Robinhood is enabling “Custom Combos” on prediction markets in the U.S.
The NFL postseason is one of the biggest moments for gambling each year.
Prediction markets are Robinhood’s fastest-growing product line by revenue.
Robinhood is enabling “Custom Combos” for users wagering on professional football, underscoring efforts to flesh out its prediction market offering as gambling heats up in the U.S. alongside the NFL postseason, the company said Friday.
The contracts are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and resemble parlays offered by traditional gaming companies Draft Kings and FanDuel, allowing users to predict the likelihood of multiple outcomes at once, including the performance of individual players.
However, a Robinhood spokesperson told Decrypt that Custom Combos and parlays are different, with the main difference boiling down to Kalshi’s role in facilitating wagers across contracts that can combine up to 10 different predictions. Robinhood partnered with Kalshi for prediction markets on college and professional football this summer.
Traditionally, the “house” sets the odds for a bettor’s parlay independently, but the payouts on Custom Combos are determined by so-called Requests For Quotes, or RFQs.
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When Kalshi issues an RFQ on its platform, market makers anonymously submit quotes to take the other side of a user’s wager and the user is presented with the best available price. The spokesperson noted that the RFQs are available to anyone through Kalshi’s API. That process requires more technical knowledge than browsing an app from one’s couch.
“Conceptually they are similar, but the way the contracts work is entirely different,” the Robinhood spokesperson said. “Unlike the house that unilaterally sets its odds, any participant in a prediction market will be able to submit a quote to take the other side of an RFQ.”
Robinhood first unveiled Custom Combos at an event in mid-December, in which CEO Vlad Tenev said prediction markets would change “the future of finance and news.” A blog post noted prediction markets as Robinhood’s “fastest-growing product line by revenue ever.”
Robinhood shares were little changed on Friday at $110, according to Yahoo Finance. The company’s stock price has risen 140% over the past year.
Joe Maloney, senior vice president of strategic communications at the American Gaming Association, told Yahoo News earlier this week that the entire NFL postseason, leading up to the Super Bowl, is among the buzziest for bettors each year.
“The NFL really owns the betting calendar when it comes to big moments,” he said. “It’s just a reflection of increased confidence in legal sports wagering in this country and the popularity of the NFL, of football, and the excitement of the playoffs.”
Robinhood’s use of the term hints at tension brewing in courtrooms across the U.S. over how prediction markets should be regulated. Although companies like Kalshi argue that they provide financial instruments for information discovery—under the remit of the CFTC—critics and states argue that the platforms resemble delicately disguised casinos subject to local laws.
The Robinhood spokesperson said that Custom Combos are available in every U.S. state, except for Maryland and Nevada, where access to prediction markets is restricted.
In October, analysts at investment bank Compass Point wrote in a note that they had grown bullish on Robinhood, citing professional sports as a major tailwind for the retail brokerage that helped popularize day-trading and meme stocks through commission-free trading. The firm charges a one-cent fee per contract traded on its Kalshi-powered prediction markets.
As of this past week, Kalshi generated $1.8 billion in trading volume from markets on sports, which accounted for 91% of the platform’s activity, according to a Dune dashboard. During the same period a year ago, Kalshi didn’t generate any trading volume from markets on sports.
“At what point do we agree you’re no longer a ‘prediction market?’” a user on X mused earlier this week, while showing that sports comprised a leading 40% of volume on Polymarket. The post was viewed over 500,000 times.
Parlays are becoming increasingly popular among those betting on sports in the U.S., according to a survey released in July by the National Council on Problem Gambling. As of 2024, 30% of Americans wagered on sports through parlays, nearly doubling from 17% in 2018.
The increase raises “concerns about loss-chasing behaviors,” the NCPG added, with bettors stacking multiple legs on top of each other in hopes of a bigger payout.
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The White House says $6.4 million in seized Samourai Bitcoin was not sold, and will be added to a federal Bitcoin reserve.
Legal documents suggested the DOJ intended to liquidate the funds, against the spirit of a presidential executive order.
The Samourai developers remain in prison, and despite Trump signaling openness to pardons, none have been issued.
The nearly $6.4 million worth of Bitcoin seized by federal law enforcement from the creators of privacy tool Samourai Wallet has not been liquidated, and will be added to a national Bitcoin reserve, a White House official said Friday.
The announcement follows concerns floated last month by the attorneys and family members of the now-incarcerated developers that rogue Department of Justice attorneys in New York were intent on liquidating the funds. Such a move would have run counter to the spirit of President Donald Trump’s federal Bitcoin reserve, which he established through executive order in March using seized Bitcoin holdings.
A signed asset liquidation agreement between federal prosecutors and Samourai developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, reviewed by Decrypt, included language that potentially indicated a looming liquidation of the seized funds.
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“Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill authorize the USMS to receive the Bitcoin Account and immediately liquidate it in a manner dictated by the USMS,” the November agreement states, referencing the U.S. Marshals Service.
“Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill authorize the USMS to deposit all funds received from the liquidation of the Bitcoin to the Assets Forfeiture Fund as voluntary payments and for application to their money judgments,” another section reads.
But on Friday, Patrick Witt, the executive director of President Trump’s Digital Assets Council, announced the DOJ confirmed to him that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai’s developers “have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated.”
The funds, Witt said, will in fact be added to the federal government’s strategic Bitcoin reserve.
UPDATE: we have received confirmation from DOJ that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai Wallet have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated, per EO 14233. They will remain on the USG balance sheet as part of the SBR. https://t.co/v2GchC3vk8
— Patrick Witt (@patrickjwitt) January 16, 2026
Rodriguez and Hill both pleaded guilty last year to one criminal charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitter for their involvement in operating Samourai, a tool that allowed Bitcoin users to make their financial transactions private.
The case, started by the Joe Biden DOJ, was continued by the Trump DOJ last year. In November, the Trump DOJ secured a five-year prison sentence against Rodriguez, the maximum possible punishment; Hill was sentenced to four years. Both men have begun serving those sentences as of earlier this month.
The case has attracted particular attention among crypto and privacy advocates concerned about its implications for the future development of privacy-related software in the United States.
The saga has also caused some friction among crypto advocates’ perception of President Trump, who has made a concerted effort to define himself as “the crypto president” during his second term.
Last month, days before Rodriguez was due to report to prison, Decrypt asked the president if he would consider pardoning Samourai’s developers. Trump said he would “look at” the request, and directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate it further.
But Rodriguez and Hill reported to federal prison days later, where they remain.
In the meantime, allies of the Samourai developers have argued that Manhattan prosecutors were acting in defiance of the White House’s wishes—both by liquidating seized Bitcoin against the intention of a March 2025 executive order establishing a federal Bitcoin reserve, and, potentially, by prosecuting the developers in the first place.
But it appears that Bitcoin was never, in fact, liquidated—regardless of prosecutors’ intentions.
Almost a month since the president and the attorney general publicly acknowledged the case, pardons for Rodriguez and Hill have yet to materialize. The odds of a pardon before February sit at just 7.5% on Myriad, a prediction market developed by Decrypt’s parent company Dastan.
Even after hearing the White House’s announcement Friday, Rodriguez’s wife, Lauren Emily Rodriguez, told Decrypt she remains skeptical about whether the Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Samourai case have been forthright about what they did with funds seized from her husband.
“After seeing all the lies and manipulations done by the AUSAs in the Samourai case, I wouldn’t put anything past them,” she said.
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Canaan must raise its share price above $1 for 10 consecutive days by July to avoid Nasdaq delisting.
The company’s stock trades at $0.79, down from a brief spike after announcing a major 50,000-rig order in October.
Largest institutional holder Streeterville Capital exited its $439 million position in December.
Bitcoin mining hardware maker Canaan has until July to raise its share price and escape delisting, Nasdaq told the firm earlier this week.
The company now has until July to raise its share price above $1 for at least 10 consecutive days to escape being delisted, it said in a press release Friday.
If the company fails to achieve compliance, Nasdaq can grant the firm more time to come back into compliance. Other firms faced with a similar issue have used a reverse stock split to boost their share price. It involves reducing the number of outstanding shares and increasing the price per share proportionally.
The Singapore-based hardware maker, which trades under the CAN ticker, was changing hands for $0.79 at the time of writing. The hardware company’s shares haven’t traded above $5 since 2022 and last closed above $2 in October, according to Yahoo Finance data.
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In October, Canaan had just announced that it received an order for 50,000 of its Avalon A15 Pro mining rigs—the largest order it had receive in the past three years.
“This milestone order represents a significant win for Canaan and reflects the robust resurgence of the U.S. market,” Canaan Chairman and CEO Nangeng Zhang said, in a press release at the time. “It highlights not only the strength of our Avalon A15 Pro but also our deep commitment to serving customers worldwide, with a particular focus on building long-term partnerships in the U.S. market.”
The company’s stock jumped 25% the same day the news went out. But the investor euphoria didn’t last for long.
In early December, Utah-based investment firm Streeterville Capital was Canaan’s largest institutional holder. But then the firm completely exited its position on Dec. 12, which was worth around $439 million at the time, according to its SEC filing.
Canaan is not the only firm that’s gotten a warning letter from Nasdaq. Last month, Bitcoin treasury company Kindly MD got a similar letter telling the firm that it had until June 2026 to raise its share price above $1 for at least 10 consecutive days to avoid being delisted.
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Comprehensive market analysis maps exponential growth trajectory, investment opportunities, and strategic imperatives for industry leaders in the Kingdom’s rapidly evolving Generative AI ecosystem.
Delhi, India – January 14, 2026 – Ken Research released its strategic market analysis titled “KSA Generative AI Market Outlook to 2030,” revealing that the current market size is valued at USD 230 million, based on a five-year historical analysis. The detailed study outlines how the market is poised to expand, driven by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 push toward digital transformation, rising adoption of AI-powered solutions in diverse industries such as healthcare, finance, and manufacturing, growing government support through AI-focused initiatives, and strategic investments in research and development for generative AI technologies.
The 92+ page report provides decision-makers with critical intelligence on market dynamics, competitive positioning, and investment opportunities across Saudi Arabia’s Generative AI ecosystem. With current AI adoption still in its nascent stage, the analysis identifies a strategic inflection point for market entry and expansion, particularly in the rapidly growing verticals of automated content generation, AI-assisted design, and machine learning model innovation.
“Saudi Arabia is at an inflection point in its AI journey,” said Namit Goel, Research Director at Ken Research. “The government’s increasing focus on AI as part of its Vision 2030 objectives is creating a perfect storm for generative AI adoption across industries, with over 40% of enterprises planning to adopt AI-powered solutions in the next 3 years.”
Key Market Dynamics Reshaping the KSA Generative AI Landscape
The report identifies four key growth drivers that will define market development:
Government-Backed Momentum
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 includes significant investments in AI technologies, positioning the country as a regional leader in AI innovation. The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) is at the forefront, promoting strategic AI initiatives that will drive market growth, foster local talent, and encourage the creation of AI startups, particularly in generative AI. This strong governmental support ensures a stable foundation for the market’s future.
Enterprise AI Adoption Surge
Enterprises in sectors such as healthcare, finance, and manufacturing are rapidly integrating generative AI technologies to streamline processes, enhance customer experience, and increase operational efficiency. Key industries are expected to invest heavily in AI tools for automation, content creation, predictive analytics, and intelligent systems. The report highlights specific sectors driving AI adoption and provides insights on AI application trends.
Investment in R&D and Talent Development
Saudi Arabia’s investment in AI R&D is gaining momentum, with universities, research institutions, and private enterprises all focusing on developing cutting-edge generative AI technologies. This includes support for AI startups, academic research initiatives, and partnerships with global tech giants. The development of a highly skilled workforce is seen as a key enabler for sustained growth in the sector, with talent pipelines feeding directly into AI-powered sectors.
Strategic International Partnerships
International collaborations with tech giants and AI leaders will be pivotal for Saudi Arabia’s generative AI ambitions. These partnerships will help local companies adopt the latest AI technologies, enhance innovation, and bring global AI expertise to the Kingdom. The report maps potential international partnerships that could accelerate the growth of Saudi Arabia’s generative AI market, especially in high-value use cases such as healthcare diagnostics, AI-driven content generation, and digital transformation solutions.
Critical Strategic Questions Addressed
For executives navigating this market transformation, the report addresses four pivotal questions:
With generative AI adoption in Saudi Arabia expected to expand rapidly across multiple industries, the report identifies the most optimal entry points for both domestic and international firms. Early entrants in sectors such as AI-powered content generation and automated design tools are set to gain significant market share.
Regulatory Navigation
The report provides detailed insights into regulatory frameworks surrounding AI technology, including data privacy laws, ethical guidelines, and standards governing AI deployment. Saudi Arabia’s regulatory environment is evolving to ensure that AI technologies are implemented responsibly, which is essential for companies seeking to align their operations with local requirements.
Competitive Positioning
The analysis benchmarks leading AI companies, including international tech giants and emerging Saudi startups, to reveal market share distribution, pricing strategies, and expansion plans. This competitive intelligence helps organizations identify defensible market positions and differentiation opportunities as the competitive landscape evolves.
Investment Prioritization
The report includes a white-space analysis, identifying high-potential investment opportunities in generative AI technologies, talent development, and cross-industry partnerships. With AI adoption on the rise across sectors like healthcare, banking, and automotive, the analysis guides capital allocation decisions and prioritizes market segments with the greatest growth potential.
Critical Infrastructure and Policy Developments
The report highlights significant policy and infrastructure developments shaping generative AI market growth:
Strategic AI Infrastructure Investment
The analysis highlights key infrastructure investments that will support generative AI deployment, including data centers, cloud infrastructure, and high-performance computing resources necessary to power AI models. Public and private sector investments are crucial to supporting the scalability of AI systems across industries.
The report examines Saudi Arabia’s emerging AI governance and ethical frameworks, which ensure that generative AI technologies are used responsibly and transparently. These guidelines will be critical for organizations navigating the regulatory landscape as they deploy AI solutions in sensitive sectors like healthcare and finance.
Smart City and AI Integration
Smart city initiatives, particularly within the Vision 2030 framework, are driving significant demand for generative AI applications. The integration of AI with smart city infrastructure, such as traffic management, predictive analytics for urban planning, and AI-powered public services, presents enormous opportunities for market players.
Strategic Value for Decision-Makers
“What distinguishes this analysis is its focus on actionable intelligence,” noted Mr. Harsh Saxena, Principal at Ken Research. “We provide a comprehensive view of the generative AI landscape in Saudi Arabia, offering executives the data-driven insights needed to develop informed business strategies.”
The 140+ page report delivers essential market intelligence for executives and investors, including:
Detailed segmentation analysis by application (healthcare, finance, manufacturing)
5-year and 10-year forecast models with volume and revenue projections from 2024-2030
Competitive benchmarking of key global and regional playersWhite-space analysis in AI-powered content generation, customer service automation, and machine learning model development
Regulatory and policy roadmap for AI adoption and deployment
“As Saudi Arabia accelerates its Vision 2030 transformation, generative AI technologies will play a central role in reshaping industries across the Kingdom,” added Harsh Saxena, Principal at Ken Research. “Our report provides the insights needed to align business strategies with the Kingdom’s ambitious goals.”
Industry executives seeking access to the complete analysis can contact Ken Research directly or visit:
Unit 14, Tower B3, Spaze I Tech Business Park, Sohna Road, sector 49 Gurgaon, Haryana – 122001, India
Ken Research delivers strategic market intelligence that drives confident decision-making for industry leaders. With specialized expertise in high-growth markets across emerging economies, the firm provides data-driven insights that translate into competitive advantage for global organizations and investors.
This release was published on openPR.
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The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation found Nexo issued crypto-backed loans to at least 5,456 Californians without a license.
Nexo reportedly failed to evaluate borrowers’ ability to repay, existing debt, or credit history before extending credit.
The penalty comes as Nexo signals plans to re-enter the U.S. market after withdrawing in 2022, adding to $45 million in settlements with the SEC and state regulators in 2023.
California regulators have fined digital assets platform Nexo $500,000 for issuing thousands of “unlicensed” loans to at least 5,456 state residents, adding another enforcement action to the firm’s long-running regulatory troubles in the U.S.
The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation said its examination found that Nexo Capital Inc., a Cayman Islands–based entity and part of the Nexo group, offered crypto-backed consumer and commercial loans without holding a valid state license and without evaluating borrowers’ ability to repay, existing debt, or credit history, in a statement released Thursday.
“Lenders must follow the law and avoid making risky loans that endanger consumers—and crypto-backed loans are no exception,” DFPI Commissioner KC Mohseni said in the statement.
Nexo must also transfer all funds of California residents to a licensed U.S. affiliate within 150 days.
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The conduct cited by regulators occurred between July 26, 2018, and November 22, 2022, a period in which Nexo expanded its crypto-backed lending business before ultimately withdrawing from the U.S. amid mounting state and federal scrutiny.
Nexo has since shuttered its traditional crypto lending products for U.S. customers, maintaining only crypto-backed borrowing services abroad after a series of regulatory actions.
It marks yet another run-in between Nexo and California regulators, as two years ago, the DFPI co-led a multistate task force that secured a $22.5 million settlement over the company’s unregistered Earn Interest Product.
The same year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged Nexo with failing to register its crypto lending product, imposing an additional $22.5 million penalty and bringing the firm’s total U.S. fines for 2023 to $45 million.
“The fact that Nexo failed basic ability-to-repay checks for thousands undoubtedly raises red flags about systemic compliance shortfalls, and consumers should heed these warnings,” Kadan Stadelmann, Chief Technology Officer at Komodo Platform, told Decrypt.
He pointed to California’s regulatory framework as critical for protecting consumers, noting that the state’s regulation “leans towards overcollateralization to protect consumers against defaults, as well as borrower-focused protections which are needed to avoid a crypto version of the 2008 financial crisis.”
After withdrawing from the U.S. in late 2022 amid multiple enforcement actions, Nexo’s bid to re-enter the market now faces scrutiny following the DFPI penalty and questions over its reliance on no-admit-no-deny settlements.
“The no-admit-no-deny settlements allowed Nexo to avoid admissions that could result in shareholder lawsuits or bar future licenses,” Stadelmann said, while warning the company “could face further admissions, increasing fines, or regulatory monitors” as authorities scrutinize its compliance record.
“Other crypto companies have faced similar regulatory penalties, including the likes of FTX and Binance, and remain in business. Why not Nexo?” he quipped.
Representatives for Nexo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Coinstore has announced the official IEO of SCORE11’s native token -SCR($SCR) on its spot trading platform. The token is set to be listed as SCR/USDT pair, and will begin trading on the 21th of January 2026, with the private sale live on January 16th.
Built on BSC, Score11 introduces a next-generation Web3 fantasy sports platform that turns sports fandom into an immersive, skill-driven experience with real ownership and rewards. Rather than a standard gaming token, it’s built around fair play, where transparent blockchain rules, verifiable outcomes, and skill-based competitions level the field for everyone and also offers a decentralized prediction market platform where users can trade outcome-based shares on real-world events using cryptocurrency, primarily stablecoins like USDT and USDC. The platform leverages blockchain technology to ensure transparency and employs a market-driven pricing mechanism that reflects crowd-sourced probabilities
At the core of Score11 is a play-to-own ecosystem with staking rewards, NFT collectibles for player cards and achievements, and on-chain verification for every score and action. Stake SCR to unlock exclusive tournaments, governance votes, and yields; join global leagues with live cricket stats that update in real-time, plus prediction-style mechanics across upcoming sports such as football. Multiple tournaments, leagues, and special events keep things fresh, while different game modes combine fantasy gameplay, skill-based predictions, and ownership-driven participation. Rewards flow from performance and strategy, all tamper-proof and publicly recorded.
IEO Overview
Token name: SCORE11Token symbol: SCRTotal issue supply: 100,000,000Circulating Supply: To be announcedIEO Start Date: Fri, 16 January 2026Listing Date (Lunch Date): 21 January 2026–16:00 (UTC+8)Duration: 5 Day
Utility & Ecosystem
$SCR is the key to the Score11 world, powering:
Staking for tournament entry, yields, and boosted governanceBuying and trading NFT player cards and in-game assetsJoining fantasy leagues and skill-based contestsAccessing premium features and live stats integrationsApproach a Real World decentralized prediction market platform
As the platform grows-with beta in Q4 2025, global tournaments in Q1 2026, and expansions to football and esports-$SCR opens up:
DAO voting on leagues, rewards, and gameplay tweaksTrue ownership and secondary markets for digital collectiblesCross-game utility in the evolving sports economyReal World decentralized prediction market
The tokenomics focus on long-term stability with phased releases and vesting to support liquidity, rewards, development, and growth. Through blockchain fairness and community governance, Score11 redefines fantasy sports for fans who want to own, compete, and profit fairly.
Connecting a wallet puts you in control-own your cards, stake for gains, and jump into leagues-bringing Score11’s vision of transparent, fan-first Web3 gaming to life.
SCORE11 Official MediaWebsite|Twitter|Telegram|Instagram|LinkedIn
About Coinstore
Accessibility. Security. Equity.
As a leading global platform for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, Coinstore seeks to build an ecosystem that grants everyone access to digital assets and blockchain technology. With over 10 million users worldwide, Coinstore aims to become the preferred cryptocurrency trading platform and digital service provider worldwide.
Coinstore Social MediaTwitter | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Tiktok | Telegram Announcement | Telegram Events Announcement| Telegram Global Group
Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of capital. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.
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Ethereum activated the Fusaka upgrade on Dec. 3, 2025, raising the network’s data availability capacity through Blob Parameter Overrides that incrementally expanded blob targets and maximums.
Two subsequent adjustments raised the target from 6 blobs per block to 10, then to 14, with a maximum ceiling of 21. The goal was to reduce layer-2 rollup costs by increasing throughput for blob data, the compressed transaction bundles that rollups post to Ethereum for security and finality.
Three months into data collection, the results reveal a gap between capacity and utilization. A MigaLabs analysis of over 750,000 slots since Fusaka’s activation shows that the network isn’t reaching the target blob count of 14.
Median blob usage actually declined after the first parameter adjustment, and blocks containing 16 or more blobs exhibit elevated miss rates, suggesting reliability degradation at the edges of new capacity.
The report’s conclusion is direct: no further increases in the blob parameter until high-blob miss rates normalize and demand materializes for the headroom already created.
What Fusaka changed and when it happened
Ethereum’s pre-Fusaka baseline, established through EIP-7691, set the target at 6 blobs per block with a maximum of 9. The Fusaka upgrade introduced two sequential Blob Parameter Override adjustments.
The first was activated Dec. 9, raising the target to 10 and the maximum to 15. The second was activated Jan. 7, 2026, pushing the target to 14 and the maximum to 21.
These changes didn’t require hard forks, and the mechanism allows Ethereum to dial capacity through client coordination rather than protocol-level upgrades.
The MigaLabs analysis, which published reproducible code and methodology, tracked blob usage and network performance across this transition.
It found that the median blob count per block fell from 6 before the first override to 4 afterward, despite the network’s capacity expanding. Blocks containing 16 or more blobs remain extremely rare, occurring between 165 and 259 times each across the observation window, depending on the specific blob count.
The network has headroom it isn’t using.
One parameter discrepancy: the report’s timeline text describes the first override as raising the target from 6 to 12, but the Ethereum Foundation’s mainnet announcement and client documentation describe the adjustment as 6 to 10.
We use the Ethereum Foundation’s parameters as source: 6/9 baseline, 10/15 after the first override, 14/21 after the second. Nevertheless, we treat the report’s dataset for observed utilization and miss-rate patterns as the empirical backbone.
Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade timeline shows blob parameter increases from 6/9 baseline to 12/15 then 14/21 across December 2025 and January 2026.
Miss rates climb at high blob counts
Network reliability measured through missed slots, which are blocks that fail to propagate or attest correctly, shows a clear pattern.
At lower blob counts, the baseline miss rate sits around 0.5%. Once blocks reach 16 or more blobs, miss rates climb to 0.77% to 1.79%. At 21 blobs, the maximum capacity introduced in the second override, the miss rate hits 1.79%, more than triple the baseline.
The analysis breaks this down across blob counts from 10 to 21, showing a gradual degradation curve that accelerates past the 14-blob target.
This degradation matters because it suggests the network’s infrastructure, such as validator hardware, network bandwidth, and attestation timing, struggles to handle blocks at the upper end of capacity.
If demand eventually rises to fill the 14-blob target or push toward the 21-blob maximum, the elevated miss rates could translate into meaningful finality delays or reorg risk. The report frames this as a stability boundary: the network can technically process high-blob blocks, but doing so consistently and reliably remains an open question.
Miss rates remain below 0.75% for blocks with fewer than 16 blobs but climb above 1% at higher counts, reaching 1.79% at 21 blobs.
Blob economics: why the reserve price floor matters
Fusaka didn’t only expand capacity. It also changed blob pricing through EIP-7918, which introduces a reserve price floor to prevent blob auctions from collapsing to 1 wei.
Before this change, when execution costs dominated and blob demand stayed low, the blob base fee could spiral downward until it effectively disappeared as a price signal. Layer-2 rollups pay blob fees to post their transaction data to Ethereum, and those fees are supposed to reflect the computational and network costs that blobs impose.
When fees fall to near zero, the economic feedback loop breaks, and rollups consume capacity without paying in proportion. This results in the network losing visibility into actual demand.
EIP-7918’s reserve price floor ties blob fees to execution costs, ensuring that even when demand is soft, the price remains a meaningful signal.
This prevents the free-rider problem where cheap blobs encourage wasteful usage and provides clearer data for future capacity decisions: if blob fees stay elevated despite increased capacity, demand is genuine; if they collapse to the floor, headroom exists.
Early data from Hildobby’s Dune dashboard, tracking Ethereum blobs, shows that blob fees have stabilized after Fusaka rather than continuing the downward spiral seen in earlier periods.
The average blob count per block confirms MigaLabs’ finding that utilization hasn’t surged to fill the new capacity. Blocks routinely carry fewer than the 14-blob target, and the distribution remains heavily skewed toward lower counts.
Blob fees peaked above $2 million in early 2024 and late 2024 before declining through 2025, with sustained low activity into 2026.
What the data reveals about effectiveness
Fusaka succeeded in expanding technical capacity and proving the Blob Parameter Override mechanism works without requiring contentious hard forks.
The reserve price floor appears to be functioning as intended, preventing blob fees from becoming economically meaningless. But utilization lags behind capacity, and reliability at the edges of new capacity shows measurable degradation.
The miss rate curve suggests Ethereum’s current infrastructure comfortably handles the pre-Fusaka baseline and the first override’s 10/15 parameters, but begins to strain past 16 blobs.
This creates a risk profile: if layer-2 activity surges and pushes blocks toward the 21-blob maximum regularly, the network could face elevated miss rates that compromise finality and reorg resistance.
Demand patterns offer another signal. Median blob usage falling after the first override, despite increased capacity, suggests that layer-2 rollups aren’t currently constrained by blob availability.
Either their transaction volumes haven’t grown enough to require more blobs per block, or they’re optimizing compression and batching to fit within existing capacity rather than expanding usage.
Blobscan, a dedicated blob explorer, shows individual rollups posting relatively consistent blob counts over time rather than ramping up to exploit new headroom.
The pre-Fusaka concern was that limited blob capacity would bottleneck Layer 2 scaling and keep rollup fees elevated as networks competed for scarce data availability. Fusaka addressed the capacity constraint, but the bottleneck appears to have shifted.
Rollups aren’t filling the available space, which means either demand hasn’t arrived yet or other factors, such as sequencer economics, user activity, and cross-rollup fragmentation, are limiting growth more than blob availability was.
What comes next
Ethereum’s roadmap includes PeerDAS, a more fundamental redesign of data availability sampling that would further expand blob capacity while improving decentralization and security properties.
However, the Fusaka results suggest that raw capacity isn’t the binding constraint right now.
The network has room to grow into the 14/21 parameters before needing another expansion, and the reliability curve at high blob counts indicates that infrastructure upgrades may need to catch up before capacity increases again.
The miss rate data provides a clear boundary condition. If Ethereum pushes capacity higher while 16+ blob blocks still show elevated miss rates, it risks introducing systemic instability that could surface during high-demand periods.
The safer path is to let utilization rise toward the current target, monitor whether miss rates improve as clients optimize for higher blob loads, and adjust parameters only once the network demonstrates it can reliably handle edge cases.
Fusaka’s effectiveness depends on the metric. It expanded capacity successfully and stabilized blob pricing through the reserve floor. It didn’t drive immediate utilization increases or solve the reliability challenges at maximum capacity.
The upgrade created headroom for future growth, but whether that growth materializes remains an open question the data hasn’t answered yet.
Actor Matthew McConaughey has secured eight trademarks from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including a sound mark on his iconic “Alright, alright, alright” line from “Dazed and Confused.”
The trademarks, registered to his J.K. Livin Brands Inc., give McConaughey standing to sue in federal courts against unauthorized AI use of his voice and likeness.
McConaughey’s trademark strategy comes as the entertainment industry grapples with AI’s legal implications across multiple fronts.
Actor Matthew McConaughey has locked down legal protection on his most famous catchphrase, securing eight trademarks including a sound mark on his iconic “Alright, alright, alright” line from the 1993 comedy “Dazed and Confused,” even as Hollywood continues to wrestle with how far artificial intelligence should be allowed to go.
The Academy Award-winning actor’s legal team at Yorn Levine obtained the trademarks from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office over recent months, culminating in the approval for the sound mark that captures McConaughey’s distinctive three-word delivery.
The trademark registration specifies the exact pitch variations: “wherein the first syllable of the first two words is at a lower pitch than the second syllable, and the first syllable of the last word is at a higher pitch than the second syllable.”
By securing federal trademarks, McConaughey gains standing to sue in federal courts and potentially deter unauthorized AI-generated content featuring his voice or likeness, even when it’s not explicitly commercial.
“In a world where we’re watching everybody scramble to figure out what to do about AI misuse, we have a tool now to stop someone in their tracks or take them to federal court,” Jonathan Pollack, of-counsel attorney at Yorn Levine, told Hollywood trade publication Variety.
The eight trademarks, registered to McConaughey’s J.K. Livin Brands Inc., parent company of his Just Keep Livin apparel business, also include video clips of the actor and audio of him saying “Just keep livin’, right?” followed by “I mean.”
“I don’t know what a court will say in the end. But we have to at least test this,” noted Kevin Yorn, partner at Yorn Levine, whose firm represents entertainment industry luminaries including Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldaña, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and others.
Broader industry reckoning
The trademark move is complicated by McConaughey’s own embrace of AI, on licensed terms.
Last November, he announced a partnership with AI voice company ElevenLabs, where he’s an investor, to create Spanish-language versions of his “Lyrics of Livin'” newsletter using AI voice replication.
Meanwhile, in November, Warner Music Group resolved its copyright infringement lawsuit against AI music generator Udio, announcing an agreement that will convert the platform into a licensed service launching in 2026.
The settlement ended litigation filed last June when Warner joined Sony Music Entertainment and UMG Recordings in accusing Udio and competitor Suno of mass copyright infringement for allegedly training AI models on copyrighted recordings without permission.
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Such collaborations point to a growing divide in Hollywood, with some artists viewing AI as an existential threat, while others see it as a tool, so long as they control the terms.
McConaughey’s message appears to land somewhere in between. Unauthorized AI? Not alright. Licensed, consent-based use? That’s a different conversation.
Decrypt has reached out to J.K. Livin Brands Inc. for comment.
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New platform empowers agencies and small businesses to streamline social media management, boost engagement, and scale marketing efforts efficiently
ORANGE COUNTY, CA / ACCESS Newswire / January 14, 2026 / Globely, a leading provider of digital marketing and data management solutions for agencies and SMBs, today announced the launch of Globely Social, a powerful platform designed to streamline and scale social media publishing, engagement tracking, and content planning across multiple clients, locations, and platforms.
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Purpose-built for digital marketing agencies, SEO firms, and multi-location businesses, Globely Social simplifies the complexities of social media management without adding development burdens. Its centralized dashboard, cross-platform scheduling, reputation management tools, and white-label capabilities enable marketing teams to deliver higher-volume output with greater consistency and efficiency.
“In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, social media is one of the most visible and influential components of a brand’s presence,” said Robert Jacobson, Co-Founder of Globely. “We built Globely Social to give agencies the infrastructure they need to scale social services profitably, without added complexity or compromise.”
Recent studies show that social media plays a critical role in consumer behavior, with 87% of buyers indicating that social media influences their purchasing decisions and 76% reporting purchases inspired by social posts. Despite this, many small business owners face time constraints: 56% spend only an hour or less per day on marketing, and 64% monitor accounts once a week or less.
Globely Social addresses these challenges by helping SMBs and agencies consolidate social media management and drive engagement. It tackles common pain points including limited time, content creation bottlenecks, and posting inconsistencies through a suite of robust features.
Key Features of Globely Social:
Multi-Platform Publishing: Schedule posts across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) from one dashboard.
AI-Assisted Content Planning: Generate content suggestions and optimize posting times.
White-Label Client Portals: Agencies can deliver fully branded experiences under their own name.
Detailed Analytics: Access real-time engagement data and performance metrics across all accounts.
Globely Social integrates seamlessly with Globely’s broader Brand Manager platform, which centralizes business listings, reviews, content, and analytics-providing a holistic solution for agencies and multi-location brands seeking a cohesive, measurable online presence.
For more information or to request access, visit: http://globely.social
About GlobelyFounded in 2025 by digital marketing veterans, Globely delivers scalable, white-label SaaS platforms for agencies and SMBs. With a mission to remove barriers to digital brand management, Globely equips partners with tools to unify online presence, automate marketing operations, and enhance visibility across all digital touchpoints.
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Chainalysis estimates crypto scams generated over $17 billion in losses for 2025.
Impersonation scams grew more than 1,400% year over year, driven in part by AI tools.
AI-enabled scams generated 4.5 times more revenue per operation than traditional scams.
In 2025, crypto scams became faster, more convincing, and more profitable as artificial intelligence and impersonation tactics pushed estimated losses to a record $17 billion, according to a new report by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.
The sharp increase reflects not just more scams, but more effective ones. According to Chainalysis’ report released Tuesday, the average scam payment rose to $2,764 in 2025, up from $782 a year earlier—a 253% increase.
“On a time-weighted basis, you get faster scale and better believability,” Chainalysis Head of Research Eric Jardine told Decrypt in an interview. “Over 70% of AI-enabled scams exist in the top 50th percentile of transfer volume. You’re getting bigger faster, and pulling in more money per transfer.”
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Scams with on-chain links to AI vendors generated an average of $3.2 million per operation, about 4.5 times more than scams without those links, Chainalysis found. The pattern is tied to the use of face-swap software, deepfakes, and large language models sold by Chinese vendors, often through Telegram channels.
“Once you move into these deepfake-type scenarios where people look, for all intents and purposes, like someone you know or a person of authority you’ve dealt with before, the believability goes up,” Jardine said. “That means you’re more likely to be scammed, and it also lets scammers scale those operations in a way that’s really problematic.”
Government impersonation has become so effective that scams using deepfaked images of government officials grew more than 1,400% in 2025 as criminals posed as workers from government agencies, financial institutions, and crypto platforms.
One of the most expansive phishing operations targeted U.S. residents with fraudulent “E-ZPass” toll alerts, a campaign Chainalysis traced to a Chinese group known as “Darcula” or the “Smishing Triad.” Despite the massive scale of the attack—which sent out as many as 330,000 texts in a single day—the underlying infrastructure was remarkably inexpensive, with sophisticated phishing kits likely costing the scammers less than $500.
“Scams have a numbers game and a believability dimension. Long-run relational scams, like “pig butchering,” have a higher average scammed amount than a YouTube giveaway scam. You’re essentially trading off scale for believability,” Jardine said.
Pig butchering scams are long-running fraud schemes in which scammers build relationships—often posing as romantic or investment partners—before persuading victims to transfer increasingly large sums of money. They’re named as such because scammers are “fattening up” victims before swindling them.
In December, a woman in San Jose, California, used ChatGPT to determine that a new romantic partner was a pig-butchering scammer after losing nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency.
Impersonation scams are increasingly abandoning centralized exchanges for decentralized finance options like DEXs, DeFi bridges, and protocols to move their loot. This change, Jardine explained, is part of a broader trend toward the decentralization of scam operations, as criminals leverage the permissionless nature of these tools to keep their funds moving.
According to Jardine, while AI’s use in scams is growing, basic automation is usually sufficient to move funds on‑chain. Instead, more advanced AI tools could be used “at that final point of reintegration” to create fake, KYC‑compliant exchange accounts in bulk, helping scammers cash out into traditional currencies.
That ability to automate and scale the final step of cashing out helps sustain the physical aspects of the scam operations that have taken root in parts of Southeast Asia.
In recent years, so-called scam compounds have emerged across Myanmar and Cambodia, turning “pig butchering” into a massive industry fueled by human trafficking and forced labor. These operations, often run by Chinese organized crime networks, use specialized laundering channels to flip stolen crypto into luxury assets. The scale of this crisis was underscored in December when the U.S. Department of Justice moved to shut down domains linked to a major compound in Myanmar.
“These cases demonstrate the scale of modern cryptocurrency scam operations and their increasing integration with traditional organized crime,” Chainalysis said in the report. “They also reveal the human cost of these schemes, which exploit both financial victims and the trafficked individuals forced to operate them, itself an unspeakable crime.”
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In brief
Crypto-linked stocks surged early in 2025 as Bitcoin broke $100,000, lifting miners, treasury firms, and crypto-adjacent businesses in a wave of speculative...
