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MONAD Comment and Price Analysis - December 16, 2025
MON/USDT Technical AnalysisMonad is one of the notable new projects of 2025. It aims to build a blockchain network similar to Ethereum but operating much faster. It launched its mainnet in November and introduced the MON token to the market. During the same period, a private sale held on Coinbase also increased interest in the project.Many investors trust MON’s long-term potential. Now let’s look at how these fundamental developments are reflected in the price. Falling Wedge Formation On the MON side, the structure is quite clear. The price had been drifting downward for a while while being compressed inside a descending wedge, and with the reaction coming from the latest bottom, this structure has become more visible. Especially the strong reaction taken from the lower trend shows that selling pressure has weakened and that an upward search has now begun.In the short term, the main target is the upper band of the wedge. This region also coincides with the 0.027 level. The 0.027 level is both a technically important horizontal resistance and a target in terms of Fibonacci levels. Reaching this region would mean an upside breakout of the descending wedge. If such a breakout occurs, it would be difficult for the move to remain limited to just a reaction, and a more aggressive upward process with accelerating momentum could begin.On the downside, the 0.020–0.019 band is the main support area. This region is both the lower trend of the wedge and where the recent lows are located. As long as the price stays above this area, the current reaction structure is not considered broken. However, if this support is lost again, the scenario weakens and a sideways–downward pricing may be observed again.In summary, MON is currently at a decision point. A move toward 0.027 would technically change the game and open the door to a faster upward move. Until this level is exceeded, upward movements will continue to remain as reactions.These analyses, which do not provide investment advice, focus on support and resistance levels that are thought to create short- and medium-term trading opportunities depending on market conditions. However, the responsibility for trading and risk management belongs entirely to the user. In addition, it is strongly recommended to use stop loss for the positions shared.
What is Rayls (RLS)?
Traditional finance (TradFi) seeks access to the speed and efficiency of blockchain, but compliance, privacy, and auditability are indispensable. Rayls (RLS) emerges as an EVM-compliant and enterprise-focused blockchain ecosystem that responds to this need. Aiming to bring $100 trillion in liquidity and a population of 6 billion banked individuals into the digital world, Rayls offers financial institutions a compliant and scalable hybrid blockchain infrastructure. Let's take a look at what Rayls offers and why it's attracting attention in the financial world. Rayls' Definition and OriginsRayls is an Ethereum-compliant blockchain platform designed to bring together traditional finance and decentralized finance. This ecosystem allows financial institutions to securely tokenize assets such as deposits and bonds, manage them on their own private networks, and move them to global DeFi markets when needed. Thus, regulatory-compliant asset tokenization and interoperability between private networks and open chains are provided under one roof. Rayls' primary goal is to digitize at least $100 trillion worth of traditional financial liquidity and connect millions of customers of financial institutions with the advantages of blockchain. In doing so, it aims to address the biggest challenges of corporate finance, such as compliance, privacy, and transaction efficiency. For example, banks can convert their deposits into digital tokens on Rayls and use them for internal transactions, then transfer these tokens to the public chain via secure bridges when they want to access global liquidity. This transforms traditional finance (tradfi) activities into a cycle that fuels DeFi growth. Rayls' focus use cases include cross-border payments, tokenization of real-world assets (RWA), digital currency/CBDC projects, and corporate DeFi integrations. The platform enables financial institutions to make fast and low-cost payments 24/7, while allowing complex financial products (bonds, loans, fund shares, etc.) to be tokenized and made accessible to global liquidity. Rayls is also designed for use in central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilots and major interbank reconciliation projects. The fact that Rayls' privacy technology is already being used in the Brazilian Central Bank's Drex pilot and showcased as a cross-border payment solution at global events such as the G20 TechSprint demonstrates the practical application of these focus areas. Rayls stands out with its unique hybrid architecture. The system consists of a combination of a public blockchain (EVM-compliant, permissionless) called Rayls Public Chain and permissioned private subnets called Value Exchange Networks (VEN). Each financial institution can conduct its transactions in complete privacy by running its own private EVM sub-chain (VEN); these sub-chains provide high privacy to participants thanks to zero-knowledge proof-of-stake (ZK) and fully homomorphic cryptography technologies. At the same time, each VEN is connected to Rayls' public chain via secure bridges, and assets can be moved to the public chain when needed. This approach offers each institution infinite scalability (since each institution maintains its own ledger) while allowing all networks to meet in a common liquidity pool. Rayls places regulatory compliance at the heart of its design. All participants who will transact on the network are required to undergo KYC (know your customer) verification beforehand. This prevents malicious or sanctioned addresses from infiltrating the system, even though the Rayls Public Chain is open to everyone. In addition, Rayls meets institutional regulatory expectations with its integrated AML (anti-money laundering) logic, traceable but private transaction structure, and auditable smart contracts. Thanks to high transaction speed and predictable low gas fees, institutions can perform the slow and costly reconciliation processes in their traditional systems in seconds and transparently on Rayls. Rayls History: Key MilestonesRayls doesn't have a very long history as it is a new cryptocurrency project. However, you can see the coin's milestones below:Project Introduction: Developed by Parfin company under the name Parchain, Rayls was introduced to the public in July 2024 with an enterprise UniFi blockchain vision. The London and Brazil-based Parfin team announced this project after two years of R&D work with leading banks around the world. Testnet Launch: In April 2025, the first public testnet, Steam Testnet, was launched. During this phase, KYC onboarding, MetaMask wallet integration, and basic authentication tools were implemented. In June 2025, the testnet gained multi-wallet support and mobile access capabilities, making it ready for user testing. Privacy-Focused Architecture (MagLev): Between July and September 2025, Rayls reinforced its privacy and compliance-focused architecture through the MagLev Testnet. In July, a customized sequencer and a zkTLS-based digital authentication system were integrated, enabling KYC verification without sharing public banking data. By September, enterprise features such as a private bridge, advanced AML logic, custody modules, and sponsored trading were added to the network. These innovations solidified the secure transition between private enterprise networks and the programmable public chain. Token Launch (TGE): In November 2025, Rayls matured by testing final features supporting staking and public chain transactions on its public network. Subsequently, on December 1, 2025, the Token Generation Event (TGE) was held, and a total of 1.5 billion RLS tokens were made public. From this date, the RLS token began to be listed on leading exchanges. This provided token access for users and institutions who joined the Rayls ecosystem early. Institutional pilots and collaborations: Rayls technology began to demonstrate its capabilities in real-world applications. The Central Bank of Brazil selected Rayls' privacy solution for its pilot project for the country's digital currency, Drex, highlighting its commitment to institutional blockchain security. At the same time, Rayls was showcased as an innovative solution in the global payment infrastructure field with its CBDC and tokenized deposit integration at the G20/BIS TechSprint 2023 event and won an award in the competition. These developments led to Rayls gaining international recognition, and the project gained strength towards the end of 2025 by securing strategic investments from major players such as Tether, Mastercard, and Accenture. December 2025: RLS coin is trading around $0.015 by the end of December 2025. Why is Rayls Important?Rays is seen as a critical infrastructure bridging the gap between corporate finance and the blockchain world. It offers significant advantages in terms of the innovations it brings to both banks and financial institutions, as well as regulators:Use CasesTokenization of real-world assets: With Rayls, classic financial assets such as corporate bonds, bank deposits, loan portfolios, trade receivables, or mutual fund shares can be converted into digital tokens. These tokens are initially held and managed confidentially in the banks' own private ledgers, and if desired, can be shared with trusted partners for multi-party transactions. Then, when liquidity or investor access is needed, they can be moved to public chains and traded. Thus, previously illiquid or difficult-to-divide assets become easily bought and sold with Rayls. This use case means new revenue opportunities and more flexible investment products for banks, asset managers, and funds. Cross-border payments and reconciliation: Rayls aims to complete interbank payments and large-scale reconciliation transactions in seconds instead of days. Institutions can make 24/7 real-time value transfers between financial networks in different countries thanks to Rayls' hybrid structure. For example, two banks can prepare transactions on their own private Rayls networks and instantly transfer them to the counterparty's network via the Rayls Public Chain. Since transactions are confidential but verifiable, a fast and compliant cross-border payment infrastructure is created. This provides an alternative to the slowness and high cost of traditional systems like SWIFT, resulting in efficiency in global payments. CBDC and digital currency issuance: Central banks and commercial banks can issue their own digital currencies or tokenized deposit products on Rayls. Since Rayls' design includes privacy and smart contract-based rule sets, for example, when a central bank issues a CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) using the Rayls infrastructure, it can both track transactions and protect the privacy of citizens. Large interbank payments or securities swaps can also be made on the Rayls network in accordance with delivery-for-payment (DvP) principles, minimizing risk. The Brazilian Central Bank's use of Rayls in its Drex pilot is a concrete demonstration of the potential in this area.DeFi applications and smart contracts: Rayls opens doors to the existing DeFi ecosystem because it is Ethereum compatible. Solidity smart contracts can be run on the Rayls Public Chain; protocols like Uniswap and Aave can be re-implemented on Rayls while meeting KYC requirements. Developers can both develop dApps on a platform that can reach institutional clients and attract institutional liquidity to these applications. For example, a lending protocol running on Rayls can accept bank-tokenized loan portfolios as collateral. Rayls' privacy and compliance layers come into play when necessary, ensuring that such DeFi transactions are conducted within the rules. As a result, DeFi applications built on Rayls can accommodate far more asset types and participants than traditional finance. Institutional private networks and collaborations: Rayls' permissioned subnet (VEN) structure facilitates the creation of a shared blockchain network among multiple financial institutions. For example, a consortium of several banks could create a shared private network on Rayls and conduct securities trading or clearing transactions among themselves within this network. Each institution maintains full control and data privacy on its own node, while the shared network accelerates multi-party consensus. This model offers significant advantages in interbank collateral management, internal liquidity sharing, or shared KYC/AML processes. Rayls' features, such as role-based authorization and auditor views, allow these private networks to operate flexibly and in compliance with regulatory requirements. Token EconomySupply and Distribution: The total supply of Rayls Token (RLS) is set at 10 billion units. 15% of this amount was released during the Token Generation Event on December 1, 2025, while the remaining tokens were distributed among the foundation, team, investors, and ecosystem development funds, tied to specific vesting schedules. In this way, tokens that are not in circulation will be released in a controlled manner over time to maintain supply balance. Usage and Fees: RLS token is the central transaction token of the Rayls ecosystem. Both gas fees for smart contract transactions on the Rayls Public Chain are paid with RLS, and RLS is used as a utility token in transactions such as asset creation, transfer, and exchange on private institutional networks. For example, when a bank issues a new token on Rayls or two institutions exchange assets on the private network, they pay transaction fees with RLS. Thus, as activity on the network increases, the demand for RLS also increases. Additionally, RLS is designed as a common payment unit for other services on the network, such as custody services and bridging operations.Burning mechanism (deflation): Rayls aims for a deflationary token economy. A certain portion of the transaction fees on the network (currently 50%) is burned and removed from circulation. This mechanism directly links network usage to the scarcity of RLS tokens; the more intensively the network is used, the more tokens are burned, and over time the circulating supply decreases. For example, if transaction volume increases with increased institutional adoption, the amount of tokens burned will also increase, contributing to RLS becoming more valuable in the long run. The deflation model also supports the sustainability of the token economy by curbing speculative inflation. Staking and validators: The Rayls network is secured with a proof-of-stake (PoS)-like consensus model. The network's validator nodes are mostly selected from financial institutions or approved organizations, and these validators are required to stake (lock) a certain amount of RLS for the security of the network. RLS token holders can contribute to network security by delegating their tokens to existing validators without becoming validators themselves, and in return earn staking rewards. This model encourages a broad institutional consensus structure while also offering passive income opportunities to individual token holders. Since staked tokens are at risk of slashing in case of malicious behavior, network security is supported by economic incentives. Governance and ecosystem: Although the Rayls network is initially developed and managed by the Rayls Foundation, a transition to a community-driven governance (DAO) model is planned in the long term. As the number of validators and community participation increases, RLS token holders will have voting rights in decision-making processes regarding the future of the network. For example, issues such as network upgrades, block reward parameters, the addition of new features, or the distribution of ecosystem funds may be put to a vote by RLS holders in the future. Until this transition, the Rayls Foundation is implementing a centralized governance model to guarantee the security and compliance of the network. In addition, approximately 35% of the RLS token supply is reserved for ecosystem incentives (developer grants, liquidity programs, community rewards, etc.). This fund will be used to support those developing applications on Rayls, organizations using the network, and community contributions, thereby encouraging the growth of the ecosystem.Who Founded Rayls?Parfin, the core development company behind Rayls, was founded in 2019 by Marcos Viriato and Alex Buelau, based in London and Rio de Janeiro. The Parfin team, a multidisciplinary group of engineers, cryptographers, and bankers, worked with some of the world's largest financial institutions for over two years to develop the Rayls project. Initially codenamed "Parchain," Rayls was rebranded as Rayls in 2024.Marcos Viriato is the CEO of Parfin and one of the leaders of the Rayls project. A former investment banker and early adopter of blockchain, he shapes Rayls' corporate finance vision. Alex Buelau, as Parfin's CPTO (Chief Product & Technology Officer), is responsible for Rayls' technical architecture. Active in the crypto sector since 2013, Buelau brings his extensive experience, from mining to investing, to Rayls. The team consists of over 90 expert engineers, along with executives (such as CCO Bruno Cavalin and CDO CH Lopes) who have more than 20 years of experience in finance and technology. Rayls' founding team operates with the mission of "building the financial infrastructure of the future." Marcos Viriato and his team's core vision is based on the belief that digital assets and blockchain technology are not a passing fad in the financial world, but a permanent and transformative force. In line with this vision, Parfin/Rayls develops enterprise-level products that enable financial institutions to access digital assets securely and efficiently. Specifically for Rayls, the goal is to integrate the innovative opportunities of blockchain into the financial sector without compromising the compliance and security required by banks and regulators. In other words, to provide an infrastructure that we can call the internet of value for the use of the corporate world. Although Rayls is still a new ecosystem, it has a strong corporate support network behind it. The project started by incorporating Parfin's existing customer base—large financial institutions and fintech companies—(prior to Rayls, Parfin provided custody and digital asset services to banks like Itaú and Santander in Latin America). Global financial giants like Mastercard and Accenture also provided strategic support to the project by investing in Rayls' vision. One of the investments received in 2025 was from stablecoin issuer Tether, which allowed Rayls to integrate a market-leading stablecoin like USDT into Latin American institutions. Within the ecosystem, local players like Núclea (Brazil's largest financial market infrastructure company) are also developing institutional tokenization solutions using the Rayls network. On the community side, Rayls, with its phased decentralization approach, is trying to attract developers and users with incentive programs while establishing regular feedback loops with institutional participants. As a result, the Rayls ecosystem; It has a unique mix of banks, central banks, institutional investors, technology partners, and regulators. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)Below you will find some frequently asked questions and answers about Rayls: What is the relationship between Rayls and the Ethereum network?: Rayls is a network compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), so it can integrate with smart contracts and tools in the Ethereum ecosystem. However, Rayls operates its own independent blockchain; it connects the private Rayls network with the public Rayls chain by adopting an Ethereum L2 (sidechain) architecture. In this way, it accesses Ethereum's extensive liquidity and protocol ecosystem while creating a "clean" and compliant DeFi environment by implementing additional rules and improvements such as KYC on its own network.Is KYC mandatory on the Rayls network?: Yes. KYC (Identity Verification) is mandatory for all users and institutions who want to participate in the Rayls ecosystem and conduct transactions. Any wallet address on the Rayls Public Chain must prove its legal compliance with decentralized identity verification before the first interaction. This practice provides a secure environment for institutions by purging the network of malicious actors and forms the basis of Rayls' vision of transparent yet regulated DeFi. Why do corporate companies use Rayls?: Rayls addresses the needs of corporate finance by offering fast deployment, low cost, and a high level of privacy. For example, banks can process cross-border payments in seconds with Rayls, thus improving their liquidity management. At the same time, thanks to integrated KYC/AML controls and encrypted transaction infrastructure, transactions are both automated and remain open to regulatory oversight. As a result, organizations gain operational efficiency, accelerate reconciliation processes, and become able to offer new digital asset services (e.g., tokenized deposits, digital bonds) by using Rayls. These advantages make Rayls particularly attractive for large banks, asset managers, and fintech companies. When will the Rayls mainnet be operational?: The Rayls project's mainnet V1 version is planned to be launched in the first quarter of 2026. Throughout 2025, Rayls went through various testnet phases, and the public distribution of the RLS token was completed in December 2025. With the activation of the mainnet, enterprise privacy nodes will begin operating at full capacity, and Rayls will be ready for enterprise-level production use. According to the roadmap, the integration of the Enygma privacy protocol into the public chain and improvements supporting multi-network connectivity with different networks are also targeted for 2026. Can individual users use Rayls?: Rayls is primarily a platform designed for enterprise use. However, individual users (if they complete the relevant KYC processes) can also transact on the Rayls Public Chain and access Rayls-based applications. The fact that all users have undergone identity verification ensures that individuals and institutions can interact securely on the same network. However, it should be emphasized that the Rayls network is not focused on the average end-user; in its current form, it is largely shaped according to the needs of institutions such as banks and fintech companies. While individual investors can indirectly participate in the ecosystem through exchanges listing the RLS token, directly using the Rayls network may require interfaces and processes developed for institutions. Discover the latest analyses, reviews, and guides on Rayls and the enterprise blockchain ecosystem in the JR Crypto Guide series.
AXL Fell Sharply After Circle Acquisition
Stablecoin giant Circle's announcement that it has reached an agreement to acquire the team and intellectual property rights of Interop Labs, the initial and core developer of the Axelar Network, triggered a sharp price reaction in the market. The fact that the agreement does not include the Axelar network or the AXL token disappointed investors' expectations, leading to a double-digit drop in the AXL price in a short time. AXL token fallsAccording to market data, the AXL token saw a value loss of up to 13% on Tuesday. The main reason for the selling pressure was that the acquisition with Circle does not offer any direct economic benefit to token holders. Under the agreement, Circle is only taking over the engineering team within Interop Labs and the company's proprietary intellectual property elements. The Axelar Network itself and the AXL token are completely excluded from this process. With Interop Labs engineers joining Circle, Common Prefix, a long-time contributor to the project, will take over a significant portion of the technical responsibilities within the Axelar ecosystem. While this structural change indicates that the development of the Axelar network will continue, the market's initial reaction was one of uncertainty regarding the token's economics. Axelar is known as an interoperability network aiming to enable communication and asset transfer between different blockchains. Circle's choice of this technology highlights the increasing criticality of cross-chain solutions, particularly in stablecoin and payment infrastructures. However, this strategic move weakened the AXL token's value proposition instead of strengthening it. Market participants quickly closed their AXL positions when they realized the acquisition did not provide token holders with any revenue sharing, buyback mechanism, or governance advantages. The deal not only failed to create demand for the token but also revealed that AXL holders were completely excluded from the economic benefits of the new relationship with Circle. This development paints an important picture of how mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are shaping up in the crypto sector. Recent deals appear to focus more on teams, engineering capabilities, and infrastructure suitable for enterprise use, rather than on tokens tied to open networks. In the case of Axelar, Circle's interest wasn't in the token itself, but directly in the technical expertise and know-how in interoperability. The resulting picture once again showed that the assumption "if the protocol is successful, the token also wins" isn't always valid. On the contrary, unless a structural link is established between the token economy and commercial agreements, such acquisitions can have negative consequences for the token price.
Macroeconomic Concerns Hit Crypto: Bitcoin and ETH Drop Sharply
Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market started the week with a sharp sell-off. As risk aversion intensified in global markets, Bitcoin lost 4% in the last 24 hours, falling to $85,917, while Ethereum's decline was even more pronounced at 6.3%, dropping to $2,915. The sell-off wasn't limited to these two major crypto assets; a general market weakening was evident. According to data, BNB fell by 4%, while XRP experienced a 6% loss. Solana also felt the effects of the selling pressure, declining by 4%. This decline in cryptocurrencies coincided with a negative start to the week for US stock markets. The S&P 500 opened down 0.16%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.59% and the Dow Jones dropped 0.09%. What's behind this decline?Rick Maeda, a research fellow at Presto Research, said there wasn't a clear crypto-specific trigger behind the price pullback. According to Maeda, the main factor was the general pressure on risky assets as cash stock markets opened in the US. The weak start in stocks dragged down all risky assets, including cryptocurrencies. Maeda also pointed out that market liquidity has significantly decreased as the year draws to a close. Weakened liquidity makes price movements more volatile, especially during US trading hours. This means that even relatively limited sell-offs can lead to larger price drops. Vincent Liu, investment director at Kronos Research, pointed to a similar scenario. Liu stated that with the resurgence of macroeconomic uncertainties, risk aversion has rapidly intensified, and low liquidity is turning every small pullback into a wider sell-off. According to Liu, investors have turned to safer assets during this process. The 25 basis point interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve last week had a limited impact on the markets and was not enough to change the cautious outlook.Will there be no more "Christmas rally"?Following the Fed's third interest rate cut this year, expectations of a "Christmas rally" have also weakened. Bitcoin's continued subsistence below critical resistance levels reduces the likelihood of a strong recovery towards the end of the year. It is stated that positions are being taken more cautiously before the US inflation data expected to be released this week, and therefore prices have become more sensitive to relatively small fund movements.On the other hand, a different interpretation of the market decline came from China. Crypto trader "NoLimit," in a post on the social media platform X, suggested that the decline in prices may be linked to the slowdown in mining activities in China's Xinjiang region. According to Jianping Kong, Chairman of Nano Labs and former co-chair of Canaan, at least 400,000 mining devices in China have recently been taken offline. Kong stated that the total hash rate of the Bitcoin network dropped by approximately 8 percent, or around 100 exahashes per second, in a single day.Min Jung of Presto Research said that mining activity in China has revived in recent months thanks to cheap energy and idle data center capacity, but this recovery is quite fragile. It is not surprising that such operations have accelerated after the People's Bank of China announced at the end of November that it would take tougher measures against illegal crypto activities.Nevertheless, experts emphasize that there is no clear evidence that miners in Xinjiang have sold large amounts of Bitcoin. According to Liu of Kronos Research, pressure from China may affect hash rates and prices in the short term, but this is expected to be a temporary effect. Liu states that Bitcoin's fundamental dynamics remain strong regardless of such developments.
Payment Giant Visa Has Launched Stablecoin Advisory Services
Visa is extending its global payment infrastructure presence to the stablecoin sector. The company announced the creation of a new "stablecoin consulting" unit for banks, fintech companies, traders, and large-scale businesses. Located within Visa Consulting & Analytics, this new structure aims to help organizations evaluate their stablecoin strategies, identify the right use cases, and plan technical implementation processes.Visa's move coincides with a period of rapid growth in the stablecoin market. The total stablecoin market capitalization has exceeded $300 billion. According to the company's own data, the annualized volume of stablecoin settlements conducted through Visa infrastructure reached $3.5 billion as of November 30. This shows that stablecoins are no longer just a tool exclusive to the crypto ecosystem, but have become a payment layer actively adopted by traditional finance.What is the scope of the consulting service?The new consulting service covers comprehensive topics such as training programs, market analysis, strategy development, use case modeling, and technical support. Visa aims to reduce the uncertainties that organizations may face when integrating stablecoins into their products or operations. Carl Rutstein, Global Head of Visa Consulting & Analytics, emphasized that having a comprehensive stablecoin strategy has become critical in the digital finance world, and expressed his pleasure in supporting clients in adapting to this rapid transformation.The first users of the consulting service include US-based Navy Federal Credit Union, Pathward, and VyStar Credit Union. Navy Federal is evaluating how stablecoins can be integrated into its overall payment strategy for approximately 15 million members. On the Pathward side, bank management states that the analysis and recommendations provided by Visa have produced concrete and implementable results. This feedback reveals that Visa's consulting model is not limited to theoretical frameworks but directly touches on business processes.The new initiative is a continuation of Visa's stablecoin efforts, which have accelerated in recent years. The company conducted settlement trials with Circle's USDC stablecoin in 2023 and today supports over 130 stablecoin-linked card programs in more than 40 countries. They are also testing stablecoin-based cross-border payments via Visa Direct, a system that allows qualified businesses to pre-fund and make direct transfers to users' stablecoin wallets. Stablecoins are often described as the "first real use case" for crypto due to their low cost and fast transfer capabilities. Over the past year, they have been used more intensively by both individual users and institutions for payments, commerce, and money transfers. Traditional financial institutions are also closely following the competition in this area. Banks like JPMorgan are accelerating instant and cross-border settlements with tokenized deposits, while payment giants like Visa and Stripe are integrating stablecoins into their systems for cheaper and more efficient money transfers. The clarity provided on the regulatory side also supports this momentum. The GENIUS Act, which came into effect in the US in July, created a federal framework for stablecoin issuance and regulation, establishing significant trust for banks and fintech companies. Analysts believe the market still holds considerable growth potential. Citi predicts the stablecoin market could reach $1.9 trillion by 2030, with more optimistic scenarios suggesting it could rise to $4 trillion. Standard Chartered, meanwhile, points to a market size of $2 trillion by 2028.
Barclays Warns of a Lackluster 2026 for the Crypto Market
In its year-end report, Barclays painted a cautious picture for the cryptocurrency markets in 2026. According to the bank, the coming year will be a period of declining trading volumes, weakening investor appetite, and a lack of clear catalysts to trigger a new upward trend. This outlook is particularly challenging for individual investor-focused platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood, which derive a significant portion of their revenue from spot market trading. The report emphasizes that crypto markets have historically been largely driven by strong narratives and noteworthy developments. Intense inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs in March 2024, or political developments in the US highlighting crypto-friendly rhetoric, led to short-lived surges in trading volume. However, according to Barclays analysts, in the absence of such events, it seems difficult for the market to generate strong momentum on its own. The bank expects spot crypto trading volumes to trend downwards in fiscal year 2026 and sees no clear trigger to reverse this trend. This slowdown in spot markets translates directly into revenue pressure, especially for platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood. Analysts note that these companies, which benefited significantly from individual investor interest during the recent bull run, are now facing a calmer market environment. The decline in trading volumes is limiting fee revenue, while high operational costs are putting additional pressure on profitability. There are question marks regarding regulationIn Barclays' report, the regulatory aspect stands out as an area with long-term potential but short-term uncertainty. The CLARITY Act, currently under consideration in the US, aims to clarify the framework for whether digital assets are considered commodities or securities. This bill could make it clearer which assets fall under SEC oversight and which under CFTC oversight. According to the bank, such regulation could reduce the operational risks of crypto companies and pave the way for new products, particularly tokenized assets. However, given potential legal challenges and the implementation process, the passage of the bill through the Senate is not guaranteed to significantly boost the market by 2026. Coinbase holds a special place in Barclays' analysis. While the company is trying to expand into areas such as derivatives and tokenized stocks, according to the bank, weakness in spot trading volumes in the short term is overshadowing the impact of these initiatives. Therefore, Barclays lowered its target price for Coinbase stock to $291 and adopted a more conservative profit expectation.On the tokenization side, interest continues to grow. BlackRock, Robinhood, and some other major players are conducting pilot projects in this area. Despite this, Barclays believes that tokenization is still in its early stages and will be difficult to make a significant contribution to company balance sheets in 2026.Looking at the overall picture, Barclays defines 2026 as a "transition year" for the crypto markets. In this period, where individual investor activity is weak and short-term momentum is limited, sector players are focusing more on long-term strategies, regulatory compliance, and new product infrastructure. When and to what extent these investments will yield returns remains uncertain for now.
As the Year Draws to a Close, Bitcoin and Altcoins Have Slowed Down
The cryptocurrency market declined as it entered the last full trading week of the year, amid weakness in global risk appetite. Investors are adopting a cautious stance, particularly due to increasing questioning of high valuations in technology stocks, a loss of momentum in US equity markets, and conflicting signals from the US Federal Reserve (Fed). This cautious atmosphere has caused volatility in traditional markets to be reflected in crypto assets as well.Stagnation in Bitcoin and altcoinsAccording to market data, Bitcoin traded at around $89,600 on Monday morning, down approximately 0.5%, and struggled to hold just above last week's lows. Ethereum also saw limited losses, falling to around $3,120. Major altcoins such as XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin experienced losses of up to 2%. The overall picture revealed that risk appetite remains fragile and buying appetite is weak. This volatility occurred despite US stock index futures showing a limited recovery in the morning hours following last week's sell-off in technology stocks. While S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures rose around 0.2%, investors remain doubtful about whether current valuations of technology companies can be sustained into 2026. Increased spending on AI investments and the question of how much this spending will be supported by profitability are putting pressure on risky assets. This cautious approach is also hindering recovery efforts in the cryptocurrency market following the sharp pullback in October. A significant drop in trading volumes has been observed in recent days, and low liquidity is making price movements more volatile. This is leading to a defensive tone in the market. Jeff Mei, the operations director of the BTSE crypto exchange, notes that investors are reluctant to invest in crypto assets. According to Mei, the decline in October, coupled with concerns that the US stock market is overvalued and the Fed's unclear messages, is causing investors to shy away from risk. However, Mei emphasizes that net inflows into Bitcoin ETFs continue and that the Fed's securities buybacks are providing liquidity to the system. He points out that this liquidity has the potential to flow into both stocks and cryptocurrencies over time.Mei also states that year-end position adjustments play a significant role in the current weakness. Investors taking profits and waiting until early 2026 to open new positions is increasing selling pressure in the market.Augustine Fan, head of research at SignalPlus, warns that low liquidity could further exacerbate downward movements in the coming weeks. Fan says that trading volumes have decreased significantly since a specific market event in October, and overall market sentiment has turned negative. In this environment, he notes that Bitcoin and Ethereum are being used as a kind of balancing factor by investors as they adjust their portfolio risks. Fan emphasizes that short-term price movements should not be exaggerated, stating that hourly or daily fluctuations can be misleading under current conditions. However, he adds that overall sentiment remains weak and that pressure on prices may continue until the end of the year.
LINK Comment and Price Analysis - December 15, 2025
LINK Technical OutlookOn the LINK side, the price has been moving within a descending channel for a long time, and with the latest structure, this channel has also turned into a wedge-like descending formation. Especially the recent upward attempts weaken as the price approaches the upper band of the channel and face selling pressure. This shows that there is still no clear breakout and the structure remains under pressure.In the short term, the 13.1–13.3 band is an important balance zone. The price is currently trying to hold just above this region. If dips below this level increase, 12.5 and then the 12.0–11.6 region come back into play. Since this area has previously produced strong reactions, it serves as the main support on the downside.On the upside, eyes are clearly on the 13.9–14.2 band. This region corresponds to both the upper trend of the descending channel and the wedge. If LINK can break this area with volume, the structure breaks and the short-term downtrend begins to end. In such a scenario, first 14.8, and then 15.5–16.0 become more achievable price zones. Falling Channel Structure These analyses, which do not provide investment advice, focus on support and resistance levels that are thought to create short- and medium-term trading opportunities depending on market conditions. However, the responsibility of trading and risk management belongs entirely to the user. In addition, it is strongly recommended to use stop loss for the positions shared.
ZRO Comment and Price Analysis - December 15, 2025
ZRO Technical AnalysisThe project integrated Stargate Finance by acquiring it with ZRO this year, and through this, it is aimed to provide more revenue flow to LayerZero’s cross-chain bridge infrastructure. In addition, the foundation bought back approximately 50 million ZRO from early investors, taking steps to control the circulation in the market. Such moves can be perceived positively by investors in terms of price stability and ecosystem confidence. Falling Wedge Formation The ZRO chart structure fits a descending wedge formation quite cleanly, and the price is currently moving in the region where it is touching the upper band of the formation. In such structures, touches to the upper band generally bring forward two possibilities: either the formation does not work and a dip toward the lower band occurs again, or since the final phase of tightening is entered, preparation for an upside breakout is made.In the current view, the price has hit the upper trend line in the 1.46–1.50 band. As long as this region is not broken, it is normal for short-term selling pressure to continue. Below, the 1.42 and 1.33 levels stand out as intermediate supports. For the continuation of the formation, it is especially important for the price to hold above 1.33; if this area is lost, the wedge structure weakens and the price may relax back toward the 1.25–1.18 band.On the other hand, if the price manages to break above 1.50 with volume, the descending wedge formation technically starts to work upward. In this scenario, the first reaction region is 1.56, followed by the 1.66–1.70 range. The wider target region of the formation extends up to the 1.83 level.In summary, the picture is as follows:The price is in a decision zone because it has touched the upper band.If a breakout above 1.50 comes, the formation works upward and targets get triggered quickly.Below, the 1.42 → 1.33 supports must be preserved; if 1.33 is lost, the structure breaks down.These analyses, which do not provide investment advice, focus on support and resistance levels that are thought to create short- and medium-term trading opportunities depending on market conditions. However, the responsibility of trading and risk management belongs entirely to the user. In addition, it is strongly recommended to use stop loss for the positions shared.
EDU Comment and Price Analysis - December 14, 2025
EDU/USDT Technical Analysis Trending Theme In the EDU chart, the overall structure is clearly progressing within an ascending channel, and the price is currently touching the lower band of the channel, which is the trend support. Since this region has worked several times before, it is an important technical decision point. The reactions coming from here will determine whether the ascending structure will continue or not.In the short term, the 0.135–0.14 band is in critical support position. As long as the price stays above this region, the current ascending channel is not considered broken. If holding continues here, first the 0.158–0.165 range, and then the 0.18–0.20 band — the mid-upper region of the channel — become targets again. Especially closes above 0.165 indicate that momentum has started to turn upward again.However, if this trend support is clearly lost, things change a bit. In such a scenario, the price exits the channel and a pullback risk toward the 0.127–0.122 region forms. Since this area is both a horizontal support and overlaps with previous lows, it acts as the last defensive line on the downside.These analyses, which do not provide investment advice, focus on support and resistance levels that are thought to create short- and medium-term trading opportunities depending on market conditions. However, the responsibility of trading and risk management belongs entirely to the user. In addition, it is strongly recommended to use stop loss for the positions shared.
What is Monad (MON)?
The cryptocurrency world is growing with new solutions every day. However, fundamental issues such as scalability, speed, and cost still stand as major obstacles for many networks. Established blockchains like Ethereum struggle to achieve high transaction capacity without compromising decentralization. This is where next-generation Layer 1 projects come into play, and Monad (MON) is at the forefront of these projects. Monad aims to make a difference with its strong engineering background, high transaction capacity, and developer-friendly structure. Its full compatibility with Ethereum means that thousands of applications and tools built on it can be migrated to this new network without extra effort. With 10,000 transactions per second (TPS), 0.8-second transaction finality, near-zero transaction fees, and parallel transaction execution capability, Monad is redefining the definition of a "high-performance blockchain." With its developer-friendly approach, decentralized architecture, and impressive investment support, Monad is on the radar of both individual users and institutional actors by 2025. But how robust is the technology behind this rise? Why are investors turning to MON coin? Let's start with the most basic questions: What is Monad, what is MON coin, and what is it used for? Let's examine all the details in this guide.Definition and Origins of MonadMonad is a blockchain network designed for running smart contracts, fully compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Thanks to this compatibility, applications and tools developed in the Ethereum ecosystem can be directly migrated to the Monad network without requiring code changes. Contracts written in Solidity work the same way; popular tools such as Metamask, Foundry, and Hardhat are supported. This allows developers to migrate to the network without going through an extra learning process.The project was founded in 2022. Behind it is an experienced team of engineers who have designed high-frequency trading (HFT) systems within Jump Trading for many years. They wanted to bring their accumulated knowledge about financial infrastructures to the blockchain world. They closely observed that transaction limits, network congestion, and high gas fees on Ethereum were challenging DeFi projects. This situation created a need for an infrastructure with higher performance that wouldn't be overwhelmed by transaction volume. Monad was developed to address this need. Many projects in the blockchain space are trying to gain speed by compromising either security or decentralization. Monad chose a third way in this equation. It aims to achieve high performance through technical solutions such as transaction capacity, database optimization, and parallel execution. The goal is to offer a faster and lower-cost experience for both developers and users on a robust infrastructure. Ethereum compatibility simplifies the transition process, while Monad's technical strength lays the groundwork for a more scalable ecosystem. Monad's "parallel operations". Source: Monad MONAD's History: Key MilestonesMonad's journey began in 2022. In the same year, Monad Labs was officially established, and the project development process began. During this period, the focus was on idea development and building the core team. The technical vision was clarified; the goal was to build a high-performance, Ethereum-compatible Layer-1 network.The first major financial step was taken in February 2023. In a seed funding round led by Dragonfly Capital, Monad Labs secured $19 million in funding. This support significantly accelerated testnet preparations and the early development process. At this stage, the project team reached a larger engineering staff.In April 2024, a milestone occurred. A massive $225 million in funding was secured in a Series A funding round led by Paradigm. This round was not only one of the largest crypto investments of the year; it also revealed Monad's significant valuation and growth potential. Leading investors in the sector such as Electric Capital, Greenoaks, and Coinbase Ventures also participated in the round. The company's valuation was estimated at approximately $3 billion after this funding round.In the third quarter of 2024, the testnet was launched publicly. This phase was not only a technical testing phase but also a community-building initiative. A retroactive "airdrop" plan was announced for early users who participated in the testnet. A portion of the MON tokens was distributed to users who actively participated in this process. Thus, the project began building a loyal community even before the mainnet launched.And finally, on November 24, 2025, Monad mainnet went live. Immediately before the mainnet launch, a public sale (ICO) was held on Coinbase's token sale platform through a subsidiary of the Monad Foundation. Approximately 7.5 billion MON were sold at a fixed price of $0.025, raising a total of $187.5 million in funds. With the activation of the mainnet, more than 200 validator nodes began operating. This demonstrated that the goal of a high level of decentralization was achieved from day one. As of December 2025, the MON coin price is trading at around $0.02. Why is Monad Important?In the blockchain world, most networks try to strike a balance between security, decentralization, and scalability. However, there are very few examples that can offer all three fundamental features simultaneously. Monad focuses on this problem. The network's architecture is designed to increase transaction throughput while simultaneously maintaining security and a distributed structure. While most Layer-1 chains can only succeed in two of these, Monad claims to carry all three together.The limited transaction capacity, high fees, and slow confirmation times seen in large networks like Ethereum hinder truly scalable applications. Monad solves these problems by addressing the fundamentals of the system. Both the infrastructure code was written from scratch, and high-frequency system experience was directly reflected in this design.The most significant difference of Monad is its parallel transaction execution feature. In traditional EVM-based chains, transactions are processed one by one and sequentially. Monad, on the other hand, can execute these transactions simultaneously. This increases both transaction throughput and shortens block time. The average block time is approximately 0.4 seconds. The finalization time is reduced to as little as 0.8 seconds. Transactions are finalized instantly. The network uses a specially developed MonadBFT algorithm at its consensus layer. This structure is a Proof of Stake-based Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) system. This means that validators running the network participate in block production and confirmation in exchange for the MON tokens they stake. This structure is both energy-efficient and resistant to attacks. MonadBFT şeması. Kaynak: Docs.Monad Monad is also strong in database and state management. It uses a proprietary data system called MonadDB. Thanks to this structure, the network can efficiently store hundreds of thousands of transactions and perform retrospective read/write operations without delay. This layer, which is one of the points where performance bottlenecks in traditional EVM chains, does not create a bottleneck in Monad because it has been redesigned from the ground up. Another prominent feature of the network is its minimum transaction costs. Thanks to high capacity and low latency, the network does not experience congestion. This ensures that transaction fees remain stable and low. This feature is of great importance in applications such as micro-payments, in-game transfers, and fast trading transactions. Monad stands out not only technically but also in terms of developer experience. Thanks to EVM compatibility, Ethereum developers can easily migrate their projects to this network. It can work directly with familiar tools such as Hardhat, Foundry, and Metamask. This both lowers the barrier to entry and allows the network's ecosystem to grow rapidly.Use CasesThe high speed and efficiency offered by the Monad network provide significant advantages in various use cases:High-frequency transactions: Monad's transaction capacity of approximately 10,000 TPS enables high-frequency transactions on-chain in large-scale trading platforms and decentralized exchanges. For example, on-chain exchange applications can handle volumes close to traditional markets such as Nasdaq or CME on Monad.Gaming and real-time applications: Low block time and almost zero transaction fees create a suitable environment for blockchain-based games and interactive applications. Since transactions on Monad achieve instant finality, real-time multiplayer games or applications requiring instant data can run smoothly on this network.DeFi and complex DApps: High throughput and low latency improve the user experience in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. Complex DApps requiring intensive transactions, such as lending, derivatives trading, or on-chain social networks, can become scalable thanks to Monad; users can use these services without experiencing lag or high fee issues. Migrating Ethereum applications: Applications developed for Ethereum or other EVM-based networks can be easily migrated without additional adaptation thanks to Monad's EVM compatibility. Developers can deploy existing Solidity smart contracts to the Monad network, benefiting from higher performance while continuing to use all the tools in the Ethereum ecosystem.Token EconomyThe MON token, the native cryptocurrency of the Monad network, plays a central role in both the operation of the network and the incentive mechanisms of the ecosystem:Total Supply: The total supply of MON tokens is fixed at 100 billion units. The distribution of this supply is planned to be broad-based in favor of the community through early airdrop programs (the project distributed tokens to users via an airdrop before the mainnet). Gas Fees: MON is used to pay gas fees for transactions on Monad. Thanks to the network's high transaction capacity, transactions can be processed with extremely low fees, which is a great advantage for micro-payments or applications requiring frequent transactions.Staking and Security: The Monad network uses the Proof of Stake (PoS) based MonadBFT consensus algorithm. Validators participate in block production and transaction confirmation by staking MON tokens, thus securing the network. This staking mechanism protects the network against attacks while also allowing token holders to earn rewards from the network's transaction fees.Governance and Incentives: The MON token can also be used to provide incentives to ecosystem participants who support the network's growth and to enable community governance in the future. MON is an important tool for aligning interests between developers, validators, and users. Indeed, the MON airdrop to active participants during the testnet period is an example of this incentive mechanism.Who Founded Monad?There is a strong engineering team behind the Monad project. The team consists of individuals with years of experience in finance and technology, specializing in high-performance systems. Keone Hon, CEO and co-founder of the project, spent approximately eight years developing high-frequency trading systems at Jump Trading. He then conducted blockchain research under the umbrella of Jump Crypto. With his software engineering expertise, he has built a strong bridge between traditional finance and decentralized technologies. James Hunsaker, CTO and co-founder, leads the technical architecture. Like Hon, he also has a background at Jump Trading, and they designed Monad's core infrastructure together. The third co-founder, Eunice Giarta, is a researcher from MIT Media Lab and also has experience in financial product management. Bringing together different disciplines such as finance, software, and research, the team founded Monad Labs in 2022. The project's starting point is clear: to demonstrate that high-speed systems used in traditional markets can be applied to blockchain. They leveraged the technical skills gained at Jump Trading to offer an alternative to existing networks that suffer from scalability problems. The technical development process is carried out by the engineering team called Category Labs. The Monad client was written from scratch in C++ and Rust. All the code is open source and available to the community via GitHub. Both the consensus algorithm (MonadBFT) and the execution engine are open to public review. This transparency not only builds trust but also opens the door to contributions from the community. The overall coordination of the network is handled by the Monad Foundation, which organizes the project's sustainable development and decentralized governance processes. Strong financial backing is also present, with leading investors such as Paradigm, Dragonfly Capital, Electric Capital, and Coinbase Ventures providing both financial and strategic support to grow the project.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)Below, you can find some frequently asked questions and answers about Monad (MON):Is the Monad network compatible with Ethereum?: Yes, the Monad network works in full compatibility with the EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine). This means that smart contracts, wallets, and developer tools developed on Ethereum can be used directly on Monad without the need for extra adaptation. Tools such as Metamask, Foundry, and Hardhat are supported. Thanks to this compatibility, developers can easily migrate their existing projects to the Monad network.How fast and scalable is Monad?: Monad has the capacity to process approximately 10,000 transactions per second (TPS). The average block production time is around 0.4 seconds. The finality time of transactions on the network does not exceed 0.8 seconds. This represents a very significant increase compared to Ethereum's approximately 15 TPS performance. This speed makes a big difference, especially in areas such as DeFi, gaming, and on-chain trading. What is the main function of the MON token?: MON is the network's native cryptocurrency. It is used to pay transaction fees and for validators to participate in the network. Users who stake MON tokens can become validators, ensure the security of the network, and earn rewards in return. MON also plays an important role in governance processes and incentive programs. How can MON tokens be purchased?: MON tokens are listed on major cryptocurrency exchanges. They can be bought and sold on platforms such as Bybit, Gate.io, and Coinbase. They are generally traded against USDT or similar stablecoin pairs. The token may also become available on decentralized exchanges. How secure is the Monad network?: The network's security is provided by MonadBFT, a customized Byzantine Fault Tolerant algorithm. This algorithm operates on a Proof of Stake basis. Hundreds of independent validators operate on the network. Thanks to its distributed structure, it provides strong resistance to attacks. In addition, network congestion and technical vulnerabilities are minimized with special solutions such as parallel execution and MonadDB. What does Monad offer developers?: Developers can use all the tools they are used to on Ethereum on Monad as well. Smart contracts written in Solidity can be directly integrated. In addition, thanks to open-source client software, a flexible environment is provided for those who want to contribute to the codebase, fork, or develop their own solution.What types of projects can be developed with Monad?: DeFi applications, NFT platforms, games, on-chain data services, social applications, and much more can be run on Monad. The network's high transaction capacity and low cost offer an ideal infrastructure, especially for projects with high transaction volume.What happened to those who participated in the testnet?: A "retrodrop" program was implemented for users who actively participated in the testnet period in 2024. As part of this program, a certain portion of MON tokens were distributed to the community for free. In this way, users who provided early support were rewarded. Similar community incentives may be introduced again in the future.You can find the most up-to-date analyses, tools, and guides about MONAD (MON) and layer-1 chains in the JR Kripto Guide series.
YouTube Offers Stablecoin Option to US Producers
YouTube has added a notable new payment option for US-based content creators. According to Fortune, the platform now allows eligible US content creators to receive their earnings in PayPal's dollar-pegged stablecoin, PYUSD. This move demonstrates both YouTube's increased focus on crypto-based solutions in its payment infrastructure and the acceleration of stablecoin integration into mainstream digital platforms.The new feature expands on the existing collaboration between YouTube and PayPal. PayPal had already begun offering stablecoin payments to certain user groups receiving bulk payments, particularly independent workers, starting in the third quarter of 2025. This new option for YouTube content creators is built on the same infrastructure. Currently limited to creators in the US, it remains unclear whether the application will expand to other markets in the future. What is PYUSD?Launched in 2023, PYUSD is a stablecoin pegged one-to-one to the US dollar. According to current data, PYUSD has a market capitalization of approximately $3.9 billion. Its trading volume in the last 24 hours is around $113 million. With these figures, PYUSD ranks as the eighth largest stablecoin globally. Its integration with a giant platform like YouTube, which has over 2.7 billion monthly active users, is considered a development that could significantly increase PYUSD's adoption rate. According to data previously shared by YouTube, the platform has paid content creators over $100 billion in total over the past four years. Even a small portion of this massive payment volume being directed towards stablecoins represents a significant turning point for the digital asset ecosystem. While there has been no official statement from Google or PayPal regarding this matter, industry representatives interpret this integration as a sign that the boundaries between traditional payment systems and crypto infrastructures are increasingly blurring. Beyond YouTube, PayPal continues to expand the use of PYUSD. The stablecoin can be held via the Venmo digital wallet. In a statement made in July, PayPal announced that users could pay small businesses with dozens of different cryptocurrencies, and that these payments were converted to PYUSD at the time of payment. This structure aims to make the crypto payment experience accessible to a wider user base by streamlining the technical details. From a broader perspective, the stablecoin market is undergoing rapid growth globally. US President Donald Trump's strong support for stablecoins and the subsequent enactment of the GENIUS Act played a significant role in clarifying regulations in this area. This regulatory momentum in the US has also led countries such as the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan to develop new rules for stablecoins pegged to their local currencies. According to market data, the total value of the global stablecoin market is approximately $300 billion. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicts that this market could reach $3 trillion by 2030.
Do Kwon, the Man Behind The Collapse of Terra Luna, Was Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
Do Kwon, the founder of Terraform Labs, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in the US for his role in the 2022 Terra ecosystem collapse, which caused approximately $40 billion in losses in the crypto market. The verdict was announced on Thursday in the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York, exceeding the 12-year sentence requested by prosecutors.Do Kwon's sentence determinedUS District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer emphasized during the hearing that Do Kwon knowingly misrepresented investors. According to reports from the courtroom, Engelmayer stated that Kwon "chose to lie" and that the consequences of this choice were severe. The prosecution had requested a long prison sentence, citing both the scale of the fraud and Kwon's past conduct. Kwon's lawyers argued that the sentence should be limited to a maximum of five years.Do Kwon, in March 2023; He faced numerous charges, including electronic fraud, securities fraud, commodity fraud, market manipulation, and conspiracy to launder money. In August, however, he reached a plea agreement with the prosecution, admitting to only two charges: electronic fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud. Without this agreement, Kwon could have theoretically faced up to 135 years in prison if convicted on a total of nine charges. After the agreement, the upper limit was set at 25 years. The process leading to the case began with the collapse of the algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD (UST). UST aimed to maintain price stability through algorithms and market incentives, working in conjunction with Terra's native token, LUNA. However, the mechanism proved unsustainable, and in 2022, UST lost its dollar peg, leading to a rapid devaluation of LUNA. This collapse triggered a chain reaction crisis that resulted in the bankruptcy of many cryptocurrency companies. The prosecution argued that Kwon made misleading statements to investors about the risks of the system during this process. Kwon's legal battle was not limited to the US. Arrested in Montenegro in March 2024 with forged travel documents, Kwon faced arrest warrants from both the US and South Korea. Following extradition discussions between the two countries, Kwon was extradited to the US in December 2024. According to the court ruling, Kwon can apply for transfer to South Korea after serving at least half of his sentence in the US. The approximately 17 months he spent in detention in Montenegro will be deducted from his sentence. Meanwhile, Terraform Labs also faced significant financial sanctions. The company had previously reached a $4.55 billion settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), additionally accepting an $80 million civil fine. Market reaction to the decision was swift. Terra LUNA and Terra Classic (LUNC) tokens lost more than 10% of their value, while TerraClassicUSD (USTC) experienced a drop of more than 20%.
UNI Comment and Price Analysis - 11 December 2025
UNI/USDT Technical OutlookThe project team has put forward the long-discussed new governance and fee model proposal called “UNIfication.” This proposal aims to direct a portion of transaction fees toward UNI burn, reducing token supply and thereby capturing value. After this news, strong reactions were seen in the UNI price and trading volume increased, indicating that investors still care about the future of Uniswap. Narrowing Triangle Structure UNI’s long-term chart points to a very clear structure: There is a strong ascending main trend coming from below, and this trend has acted as the main backbone supporting the price for years. On the upper side, a shorter-term descending trend continues to put pressure on the price. The intersection of these two structures has formed a distinct symmetrical triangle formation on the chart.The price is currently trying to hold in the 5.30–5.50 region, which is the lower band of the triangle. Since this is both a horizontal support and the area where the long-term ascending trend line passes through, it is critical. As long as this region is preserved, a medium-term upward attempt from UNI is highly likely. As the first target, 6.18 and then the 7.43–7.88 band come forward.The descending trend above has strengthened with three separate touches. This trend pressure will continue until the price breaks upward. The upper boundary of the triangle corresponds regionally to the 9.30–9.70 range, and this is the main breakout area for UNI in the big picture. If this region is surpassed, the long-term uptrend can gain broad momentum.These analyses, which do not provide investment advice, focus on support and resistance levels that are thought to create short- and medium-term trading opportunities depending on market conditions. However, the responsibility for trading and risk management belongs entirely to the user. In addition, it is strongly recommended to use stop loss for the positions shared.
Bhutan Introduces Gold-Backed Solana Token
Bhutan has officially announced TER, a new gold-backed digital asset, expanding the scope of its national blockchain strategy. Developed by Gelephu Mindfulness City, an innovative development project in the country, and operating on the Solana network, TER will be held by DK Bank, Bhutan's first licensed digital bank. This structure guarantees that the token is fully backed by audited physical gold reserves on a 1:1 basis.Bhutan opts for gold tokenizationIn introducing TER, the Bhutanese government emphasized that the main goal of the project is to combine traditional store of value, especially gold, with modern blockchain infrastructure. This approach is a key part of the country's digital transformation vision, which has gained momentum in recent years. Pursuing a broad technology strategy ranging from Bitcoin mining to digital identity projects, Bhutan is taking another step to embody this vision with TER. The token's operation on the Solana network is no coincidence. Solana offers low transaction fees, transactions verified in seconds, and high scalability. Bhutanese authorities state that transparency and speed are critical, especially for international investors, which is why Solana was chosen. Through this structure, TER digitizes the traditional procedures of gold purchasing; investors both own real gold assets and can transfer them globally in seconds. Gelephu Mindfulness City, which launched TER, is established as a special zone within the country's "mindfulness-based development model." The zone aims to attract global capital, strengthen the digital economy, and serve Bhutan's long-term sustainable growth goals. Authorities state that initially, TER will connect with investors through DK Bank, and its use cases will be expanded as demand increases. Bhutan's move is not unique. Recently, Kyrgyzstan also announced its gold-backed digital token, USDKG, pegged to the US dollar. The initial issuance of USDKG was $50 million, making it one of the first state-sponsored tokenization examples in Central Asia. Bhutan's TER and Kyrgyzstan's USDKG demonstrate how smaller countries are attempting to diversify their financial systems by transferring their traditional asset reserves to digital infrastructure. Experts say this trend is accelerating. Gold tokenization is increasingly seen as an attractive option, both for portfolio diversification and for making real assets latchable on-chain. Bhutan's TER stands out as a state-backed example of this new model; moreover, its reliance on fully audited gold reserves lends credibility to the project.Bhutan's years of quiet but steady digitalization efforts (Bitcoin mining with hydroelectric power, national digital identity projects, Binance Pay integration, and support for local fintech initiatives) strengthen the infrastructure of TER. Therefore, the country positions the idea of digital gold not only as an economic but also as a technological move.With the launch of TER on December 17th, Bhutan will open a new chapter in the production of digital assets based on its national reserves. This new digital asset race, which began among smaller countries, may gain momentum in the coming period as more governments transfer their gold and similar tangible reserves to the blockchain.
