low, investors should be aware that the company's cash position as of FY24 end of $1.81 million falls short of covering the existing total debt. This implies that while leverage is low, immediate liquidity remains tight and should be monitored. Bit Mining total debt (TradingView) While the balance looks attractive from a low leverage standpoint, this has come at the expense of existing shareholders as the company favors equity over debt. There have been multiple rounds of dilution in the past, and the next phases of expansion will involve equity raises, which the company has already announced. This reinforces the pattern of ongoing shareholder dilution. BTCM total share outstanding (TradingView) BTCM's share count has steadily increased over the years. As of 2023 end, there were 1.11 billion Class A ordinary shares outstanding, and by last year end the share count jumped to 1.59 billion shares. Each BTCM American Depository Share [ADS] represents 100 Class A ordinary shares, thus the share count converts to 11.11 million ADS shares outstanding in 2023, and the ADS now stands at 15.95 million; that is a ~43% year-over-year increase. With the expansion into infrastructure and hosting and pivot to a crypto treasury strategy, this trend is likely to persist. The recent acquisition of the data center in Ethiopia was funded entirely through equity, with around 45.3 million Class A ordinary shares issued to complete the transaction. I think Bit Mining's cash balance of $1.8 million is low relative to the capital requirements of the current expansion and operational buildout. Investors should be acutely aware of the potential for heavy dilution going forward. Undervalued or Unproven? A Look at BTCM's Valuation Multiples BTCM's biggest swing factor remains the SOL purchase plans for its corporate treasury. When the ATM closes and the Solana purchase is executed, it'll introduce a valuation wildcard to BTCM's valuation (as we've seen with most companies pivoting toward a crypto treasury strategy lately). The news of the Solana pivot saw BTCM surging 135% and trading over $6 two weeks ago. BTCM has retraced so far and now trades around $3.4. I think anytime the actual announcement of the SOL purchases for treasury happens, it will likely reignite momentum and potentially drive another rerating. BTCM has seen a prolonged drawdown since dropping below $10 in mid 2022; hence, the stock now trades at a modest valuation to sales and book value. With a price/sales of 1.18x and a price/book of 0.93x, BTCM isn't the most overhyped crypto miner or one of the overvalued crypto treasury companies. But investors should exercise some caution to not overly interpret the low multiples as an automatic undervaluation; I think the market still views BTCM's treasury strategy and pivot as unproven for now, since no actual SOL purchases have taken place yet. Data by YCharts BTCM's current valuation, however, gives it the potential to become one of the crypto treasury companies to trade at a much more attractive premium to its underlying crypto assets, depending on how much of the planned $200 million to $300 million ATM raise is channeled to SOL purchases. Risks and Takeaways With a closer look at the FY24 financials, the underlying Bitcoin mining and data center business, and the current valuation, Bit Mining has the potential to rebound like a phoenix from the ashes. That said, we need to keep in mind that operating margins have been negative for the company, and real operational work is still required for fundamentals to improve. The pivot to SOL doesn't automatically fix this. Cryptocurrencies remain highly volatile assets, and companies pursuing a balance sheet backed by crypto risk significant downside during crypto market drawdowns. Furthermore, in Bit Mining's case, pivoting to SOL means introducing a new layer of volatility tied to Solana's price. Once the SOL accumulation is executed, a part of BTCM's valuation will depend on how much upside SOL sees for the remainder of this bull market. SOL vs peers YTD price trend (Seeking Alpha) For investors seeking a leveraged crypto bet through a corporate treasury stock, BTCM's current low valuation gives it the potential to be an attractive proxy play when SOL meaningfully enters the balance sheet. So far this year, SOL has underperformed compared to top-ranking crypto peers; therefore, Solana has the potential to run higher if the crypto market maintains current momentum. And the fact that SOL's price performance has lagged that of top-ranking crypto peers could present an opportunity for Bit Mining to effect its SOL purchases at prices that will lower the cost basis. These make BTCM's exposure to SOL a speculative opportunity with asymmetric upside for risk-tolerant investors who want crypto equity exposure via Solana.

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Bitcoin Theory is No Longer Valid, says Crypto Expert

The post Bitcoin Theory is No Longer Valid, says Crypto Expert appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News Founder and CEO of CryptoQuant, Ki Young Ju, apologizes for his recent Bitcoin predictions. Ju admits that in recent months, the global crypto cycle has shifted rapidly, breaking the traditional market theories. He confesses that his theory is outdated, as he notes the shift in crypto whales’ behavior. The Bear and Bull Cycle Breaks in Crypto CryptoQuant’s Ju realizes that the four-year bull and bear cycles driven by whale (large crypto holders) accumulation and retail investor behavior are no longer applicable in the current crypto environment. Initially, in April, Ju had predicted the end of the Bitcoin bull cycle, which he recently realized was incorrect. In a recent post on X, Ju states, “buy when whales accumulate, sell when retail joins. But that pattern no longer holds.” Currently, the large crypto holders are transferring their digital assets to new institutional treasury companies and long-term investment funds. This has changed the old cycle where whales sold their positions to retailers, allowing for fluent liquidity. Following the invalidation of his prediction, Ju states, “I sincerely apologize if my prediction impacted your investment. I’ll be more careful with forecasts and focus on providing data-driven insights. #Bitcoin cycle theory is dead. My predictions were based on it—buy when whales accumulate, sell when retail joins. But that pattern no longer holds. Last cycle, whales sold to retail. This time, old whales sell to new long-term whales. Institutional adoption is bigger than we… — Ki Young Ju (@ki_young_ju) July 24, 2025 What’s the Highlight of the New Crypto Market Ju states that the current crypto market lacks clarity in direction, as he calls for new analytical frameworks to understand the evolving landscape. However, some experts suggest contrary opinions that the current cycle may still align with the bull markets. Based on the current prices and flows, Bitcoin Magazine Pro analysts predict that with the Bitcoin cycle, markets may peak around October 2025. Ran Neer, a renowned name in Bitcoin predictions, suggests that current market dynamics follow historical patterns, the bull market. It may even continue into late 2025. What Should You Do? Despite what the experts say, it is still crucial for investors to consider multiple perspectives and adapt analytical modes as the crypto market continues to rapidly grow. As the participation and adoption are increasing in the digital assets space, market observers should remain open to evolving trends.

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Raoul Pal Defends Bitcoin Amid FT Criticism While Robert Kiyosaki Sees Bitcoin ETF as a Mixed Option

🚀 Are You Chasing New Coins? Catch the newest crypto opportunities. Be the first to buy, be the first to win! Click here to discover new altcoins! Raoul Pal challenges

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Bitcoin Is Suddenly On The Brink As Crypto Braces For A $50 Trillion Price Shock

Analysts are betting the bitcoin price is on the brink of a major move...

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TRON H1 2025: Consistent Growth Across Key Fundamental Metrics

TRON posted a strong first half of 2025, with rising onchain activity, ecosystem expansion, and continued leadership in the stablecoin space. The core network fundamentals point to sustained growth potential. Read the full report to learn more about TRON’s key updates and achievements. Key Takeways TRON saw strong onchain performance in H1 2025, with transaction volume, active addresses, and revenue reaching near-record levels. USDT supply on TRON surged 41% to 81.2B, reinforcing the network’s dominance in stablecoin infrastructure. TRON ranked among the top blockchains in user activity and revenue, outpacing many Layer-1 competitors. New integrations and high-profile Super Representatives signaled rising institutional interest and long-term confidence in the network. TRON’s H1 2025 in Rewind In the first half of 2025 Kiln, Nansen, P2P.org, and Kraken joined the TRON network as Super Representatives , expanding and strengthening its validator base. These additions bring institutional credibility and technical expertise, reflecting growing confidence in TRON’s ecosystem. Their involvement enhances decentralization and reinforces the network’s governance and resilience. In June 2025, a new stablecoin USD1 launched on the TRON network, introduced by World Liberty Financial . Its presence adds to TRON’s growing roster of stablecoins and, if embraced more widely in the future, could bolster the network’s reputation as a hub for stablecoin activity. TRON's integrations with platforms like AEON Pay, Bridge.xyz, Chainlink, MoonPay, Plume, Turnkey, and Rumble in the first half of 2025 reflected steady ecosystem expansion and growing developer interest. These partnerships span infrastructure, payments, data, and user onboarding, which improves TRON’s utility across key areas of Web3. This ecosystem expansion, combined with strong onchain momentum, contributed to a notable rise in the market cap of TRX , the native utility token of the TRON network. Since the start of 2025, TRX’s market cap has climbed by 33.8%, fueled largely by price appreciation and continued token burns that have reduced supply and supported upward pressure. TRON On-chain Metrics Show Sustained Growth and Rising User Activity TRON’s network utilization continued its upward trend in Q2 2025, reflecting growing demand and consistent user engagement. The quarter recorded over 784M transactions, making it the second-highest in the network’s history, just behind the peak in Q1 2023. This sustained growth in activity highlights the strength of TRON’s onchain ecosystem and its ability to attract and retain transaction volume at scale. Quarterly Transactions on TRON TRON ranked among the top five blockchain networks by transaction volume in H1 2025. While ICP and Solana led the chart by a wide margin, TRON held a solid position ahead of major competitors like BNB Chain, Near, and Sui. TRON’s quarterly revenue continued to climb in H1 2025, reflecting both rising on-chain activity and sustained ecosystem growth. After a steady uptrend throughout 2024, revenue accelerated sharply over the past two quarters, reaching almost $1 billion in Q2 2025. This marks the network’s highest revenue to date. Quarterly Revenue on TRON Moreover, TRON led all blockchain networks in burning revenue during H1 2025, outperforming Ethereum and Solana by a wide margin. With almost $319M in burning revenue in H1, TRON secured the top spot ahead of traditionally dominant platforms, reflecting its high transaction volume and efficient value capture. This strong financial performance highlights TRON’s growing role not just as a high-usage network, but as one of the top-earning blockchain. Monthly active addresses on TRON remained consistently strong throughout H1 2025, showing a clear rebound from mid-2024 levels. After a period of slight fluctuation, user activity picked up steadily in early 2025, culminating in the highest monthly count in over a year by May. This uptick likely comes from an increased usage of stablecoins on TRON. Monthly Active Addresses on TRON TRON ranked third among all blockchains in average daily active addresses during H1 2025, trailing only Solana and Near. With a significantly higher count than BNB Chain, Base, and Aptos, TRON maintained a strong position in user activity despite fierce competition. This ranking underscores the network’s ability to retain a large and engaged user base, reinforcing its relevance in the broader Layer 1 landscape. Stablecoin Growth on TRON Signals Rising Network Utility TRON solidified its lead as the primary network for USDT in H1 2025, driven by accelerating demand and growing utility. The supply of USDT on TRON reached 81.2 billion by the end of the half, marking a 41% increase since 2024. This surge reflects both rising demand for stablecoins and TRON’s dominance as a preferred settlement layer for USDT transfers. The rapid growth reinforces TRON’s position as the leading network for Tether issuance, well ahead of competitors in both volume and adoption. USDT Supply on TRON TRON remained one of the leading blockchains in stablecoin activity during H1 2025, ranking third in total transfer volume behind only Base and Ethereum, where activity is primarily driven by other stablecoins. Despite intense competition from newer and faster-growing chains, TRON outpaced Solana, BNB Chain, and Polygon. Its consistent performance in this metric highlights the platform’s deep integration into global crypto payments and remittance flows. TVL Slides as TRON’s DeFi Sector Navigates a Reset for a Potential Rebound Since the start of 2025, TRON’s DeFi ecosystem has faced headwinds, with USD-denominated TVL falling by 33%, from nearly $7.5B to $5B. This decline not only reflects broader market volatility but also led to TRON losing its spot as the third-largest blockchain by TVL. The launch of USDD 2.0 in January 2025 marks a strategic step toward reinvigorating TRON’s DeFi ecosystem. Unlike its predecessor, which was managed by the TRON DAO Reserve, the updated stablecoin is now fully governed by decentralized smart contracts. Users can mint USDD directly by depositing TRX and USDT, with no centralized custodian involved. This shift not only enhances transparency but also reduces the risk of centralized control or asset freezes. With migration to the new system now underway, USDD 2.0 could help restore confidence in TRON-native DeFi and serve as a foundation for future protocol growth. TRON currently ranks fifth among all blockchains by total value locked, holding 1.95% of the global TVL. This marks a drop of a few positions compared to earlier in the year, reflecting the impact of recent capital outflows and heightened competition. While Ethereum continues to dominate with 66.2%, and chains like Solana and BNB Chain maintain strong positions, TRON’s share remains notable, indicating it is still a relevant player in the DeFi landscape despite recent declines. The Bottom Line TRON’s performance in H1 2025 demonstrated the network’s continued strength as a high-throughput, revenue-generating blockchain with a deeply integrated role in global stablecoin infrastructure. Key metrics such as transaction volume, number of active addresses, and protocol revenue all trended positively, placing TRON among the top-performing chains. Consistent USDT growth further underscored its appeal to both users and institutional partners. However, challenges remain. TRON’s decline in TVL and its slip in DeFi rankings highlight areas where the network could deepen its competitive positioning, particularly in attracting more capital-intensive applications and developers. Strengthening its DeFi ecosystem and increasing cross-chain composability will be critical to long-term resilience. Looking ahead, TRON’s dominant position in the stablecoin economy, especially as the leading network for USDT, could be a major catalyst for future growth. If the US moves toward regulatory clarity or approval of frameworks like the GENIUS Act, demand for stablecoins could surge. In that scenario, TRON is well positioned to capture a significant share of new user flows, cementing its role as a foundational layer for digital dollar transactions worldwide. Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

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JPMorgan Chase Highlights Sector That’s Primed To Outperform US Equities Over the Next 10–15 Years, Outlines Diversification Strategy

Bank behemoth JPMorgan Chase is predicting one sector will outperform US stocks in the coming years. In a new investment strategy note, JPMorgan analysts Andrew VanWazer and William M. Smith say that international stocks may put up a lot more gains than US stocks for at least the next decade. “JP Morgan asset management’s long-term capital market Assumptions suggest developed international stocks may produce better annual returns than US equities over the next 10 to 15 years. The expected difference is about 1.4% annually – specifically, 8.1% for EAFE stocks (Europe, Australasia, Far East) versus 6.7% for US stocks. While these numbers aren’t predictions, they’re helpful data points based on assumptions about earnings, valuations, currency shifts and dividends.” The banking analysts are now recommending a new blend of international stocks with US stocks to better diversify an investment portfolio and manage risk better, such as if the handful of US tech firms responsible for most of the S&P 500’s recent gains stumble. “Adding just a 30% allocation to non-US developed markets brings more diversification than it did a decade ago, when the US and international split was closer to even… International diversification is not about betting against the US. It’s about reducing dependence on a single region or group of companies. In times of uncertainty, that kind of balance can help portfolios stay on track.” Follow us on X , Facebook and Telegram Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox Check Price Action Surf The Daily Hodl Mix Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing. Generated Image: Midjourney The post JPMorgan Chase Highlights Sector That’s Primed To Outperform US Equities Over the Next 10–15 Years, Outlines Diversification Strategy appeared first on The Daily Hodl .

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Google Opal: Unleashing Revolutionary AI Web App Creation for Everyone

BitcoinWorld Google Opal: Unleashing Revolutionary AI Web App Creation for Everyone The landscape of technology is rapidly evolving, with artificial intelligence at its forefront. The rise of AI coding tools has captured the attention of developers and tech enthusiasts alike, transforming how software is built. Google, a titan in the tech world, is now stepping into this exciting arena with its latest experiment: Google Opal . This innovative app promises to democratize app development, making it accessible to a much wider audience, including those with no prior coding experience. What is Google Opal and How Does It Work? Google Opal is an experimental vibe-coding app available through Google Labs in the U.S. It allows users to create mini web applications using simple text prompts. Imagine describing an app idea in plain language, and having an AI build it for you. That’s the core promise of Opal. Users can either generate new apps from scratch or remix existing ones from Opal’s gallery. The process is intuitive: you input a description of your desired app, and Opal leverages various Google AI models to bring it to life. Once the app is ready, you can navigate into an editor panel to see the visual workflow of input, output, and generation steps. This transparency allows users to understand how their app was constructed. Each workflow step is clickable, revealing the underlying prompt that guided the AI. This offers a powerful opportunity for refinement; users can edit prompts or manually add new steps from Opal’s toolbar, giving them granular control without needing to write a single line of code. Opal also facilitates sharing. Users can publish their newly created web apps on the internet and share links, allowing others to test them using their Google accounts. This collaborative aspect fosters a community of creators and testers. The Growing Trend of AI Coding Tools The demand for AI-powered development assistance has surged over the past few months, making companies specializing in AI coding tools highly sought after. Startups like Lovable and Cursor have demonstrated the market’s appetite for these innovative solutions, fending off buyers and investors keen to tap a hot trend. Google’s entry with Opal signifies a major endorsement of this trend, aiming to empower a broader user base beyond traditional developers. This shift towards AI-assisted coding is not just about efficiency; it’s about making creation more accessible. Opal’s approach, often referred to as "vibe-coding," focuses on capturing the essence or "vibe" of an application through natural language, rather than intricate code. This method abstracts away the complexities of programming, allowing users to focus on the desired outcome and functionality. Streamlining Web App Creation with Visual Workflows One of Google Opal’s standout features for web app creation is its visual workflow editor. This visual representation of the app’s logic simplifies the development process, making it approachable for non-technical users. Instead of sifting through lines of code, users can see the flow of data and actions, making debugging and modification more intuitive. The ability to click on each workflow step and examine the underlying prompt is a powerful educational tool. It helps users understand the logic behind the AI’s generation and provides a direct avenue for customization. Whether you want to tweak a specific output or add a new feature, Opal’s visual interface and prompt-editing capabilities put control directly in the hands of the creator. The Future of No-Code Development While Google’s AI studio already offers prompt-based app building for developers, Opal’s emphasis on a visual workflow indicates a clear strategy to target a wider, non-technical audience. This positions Opal squarely in the burgeoning field of no-code development . Google joins a growing list of competitors, including Canva, Figma, and Replit, that are championing tools designed to enable non-technical individuals to prototype and build applications without traditional coding knowledge. This movement is democratizing technology, making app creation less about programming expertise and more about innovative ideas. This shift has significant implications for startups, small businesses, and even individuals who previously lacked the resources or skills to bring their digital ideas to life. No-code platforms like Opal are empowering a new generation of creators to experiment with digital solutions, fostering innovation across various sectors. Benefits and Implications of Google Opal: Accessibility: Lowers the barrier to entry for app development, allowing anyone with an idea to build. Speed: Enables rapid prototyping and deployment of ideas, significantly cutting down development time. Visual Control: Offers transparency and editing capabilities through a user-friendly, visual interface. Innovation: Empowers a new generation of creators to experiment with digital solutions and bring their visions to life. Market Shift: Accelerates the trend towards no-code and low-code platforms, potentially reshaping the tech industry’s skill requirements. Challenges and Considerations: While revolutionary, Opal, like any AI tool, may have limitations in handling highly complex functionalities or extremely specialized requirements. The quality and precision of the generated app heavily rely on the clarity and specificity of the user’s initial text prompts. As an experimental tool in Google Labs, its long-term roadmap, future features, and integration into Google’s broader ecosystem remain to be fully seen. Google Opal represents a significant leap forward in making app development accessible to everyone. By combining the power of AI with an intuitive, visual interface, Google is not just creating another tool; it’s fostering a new era of digital creation. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a creative individual, or simply curious about building your own digital experiences, Opal offers an exciting glimpse into the future of how we interact with and shape technology. It’s a testament to the ongoing evolution of AI, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and empowering more people to turn their ideas into reality. To learn more about the latest AI coding tools trends, explore our article on key developments shaping AI development features. This post Google Opal: Unleashing Revolutionary AI Web App Creation for Everyone first appeared on BitcoinWorld and is written by Editorial Team

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