Circle, the world’s second-largest stablecoin issuer, has officially launched the public testnet of its Arc blockchain network, a major step toward bringing traditional financial infrastructure onchain. The rollout has drawn participation from over 100 leading institutions, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Visa, Mastercard, and State Street, marking one of the most significant institutional entries into blockchain testing to date. Arc, described by Circle as the “Economic Operating System for the Internet,” is designed to deliver sub-second transaction finality, predictable USD-based fees, and optional privacy controls — all directly connected to Circle’s USDC stablecoin and global payments infrastructure. “With Arc’s public testnet,…
Author: Blockto Team
Andreessen Horowitz Backs Stablecoin Access Startup Targeting 100M Unbanked Pakistanis Global venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has led a $12.9 million funding round for ZAR, a fintech startup focused on bringing stablecoin access to Pakistan’s unbanked population through an innovative retail distribution model. According to industry reports, the round also saw participation from Dragonfly Capital, VanEck Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, and Endeavor Catalyst, reflecting strong institutional interest in digital financial inclusion across emerging economies. With Pakistan’s population exceeding 240 million, and over 100 million adults still unbanked (as estimated by the World Bank), ZAR aims to transform access to dollar-backed…
PayPal Integrates with ChatGPT to Power AI-Driven Shopping PayPal (PYPL) surged over 15% on Tuesday, reaching its highest level since February, after unveiling a groundbreaking payment wallet integration with ChatGPT and delivering strong third-quarter earnings. The move marks a major step in blending AI and digital payments, positioning PayPal at the forefront of agentic commerce — a new wave of interactive, AI-driven shopping experiences. Through the partnership with OpenAI, ChatGPT users will soon be able to search for, discover, and purchase products directly inside the chatbot using PayPal’s trusted payment infrastructure. The system will support bank transfers, cards, and PayPal…
InterestExchange reserves decline as accumulation trend strengthens amid market recovery XRP Price Analysis: Bulls Regain Momentum After Sharp Selloff XRP has edged higher to $2.63, recovering strongly after last week’s steep decline, as trading volume surged across major exchanges. The 4-hour chart shows that XRP is rebounding from a key demand zone near $2.35–$2.40, while facing resistance around $2.70–$2.75, a region where sellers previously dominated. Onchain analytics reveal a 3.36% drop in exchange reserves since early October, indicating that investors are moving tokens off exchanges — a historically bullish signal often associated with accumulation phases. The shift suggests that long-term…
Prediction market says state has no authority over federally regulated derivatives exchange Kalshi Challenges New York’s Cease-and-Desist Order Prediction platform Kalshi has filed a lawsuit against the New York State Gaming Commission, claiming the regulator overstepped its authority by issuing a cease-and-desist order that accused the company of operating an unlicensed sports betting platform. The complaint, filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, asserts that Kalshi falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) — not state-level gambling regulators. Kalshi argued that New York’s attempt to regulate its event contracts violates the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which…
Gold Market Outlook: Price Correction Deepens After Record Rally Gold prices dropped below the $3,900 mark on Tuesday, signaling a notable shift in momentum after weeks of strong bullish performance. The metal, trading around $3,905 per ounce, has lost nearly 1.9% intraday, as traders took profits following a steep rally that pushed prices toward the $4,020 resistance zone. Technical indicators suggest that XAU/USD may be entering a short-term correction phase, with key support levels now forming between $3,700 and $3,680. Analysts note that the current retracement follows a sharp vertical move that began in mid-August, when gold broke above major…
Tokyo-listed Bitcoin treasury firm launches aggressive repurchase plan to restore investor confidence and enhance share value Metaplanet Initiates $500 Million Bitcoin-Backed Share Buyback Metaplanet Inc., a Tokyo-listed Bitcoin treasury company, has announced a ¥75 billion ($500 million) share repurchase program after its market-based net asset value (mNAV) slipped below 1. The firm’s mNAV, which measures the ratio between its stock value and Bitcoin holdings, fell to 0.88 last week, signaling that its shares were trading at a discount relative to its Bitcoin stash. In a company statement, Metaplanet said the buyback aims to “maximize Bitcoin yield per share and restore…
New XRP treasury vehicle aims to bring institutional exposure and transparency to the crypto market through Nasdaq listing Evernorth Builds $1 Billion XRP Treasury Ahead of Nasdaq Debut Evernorth Holdings, a Ripple-backed digital asset company, has taken a major step toward launching a publicly traded XRP treasury after amassing 388.7 million XRP, valued at over $1 billion. According to on-chain data from CryptoQuant, the accumulation marks a key milestone in the firm’s roadmap to establish institutional-grade exposure to XRP through traditional financial markets. The company, which officially launched on October 20, aims to list its XRP treasury vehicle under the…
Technical structure hints at bullish momentum while derivatives data shows growing speculative activity DOGE Price Holds Key Support After Sharp Correction Dogecoin (DOGE) is consolidating below the $0.21 resistance zone after a volatile month marked by a steep pullback and a brief recovery. The 4-hour chart shows DOGE trading near $0.2008, holding above a critical support band between $0.185 and $0.190. Analysts note that the current structure resembles a developing cup-and-handle pattern, a classic bullish formation that often precedes a breakout. The chart illustrates that Dogecoin broke out of a descending channel earlier in October, tested the $0.22 supply zone,…
Approval of the first Solana staking ETF marks a pivotal shift for altcoin investment and institutional adoption Solana ETF Approval Marks Major Step Toward Institutional Adoption Solana (SOL) is gaining momentum on Wall Street following the approval of the first Solana staking exchange-traded fund (ETF) — a move that analysts say could inject $3 billion to $6 billion into the asset within its first year. The ETF launch positions Solana firmly in the “big league” alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum, marking a new era for altcoin exposure in traditional finance. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) greenlighted the ETF, which…