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

DeFi

In this guide, we’re going to dive into what NFT avatars are, why they’re so popular — and how you can get your hands on your first one.

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Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have become a hot topic in recent months. While NFTs aren’t exactly a new technology or concept, these unique assets have suddenly started selling like hotcakes with 

 selling NFTs for the crypto equivalent of $69.3 million, $11.75 million and $590,000, respectively.

Naturally, the popularity of NFTs has quickly led to the creation of many new ones. Deciding which NFTs to invest in can be overwhelming, not only because there are so many NFT projects to choose from, but because there are also new ones being released almost daily. 

NFT avatars are algorithmically generated digital images of cartoon or pixelated characters, usually from the shoulders up, that are in a “profile picture” format. Each NFT avatar is completely unique, with an array of distinguishing traits (i.e., clothing, hairstyles, accessories, etc.). The avatars can be cartoon animals, humans or abstract creatures, with fantasy and science fiction elements. 

The market for NFT avatars grew rapidly in 2021, with numerous NFT avatars selling for millions of dollars. This trend sparked a lot of curiosity and interest in 

 and crypto art, and many enthusiasts have started investing in and creating their own collections. 

Institutional investment and private collector capital are largely responsible for the growth of NFT avatar projects. For example, 

 NFT for $150,000; the Bored Ape Yacht Club minted and sold 10,000 bored apes within twelve hours; and the Penguin NFT Club sold an NFT for 

The success of new collections like the Bored Apes has led to the creation of similar clubs which try to emulate its success. 

 is one such example, a project successfully launched in August 2021 which managed to sell all 500 NFTs in the collection. 

While NFTs may sound like a passing fad, the technology has the potential to revolutionize 

, as well as ownership of assets and collectibles in NFT games. NFTs are one-of-a-kind cryptographic tokens enabled by 

’s ERC-721 standard, indivisible and therefore completely unique. 

Additionally, NFTs could find use cases in many different industries because they can tokenize pretty much anything: art, music, pictures, videos, GIFs, in-game collectibles, certificates and tweets — even guides like this one.

The top 6 most popular NFTs on OpenSea. Image source:

Considering how much money is being spent for NFT avatars, their sudden popularity is reminiscent of the ICO boom of 2017 and 2018. At that time, several new coins were being launched almost daily, and buyers were investing with the hopes of turning a quick profit from massive upswings in market price. 

The growing demand for NFT avatars has predominantly been fuelled by social media discussions about the new tech, and the exorbitant amounts private collectors and institutions are paying for them. Many NFT collectors have changed their profile pictures on social media to their NFT avatar headshots, bringing further attention to the NFT space. 

While the market for NFT avatars is still relatively niche, many of the rarer NFTs from popular projects have seen an explosion in secondary market value on 

 like OpenSea, with some selling for many times their initial mint price. 

There’s no doubt that the market for NFT avatars is growing, as evidenced by the discussions they incite on social media, as well as blockchain data. For example, NFT projects were reportedly responsible for an increase in Ethereum 

Beyond their collectibility and intrinsic value as unique assets, NFTs are popular for the following reasons: 

NFT avatars may look like simple digital headshots of cartoon or pixelated characters — but they’re much more than that. Beyond the typical hallmarks of an NFT avatar, such as the profile picture format that shows a headshot of a character from the shoulders up, each avatar is completely unique and non-duplicable. 

The avatars are created with programmatically generated traits to guarantee their uniqueness, both visually on a surface level and internally at a code level. The uniqueness of NFTs makes them useful for a variety of uses beyond simple aesthetics. Some prominent examples of use cases for NFT avatars include: 

New NFT collections are being launched almost every day, but a few notable examples have made significant waves in the crypto community. These include: 

The most expensive BAYC NFT (pictured above) sold for 109 ETH. Image source:

 (BAYC) is an NFT project launched in May 2021. It features 10,000 unique ape avatars that were each minted for a flat 0.08 ETH (around $270 at the time). 

Owning a BoredApe NFT grants the holder access to a special “Bathroom,” which is a virtual environment on the official BAYC website where users can write digital graffiti on a communal wall. 

The highest sale price to date for a CryptoPunks NFT (pictured above) is 2,100 ETH. Image source:

 was the original NFT avatar project, and one of the first NFT avatar projects to be released on Ethereum in June 2017, by 

. The 10,000 unique, pixelated avatars were free to claim by anyone with an Ethereum wallet. Today, CryptoPunks has achieved legendary status, entering the mainstream art world — and even headlining auctions at major auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s. 

CryptoPunks has become the Rolls Royce of the NFT world, with even the lowest-priced CryptoPunk fetching tens of thousands of dollars. The rarest ones — apes, aliens and zombies –— are valued at millions of dollars. 

The highest sale price to date for a Habbo Avatar NFT (pictured above) is 0.23 ETH. Image source:

 is an NFT collection of 11,600 pixelated avatars. This NFT avatar project was designed by a group of pixel artists who are the creators of two online games: 

. The team’s long-term plan is to make each avatar usable for in-game virtual worlds in the future. 

 is an NFT project with 10,000 unique NFT avatars featuring cats. The cats are quite popular, and the most expensive Cool Cats NFT (pictured above) sold for 19 ETH. The team behind Cool Cats plans to include a breeding mechanism, such as the one on 

The most expensive Meebits NFT avatar (pictured above) sold for 1,000 ETH.

 are another creation of Larva Labs. Their avatars are 3D characters meant to be used in the metaverse. The Meebits were launched in May 2021, receiving a lot of criticism from the wider NFT community because over half of the 20,000 NFTs minted were reserved as free rewards for 

. The rest of the collection was available to the public in a Dutch auction at a mint price of 2.5 ETH, which was roughly equal to $10,000 at the time. 

There are a variety of ways to obtain NFT avatars, ranging from making your own using avatar generators to buying existing avatars from NFT marketplaces. Below, we take a look at some of the popular options. 

Several websites have cropped up offering users an easy way to quickly generate a wide variety of new avatars using different art styles. Examples of popular NFT avatar makers include 

There are numerous NFT marketplaces where you can buy existing NFTs, or list your own NFTs for sale. Some of the most popular ones include 

The process of creating and selling NFTs is similar to listing and selling items on a conventional marketplace like eBay. First, you set up an Ethereum account, and then create an account on an NFT marketplace like OpenSea. 

Once everything is set up, you can “mint” an NFT of a digital media file that you own. This can include images, GIFs, videos or audio files. You’ll have to pay a 

 to Ethereum to complete the minting process, but once the NFT is created, you can immediately list it for sale. 

NFTs offer a unique but high-risk opportunity to make huge profits, but there are no guarantees in the crypto world. As an investment vehicle, NFTs are better suited to investors with a large risk appetite. 

NFT avatars don’t really have any inherent value other than what the market ascribes to them, which is why their value is constantly fluctuating. Once you obtain an NFT, it’s a waiting game to see how much another investor is willing to pay you for it. 

NFT avatars have been a great success in industries such as gambling, art, crypto games, and many others. The technology is going to continue to evolve in terms of utility and features, building functionality that will further improve the NFT market.

However you might feel about NFTs and blockchain technology in general, there’s no doubt that NFT avatars are here to stay. To get started with collecting NFT avatars, check out our step-by-step guide on 

What Is an NFT Avatar and How Can I Get One?

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