Cryptocurrency Wallet Ledger Expands to New York City 3911

Ledger announced that it has expanded its U.S. presence to New York City and appointed Demetrios Skalkotos to lead global business unit operations for Ledger Vault, which will be headquartered from the new office. A multi-authorization cryptocurrency self-custody management solution built to secure large amounts of various digital assets, Ledger Vault is the preeminent enterprise security solution for financial institutions.

The Ledger Vault provides state-of-the-art-security by integrating the company’s custom operating system, BOLOS, directly into the hardware security module chip — making it the only crypto-asset protection company to combine a secure chip with its own custom operating system. Ledger Vault provides the information technology infrastructure for firms to completely manage and control their cryptocurrencies, allowing custodians, asset managers and traditional financial services firms to store and trade their digital assets.

“As Blockchain revolutionizes the financial system, so must the security solutions that protect it,” said Skalkotos. “Secure storage of large multi-cryptocurrency funds is a highly complex challenge that cannot be solved by just implementing procedures. Institutions are looking for safer storage options along with integrated governance policies, but don’t want to sacrifice convenience — at Ledger, we believe that investors shouldn’t have to compromise. Ledger Vault provides financial institutions, family offices and fund managers with secure software and a reliable governance framework — allowing investors total control and security without sacrificing speed.”

Having served in senior leadership roles at internationally recognized financial services companies, Skalkotos has decades of experience running global software and infrastructure businesses, as well as P&L’s, product development, sales and marketing. Skalkotos uniquely understands the industry and is well positioned to help financial institutions, hedge funds, high-net worth individuals and family offices ensure security is top of mind as cryptocurrency investments continue to be embraced by mainstream financial organizations.

“New York City is the center of the financial world, hence having our Ledger Vault operations based in the region was a natural fit,” said Pascal Gauthier, President of Ledger. “Having spent his whole career working as a leader in enterprise and financial services products, Demetrios Skalkotos is the perfect candidate to bring Ledger Vault to life and oversee its continued growth.”

“As crypto becomes more widely adopted, it is critical that we scale enterprise-level solutions accordingly,” continued Skalkotos. “The Ledger Vault does just that — we are the necessary digital plumbing that will provide security custody management to the industry.”

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Gensyn Launches $AI Token Sale on Sonar 4370

The token sale offers 3% of the token supply, a bonus multiplier for Testnet participants, and the opportunity to receive a Gensyn branded GPU workstation. https://token.gensyn.network/

$AI Details:

The Gensyn Foundation (“Gensyn”) today launches its $AI token sale on Sonar, marking a major milestone ahead of its upcoming Mainnet. The sale introduces the native token that will coordinate payments, staking & security, and governance across the Gensyn network.

The a16z-backed, decentralised AI network is preparing for Mainnet and launching the $AI token sale. The Gensyn Testnet has already demonstrated rapid traction, including:

  • 2,000,000+ AI models trained
  • 165,000+ users
  • 90,000,000+ transactions (575,000 per day)

The $AI token is the utility currency for the Mainnet network, a network where anyone can contribute AI compute, training signals, models, or evaluation criteria and where performance is priced transparently in real time. The combination of deterministic verification, open evaluation, and decentralised compute forms a market-driven system for continual learning, directed by true economic interest and supplied by anyone, or any system, in the world..

The sale offers 300,000,000 tokens (3 percent of supply) through an English auction with a valuation floor of $1 million FDV and a valuation cap of $1 billion FDV, matching the price of Gensyn’s last a16z-led funding round two months ago. The sale runs on Ethereum Mainnet with USDC or USDT and a $100 minimum bid, while tokens will be claimed on the Gensyn Network (L2).

About the Testnet Multiplier:

In addition to priority allocation, verified Testnet users will also receive a bonus token multiplier on their purchase amount, taken from a 2% reward pool. The exact multiplier will be based on each user’s participation throughout the Gensyn Testnet, as well as their bid amount in the sale. Higher participation and bid amounts equal a higher multiplier, with the majority of the multiplier coming from their Testnet participation. Multipliers will grant additional tokens on top of the purchase amount for no extra cost.

“We’ve had huge success testing our infrastructure and applications on testnet and we’re ready to move to the next phase, operating with real value and game theoretic security on mainnet. Doing a public sale ahead of launch allows us to focus on fair distribution and prioritise community members who have supported the testnet and show conviction in our thesis.”- Ben Fielding, Co-Founder and CEO, Gensyn AI

1inch Named Exclusive Swap Provider at Launch for Ledger Multisig 4758

1inch, the leading DeFi ecosystem, has been selected as the exclusive swap provider at launch for Ledger Multisig, deepening the collaboration between the two projects. By integrating the 1inch Swap API into its security-first multisig architecture, Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security for consumers and enterprises, enables secure, seamless treasury swaps with full clear signing. This is a major leap forward in the security of on-chain treasuries.

Blind signing has long been a structural weakness in on-chain treasury management, where DAOs, funds, enterprises, and DeFi teams are often required to take unnecessary risk, when approving transactions. The combination of Ledger Multisig and the 1inch Swap API, overcomes this issue, allowing every swap to be reviewed in clear, human-readable form, bringing execution into the light and aligning it with established standards for governance and asset transfers.

Through this integration, there is no need for blind signing, thanks to structured, readable data via EIP-712. Users can review full transaction details on-device. 1inch’s Swap API provides Ledger Multisig users with verifiable swap routes, deep liquidity aggregation for competitive pricing, support for safe-compatible trades across multiple chains, and MEV-resistant execution paths.

Ledger is once again setting a new benchmark for security, this time for treasury operations. By pairing hardware-level assurance with a trusted execution layer, Ledger Multisig eliminates a major security blind spot in DeFi. Organizations can now manage assets, rebalance treasuries, and interact with DeFi with clarity, confidence, and uncompromising security.

In addition to bringing swaps to Ledger Multisig, 1inch is also adopting the signing technology to elevate its own security across its own treasury workflows. By utilizing Ledger Multisig, 1inch is creating and setting the standard for secure and seamless operations.

“For the DeFi industry to mature, we must create self-custody tools that are both safer and simpler. This is something that both, 1inch and Ledger are focused on solving. Treasury management is just another area of crypto that through our collaboration, we have made feel effortless, without compromising on security,” said Sergej Kunz, 1inch co-founder. “Ledger Multisig is the easy solution for businesses moving money on-chain that want to use Ledger’s uncompromising security,” said Sebastien Badault, EVP of Enterprise at Ledger. “1inch has been a strong supporter of Ledger and understands the value of security. 1inch was early to support Clear Signing, direct connectivity with Ledger signers, and we’re delighted to have 1inch as the exclusive Swap provider at launch for Ledger Multisig.”

About 1inch

1inch accelerates decentralized finance with a seamless crypto trading experience for 26M users. Beyond being the top platform for low-cost, efficient token swaps with $500M+ in daily trades, 1inch offers a range of innovative tools, including a secure self-custodial wallet, a portfolio tracker for managing digital assets, a dedicated business portal giving access to its cutting-edge technology, and even a debit card for easy crypto spending. By continuously innovating, 1inch is simplifying DeFi for everyone.

About Ledger

Celebrating its 10 year anniversary in 2024, Ledger is the world leader in Digital Asset security for consumers and enterprises. Ledger offers connected devices and platforms, with more than 8M devices sold to consumers in 165+ countries and 10+ languages, 100+ financial institutions and commercial brands. Over 20% of the world’s crypto assets are secured by Ledger.

Ledger is the digital asset solution secure by design. The world’s most internationally respected offensive security team, Ledger Donjon, is relied upon as a crucial resource for securing the world of Digital Assets. With over 14 billion dollars hacked, scammed or mismanaged in 2023 alone, Ledger’s security brings peace of mind and uncompromising self-custody to its community.

N4T Announces Liquidity Locking Ahead of DEX Listings 3973

N4T, short for “Nobel for Trump,” a new movement-driven token, today announces that it will lock liquidity for the N4T token as it prepares for its debut across decentralized exchanges prior to listing on CEX platforms.

The decision follows the project’s successful ICO in November and marks the next major milestone in N4T’s roadmap as it transitions from its early fundraising phase to open-market participation. Following its introduction to the Ethereum network in November, N4T evolves from a peace-driven token and cultural blockchain experiment into a long-term, sustainable DeFi ecosystem.

By committing liquidity for a long-term period ahead of exchange listings and as the world’s first peace-driven token on Ethereum, N4T is building trust and confidence across its user base with long-term stability in mind. With applications underway, it plans to register on major data platforms CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko and to list the N4T token across major exchanges, including MEXC, Gate.io, BitMart, and BingX.

“Our community supported N4T from the moment we introduced our ICO,” said Erik Amirbai Lang, Co-founder of N4T. “Today’s move reinforces our commitment to building a stable, mission-driven ecosystem. As we prepare for DEX listings, liquidity locking signals that we are growing with purpose.”

The N4T token, minted on November 4, underpins the developing “peace-to-earn” ecosystem, rewarding holders for participating in message-driven digital activations. With 37% of the supply originally allocated to the public sale, airdrops, and community rewards, this framework remains key to incentivizing engagement as liquidity and exchange visibility grow.

About N4T

N4T (Nobel For Trump) is a movement-driven token that unites meme culture with peace advocacy. Built on Ethereum, N4T transforms digital engagement into a positive global message, demonstrating how blockchain and community power can be used to promote peace, recognition, and impact.

Learn more about N4T at n4t.io, and follow N4T on X at www.X.com/N4Tcoin.

Crypto’s Great Deception: 75% of “Decentralized” Currency Controlled by Centralized Giants 2261

Billions in digital assets labeled “decentralized” are, in reality, centrally controlled by private servers, hidden admin keys, and corporate entities, all adding up to a potential financial catastrophe. Dr. David Utzke, a former U.S. Treasury cybercrimes technologist, reveals how false decentralization is covertly controlling the crypto ecosystem, and what regulators, investors, and institutions must do now to avert disaster.

A reckoning is coming for the crypto ecosystem. According to recent blockchain and financial research, between 60% and 75% of total daily digital-asset project revenue now flows through fiat-pegged tokens issued by centralized entities such as Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC). These issuers, and many so-called decentralized projects, operate on proprietary code bases and closed governance systems, contradicting the decentralization narratives used to attract investors, institutions, and governments.

“The problem is architectural, not speculative,” said Dr. David Utzke, author of The Digital Asset Technology Guidebook. “Most of what’s sold as ‘decentralized’ runs on centralized ledgers controlled by private foundations or developer teams. When one of those hidden control points fails or disappears, billions in value can vanish overnight.”

A False Sense of Security

While Bitcoin’s 2009 launch introduced a truly distributed ledger, most newer networks, especially Layer-2 (L2) and Layer-3 (L3) projects, quietly reverted to centralized control. Despite marketing claims, their “decentralization” exists in name only.

As Dr. Utzke notes, “The term decentralization has been hijacked. It originally referred to political hierarchy, not network architecture. Today, many projects call themselves decentralized simply because they don’t interact directly with users, even though a CEO or a small developer team controls every critical system function.”

This growing re-centralization trend has been documented by the Brookings Institution, which warns that “blockchain’s decentralization promise is quietly giving way to corporate and technical centralization”. Similarly, IEEE researchers have identified persistent “centralized security risks in decentralized applications,” including hard-coded administrative access and opaque governance models.

In 2025 alone, decentralized finance (DeFi) exploits and protocol breaches have cost users more than $3 billion, according to cybersecurity trackers. Although reported hacks fell by 85% in October, a decline largely attributed to improved security tooling and law enforcement pressure, the structural vulnerabilities remain unresolved.

“These are not isolated failures,” said Dr. Utzke. “They’re warnings about systemic fragility hidden beneath the surface of crypto’s biggest platforms.”

Systemic Risks Hidden in Plain Sight

This illusion of decentralization carries far-reaching implications. Institutions holding crypto assets are often unaware they are relying on non-cryptographic frameworks or single points of failure embedded in private code. These vulnerabilities mirror the contagion risks seen in traditional finance, as when FTX’s collapse in 2022 triggered losses across the entire digital-asset sector.

“Digital assets are intertwined,” Dr. Utzke warned. “When one centralized project fails, it doesn’t fall alone—it takes others down with it. The next crash won’t be about volatility; it’ll be about trust collapsing at the code level.”

The rise of meme-token platforms like Pump.fun and Degen Chain underscores this fragility. More than seven million tokens have been minted across such systems, yet fewer than 3% retain any long-term value. Over 80% of tokens are effectively dead, a pattern Dr. Utzke calls “the PvP degen casino model” of speculative chaos. In this scenario, participants repeatedly mint and trade meme tokens as though playing a peer-vs-peer casino — chasing short-term wins where most tokens collapse to near-zero value.

Calling for Cryptographic Truth and Oversight

Dr. Utzke argues that the Path forward requires more than regulation; it demands accountability. He advises:

  • Smarter, bifurcated oversight rooted in technical expertise.
  • A self-regulatory organization (SRO), similar to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), to certify cryptographic soundness.
  • Enforcement of transparent disclosure standards for digital-asset projects.

“Federal regulators simply don’t have the technical depth to oversee blockchain architecture,” said Dr. Utzke. “We need an SRO staffed by cryptographers and cybersecurity experts who can audit code integrity, enforce smart-contract standards, and separate hype from truth. Otherwise, we’re building financial skyscrapers on invisible foundations.”

Securing Against Higher Stakes

With institutional and government adoption of blockchain assets accelerating, the stakes have never been higher. Transparency, verification, and architectural integrity—not speculation—will determine the survivability of the digital-asset economy.

“Decentralization isn’t a slogan,” Dr. Utzke concluded. “It’s a verifiable state of architecture. Until we can prove that… the crypto ecosystem remains one breach, one admin key, or one vanished developer away from its next global meltdown.”

About Dr. David Utzke:

Dr. David Utzke is a pioneering innovator in blockchain-based AI systems and decentralized data intelligence. His work synthesizes emerging technologies with financial systems to create secure, autonomous frameworks for digital asset management, DeFi, and identity verification. With over a decade serving at the U.S. Treasury’s IRS Cyber Crimes Unit, Dr. Utzke has led groundbreaking cases in digital forensics and decentralized finance. With experience spanning economics, cryptography, and machine learning, his disruptive vision focuses on establishing transparent, human-centered technology that bridges the gap between AI and trust in digital transactions.

Bitnomial Launches First-Ever Stablecoin Margin Collateral with RLUSD, Expands Digital Asset Support to XRP 1592

Bitnomial, Inc. (“Bitnomial”), a U.S. derivatives exchange company, today announced a historic milestone as Bitnomial Clearinghouse, LLC, the only U.S. registered derivatives clearing organization (DCO) accepting digital assets as native margin collateral, becoming the first to accept stablecoins. Bitnomial is launching support for Ripple USD (RLUSD) and expanding its digital asset margin program to include XRP.

This expansion builds on Bitnomial’s groundbreaking launch of crypto margin deposits in September 2025, making the CFTC-regulated Bitnomial Exchange, LLC, and clearinghouse, Bitnomial Clearinghouse, LLC, the only U.S. regulated derivatives market infrastructure accepting stablecoins and a broader range of digital assets as margin collateral.

RLUSD and XRP margin deposits are now available for institutional clients trading leveraged perpetuals, futures, and options on Bitnomial Exchange. Retail traders will gain access to RLUSD and XRP margin deposits through Botanical, Bitnomial’s retail trading platform. With RLUSD stablecoin support, traders can now margin their positions with a USD-pegged digital asset, providing seamless capital efficiency while maintaining the benefits of blockchain-native settlement.

At the Ripple Swell conference in New York, Luke Hoersten, CEO of Bitnomial said “Adding RLUSD and XRP as margin collateral represents a major evolution in how traders can deploy their digital assets, RLUSD brings stablecoin efficiency to our margin system, allowing traders to hold USD-equivalent positions on-chain while accessing our full suite of derivatives products. Combined with XRP support, this gives our clients unprecedented flexibility in how they manage capital across their trading strategies. This is a natural extension of our partnership with Ripple and our commitment to building the most capital-efficient derivatives infrastructure in the U.S. market.”

“The addition of RLUSD and XRP further enhances the capital efficiency advantages available to traders on Bitnomial Exchange,” added Michael Dunn, President of Bitnomial Exchange, LLC. “Stablecoins represent a superior payment mechanism for both retail traders and institutions alike, offering the stability of USD with the speed and efficiency of blockchain settlement. With our expanded margin collateral options, traders can now leverage their stablecoin holdings and XRP positions to access the full range of CFTC-regulated crypto derivatives, reducing the friction of moving between different asset types.”

“With today’s announcement adding native support for RLUSD and XRP as margin collateral, Bitnomial cements its position as one of the most forward-thinking derivatives exchanges in the U.S,” said Jack McDonald, SVP Stablecoins at Ripple. “Stablecoins are moving from primarily speculative use cases to real world applications, with RLUSD, as a trusted tier-1 USD-backed stablecoin, leading the pack.”

Bitnomial continues to lead innovation in U.S. crypto derivatives markets. As the first to launch regulated perpetual futures in the U.S., the first to accept digital assets as margin collateral, and now the first to accept stablecoins as margin collateral, Bitnomial has consistently pioneered capital-efficient market infrastructure. The combination of RLUSD stablecoin margin, XRP support, and Bitnomial’s existing Bitcoin and Ether margin deposits creates the most comprehensive digital asset margin system available on a U.S. regulated exchange. This initiative provides significant benefits to crypto-native funds, institutional traders, and market makers who can now deploy their digital asset portfolios more efficiently while maintaining full regulatory compliance.

All Bitnomial futures and options contracts are offered by, and subject to the rules of, Bitnomial Exchange, LLC, and cleared through Bitnomial Clearinghouse, LLC. RLUSD and XRP margin collateral acceptance is subject to all applicable regulatory approvals.

About Bitnomial, Inc.

Bitnomial, Inc. is a digital asset derivatives exchange company that owns and operates U.S. CFTC-regulated exchange (DCM), clearinghouse (DCO), and brokerage (FCM) subsidiaries. Bitnomial offers the first U.S. perpetuals, physical futures, and options on the Bitcoin Complex comprising BTC and Hashrate, and the Crypto Complex comprising the first ever U.S. XRP, ADA, and USDC futures, among other assets.

Follow Bitnomial at bitnomial.com and on X @bitnomial
Follow Botanical at botanical.finance and on X @botanical

Stablecoins New Era Begins: Inside the Next Wave of Institutional Adoption and Infrastructure Competition 1426

The stablecoin market is entering a new phase of transformation. In the landmark joint report by Alchemy Pay and Gate Research, “The New Era of Stablecoins: A Comprehensive Study on Compliance, Innovation, and Adoption”, the report dives deep into how stablecoins are reshaping the global financial infrastructure, from its exponential growth and regulatory evolution to the intensifying competition at the infrastructure layer.

Exponential Growth and Institutional Momentum

As of August 2025, the total capitalization of stablecoins has exceeded USD 280 billion, representing more than a 660-fold increase since early 2019. Annual on-chain settlement volumes have surpassed USD 30 trillion, placing stablecoins on par with traditional global payment systems such as SWIFT and Visa in terms of transaction throughput.

This growth reflects both technological maturity and regulatory acceleration. The implementation of key frameworks, such as the GENIUS Act, Stablecoin Ordinance, and MiCA, has initiated what the report identifies as the “Age of Compliance.”

The report also highlights the growing participation of major financial institutions including PayPal, Visa, and Mastercard, each embedding stablecoin functionality into retail, enterprise, and cross-border payment systems. These integrations signal the ongoing convergence between TradFi and DeFi, underscoring the transition of stablecoins from speculative instruments to operational assets within global payment and settlement ecosystems.

Meanwhile, innovation within the stablecoin sector continues to accelerate. While USDT and USDC remain dominant, emerging models such as yield-bearing stablecoins are rapidly gaining market share. The study identifies a structural evolution from single-purpose payment tools to a “Three-in-One Model”—Peg + Yield + Application—that extends stablecoin utility into yield generation, real-world asset integration, and enterprise use cases such as supply chain finance and payroll settlement.

From Tokens to Infrastructure: The New Battlefield

The narrative of competition is shifting. It’s no longer about which stablecoin dominates, it’s about who controls the rails. The report calls this the move from “token competition” to “infrastructure competition.” As stablecoins become integral to the global payments landscape, control over settlement infrastructure has emerged as the next competitive frontier. Leading players like Tether, Circle, Stripe, and Alchemy Pay are developing blockchain architectures to establish themselves as dominant settlement networks.

This strategic evolution reflects a broader recognition: in the future of digital finance, the competitive advantage will lie not merely in token issuance, but in control of the infrastructure that enables liquidity, settlement, and compliance across markets and jurisdictions.

Alchemy Chain: Building the Stablecoin Settlement Hub for Global Fiat

Within this emerging infrastructure race, the report spotlights Alchemy Chain, a Layer 1 blockchain developed by Alchemy Pay. Drawing upon years of operational experience in the fiat-crypto payment sector, Alchemy Chain represents a practice-driven approach to infrastructure design.

The blockchain’s architecture centers on a clear, efficient flow—Fiat A → Stablecoin → Fiat B—positioning stablecoins as instant settlement bridges for global cross-border transactions. Key technical innovations include:

  • FIFO (First-In-First-Out) transaction ordering, ensuring fairness and eliminating “pay-to-prioritize” congestion.
  • On-chain real-time FX rates, with validator nodes directly integrating price feeds at the consensus layer to reduce oracle latency.
  • Block-Wing hybrid storage system, combining on-chain recording of essential transaction data with decentralized off-chain storage for auxiliary files, ensuring scalability and cost efficiency.

Strategically, Alchemy Chain diverges from general-purpose blockchains. Rather than competing with ecosystems like Ethereum, it aims to redefine global settlement infrastructure, leveraging Web3 technology to rebuild payment systems traditionally represented by SWIFT. Backed by Alchemy Pay’s already built network of 3 million users across 173 countries, and supported by connections with Visa, Mastercard, local mobile wallets and global banking rails, Alchemy Chain is positioned to serve as a neutral, compliant settlement layer connecting stablecoins and fiat currencies worldwide.

The Future Trajectory: Compliance, Multipolarity, and Integration

The report concludes that stablecoins are transitioning through three structural shifts:

  • From explosive growth to compliance establishment;
  • From token-centric competition to infrastructure-centric competition;
  • From U.S. dollar dominance to regional multipolarity.

Over the next three to five years, the report predicts that the institutions capable of creating a closed-loop ecosystem, integrating compliance frameworks, proprietary infrastructure, and scalable applications, will define the next generation of the global value network.

Read the Full Report

The “New Era of Stablecoins” report offers a data-driven, forward-looking roadmap for enterprises, regulators, and developers navigating the evolving stablecoin landscape.

Read the full report to explore how compliance, infrastructure, and innovation are converging to reshape the global payments ecosystem.

About Gate Research

Gate Research is a comprehensive blockchain and cryptocurrency research platform that provides deep content for readers, including technical analysis, market insights, industry research, trend forecasting, and macroeconomic policy analysis.

About Alchemy Pay

Founded in 2017, Alchemy Pay is a payment gateway that seamlessly connects crypto with traditional fiat currencies for businesses, developers, and end users. With its offerings including On & Off-Ramp, Web3 Digital Bank, NFT Checkout and its newly launched RWA platform, Alchemy Pay supports fiat payments in 173 countries.

The Ramp is a one-stop solution to buy and sell crypto and fiat, easily integrated by platforms and dApps according to requirements. The RWA platform allows global users to invest in tokenized real-world assets using local fiat currencies, lowering entry barriers and democratizing access to traditional financial instruments. Our Web3 Digital Bank supports Web3 enterprises by providing multi-fiat accounts and instant fiat-crypto conversion capabilities. Additionally, the NFT Checkout enables direct purchases of NFTs using fiat payment methods. ACH is the Alchemy Pay network token on the Ethereum blockchain.