Syrup is a DeFi platform offering institutional-grade yields powered by Maple. Find out more about the fast-growing protocol with over $230 million in total valued locked (TVL).

 (DeFi) platform designed to bring institutional-grade lending yields to a broad audience. Built on Maple’s proven lending infrastructure, Syrup allows users to earn consistent yields by participating in overcollateralized lending pools. Syrup stands out for its integration with major DeFi protocols.

This article explores Syrup’s features, tokenomics and staking opportunities, showcasing its ability to bridge institutional-grade lending with DeFi accessibility.

This article also highlights the innovative SYRUP token, staking mechanisms and security measures on Syrup that ensure both scalability and reliability in the DeFi space.

 is a DeFi platform that offers institutional-grade lending yields to retail and DeFi users. Powered by Maple, Syrup facilitates overcollateralized, fixed-rate loans to institutional borrowers, ensuring consistent returns for users. 

With a TVL of $232.8 million, an average APY of 22.4% and a collateral ratio of 173.1%, Syrup has quickly become a trusted name in the DeFi space. 

By allowing users to deposit USDC or USDT and earn yield through LP tokens like syrupUSDC, Syrup combines Maple’s lending infrastructure with DeFi’s permissionless access to create a seamless earning experience.

 is a leading institutional lending protocol in the DeFi space, designed to deliver fixed-rate, overcollateralized loans to institutional borrowers. Established in 2019, it plays a pivotal role in Syrup’s ecosystem by providing its robust lending infrastructure.

By merging the strengths of traditional finance (TradFi) with blockchain efficiency, Maple sets the foundation for Syrup to offer institutional-grade yields to DeFi participants.

Yield Opportunities and Institutional Lending From Maple

Syrup is powered by Maple’s lending infrastructure, leveraging its expertise in fixed-rate lending and compliance to deliver consistently high yields. By tapping into Maple’s ecosystem, Syrup enables permissionless access to institutional-grade lending for DeFi participants.

By combining Maple’s structured credit framework with Syrup’s permissionless accessibility, the two platforms create a seamless bridge between TradFi and DeFi for institutional-grade lending opportunities.

Syrup offers a suite of features designed to simplify earning yields and managing assets in the DeFi space.

By combining lending, staking and reward mechanisms, Syrup offers a streamlined approach for users to generate high yields while actively participating in the platform’s ecosystem.

Syrup operates as a layer on top of Maple, simplifying access to institutional-grade DeFi yields. It abstracts the complexities of Maple's permissioned system to allow seamless user interaction while leveraging Maple's robust lending infrastructure. 

By streamlining access to institutional lending, Syrup empowers users to benefit from Maple's high yields with reduced operational complexity. This user-centric design makes DeFi yields more accessible while maintaining robust security.

The Syrup token (SYRUP) operates as the core utility token of the Syrup platform, bridging its DeFi ecosystem with institutional-grade lending from Maple.

SYRUP provides staking incentives, governance rights and utility across both Syrup and Maple’s ecosystems, ensuring active engagement and long-term value for holders.

Staking SYRUP tokens allows holders to earn rewards while contributing to the ecosystem's growth. Here’s how the staking mechanism works:

Staking rewards, governance participation, and instant unstaking options make SYRUP staking attractive for its ecosystem’s participants.

Syrup effectively bridges institutional-grade lending with DeFi accessibility, offering consistent yields, seamless staking and robust integrations with the Maple ecosystem. With strong tokenomics, comprehensive security audits and a clear road map for growth, Syrup has positioned itself as a leader in sustainable DeFi solutions

Intermediate

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Syrup: Institutional DeFi Yields

MOODENG surged significantly following a donation from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who adopted Moo Deng, a pygmy hippopotamus, and contributed a substantial amount to support wildlife conservation. 

The S&P 500 dropped 0.04%, halting a potential "Santa Claus rally." It has risen 26% in 2024, with attention now turning to the Fed's 2025 policy and geopolitical risks. Coindesk Indices, an index measuring broader cryptocurrency market performance was down by 3.15%, with Bitcoin and Ether dropping by 3.65% and 3.81%, respectively in the past 24 hours.

Today's top performer is ME, which surged 13.9% following the launching of 'Mooz' by Cool Cows on the Magic Eden Launchpad.

Magic Eden (ME), launched in September 2021, is the largest NFT marketplace on the Solana blockchain, allowing users to buy, sell, mint, and manage tokens. Cool Cows announced the launch of "

" on Magic Eden Launchpad on December 27th. They encourage joining their Discord for a chance at WL or OG spots before launch day.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

MOODENG surged significantly following a 

 from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who adopted Moo Deng, a pygmy hippopotamus, and contributed a substantial amount to support wildlife conservation. Despite the explosive price increase, analysts warn that the gains may be temporary due to broader market volatility and overbought conditions. Trading volumes spiked, but technical indicators suggest potential corrections. Overall, market sentiment remains cautious, with predictions of possible price dips before stabilization.

Yesterday, the total flow for BTC Spot ETFs was 418.7 million, with 442.9 million in non-GBTC and a -24.2 million flow in GBTC.

 is scheduled for January, with draft criteria revealed during an AMA. Participants can earn JUP tokens based on their swapping volume, starting at $800 for 50 JUP. Higher volumes can earn up to 20,000 JUP. Additional allocations are available for users of Jupiter's Perps, DCA, Limit Orders, or VA features, as well as JUP stakers and governance participants. These criteria are draft and may change.

Beginner

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MOODENG Soars After Vitalik Buterin's Wildlife Donation

Ripple USD (RLUSD) is a stablecoin designed to provide efficient, low-cost solutions for cross-border payments and DeFi, backed by U.S. dollar reserves.

 are the key to solving major financial challenges such as cross-border payments, and may soon replace many traditional fiat uses. 

 (RLUSD) aims to play a central role in this shift, offering stability and efficiency for global transactions and 

 (DeFi). This article will dive into what Ripple USD is, how it works, its main features, use cases and its potential impact on the broader stablecoin market.

Ripple USD is a stablecoin from Ripple Network, designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with the U.S. dollar for stability. This stability is achieved through a collateralization mechanism supported by U.S. dollar deposits, short-term government treasuries, and other cash-equivalent assets, offering a secure and reliable digital currency.

Ripple USD is designed to provide a reliable digital currency for everyday use and to solve several challenges in the crypto and financial worlds:

Ripple introduced RLUSD in June 2024 primarily to streamline cross-border transactions for institutional players. The stablecoin has been in beta testing since August on XRP Ledger and the Ethereum blockchain, and achieved a significant milestone in December 2024 when it received approval from the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). This regulatory nod highlights RLUSD's commitment to meeting stringent standards, strengthening its credibility and earning trust from users and investors alike.

With the NYDFS approval in place, RLUSD is set to launch on both the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Ethereum’s blockchain. Ripple will follow up with listings on exchanges including Uphold, Bitstamp, Bitso, MoonPay, Independent Reserve, CoinMENA and Bullish, with plans to expand its presence across other platforms and DeFi protocols in the future. Given Ripple's strong reputation for collaborating with financial institutions, RLUSD is poised to give established stablecoins like 

The Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin is built for efficient and reliable cross-border transactions. Each RLUSD is fully backed by U.S. dollar deposits, short-term U.S. Treasuries and cash equivalents, ensuring it maintains a 1:1 peg to the U.S. dollar. This backing provides the stability users need for secure and predictable transactions.

RLUSD will run on the XRP Ledger and Ethereum blockchains as an 

 token to maximize compatibility with a wide range of wallets and DeFi applications. Transactions are processed via Ripple’s decentralized network, which uses a unique 

 to achieve near-instant settlement times — typically within three to six seconds. Unlike traditional blockchain systems, this process doesn’t rely on energy-intensive mining, making it faster and more eco-friendly.

 integration adds another layer of functionality, enabling RLUSD to power automated financial operations. This opens the door to innovative DeFi products and services, from lending and borrowing to yield farming. Currently in beta testing with enterprise partners, RLUSD is undergoing rigorous testing to meet high standards of security and efficiency before its official launch.

Ripple emphasizes transparency, with third-party audits of RLUSD’s reserve assets and regular progress updates. This commitment positions RLUSD as a trustworthy and versatile player in the growing stablecoin market.

Ripple USD (RLUSD) offers strong liquidity for key trading pairs on select 

 (CEXs). This feature ensures that users can buy and sell RLUSD with ease without causing major price fluctuations, resulting in a smooth and efficient trading experience.

RLUSD is issued on both the XRP Ledger and Ethereum blockchain, giving it broad compatibility across multiple ecosystems. This dual issuance ensures that RLUSD can easily be integrated into various platforms and applications, increasing its accessibility and usability across different networks.

With RLUSD, transactions can be settled almost instantly and at minimal cost, no matter where you are in the world. It reduces fees and speeds up cross-border payments and makes the process faster and more cost-effective by cutting out traditional banking intermediaries.

Integrating RLUSD into smart contracts enables automated financial operations, which are more efficient and accessible. This enhanced accessibility empowers users to easily buy, on-ramp, trade and engage in other activities within the DeFi ecosystem. RLUSD thus simplifies financial transaction management to create a more user-friendly DeFi experience.

, a trusted platform for securely managing digital assets, is already widely used by financial institutions and innovators. It combines institutional-grade security with 24/7 real-time execution, ensuring assets are safe while also easily accessible for fast transactions. Ripple Custody’s advanced governance framework streamlines operations, integrates seamlessly into existing technology systems and offers valuable additional services.

Designed for efficiency, Ripple Custody automates manual tasks and simplifies back-office operations, making asset management smoother and faster. The platform also supports flexible deployment options — Software as a service (SaaS), customer-hosted or hybrid models — so organizations can customize it to their needs. Whether for tokenization, stablecoin issuance or overall asset management, Ripple Custody is a key tool for building a strong digital asset strategy.

Ripple Custody plays an essential role in managing the security and integrity of Ripple USD (RLUSD). It ensures the underlying assets — such as U.S. dollar deposits, short-term Treasury bonds and other cash equivalents — are securely held and transparently managed, providing the stability needed for RLUSD to function effectively.

Ripple USD is designed to streamline various financial applications within the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Following are some of the key use cases for RLUSD.

Ripple USD has received final approval from NYDFS and is expected to launch soon. Initially planned for a Dec 4, 2024 release, the launch was delayed due to regulatory processes, but is now anticipated to occur before the end of 2024, as 

Ripple USD is a stablecoin designed to offer a reliable, low-cost solution for cross-border payments and DeFi. Backed by U.S. dollar reserves, it ensures stability while offering quick transactions and broad blockchain compatibility. With regulatory approval and strong institutional backing, RLUSD is positioned to challenge established stablecoins. However, its success will depend upon widespread adoption and effective integration into Ripple's ecosystem, making it a promising yet competitive investment.

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Ripple USD (RLUSD): A Stablecoin Built for Payments

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how you can complete a series of tasks in Suilend for Bybit Web3 Airdrop Arcade.

Task: Complete Suilend Bybit Wallet Check-In for Bybit Web3 Airdrop Arcade

button in the top right corner of the page, and connect your 

: Stake at least 10 SUI to deposit sSUI in Suilend, click on 

 to confirm the transaction request in your Bybit Wallet.

: Once the deposit is completed, you’ll receive a confirmation message. 

10 SUI is now staked as sSUI via Suilend. Please navigate back to the Bybit Web3 Airdrop Arcade campaign page to check your completion status and earn your reward.

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How to Complete Suilend Tasks for Bybit Web3 Airdrop Arcade

Bybit Learn

Celebrities are jumping on the NFT train and coming up with their own celebrity NFTs. Find out the impact they have and if these NFTs are a good investment.

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From famous supermodels like Kate Moss to thriving musicians like Steve Aoki, celebrities of all stripes are actively supporting 

. Some are avid fans of digital art. Others see celebrity NFTs as a way of giving back to society. Whatever their motives, their massive impact on the digital marketplace is undeniable.

In this article, we’ll discuss how celebrities are driving the NFT craze. We’ll also explain some of the most prominent celebrity-run tokens, giving you a brief overview of what the stars are offering. Finally, we’ll explain why celebrity NFTs can be worth the investment for people interested in supporting charitable causes.

Celebrity NFTs are non-fungible tokens that are created, promoted, or owned by celebrities. By lending their star power to NFT collections, actors, athletes, and musicians significantly raise the profile of these digital assets.

Most celebrities with their own NFTs see the tokens as a way to deepen their connection with fans. Snoop Dogg, for example, created digital art that harkens back to the imagery and themes that defined the earlier stages of his career. By bringing his trademark style into the digital sphere, he’s maintaining his place on the cultural frontlines.

Celebrity NFTs can also raise massive amounts of money for meaningful charitable causes. Ellen Degeneres, for example, 

 by selling NFTs of her bad cat drawing. Musician Shawn Mendes used the proceeds from his NFT collection to support young artists. Paris Hilton 

, a charity organization that helps feed struggling seniors. These examples show how well-meaning people can use celebrity NFTs to fund important social projects.

For other celebrity NFT producers, the tokens serve as a way to fight for social and cultural change. The model Emily Ratajkowski 

 of herself standing in front of a once-appropriated image, thereby reinforcing the idea that models should have the right to profit from their own images. This important message is meant to be empowering to creators from around the world.

Some celebrities may also be investing in NFTs as an asset, hoping their support of a collection will increase the price and boost the value of the tokens they’ve already purchased. When considering celebrity NFTs, it’s worth remembering this potential motivation. 

While most celebrities profess noble reasons for their involvement in NFT markets, investors and traders should remember that actors and musicians are neither omniscient nor omnibenevolent. In some cases, celebrities have supported collections that ended up being 

. It’s your responsibility as a trader to bring a healthy skepticism to all potential investments, including those that have been promoted by your favorite celebrities.

How Have Celebrities Driven NFT Adoption?

Celebrity NFTs demonstrate what a substantial effect famous people can have on societal norms and customs. Thanks to the participation of famous actors, musicians, athletes, and internet celebrities, non-fungible tokens have gone entirely mainstream. Whether they’ve participated in the market or not, Americans are discussing digital art and NFTs around the dinner table. Celebrity NFTs are likely what brought the technology to their attention in the first place.

Not only does celebrity involvement normalize the NFT marketplace, but it also drives greater trading volume. Popular collections like the 

 (BAYC) exploded when celebrities like Jimmy Fallon revealed their participation.

Impressionable people have long modeled their behavior on celebrities’ conduct, and an entertainer’s purchase of a token is often enough to convince a trader that they should follow suit. Whether this dynamic is positive or negative for traders and their digital wallets, it has certainly played a major role in defining the development of the NFT space.

There are countless examples of celebrities raising a collection’s profile by purchasing tokens. By learning more about specific cases, you can further your understanding of celebrity NFTs.

For months, a trader using the pseudonym Cozomo de’ Medici bought some of the oldest and most prominent NFTs on the market. In September 2021, the world learned that this mysterious trader was none other than the rapper Snoop Dogg. Before launching his own token, Snoop had amassed a collection of NFTs worth more than $17 million. He also made headlines by 

The Bored Ape Yacht Club is perhaps the most famous NFT collection in the world with many celebrity members, including Eminem, Justin Bieber, and Neymar Jr., owning it. Snoop Dogg’s token is of an ape wearing a cheetah-print coat. By announcing the purchase on 

, the rapper helped attract even more attention to the collection.

Steve Aoki, a musician and producer known for his lively performances and streaming hits, raised the profile of the Clone X collection by purchasing a token in December 2021. He paid 13.95 ETH, or about $42,000, for the collection’s token #2004. Featuring a surreal octopus hat and a respirator mask, the figure is as beautiful as it is bizarre. Unsurprisingly, the participation of a famous musician gave the collection added cache.

Aoki has become a significant supporter of celebrity NFTs. He owns over 200 tokens, including some belonging to famous collections like the Bored Ape Yacht Club. He has also been outspoken about his optimistic take on NFTs. The musician sees the technology as a revolutionary breakthrough that will help artists support themselves in a thriving digital marketplace.

Nobody better represents the current era than internet celebrities like Logan Paul. While plenty of actors, musicians, and athletes have used online channels to augment their fame, creators like Paul developed their wealth and public personas entirely within digital spaces. This makes them likely candidates to support celebrity NFTs.

Paul is a YouTube creator with over 23 million subscribers. He’s used his tremendous wealth to spend over $3 million on NFTs. In January 2022, he purchased a VeeFriends token for 90 ETH, or $290,000. He explained his motivation on Twitter, telling his followers that he valued the collection’s creator, Gary Vaynerchuk, as an innovator and visionary. Paul has since announced plans for his own collection of celebrity NFTs, which will include tokenized versions of polaroid pictures.

The singer Justin Bieber is a massive fan of celebrity NFTs, and he’s made several high-profile purchases. His holdings, which amount to over 2,000 tokens, include NFTs from popular collections like BAYC, Clone-X, and World of Women. While many of his purchases received significant attention at the time, it was buying an Alien Frens NFT that most clearly demonstrated his ability to influence the market.

 token for 2 ETH. In the immediate aftermath of the purchase, the floor price for an Alien Frens token jumped to 3 ETH. This obvious shift allows observers to see how celebrity endorsement can boost the price of an NFT.

For many celebrities, launching or promoting an NFT is about more than simply making money or maintaining a prominent place in popular culture. Actors, athletes, and musicians have raised serious money for charitable causes by creating or purchasing meaningful celebrity NFTs. Some of these projects also include digital art that promotes positive messages.

When discussing the best celebrity NFTs, it’s best to start by analyzing the meaningful projects that truly make a difference. Many celebrities profess to seeing ethical tokens as a way of giving back to society. By learning a bit more about these collections, you can decide whether investing in meaningful NFTs is a good idea.

The world of blockchains, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs remains a largely male-dominated space. Creator Yam Karaki has worked to change this dynamic by launching 

, an NFT collection explicitly marketed toward female traders. Reese Witherspoon, the famous American actress, contributed to the collection’s popularity by purchasing a token.

Witherspoon’s involvement with World of Women extends beyond simply buying NFTs. Her company 

 has formed an extensive partnership with the project. The company hopes to help the collection create additional content. By expanding on the characters in the World of Women collection, Witherspoon’s company could help create an even more meaningful movement.

Former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal, commonly known as Shaq, has long been a prominent champion for youth groups and underserved populations. His 

 has teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club of America to help underprivileged youth across the United States. Now, he’s capitalized on the mania for celebrity NFTs to raise even more money for the cause.

 in December 2021. Within a week of the initial launch, the project had raised $2 million. Coinciding with the holiday season, the token’s immediate success helped raise spirits and boosted important charitable work in countless communities. Bolstered by the project’s success, Shaq is planning further involvement with NFTs and the metaverse.

Musician Shawn Mendes has shown how artists can launch celebrity NFTs alongside more traditional artistic endeavors. When he released his album “Wonder,” he also paired up with the NFT-producing company 

 to release a set of digital products. The digitally “wearable” tokens included images of necklaces and earrings, and the collection had produced more than $1 million in sales after just 10 minutes.

Mendes could have used his impressive digital earnings to bolster his bank account, but he had a more meaningful plan. The musician announced on Instagram that the money from his digital sales would go toward grants for young artists around the country. By empowering his fellow creators, Mendes is helping to make the world a more beautiful place.

While many people have capitalized on celebrity NFTs to raise money for charity, model and actress Emily Ratajkowski has found another way to make digital tokens meaningful. When the artist Richard Prince put Ratajkowski’s image on canvas, she had to buy the image back for $81,000. Now, she’s selling a picture of herself standing in front of the image as an NFT.

For Ratajkowski, the NFT marketplace represents a place where women can control their own artwork and images. By creating this new token, she has linked the general idea of empowerment and artistic control with the concept of an NFT. Her action demonstrates how digital tokens can give artists and models greater autonomy and control.

Perhaps supermodels, many of whom spend their entire careers watching others profit from their hard work and beauty, are particularly inclined to recognize the potential benefits of NFTs. Kate Moss, a model with a decades-long track record of global success, has joined Ratajkowski in releasing her own tokens. The celebrity NFTs feature intimate videos of Moss engaged in 

. The most provocative is called “Sleep With Kate,” and it shows the model dozing while wrapped in white sheets.

Moss is doing more than simply raising awareness about NFTs. She has also donated all $17,000 she made from the tokens to 

, a non-profit organization that helps girls and young women discuss difficult issues. By raising awareness and funds simultaneously, Moss has successfully turned her image into a powerful force.

Cara Delevingne is another supermodel who has turned her attention toward the world of celebrity NFTs. She has taken advantage of the technology to raise awareness about an essential cause while simultaneously donating funds to charitable organizations doing important work around the world.

Delevingne’s token consists of a video of herself reciting an inspiring poem. Centered on themes of ownership and female empowerment, the imagery is both raw and provocative. She collaborated with artist Chemical X on the project, and the results are breathtaking. The earnings from the sale went to groups involved with environmental justice, female empowerment, pandemic-related healthcare, and LGBTQ causes.

Today, Twitter is a massive public square at the center of most political and social controversies. In 2006, it was a new concept that existed primarily in the imagination of founder Jack Dorsey. When Dorsey created the world’s first tweet in 2006, he couldn’t have imagined what his platform would become. Now, over 15 years later, he’s turned that original tweet into an NFT.

 simply read, “just setting up my twttr.” Despite the brevity and simplicity of the message, the associated NFT sold for $2.9 million. Evidently, internet enthusiasts were eager to own a little piece of online history. Dorsey, an avid crypto evangelist and big-time philanthropist, announced that the earnings would be converted into bitcoin and then donated to help fight COVID-19 in Africa.

Now that you’ve learned about celebrity NFTs and seen some prominent examples, it’s time to decide whether investing in these tokens is good for the world and your crypto wallet. First, let’s analyze whether celebrity NFTs are successful mechanisms for improving society. Then, we’ll examine the soundness of celebrity NFTs as investments and discuss the potential drawbacks.

As described above, many celebrity NFTs do an excellent job of raising money for charity. Shaq’s tokens, for example, quickly earned over $2 million in revenue, all of which went to help children. There’s not much to criticize in a project like that. Shaq’s NFT collection acts like many celebrity auctions and giveaways. Athletes often sell autographed apparel and donate the money to charity. Shaq did the same thing but with digital art.

More nuanced projects like Emily Ratajkowski’s token are more difficult to assess, but they still seem to have a positive impact on society. However you feel about sexualized images and the best way for young women to represent themselves, you can probably agree that creators deserve a say over the public use of their images. By reclaiming her rights in such a public way, Ratajkowski has likely inspired other creators, and especially young women, to be more forceful in their demands for fair treatment.

It’s worth noting that celebrities might not have purely selfless motives for releasing NFTs. Many stars maintain their celebrity status through ceaseless self-promotion, and producing digital art might represent one more avenue for demanding attention. All the same, much of this self-aggrandizing work brings genuine benefits for society, so there’s nothing wrong with supporting it by purchasing tokens.

While celebrity NFTs can certainly make the world a better place, they might not always represent the best investments. There’s no way to know how a token will do in the market, and some digital artwork will see its value plummet. Also, traders should always remain wary of potential scams. Even celebrity-endorsed projects have ended as

. Celebrities are just as human as anyone else, so it’s your job to make sure their poor judgment doesn’t lead you astray.

If you’re a fan of digital art and you want to support charitable causes, then celebrity NFTs are worth considering. Countless stars have endorsed or launched projects, and they’ve succeeded in raising millions of dollars. With a bit of research and constant awareness of the inherent volatility of NFTs, you can make a worthwhile habit of investing in celebrity tokens.

Celebrity NFTs: The Impact Celebrities Have on NFTs

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards