Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has inked a deal with Kyrgyzstan’s National Investment Agency to trigger Web 3 adoption metrics. Both parties have reiterated a commitment to integrate Web 3 technologies into every facet of the local economy leaning on CZ’s expertise.
Kyrgyzstan Turns To Binance Founder CZ For Web 3 Direction
According to an X post by Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov, the Central Asian country has inked a deal with CZ. The Binance founder and the National Investment Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop the local Web 3 ecosystem.
Signed with the consent of the president, parties will commit to building out a thriving cryptocurrency ecosystem for residents. To achieve this, the National Investment Agency will lean on Zhao’s expertise as the Binance founder takes on an advisory role.
“The signing of the Memorandum opens new horizons for the development of digital technologies and the blockchain ecosystem in the country,” said President Zhaparov.
Furthermore, CZ says the MoU will extend to distributed ledger technology (DLT) and real-world application of blockchain outside of speculation. However, while not expressly stated, pundits theorize that the founder of the top cryptocurrency exchange will explore cross-border use cases and other financial utility for cryptocurrencies.
There are plans to train residents on blockchain, cybersecurity, virtual asset management, and other emerging technologies. The economic impact of the Web 3 initiative is far-reaching and will contribute a chunk to Kyrgyzstan’s GDP by 2030.
CZ Excited To Take On The Advisory Role
CZ has expressed his commitment to the advisory role, noting that Kyrgyzstan is the latest in a line of MoUs. The Binance founder has previously provided advisory services in both official and unofficial capacities on cryptocurrency regulatory frameworks and real-world DLT applications.
“I find this work extremely meaningful,” said CZ.
Amid reciprocal tariffs affecting crypto prices, CZ disclosed that his advisory services to countries do not extend to geopolitics.
Apart from his advisory role, Zhao has donated a portion of his wealth to disaster relief in affected regions. The latest is a hefty donation of over $1 million to earthquake relief efforts in Myanmar and Thailand. Beyond charitable donations, the Binance founder has downplayed the impact of exchange listing on token prices.
MUBARAK coin emerged as the latest hot buzz of the crypto sector, securing a prominent mark on traders’ and investors’ radars amid Binance founder CZ’s involvement in the meme coin. CZ recently hinted that he is Mubarak, a shilling cryptic move that sent shockwaves across the meme crypto industry. Now, with the crypto exchange titan itself revealing plans to launch a perpetual contract for the token, market sentiments over the crypto’s price prospects have turned highly bullish.
Notably, MUBARAK price is currently up 22% intraday in the wake of Changpeng Zhao spotlighting the token, further escorted by the CEX’s futures listing.
Mubarak Coin Gains Traction As It Secures Binance Listing
According to an official announcement dated March 17, Binance futures is launching a MUBARAKUSDT perpetual contract today at 13:30 UTC. The platform’s colossal user base remains primed to enjoy up to 25x leverage trading the new token.
This announcement by one of the top crypto exchanges ignited optimistic waves, paving the way for further investor interaction with the new asset. As market participants look to capitalize on emerging opportunities, a gush of money inflow into this meme token remains anticipated.
In turn, bullish market sentiments about MUBARAK coin’s price prevail across the broader market.
Is Binance’s CZ Mubarak?
CoinMarketCap’s data about this new token reveals that “CZ just subtly acknowledged that he’s Mubarak,” a cryptic move that sparked market discussions globally. On the other hand, a recent CoinGape report spotlights that CZ also bought $600 worth of the new meme coin, sparking a market frenzy.
When coupled with Binance’s futures listing, these developments add an extra layer of market optimism to the new token.
What’s More In The Listing Announcement?
Apart from enhanced trading support for MUBARAK coin, the crypto exchange behemoth unveiled Bubblemap’s (BMTUSDT) perpetual contract with up to 25x leverage. This announcement triggered 43% gains in the asset, reaching $0.1289, as indicated by the intraday trading chart.
MUBARAK Price Surges Over 20%
As of press time, MUBARAK price witnessed a 22% pump and exchanged hands at $0.09902. Notably, the coin hit an intraday peak of $0.1458, which was in sync with Binance’s announcement. Further, traders reacted positively to the abovementioned developments, as signaled by a 120% increase in the asset’s intraday trading volume to $165.45 million.
More Support From Binance?
Simultaneously, it’s noteworthy that in a previous announcement on Binance Alpha, the crypto exchange revealed support for the Mubarak coin. Binance Alpha is a platform featuring tokens that can be potentially considered for listings on the exchange moving ahead.
Overall, traders and investors anticipate potential gains in this newly launched token amid rising market demand and interest.
BeInCrypto had the opportunity to sit down with Laura K. Inamedinova, Chief Ecosystem Officer at Gate.io, during the Next Block Expo, The Blockchain Festival of Europe 2025. As one of the leading figures in the Web3 and crypto space, Laura shared her insights on the current state of the venture capital industry, its challenges, and the exciting opportunities emerging in 2025.
In this interview, Laura discusses the factors that are shaping the future of Web3 venture capital, the potential for stablecoins and real-world asset tokenization, and how global regulatory advancements are paving the way for more institutional involvement in the sector. Her expertise offers valuable guidance for anyone looking to understand the next phase of crypto and blockchain development.
The Resurgence of Web3 Venture Capital: Key Drivers for 2025
BeInCrypto (BIC): Given the challenging VC landscape in 2024, what factors do you believe will drive a potential resurgence in Web3 venture capital activity in 2025?
Laura K. Inamedinova (LKI): After a tough 2024, I think we’re finally seeing the pieces fall into place for a strong Web3 VC comeback in 2025. Regulations are becoming clearer; the US is dropping major lawsuits like Ripple, and Trump announced a $17 billion crypto reserve.
That shift alone has already brought results: we saw $861 million in crypto VC deals just in Q1, which is a clear sign of renewed confidence. What’s also fueling the comeback is global capital.
For example, Gate Ventures launched a $100 million fund with UAE last year, and Abu Dhabi invested $2 billion into Binance, positioning the region as a new hotspot for Web3 investment. Overall, Web3 venture capital activity is shifting back to the early stage. In 2024, 85% of VC deals were seed or Series A, backing infrastructure-first projects like modular chains like Celestia and Move-based networks like Movement Labs.
Institutional Involvement and Regulatory Advancements Shaping Investment Strategies
BIC: Last year marked the rise of institutional involvement in Web3 and regulatory advancements for the industry. How do you see these factors influencing your investment strategy in the coming year?
LKI: This has been a cycle of contrasts. Retail chased hype-driven meme coins, while institutions played it safe, focusing on stablecoins and tokenized assets.
Regulatory clarity is now reinforcing that shift: MiCA in Europe and new US frameworks under the Trump administration are making yield-bearing stablecoins and risk-adjusted RWAs like tokenized treasuries more attractive. In a high-interest-rate environment, these assets offer stable returns – a much safer bet for serious investors.
Our investment thesis aligns with this institutional trend, focusing on RWA tokenization platforms and stablecoin ecosystems. By backing the infrastructure that enables compliant, scalable adoption, we position ourselves at the core of crypto’s institutional evolution.
Consumer-Oriented Solutions in Web3
BIC: Which areas of Web3 (e.g., NFTs, DeFi, DAOs, etc.) do you believe will maintain its momentum into 2025, and why?
LKI: To predict the next big narratives, we need to understand what’s holding the market back today. Most projects have been heavily B2B-focused, catering to existing industry players rather than expanding the ecosystem by attracting a fresh audience from Web2. This inward-facing approach has limited mainstream adoption. It created an echo chamber where innovation circulates among the same user base without reaching new consumers.
Put simply, for one project to win, three others need to die. The true winners of this cycle will be those who shift their focus to consumer-oriented solutions, designing products and experiences that resonate with everyday users. By prioritizing accessibility, usability, and real-world value, these projects will finally break the cycle and catalyze the beginning of the bull market.
Apart from the B2C focused apps, I see strong potential in AI, RWA, and payment solutions. It goes without saying, AI is here to stay. But instead of simple ChatGPT-wrapped AI agents, we’ll see more advanced, integrated solutions with real-world applications, including robotics.
This will unlock a ton of new use cases in automated security, AI-driven trading, and on-chain decision-making, to name just a few. I see AI transforming from an external tool into a fundamental layer of Web3. RWA tokenization will continue to gain momentum, especially with the integration of AI-powered RWAs.
Major institutions like State Street are already exploring AI-driven tokenized bonds and money market funds. There’s a growing alignment between traditional finance and blockchain. This isn’t a niche development – it’s an opportunity to unlock liquidity in a $70 trillion+ asset class. With RWA tokenization projected to surpass $50 billion by the end of 2025, the addition of AI will introduce automation, scalability, and transparency – critical elements for mass adoption.
Payments will also be a key driver. Stablecoins are seeing increased adoption for cross-border transactions, remittances, and on-chain settlements. Regulatory clarity and improved UX will accelerate this trend, making stablecoins a core component for the future of global finance.
Bartek Juraszek of BeInCrypto speaks with Laura K. Inamedinova at Next Block Expo
Stablecoins as Core Infrastructure for Venture Capital
BIC: Stablecoin development attracted significant venture capital in the last quarter of 2024. Do you see this trend continuing, and what specific aspects of stablecoin projects are you prioritizing?
LKI: Stablecoins were a major VC focus in late 2024, and I see that trend continuing in 2025. Just in Q4, stablecoin projects pulled in $649 million across nine deals; that’s nearly 18% of all crypto VC funding. We’re also seeing strong signals from traditional finance: Fidelity is testing its own stablecoin, and Trump-linked World Liberty Financial launched USD1.
With over $239 billion in stablecoins already in circulation, this space isn’t just growing, it’s becoming core infrastructure for payments, trading, and settlements across both DeFi and TradFi.
What’s getting the most attention now is the rise of gold-backed stablecoins. Tokens like Tether’s XAUT and Paxos’ PAXG now hold a combined market cap of over $1.4 billion, a massive jump from just $12 million in 2020. These asset-backed models bring real-world value on-chain and offer protection against inflation, which is super attractive in today’s macro environment.
Based on this, we’re prioritizing stablecoin projects that have strong collateral models, clear regulatory paths, and real use cases beyond speculation, especially those bridging into RWAs or global payments.
Innovations in DeFi and Infrastructure
BIC: DeFi and Infrastructure followed closely behind the top categories. What specific innovations within these sectors are you most excited about for potential funding in 2025?
LKI: I think in DeFi, the real momentum is getting toward projects that merge automation with usability and compliance. One standout is DeFi Agents AI ($DEFAI), which raised $1.2 million in January 2025, backed by GameFi.org and eesee.io. It is building an AI trading assistant layered with restaking mechanics. So, you’re not just trading; you’re staking for revenue share and training custom models.
Add to that tools like Griffain, which reduces impermanent loss by 22%, and VaderAI, running 10,000+ on-chain transactions daily, and you start to see a new class of DeFi products built for scale, efficiency, and real usage. As MiCA 2.0 rolls out in Europe, platforms that offer AI-powered compliance and risk tools will stand out in both funding rounds and user adoption.
From an infrastructure perspective, we’re seeing strong capital flow into AI-ready backend systems that support these DeFi layers. CoreWeave, backed by over $1.1 billion from Nvidia and Microsoft, is scaling AI-optimized data centers that can support up to 5 million DeFi agents per site.
On the enterprise side, Cisco’s acquisition of strong intelligence and deeper insights AI shows how serious legacy tech firms are about owning the infrastructure layer. For investors, this is where the edge is. Make sure to check out projects that are building the high-speed, compliant infrastructure that will quietly power the next wave of DeFi and on-chain automation.
Not Just Meme Coins and AI Agents: Is Web3 Maturing?
BIC: The last couple of months suggested a shift away from meme coins and AI agents. What do you attribute this change in investor sentiment to, and what does it suggest about the maturity of the Web3 market?
LKI: The recent shift away from memes and AI agents reflects a growing maturity in the Web3 market. Meme coins, while often popular in speculative cycles, generally lack real utility, making them unsustainable in the long run.
AI agents are still in their infancy – most projects offer similar functionalities, suffer from technical limitations, and remain too buggy for practical use. As the market matures, investors are becoming more discerning, prioritizing projects with tangible value, strong fundamentals, and real-world applications.
This shift suggests a move toward more sustainable narratives, such as payments, RWA tokenization, and infrastructure, signaling that Web3 is evolving beyond hype-driven trends into a phase of real adoption and long-term growth.
BIC: What types of projects and what qualities of projects are you most looking for in 2025?
LKI: We have multiple criteria when evaluating projects with the best fit for our venture arm. First, we’re looking for projects that are led by experienced founders with a proven track record in Web3, ideally with a successful exit in the past.
Second, we prioritize businesses with existing investor backing, whether in the current or previous rounds. We evaluate each project on a case-by-case basis, but our investment thesis generally revolves around stablecoins, payments, new technology, infrastructure, and US-based projects.
Third, we take into consideration the project’s valuation, tokenomics, and burn rate.
Last but not least, we assess the company’s ability to drive real-world adoption, offering solutions with a clear path to mainstream success.
Conclusion: Venture Capital in Web3
BIC: How do you balance the pursuit of emerging trends with the need for sustainable, long-term value creation in your Web3 investments?
LKI: One of the clearest signals this cycle has been the rise of AI agent coins – they hit a $16.6 billion market cap early in 2025. It shows that when you combine a viral narrative with actual user engagement, there’s staying power.
From there, we saw that the bigger trend wasn’t just AI; it was AI fused with tokenization. Projects like Centrifuge, which tokenizes real-world assets like invoices and real estate to unlock liquidity for businesses, are doing exactly that. They’re not hype plays; they’re solving real inefficiencies in traditional finance using on-chain rails.
We’re also seeing strong signals from early-stage modular blockchain ecosystems that are building quietly but with clear scalability goals. We lean into trends but only when the tech underneath has the foundation to last.
Laura K. Inamedinova speaks at NBX
About Laura K. Inamedinova
An award-winning serial entrepreneur, investor, and keynote speaker sharing her insights on Web3 space since 2016. She currently holds a dual role within the Gate ecosystem, managing the global growth of the exchange and attracting new investments to its venture arm – GVC.
In her position as a CGEO at Gate.io, she builds cross-border partnerships and as a Principal at Gate Ventures, Laura oversees investments, partnerships, and development of the fund.
Before joining Gate.io, she founded a Web3 marketing agency, LKI Consulting, which she grew to 8-figures. This led her to be globally acclaimed as one of the “10 Women Entrepreneurs” by Entrepreneur Magazine and among the “Top 10 Women in International Business” by Silicon Valley Times. She was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Blockchain Visionaries, recognizing her impact on the global crypto ecosystem.
On a personal level, Laura is a successful angel investor with 40+ projects in her portfolio, an ex-Forbes and Huffington Post columnist, and an internationally renowned speaker with a track record of 156+ conferences in 25+ countries.
About Gate.io
Gate.io is a global cryptocurrency exchange platform that facilitates the buying, selling, and trading of over 3,800 digital assets. It offers a variety of products and services, including spot and futures trading, staking, decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions, Web3 wallets, and educational resources.
Additionally, Gate.io provides a range of tools for managing crypto investments, such as exchange wallets, live market data, and token airdrops. The platform also emphasizes security with robust measures like proof of reserves and offers services like Gate Pay for sending and receiving cryptocurrencies.
XRP price holds at $2.08 as Trump eyes Powell’s removal; traders brace for volatility while Bitcoin eyes $110K breakout.
XRP Price Stagnates at $2.08 as Trump–Fed Sparks Bitcoin Predictions
Ripple’s XRP is trading at $2.08, hovering just above key support, as crypto markets weigh the geopolitical fallout from a potential shake-up at the U.S. Federal Reserve.
According to Reuters, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett has confirmed that President Donald Trump is actively considering the removal of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, a development that could destabilize traditional financial markets while sending Bitcoin surging past $110,000.
The political implications are profound. Firing the Fed chair would challenge the independence of the central bank, undermining global confidence in U.S. monetary policy and spurring volatility across risk assets.
Yet. this could ignite a bullish breakout for crypto. Bitcoin’s narrative as a non-sovereign hedge would gain momentum, propelling mega-cap altcoins like XRP into a breakout rally.
If Bitcoin does breach the $110,000 level in response to this political shock, XRP is likely to post a 30% to 40% rally, targeting:
$2.21–$2.22 (EMA confluence)
$2.30 (major liquidation zone)
$2.45 (next resistance level)
A confirmed BTC breakout above $110K would likely catalyze a Ripple price rally toward $2.75, with a final upside projection at $3.10, assuming elevated risk appetite and sustained altcoin rotation.
Derivatives Markets Show Bearish Bias From Strategic Investors
Despite the potentially bullish setup, XRP derivatives data paints a more cautious picture. While retail sentiment appears optimistic, strategic players are hedging or even scaling back exposure amid rising macro uncertainty.
Over the last 24 hours:
XRP derivatives volume dropped -23.42% to $2.97 billion, signaling that traders are stepping aside.
Open interest dipped -0.42%, hinting at reduced conviction.
Options volume collapsed -61.64%, suggesting institutions are retreating from volatility-heavy positions.
In contrast, options open interest climbed +31.16%, a sign that traders are buying protection, likely bracing for volatility rather than betting on upside.
The 24-hour long/short ratio stands at 0.9826, indicating a near-even split between bullish and bearish bets—an uncommon dynamic during genuine bull trends.
Ripple (XRP) Derivatives Trading Data | Source: Coinglass
A closer look at major exchanges reveals the divergence between retail and institutional sentiment:
On Binance, the XRP/USDT long/short ratio currently trends at 2.076, while on OKX, the ratio stands at 1.66—both indicating that retail traders remain decisively net-long on XRP.
However, when analyzing top trader behavior on Binance, a more cautious tone emerges. The long/short ratio by accounts is 1.9334, while the ratio by positions drops to 1.2435, suggesting that larger investors p are taking a more defensive stance, potentially cutting down on leverage exposure in anticipation of volatility.
Meanwhile, liquidation metrics further highlight the weakening of bullish momentum. In the past 24 hours, long positions absorbed $432.340 in liquidations, compared to just $312,330 on the short side—a sign that optimistic bets are being unwound more aggressively.
Across all major timeframes—1h, 4h, 12h, and 24h—shorts have consistently endured less liquidation pain than longs, further reinforcing the narrative that bearish positions are either better timed or quietly building strength for a major price downswing
Conclusion
While the political drama around Powell’s potential removal could supercharge the crypto narrative—sending Bitcoin toward $110K and XRP to $3.10—institutional traders are not buying in blindly.
Derivatives markets reflect anxiety, risk hedging, and early positioning for volatility. The bullish path for XRP remains viable if prices remain above $2—but macro instability could make traders hesitant to enter new positions.
