October’s Last Week Recap: Coinbase, Crypto.com, and TRON Strengthen Web3’s Global Reach
Victoria d’Este
Published: October 31, 2025 at 3:04 pm Updated: October 31, 2025 at 3:04 pm
Edited and fact-checked:
October 31, 2025 at 3:04 pm
In Brief
Last week, crypto blurred into mainstream finance and tech as Trump’s Truth Social, Citi, Coinbase, and others expanded blockchain’s reach in payments, tokenization, and education.
From Trump’s Truth Social diving into prediction markets to Citi and Coinbase reshaping institutional payments, the last week of October saw crypto’s boundaries blur with mainstream finance and technology. Partnerships spanned banks, social platforms, and universities—each move reinforcing blockchain’s growing role in global payments, tokenization, and education.
Trump Media & Technology Group is bringing prediction markets to Truth Social through a partnership with Crypto.com, marking the first time a major social media platform integrates such trading. The new feature, called Truth Predict, will let users wager on election outcomes, economic data, commodity prices, and sports results through Crypto.com’s CFTC-registered derivatives platform.
Devin Nunes, Trump Media’s CEO, said the move will give users “access to prediction markets with a trusted network.” The partnership also extends Donald Trump’s growing crypto portfolio — following Truth Social’s CRO rewards system and a planned digital asset treasury company focused on Crypto.com’s Cronos (CRO) token.
Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek described prediction markets as a “multi-deca-billion dollar industry,” noting that the collaboration will deliver the world’s first prediction markets directly accessible through social media.
The integration blends Truth Social’s engagement system with Crypto.com’s crypto infrastructure, allowing users to convert “Truth gems” into CRO for prediction trading. Beta testing will precede a full U.S. rollout, with international expansion pending regulatory approval.
While the initiative boosts Truth Social’s innovation credentials, it also renews questions about Trump’s overlapping political and financial interests amid his administration’s evolving crypto regulations.
Coinbase and Citi Partner to Modernize Institutional Payments
Coinbase and Citi have unveiled a groundbreaking partnership to change how institutions move money internationally—combining traditional banking infrastructure with innovative crypto capabilities. The partnership aims to enable Citi’s institutional clients to utilize stablecoins and digital assets for greater speed and efficiency in cross-border payments.
Citi’s global payment network, spanning 94 markets and 300 clearing systems, will integrate with Coinbase’s secure digital asset infrastructure to streamline fiat-to-crypto and on-chain stablecoin transactions. “Collaborating with Coinbase is a natural extension of our ‘network of networks’ approach,” said Debopama Sen, Citi’s Head of Payments and Services.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong described the move as proof that “crypto and stablecoins are the tools that will update the global financial system.” The initiative aims to make 24/7 settlement and instant cross-border payments a reality for institutional clients.
The partnership is a strategic move for Coinbase to diversify at a time when banks are accelerating digital asset adoption. For Citi, it continues to solidify its crypto footprint and plans to launch custody solutions by 2026.
By combining Citi’s global reach with Coinbase’s blockchain expertise, the partnership signals a pivotal shift toward a unified financial infrastructure where digital assets operate seamlessly alongside traditional money.
Crypto.com has teamed up with Pineapple Financial (NYSE: PAPL) to power a $100 million Injective (INJ) digital asset treasury strategy, marking Pineapple as the first publicly traded company to hold INJ. Under the partnership, Crypto.com will act as the primary custody provider, managing secure storage, native staking, and long-term yield generation for Pineapple’s INJ holdings.
The collaboration leverages Crypto.com’s regulated custody platform, ensuring Pineapple’s treasury operations remain compliant and scalable for institutional participation. U.S. users on Crypto.com can also invest in Pineapple Financial’s equity directly through the app.
Crypto.com President and COO Eric Anziani said the partnership demonstrates the company’s “leadership in digital asset infrastructure” by supporting institutional treasury innovation. Pineapple Financial CEO Shubha Dasgupta noted that the Injective strategy reinforces the firm’s “commitment to responsible innovation,” combining blockchain efficiency with traditional finance standards.
Pineapple recently completed an $8.9 million INJ purchase, kicking off its Injective Treasury Program aimed at bridging institutional finance and blockchain. The initiative also sets the stage for tokenized finance applications in lending, securitization, and settlement, positioning Pineapple as a pioneer in the emerging multi-trillion-dollar asset tokenization market.
ClearBank Joins Circle Payments Network to Modernize Cross-Border Settlements
U.K.-based ClearBank has partnered with Circle Internet Group to integrate its cloud-native banking platform into the Circle Payments Network (CPN), linking traditional banking rails with blockchain infrastructure for faster and more transparent cross-border payments.
The partnership connects ClearBank’s regulated banking ecosystem with Circle’s USDC and EURC stablecoins, both fully reserved and MiCAR-compliant. The move enables institutions to access real-time settlement, liquidity management, and stablecoin minting and redemption via Circle Mint.
After regulatory hurdles stalled its own stablecoin plans, ClearBank opted to collaborate with Circle—an approach that maintains compliance while accelerating blockchain adoption. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said the partnership reflects growing demand for “tokenized money that meets regulatory standards.”
By joining CPN, ClearBank gains access to programmable payment tools and blockchain-based treasury operations, reducing reliance on slow, costly correspondent banking systems. The collaboration also opens avenues for tokenized asset settlement and instant liquidity transfers.
Industry analysts view the partnership as a model for regulated banks entering blockchain finance, blending innovation with oversight. For ClearBank, it’s both a pragmatic and forward-looking step—modernizing payments without compromising trust or compliance.
Streamex Taps Chainlink to Boost Transparency and Interoperability for Tokenized Gold
Streamex has collaborated with Chainlink to bolster its gold-backed token, GLDY, with enhanced verification and cross-chain capabilities. This new partnership aims to bring further trust, transparency and liquidity to digital gold markets.
GLDY serves as a stablecoin, backed by physical gold, that offers investors a yield bearing, blockchain-backed alternative to traditional gold holdings. The partnership with Chainlink introduces Proof of Reserve and Price Feeds, which allows for real time verification that each GLDY token is fully backed by physical gold held in secured vaults instead of relying on a blind trust, creating a path toward stricter regulatory expectations for asset-backed tokens in our blockchain-driven world.
The partnership also brings Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) to Base and Solana, allowing GLDY to move across blockchain networks. Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Token (CCT) standard will provide secure, compliant, and efficient transfers of GLDY between these two ecosystems, improving users’ liquidity and functionality when using GLDY across multiple ecosystems.
As noted by several industry experts, the integration of GLDY and Chainlink is part of a wider trend surrounding verifiable and interoperable tokenization frameworks.
With Chainlink’s infrastructure on deck, GLDY is well positioned to serve as a model of how real world assets can be securely represented within the on-chain ecosystem and ultimately traded against other decentralized finance protocols—proving that traditional commodities such as gold are not only historic, but also relevant in an innovative space.
TRON DAO Expands University Partnerships with Harvard and Columbia Blockchain Clubs
TRON DAO, the decentralized organization founded by Justin Sun, has expanded its TRON Academy initiative to include blockchain clubs at Harvard University and Columbia University, strengthening its ties with leading academic institutions in the U.S. and Europe.
The academy already partners with blockchain clubs from several top universities, including Cornell, UT Austin, UC Irvine, Princeton, and Boston University, supporting them through mentorship, hackathons, and research funding.
Sam Ellfarra from the TRON DAO community said the initiative aims to “lay the foundation for a decentralized future” by empowering student innovation and research.
Beyond sponsorships, TRON Academy offers workshops, developer training, and seed funding connections. Recent activities include a UT Austin smart contract workshop and support for blockchain sustainability research.
With the addition of Harvard and Columbia, TRON DAO continues to bridge academia and Web3, helping students explore real-world blockchain applications and career pathways.
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About The Author
Victoria is a writer on a variety of technology topics including Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her extensive experience allows her to write insightful articles for the wider audience.
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Victoria d’Este
Victoria is a writer on a variety of technology topics including Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her extensive experience allows her to write insightful articles for the wider audience.
