Ethereum R1 is a new donation-funded, tokenless Layer 2 rollup designed to offer a decentralized, censorship-resistant, and governance-minimized scaling solution for Ethereum

The S&P 500 rose 0.63% Thursday, boosted by strong Meta and Microsoft earnings, but futures slipped Friday as investors awaited the April jobs report and weighed Apple and Amazon tariff concerns. Gold fell to $3,235 as easing trade tensions cut safe-haven demand; markets await US jobs data for rate cut signals. The Coindesk Indices, which tracks the broader crypto market, rose 2.19%, with Bitcoin and Ether up 2.57% and 2.60%, respectively in the past 24 hours. Trade these markets and more with up to 500x leverage on Bybit MT5 using this 

Today's top performer is AR, which gained 16.8% following CloneX's successful migration to Arweave, sponsored by ArDrive.

Arweave (AR), founded in 2017, is a decentralized network for permanent data storage, using blockweave and Proof of Access to ensure long-term accessibility. It offers 200-year storage for a one-time fee, incentivized by AR tokens for miners. The system connects blocks efficiently to preserve and retrieve data, aiming to create a lasting digital knowledge repository. CloneX has successfully 

 to Arweave for permanent storage, with the support of ArDrive, which sponsored the migration of 100 GB of data. The process is nearly complete, with only Animus remaining to undergo decentralization.

Check out the latest prices, charts, and data of 

 is a new donation-funded, tokenless Layer 2 rollup designed to offer a decentralized, censorship-resistant, and governance-minimized scaling solution for Ethereum. Built on open-source code and the Nethermind Surge stack, it emphasizes credible neutrality, public good funding (with all fees burned after 2030), and infrastructure that remains free from VC control or centralized dependencies.

Yesterday, BTC spot ETFs saw $71.1M in total inflows, with $16M from GBTC and $55.1M from other ETFs.

 $BOOP tokens to active Solana memecoin traders and creators who promote memecoins or Solana dapps on X. To claim, users must connect their Solana wallet or X account and launch a free token. The airdrop arrives in 30 days, but growing the token’s market cap can accelerate the reward.

Beginner

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Ethereum R1 offers a decentralized rollup solution for Ethereum

This article dives into Bitcoin liquid staking protocol Lombard Finance, how LBTC works and how you can stake LBTC through Bybit Web3.

Bitcoin stands as the undisputed giant of the cryptocurrency space, commanding the largest market capitalization. Yet, much of its potential remains untapped, often sitting idle as a store of value rather than actively participating in the thriving 

 ecosystem. Lombard Finance aims to change this narrative by unlocking Bitcoin's utility and integrating it seamlessly into DeFi.

Lombard is built upon Babylon, the innovative Bitcoin staking protocol, and is incubated by Polychain Capital. Lombard’s flagship product, 

 (LST) for BTC. This article explores what Lombard Finance is and how LBTC works, and describes the Lombard ecosystem and how you can stake LBTC through Bybit Web3.

 is a liquid staking protocol that focuses on transforming 

's role in the digital economy. Its core mission is to evolve BTC from simply being a store of value — also viewed as 

 — into a productive asset that actively generates yield and participates within DeFi. Currently, a significant portion of Bitcoin's

 sits idle, lacking the native staking capabilities or cross-chain composability seen with assets such as 

Lombard Finance addresses this shortcoming by building on top of 

, a protocol that supports BTC staking without needing 

 or custodians. Babylon allows Bitcoin's economic weight to secure other 

 (PoS) chains and applications, creating a new yield source for holders. Lombard leverages this foundation to offer LBTC, making staked BTC liquid and usable across the DeFi market.

Lombard’s goal is ambitious: to channel Bitcoin's vast liquidity into DeFi. This could potentially double the ecosystem's 

 (TVL) if even a fraction of available BTC is introduced. Lombard believes this integration will catalyze significant growth and create more sustainable market dynamics by making BTC a core, yield-bearing primitive within DeFi.

Founders and investors of Lombard Finance

Lombard Finance was founded in April 2024 by a team with deep expertise within DeFi, drawing talent from established crypto projects like Polychain, Babylon, Argent, Coinbase and Maple. This collective experience underpins the protocol's design and strategic direction.

The project was notably incubated by Polychain Capital, a prominent crypto investment firm that also led Lombard's $16 million seed funding round (which was 

 in July 2024). This round saw participation from a wide array of significant players in the crypto space — including Babylon, dao5, Franklin Templeton, Foresight Ventures, HTX Ventures, Mirana Ventures, Mantle EcoFund, Nomad Capital, OKX Ventures and Robot Ventures — thus highlighting broad industry confidence in Lombard's vision. Strategic partnerships and contributions from exchanges like

 and Bitget are further bolstering its distribution and liquidity aggregation efforts.

LBTC is Lombard Finance's flagship product — a liquid staking token (LST) that represents Bitcoin staked through the Babylon protocol. Designed as a universal liquid BTC standard, LBTC is fully backed 1:1 by native Bitcoin, ensuring its value is directly tied to the underlying asset.

The token is yield-bearing, capturing rewards generated from securing PoS networks via Babylon staking. Crucially, LBTC remains liquid, meaning holders can freely use it across various DeFi applications — such as 

 and automated vaults — without sacrificing their underlying staked positions or associated yield.

LBTC is also designed for cross-chain compatibility, natively minted on supported blockchains like Ethereum, Base and Sui and using secure infrastructure [such as 

]. This avoids the risks associated with traditional bridging or wrapping methods, thus aiming to provide a more secure and seamless way to utilize Bitcoin across the multichain DeFi ecosystem.

Lombard Finance simplifies the process of putting Bitcoin to work within DeFi through its LBTC token. The mechanism is designed with security and user experience in mind, leveraging the Babylon protocol and a robust Security Consortium.

The core benefit of LBTC lies in its ability to unlock multiple layers of value simultaneously. Holders earn native yield from Babylon staking, potentially accrue additional rewards (such as Lombard Lux points) and gain access to diverse DeFi yield opportunities, all while maintaining the liquidity of their Bitcoin position. This transforms BTC from a static asset into a dynamic, yield-generating component of the DeFi ecosystem.

Lombard Finance is actively building a wide LBTC ecosystem that already boasts over 75 DeFi integrations. Security is foundational, anchored by the 14-member Security Consortium (including prominent names like Galaxy and OKX Ventures) and validating all critical operations alongside audits and bug bounties.

Core infrastructure relies both on Babylon for staking, and on the Chainlink CCIP for secure cross-chain movement, with EigenLayer integration 

. LBTC integrates with leading DeFi applications across lending platforms (e.g., 

) and automated vaults. The platform supports multiple blockchains (including Ethereum, Base, Sui, BNB Chain) and 

 (L2s), positioning LBTC as a versatile cross-chain asset.

Here's how you can stake BTC on Lombard and use LBTC in DeFi and automated vaults.

Lombard Finance (via its LBTC token) offers a compelling way for Bitcoin holders to put their assets into use, earn yield via Babylon staking and gain exposure to the expansive DeFi ecosystem — all while maintaining liquidity. Incubated by Polychain Capital and supported by a robust consortium and growing partner network, Lombard is positioning LBTC as a secure and versatile liquid Bitcoin standard.

It’s easy to participate in the Lombard ecosystem through 

, you can utilize your Bybit Web3 Seed Phrase Wallet to stake BTC and mint 

, Lombard's vault token that represents deposits in automated yield strategies. This provides you with a seamless gateway to access Bitcoin liquid staking and DeFi yields.

Ready to unlock your Bitcoin's potential? 

Intermediate

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Lombard Finance: Polychain-backed Bitcoin liquid staking protocol

The cryptocurrency market has entered a phase reminiscent of past altcoin seasons, primarily driven by Bitcoin's recent rebound to the $94K–$96K range. 

Altcoin season might have come with reviveding speculation 

The cryptocurrency market has entered a phase reminiscent of past altcoin seasons, primarily driven by Bitcoin's recent rebound to the $94K–$96K range. This resurgence has sparked renewed interest among retail traders, shifting focus from Bitcoin to smaller, more speculative altcoins. The overall market saw a 10% increase in value during the final eight days of April, contrasting with Bitcoin's 7% gain. This trend indicates a growing appetite for risk among investors, particularly in meme coins, which have seen a surge in social media discussions.

However, caution is warranted as elevated crowd enthusiasm often precedes market corrections. Historical patterns suggest that when buzzwords like "altseason" are dominating discussions, it may signal an impending price exhaustion. The current market dynamics reflect a shift toward speculative investments, raising concerns about the sustainability of this enthusiasm.

Bitcoin's bullish sentiment substantially improves

Bitcoin's position as the leading cryptocurrency has remained steady, with discussions around its price fluctuating significantly. Following a period of pessimism, when predictions dipped as low as $10K–$69K, sentiment shifted dramatically with the price recovery. Now, optimistic projections of $100K–$159K are dominating conversations, indicating a reversal in trader sentiment.

Despite Bitcoin's consistent presence in market discussions (approximately 25% of asset topics), the ratio of bullish-to-bearish commentary has grown increasingly favorable. This suggests a growing confidence among traders bolstered by Bitcoin's recent performance. However, it’s essential to monitor whether this bullish sentiment translates into sustained investment, or if it leads to overconfidence that may trigger a market pullback.

Ethere, once a robust contender in the altcoin arena, has struggled to regain retail investor confidence despite recent bullish commentary and promises of innovation from co-founder Vitalik Buterin. Its social media presence has dwindled to about 6–7% of discussions, a significant drop from previous years. This decline highlights the challenges Ethereum faces in re-establishing itself as a go-to investment in a market increasingly dominated by speculative assets.

Conversely, XRP has seen a notable increase in optimism surrounding ETF approvals, with expectations rising to 85%. This shift reflects a broader trend of institutional interest in cryptocurrencies, potentially paving the way for significant capital inflows. Meanwhile, Dogecoin's potential ETF listings have sparked renewed interest, transforming its image from that of a meme coin to a legitimate investment option. The growing dialogue surrounding institutional adoption of Dogecoin and XRP indicates a pivotal moment for these assets, suggesting they may play critical roles in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape.

Advanced

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Bybit x Santiment social sentiment report: Altcoin sentiment recovers despite Bitcoin’s resilience

Bybit Spread Trading allows traders to simultaneously buy and sell two related instruments in order to hedge risk or profit from price discrepancies. Read more.

Whether markets are flying high or wobbling unpredictably, one thing remains true: traders are always looking for smarter ways to 

 and find profit opportunities. That’s where Bybit Spread Trading comes in. This feature is tailor-made for those who want to go beyond basic buy/sell plays and start taking advantage of price discrepancies between related instruments. In this guide, we’ll walk through exactly how Bybit Spread Trading works, why it matters and how you can start using it today, whether you’re 

is a newly launched Bybit feature that allows users to simultaneously buy and sell two related instruments — such as Spot, Perpetual or Expiry contracts with different settlement dates — in order to hedge risk or profit from price discrepancies.

This type of trading strategy is popular among institutional and professional traders because it enables more precise, controlled market exposure. However, with Bybit’s interface, the barrier to entry is significantly lowered, opening the door for individual traders to tap with just a few clicks into a powerful set of tools.

At its core, Spread Trading on Bybit is about executing what’s called a combo trade. This means entering two positions at once: one long, one short. These positions are taken on related instruments, such as a BTC Spot trade and a BTC Perpetual contract, with the idea that their prices will either converge or diverge in a way that benefits your position.

When you place a buy combo, you’re buying the instrument with the longer expiration (the “far leg”) and selling the one that expires sooner (the “near leg”). 

A sell combo is the reverse: selling the far leg and buying the near leg. The profit (or loss) comes from how the spread between these two instruments shifts over time.

For example, if you believe the spread between a Perpetual and a Quarterly Futures contract will widen, you can buy the combo. If the spread increases after your entry, that movement becomes your profit. Bybit calculates your 

 prices automatically, based on the mark prices and your defined “order price,” so there’s no need to manually crunch the numbers.

Perhaps the most important feature here is atomic execution. This ensures both sides of your combo trade are filled together, in equal quantities, or the trade doesn’t go through at all. It removes “leg risk,” which is the danger of getting filled on one side of the trade, but not the other. In volatile markets, that alone can save you from an unwanted mess.

Spread Trading on Bybit currently supports combinations such as Spot and Perpetual, Spot and Expiry, Perpetual and Expiry, or even two Expiry contracts with different dates. This flexibility lets you build strategies that align with different market outlooks — bullish, bearish or neutral.

There’s a strong reason why Spread Trading is a go-to for many experienced traders: it allows for strategic plays that are more sophisticated than just guessing price direction. On Bybit, it’s not only powerful, but also convenient.

First, you get price certainty. Your spread is locked in at the price you specify. There’s no 

 between legs because the entry prices are automatically calculated and matched. You’re trading the spread, not the individual legs.

Secondly, the trading experience is smoother. Instead of placing two separate orders and manually trying to sync them, Bybit handles everything as a single transaction. You don’t have to worry about whether one leg gets filled and the other doesn’t — that risk is eliminated through atomic execution.

Third, this setup is a great hedge against volatility. By taking opposing positions on two related contracts, you reduce exposure to sharp price movements. Your P&L becomes more about the relative performance between contracts, rather than the market direction itself.

There’s also a strong cost advantage. Trading spreads on Bybit is significantly cheaper than doing it manually. You pay only half the trading fees you’d incur if you placed two individual trades on the order book. For high-volume or 

, that translates to meaningful savings over time.

Finally, it unlocks strategy flexibility. Whether you're 

 funding rates between Spot and Perpetual, doing 

 with different Futures contracts or taking advantage of price convergence before expiry, this platform gives you the tools to execute those ideas efficiently.

How to get started with Bybit Spread Trading 

Now that you have a better understanding of how Bybit Spread Trading works, let’s look into how to get started. Please note that you’ll need to have a Bybit account in order to proceed. If you don’t already have one, please check out our 

 for more information on how to create a Bybit account.

: Log in to your Bybit account and hover your cursor over the 

: The available spreads are organized in a grid, with each tile representing a unique combo. Choose your preferred combo to trade.

Tiles with a border around them signify that Spread Trading offers a better price. Hover over a tile for more details, or use the bar at the bottom of the grid to explore more options.

On the order placement page, set up your order with the following parameters:

to place your order. A pop-up window will appear for you to confirm your order details. Then, click on 

Congratulations — you’ve successfully placed an order!

You can view your Spread Trading orders from any trading page (Spread Trading, Spot and Futures), as they all share the same order data.

 to view your active orders. You’ll be able to view the combo, underlying asset, order price and more. 

If you would like to adjust your order parameters, you may click on the pencil icon under 

. To cancel your order, simply click on the order’s corresponding 

to view your completed orders. To view each order’s information on each leg, click on the order’s corresponding 

button. For additional insights, click on 

Spread trading isn’t for everyone — but if you’re someone who enjoys strategic trading, hedging or arbitrage, it’s a tool worth adding to your arsenal. It appeals to traders who are less interested in taking a directional bet, and more focused on capitalizing on inefficiencies in the market.

You don’t have to be a pro trader to benefit, either. The simplified execution and intuitive UI mean even intermediate users can explore advanced strategies without being overwhelmed. As long as you understand how spreads work, and how your P&L is affected by their movement, you’re already halfway there.

More importantly, in times of market uncertainty or low volatility — when price action feels sluggish — spread trading gives you an alternative way to profit. It keeps you in the game — even when momentum plays aren’t cutting it.

Bybit Spread Trading is a powerful tool that combines simplicity with sophistication. Whether you're looking to hedge, save on fees or experiment with 

 strategies, it offers a clean and user-friendly way to do so. With lower risk, lower costs and plenty of flexibility, Bybit Spread Trading is a smart move for any trader looking to level up their game — especially when markets get messy.

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Bybit Spread Trading: Smart strategies for market swings

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USDC Futures are a type of Futures contract in which settlement takes place in USDC, providing a reliable and stable means to manage Futures positions.

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USDC Futures stand out as a crucial tool for sophisticated investors seeking to optimize their trading strategies and manage risks effectively. These Futures contracts, offered with exceptional liquidity on platforms like Bybit, are designed not just for simple trading but for implementing complex strategies such as cash-and-carry trade, which involves exploiting market inefficiencies through arbitrage. In this article, we’ll explore Bybit USDC Futures and learn how you can use them to maximize your returns.

USDC Futures are a type of Futures contract in which settlement takes place in USDC (a stablecoin tied to the U.S. dollar), providing a reliable and stable means to manage Futures positions. These instruments are tailored for large-scale investors looking to hedge arbitrage and capitalize on market discrepancies.

 that exploits the price differences between the Futures and Spot markets. In this approach, a trader buys an asset in the Spot market, while simultaneously selling a Futures contract for the same asset. This method is considered "market neutral" because it’s designed to create profit, regardless of whether the market price of the asset rises or falls. Profit in one position typically offsets loss in the other, making the trader’s position indifferent to fluctuations in the underlying asset's price direction. This strategy allows traders to capitalize on inconsistencies between two pricing mechanisms without speculating on the asset’s overall market movement.

USDC Futures contracts are designed for trading on a specific expiration date, enabling traders to set buy or sell prices in advance. These contracts are both quoted and settled in USDC, and must be managed through a 

USDC Futures contracts offer financial flexibility, with no funding fees or charges for delivery settlement. The delivery price of these contracts is determined by the 

 during the final 30 minutes before the contract's delivery time. Importantly, the index price used for USDC Futures contracts aligns with that of the corresponding Perpetual contract, ensuring consistency across trading platforms.

Currently, Bybit only supports BTC and ETH USDC Futures contracts. These USDC Futures will be available for trading from 8AM UTC to 9AM UTC on the day of listing.

*On Bybit, the symbol of the USDC Futures C=contract is composed of the underlying asset delivery date. For example, BTC-17MAR23 means that the BTC-USDC Futures contract was settled on Mar 17, 2023 at 8AM UTC. 

Upon the delivery of the weekly contract, the bi-weekly contracts will automatically become the new weekly contracts, and the tri-weekly contracts will transition to bi-weekly. Subsequently, a new tri-weekly contract will be introduced. 

If the delivery date of a monthly contract coincides with that of an upcoming tri-weekly contract, the monthly contract will convert into the new tri-weekly contract. Simultaneously, the bi-monthly contract will advance to become the new monthly contract, and a new bi-monthly contract will be issued.

There are multiple benefits of using Bybit USDC Futures, as listed below.

USDC Futures allow traders to hedge by using both Spot and Futures positions. Regardless of market movements, this combination can lock in profits due to the divergent exposure on both ends. Essentially, whether the market trends upward or downward, the opposing positions in Spot and Futures markets provide a buffer, thus reducing overall risk.

Enhanced Leverage Via the Unified Trading Account

Another significant advantage is the utilization of the Bybit Unified Trading Account. This setup enables traders to borrow funds, thereby increasing leverage and potentially amplifying returns. The integration of leverage in a single account simplifies management, and enhances the ability to respond to market changes swiftly.

USDC Futures typically don’t require continuous trading, unlike other derivative products. Traders can maintain their positions until the delivery date without incurring costs associated with trading fees, making USDC Futures a cost-effective option. This feature is particularly beneficial for long-term hedging strategies.

Enjoy exceptional liquidity when you trade USDC Futures on Bybit. Our platform supports the rapid execution of large-scale trades without significant price 

. This is crucial for strategies that require quick entry and exit, thus enhancing overall trade profitability.

There are no delivery fees for USDC Futures held to the delivery date. This cost-effective feature ensures that profits are maximized by reducing the expenses associated with long-term trading positions.

If you’d like to further maximize capital efficiency, use USDC Futures in Portfolio Margin. This approach allows for increased leveraging opportunities and streamlined capital management, boosting the potential for higher returns.

Arbitrage Strategies to Use With USDC Futures

The Spot and Futures arbitrage strategy entails buying an asset in the Spot market while selling the same asset in the Futures market at a higher price, thereby capitalizing on the price discrepancies. The success of this approach depends heavily upon transaction costs, market liquidity and volatility, as these factors influence your net return from the arbitrage.

You can trade both USDC Futures and Spot on Bybit with top-tier liquidity.

Funding rate arbitrage is a trading strategy that involves earning through periodic payments exchanged between long and short positions in Perpetual contracts. When the funding rate is positive, a trader can buy an asset at Spot prices, and simultaneously short a Perpetual contract. This strategy, known as positive arbitrage, leverages the funding fees as a steady income stream.

The Bybit Unified Trading Account allows you to use over 70 assets as collateral for trading, which enhances the effectiveness of your capital and offers an ideal platform for cash-and-carry trading via Cross Margin and Portfolio Margin. For example, if you’d held BTC Spot without borrowing, and shorted the same amount in BTC Perpetuals for the past 30 days, you would have earned a risk-free return of 3.12% for just one month — and if the market continued its upward trend, the 

Below are some popular coins with high APRs for funding rate arbitrage over the past 30 days.

The Success of Using the Cash-and-Carry Trade

Cash-and-carry trade involves buying an asset in the Spot market while simultaneously selling a Futures contract. Traders lock in the differential between the Spot and Futures prices, which is particularly effective in stable or upward-trending markets. Implementing lower leverage levels can help to mitigate the risk of 

. Since Perpetual contract prices closely follow Spot price movements, there’s generally less (or even no) risk involved in funding rate arbitrage. However, traders should remain cautious of the potential risks of liquidation resulting from significant mispricing between Spot and Perpetual contracts.

When implementing the cash-and-carry trade strategy, ensure that you invest properly in order to reduce trading risks. Look for markets with high liquidity to ensure smooth trade execution. Please 

 that slippage may occur if large investments are pushed into a 

Low transaction costs are essential to maximizing profits. Don’t change investment assets or adjust positions frequently, as this will prevent the profits earned and interest from margin trading (if any) from covering transaction costs, including trading fees and slippage.

Bybit offers a cash-and-carry trading tool to make arbitrage simple. The 

 (available only on the Bybit App) is designed specifically to assist in capturing arbitrage opportunities. It enables the placement of multi-leg orders in opposite directions, which streamlines the process and makes it more efficient. Traders can explore rankings based on funding rates or spreads in order to find some profitable APY pairs for arbitrage opportunities. 

If you're intrigued by the benefits of hedging risks, leveraging capital efficiently and exploring arbitrage opportunities, USDC Futures could enhance your trading strategy. Whether you're experienced or just beginning, Bybit's platform offers the tools and liquidity to help you maximize returns. Nevertheless, it's important to 

 and consider the risks involved in Futures trading. Make sure to fully understand both the instruments and the market conditions before you start trading.

USDC Futures provide a robust tool for traders looking to efficiently execute hedging arbitrage strategies. By leveraging Futures alongside Spot and Perpetual contracts, traders can enjoy reduced risk, manage their portfolios more efficiently through unified accounts and minimize transaction costs. As the crypto market continues to evolve, these strategies will be instrumental in helping traders navigate the complexities of cryptocurrency investments, ensuring profitability in various market conditions. 

 and start leveraging the advantages of USDC Futures with Bybit, and remember to proceed with caution and informed decision-making.

Top Reasons to Use Bybit USDC Futures to Maximize Returns

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