Polygon Labs announced a strategic partnership with Cypher Capital to enhance institutional access to POL, the native asset of the Polygon blockchain, in the Middle East. The program will focus on providing real yield opportunities through roundtables, liquidity improvements, and structured offerings tailored for funds, corporates, and large allocators. Cypher Capital will assist Polygon in navigating regional regulatory and capital market landscapes. This move aligns with Polygon’s ‘GigaGas’ roadmap, which has already achieved sub-five-second finality and throughput of up to 1,000 transactions per second. The initiative reflects a growing trend among blockchain projects to build institutional pipelines in emerging markets where digital asset interest is rising.
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Indian Minister’s Crypto Holdings Grow 19% Amid Policy Gridlock
India’s crypto landscape presents a paradox of high adoption amid regulatory uncertainty. Minister Jayant Chaudhary’s disclosed crypto portfolio growth to $25,500 coincides with India leading Chainalysis’ Global Crypto Adoption Index for 2025. However, regulatory progress remains stalled due to RBI concerns that formal regulation would grant crypto ‘legitimacy’ and stablecoins could fragment India’s UPI payment system. A Mudrex survey of 9,000 Indians shows overwhelming support (93%) for regulation, with 84% considering the 30% crypto tax unfair compared to 12.5% equity taxation. The regulatory vacuum has pushed 80-85% of top crypto talent abroad and created an ‘ownership crisis’ in stablecoin oversight. Experts advocate for smart regulation and tax clarity to prevent capital flight and position India as a future fintech hub.
read moreShiba Inu Revamps Doggy DAO with Fairer Voting & Layer-3 Plans
Shiba Inu’s Doggy DAO has undergone a major governance overhaul, moving beyond the previous staking-only model to offer three voting options: traditional staking, direct ERC-20 token balance voting, and quadratic voting. The quadratic system particularly addresses wealth concentration by making additional voting power exponentially more expensive, preventing large holders from dominating decisions. Backed by $12 million from investors including Polygon Labs and Animoca Brands, the ecosystem is developing a Layer-3 chain powered by the new TREAT token and working toward identity-based voting that would give each user equal voice regardless of token holdings. This governance evolution aligns with Shibarium’s broader vision of creating a reputation-based system through its Karma points mechanism, aiming for a more secure and scalable Web3 platform capable of supporting one billion users.
read morePolygon & Agora Launch AUSD as AggLayer’s Native Stablecoin
Polygon Labs and Agora have officially designated AUSD as the primary stablecoin for the AggLayer cross-chain ecosystem, eliminating the need for digital bridges in inter-network transactions. The stablecoin is institutionally backed by State Street and VanEck, enhancing trust for traditional finance participants. Katana, a new DeFi-focused network on AggLayer, leverages AUSD for yield strategies, while Heimdall v2—Polygon’s latest upgrade—reduces transaction finality to 4–6 seconds, boosting POL token performance. Polygon’s dominance in stablecoin activity is evident, with over $100 billion in Uniswap volume and major TradFi players like Franklin Templeton exploring tokenization opportunities. Pessimistic Proofs further enhance cross-chain security, solidifying Polygon’s position as a DeFi leader.
read moreMercado Bitcoin Integrates $200M RWAs on XRP Ledger
Mercado Bitcoin, one of Latin America’s largest crypto exchanges, has integrated $200 million in real-world assets (RWAs) onto the XRP Ledger, including fixed-income and equity instruments. This follows the exchange’s earlier success in tokenizing over $1 billion in private credit assets with zero defaults. The integration, finalized after a March 2025 agreement with Polygon Labs, signals strong confidence in Ripple’s blockchain. Additionally, Mercado Bitcoin is using Ripple’s New York-licensed stablecoin, RLUSD, which saw a 0.43% rise to R$5.43 on July 4, 2025. The announcement coincides with Ripple’s ongoing SEC legal battle, though the XRP Ledger continues to gain traction with over 70 financial institutions connected. This development highlights XRPL’s growing role in cross-border finance and Latin America’s embrace of blockchain innovation.
read moreAptos CEO Joins CFTC Panel, Boosting Crypto Regulation
Aptos CEO and co-founder Avery Ching has been appointed to the CFTC’s Digital Asset Markets Subcommittee, bringing blockchain expertise to the regulatory body. This move aligns with the CFTC’s measured approach to crypto oversight, contrasting with the SEC’s aggressive enforcement. Ching’s background—from Meta’s Diem project to Aptos—positions him as a bridge between blockchain innovators and traditional finance. Meanwhile, Bitwise’s Aptos ETF filing reflects rising institutional interest, as APT’s price shows bullish momentum. Aptos’s ecosystem, featuring three USD-pegged stablecoins, is also drawing regulatory attention amid broader stablecoin discussions.
read moreBitVault Raises $2M to Launch BTC-Backed Stablecoins
BitVault, a DeFi protocol focused on Bitcoin-backed stablecoins, has closed a $2 million pre-seed round with strategic investors including GSR, Gemini, and Auros. The funding will support the launch of bvUSD, an overcollateralized stablecoin, and sbvUSD, its yield-bearing variant. BitVault will operate on Katana, a DeFi-centric chain incubated by Polygon Labs and GSR, leveraging a licensed fork of Liquity V2. The protocol targets institutional borrowers while allowing DeFi users to earn yield through staking. BitVault’s approach addresses growing demand for crypto-native stability, positioning BTC as a productive asset within DeFi ecosystems.
read morePolygon Surges: 5.6M Active Addresses, $2.1B Stablecoins
Polygon’s on-chain activity soared in May, with active addresses reaching 5.6 million—a 16.3% monthly increase—making it the third-largest blockchain by this metric. Transaction volume hit 81 million, up 20% from April, surpassing Tron’s 67 million. Stablecoin supply grew 8.2% to $2.1 billion, reinforcing Polygon’s role in dollar-pegged asset settlements. The network also processed $141 billion in transactions, a 5.3% monthly rise. Amid these milestones, co-founder Sandeep Nailwal took over as CEO, shifting to a product-first strategy. Upcoming upgrades, like Bhilai in 2025, aim to scale throughput to 100,000 TPS for real-time payments and tokenized assets. Institutions like BlackRock and JPMorgan already use Polygon for tokenized products, with $514 billion in stablecoin transactions recorded in April 2025.
read morePolygon CEO Nailwal Shifts Focus to PoS and Agglayer
Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder and largest POL token holder, has assumed the role of CEO at Polygon Foundation, emphasizing the need for faster, decisive leadership. Key changes include discontinuing zkEVM to prioritize Polygon PoS for stablecoins and real-world assets, while Agglayer aims to create a ‘trustless Internet of Blockchains.’ The Foundation is financially robust, with no immediate need for additional funding. Polygon PoS is already achieving over 1,000 TPS, targeting 5,000 TPS by late 2024 and 100,000 TPS in the coming years. Agglayer v0.3 launches in late June, with fast interoperability features expected by Q3. Nailwal cited Ethereum’s instability as a catalyst for restructuring, shifting from institutional governance to agile, user-centric strategies. ZK research will continue under independent projects like Polygon ZisK, led by Jordi Baylina.
read morePolygon Co-Founder Takes Full Control as CEO
Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has taken over as the first CEO of the Polygon Foundation, shifting away from the project’s decentralized governance approach. The foundation, which oversees Polygon Labs and other ecosystem arms, will now operate under Nailwal’s leadership as it refocuses amid growing competition in the layer-2 space. Nailwal highlighted Polygon’s early focus on bold execution and institutionalization efforts during 2021-2023, including onboarding co-founders and establishing a board. This leadership change comes as Polygon aims to strengthen its position in the competitive crypto infrastructure landscape.
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