DeFi

DeFi eliminates intermediaries by using smart contracts on blockchains to provide financial services like lending, borrowing, and trading. In 2026, the "DeFi 3.0" era is defined by Institutional DeFi and the integration of Real-World Assets (RWA). From liquidity provisioning on Uniswap to advanced lending on Aave, this tag tracks the evolution of autonomous financial systems, yield optimization, and the rise of AI-driven portfolio management in the decentralized economy.

69903 Articles
Created: 2026/02/02 18:52
Updated: 2026/02/02 18:52
USDC Leads 3x Rise in Crypto-Based Salary Payments Over Past Year: Survey

USDC Leads 3x Rise in Crypto-Based Salary Payments Over Past Year: Survey

The share of workers paid in cryptocurrency has more than tripled over the past year, with USDC emerging as the most popular digital asset for payroll, according to Pantera Capital’s 2024 Blockchain Compensation Survey . In 2023, only 3% of respondents reported receiving any part of their salary in crypto. That figure jumped to 9.6% in 2024, as blockchain-native firms and DAOs increasingly turned to stablecoins and tokens to compensate employees and contributors. At the same time, the share of workers paid exclusively in fiat dropped from 97% to 89.1%. This shift shows a broader willingness among companies to integrate digital assets into day-to-day operations, particularly in roles that span borders or operate within decentralized ecosystems. Stablecoins Become Standard for Crypto Wages, USDC in Front Among those receiving crypto compensation, USDC was the dominant choice. The dollar-pegged stablecoin accounted for 63% of all crypto salaries, far outpacing USDT , which held a 28.6% share. Other tokens like Solana and Ethereum made up a smaller slice, with 1.9% and 1.3%, respectively. Our mission is to support the long-term success of both our portfolio companies and the broader crypto ecosystem. One major gap we’ve consistently seen? Reliable, transparent compensation data for crypto teams. That’s why we created our annual Crypto Compensation Survey – a… — Pantera Capital (@PanteraCapital) August 6, 2025 Pantera’s survey covers blockchain engineers, product managers, legal and operations staff across the industry. The results suggest that stablecoins are no longer limited to trading pairs or DeFi use cases, but are also becoming a practical tool for payroll and international payments. USDC Adoption in Payroll Strengthened by Monthly Reserve Disclosures Crypto compensation offers several advantages, especially for globally distributed teams. Stablecoins enable faster settlement times, lower transaction fees and easier access to US dollar value in regions with banking restrictions or currency instability. The findings also point to growing confidence in USDC’s reputation for regulatory compliance and transparency, particularly after Circle, its issuer, began publishing detailed monthly reserve reports and secured access to US Treasuries. More Workers Opt to Split Salaries Between Cash and Crypto While full salary payments in crypto remain uncommon, hybrid arrangements are gaining traction. Many firms now allow employees to split their compensation between fiat and digital assets, giving workers the option to dollar-cost average into crypto markets or spend directly using Web3 wallets. Pantera’s report did not disclose regional trends, but the surge in crypto salaries is likely driven in part by Asia-based teams and contractors who rely on stablecoins for cost-effective cross-border payments. The rise of on-chain compensation also comes as more crypto-native companies formalize operations. With better treasury management tools, real-time payroll rails and accounting platforms tailored for digital assets, the logistical barriers to paying in crypto are beginning to fall.

Author: CryptoNews
Important News from Last Night and This Morning (August 6-7)

Important News from Last Night and This Morning (August 6-7)

A whale/institution created a new wallet and increased its holdings by 11,062 ETH. In the past three days, it created 5 wallets and increased its holdings by over $500 million

Author: PANews
Standard Chartered Bank: Ethereum fund management companies are currently "highly worthy of investment" and are superior to US spot ETH ETFs

Standard Chartered Bank: Ethereum fund management companies are currently "highly worthy of investment" and are superior to US spot ETH ETFs

PANews reported on August 7 that Geoffrey Kendrick, global head of digital asset research at Standard Chartered Bank, said that Ethereum fund management companies are currently "extremely worthy of investment"

Author: PANews
Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm convicted of unlicensed money transmitting charges, but jury split on money laundering and sanctions charges

Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm convicted of unlicensed money transmitting charges, but jury split on money laundering and sanctions charges

PANews reported on August 7 that according to The Block, a Manhattan jury found Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm guilty of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business, but

Author: PANews
MetaMask adds support for Sei

MetaMask adds support for Sei

MetaMask has added native support for Sei in a strategic collaboration that will see users benefit from a new cross-chain swaps and asset bridge. Self-custody web3 wallet MetaMask, which is developed by Consensys, says it has integrated layer-1 blockchain Sei…

Author: Crypto.news
Pump.fun Surges Past letsBONK.fun to Reclaim Solana Meme Coin Crown – Can It Hold the Lead?

Pump.fun Surges Past letsBONK.fun to Reclaim Solana Meme Coin Crown – Can It Hold the Lead?

After nearly a month of trailing behind, meme coin launchpad Pump.fun has reclaimed its spot at the top of the Solana ecosystem, overtaking rival letsBONK.fun in key performance metrics. The shift marks a new chapter in the increasingly competitive meme coin wars unfolding on Solana. As of August 6, Pump.fun surpassed letsBONK.fun in 24-hour trading volume, revenue, tokens minted, and token graduations. It’s the first time since July 7 that Pump.fun has outpaced letsBONK.fun in daily volume, indicating a strong resurgence in user activity and momentum. Pump.fun Surges Ahead in Volume, Revenue, and Token Launches on Solana On that day alone, Pump.fun recorded over $144.5 million in graduation volume, far ahead of letsBONK.fun’s $34.6 million. Tokens from Pump.fun also posted $525 million in post-graduation trading volume, while tokens from letsBONK.fun recorded $305 million. Source: Dune Analytics/ @adam_tehc This post-graduation volume shows the continued interest in meme coins launched on Pump.fun even after their initial minting. Revenue trends also point to a similar comeback. Pump.fun pulled in $1.38M on August 6, compared to $282,342 for letsBONK.fun. It’s a shift in momentum that breaks a streak held by letsBONK.fun since early July. Source: Dune Analytics/ @adam_tehc However, zooming out to the past seven days, letsBONK.fun still leads in overall revenue, generating $4.55 million compared to Pump.fun’s $2.33 million, according to data from DefiLlama. The volume surge has been mirrored by a spike in new token creation. In the past 24 hours, Pump.fun users minted 23,499 new tokens, outpacing the 6,406 created on letsBONK.fun. Source: Dune Analytics/ @adam_tehc Token graduations, a metric used to gauge which projects are gaining traction and reaching liquidity milestones, also leaned toward Pump.fun. It recorded 170 graduations, while letsBONK.fun saw 71. Source: Dune Analytics/ @adam_tehc Additionally, the data showed that Pump.fun retains a slight advantage in user activity. It engaged 94,172 unique addresses in the past day, compared to 78,617 for letsBONK.fun. The rivalry between the two platforms has defined much of Solana’s meme coin activity over the past two months. letsBONK.fun had taken the lead in early July by building strong community engagement and dominating weekly charts for revenue and token launches. But Pump.fun’s recent resurgence shows that competition remains unpredictable. Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko acknowledged the shift on X, writing, “Competition never ends. There are no moats or free lunches in crypto.” Competition never ends. There are no moats or free lunches in crypto. https://t.co/lcuzpbFk0V — toly 🇺🇸 (@aeyakovenko) August 6, 2025 Since their emergence, both platforms have transformed the way meme coins are launched and traded on Solana. Their rise has turned Solana into one of the most active chains for community-driven token creation, pushing daily on-chain volumes and user activity to new highs. The question now is whether Pump.fun can hold the lead. While its latest numbers are strong, the meme coin launchpad space remains volatile, and dominance can change in a matter of days. For now, Pump.fun has pulled ahead, but as the last month has shown, in Solana’s meme coin wars, nothing stays still for long. Pump.fun Token Outpaces letsBONK.fun Token Amid Shifting Sentiment in Solana Meme Coin Market Pump.fun is showing signs of renewed momentum in the Solana meme coin ecosystem, with its $PUMP token emerging as one of the market’s top performers. At time of writing, $PUMP traded at $0.003425, marking a 3.1% gain in 24 hours and 32.3% over the week, outperforming the broader crypto market, which fell by 2.10% in the same period, according to CoinGecko. Source: CoinGecko Meanwhile, tokens linked to the letsBONK.Fun ecosystem has struggled. Its native token, $BONK, dropped 0.5% in the last 24 hours and 12.6% over the week. Graphite Protocol ($GP), the infrastructure token behind letsBONK.fun, declined 16.2% in a day and over 50% for the week. $USELESS, a key meme coin on the platform, is also down more than 7%. Source: CoinGecko Pump.fun’s resurgence appears tied to recent developments, including the launch of a public revenue dashboard on August 4. In the days leading up to it, the platform used roughly $8,740 worth of SOL to buy back $PUMP, equivalent to 102% of its revenue over that period. introducing the pump fun revenue dashboard 🔥 pump fun's daily revenues & $PUMP purchases can now be tracked in real time using https://t.co/fxyCTVUuBj in the past 6 days, pump fun purchased ~8,740 SOL worth of $PUMP , equating to 102% of total revenue over that time period. pic.twitter.com/xWxy85en7t — pump.fun (@pumpdotfun) August 4, 2025 The platform has also been preparing a new rewards program intended to boost engagement, though details remain undisclosed. LetsBONK.fun has responded with its own buybacks, allocating 440 SOL on August 3 to purchase top tokens based on community metrics. However, its ecosystem market cap dropped 20.8% in just one day, now standing at $389 million. win and help win ❗️❗️❗️ on August 3rd, 2025, a total of 440 $SOL was spent buying back top pairs based on both market cap and community engagement. we bought 44 $SOL worth of each of the top 10 tokens on BONKfun after #USELESS . tokens included: $ANI $HOSICO $MOMO $BUCKY $KORI … — letsBONK.fun (@bonk_fun) August 5, 2025 Pump.fun has also taken steps to improve transparency by acquiring Kolscan , an on-chain wallet tracking tool. A larger update may be on the horizon, with co-founder Alon teasing a “huge announcement” for community coins. huge announcement coming for organic community coins in the pump fun ecosystem this week. — alon (@a1lon9) August 4, 2025 As both platforms adjust strategies, the battle for dominance in Solana’s meme coin space remains fluid. Pump.fun’s recent gains, however, have sparked a clear shift in momentum.

Author: CryptoNews
This token matching early SHIB growth speed could soar 9,000% in 90 days

This token matching early SHIB growth speed could soar 9,000% in 90 days

Little Pepe gains speed as SHIB-style surge looms, with 9,000% growth forecast and real Layer-2 infrastructure. #partnercontent

Author: Crypto.news
Investors ignore Bonk, PEPE; This memecoin under $0.0000002 could replace SHIB, DOGE

Investors ignore Bonk, PEPE; This memecoin under $0.0000002 could replace SHIB, DOGE

Pepeto is shaking up the memecoin scene with real utility, zero trading tax, and a $5.7m presale, positioning itself as a strong 2025 contender against SHIB and DOGE. #sponsored

Author: Crypto.news
Can XYZ outshine HYPE and AAVE this cycle? Analysts say yes, if BTC holds $100k

Can XYZ outshine HYPE and AAVE this cycle? Analysts say yes, if BTC holds $100k

With Bitcoin holding strong, XYZ is gaining momentum as analysts predict it could outshine major DeFi contenders. #partnercontent

Author: Crypto.news
SEC Clarity on Crypto Liquid Staking Opens Door to Institutional Adoption in U.S.

SEC Clarity on Crypto Liquid Staking Opens Door to Institutional Adoption in U.S.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has published new guidance that may accelerate institutional adoption of liquid staking in the United States, according to industry sources. In a statement released Tuesday, the agency’s Division of Corporation Finance outlined its view that certain liquid staking arrangements—including the issuance of receipt tokens like stETH—do not constitute securities transactions. The clarification represents progress for the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry, which has long sought regulatory certainty around staking models. It also shows a potential shift in how U.S. regulators approach blockchain-based innovations that involve derivative representations of crypto assets. Liquid Staking Receives Long-Awaited Regulatory Clarity Liquid staking refers to a process in which users stake their crypto assets with a third-party protocol and, in return, receive a new token that represents their deposit and accrued staking rewards. These receipt tokens—such as stETH in the case of Ethereum—allow users to maintain liquidity while still participating in network staking. The SEC’s latest statement seeks to clarify whether these arrangements are subject to U.S. securities laws. For many in the industry, the answer comes as welcome news. Sam Kim, Chief Legal Officer of Lido Labs Foundation, described the guidance as a breakthrough moment: “Yesterday’s SEC guidance confirming that liquid staking and receipt tokens like stETH do not constitute securities provides the much-needed guidance that Lido and the wider industry have needed.” A Big Day for Ethereum: SEC Clarity on Liquid Staking Yesterday's SEC guidance confirming that liquid staking and receipt tokens like stETH do not constitute securities provides the much needed guidance that Lido and the industry have needed. As the leading liquid staking… https://t.co/H2WN1BWKSF — Lido (@LidoFinance) August 6, 2025 Kim explains that the clarity will encourage further participation from institutional investors and platforms that had previously been hesitant due to legal uncertainty. Path Cleared for Institutional and Platform Integration With the regulatory fog lifting, liquid staking protocols may now gain broader acceptance by centralized exchanges, fintech platforms, and regulated investment firms. “This opens the door for U.S.-based platforms, financial institutions, and users to engage with liquid staking protocols more freely,” Kim said. “Without the fear of triggering securities laws, more protocols may integrate liquid staking tokens, expanding their utility across DeFi.” By removing the perceived legal risk associated with staking receipts, the SEC’s position could help increase liquidity and utility for such tokens across the U.S. financial ecosystem. Legal Experts Outline Implications for Broader Token Design Legal analysts suggest the SEC’s language on liquid staking may have broader implications beyond staking itself. Jason Gottlieb, a partner at Morrison Cohen, said the agency’s approach reflects a logical evolution in how it categorizes crypto assets and derivatives. “At heart, a liquid staking token is just a receipt on a token,” said Gottlieb. “With the SEC now correctly taking the position that cryptocurrency tokens themselves are not securities, it makes sense that a receipt for a token is not a receipt for a security.” Gottlieb adds that this reasoning could influence future regulatory considerations around cross-chain bridges and wrapped tokens—mechanisms that similarly rely on receipt-style representations. A Major Step for U.S. Crypto Market Maturity As the world’s largest capital market, the United States remains a key frontier for the growth of digital asset ecosystems. With liquid staking protocols now operating under clearer rules, DeFi builders and institutional actors alike may find renewed confidence to innovate and engage. For stakeholders like Lido and other major protocols, the SEC’s latest stance is more than a legal indicator—it’s an invitation to scale.

Author: CryptoNews