DeFi Development announced a new $100 million private convertible note offering, aiming to execute MicroStrategy’s acquisition plan with Solana.
However, this ambitious plan may face a setback, as its stock price fell over 9% after announcing the sale. Solana’s own performance has been wobbly, and this effort may reflect the crypto market’s own appetites.
According to this plan, DeFi Development aims to raise $100 million to purchase more Solana. If the offering goes well, it may upsize to $125 million, with the convertible senior notes due in 2030.
Additionally, an undisclosed portion of the proceeds will go to stock buybacks as part of a prepaid forward to manage portfolio risk. This indicates a well-considered strategy.
Previously, the company was a commercial real estate firm named Janover. However, it rebranded to DeFi Development this April, intending to fully commit to SOL.
The SEC rejected its initial plan to raise $1 billion through securities sales for Solana purchases, but it accessed alternate funding sources to begin acquiring assets.
As it stands, the plan currently has significant advantages and drawbacks. Unfortunately, DeFi Development will need to contend with Solana’s recent price woes.
However, DeFi Development might have a key influence over Solana. While most corporate Bitcoin holders are following MicroStrategy, this firm could be a market mover for SOL.
Saylor’s company is a pillar of confidence in BTC, with its constant purchases helping the price stay afloat. DeFi Development’s own investments could carry out the same function.
Still, there’s a lot of uncertainty involved. For one thing, if the firm wants to buy $100 million worth of SOL, it will need to sell an equivalent amount of stock. DeFi Development might not find sufficient institutional interest, considering the Solana market.
Since declaring the note offering, DeFi Development’s stock fell over 9% in after-hours trading. The downturn began less than 30 minutes after the firm’s social media announcement, which may be a bad sign.
DeFi Development Price Performance. Source: Google Finance
Whether the company succeeds or fails, this stock offering will provide useful data about market appetites and the viability of corporate crypto acquisition strategies.
Web3’s future is being shaped by those who bridge technology and sustainability. As blockchain matures, real-world utility has become the currency of trust for both individuals and institutions. In this pivotal moment, VeChain CEO Sunny Lu offers a unique perspective on his company’s mission—and the larger transformation unfolding in crypto.
Sunny Lu is the CEO of VeChain, a pioneering enterprise blockchain platform recognized for its commitment to sustainability and mass adoption. BeInCrypto interviewed Lu in June 2025 to discuss the rollout of Stargate, VeChain’s new decentralization engine, and how the project’s evolving strategies aim to move beyond speculative hype into measurable impact.
Their conversation, held at the launchpad of VeChain’s most significant upgrade yet, illuminated ambitions for a truly democratized and utility-driven future, covering protocol upgrades, compliance, developer opportunities, and VeChain’s global reach.
The following interview reveals VeChain’s multi-layered approach, from grassroots ESG incentives to staking innovations that open decentralization to everyone. Lu makes it clear: this is VeChain’s renaissance—and its boldest step forward.
The Evolution of VeChain: Infrastructure, Adoption, and Sustainability
VeChain has gone through three major phases, each shaped by a white paper. The first, in 2017, focused on building the core infrastructure. By 2019, we had moved to enterprise adoption, working with companies like Walmart, BYD, and others on food safety and sustainability.
In 2023, we launched our third white paper, “Web3 for Better,” which marks our current focus: building sustainability-driven applications. We launched vBetterDAO to encourage people to take better daily actions—so far, we’ve reached 2.7 million users and over 40 applications.
Now, we’re entering what we call the VeChain Renaissance, the most significant upgrade in our history. Its first milestone is the Stargate platform, launching July 1, designed to enable decentralization at scale.
Stargate and the Road to True Decentralization
Stargate is the first step of the VeChain Renaissance. It includes major protocol and tokenomics upgrades aimed at true decentralization. Most users can’t run validators because they require technical skills. Stargate introduces a staking system using NFTs to simplify participation.
Users can stake VET into smart contracts, mint NFTs of different levels based on their stake, and delegate those NFTs to validators, without giving up control of their funds. This approach removes technical barriers and brings in real rewards.
Validators can earn up to 15% APY, and delegators up to 12%.
Importantly, VET and VSO have been deemed MiCA compliant by the Central Bank of Ireland since March 2025, and we also ensure our model aligns with SEC guidance.
Weighted Proof-of-Stake and Flexible Participation
We’ll support 101 validators, as we do now with our Proof of Authority model, but we’re evolving to include up to 500,000 delegators through a weighted delegated Proof-of-Stake system.
Legacy XNode and Econode holders can swap into new NFTs, while new users can mint from seven NFT tiers based on staking amounts. The system is flexible and deflationary—users can unstake and burn their NFTs anytime.
Sustainability as VeChain’s Pillar: Applications and Impact
It’s still a pillar. Our vBetterDAO fosters both startups and big corporations to build decentralized applications that incentivize sustainable behaviors. For example:
Markshaw and GreenCard reward people for using recycled mugs or buying organic goods.
EVN, using Tesla APIs, rewards Tesla drivers for eco-friendly charging behavior.
BYB (Build Your Body), co-developed with UFC, rewards users for physical workouts using motion detection.
These applications are highly engaging—some have over a million users with exceptional retention.
ESG, Greenwashing, and the Bottom-Up Alternative
We acknowledge that ESG can be politicized or used as greenwashing. Traditional ESG is top-down, driven by big corporations or financial institutions. We do the opposite.
Our approach is bottom-up, empowering individuals to make daily sustainable choices. These actions accumulate into real impact. Our vision complements traditional ESG with grassroots action and technology.
Opportunities for Developers
We offer several entry points:
DevRel support – Our developer relations team is ready to assist.
Grant programs – We incentivize developers to build applications aligned with our vision.
BCG Consultation Program – In partnership with BCG, we help top developers with go-to-market strategies and partnerships.
Ultimately, vBetterDAO acts as an incubator, offering developers everything they need to launch and scale.
Global User Base and Institutional Vision
We’ve mapped our users worldwide: the U.S., Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa—you name it. We’re present almost everywhere, except a few sensitive regions.
We started in 2024. Johnny Garcia, formerly of Vanguard and Bitwise, joined us to lead our institutional strategy. We’re onboarding institutions not just as investors, but as validators.
These are long-term supporters, not speculators. They’re contributing to network security and aligned with our sustainability vision.
Everything is possible. We’re keeping our options open.
A Turning Point: Real World Utility in 2025 and Beyond
2025 is a turning point. Regulations are becoming clearer—MiCA in Europe, and increasing clarity from the SEC in the U.S.
Institutions are looking for real-world utility, not just narratives. That’s what we offer—real applications, real users, and real value.
We’re transitioning from a narrative-driven market to a fundamentals-driven one. It’s just like the evolution of the internet. I’m confident and bullish about where VeChain is headed.
Conclusion
Sunny Lu’s vision for VeChain is centered on accessibility, transparency, and measurable utility. Stargate’s NFT-based staking and global compliance drive VeChain to the forefront of decentralization.
Through sustainability initiatives and bold partnerships, VeChain continues to empower both individuals and institutions to generate tangible impact, one step at a time. As regulations clarify and technology matures, Lu’s confidence signals a new chapter where fundamentals and real-world value define blockchain’s next wave.
Bitcoin spot ETFs have experienced a rollercoaster week of inflows and outflows, largely driven by investors reacting to shifting macroeconomic cues.
However, a renewed wave of optimism has swept through the markets following the US Federal Reserve’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged. This move appears to have reassured investors and reignited institutional appetite for BTC-backed funds.
Bitcoin ETFs Bounce Back
The week started strong. On Monday, inflows totaled $425.45 million across BTC spot ETFs. Yet, this bullish momentum was interrupted on Tuesday as institutional investors pulled capital from the market ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. The pullback resulted in net outflows of $85.64 million.
However, the trend shifted on Wednesday, thanks to the Fed’s decision to hold interest rates. The announcement triggered a sharp rebound in investor confidence, fueling fresh inflows of $142.31 million into BTC ETFs.
Total Bitcoin Spot ETF Net Inflow. Source: SosoValue
On May 7, Ark Invest and 21Shares’ ARKB recorded the largest single-day inflow, totaling $57.73 million, bringing its total cumulative net inflows to $2.68 billion.
The second-largest daily inflow was recorded by Fidelity’s FBTC, which saw $39.92 million enter the fund. FBTC’s total historical net inflows now stand at $11.64 billion.
According to SosoValue, no fund recorded a net outflow on Wednesday.
Options and Futures Signal Bitcoin Bulls in Control
The renewed optimism extends beyond inflows into ETFs. BTC is up 2% over the past 24 hours, and currently trades at $98,888. This price surge is accompanied by a positive funding rate, indicating an increase in leveraged long positions.
At press time, this is at 0.0042%. The funding rate is a periodic fee exchanged between long and short positions in perpetual futures contracts to keep prices aligned with the spot market. When positive like this, traders holding long positions pay shorts, indicating that bullish sentiment dominates the BTC market.
However, it is key to note that despite this, BTC’s futures open interest has fallen by a modest 0.18% over the past day. This suggests that while traders are largely optimistic, some leveraged positions may have been closed, possibly to take profit as BTC soars.
Meanwhile, traders have also caught the bullish virus in the options market. The demand for call options has surged, exceeding puts, indicating that traders are increasingly positioning for the upside.
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