Sonic and Injective are launching the first cross-chain AI agent platform, the Smart Agent Hub, integrating Solana and Injective ecosystems.

Last week, the S&P 500 saw its biggest single-day price gain this month. This raises the hopes of investors for a year-end rally if prices continue to go up. Coindesk Indices, an index measuring broader cryptocurrency market performance was down by 2.54%, with Bitcoin and Ether dropping by 1.24% and 1.00%, respectively in the past 24 hours.

Today's top performer is AAVE, which surged 7.7% following the integration of Aave in Balancer's Boosted Pools, simplifying yield generation.

Aave (AAVE), founded in 2017, is a decentralized lending platform on Ethereum for lending, borrowing, and earning interest on 17 cryptocurrencies. It uses smart contracts, collateral for loans, and aTokens for interest, along with features like instant loans. 

 combine markets to enhance capital efficiency and simplify yield generation for DeFi users. By providing liquidity with $USDC and $USDT, users earn fees from swaps and interest from Aave's supply rates. All earnings accrue automatically with no management required. Balancer v3's Boosted Pools streamline liquidity and enable gas-efficient, passive yield generation, making DeFi simpler and more sustainable.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

, the Smart Agent Hub, integrating Solana and Injective ecosystems. The platform enables developers to create, manage, and monetize AI agents in a decentralized environment, with features like tokenization, cross-chain asset interoperability, and a unified developer experience. By leveraging Sonic's HyperGrid and Injective's IBC, the hub facilitates seamless communication and asset transfer across chains. This innovation supports Web3 games, DeFi, and real-world assets, expanding opportunities for AI agents in various sectors. The rollout begins with a testnet in Q1 2025.

From December 16–20, 2024, GBTC had a net outflow of $248.3M, while non-GBTC products saw a net inflow of $705.5M, resulting in a total inflow of $457.2M. The current total stands at a net outflow of $21.3B for GBTC, a net inflow of $57.3B for non-GBTC, and a combined net inflow of $36.03B.

 offers free participation with potential surprise airdrops. Connect your wallet, vote for projects, and use your CHILL FACTOR (based on past Avalanche transactions) to maximize eligibility.

Beginner

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Sonic and Injective Launch First Cross-Chain AI Agent Platform with Smart Agent Hub

Gearbox Protocol is a composable leveraged lending protocol designed to enhance capital efficiency within DeFi. Learn how Gearbox Protocol works.

 (DeFi) with its composable leverage system. It enables investors to use 

 on assets across multiple protocols, transforming how DeFi participants can trade with margin, 

 and execute complex strategies — all without leaving their ecosystem.

 is making leverage accessible and secure. Whether you’re a lender seeking passive yield or a leverage user exploring advanced strategies, Gearbox’s unique architecture opens up new possibilities. Let’s explore how this on-chain credit layer is improving DeFi.

Since the emergence of DeFi in 2020, it hasstrived to reimagine financial services by removing intermediaries, such as banks and brokers. Through

 systems, DeFi offers transparent and direct access to lending, trading and investments. Despite market fluctuations, the DeFi sector remains resilient, with a current 

 (TVL) of $123 billion — a 128% increase since the start of 2024.

The DeFi sector is poised for resurgence as secure and scalable innovations fuel its growth. With proven use cases and real-world adoption, DeFi continues to solidify its role as one of crypto’s most valuable use cases.

 (WLFI), backed by the Trump family, underscores a shifting acceptance of DeFi in the United States. The project’s multisig wallet has publicly 

 various DeFi tokens, such as AAVE, LINK, ENA and more. WLFI aims to make DeFi accessible to everyday users, but it remains to be seen if the project will achieve its goals.

Gearbox Protocol is a composable leveraged lending protocol designed to enhance capital efficiency within DeFi. By offering a flexible credit layer, Gearbox empowers users to leverage their positions across multiple DeFi platforms, seamlessly integrating with protocols they already trust.

Gearbox’s fundamental design minimizes costs while maintaining flexibility. Its modular architecture reduces gas costs and improves scalability..

Unlike traditional leveraged lending protocols that silo funds within their ecosystems, Gearbox allows users to execute trades and strategies across integrated platforms, such as 

 correlated assets, Gearbox offers a new way to utilize leverage without restrictions.

With Gearbox Protocol, leverage becomes a DeFi primitive — an infrastructure layer that lets users go beyond basic 

 containing both user funds and borrowed margin funds. They serve as automated leveraged DeFi wallets, allowing users to manage positions and execute strategies independently.

: Gearbox enables users to integrate leverage with DeFi protocols like Uniswap for margin trading, Curve for leverage farming, and more. This flexibility empowers diverse strategies across different platforms.

: Gearbox combines lending and prime brokerage functionalities within the same protocol, simplifying the user experience and expanding possibilities for leveraged trading and farming.

, Gearbox maximizes capital efficiency. It minimizes gas costs and ensures that funds remain noncustodial, unlocking the full potential of leverage without compromising user security.

, ensuring that all integrations, policies and upgrades are managed transparently and collectively by the community and stakeholders.

Gearbox Protocol operates through two main user types:

The Credit Accounts enable operations while maintaining safety through 

Gearbox’s modular architecture supports seamless integrations with third-party protocols, ensuring assets remain decentralized and noncustodial. Liquidations are determined by 

 (based on calculated risks), and protect lenders while offering dynamic leverage possibilities.

 utility token with a capped supply of 10 billion, is the governance token of Gearbox Protocol. It empowers DAO governance and supports initiatives, such as liquidity mining and staking rewards, with an annual emission of just 3% from the DAO's holdings. 

Token distribution percentages are as follows:

Nearly full circulation has been achieved, minimizing supply overhang as a majority of token 

 concluded in 2023. The DAO treasury retains around 40% of the supply, ensuring the community’s strong influence on protocol development.

Marketwise, GEAR has recently experienced notable price movements. Over the past seven days, the token has surged by 11.9%, and its 30-day performance skyrocketed by 166.3%. Year-to-date, GEAR's price has risen approximately 57.7%, reflecting increased investor confidence. Daily trading volume hit $11.8 million over the past 24 hours, marking a 600.3% spike that indicates growing market interest. 

Gearbox Protocol's innovative approach to DeFi simplifies user experience through its wallet-centric design and the integration of the 

. With a capped supply of 10 billion GEAR tokens, robust DAO governance and nearly full circulation, Gearbox prioritizes community-driven growth. 

Recent market performance reflects growing investor confidence, with significant price increases and a surge in trading activity.

Looking ahead, Gearbox Protocol’s road map focuses on enhancing usability and interoperability within the Ethereum ecosystem. The integration of Credit Accounts into account abstraction (AA) wallets such as EIP-4337 revolutionizes the way users can access and manage funds, eliminating the need for complex lending interfaces.

Future developments may include pool-based models and optimizers to tackle liquidity fragmentation, further strengthening 

 Ethereum solutions. As Gearbox Protocol evolves, its focus remains on delivering efficient, user-friendly financial tools that empower users and redefine DeFi as we know it.

Intermediate

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Gearbox: Powering On-Chain Credit for DeFi

Dec 23, 2024: Our weekly Institutional Insights explores the latest market developments — market performance, industry news, exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows, trending topics, upcoming events and token unlocks — to help you supercharge your crypto trading.

 explores the latest market developments — market performance, industry news, exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows, trending topics, upcoming events and token unlocks — to help you supercharge your crypto trading.

Weekly Highlight — Market Expects New Record for U.S. Equities in 2025; Will Crypto Follow?

Wall Street’s leading firms have recently shared their forecasts for the S&P 500 in 2025, and the predictions sound strikingly similar to those made in prior years. The average forecast anticipates a 9.1% gain, evoking a sense of déjà vu among investors. A review of 376 firm forecasts over the past 25 years reveals that 53% fell within the modest range of 0% to 10%.

This clustering of forecasts is particularly perplexing when we contrast it with the actual volatility of the market. Over the past eight years, the S&P 500's returns have often exceeded these predictions, suggesting that strategists frequently underestimate the index’s potential for growth. Historical data indicates that significant gains and losses have been more prevalent than single-digit increases, which occurred only 14 times in 97 years.

Moreover, strategists' forecasts have shown a consistent tendency to miss the mark — on average, off by more than 15 percentage points — with the most accurate firms still missing by around 10 points. This discrepancy underscores the challenges in market forecasting, as 57% of the analyzed forecasts were below the actual market returns, indicating a widespread inclination toward pessimism.

Given this history, financial planner Elliott Appel advises investors to approach these forecasts with skepticism. He suggests treating them as entertainment, rather than actionable advice. The disparity between forecasted and actual returns highlights the inherent uncertainties in predicting market behavior. Therefore, investors should remain cautious and consider broader market trends and data, rather than relying solely on these forecasts for making investment decisions. In a landscape characterized by volatility, understanding the limitations of these predictions is crucial for informed investing.

Weekly Crypto Highlight — Bitcoin’s Price Whipsawed Following Hawkish Fed Remarks

Bitcoin is on track for its first seven-day decline in eight weeks, driven by hawkish signals from the Federal Reserve that prompted traders to sell, despite the cryptocurrency more than doubling in value this year.

On Friday, Bitcoin fell as much as 5.3% to $92,149, having reached an all-time high just above $108,000 earlier in the week. Its price has dropped around 5% since Sunday (December 22) and was trading at approximately $97,400 in New York. This downturn has had an impact particularly on smaller cryptocurrencies like Ether and Dogecoin, even as U.S. equities have moved higher.

A group of U.S. ETFs directly investing in Bitcoin reported a record outflow of $680 million on Thursday (December 19), breaking a 15-day streak of inflows. This shift in sentiment highlights the growing uncertainty in the market.

The market volatility follows a rally that occurred after Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election on Nov 5, 2024. In our view, positioning has become "overly bullish," making digital assets susceptible to shifts in the Fed's tone as it focuses on controlling inflation.

As the holidays approach, uncertainty in the crypto markets is likely to persist, especially with Trump threatening tariffs against both allies and adversaries. With the Fed expected to slow its easing measures, attention is shifting to the speed of institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies.

The interplay of monetary policy, institutional adoption and political developments will keep Bitcoin sensitive to both macroeconomic and crypto-specific factors through 2025.

Open interest for Bitcoin futures at CME Group reached near-record highs on Tuesday, but has since declined. It’s advisable to take caution in the short term, noting that while a price collapse isn't imminent, the momentum has waned, with buyers losing control.

, as we delve into recent movements of Bitcoin and the S&P’s forecast for FY2025. 

Advanced

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Weekly Institutional Insights: Bitcoin Retreats Following Equity Sell-Off; Market Expects New ATH for U.S. Equities in 2025

Monad is a next-generation Layer 1 blockchain that achieves 10,000 transactions per second through parallel execution. Learn more about how it works here.

Scalability remains a critical bottleneck for blockchain adoption, with current solutions forcing difficult trade-offs between performance and compatibility. As existing platforms struggle with these limitations, Monad emerges as the “most performant 

 and backed by $225 million in funding, Monad aims to solve blockchain's scalability challenge through innovative architecture. This article looks at its technical components, examines potential use cases, analyzes key challenges and explores its road map toward mainnet launch.

 is a next-generation Layer 1 blockchain that achieves 10,000 

 (TPS) through parallel execution. With full EVM compatibility at its core, Monad enables seamless deployment of high-performance blockchain applications.

Monad Labs emerged in 2022 from a team with extensive experience in high-frequency trading systems at Jump Trading. The project was founded by three technical pioneers: Keone Hon (CEO), James Hunsaker (CTO) and Eunice Giarta (COO).

The inspiration behind Monad came from the team's direct experience with blockchain infrastructure limitations. Having worked on low-latency trading systems, they recognized that sequential processing in EVM-compatible chains created unnecessary bottlenecks.

 platform, its technical constraints have held the entire industry back. Monad’s founders believed their background in distributed systems and high-performance computing could help solve these challenges.

Their vision gained significant validation in early 2024 when the project secured $225 million in funding through a round led by Paradigm. Notable investors included Electric Capital, Coinbase Ventures and GSR Ventures, providing the resources needed for their planned Q1 2025 mainnet launch.

Monad aims to solve the fundamental scalability challenges that have plagued EVM-compatible blockchains. Traditional chains like Ethereum can only process 15–30 TPS, creating bottlenecks during high-demand periods.

Monad addresses the growing frustration with high gas fees and slow transaction times that have limited blockchain adoption. By implementing parallel execution, Monad targets a throughput of 10,000 TPS, with 1-second block times and single-slot finality.

Most existing scaling solutions require developers to learn new programming languages or adapt to unfamiliar environments. Monad takes a different approach, maintaining full EVM compatibility so developers can port their Ethereum applications without code modifications.

Monad's architecture introduces four key technological components that work together to achieve its performance goals.

 is a custom consensus mechanism derived from the HotStuff algorithm. Optimizing the traditional three-phase process into two phases enables faster block finalization, while maintaining 

Monad's parallel execution enables simultaneous processing of multiple transactions. Rather than checking for dependencies up front, the system optimistically executes transactions in parallel and efficiently resolves any conflicts that arise.

Monad implements deferred execution by separating 

 from transaction processing. This approach lets nodes agree on transaction orders first, creating a more efficient pipeline that enhances overall throughput.

 provides a custom-designed database optimized for parallel processing. It focuses on maintaining current state data rather than complete history, enabling faster reads and writes during transaction execution.

Monad introduces several key benefits that address critical challenges in the blockchain space.

Monad's innovative architecture represents a breakthrough in blockchain scalability. Through parallel execution, MonadBFT's optimized consensus and efficient state management, the platform achieves 10,000 TPS while maintaining decentralized security.

The synergy between these components enables one-second block times and near-instant transaction finality. This performance unlocks new possibilities for blockchain applications that require exceptional throughput and rapid processing, from 

As an EVM-compatible blockchain, Monad solves developer accessibility at the bytecode level. This allows teams to deploy existing applications directly to Monad, eliminating the need for code rewrites or the adoption of new tooling.

Developers can continue to use familiar frameworks, wallets and analytics tools while gaining access to Monad's superior performance. This compatibility-first approach removes traditional barriers to adopting new Layer 1 platforms.

As the Monad network prepares for its mainnet launch, the platform faces challenges in converting its technical advantages into widespread adoption.

While Monad's technical architecture is impressive, success in the blockchain space requires more than just advanced technology. Building a thriving Monad ecosystem depends upon attracting developers, projects and users to the platform.

Despite full EVM compatibility that makes it easier for Ethereum developers to port their applications, convincing teams to migrate to a new Layer 1 requires significant community building, ecosystem support and grants for new teams.

Significant venture capital involvement in Monad, while providing substantial resources for development, raises questions about potential centralization. With over $225 million in funding from major investors, there are concerns about token distribution and governance control.

The custom nature of components like MonadDb and the modified EVM implementation also introduces questions about the level of decentralization in the platform's architecture. These proprietary elements require careful consideration regarding their impact on network autonomy.

Monad's combination of high throughput, low fees and EVM compatibility creates possibilities for various blockchain applications previously constrained by technical limitations.

Monad's architecture fundamentally transforms what's possible in 

Monad's architecture creates new possibilities for 

 and digital asset markets that require high-performance transaction processing:

Monad's unique architecture opens up new possibilities for businesses handling real-world data streams and operations at scale:

These use cases leverage Monad's ability to handle multiple concurrent state changes while maintaining data consistency, enabling enterprise-grade applications that were previously impractical on 

Understanding how Monad compares to existing Layer 1 solutions helps contextualize its position in the blockchain ecosystem. Let's examine the key differences between Monad and other major platforms.

Ethereum's Layer 1 mainnet processes 15–30 TPS with high gas fees. While Layer 2 solutions exist for scaling, Monad aims to achieve 10,000 TPS at the base layer while maintaining full EVM compatibility. However, Ethereum's battle-tested security and decentralization are viewed as unmatched in the industry.

Solana achieves high performance through its parallel processing architecture, and has built a thriving ecosystem. The key distinction with Monad lies in its development approach: Solana utilizes a custom Rust-based environment focused on maximum performance, while Monad aims to bring similar scalability benefits to the EVM ecosystem.

 features a theoretical maximum of 2,222 TPS through a network of 29 active validators. While this provides reliability and EVM compatibility, it trades some decentralization for performance. Monad aims to achieve much higher throughput without the same centralization trade-offs, though this remains to be proven in production.

Each of the above platforms has made distinct architectural choices in addressing the 

 of scalability, security and decentralization. Monad's effectiveness in balancing these factors will become clearer once its mainnet launches.

Since its founding in 2022, Monad has achieved several significant milestones in its development journey, including securing $225 million in funding led by Paradigm in early 2024. Its team has successfully built and demonstrated the platform's core technologies, particularly its parallel execution architecture and MonadBFT consensus mechanism.

The primary focus for Q4 2024 is the launch of Monad's public testnet. This will be the first opportunity for developers and users to interact with the platform's infrastructure and publicly validate its performance claims.

The Monad network mainnet launch is scheduled for Q1 2025, marking the official debut of its high-performance blockchain infrastructure. Following mainnet, the team plans to:

The road ahead focuses on careful testing and refinement to ensure a stable and secure mainnet launch while building a sustainable ecosystem.

Monad represents a significant advancement in blockchain technology, offering a solution that combines the best of both worlds: Ethereum's thriving developer ecosystem, and high-performance scalability through parallel transaction execution.

As the project progresses toward its mainnet launch in 2025, its success will depend upon its ability to foster a thriving ecosystem. While challenges lie ahead, Monad's architectural innovations could be on track to shape the future of high-performance, developer-friendly blockchain infrastructure.

monad.png

Monad: A High-Performing, EVM-Compatible Layer 1 Blockchain

Altcoins

Crypto

DeFi

web3

Featuring low fees and high liquidity levels, here's everything you should know about 1inch Network (1INCH) before investing in it.

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Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) are a major component of the 

 world, opening up a ton of opportunities for crypto traders and investors. With 

, you can put your idle crypto assets to work and earn consistent passive income. Since decentralized exchanges aren’t governed by a third party, information such as their order books and their inflow/outflow of funds remains private.

Although many decentralized exchanges like 

 are reliable, no two DEXs share the exact fee structure or sell cryptocurrencies at the same prices. For instance, the price of 

 isn’t always the same on Uniswap as it is on SushiSwap. In fact, this concept of trading price differences has a name — it’s known as 

Due to price differences, finding the best exchange rates for your crypto tokens can be challenging since time and effort are required to manually compare rates across DEXs. Failing to find the right 

 could cost you in potential returns as well. 

What if a platform were to offer the best possible price on your tokens by taking into consideration data from the top DEXs? In this article, we’ll discuss the 1inch Network — a 

 aggregation platform that tackles this issue. 

 was founded in August 2020 by DeFi developers and enthusiasts 

, who both have strong backgrounds in smart contract auditing. Actually, the 1inch Network was created and presented in the 

 in 2019, before its official launch. At its core, 1inch is a DEX aggregator which offers the best possible prices on your crypto across major DEXs.

 facilitates transactions across five different networks: 

. In less than three years, since 1inch’s inception, over 1.6 million users have placed trades totalling $11.7 million on their platform.

1INCH is the native token of the 1inch Network. It was launched by the 

 — a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that governs the entire 1inch ecosystem. 1INCH is a governance and utility token. As a holder of this token, you get to be involved in the future direction of the 1inch platform. At the end of 2020, the company distributed many 1INCH tokens in a highly successful 

To find the best possible exchange rate for your crypto tokens, 1inch Network has adopted an innovative protocol that automatically splits trades placed by users. Subsequently, the tokens are swapped in parts at the best possible rates on different DEXs. 

In a matter of seconds, the 1inch algorithm enables the scanning of multiple liquidity pools to find the one that provides the best returns. The 1inch proprietary protocol combines multiple arbitrage bots with complex algorithms to find and match trades.

 you can swap your tokens on five different networks at the lowest possible prices. The protocol also burns gas tokens inside the transactions to make them cheaper than those of any other protocol.

Below are three of the key features of the 1inch Network.

, the 1inch platform is deployed via an algorithm known as 

. This algorithm parses all the possible options within the liquidity pool and autonomously routes a client’s trades through the most cost-effective path.

The 1inch Network is capable of performing 

, occasionally swapping the source token to its destination over multiple paths to get an even cheaper rate. This feature can’t be found on any other DeFi aggregation protocol. 

Note: figures below are accurate as of this writing, and are approximated up to two decimal places.

Is 1inch Network (1INCH) a Good Investment? 

The value of the 1INCH token has appreciated by over 800% since its inception in December 2020, with the token registering its current 

 of $7.87 in May 2021. Although the price of 1INCH has mostly been on the decline over the past month, experts believe it has great potential. According to analysts at 

You can purchase 1INCH on many notable cryptocurrency exchanges. One of the fastest and easiest ways to obtain this token is by using the Bybit exchange. Simply follow the steps below.

If you have an account with Bybit, please skip to 

. If you’re a new user, follow the simple 

 procedure. Then visit the official Bybit website and click 

 in the top right-hand corner. Provide a few details requested (such as your email address) and create a secure password. Once done, click 

 and verify your account using the code sent to your registered email address.

The 1INCH token is paired with the most popular 

 — USDT — on the Bybit exchange. You can acquire USDT in your Bybit wallet by transferring your existing USDT from another wallet or exchange, or by purchasing USDT with Bybit using various crypto tokens. If you want to buy USDT using fiat money, visit the 

 page, enter the number of USDT tokens you want to buy, and complete the transaction using a method such as credit or debit card.

Once the USDT tokens are reflected in your Bybit wallet, visit the 

. Click on the drop-down menu and search for 1INCH. Enter the number of 1INCH tokens you want to acquire, and click 

. You can do this by placing a limit, market or conditional order. Once your order is filled, your tokens will be transferred to your Bybit wallet. 

Bybit offers custodial wallet services for its users. When you store 1INCH tokens in your exchange wallet, you’re essentially using the exchange’s 

. Alternatively, you can transfer your 1INCH tokens to a cold wallet. We recommend storing your tokens in a 

The 1inch Network’s protocol offers a great crypto experience and adds considerable value for users. Apart from finding the best possible exchange rates for your tokens, the platform also contributes to the DeFi space by accelerating transparency and decentralization. By offering rewards through an innovative governance model, the 1inch Network is a pioneer in reshaping the way decentralized protocols are managed.

Simplified: What Is 1inch Network (1INCH)?

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards