Coindesk

Global markets are navigating heightened uncertainty as trade disputes between major economies intensify. NEAR Protocol's NEAR has demonstrated resilience amid this volatility, recovering from a sharp 5.2% decline to establish support at $2.42. The recent price action shows promising signs of accumulation, with increasing volume on the second test of support forming a potential double bottom pattern. This technical structure, combined with the successful break above the $2.46-$2.47 resistance zone, suggests buyers are regaining control despite broader market turbulence. As central banks weigh inflation concerns against economic growth, NEAR's recovery may indicate growing institutional confidence in blockchain infrastructure projects with real-world utility.Technical analysisNEAR-USD exhibited substantial volatility over a 24-hour period, with a notable range of 0.132 (5.2%) between the high...

Leverage across the crypto economy is evolving, not evaporating.Total crypto-collateralized lending fell 4.9% quarter-over-quarter to $39.07 billion, the first decline since late 2023, Galaxy Research’s Q1 2025 report shows. But while the headline figure contracted, underlying dynamics suggest leverage is shifting form, not fading.Lending in decentralized finance (DeFi) lending took a hit early in the quarter, sliding as much as 21%, before rebounding sharply in April and May. The turnaround was driven largely by Aave’s integration of Pendle tokens, whose yield-bearing structure and high loan-to-value ratios (up to 90%) sparked a wave of fresh borrowing. By late May, DeFi borrowing had surged more than 30% off the lows, with Ethereum leading the recovery. Centralized finance (CeFi) lending climbed 9.24% to...

There is a strong institutional presence in U.S. spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with investment advisors taking a commanding lead, according to the recent SEC filings.Investment advisors now hold over $10.28 billion in spot bitcoin BTC ETF assets, representing 124,753 BTC. Investment advisors hold nearly half of the total crypto assets declared by the various funds. Hedge fund managers are second holding $6.9 billion worth of BTC ETF, or nearly 83,934 BTC, followed by brokerages and holding companies. These figures, highlighted by Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, underscore how advisors have surged to the top "number one by a mile." Balchunas estimates that 13F filers currently make up about 20% of total spot Bitcoin ETF assets, a number likely...

Crypto asset manager 3iQ has debuted one of its hedge fund products as an actively managed certificate (AMC) with the Swiss regulated partner Criptonite Asset Management, the companies said on Thursday.AMCs are regulated investment vehicles that allow qualified investors to invest in actively managed products. The new structured product is due to trade on Swiss Exchange SIX.The 3iQ Criptonite Multi-Factor AMC is a hedge fund that uses a long/short strategy, taking advantage of market uptrends and downtrends with dynamic positioning, according to a press release.A pioneer in the crypto trading arena, 3iQ was one of the first fund managers to list a bitcoin fund, with its Bitcoin Fund on the TSX, and the first with a publicly listed ether fund,...

Crypto traders holding XRP XRP and dogecoin DOGE can now tap into yield-generating decentralized finance (DeFi) opportunities on Base, the layer-2 blockchain from digital assets exchange Coinbase (COIN).On Wednesday, the Nasdaq-listed exchange said the wrapped versions of the two tokens, called cbXRP and cbDOGE, were live on Base. These wrapped tokens are backed 1:1 by native coins, meaning that for all cbXRP and cbDOGE in circulation, there is an equivalent amount of XRP or dogecoin held in a secure custody solution by Coinbase.Wrapped tokens represent the original assets in environments where they are otherwise unavailable, offering compatibility with Base's protocol and DeFi applications. This facilitates interoperability, allowing for the seamless transfer of coins within the ecosystem while allowing holders to...