Robinhood Tops Wall Street’s Q1 Earnings Estimates: Crypto Revenue Surged 100% YoY

Robinhood Expands Crypto Trading to EU Markets Despite a 26% Slide in Cryptocurrency Revenue

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  • Robinhood reported a revenue of $927 million in Q1 2025, up 50% YoY.
  • The firm listed several memecoins in Q1 2025 to diversify its business and attract more retail traders.

Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD), a prominent retail trading platform, released its first quarter 2025 earnings, which beat Wall Street estimates. The company reported an earnings per share (EPS) of 37 cents compared to an estimate of 36 cents. 

Robinhood reported a revenue of $927 million compared to an estimate of $921.7 million, which increased 50 percent YoY. As a result, Robinhood authorized a $500 million raise in its stock buyback program to $1.5 billion.

Robinhood Segment Breakdown and Market Outlook

During the first quarter, Robinhood recorded a 77 percent YoY growth in transaction-based revenue to $583 million. The company’s crypto segment recorded 100 percent YoY growth in revenue to about $252 million. Furthermore, Robinhood recorded a trading volume of about $48 billion in the first quarter of 2025, up 28 percent YoY.

In a bid to evolve and compete with global exchanges, Robinhood intends to further diversify its offerings in the future.

“We are diversifying the business outside of crypto, which will make us less reliant on crypto transaction volume in the future,” Vladimir Tenev, Robinhood CEO, noted.

The company’s options revenue for the first quarter was about $240 million, up 56 percent YoY. Meanwhile, Robinhood recorded a 44 percent surge in YoY revenue for equities to $56 million.

“Customers are not only trading more with us, but they are entrusting us with more of their assets,” Tenev added. ”We significantly accelerated product innovation across key initiatives including Robinhood Strategies, Banking, and Cortex. Customers responded with record-breaking net deposits, Gold subscriptions, and trading volume across all asset classes.”

Following the announcement, HOOD shares gained 2 percent to trade at about $50 on Wednesday, April 30 during the late North American session.

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Robinhood reported a revenue of $927 million in Q1 2025, up 50% YoY. The firm listed several memecoins in Q1 2025 to diversify its business and attract more retail traders. Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD), a prominent retail trading platform, released its first quarter 2025 earnings, which beat Wall Street estimates. The company reported an …

Nearly 2 Million Crypto Tokens Collapsed in Q1 2025

A new report from CoinGecko claims that 2025 has been the worst year for dead crypto projects, with 1.8 million tokens collapsing in Q1 alone. This represents 49.7% of all crypto project failures from 2021 to 2025.

CoinGecko’s analysis focused on the concrete data, not establishing proof of the culprit. Still, it hypothesizes that market volatility under Trump’s Presidency is responsible for this extreme failure rate.

Why are So Many Tokens Dying Out?

The crypto industry is no stranger to failures. For example, a few years ago, NFTs were all the rage, but more than 95% of those assets are dead.

CoinGecko’s latest report shows that 2025 has been an exceptional year in this respect. Compared to 2024, there have been fewer token launches and many more crypto project failures in Q1 alone.

Dead Crypto Projects by Year
Dead Crypto Projects by Year. Source: CoinGecko

Data from CoinMarketCap shows that over 14.65 million different tokens are active right now, and the number has been rising steadily.

One year ago, the site only tracked 2.7 million. The biggest contributor to this growth has been Solana meme coins, as that blockchain’s ecosystem now accounts for more than 60% of all tokens.

Solana Meme Coins on the Rise
Solana Meme Coins on the Rise. Source: CoinMarketCap

However, this rapid increase in crypto projects has also led to more dead tokens. The meme coin sector is especially volatile, and the industry has faced collapse on several prior occasions.

Moreover, a glut of project launches can dilute meme coins’ overall market potential, sinking prominent projects due to quality fears and diminishing returns.

CoinGecko also revealed another disturbing fact: by its reckoning, most crypto projects active since 2021 are now dead. It claims that 52.7% of all such tokens have failed and that the failure rate is increasing.

New launches still outweigh collapses, but the trend does not look sustainable.

The report proposes a clear hypothesis for this behavior. CoinGecko believes it credible that Trump’s tariff threats and ensuing recession fears are responsible for these dead crypto projects. Meme coin launches rose dramatically after his election, and market turbulence is killing them off.

To be clear, CoinGecko’s study did not attempt to prove a cause; it just analyzed the failures themselves. Complicated factors may be creating all these dead crypto projects.

Still, it identified the trends, and the hard data is convincing in its own right. The meme coin industry, as currently defined, may not last at this rate.

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What To Expect From Bitcoin (BTC) Price In May 2025

Bitcoin (BTC) enters May 2025 with renewed momentum, gaining over 14% in the past 30 days and trading just 6.3% below the key $100,000 mark. Behind the price action, Bitcoin’s apparent demand has turned positive for the first time since late February, signaling a shift in on-chain behavior.

However, fresh inflows—especially from US-based ETFs—remain subdued compared to 2024 levels, suggesting institutional conviction has yet to fully return. According to MEXC COO Tracy Jin, if current conditions hold, a summer rally toward $150,000 is plausible, with sentiment turning increasingly bullish.

Bitcoin Apparent Demand Turns Positive, But Fresh Inflows Still Lacking

Bitcoin’s apparent demand has shown clear signs of recovery recently, rising to 65,000 BTC over the past 30 days. This marks a sharp rebound from the trough on March 27, when apparent demand—defined as the net 30-day change in holdings across all investor cohorts—reached a deeply negative level of -311,000 BTC.

Apparent demand reflects the aggregated balance shifts across wallets and provides insight into whether capital is entering or exiting the Bitcoin network.

While the current demand level is still well below earlier peaks in 2024, a meaningful inflection point occurred on April 24: Bitcoin’s apparent demand turned positive and has remained positive for six consecutive days after nearly two months of sustained outflows.

Bitcoin Apparent Demand.
Bitcoin Apparent Demand. Source: CryptoQuant.

Despite this improvement, broader demand momentum remains weak.

The continued lack of significant new inflows suggests that most of the recent accumulation may be driven by existing holders rather than fresh capital entering the market.

For Bitcoin to mount a sustainable rally, both apparent demand and demand momentum must show consistent and synchronized growth. Until that alignment occurs, the current stabilization may not support a strong or prolonged price breakout.

US Spot Bitcoin ETF Inflows Still Far Below 2024 Levels

Bitcoin purchases from U.S.-based ETFs have remained largely flat since late March, fluctuating between daily net flows of -5,000 to +3,000 BTC.

This activity level sharply contrasts with the strong inflows seen in late 2024, when daily purchases frequently exceeded 8,000 BTC and contributed to Bitcoin’s initial rally toward $100,000.

So far in 2025, BTC ETFs have collectively accumulated a net total of 28,000 BTC, well below the more than 200,000 BTC they had purchased by this point last year.

This decline shows a slowdown in institutional demand, which has historically been key in driving major price movements.

Bitcoin: Net Cumulative Inflows to US Spot ETFs by Year.
Bitcoin: Net Cumulative Inflows to US Spot ETFs by Year. Source: CryptoQuant.

There are early signs of a modest rebound, with ETF inflows beginning to tick higher recently. However, current levels remain insufficient to fuel a sustained uptrend.

ETF activity is often viewed as a proxy for institutional conviction, and a notable increase in purchases would likely signal renewed confidence in Bitcoin’s medium-term trajectory.

Until those inflows return in force, the broader market may struggle to generate the momentum needed for a prolonged rally.

Bitcoin Nears $100,000 as Momentum Builds Despite Macro Pressure

Bitcoin price has gained over 14% in the past 30 days, rebounding strongly after dipping below $75,000 in April.

This renewed momentum comes as BTC shows relative resilience amid broader macroeconomic volatility and policy-driven pressures, including Trump’s tariff measures that have weighed on risk assets.

While the entire crypto market has felt the impact, Bitcoin appears to be detaching slightly, showing less sensitivity to these external shocks than other digital assets.

Bitcoin Price Analysis.
Bitcoin Price Analysis. Source: TradingView.

BTC now sits just 6.3% below the $100,000 mark and remains under 17% from a potential move toward $110,000. According to Tracy Jin, COO of MEXC, sentiment is turning positive again:

“Beyond immediate price action, the growing institutional appetite and shrinking supply mechanisms against the macroeconomic uncertainty backdrop point to a structural shift in Bitcoin’s role within the global financial market. BTC is used to hedging against inflation and the fiat-based financial model. Its liquidity, scalability, programmability, and global accessibility offer a reliable modern alternative to traditional financial instruments for many corporations,” Jin said.

According to Jin, a summer rally towards $150,000 is plausible. She stressed that the $95,000 range will likely become a launch point for the brewing decisive breakout above $100,000 in the coming days.

” Should global trade tensions stabilize further and institutional accumulation continues, a summer rally towards $150,000 is plausible, potentially extending towards $200,000 by 2026. Overall, the external background remains favorable for the continuation of the upward movement, especially given the growth of stock indices on Friday, which could support Bitcoin over the weekend.”

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US GDP Report Fuels Recession Concerns, But Bitcoin Holds Steady

The US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its PCE and GDP reports for Q1 2025 today. Although inflation was less than expected, US GDP shrank before the tariffs took effect, encouraging fears of a recession.

Despite this discouraging signal, Bitcoin has held up rather well, even hitting a new all-time high in Argentina. This lends credence to the notion that BTC is a safe haven from economic chaos.

Trump’s Tariffs May Cause Recession

The global economy is extremely complicated, full of signals that seemingly contradict each other. Since Trump’s tariff plan began taking effect, fears of a US recession have gripped the markets. However, when the BEA released its Q1 2025 PCE report this morning, it prompted relief from some sectors.

“Personal income increased $116.8 billion (0.5 percent at a monthly rate) in March, according to estimates released today by the [BEA]. The increase in current-dollar personal income in March primarily reflected increases in compensation and proprietors’ income,” the report claimed.

At first glance, this data looks highly encouraging. The PCE (personal consumer expenditures) report is the Federal Reserve’s preferred tool to measure inflation, and it’s full of reassuring points.

The core PCE price index (YoY) for March was 2.6%, the lowest since June 2024, and the MoM index was at its lowest since April 2020. In other words, the dollar still spends.

However, the BEA also released its GDP report today. Although the tariffs seemingly haven’t impacted inflation yet, a recession happens after two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. The US officially experienced one in Q1, and this report only concerns pre-tariff data:

Key Recession Indicator Before Tariffs. Source: BEA

CNN hypothesized that the inflation figures were artificially heightened thanks to the tariffs. Specifically, US consumers may have purchased more goods in anticipation of them becoming more expensive. This systematic behavior would throw off the usual metrics of inflation tracking.

How will these statistics impact the crypto industry? Simply put, Bitcoin isn’t acting like tariffs are about to cause a recession. It actually sustained its value, trading over $94,000.

Analysts have been wondering if BTC will be a safe haven in economic chaos, and recent data suggests it could benefit from trade disruptions.

Bitcoin also reached an all-time high in Argentina, surpassing 110 million ARS per BTC.  This surge is likely due to the significant depreciation of the Argentine peso, which was trading near 1,165 per US dollar in official markets.

These developments indicate that Bitcoin might successfully function as a hedge against economic instability.

Ultimately, these claims are still speculation. Tariffs may or may not cause the US to enter a recession, which would truly test Bitcoin’s status as a safe haven. From today’s perspective, at least, the hypothesis seems reasonable.

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What To Expect From Hedera (HBAR) In May 2025

Hedera (HBAR) enters May in a fragile yet potentially explosive technical setup, with futures activity cooling and price movements closely tied to Bitcoin’s momentum. HBAR Futures volume remains subdued, suggesting a decline in speculative interest compared to earlier this year.

Meanwhile, HBAR continues to track Bitcoin’s performance with amplified volatility. As BTC flirts with the $100,000 level and sentiment shifts bullish, HBAR could either break through key resistance levels and rally toward $0.40—or face a deeper correction if technical support fails.

Low HBAR Futures Volume Points to Cooling Speculation

HBAR Futures volume is currently at $118 million, up from a recent low of $76 million on April 19—its lowest point in the last three months.

This follows a steady decline from much higher levels seen earlier in the year.

Notably, HBAR Futures open interest had peaked at $1.3 billion on March 1 but has not surpassed $300 million since April 12, signaling a significant drop in speculative activity around the token.

HBAR: Futures Volume.
HBAR: Futures Volume. Source: Glassnode.

Hedera Futures refer to derivative contracts that allow traders to speculate on the future price of HBAR, the native token of the Hedera network. Both retail and institutional participants often use these contracts to hedge risk or take leveraged positions.

Futures volumes and open interest are key indicators of market sentiment and liquidity—higher volumes typically suggest stronger conviction or increased trading activity. At the same time, declining figures may reflect reduced interest or confidence in near-term price action.

The current lower levels suggest HBAR’s recent price movements may have been more influenced by spot demand than leveraged speculation.

Hedera’s High Correlation with BTC Could Drive Next Rally

HBAR has recently shown a high correlation with Bitcoin (BTC), often amplifying the moves of the broader crypto market leader.

When BTC rallies, HBAR tends to rise even more sharply; conversely, HBAR often experiences deeper pullbacks during corrections. This pattern reflects Hedera’s sensitivity to market sentiment and positioning as a higher-beta asset in the crypto space.

As a result, shifts in Bitcoin’s trajectory, especially during periods of strong momentum, can significantly influence HBAR’s price action.

BTC and HBAR Performance in the last 30 Days.
BTC and HBAR Performance in the last 30 Days. Source: Messari.

With Bitcoin up 13% in the past 30 days and now sitting just 6.3% below the $100,000 mark, the next leg higher could have a strong spillover effect on HBAR.

On-chain data shows a recovery in BTC’s apparent demand, while institutional sentiment is gradually improving, with ETF inflows showing early signs of a rebound. If Bitcoin breaks above $100,000, HBAR could benefit from renewed capital inflows and rising market enthusiasm.

Given HBAR’s tendency to outperform BTC in bullish phases, a decisive Bitcoin breakout could be a powerful catalyst for a broader move in Hedera.

Key Levels to Watch as HBAR Faces Bullish Breakout or Death Cross

HBAR price faces a critical technical setup heading into May, with the potential for a sharp move in either direction. On the bullish side, if HBAR can attract strong buying pressure and establish a sustained uptrend, it could climb as much as 123% to reach $0.40.

To do so, the token must first break through a series of key resistance levels at $0.20, $0.258, $0.32, and $0.37—each of which has previously acted as a rejection point during past rallies.

HBAR Price Analysis.
HBAR Price Analysis. Source: TradingView.

A successful breakout through these levels could signal renewed momentum and broader market confidence in Hedera.

However, downside risks remain firmly in play. HBAR’s EMA lines show signs of an impending death cross—a bearish pattern in which the short-term average moves below the long-term average, indicating that a deeper correction may be ahead.

If this formation is confirmed, HBAR could first test support at $0.16. Failure to hold that level may lead to further losses toward $0.124, and in a more aggressive downtrend, prices could decline to $0.0053.

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Crypto Assets Reportedly Make Up 37% of President Trump’s Total Wealth

According to a recent report from the State Democracy Defenders Fund (SDDF), crypto could represent up to 37% of Donald Trump’s wealth.

It’s difficult to determine an exact figure from publicly available information, as the study could only make educated guesses on several possible income streams. This includes trading fees on TRUMP and World Liberty Financial’s two tokens.

How Much Crypto Does Trump Really Hold?

Since President Trump launched his eponymous meme coin shortly before Inauguration Day, it opened an unprecedented new era for cryptocurrency.

Former US regulators and crypto luminaries have warned about the danger of political corruption. The SDDF’s report attempts to thoroughly analyze Trump’s substantial crypto holdings.

“In just a few short months, President Trump has substantially increased his wealth due to his business’s foray into a series of crypto asset offerings. Reporting suggests these crypto ventures may account for nearly 40% of his wealth,” the SDDF claimed, noting that this number may soon increase.

Trump’s crypto holdings come from several sources, primarily the meme coin and World Liberty Financial. It offers the WLFI governance token and the USD1 stablecoin, and most of the company’s revenue allegedly goes to the Trump family.

However, determining his exact wealth is difficult for a few reasons. For one thing, the TRUMP meme coin’s price is constantly fluctuating, and it’s unclear how many tokens he actually holds.

The US president’s affiliated insiders hold 80% of the meme coin’s supply. How much of that is directly linked to the Trump Family portfolio?

Moreover, it pointed out that the public has no idea what percentage of TRUMP trading fees go to the Trump family. The SDDF cites a study claiming that total transaction fees could’ve reached $100 million in January, but the trail has since gone cold.

How high is this number in late April? What are the exact terms of Trump’s “special arrangement” with Meteora? These important questions remain unanswered.

Similar issues arise when trying to assess World Liberty Financial. Trump’s family unequivocally receives income from the DeFi project, but it’s proved difficult to get direct access to any contracts or for anyone to publicly disclose the specific agreements.

Trump is explicitly using his authority to champion crypto reform. Yet, it’s almost undeniable that his family is substantially invested in this sector. His focus on stablecoin regulation has attracted scrutiny over USD1 involvement, for one thing. His comprehensive war on federal crypto enforcement could also give massive opportunities.

In short, it doesn’t necessarily matter what Trump’s exact crypto holdings are. The POTUS has involved himself in several economic entanglements that are usually completely off-limits to sitting Presidents. Proving his exact commitments is extremely difficult, which only highlights the unusual situation.

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Why Stablecoin Yields Are Expected to Kick Off the “Stablecoin Season” in 2025

While altcoin market caps have not yet returned to their previous highs, the stablecoin market cap continues to hit new records in 2025. It has now surpassed $240 billion. Investors seek ways to optimize returns in a highly volatile environment without immediately allocating capital.

Stablecoin yield protocols are emerging as a key option for 2025. Analysts have presented strong arguments for this trend, and the topic of stablecoin yields is gaining increasing attention in the crypto community.

Signs of a Stablecoin Yield Wave

One of the clearest signs of growing interest in stablecoin yields is the recent moves by major industry players.

Ledger, the popular hardware wallet provider, announced on April 29, 2025, that it had integrated stablecoin yield features into its Ledger Live app.

With this update, users can earn up to 9.9% APY on stablecoins like USDT, USDC, USDS, and DAI. Users retain full custody of their assets. So far, Ledger has sold over 7 million hardware wallets.

PayPal has also entered the race. The company now offers a 3.7% annual yield on its PYUSD stablecoin. Following the closure of the SEC’s investigation into PYUSD, PayPal currently faces no major regulatory hurdles in expanding its stablecoin initiative.

In addition, DeFiLlama data shows there are over 2,300 stablecoin pools across 469 protocols and 106 blockchains. This signals massive growth in demand for yield opportunities through stablecoins.

Stablecoin Yield Rankings. Source: DefiLlama
Stablecoin Yield Rankings. Source: DefiLlama

The data also shows that the top 10 stablecoin pools have TVLs ranging from $335 million to over $2.9 billion. APYs in these pools can reach up to 13.5%.

Although many investors are waiting for an altcoin season to recover from portfolio losses, the current momentum points toward a “stablecoin season” driven by attractive yields.

Why Are Stablecoin Yields Becoming the New Investor Trend?

GC Cooke, CEO and founder of Brava, has identified key reasons investors are turning to stablecoins to seek returns.

He argues that unpredictable policy shifts are creating ripple effects across markets. Even traditionally “safe” stocks now experience wild swings over a single headline. He believes moving from stocks to yield-generating assets like stablecoin yields is a way to avoid directional risk — the risk of sharp price drops in equities.

Chuk, a builder at Paxos, also noted that as regulatory frameworks around stablecoins become clearer in the US, EU, Singapore, and the UAE, yield integrations will get easier.

As a result, stablecoin wallets could evolve into personal finance hubs, removing the need for traditional banks.

“[Stablecoin] Wallets can: Receive payroll. Issue cards tied to stablecoin balances to enable direct spending without converting to fiat. Enable P2P payments globally. Offer yield via tokenized money markets. This continues an existing trend: the wallet becomes the financial hub — no bank branch needed,” Chuk said.

But What Are the Risks?

Despite the optimism, the stablecoin yield market comes with notable risks.

Analyst Wajahat Mughal pointed out that fewer than 10 stablecoins have over $1 billion market caps. Most stablecoins still have market caps below $100 million.

Some protocols offer high APYs. Teller offers 28%–49% yields for USDC pools. Yearn Finance, founded by Andre Cronje, offers over 70% APY on CRV pools. Fx-protocol and Napier provide 22%–30% APY on RUSD and EUSDE, respectively. But these high returns often carry significant risks.

Choze, a research analyst at Amagi, highlighted several concerns. Many pools still have low TVLs, ranging from just $10,000 to $120,000, meaning these strategies are early and can be volatile.

Some rewards rely on ecosystem tokens. Strategies often involve multiple protocols, adding complexity. He warned that investors should pay attention to the long-term growth of each project’s ecosystem.

“The opportunities are real, especially for those who know how to navigate smaller, emerging farms. But it’s important to understand what you’re actually farming: Not just stable yield, but also ecosystem growth and early stage incentives,” Choze said.

Investors may also face risks such as lending or staking platforms for stablecoins being hacked, exploited for vulnerabilities, or experiencing technical failures, all of which can lead to loss of funds. Some algorithmic or less reputable stablecoins may also lose their peg to the dollar.

Still, one cannot deny the growing role of stablecoins. With attractive yields and strong real-world payment use cases, they reshape how investors engage with crypto markets.

This opens up new ways to earn profits without relying solely on the next altcoin season.

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Visa and Bridge Launches Stablecoin Payments In Latin America

Visa and Bridge Launches Stablecoin Payments In Latin America

American financial technology company Visa has launched stablecoin payments in the Latin American (LATAM) region. The firm launched the product in partnership with Bridge, a Stripe company, as it looks to broaden access to stablecoin payments in multiple countries. Under the partnership, the company said Bridge Fintech developers can offer stable assets with a single API integration.

The Visa Stablecoin Offering

In its announcement to shareholders, Visa said customers can access the offering at local shops where its services are available. With a network of over 150 million merchants, the fintech giant reiterates its commitment to advancing payments initiatives.

The alliance with Bridge will also permit the issuance of new card programs in Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico. Despite its bold step in this region, the company plans to expand into other markets in the coming months.

This update comes as rival Mastercard launched a solution for stable token transactions earlier this week. The move confirms the high stakes fintech firms are placing on stablecoins amid changing regulatory trends around the world.

The post Visa and Bridge Launches Stablecoin Payments In Latin America appeared first on CoinGape.

Ripple Offered $5 Billion To Buy USDC Issuer Circle: Bloomberg

Ripple Offered $5 Billion To Buy USDC Issuer Circle: Bloomberg

In a massive development, Ripple allegedly offered to buy USDC issuer Circle, although the deal didn’t fall through as the stablecoin issuer rejected the amount that the crypto firm offered. A potential acquisition would be a huge move for the crypto firm, considering that it already issues the RLUSD stablecoin, which is gaining market share.

Ripple Offered To Buy Circle For $5 Billion

According to a Bloomberg report, Ripple offered to buy Circle for $4 to $5 billion, but the stablecoin issuer rejected the bid because it was too low. The report further revealed that the USDC issuer is more focused on following through with the initial public offering (IPO) it filed earlier this month. Meanwhile, the RLUSD issuer has yet to decide whether to make another offer to Circle.

This development comes just as the Brad Garlinghouse-led company agreed to acquire prime broker Hidden Road for $1.25 billion earlier this month. It is worth mentioning that Ripple already issues the RLUSD stablecoin, which is the 12th largest by market cap. Meanwhile, USDC is the second-largest by market cap.

As such, an acquisition of Circle would undoubtedly have expanded the crypto firm’s dominance in the stablecoin industry. The RLUSD stablecoin recently surpassed the $300 market cap milestone, but is still playing catch-up to other stablecoins.

Interestingly, Circle recently launched its payment services for cross-border transactions. This move puts the firm in competition with Ripple, which already offers payment services centered around cross-border transactions.

Circle has also been making moves to expand its services beyond the US, as the USDC stablecoin issuer secured in-principle approval from Abu Dhabi’s financial regulator to operate a money service business in the region.

Pro-XRP lawyer John Deaton commented on Ripple’s proposal to acquire Circle. In an X post, he questioned if both firms might move to buy or become a bank next. He also questioned how high Brad Garlinghouse will go as part of his vision for the company.

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Cardano Founder Predicts What Next For Blockchain Innovation

Cardano Founder Predicts What Next For Blockchain Innovation

Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, gave a strong message about where blockchain is headed during his keynote at the ongoing Paris Blockchain Week. Speaking to a packed audience, he urged the industry to move past old habits and focus on lasting value that serves everyday people, not only tech insiders or early adopters.

The Fourth Generation of Blockchain Innovation

Charles Hoskinson said the blockchain industry is entering its fourth stage. He explained that the early days were about Bitcoin and decentralization. Later came smart contracts and efforts to improve how fast and large systems could grow. Now, this fourth phase must tackle real-world challenges at scale.

He argued that blockchain should not just be for a few people who understand code or finance. It needs to be reliable, secure, and usable by billions. He pointed to Cardano’s research-driven model as a key part of that mission. The recent airdrop linked to the Midnight sidechain, which could involve 37 million users, shows how serious that goal is.

It is important to add that Hoskinson believes some platforms may not survive the next blockchain iteration. For example, CoinGape reported earlier that Hoskinson predicted that Ethereum may crash in the next 15 years. According to him, the technology is becoming outdated and is not built for long-term use.

However, some market participants think differently, as Ethereum is set to launch its Pectra upgrade on May 7. The upgrade is expected to drive significant development across the blockchain network.

Charles Hoskinson on Privacy, Decentralization and Interoperability

It is worth mentioning that more people are beginning to use blockchain in everyday settings like healthcare or shopping. The Cardano founder believes that privacy and identity protection will become more critical. 

He also pointed out that blockchains need to connect, especially in the supply chain and logistics industries.

The absence of standard rules and security issues remains key challenges to overcome. However, Hoskinson said those are necessary hurdles in building a stronger future.

Merging TradFi and DeFi: The New Focus

At the event, Charles Hoskinson also mentioned that traditional and decentralized finance must stop acting like rivals. Instead, he proposed they merge into what he simply calls “Fi”. According to him, this model could help blockchain earn public trust while following real-world rules.

CoinGape earlier reported that Hoskinson believes the future of finance is already taking shape. For example, Cardano recently outperformed several top S&P 500 companies, and some analysts predict that ADA could reach $10.

If such outcomes materialize, investor focus may shift unless TradFi and DeFi innovations harmonize effectively. As of writing, data from CoinMarketCap shows Cardano (ADA) trading at $0.6856, down 3.69% in the past 24 hours.

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