ParaSwap DAO members were split, with some supporting the conditional return of the fees and others voting against the refund.
Bybit confirmed it was behind a proposal requesting that decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol ParaSwap return fees earned from swaps conducted by the Lazarus Group using digital assets stolen from the exchange.
On March 4, a proposal was posted on ParaSwap’s decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) forum asking to freeze and return 44.67 Wrapped Ether (wETH), worth almost $100,000, to a wallet address.
The proposal initially attracted skepticism, with several DAO members calling for verification before advancing the proposal. Bybit shared a verification post on its official X account on March 5, confirming that it was behind the proposal to return the funds.
CME Group has partnered with Google Cloud to pilot initiatives aimed at enhancing capital market efficiency through tokenization. The collaboration seeks to leverage Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL).
However, critics argue that the technology represents a shift toward centralization in an industry that has traditionally prioritized decentralization.
CME and Google Cloud’s Tokenization Pilot: A New Era or Centralization Crisis?
For context, Google Cloud’s GCUL is a distributed ledger built for seamless integration by financial institutions. This platform simplifies account and asset management while enabling secure transfers on a private and permissioned network.
“Google Cloud Universal Ledger has the potential to deliver significant efficiencies for collateral, margin, settlement, and fee payments as the world moves toward 24/7 trading,” Duffy said.
The team has finalized the initial integration and testing phase of GCUL. They will conduct direct testing with market participants later this year. Lastly, the services’ launch is planned for 2026.
Nonetheless, the move has sparked controversy within the cryptocurrency community. Critics argue that GCUL, as a centralized and permissioned ledger, contradicts the decentralized ethos that underpins blockchain technology.
“It is not a bullish development,” a user wrote on X.
The collaboration has also ignited a broader discussion about the role of public versus private blockchains in asset tokenization. DeFi analyst Ignas framed the issue as a “battle between public, decentralized networks and private chains.
This suggested that centralized solutions like GCUL could undermine the principles of transparency and inclusivity of public blockchains.
“Not bullish at all. Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL) seems to be a private, permissioned network,” he posted.
Meanwhile, another analyst pointed out the practical challenges associated with using public blockchains.
“I’m honestly not sure if public chains are competitive in this space,” he claimed.
The analyst explained that CME Group or similar institutions require ultra-high-frequency settlements with near-instant finality. They also need room for manual intervention when necessary.
This need for precise control often leads institutions to split blockchain nodes into specialized roles like clearing, settlement, compliance, and observation. The analyst argued that public blockchains do not support this level of control.
He also highlighted that tokenized assets need liquidity boundaries to avoid risks like money laundering and speculation. Without proper controls, tokenized assets could face these issues if traded on decentralized exchanges.
“I’ve talked to quite a few people from traditional finance, and honestly, many of them say DEXs are basically no different from black markets,” the analyst added.
Virtual Protocol, a decentralized platform for creating and monetizing AI agents, has seen a sharp uptick in user activity over the past few days. This has fueled a surge in demand for its native token, VIRTUAL.
According to on-chain data, the number of unique wallets holding Virtual Protocol’s AI agent tokens has increased significantly across the Base and Solana networks. This has driven a rally in the VIRTUAL’s price, which has climbed 161% over the past week.
VIRTUAL Token Rockets to 2-Month High
According to Dune Analytics, the number of unique active wallets holding Virtual Agents’ tokens across the Base and Solana blockchains has jumped by 95% in the past five days.
Virtual Protocol Daily Active Wallets. Source: Dune Analytics
This spike in wallet activity highlights growing user engagement with the platform’s AI agent ecosystem, as more participants join to create, deploy, and interact with decentralized AI services.
Buying pressure on VIRTUAL has intensified as users seek to acquire Virtual Agents and participate more actively in the protocol. Over the past week, the token’s price has climbed by 161%, reflecting the heightened demand.
Today alone, VIRTUAL is up 18%, making it the top gainer across the cryptocurrency market. As of this writing, it trades at a two-month high of $1.46, with technical indicators pointing to further price rallies.
Readings from VIRTUAL’s Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) indicator, which tracks capital accumulation into an asset, confirm the high demand for the altcoin. At press time, this momentum indicator is above the zero line and in an upward trend at 0.23.
When an asset’s CMF is above zero, buying pressure exceeds selling activity among market participants. This trend, coupled with VIRTUAL’s rising price, is a significantly bullish signal, hinting at an extended rally where the token could record new multi-month highs.
Triple-Digit Rally Signals Possible Run to $2.25
VIRTUAL’s triple-digit spike over the past week has pushed its price above the key resistance of $1.44. If demand strengthens and the bulls retain market control, the altcoin could extend its current gains and climb toward $2.25, a high it last reached on January 31.
However, caution may be warranted in the short term. Technical indicators such as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) show that VIRTUAL currently trades in overbought territory. As of this writing, the momentum indicator is 83.92, indicating that the altcoin is significantly overbought and is due for correction.
Polymarket, the crypto-powered prediction platform, is considering the launch of a custom stablecoin to capture yield from reserve assets.
The move would shift the platform’s reliance away from Circle’s USDC and give Polymarket direct control over the interest-bearing collateral backing user bets.
Polymarket To Enter the US Stablecoin Market?
According to several reports, the firm is still deciding between issuing its own stablecoin or accepting a revenue-sharing arrangement with Circle. No final decision has been made.
The motivation is reportedly financial. Polymarket holds a large volume of USDC, but currently, Circle collects the yield from those backing reserves.
By issuing its own dollar-pegged token, Polymarket could monetize this flow internally.
Community Comments on Polymarket’s Stablecoin Rumors. Source: X (Formerly Twitter)
The news follows Polymarket’s efforts to reenter the US market through the acquisition of crypto exchange QCEX. This comes after the DOJ dropped its investigation into the company related to unlicensed access by American users.
These bank-issued stablecoins aim to compete with Circle’s USDC and Tether’s USDT in both consumer and institutional settings.
By launching a platform-native stablecoin, Polymarket could join a growing list of fintech and financial players seeking to vertically integrate token issuance, reserve management, and platform economics.
Still, regulatory risk remains high. Any new issuance would likely require compliance with US stablecoin regulations and potential oversight under the GENIUS Act framework.
For now, Polymarket is still exploring its options. But the decision could have major implications for the prediction market’s revenue model—and for the broader stablecoin ecosystem.
