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    Spheron Manifesto

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    Spheron Manifesto


    If you are reading this manifesto, it means you want to dive deeper into Spheron’s vision, mission, and purpose. To truly grasp the essence of what we are building, I encourage you to promise yourself this: read this manifesto with your logical lens on. Reflect on and analyze each point critically as you progress.

    Ready? Let’s start with one thought-provoking question:

    The Problem: Why Web3 Compute Adoption Lags Behind

    Why aren’t Web3 developers leveraging compute (CPU/GPU) resources supplied by Web3 marketplaces, especially those claiming to offer on-chain solutions?

    When you explore this question, you’ll come across several recurring answers:

    It’s too time-consuming.

    It’s overly complicated.

    The protocols are half-baked.

    There’s little to nothing on-chain, making Web2 solutions preferable.

    They don’t work reliably.

    They don’t integrate seamlessly into DevOps pipelines.

    Support from protocol teams is non-existent.

    Resources are hard to find.

    Accessing compute often involves submitting cumbersome Google forms and justifying GPU leasing.

    The list grows the more you dig. When we pivoted to building compute at Spheron, we started by listening to founders and users before making our next move. What we discovered was disheartening: many billion-dollar infrastructure projects had failed to innovate, introducing friction instead of solutions.

    The Solution: Building the Future with Spheron Supercompute Network

    At Spheron, we scrutinized existing protocols and identified foundational flaws. From being on chains with few builders to flawed designs that created developer friction to unengaged protocol teams—it was clear why developers were staying away from Web3 infrastructure. There was more talk on Twitter than action in the product space.

    We resolved to change this. At Spheron, our core principle was simple: no token until we deliver a superior user experience and a seamless developer onboarding process compared to existing alternatives.

    We dedicated years to this mission, focusing on building a robust, developer-friendly platform. We addressed design flaws and created essential components to enhance user experience, including:

    We prioritized user onboarding across application layer services, empowering both developers and non-developers to access the first DePIN compute network—a network designed for everyone, not just a select few. Every decision focused on delivering the best possible experience while enabling the protocol to adapt to market needs.

    For instance, when AI agents emerged, Spheron became the first compute marketplace to showcase a fully autonomous AI agent, Skynet, built on our platform. The same compute layer evolved to meet the needs of AI agents, demonstrating the flexibility of our protocol.

    Spheron is no longer just a protocol—it’s a movement. We’re on a mission to build the world’s largest and most accessible DePIN compute network. In an AI-driven world, where compute is the backbone of innovation, making it accessible and community-powered is crucial to safeguarding developers’ autonomy to bring their ideas to life.

    This autonomy is made possible because we’ve built everything on-chain first, with off-chain as a secondary consideration. By doing so, we ensure that Web3 infrastructure remains owned and powered by the community.

    Spheron’s role is vital in shifting demand back to decentralized community-powered infrastructure, reducing reliance on centralized clouds that can disrupt agents or blockchains at will.

    Join us in powering Web3 infrastructure and becoming part of the Spheron revolution. Together, let’s build the world’s largest DePIN compute network.



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    Dogecoin and Trump ETFs Could Arrive by April: Analysts – Decrypt

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    Dogecoin and Trump ETFs Could Arrive by April: Analysts – Decrypt



    Wall Street could soon get a dose of crypto chaos, as the first-ever exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for Dogecoin (DOGE) and the newly minted Official Trump (TRUMP) meme coin may debut as early as April, according to analysts.

    Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas flagged the accelerated timeline after fellow analyst James Seyffart revealed Miami-based REX Shares’ ETF filings on Tuesday.

    REX Shares has filed proposals for DOGE and TRUMP ETFs, alongside Bonk (BONK), Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and XRP (XRP).

    If they’re greenlit, these ETFs could bridge meme coins and traditional finance by giving investors access to internet-born cultural icons through standard brokerage accounts.

    “These are ’40 Act filings and so (theoretically, if they aren’t disapproved) could hit the market in early April…” Balchunas wrote on X.

    He was referring to the 1940 Act, which governs funds combining assets and derivatives. Filings submitted under the Act also enjoy a streamlined 75-day review process.

    By leveraging this process, DOGE and TRUMP ETFs could leapfrog other filings—like XRP and Solana ETFs—which require a cumbersome 240-day timeline under 19b-4 filing rules.

    “The crypto market survives on the principles of innovation and cultural relevance,” Saravanan Pandian, CEO of KoinBX, told Decrypt. “Dogecoin, with its ever-growing adoption, and the emergence of meme-driven financial instruments, reflect a shift in how the new generation interacts with investments.”

    Pandian sees tremendous potential in the meme coin ETFs, “I agree that a Dogecoin ETF could arrive earlier than expected if the regulatory landscape aligns, and we could see these trends formalized as early as April, sparking new opportunities in the digital asset space.”

    Dogecoin, once a tongue-in-cheek creation from 2013, has grown into a global crypto heavyweight, driven by strong liquidity and cultural clout.

    Endorsed by figures such as Tesla CEO and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk, the coin has consistently dominated meme coin trading volumes.

    As with TRUMP, the meme coin inspired by the sitting U.S. President Donald Trump, has quickly climbed the ranks, currently trading at $43.24—up 21.1% in the last 24 hours, according to Coingecko data.

    Litecoin has also seen renewed interest following Canary Capital’s amendment to its S-1 registration with the SEC earlier this month.

    Balchunas and Seyffart noted that these updates, often indicative of regulatory engagement, suggest momentum toward approval.

    Regulatory Shifts Bring Optimism for Meme Coin ETFs

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is undergoing significant leadership changes, with pro-crypto Acting Chair Mark Uyeda stepping in following Gary Gensler’s resignation.

    Uyeda’s arrival has sparked hope across the crypto industry for a more favorable approach toward innovative crypto products, including the proposed meme coin ETFs.

    The inclusion of TRUMP meme coin in these filings presents a unique challenge for the regulatory agency as it raises questions about how the SEC will handle a product tied to the President’s meme coin.

    “While Trump memecoin saw a brief dip in prices yesterday, I am positive the Trump ETF will happen soon, owing to his position as the President of the United States of America,” Pandian stated.

    Edited by Stacy Elliott.

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    Circle Scoops ‘World’s Largest’ Tokenized Money Market Fund Amid Sector Boom – Decrypt

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    Circle Scoops ‘World’s Largest’ Tokenized Money Market Fund Amid Sector Boom – Decrypt



    Stablecoin issuer Circle has brought the world’s largest tokenized money market fund under its control following its acquisition of issuer Hashnote for an undisclosed sum. 

    USYC, or the Hashnote Short Duration Yield Coin, is backed by U.S. Treasury debt and reverse repurchase agreements, with a total asset value of over $1.25 billion, according to RWA data.

    It comes as multiple businesses seek to tap into an anticipated lucrative boom for real-world asset tokenization. The move is also expected to bolster Circle’s standing against rival and stablecoin giant Tether, which launched its tokenization platform, Hadron, in November.

    Supporting the integration, Circle has partnered with DRW subsidiary Cumberland, a major institutional crypto trading firm, which will underpin the integration between the fund and Circle’s stablecoin, USDC.

    Cumberland will expand liquidity and settlement capabilities for USDC and USYC in a bid to drive broader adoption in both crypto and traditional capital markets, according to a statement on Tuesday.

    The integration is expected to place USYC as a preferred yield-bearing collateral for exchanges, custodians, and prime brokers in both crypto and traditional finance markets, Circle said.

    Speaking on the partnership, Circle’s CEO Jeremy Allaire said Tuesday on X there exists an “enormous opportunity” to “bring yield-bearing collateral to crypto market structures” around the clock.

    “One of the Holy Grails of capital markets is the ability to move between cash and collateral instantly,” he said. “We are unlocking this with a focus on the well-established crypto capital markets.”

    TMMFs are blockchain-based digital versions of traditional financial assets, such as Treasury bills, offering faster ways to invest in yield-generating instruments.

    Plans to deploy native USDC on Canton, a blockchain tailored for secure and private financial applications, were also announced. Canton processes over $3.6 trillion in tokenized RWAs and facilitates more than $1.5 trillion in monthly repo transactions, the companies said.

    The tokenization of real-world assets, which converts ownership rights of physical assets into blockchain-based tokens, is gaining traction.

    The total value locked in the sector has risen 36.9% in a year to $7.89 billion, as per DeFiLlama data. That’s expected to balloon to more than $50 billion by some estimates.

    Spying an early opportunity, the world’s asset manager, BlackRock, launched a fund of its own on Ethereum in March of last year, allowing qualified investors to earn U.S. dollar yields. 

    Dubbed the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL), the vehicle reportedly contains more than $500 million in assets under management.

    “Circle is leading the way in bringing the most important building blocks of money onchain, fostering a more scalable model of global institutional adoption of crypto infrastructure, while also paving the way for onchain money to become the core of traditional financial markets,” Allaire said in his post.

    Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

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    Trump Pardons Former Silk Road Founder and Bitcoin Icon Ross Ulbricht – Decrypt

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    Trump Pardons Former Silk Road Founder and Bitcoin Icon Ross Ulbricht – Decrypt



    President Donald Trump announced Tuesday a pardon for Ross Ulbricht, ending the Silk Road founder’s more than decade-long imprisonment.

    In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump said he had granted Ulbricht a “full and unconditional pardon,” citing support from the Libertarian movement and criticizing the government’s handling of Ulbricht’s case.

    Ulbricht, 40, was convicted in 2015 on charges including conspiracy to traffic narcotics and money laundering in connection with the Silk Road, a darknet site that facilitated billions of dollars in illegal drug transactions.

    He received a sentence of two life terms plus 40 years without parole, sparking years of debate over the fairness of his punishment. In his post, Trump labeled Ross’ sentence as “ridiculous.”

    “The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics involved in the modern-day weaponization of government against me,” Trump wrote Tuesday.

    It follows eight months since Trump reignited hopes for the Silk Road founder’s release.

    “If you vote for me, on day one, I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht,” Trump declared at the 2024 Libertarian National Convention in May.

    The Libertarian movement played a crucial role in Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential victory by mobilizing a key voter base in critical swing states.

    Ross’ pardon is expected to draw sharp reactions from both supporters and critics.

    Advocates for Ulbricht have long argued his sentence was excessive, while opponents highlight the scale of criminal activity linked to the defunct dark web marketplace.

    This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.

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    Vitalik Buterin defends Ethereum Foundation leader Aya Miyaguchi amid community attack

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    Vitalik Buterin defends Ethereum Foundation leader Aya Miyaguchi amid community attack



    Vitalik Buterin has addressed calls for changes at the Ethereum Foundation, rejecting demands for Executive Director Aya Miyaguchi’s resignation and criticizing pressure campaigns targeting the organization.

    His comments were in response to tweets from traders and industry players, including CoinMamba, Tetranode, and Evan Van Ness, who argued that appointing Danny Ryan as EF leader would resolve concerns about development priorities and decision-making.

    Buterin stated,

    “This is not how this game works. The person deciding the new EF leadership team is me.”

    According to the EF website, the board has just three members: Vitalik Buterin, Aya Miyaguchi, and Patrick Storchenegger.

    Buterin warned that orchestrating social media pressure risks undermining Ethereum’s culture and repelling contributors. He emphasized that any leadership transition would require thoughtful steps rather than public showdowns, saying,

    “If you “keep the pressure on”, then you are creating an environment that is actively toxic to top talent. Some of Ethereum’s best devs have been messaging me recently, expressing their disgust with the social media environment that people like you are creating. YOU ARE MAKING MY JOB HARDER.”

    CoinMamba had suggested that Miyaguchi’s departure could boost Ethereum’s price, while Tetranode openly threatened prolonged efforts to oust leaders he deemed unfit. Buterin countered that this approach harms morale and deters high-caliber talent from engaging with Ethereum’s ecosystem.

    Ethereum reform

    The tension follows Buterin’s recent comments outlining a reform of the Ethereum Foundation’s leadership structure. He emphasized improving technical expertise, fostering stronger collaboration with ecosystem participants, and recruiting new contributors who align with Ethereum’s open-source values. He also stressed that an executive shift would not transform the Foundation into a centralized or politically driven organization.

    Some community members see leadership disputes as the culmination of broader disagreements about the Foundation’s role. Critics have questioned the group’s transparency, citing past token movements, such as when the Foundation moved $72 million in ETH to Kraken in January 2025.

    Others have cited delays to the Dencun upgrade, which introduced “blob-carrying transactions” to refine data handling. The staggered rollout has caused friction among some participants, who are impatient for more rapid progress.

    EF changes and for-profit requirements

    While some want the Foundation to adopt a more top-down approach, Buterin maintained that Ethereum should remain decentralized, with the EF focusing on initiatives it can effectively steward. He noted that for-profit groups may better serve other goals and pushed back against the idea that the EF should feel compelled to address every community concern. Critics like Evan Van Ness acknowledged Buterin’s stance but insisted that naming Ryan as Miyaguchi’s successor would calm tensions.

    Buterin signaled that the EF would continue its mission while encouraging alternative organizations to take on roles that the Foundation could not easily fulfill. Buterin’s messages indicated no immediate reversal of leadership plans or personnel changes, although he reaffirmed his control over EF governance until a proposed “proper board” is in place.

    He also highlighted several other X users’ comments, labeling them as “pure evil” as they contained vulgar memes, calls for bullying Aya, and discussions to “kill Aya.”

    He insisted that fostering a healthy developer environment remains a priority and urged critics to consider the long-term consequences of public campaigns. He offered no further timetable for structural changes, leaving the question of when or if the Foundation will shift leadership unresolved.



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    Trump Meme Coins Crash Following US Presidential Inauguration – Decrypt

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    Trump Meme Coins Crash Following US Presidential Inauguration – Decrypt



    The crypto market witnessed significant volatility on Monday after the Trump family ventured into meme coins, with tokens they launched a day earlier sliding in value.

    First Lady Melania Trump’s newly launched meme coin, Melania Meme (MELANIA), has fallen more than 60% from its debut high following President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

    MELANIA now sits with a market cap of $625.5 million, per CoinGecko data. At the same time, Donald Trump’s meme coin, Official Trump (TRUMP), also took a sharp hit, falling 43% to $45 from a peak of $73.43 earlier in the week.

    The Solana-based coin skyrocketed 12,000% on its debut, reaching as high as $13.05 before falling to just $4.18, CoinGecko data shows.

    Billed as a collectible and entertainment token, the project’s FAQ noted it is “not a financial instrument or investment.” However, the steep drop in its value has raised questions about its speculative nature despite the disclaimers.

    The meme coin’s distribution model, designed for gradual release, allocates 35% of tokens to team vesting over 13 months, alongside a 20% treasury and community initiative allocation. 

    Conversely, TRUMP initially saw explosive growth, breaking into the top 15 cryptos by market cap during its peak just a day before his inauguration.

    However, the launch of MELANIA and the subsequent diversion of liquidity triggered a sharp downturn for the Trump meme coin.

    Infrastructure issues on Solana exacerbated the chaos, with platforms like Phantom Wallet and Jupiter Exchange overwhelmed by transaction surges.

    “The launch of TRUMP token represents an unprecedented moment in crypto markets, marking the first time a sitting president has been associated with a memecoin launch,” Dan Hughes, Founder and CTO of Radix, told Decrypt. 

    Hughes noted that the subsequent launch of the MELANIA token, coupled with reports of team wallets converting TRUMP holdings into major cryptos like Solana (SOL), Ethereum (ETH), and potentially Bitcoin (BTC)—coinciding with its surge to $108,000—suggests a potentially coordinated strategy that could destabilize market dynamics.

    “This pattern of celebrity-driven token launches, particularly from political figures, potentially marks a concerning trend in crypto markets where influence and liquidity manipulation could overshadow fundamental value creation,” Hughes stated.

    Amidst the meme coin chaos, World Liberty Financial (WLF), a DeFi platform affiliated with President Trump and his family, made significant crypto moves amid the inauguration. 

    The platform added approximately 439 Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC), valued at $47 million, to its balance, increasing its holdings to 456.77 wBTC. 

    The purchase was part of a series of transactions totaling nearly $100 million in BTC and ETH over two days.

    Speaking to Decrypt, Sudhakar Lakshmanaraja, Founder of Digital South Trust, said, “The Trump and Melania coin crash is a clear example of why substance must take precedence over hype in the world of cryptocurrency.”

    “This situation is a stark reminder that hype and speculation can only drive a token so far. Without a strong use case or utility, meme coins are vulnerable to volatility and market sentiment,” Lakshmanaraja added. 

    The meme coin turbulence unfolded against the backdrop of President Trump’s second term, where expectations for crypto-friendly policies were, at least for now, left unmet. 

    Trump’s inaugural speech and initial executive orders excluded digital assets, disappointing proponents who had anticipated regulatory clarity, a Bitcoin reserve, or a reversal of the SEC’s controversial rule “SAB 121.”

    Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

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    Donald Trump and Bitcoin: From ‘Not a Fan’ to Crypto President—With His Own Meme Coin – Decrypt

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    Donald Trump and Bitcoin: From ‘Not a Fan’ to Crypto President—With His Own Meme Coin – Decrypt



    In brief

    Donald Trump has been inaugurated as the 47th U.S. President after running on a pro-crypto platform.
    But Trump hasn’t always taken this stance: He used to call Bitcoin a “scam” and said he wasn’t a fan.
    Trump has since launched his own Solana meme coin, multiple NFT collections, and a DeFi platform.

    Bitcoin-friendly Donald Trump won the election in November, and was inaugurated Monday as the 47th President of the United States of America. But ahead of being formally sworn in, the commander in chief dropped a meme coin on Friday.

    Yes, you read that right. Running on the Solana network, the TRUMP token already has a market cap of over $8 billion, putting it among the 30 most valuable coins on the market. The move signaled the incoming President’s growing enthusiasm for the digital asset space after campaigning to help Bitcoiners and the fast-moving sphere as a whole.

    Trump branded himself as a crypto-friendly candidate ahead of November’s divisive election, bringing in millions of dollars in cash and digital asset donations from Silicon Valley tech leaders. And then he won.

    But it wasn’t always like this: President Trump was once a staunch crypto critic. So how did we get here?

    Trump’s most defining early comment on cryptocurrency dates back to 2019, when as president he made it clear he didn’t like Bitcoin. 

    “I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which are not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air,” he said on Twitter at the time, before slamming Facebook’s plans for a digital currency. 

    “We have only one real currency in the USA, and it is stronger than ever, both dependable and reliable,” he added. “It is by far the most dominant currency anywhere in the world, and it will always stay that way. It is called the United States dollar!”

    Trump reiterated his beliefs during a Bitcoin bull run in 2021. “Bitcoin just seems like a scam,” he said on Fox Business, repeating that he wanted the dollar to be the world’s top currency.

    Entering the NFT world

    It took a long time for him to explicitly say he liked the top cryptocurrency, and the journey started with an unlikely crypto craze: NFT collectibles. 

    By the end of 2021, after Trump had left the White House, his wife Melania announced her plans for a Solana-based NFT collection. Solana Labs clarified that it had nothing to do with the collection launching on the blockchain, and Trump continued to slam crypto as “dangerous” despite his wife’s venture. 

    The next year, however, the commander-in-chief launched his own NFT collection. Minted on Ethereum scaling network Polygon, the digital trading card collection was at first ridiculed—but it still sold out quickly and made millions of dollars. 

    Trump later said that he only launched the collection because he thought they were “sort of cute.” He has since launched more collections on Polygon, and even minted some of the third set on Bitcoin via the Ordinals protocol. A fourth collection launched in August 2024 with the largest number of NFTs to date.

    Trump has even claimed that the success of his NFT collections, and the surprising number of buyers who used cryptocurrency rather than fiat currency, helped change his perspective on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency.

    A digital wallet tied to the President by blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence shows that he has raked in millions in royalties from the NFTs—and also holds some of the biggest unofficial Trump meme coins, which likely were sent to the wallet without Trump’s knowledge or consent.

    Trump’s crypto embrace

    But it was just last year when Trump really upped the pro-crypto talk. “I make money with it, I have fun with it too,” Trump said in a March interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box. “Crazy new currencies, that’s what I call them.”

    Then, while hosting holders of his NFTs at his Mar-a-Lago resort in May, he told the crowd he was “good with” crypto—and slammed Biden and the Democrats for being “against it.” Many saw the event as a turning point in crypto policy conversations.

    Rumors spread in May that the world’s richest man and biggest donor to the Trump campaign, Elon Musk, has been advising the presidential hopeful on a crypto strategy. (Musk denied the reports.) In July, the Republican party issued a draft party platform that explicitly mentioned crypto—a first for the industry.

    After surviving an assassination attempt in July, the business mogul and former reality TV star earned Musk’s public endorsement, as well as support from many other prominent names in the digital asset space. And major crypto figures like the Winklevoss twins of Gemini and Kraken founder Jesse Powell donated sizable sums to Trump.

    Trump then selected Senator J.D. Vance as his pick for running mate, with the Vice President seen at the time as a pro-crypto candidate who previously disclosed Bitcoin holdings of between $100,000 and $250,000 back in 2021.

    But the most tangible sign of Trump’s embrace of crypto came when he spoke at the 2024 Bitcoin Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. There, he promised the crowd that he would build a “strategic Bitcoin stockpile” for the country and that his plan was to turn the U.S. into the “crypto capital of the planet.”

    The Trump family then teased a decentralized finance (DeFi) project dubbed World Liberty Financial, with Trump himself posting multiple social media teasers during the initial rollout.

    The ex-President’s son Donald Jr. has hinted that the crypto platform will be egalitarian. “For too long, the average American has been squeezed by the big banks and financial elites. It’s time we take a stand—together,” he said on Twitter (aka X).

    Then, a day after the second attempt on his life, Trump launched the project during a live interview with Rug Radio (Decrypt’s sister company). World Liberty Financial aims to offer borrowing and lending services for cryptocurrencies on Ethereum’s network.

    As crypto token launches go, the project was a bit of a flop right out of the gate, only managing to sell 4% of its allotted tokens during its launch. But since then, another 67% of the 20 billion tokens have been snatched up, with over $200 million in sales, according to Dune data.

    And the project has bold plans: Sources told Decrypt revealed that plans for a stablecoin are in the works. A stablecoin is a digital token backed by something stable—typically the U.S dollar.

    The Republican hopeful also has more crypto people on his team. Bitcoin bull Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his campaign to endorse Trump, and then joined Trump’s transition team. He has been nominated as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Orange-pilled Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick is also part of Trump’s political squad, and will serve as Secretary of Commerce in the incoming administration.

    Meanwhile, noted Dogecoin fan Elon Musk will co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with fellow billionaire and Bitcoin fan Vivek Ramaswamy, with the agency set to propose substantial government budget cuts and layoffs.

    Trump in September became the first current or former President of the U.S.—that we know of—to have used Bitcoin to buy something: At the popular crypto bar in New York City, PubKey, the ex-President bought a burger using the cryptocurrency.

    “It’s the beginning of a new era,” he said, referring to the digital asset industry.

    And on Friday, he officially launched a meme coin running on Solana. People at first thought it was a joke, but the token is now the third largest meme cryptocurrency in existence—and will be listed by major exchanges Binance and Coinbase. His wife then launched her own MELANIA meme coin two days later, crashing the price of TRUMP in the process.

    Edited by Andrew Hayward

    Editor’s note: This story was originally published on July 19, 2024 and last updated with new info on January 20, 2025.

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    Vitalik Buterin addresses controversy as Ethereum Foundation sells another 100 ETH

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    Vitalik Buterin addresses controversy as Ethereum Foundation sells another 100 ETH



    On-chain data shows that the Ethereum Foundation (EF) has sold 100 ETH for $336,475.

    On Jan. 20, blockchain analytical firm SpotOnChain reported that this marks the foundation’s second sale of Ethereum in 2025, bringing its total sales to 200 ETH (valued at $672,000).

    These transactions have reignited discussions within the Ethereum community about the foundation’s approach to managing its resources.

    Stake or sell?

    Critics argue that the EF should prioritize staking its ETH holdings to generate yields instead of selling. They believe such an approach aligns more closely with Ethereum’s goals and supports long-term sustainability.

    Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder, addressed the controversy on X, explaining that regulatory concerns and the potential for contentious hard forks influenced the decision to sell rather than stake.

    While regulatory pressures have eased, the risk of staking forcing the EF to take sides on divisive upgrades remains a significant concern.

    Still, Buterin noted that the EF is actively exploring ways to utilize its ETH holdings more effectively, including staking. However, these efforts are still in the early stages, as the foundation seeks solutions that align with its broader mission.

    Meanwhile, SpotOnChain suggested that the EF consider over-the-counter (OTC) trading for future sales.

    The platform argued that such an approach would reduce public scrutiny and improve the community’s perception of the foundation’s financial management. It stated:

    “Nobody wants to see the EF continuously dumping ETH on them.”

    Ethereum Foundation restructuring

    These developments come as the EF undergoes significant leadership restructuring.

    On Jan. 18, Buterin highlighted efforts to restructure the foundation’s leadership to strengthen collaboration with developers, wallet providers, and Layer-2 networks.

    This restructuring emphasizes decentralization, privacy, and open-source innovation, aligning with Ethereum’s core principles.

    According to Buterin:

    “[EF would] become more actively supportive of app builders, and make sure important values and inalienable rights (esp privacy, open source, censorship resistance) are a reality for users including at the app layer.”

    Despite these changes, Buterin stressed that the foundation will maintain neutrality, refraining from political lobbying or endorsing specific interests. Instead, the EF will empower developers and foster innovation across the Ethereum ecosystem.

    Meanwhile, these discussions also attracted Aave CEO Stani Kulechov, who proposed fundamental changes to the EF’s operational and financial strategies.

    He advocated cutting operational costs, optimizing the treasury through diversification, and establishing a sustainable revenue model. Kulechov’s proposals included streamlining the EF’s workforce to focus on technical expertise and eliminating inefficiencies to enhance financial stability.

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    Trump-Linked DeFi Venture Buys $48M in ETH as Son Eric Drops Hint – Decrypt

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    Trump-Linked DeFi Venture Buys M in ETH as Son Eric Drops Hint – Decrypt



    World Liberty Financial (WLF) has scooped up $48 million worth of Ethereum over an eight-hour buying spree, stretching from Sunday afternoon to late evening.

    The purchases come as the Trump family has rocked the crypto industry with consecutive meme coin launches over the weekend.

    The platform purchased 14,403 ETH at an average price of roughly $3,300, data from Arkham Intelligence shows. This brings the Trump-linked total holdings in ETH to 28,612, worth approximately $109 million at current prices.

    “Wait until you see what they do tomorrow,” Eric Trump posted on X, tagging the project’s account after the initial transactions surfaced.

    Further details on what’s expected were not provided. Decrypt has reached out to the project to learn more.

    WLF’s accumulation follows the project’s clarification last Tuesday, when it moved approximately $60 million in assets, writing on X that this was part of the venture’s routine “treasury management” for its operations.

    This involves “payment of fees and expenses” and “working capital requirements,” the project explained, as speculations of its trading activity began circulating on social media.

    “The timing is notable given recent Trump-related token activity on Solana,” Min Jung, an analyst at Presto Research, told Decrypt.

    Expanding on that point, WLF “appears to be acting more like a fund than a DeFi or DEX-style protocol,” Jung said. “The size and timing of these purchases suggest preparation for a significant market move or platform upgrade.”

    Minutes after initial tracking done by Decrypt, WLF stated on X that it has “sold 20%” of its token supply. Citing “massive demand and overwhelming interest,” WLF confirmed that it has decided to open an “additional block of 5% of token supply.”

    Total holdings across ETH, USDC, USDT, and several other assets from the WLF tracker on Arkham now show that the figure has spiked from $187 million to $235 million at press time.

    Trump effect

    After President-elect Donald Trump’s victory rally in Washington, DC, a Solana-based meme coin linked to Melania Trump was launched on Sunday afternoon.

    Hours before the Melania Trump meme coin launched, Donald Trump Jr. claimed on X that his family was “extremely proud” of what they have continued “to accomplish in crypto,” tagging World Liberty Financial and the ticker for his father’s official Trump meme coin.

    World Liberty Financial did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the latest purchases, the token sales, or Eric Trump’s teased announcement.

    This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.

    Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

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    The Unparalleled Opportunity in Crypto AI: A Transformative Megatrend

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    The Unparalleled Opportunity in Crypto AI: A Transformative Megatrend


    The period between 2022 and 2025 will be remembered as the tipping point before humanity entered an era of unprecedented technological acceleration. Artificial intelligence is proving to be the most transformative force of our time, with the potential to reshape industries, economies, and everyday life. Unless breakthroughs in life extension allow us to live for centuries, this is the defining technological shift of our lifetime.

    The momentum behind AI is undeniable. In the first half of 2024 alone, $35 billion has flowed into AI startups, a staggering figure that doesn’t even account for the massive internal investments made by tech giants. Companies like Microsoft, Google, and Meta are securing AI infrastructure at an unprecedented scale, leading to a surge in demand for GPUs from NVIDIA, whose market cap has soared to $3 trillion.

    Amidst this AI explosion, one opportunity remains largely overlooked—Crypto AI (or decentralized AI). While AI’s growth has been largely centralized, driven by a few dominant corporations, there is an urgent need to decentralize its power. Left unchecked, centralized AI will consolidate control over data, algorithms, and decision-making into the hands of a few monopolistic entities. Decentralized AI presents an alternative—a model where AI development, access, and governance are democratized, ensuring that AI remains open, fair, and accountable.

    Skeptics dismiss Crypto AI as another speculative fusion of buzzwords, citing previous failed attempts to integrate blockchain into entertainment, gaming, and social media. However, the fusion of AI and blockchain represents something entirely different—a convergence of two revolutionary technologies that together unlock new paradigms in computing, trust, and accessibility.

    This article marks the first installment of a three-part series that will explore the Crypto AI landscape in depth. It will examine the key sectors poised for exponential growth and provide insights into how investors and entrepreneurs can capitalize on this transformative megatrend.

    The Power of Converging Megatrends

    Technological revolutions are driven by secular technology trends—deep-rooted shifts that redefine entire industries. Crypto represents one such trend, fundamentally altering how we perceive and use money. Other major secular trends include the rise of cloud computing, mobile technology, and renewable energy.

    However, simply following a single trend is not enough. The real breakthroughs occur when two or more secular trends converge, creating unprecedented opportunities for value creation. The fusion of AI and blockchain is one such moment—a powerful intersection where AI’s ability to process and automate combines with blockchain’s ability to create decentralized, trustless networks.

    Crypto AI benefits from multiple growth drivers. Companies operating at this intersection are not solely reliant on the growth of blockchain or AI individually; instead, they gain momentum from both industries simultaneously. This dual exposure amplifies their potential for success, making them more resilient to market fluctuations. Additionally, the complexity of building in both AI and blockchain creates natural barriers to entry, reducing competition and increasing the likelihood of long-term dominance for early adopters. The convergence of these two trends also fosters groundbreaking innovations, allowing ideas from both domains to merge in ways that would be impossible within either industry alone.

    The larger the market, the greater the opportunity. AI is already a trillion-dollar industry, and blockchain continues to evolve beyond financial applications. The intersection of these fields represents an entirely new frontier, one that is still in its infancy.

    Why AI and Crypto Are Perfect Complements

    AI and blockchain have the potential to enhance each other in fundamental ways. AI is notoriously resource-intensive, requiring vast amounts of computational power, data, and infrastructure. Blockchain, meanwhile, enables decentralized coordination, verifiable trust, and transparent governance. Together, they create a symbiotic relationship that strengthens both ecosystems.

    AI benefits from blockchain’s decentralized governance and trustless infrastructure. Today’s AI landscape is dominated by centralized corporations like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, which control the development and deployment of cutting-edge AI models. Blockchain introduces an alternative—a decentralized framework where AI models can be trained, deployed, and monetized in an open, permissionless manner. Smart contracts ensure that AI operates transparently, reducing biases and preventing manipulation by centralized entities. Additionally, blockchain-based token economies create powerful incentives for AI development, allowing contributors to be rewarded fairly.

    Crypto benefits from AI’s ability to improve user experience, security, and automation. AI-powered interfaces make blockchain applications more accessible by allowing users to interact with crypto ecosystems through natural language instead of complex cryptographic keys and transactions. AI enhances blockchain security by detecting fraud, monitoring transactions, and optimizing network efficiency. Smart contracts, powered by AI automation, can execute complex agreements with improved precision, reducing human error and inefficiencies.

    The integration of AI and blockchain is not just a speculative trend—it is an inevitable technological evolution that will redefine industries.

    The Lessons of the Past: Why Crypto AI Is Different

    Crypto has witnessed multiple cycles of hype and disillusionment, with some trends fizzling out while others established lasting dominance. To understand why Crypto AI is different, it is important to examine two key trends from the past: NFTs and DeFi.

    The rise of NFTs in 2021 was driven largely by speculation rather than real-world utility. While NFTs offer legitimate use cases in digital ownership and the creator economy, they lacked the backing of a strong secular technology trend outside of crypto. Without integration into a broader technological shift, NFTs struggled to sustain their initial momentum.

    In contrast, DeFi succeeded because it intersected with fintech, an industry worth trillions of dollars. By offering decentralized alternatives to banking, lending, and asset management, DeFi provided tangible financial solutions, ensuring its long-term relevance. Today, the total stablecoin market cap is at an all-time high of $170 billion, with $82 billion locked in DeFi protocols.

    Crypto AI is uniquely positioned for sustainable growth because it benefits from two unstoppable trends: AI and blockchain. Unlike NFTs, which were primarily driven by speculation, and unlike DeFi, which was constrained to financial applications, Crypto AI represents a fundamental technological shift with widespread applications across multiple industries.

    Why AI Needs Crypto: The Token Revolution

    One of the biggest challenges in AI development is its high cost and centralization. Unlike traditional software, which scales at near-zero cost, AI requires massive computational resources and continuous investment. Currently, AI development is dominated by well-funded corporations with access to specialized hardware and talent.

    Crypto offers a solution through tokenized incentives and decentralized funding models. Tokens allow AI to be built and maintained in a decentralized manner, rewarding contributors through blockchain-based incentive structures. Instead of relying on venture capital or corporate funding, open-source AI projects can be financed through tokenized networks, ensuring they remain independent and accessible.

    Tokens also enable the creation of global AI infrastructure. Right now, AI compute power is concentrated within tech giants. Blockchain-based GPU marketplaces can unlock unused computing resources from around the world, significantly reducing costs and increasing accessibility. By decentralizing AI infrastructure, crypto ensures that AI remains a public good rather than a corporate monopoly.

    Why Now Is the Right Time for Crypto AI

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    Timing is critical in emerging technologies. The best investment opportunities arise when an innovation is either in its early stages or recovering from the trough of disillusionment before mainstream adoption. Many believe that Crypto AI has already peaked, but the data tells a different story.

    The total market cap of Crypto AI tokens is only $30 billion—just 2.9% of the total altcoin market. Compared to smart contract platforms, which have a combined valuation of nearly $600 billion, Crypto AI is still vastly undervalued. If decentralized AI captures just 10% of the projected $1.3 trillion generative AI market by 2032, it could be worth $390 billion—13 times its current size. Even a more conservative estimate suggests a 9X increase within three years, making Crypto AI one of the most promising investment sectors of the decade.

    Final Thoughts: The Future of Decentralized AI

    Crypto AI is poised to be the most significant evolution within blockchain, bringing real-world utility and solving fundamental problems in AI governance, funding, and accessibility. Unlike previous speculative trends, this is a deep technological transformation with real demand and sustainable growth.

    We are entering an era where AI and blockchain will become inseparable. The question is no longer if Crypto AI will succeed—it’s how big it will become.

    In Part II, we will explore the key subsectors within Crypto AI, including decentralized compute, AI agents, data networks, and verifiable AI. The revolution is just beginning.



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