Stripe is testing a new US dollar-backed stablecoin product for businesses outside the U.S., U.K., and Europe, aiming to expand the dollar's global footprint.

Daily top performer — Pudgy Penguins (PENGU)

S&P 500 futures dipped as over 180 S&P companies prepare to report earnings this week, following a 4.59% gain last week amid easing US-China trade tensions. Gold prices dipped to around $3,310 as easing US-China trade tensions reduced safe-haven demand, though recession fears may limit further losses ahead of key US economic data releases. Fed hawkishness may cap gains. CoinDesk Indices, which tracks the broader crypto market, fell 0.72% in the past 24 hours, while Bitcoin and Ether dropped 0.19% and 1.07%, respectively. Trade these markets and more with up to 500x leverage on Bybit MT5 using this 

Today's top performer is PENGU, rising by 27.5%, following Pudgy Penguins' recent expansion into multiple industries and their celebration of World Penguin Day.

Pudgy Penguins (PENGU), launched in July 2021, is a popular NFT collection known for its cute artwork. It has expanded into physical products like toys, generating over $10 million in sales, and the collection now holds a market cap of over $1.19 billion. Pudgy Penguins and $PENGU were recently 

 as a fitspo in Wisdom Kaye's content, marking a major milestone for their influence across industries. Additionally, last Saturday, the brand celebrated 

, highlighting its continued growth and impact beyond the NFT space. This showcases Pudgy Penguins' expanding presence and reach in multiple sectors.

Check out the latest prices, charts, and data of 

 a new US dollar-backed stablecoin product for businesses outside the U.S., U.K., and Europe, aiming to expand the dollar's global footprint. This follows Stripe's acquisition of Bridge, a stablecoin payment network, which competes with the SWIFT system. Stripe has a history with crypto and recently introduced stablecoin payments in over 70 countries. The company sees this new product as a decade-long ambition, with the stablecoin market growing significantly in 2025.

BTC spot ETFs saw $3.06B of net inflows for the week ending 25 April 2025, with $2.97B from non-GBTC products and $94M from GBTC. Since inception, ETFs have accumulated $38.4B in net flows, with non-GBTC products contributing $61.1B and GBTC seeing $22.7B of outflows.

GiveRep, a decentralized reputation protocol on Sui, has 

 a points program where users can earn Reputation Points by tweeting about GiveRep and its Loyalty projects to qualify for an upcoming airdrop. A minimum of 100 X (Twitter) followers is required, and participants may also earn bonus airdrops from partner projects.

Beginner

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Stripe launches testing for global stablecoin payments after Bridge acquisition

Initia is a blockchain ecosystem that unifies Layer 1 security with customizable Layer 2 rollups through its Interwoven Stack architecture. Learn more here.

 ecosystem forces developers to choose between security and customization, while fragmenting liquidity across isolated chains. Enter Initia (INIT), a groundbreaking protocol that reimagines blockchain architecture by seamlessly integrating 

This article examines Initia's Interwoven Stack architecture, its innovative economic features and the INIT token's utility and distribution, and considers whether this ambitious ecosystem redesign represents a promising investment opportunity following its recent mainnet launch.

 is a blockchain ecosystem that unifies Layer 1 security with customizable Layer 2 rollups through its Interwoven Stack architecture, enabling developers to build specialized application chains without sacrificing interoperability or liquidity or requiring deep infrastructure expertise.

Initia emerged in 2022 when Stanford Liu and Ezaan "Zon" Mangalji left Terraform Labs to tackle blockchain's fragmentation challenges. They later added ecosystem lead OmniscientAsian from Sino Global Capital to help create a more streamlined blockchain infrastructure.

The project quickly gained investor backing, starting with Binance Labs' pre-seed funding in October 2023. This was followed by a $7.5 million seed round led by Delphi Digital and Hack VC, then a $2.5 million community round and a $14 million Series A that valued Initia at $350 million by late 2024.

Initia aims to eliminate the traditional security/customization trade-off in blockchain by creating a unified ecosystem that allows both to coexist. By establishing a central hub for all rollups, the project combines the advantages of monolithic security with the flexibility of modularity, thereby eliminating the fragmentation that currently plagues blockchain systems.

The platform's integrated stack simplifies blockchain development with pre-built solutions that work together seamlessly. Users benefit from Initia's Universal Accounts system, which provides a consistent experience across all connected chains, eliminating the need for multiple wallets or managing different tokens for gas fees.

By introducing economic alignment mechanisms such as the 

, Initia creates an environment in which developers can focus solely on innovation in their applications. This shift away from infrastructure concerns toward product development aims to enhance capital efficiency and drive broader adoption of blockchain.

Initia fuses Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2) technologies into a unified architecture with three distinct components. The foundation is Initia L1, built on Cosmos SDK, which functions as the orchestration layer. This base provides security, governance and interoperability.

Above this foundation, Interwoven Rollups (Minitias) provide developers with customizable Layer 2 environments, allowing them to select their preferred virtual machine (

, Move or Wasm), define unique gas token systems and implement specialized transaction ordering mechanisms. 

Binding everything together is the Interwoven Stack, a comprehensive framework that provides all necessary tools for building and deploying rollups without requiring developers to source and integrate disparate components.

The system leverages optimistic rollups through the OPinit Stack to achieve remarkable transaction speeds (up to 10,000 

) while maintaining security. Transactions processed via L2 rollups are submitted to Initia’s L1 for finalization, with data availability secured through 

Initia provides the following core features that work together to simplify development and unify the blockchain ecosystem.

Initia L1 serves as the foundational layer and central coordination hub for the entire ecosystem. Built on the Cosmos SDK with CometBFT and MoveVM, it provides essential services, including network security, governance mechanisms and liquidity solutions through InitiaDEX.

 (also known as Minitias) are flexible Layer 2 blockchains built on top of Initia L1. These rollups rely on the orchestration layer for security and data settlement, operating without native 

 while enabling advanced rollup functionalities.

Developers can customize their rollups by selecting from multiple virtual machines and defining their own gas token and fee structure. This flexibility enables application-specific optimizations and economic models, at the same time maintaining seamless interoperability within the broader Initia ecosystem.

The Interwoven Stack is Initia's comprehensive, all-in-one solution, designed to empower developers in building and deploying rollups with unmatched ease. Instead of requiring developers to research and piece together numerous components — such as wallets, explorers and 

 — the Stack provides everything needed right out of the box.

At the core of this framework is OPinit Stack, designed exclusively for optimistic rollups within the Cosmos ecosystem. It includes mechanisms for fraudproofs and rollback capabilities and supports multiple virtual machines, which allows developers to focus solely on building their applications, rather than configuring complex infrastructure.

The Vested Interest Program (VIP) is Initia's novel incentive alignment mechanism that’s designed to address common issues in multi-rollup ecosystems. It addresses the misalignment of incentives for high-activity 

 (DApps), the economic underutilization of the native token and the inefficient distribution of protocol-level incentives.

VIP programmatically rewards valuable economic activities by allocating INIT tokens to rollups that create innovative applications, and to users who perform beneficial actions. This approach ensures that rollup teams, users and token holders all share aligned interests in the ecosystem's long-term success.

 (DEX) built on the Initia L1, functioning as the central liquidity hub for all Interwoven Rollups. It features Balancer-style weighted pools for diverse asset pairs, and 

 pools for assets with closely correlated prices, ensuring an optimal trading experience.

Enshrined Liquidity is Initia's solution to the traditional dilemma in 

 (PoS) systems, whereby token holders must choose between either staking for security or providing liquidity. It allows governance-whitelisted InitiaDEX liquidity positions (INIT-TOKEN pairs) to function as staking assets alongside the native INIT token.

Users can earn both staking rewards and trading fees from a single position, dramatically improving capital efficiency. To qualify, LP tokens must include INIT as part of the pair (with at least 50% weight for Balancer pools) and receive 

 approval, which also determines reward weight distribution among all whitelisted tokens.

Minitswap eliminates the days-long waiting periods typically required by optimistic bridges when moving assets from rollups to Layer 1s. Users can instantly swap their rollup tokens for L1 assets through liquid trading pairs, creating a frictionless experience for asset transfers throughout the Initia ecosystem.

 offers a unified interface for managing assets across multiple rollups, thereby facilitating cross-chain transfers and accessing DApps. By abstracting multichain complexity into a single interface, users can navigate the entire Initia ecosystem without confronting technical barriers or fragmented experiences.

Initia's bridge technology enables secure token transfers between Initia L1 and rollups using an optimistic bridge model. The OPinit Bridge leverages Cosmos SDK modules, and operates through two key components that work in tandem to ensure system integrity.

The Executor handles token movements, output submissions and data relay, while the Challenger monitors for invalid proposals and provides security oversight. This balanced architecture delivers verifiable cross-chain communication that maintains the integrity of both L1 and L2 chains while enabling reliable asset transfers throughout the Initia ecosystem.

Initia reached a major milestone with its successful mainnet launch on Apr 24, 2025. Before then, the project had completed several critical developments, including the MiniEVM and MiniMove frameworks, the deployment of InitiaDEX and the implementation of the innovative Vested Interest Program.

The immediate post-launch phase is focusing on expanding the ecosystem by onboarding strategic partner projects across 

 and enterprise sectors. This expansion demonstrates Initia's versatility as it builds a network of interconnected Interwoven Rollups that leverage the platform's unified infrastructure.

The INIT airdrop will distribute 50 million tokens, representing 5% of the total supply, to early supporters and community members. This allocation is strategically divided across three main categories: testnet participants (89.46%), social contributors (6.04%) and Interwoven Stack partners (4.50%).

The largest portion (44.7 million INIT) is being designated for the 194,294 users who participated in Initia's public testnet campaigns, particularly those who engaged with interactive 

 activities. Additional allocations target users from partner ecosystems, including LayerZero, IBC and milkTIA holders.

Following the mainnet launch on Apr 24, 2025, eligible participants will have a 30-day claim window to secure their tokens. This airdrop serves as both a community-building initiative and a strategic token distribution to those most likely to contribute to the ecosystem's growth.

INIT is the native token of the Initia ecosystem, with a fixed total supply of 1 billion. Initial circulating supply at launch was 148.75 million INIT, representing 14.88% of the total supply. The token’s distribution is strategically designed to ensure long-term sustainability and broad community engagement.

INIT enables staking to secure the network, powers governance decisions for protocol changes, facilitates cross-rollup operations between different Minitias and provides liquidity through InitiaDEX. This utility-driven model ties INIT's value directly to ecosystem activity and adoption.

Looking to trade Initia tokens? Bybit now offers the INITUSDT Perpetual contract following the recent mainnet launch. To get started, you'll need to create a Bybit account, fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

While Initia represents a groundbreaking approach to blockchain scalability through its interwoven architecture and unified liquidity model, investors must carefully weigh its significant growth potential against relevant risk factors.

Initia shows promising potential with its comprehensive ecosystem approach and significant financial backing. In addition, growing demand for scalable blockchain infrastructure that doesn't sacrifice security or customization provides a favorable market environment. However, potential investors should 

 and consider their individual risk tolerance.

Initia revolutionizes blockchain architecture by creating a multichain environment in which thousands of appchains can coexist harmoniously through modularity and orchestration. With established financial backing and over 16 appchains already onboarded at mainnet launch, Initia could transform the way blockchain applications are built, deployed and interconnected.

Intermediate

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Initia (INIT): The Interwoven Stack behind scalable rollups

Apr 28, 2025: 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 — US-Sino trade conflicts cool down

China is considering suspending its 125% tariff on certain US imports, including medical equipment and industrial chemicals like ethane, due to the economic impact of the trade war. Discussions are also underway to waive tariffs on aircraft leases, which are financially burdensome for airlines.

This potential move has boosted investor optimism, with Asian shares rising and the yuan recovering losses. Analysts view this as a step toward de-escalation, although significant differences between the US and China remain.

The proposed exemptions align with recent US tariff exclusions on electronics, highlighting the intertwined nature of the two economies. Chinese companies reliant on US goods, such as advanced medical equipment and ethane, have reported some shipments arriving without tariffs.

While the list of potential exemptions is still being finalized, authorities have requested companies submit customs codes for necessary goods. Reports suggest China may also waive tariffs on at least eight semiconductor-related products, excluding memory chips, which could impact companies such as Micron Technology.

Overall, while investor interest grows, relations between the two nations still face challenges, with China demanding the US revoke unilateral tariffs before resuming trade talks.

Traders have heavily invested in Cantor Equity Partners Inc, a blank-check company merging with Twenty One Capital Inc., which is backed by Tether, Bitfinex and SoftBank. Since the April 22 merger announcement, Cantor's stock has surged 197%, closing at $31.50 on Friday.

The merger includes a convertible debt offering, potentially leading to a market capitalization of about $12 billion that would far exceed the estimated $4 billion value of the Bitcoin it’s expected to hold. This would reflect strong demand for crypto-related investments.

Analysts note that investing in such vehicles is akin to betting on Bitcoin's growth. Public special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) shareholders are projected to own 2.7% of the new company, while major stakeholders like Tether and SoftBank will have substantial shares. Overall, the market is optimistic about this collaboration in the digital asset space.

Advanced

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Weekly Institutional Insights: Trade conflicts cool down as crypto SPAC sees popularity

Our weekly crypto derivatives analytics report delves into macro events; the current state of crypto and trading signals from spot trading volume; and futures, options and perpetual contracts.

At the start of the week, Bitcoin showed signs of decoupling from US equities. However, US president Trump's positive remarks about the US-China trade war (which had included a 145% tariff on Chinese goods) triggered a relief rally across markets. As a result, BTC has resumed moving up with US equities. 

This rally has led to a rise in short-tenor implied volatility and a recovery in BTC’s put-call skew, indicating that traders are seeking upside exposure.

Please check out the report’s highlights.

Perp open interest rises across the board

Perpetual open interest increased significantly this week across various tokens, especially ETH. Perpetual trading volumes also rose. Notably, Ap 7, 2025 recorded the highest trade volume of the month, following Trump's comment, "Forget markets for a second, we have all the advantages."

BTC option open interest shows a mixed picture; put-call skew in short tenor sends positive signals

President Trump’s recent willingness to negotiate a trade deal with China’s President Xi triggered a relief rally across asset classes, including crypto. Bitcoin had already risen 7% since Apr 21, 2025, prior to Trump's comments. Despite this rally, open interest in puts has outpaced calls, with options volume remaining relatively balanced. 

It's unclear if the demand for puts reflects a hedge against downside risks, or a bet against the upward movement. Meanwhile, perpetual funding rates are providing limited insight into sentiment. However, the recovery of the put-call skew at short tenors indicates that traders are seeking upside exposure to the rally — and are willing to pay for it.

ETH unexpectedly outperforms BTC in this relief rally

ETH's response to the recent crypto market recovery has diverged from previous trends: it outperformed BTC in spot prices, a rarity in past rallies, and open interest in calls exceeds that in puts — opposite to BTC's trend. In addition, ETH call open interest is nearly double that of puts, with calls dominating options volumes. This suggests traders anticipate ETH will reduce its significant underperformance against both BTC and other “ETH killers” like SUI and SOL. Additionally, the spot rally has led to another term structure inversion for ETH.

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Bybit X Block Scholes crypto derivatives analytics report (Apr 24, 2025): Put-call skew recovers at short tenors, showing reviving sentiment

Blockchain

The public and private keys are a key pair that is obtained by using an encryption algorithm. But are they different? Learn more here.

Public-Keys-vs.-Private-Keys.jpg

Cryptography is the core of cryptocurrency, and without it, none of the transactions will be secured, nor the integrity of any information is upheld. Think of it this way, when you perform peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers, your data may be exposed without secure encryption, and anyone can attempt to read the data structure without knowing the data has been tampered with. That’s exactly why private and public keys are so essential to authorize these transactions.

While both the public and private keys strive to secure a transaction, they are distinctively different, corresponding with their purposes. When comparing them side-by-side, a 

is used to verify a transaction after a transaction has been requested. Commonly a public key is also translated as an ‘address’ to receive cryptocurrencies. Whereas a 

 that is associated with a cryptocurrency account focuses on authorizing the transaction.

Typically, a private key is not shared and only the owner should know it. In another word, if anyone granted access to your private key will have the authority to deplete your asset in a wallet. 

That is why you must understand what they are, why they are so important. Perhaps, to learn how not to be the 

is basically used to decrypt the messages encrypted in a complex mathematical algorithm within the cryptography methodology. While a public key can be widely distributed, a private key used in the crypto context is meant to be kept discretely as a password to safeguard your digital assets.

Usually, these private keys vary depending on the different 

, although almost all of them use 256-bit encryption. That includes BTC, ETH, LTC, and more. For example, a 

0x01 and 0xFFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFE BAAE DCE6 AF48 A03B BFD2 5E8C D036 4140, representing nearly the entire range of 2256-1 values.

3048 0241 00C9 18FA CF8D EB2D EFD5 FD37 89B9 E069 EA97 FC20 5E35 F577 EE31 C4FB C6E4 4811 7D86 BC8F BAFA 362F 922B F01B 2F40 C744 2654 C0DD 2881 D673 CA2B 4003 C266 E2CD CB02 0301 0001

The key is a sequence of random symbols available to any person (public key) or known only by its owner (private key). The public key is used for encryption, but it is only a private key that can help one to decrypt the information. That said, it is possible to find out a public key if you know a private key, but it is relatively impossible to find out a private key with a public key.

Cryptocurrency wallets are excellent examples of public and private keys utilization. When considering wallets, a public key is a user’s address, and it gives other network participants a point of access to send tokens to this wallet. But if a user wants to send crypto from one to another, they’ll need their private keys to confirm the transaction. 

Just like logging into your email, you’ll need a password. The email address is a fixed point for other email network participants to send messages. While the password is required to get full access to the email account.

However, for the longest time, symmetric encryption was the primary encryption type where every message was encrypted and decrypted with the same code (key). Still, it raises serious doubts about its security. Thus, asymmetric encryption is designed to meet these security challenges with a pair of keys (one public and one private) used separately to encrypt and decrypt messages.

Unlike symmetric encryption with one key to encrypt and decrypt information, public and private keys must “match” the encrypted data. They are generated and used simultaneously. But what is it about?

Cryptography Methods Used in Cryptocurrencies

, there are several methods, and that includes symmetric encryption, asymmetric encryption, and hashing.

 to encrypt transactions between accounts. To ensure the encryption is secured, random letters and numbers are added to the stored value. That is mainly to mitigate the risks of easy decryption. While the stored value refers to digital fingerprint or hash value once the conversion is completed. 

It is one of the most popular, easiest, yet effective encryption. The messages are encrypted with a 

 in which the key could be identical or different between parties simultaneously. It is then transmitted to a recipient and to be decrypted once it is received and verified. 

Unlike symmetric, the encryption and decryption of messages usually involve two keys— 

Public keys are used to verify a transaction after a transaction has been requested. Whereas a private key is to decipher the message or transaction. The concept is to uphold the transaction’s authenticity and to mitigate the possibility of security downfall. That also means, if the private keys are misplaced, there are no ways to find them. Similarly, if the private key is exposed, any transactions can be granted, and it’s unretrievable because it’s authorized. 

Public key cryptography has two primary use cases— identification and confidentiality. In simple words, it can be described in the following way: 

Let’s say, Alex (sender) wants to send 1 BTC to Jane (recipient). He knows her public key and uses it to encrypt the transaction. Jane receives the transaction and decrypts Alex’s transfer of 1 BTC with her private key. Jane should be the only person who can authorize the transaction as nobody else knows her private key. 

When it comes to cryptocurrency, a private key is what you own physically. It proves your rights to manage your digital assets and to authorize any transactions. Whoever knows this key can spend the associated funds.

The Differences Between Public Keys and Private Keys

Both private and public keys’ goal is to verify that a given transaction was spent by the party who signed it and not forged out of thin air. Though both types of encryption cater a similar purpose, they differ in many ways. Here’s what you need to understand:

In public-key encryption, there must be two separate keys for encryption and decryption. The private key is for the owner only, while the public key is available to anyone. One key is required for transmission between the two parties involved in symmetric key cryptography. The same private key is used both to encrypt and decrypt the information. It is shared between the sender and receiver of an encrypted message.

The private key mechanism is much faster than the public key. That’s because a private key requires only one key while the public key requires two keys.

The private key is kept secret and not disclosed to anyone apart from the wallet’s owner. Once lost, the private key is impossible to restore, and the encrypted file becomes unusable. Typically, these keys are difficult to remember as it involves complex numberings. Still, the safety of private keys is entirely up to its owner. That is why the best method to keep your private keys safe is an offline storage device. On the other hand, the public key is open to all users and should be available upon search. It is unlikely to lose the public key.

The web content can be digitally signed with the user’s private key and verified by the user’s public key. That makes it easy to identify the message sender in the network and confirm that a trusted identity sent a message.

The digital signature provides certain security benefits such as:

The content is encrypted with the user’s public key and can only be decrypted with its private key. That is the only way to convert the message back.

Encryption provides the following security benefits:

Public key cryptography is used in a large number of protocols and data formats, which are implemented by a vast range of applications and system software. That includes the SSL protocol, SSH, digitally signed PDF files, OpenPGP, S/MIME, etc. It is widely applied to software programs, such as browsers, to ensure secure connections in insecure networks. Asymmetric cryptography forms the base for the blockchain algorithm, which constitutes a base for all cryptocurrencies.

Benefits and Limitations of Public and Private Key Encryption

There is no perfection for any methodologies or encryption, and that includes the public and private keys. Here are the pros and cons:

Adopting private key encryption technology is an excellent way for any business to protect important information from prying eyes. Regardless if you choose a symmetric or asymmetric encryption method. They both have their advantages and disadvantages as any other technology.

However, symmetric encryption is faster and easier to carry out. The system performs a single, reversible mathematical equation to encrypt or decrypt a file. That is why this method requires fewer computer resources than asymmetric encryption.

Simultaneously, while private key encryption provides a much higher security level, it still has some setbacks. The main problem associated with this method is the problem of key transportation. It involves insecure forms of communication to transmit the key. It’s risky to allow third parties to be granted access to the key that unlocks the data. This method cannot guarantee the origin and authenticity of the message and may cause some problems if there is a dispute or doubt.

If a user wants to segregate the data or funds among groups, it is necessary to generate and manage multiple private keys. Too many keys are not so convenient, and a new shared key with every different party may result in increased insecurity.

The disadvantages of this method are associated with some severe weaknesses. First, the loss of the private key should lead to dismal consequences. That means that no one can ever decrypt the received data. In terms of cryptocurrency, the wallet owner will not be able to get access to his or her wallet if the private key is lost.

The choice of the encryption method varies depending on your preference and convenience. Symmetric encryption is beneficial if you value speed and data protection over the rest. For example, the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) adopted symmetric encryption algorithm is used by many big companies and entities like Apple and Microsoft. 

Besides, if you focus on data storage, symmetric encryption is ideal. It works well if the encrypted data is stored on a device and that data is not being transferred. 

Asymmetric cryptography will be your preferred choice if increased security is the priority over speed and computing power. It is also important when identity verification is required, as symmetric cryptography doesn’t support it. Blockchain technologies rely on identity confirmations to authorize transactions. Thus, crypto traders and investors would prefer this.

As we move towards the digitized sphere, data storage and security have increasingly become important. Public key encryption helps users maintain reasonable security practices as nobody knows the private key paired with the open public key. It is advantageous when to avoid potential interceptions and cyber frauds. However, all you need is to ensure your private key secure and inaccessible to others.

To start trading is hard, but securing your funds is even more challenging. Bybit urges you to secure your data and learn about the importance of respecting privacy, safeguarding data, and enabling trust.

Public Keys vs. Private Keys: What Is It & How Do They Work?

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Public Keys vs. Private Keys: What Is It & How Do They Work?

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