Ethena Labs has launched USDtb, a new stablecoin backed by BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) in partnership with Securitize. 

Daily Top Performer — Eigenlayer (EIGEN)

The S&P 500 rose 0.38% as investors await the Fed's rate decision and 2025 outlook. Coindesk Indices, an index measuring broader cryptocurrency market performance was down by 3.87%, with Bitcoin and Ether rising by 2.69% and 5.02%, respectively in the past 24 hours.

Today's top performer is EIGEN, which surged 11.2% after the Eigen Foundation pledged 1% of the EIGEN supply to support the Protocol Guild.

EigenLayer (EIGEN), founded in 2021, is an Ethereum-based protocol that allows ETH stakers to restake ETH and Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs) to boost security for other protocols, earning extra rewards while providing access to Ethereum's validator network. The Eigen Foundation has 

 1% of its EIGEN supply to support the Protocol Guild, a key funding mechanism for Ethereum’s core Layer 1 R&D. This pledge, which was mentioned in the Season 2 stakedrop blog post, aims to ensure ongoing funding for Ethereum maintainers and contribute to the network's decentralized growth and sustainability.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

, a new stablecoin backed by BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) in partnership with Securitize. USDtb’s reserves are primarily invested in BUIDL, with 90% of its backing allocated to it. The stablecoin aims to provide a scalable and differentiated option compared to existing stablecoins, with the potential to mitigate risks for Ethena’s USDe token. USDtb can also be used as margin collateral on exchanges and is being considered for Spark’s $1bn Tokenization Grand Prix. It has passed multiple audits and supports seamless cross-chain transfers via LayerZero.

Yesterday, BTC Spot ETF saw total flows of $218.7M, with $17.6M from GBTC and $201.1M from non-GBTC.

 token on December 17 as an ERC-20 utility token with a total supply of 1 billion. The token will power its gaming metaverse, offering staking rewards, exclusive in-game resources, consumables, and governance rights. ISLAND will primarily be distributed to the community (40.1%), including play-to-airdrop participants, ecosystem incentives, and rewards pools. Investors, advisors, and the team have long-term token locks, while a small portion supports exchange liquidity and the project treasury. Users can claim ISLAND on the Nifty Island website and benefit from staking for enhanced gameplay rewards and platform advantages.

Beginner

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Ethena Labs Launches USDtb Stablecoin Backed by BlackRock’s BUIDL Fund

Learn about GigaChad (GIGA), a Solana-based meme coin inspired by the iconic GigaChad meme, and the unique and cult-like community that developed around the meme coin.

What began as an internet meme celebrating the "ultimate alpha male" has evolved into a rising star in the 

 market. GigaChad (GIGA), inspired by the iconic 

, has taken the Solana ecosystem by storm, inspiring a viral culture to create a unique community-driven meme coin.

GIGA showcases how meme coins can unite online communities while offering new investment opportunities. This article delves into GigaChad’s rise, exploring the origin of the GigaChad meme, the vibrant community behind it, the coin’s market performance and what users should know before trading GIGA on Bybit.

Solana has emerged as a hub for meme coins this year, due to its low transaction fees and fast network speed. Coins like 

 have captured the imagination of communities, propelling these meme coins to billions of dollars in 

. Amid this scene, GIGA has entered the fray, promising to combine the meme’s cultural significance with blockchain innovation.

The Origins of GigaChad: From ‘Just a Meme’ to Crypto Icon

GigaChad’s journey began in 2017 with Russian photographer Krista Sudmalis’s 

 art project. This series featured hyper-stylized portraits of ultra-masculine models, celebrating exaggerated ideals of male perfection. Among these models, images of one stood out — Ernest Khalimov (Instagram: berlin.1969). The images portrayed an impossibly chiseled jawline, symmetrical features and a larger-than-life physique, earning the likeness the nickname “GigaChad,” a moniker that would soon take on a life of its own.

 forum, where it immediately caught attention. A day later, 4chan’s /pol/ board crowned images of Khalimov “GigaChad, the perfect human specimen destined to lead humanity against reptilians.” The absurdity of this statement, combined with Khalimov’s unreal appearance, fueled an internet legend. Indeed, Khalimov’s identity has been impossible to prove, with some sources asserting that his likeness 

By 2018, GigaChad memes had gone viral, appearing across platforms like Reddit, Imgur and Instagram. The Khalimov likeness, verifiable or not, had become a symbol of unattainable masculinity: equal parts inspiration and intimidation. In 2021, his fame soared again with the viral 

 meme, set to the haunting sounds of Bring Me the Horizon’s “Can You Feel My Heart.”

By 2024, GigaChad’s legend had transcended internet culture. On June 28, 2024, National GigaChad Day, the Solana-based meme coin GIGA launched, cementing the icon’s crypto status. Blending fitness, finance and meme culture, GigaChad is now a modern archetype — a reminder to strive for greatness, whether through effort or editing software.

Fast forward to today: the GIGA meme coin has 

 into a symbol of confidence, ambition and humor on crypto Twitter. This archetype has resonated deeply, inspiring enthusiasts and investors to rally around ideals of strength and unity. GigaChad’s cultural relevance extends beyond humor, influencing projects that leverage its appeal to foster collective identity and drive engagement.

The GigaChad community embodies its meme’s larger-than-life persona, radiating confidence and a no-nonsense attitude. Just as the GigaChad meme symbolizes a conception of ideal masculinity, the community represents resilience and bullish optimism.

, a seasoned investor, have openly expressed their confidence in GIGA’s potential, dubbing it the next big meme coin on Solana. This vocal backing has sparked a surge in interest, drawing both retail traders and crypto degens into the fold.

The community’s strength lies in its unified vision, using the GigaChad archetype as a rallying cry for innovation and market dominance. This combination of viral meme culture and solid investor base positions GIGA as a standout contender in the competitive market of Solana meme coins.

As of Dec 16, 2024, GIGA is trading at $0.0705, with a market cap of $657 million and a 24-hour trading volume of $19.9 million. The coin has experienced a 21.87% surge in the past seven days, following the announcement of new partnerships, as well as increased social media buzz. GIGA reached an all-time high of $0.08016 on December 13, showcasing its potential for sharp price movements.

The market seems optimistic about GIGA’s long-term growth potential, citing its vibrant community and the increasing popularity of meme coins on Solana.

Investing in meme coins such as GIGA carries inherent risks. Their pronounced volatility can lead to rapid price surges as well as steep corrections, leaving unprepared investors vulnerable. Additionally, the speculative nature of meme coins makes them more susceptible to market sentiment and external influences.

All in all, potential investors should approach with caution, conducting 

 and avoiding overexposure. Diversifying portfolios and understanding market trends are key to successfully navigating these high-risk investments.

With its vibrant community and strong market performance, GIGA could be a major meme coin player in the current crypto market. Users can now trade GIGA on Bybit, as the GigaChad (GIGA) Perpetual contract 

 in Bybit’s Innovation Zone, where leverage and advanced trading options allow you to maximize opportunities.

Intermediate

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GigaChad: The Alpha Meme Coin Cult

Pudgy Penguins recently announced the launch of its native token, PENGU, based on the Solana blockchain. Learn about the claim eligibility and tokenomics of PENGU.

 (NFT) collection launched in the previous crypto bull market, has since established itself as a leading NFT collection.

The project recently announced the launch of its native token, PENGU, based on the Solana blockchain. In this article, we look at who’s eligible to claim PENGU, the tokenomics of PENGU and upcoming plans of the Ethereum-based NFT collection.

 launched in July 2021, consisting of 8,888 unique and cute Penguins NFTs. Each penguin was generated from 150 hand-drawn components. It quickly carved out a name as an NFT collection known for its adorable artwork.

At the peak of the NFT mania in 2022, Pudgy Penguin #6873 sold for 400 ETH (a price tag of $640,000 at that time). As of mid-December 2024, the 

 has a total market cap of around 299,517 ETH, currently worth over $1.19 billion. Its floor price has risen by 230% in the past month, reaching 33.70 ETH, or around $133,768.

In recent years, the Pudgy brand has aggressively expanded into the physical goods space with Pudgy Toys, a line of collectible igloos, plushies and figures inspired by the NFT artwork. These toys have become a major source for revenue, generating over $10 million in sales through partnerships with major retailers like Walmart, Target and Walgreens.

Pudgy Penguins has a thriving community centered around its holders. Despite the recent NFT bear market, the Pudgy community, known as 

, has remained strong and active. The brand has a large online presence, with over 2 million followers on Instagram, 214,000 followers on X and 60,000 members on Discord. 

Pudgy Penguins’ ecosystem has since expanded beyond just its original 8,888-piece collections, and now includes the Pudgy Penguins NFT collection, 

 collections, Pudgy Toys, the Igloo clothing line and Abstract Chain, a new 

The project was originally launched in July 2021 by multiple pseudonymous founders including ColeThereum (Cole Villemain), Mr. Tubby (Clayton Patterson), Mickyj and Jonah. However, after its initial launch, the project suffered several months of underwhelming performance. Coupled with allegations that the initial founders had stolen funds meant for the project’s development, the founders were removed by the community and the project was put up for auction. After a bidding war, Pudgy Penguins was purchased by Luca Schnetzler, also known as Luca Netz, for 750 ETH in April 2022.

Netz was instrumental in expanding the Pudgy Penguins brand beyond the 

 space with toys and clothing lines. Several new members were also brought in to manage the brand, 

 Lorenzo Melendez as President, Austin as Head of Marketing, Peter Lobanov as CCO, Jennifer McGlone as CLO and Vedant as Head of Strategy. 

 the launch of a new token, PENGU, to be based on the Solana blockchain. PENGU is designed to deepen the community’s alignment with the Pudgy Penguins brand, serving as a gateway for new enthusiasts to become part of the community. The PENGU token seeks to enhance the Pudgy Penguins ecosystem by offering various use cases within the community. 

While the specific use case hasn’t been announced, it’s expected that PENGU will act as Pudgy Penguins’ 

PENGU has a total supply of 88,888,888,888 tokens and is being distributed to different stakeholders in a way that ensures long-term success for the project.

PENGU is set to officially launch on Solana in December 2024. Eligible participants have 88 days to claim the 

The PENGU token launch has quickly become the most anticipated crypto airdrop for December 2024. Once it goes live, the token is expected to be listed on several major exchanges, making the Pudgy Penguins ecosystem accessible to a much wider investor base.

PENGU tokens will be airdropped to several communities and user bases. The greatest beneficiaries will be holders of Pudgy Penguins and Lil Pudgy NFTs, who will receive 25.9% of the supply. Details on how to claim the airdrop haven’t yet been made public, but interested users can follow Pudgy Penguins’ 

One of the biggest impacts of the PENGU token announcement has been the price of Pudgy Penguins NFTs. The floor price has shot up nearly 70% since the announcement on Dec 6, 2024, reaching a high of 34.8 ETH on December 16, or over $137K. 

Several other NFT collections have also seen an increase in their floor prices, gaining over 50% in the past month, as the total market cap of the NFT sector has 

Whether this bullish momentum can be sustained or not has yet to be seen, but the PENGU token could potentially revitalize the NFT sector and bring interest back to the NFT market.

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PENGU: Dive Into Pudgy Penguins’ Upcoming Token

Bybit Puzzle Hunt is a rewards campaign in which participants collect digital puzzle pieces through trading, deposits and daily activities to win prizes.

Bybit Puzzle Hunt has arrived, transforming everyday crypto trading into an exciting treasure hunt with a huge prize pool at stake. Participants in this innovative campaign can collect digital puzzle pieces through trading activities to win guaranteed rewards.

In this guide, we'll explore the essential steps to participate in Puzzle Hunt, reveal the best strategies for collecting pieces and show you how to maximize your chances of winning valuable token rewards from the prize pool.

 is a rewards campaign in which participants collect digital puzzle pieces through trading, deposits and daily activities to win prizes from massive prize pools. This rewards campaign features different events with various prize pools for you to choose from.

There are a total of three ongoing events:

Following is a detailed breakdown of Puzzle Hunt’s operation and reward mechanics.

Users can collect puzzle pieces through platform activities, such as completing daily check-ins, making deposits and engaging in Spot trading. Each completed task rewards you with puzzle pieces. 

For trading and deposits, rewards are calculated cumulatively. In Spot trading, for example, reaching $200 in volume earns you one piece, $500 earns two pieces and $1,000 earns three. You'll receive all three pieces at once if you achieve $1,000 in trading volume right away.

When you receive duplicate puzzle pieces, you can gift them to other participants. This feature encourages collaboration, allowing users to help each other complete their puzzles faster by exchanging extra pieces they don't need.

Qualify for the lucky draw by completing three consecutive puzzle pieces in any direction (horizontal, vertical or diagonal). With a 100% win rate, every participant is guaranteed to receive rewards from the prize pool. Participants can earn up to three chances in the lucky draw, increasing their opportunity to win bigger prizes.

Complete the entire puzzle and you'll be eligible for the grand prize of 100 USDT per event. This reward is available to the first 500 participants who complete the puzzle.

All puzzle pieces are distributed randomly across different tasks. This randomization adds strategy to the hunt, as you may need to combine various activities and social exchanges to complete your puzzle efficiently.

Bybit Puzzle Hunt offers a range of attractive benefits for participants.

Bybit Puzzle Hunt creates an engaging experience that benefits both casual and active traders. The event's structure ensures that everyone has a fair chance at winning, while encouraging community interaction and regular platform engagement.

 and log into your Bybit account, or if you're new to Bybit, 

 for a free account. Then, ensure your account meets the following eligibility requirements:

: From the available coins, click on the coin’s corresponding 

: Complete daily check-ins on the platform to earn regular piece rewards.

: Make qualifying deposits to your Bybit account. Only net deposits after registration will be counted.

: Engage in Spot trading to earn additional pieces. Trading volumes are calculated cumulatively — $200 earns one piece, $500 earns two pieces and $1,000 earns three.

: Refer friends and multiply your earning opportunities through the referral program.

: Check your puzzle piece inventory for any duplicate pieces.

: Select the duplicate piece you wish to share from your collection.

: Enter your friend's Bybit UID to complete the transfer. Gifted pieces will be automatically added to your friend's collection.

: Monitor your puzzle completion progress in your account dashboard.

: Complete three consecutive pieces in any direction (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) to qualify for the lucky draw.

 regularly for distributed prizes. The 100 USDT grand prize must be claimed manually within five working days after the event concludes.

 to users from specific regions, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and others. Only Main Accounts with completed Identity Verification Lv. 1 are eligible. Institutional users, Market Makers and Affiliates are not eligible for this event.

Love earning rewards while trading? Bybit Puzzle Hunt transforms your regular activities into winning opportunities. Everyone who completes three consecutive puzzle pieces is guaranteed a reward, with up to three chances to win from the random lucky draw.

For traders who enjoy gamified experiences and community interaction, Puzzle Hunt provides a fresh approach to earning rewards. Whether completing daily tasks, trading or exchanging puzzle pieces with friends, each activity brings you closer to potential prizes and the 100 USDT grand prize.

Bybit Puzzle Hunt offers a fresh take on crypto trading rewards. With a gamified approach that combines daily activities, trading and social interaction, everyone can win from huge prize pools. Whether you're an active trader or casual user, each puzzle piece collected means more chances of lucky draw prizes and the 100 USDT grand prize.

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Bybit Puzzle Hunt: Collect Puzzle Pieces & Unlock Big Rewards

DeFi

Altcoins

Balancer is a leading DeFi app that acts as a token swap platform, a liquidity mining source, and an efficient liquidity protocol for integration into other DeFi protocols.

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 (DEXs) and liquidity providers have been at the forefront of the 

 (DeFi) industry and its adoption by the crypto mainstream. The most standard model for these protocols is based on swap-pair pools with two tokens. Balancer (BAL) is a unique protocol that has moved to an innovative model of 

 and pools by hosting pools with multi-token support. In this article, we cover this leading DeFi protocol in-depth.

 (AMM) is a model of trading used by DEXs that has been lauded as a more efficient trading system than the order book model. The 

 trading system matches buyers and sellers of assets, in this case, cryptocurrencies. If there is no suitable seller or buyer for your order, you might have to wait for some time. This introduces an element of inefficiency into the whole trading process.

Under the AMM model, market players called 

 add the necessary funds to swap-pair pools, incentivized by a share of the revenues from the 

 in the pool. This ensures that each swap pair has enough liquidity to meet the demands of traders. The traders, both sellers and buyers, then transact with the swap pool instead of dealing with another trader.

The AMM trading model has been a massive improvement over the order book system. It has underpinned the operations of many of the leading DEXs, such as Uniswap (UNI), Curve (CRV), SushiSwap (SUSHI), PancakeSwap (CAKE) and more. In its standard form, the AMM model is based on liquidity pools funded by a pair of cryptocurrencies.

 is a leading DeFi app that acts as a token swap platform, a 

 source, and an efficient liquidity protocol for integration into other DeFi protocols. Balancer runs on Ethereum (ETH), Polygon (MATIC), Arbitrum, Fantom (FTM), and Optimism. 

Balancer has revolutionized DeFi by first introducing the concept of multi-token pools. On top of the standard setup with two tokens per pool, Balancer also offers liquidity pools based on multiple coins. The maximum number of tokens per Balancer pool can be eight in standard pools and 50 in a special variety of pools called Managed Pools. The multi-token pool setup lets liquidity providers earn yield from a pool that resembles a multi-asset fund product, e.g., an index fund or a mutual fund.

Balancer allows traders to use the current swap pairs and pools as well as set up their own pools. This gives you the freedom to design your own crypto index product.

Balancer uses algorithmic rebalancing of fees and rates based on the trading activity and the composition of the pools. Such smart pools help the platform offer the best rates and fees.

As mentioned, Balancer is based on three key services – coin swaps, liquidity pool mining, and DeFi development/integrations. One key service is coin and token swaps. Balancer offers a big variety of liquidity pools, making swap transactions on the platform cost-efficient. While Balancer’s swap fees depend on each specific pool and can range widely, the lowest swap fee available on the platform is only 0.0001%. This rate is probably the most affordable you might find in the DeFi industry, at least among the leading protocols.

The second key service on Balancer is liquidity mining. In this respect, Balancer offers opportunities unmatched by other DeFi protocols. The majority of the DeFi platforms offer you the standard two-token pools, while Balancer gives you yield farming opportunities based on multi-token pools. You may also create your own pools to generate custom liquidity sources. When traders swap cryptos involving your pool’s assets, you can earn a share of the fees.

The third key target group of Balancer is 

. Balancer, thanks to its numerous liquidity pools and low fees, is a great tool to integrate with other DeFi protocols. Balancer offers blockchain developers the ability to programmatically create tokens, liquidity pools, and data oracles to source swap pair rates.

Balancer’s initial version, V1, was launched in early 2020. The protocol underwent a major upgrade in April 2021 and V2 was launched. The second version of Balancer introduced a few technical and functional improvements such as its single-vault system. 

 that manage the crypto assets held in Balancer pools. The Vaults are critical to Balancer’s working mechanism, which is based on the dynamic rebalancing of the vaults to maintain trading and liquidity mining efficiency and flexibility. Version 2 of Balancer introduced the concept of a single Vault to manage a set of assets in a pool.

 are multi-asset liquidity sources that underpin all the swapping and liquidity provision/mining operations on the platform. As noted earlier, Balancer is not a standard cookie-cutter DEX with just two-token pools. The platform features a variety of pools. Currently, Balancer has the following types of liquidity pools:

Weighted Pools are the simplest and most standard pool types on Balancer. They use Balancer’s 

 which allows for coin swaps between tokens that may not share a price correlation, e.g., DAI/WETH. Weighted Pools also allow users to configure their pools according to their preferred token counts and weightings, a feature not offered in most pools. 

, a methodology based on Curve’s StableSwap, which allows for swaps between assets that have the same price (i.e. stablecoins like DAI/USDT/USDC), or a high price correlation (i.e. assets that are pegged to popular cryptos like WBTC or WETH).

Liquidity Bootstrapped Pools (LBPs) help to maintain stable prices and a fair market with their dynamic token weighting and time change, which are triggered by Balancer’s Weighted Math equation combined with time-dependent weights.

Managed Pools are custom-designed non-standard pools that give users maximum flexibility in terms of the pool’s composition, features, and management. Earlier, we noted that Balancer is unique in the sense that it provides standard pools with up to eight crypto assets per pool. However, when it comes to the customized managed pools, the maximum token limitation is 50. That’s right – under the Managed Pool option, Balancer can handle as many as 50 crypto assets per pool!

Featuring LBPs’ time-based Weighted Math formula, Managed Pools are typically reserved for fund managers who need to create complex “fund-like” products from a big variety of crypto assets. 

Asset Managers help to manage the balances of Managed Pools, and invest the assets elsewhere while facilitating trade within the pools. There are options for pools without the function of Asset Managers in case of malicious Asset Managers who may cause a fund loss with bad investment.

Boosted Pools are an innovative functionality of Balancer V2 designed for interaction between Balancer pools and external liquidity platforms to create deeper liquidity and higher capital efficiency. Since Boosted Pools are designed to interact with an external source, they are based on smart contracts that are outside of the Balancer’s control. This is by design to ensure the integrity of the system.

Balancer’s most prominent Boosted Pool system has been launched 

 (AAVE), one of the leading lending and borrowing protocols in the DeFi industry. The Aave-linked asset manager allows Balancer users to earn yield from liquidity sources on Aave. The partnership between Aave and Balancer was launched in December 2021. Balancer has announced that this Boosted Pool product is only the beginning of a wider network of partnerships planned with external liquidity providers.

When you provide liquidity to Balancer’s pools, you can earn rewards in BAL tokens, the platform’s native cryptocurrency. You may claim the tokens via the 

’s claim section. The tokens, besides serving as crypto rewards, also act as voting rights on the platform.

Balancer vs. Uniswap vs. Curve: Which Is Better?

Balancer is among the leading DEX platforms in the industry, consistently ranking among the top 10 DEXs. It is often compared to other leading DEXs, particularly the first AMM-based DEX, 

. While Uniswap offers a very wide range of crypto pairs for swapping, Curve focuses on stablecoin pairs. Unlike these two exchanges, Balancer has the advantage of offering pools with several, or even many in the case of Managed Pools, cryptos. 

Depending on the pool, the swap fees on Balancer might also be better. For instance, the standard swap fee is 0.3% on Uniswap, 0.04% on Curve, and can be as low as 0.0001% on Balancer. However, before using the Balancer for swaps, check the swap rate applicable to each particular pair since the fees may vary widely. Theoretically, depending on the trading activity and the rebalancing algorithm, the swap fee might be as high as 10%.

Balancer Governance Token (BAL) And Governance

. Within the platform’s original rules, BAL was used primarily as a governance token. Holders of BAL could also vote on key matters concerning the protocol and its products. BAL was earned by providing liquidity to the protocol’s pools.

These functionalities of BAL have now been replaced by the new veBAL token. As per Balancer’s 

, veBAL is now the token to be used for liquidity mining and governance participation on the platform. To earn veBAL, you will need to provide liquidity to the Balancer’s key 80/20 BAL/WETH pool.

BAL was first launched in June 2020 at around $15. The token’s best performance was recorded during the earlier months of 2021. In May 2021, BAL reached an all-time high of $74.45. Since then, the token has largely been on a downtrend pattern, though it has mostly stabilized around the $5 range in recent months. As of the time of writing (Jan 18, 2023), BAL trades at $6.76.

Balancer is a crypto with very solid potential and represents a good investment. There are several factors why we believe in positive future returns for BAL:

The GALA token can be bought directly on its platform and on top centralized exchanges such as Bybit. On Bybit, you can trade BAL as a USDT perpetual (

Balancer is not a standardized platform just for coin swaps. It offers liquidity mining opportunities that resemble those used by fund products in the financial industry. Additionally, its algorithmic rebalancing of fees and rates allows it to offer some of the most competitive fees among DEXs. All these benefits of the platform will ensure that Balancer stays among the top DeFi protocols in 2023 and beyond. The protocol’s relevance will also be boosted by the demand from traders that are looking for ever more sophisticated 

What Is Balancer Crypto: Pools With Endless Flexibility

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards