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

Bybit Learn

Options

“Synthetic options” refers to the prudent use of options and the underlying asset to recreate the risk and reward of a particular options position. 

Through the combined use of multiple financial instruments, experienced traders can maximize their use of 

 while establishing a desired trade or position. For those familiar with 

 contracts, synthetic positions have always been the preferred way of going 

 on a particular asset. However, the sheer complexity of it might scare beginning traders away, given that they can incur unlimited losses. 

Keen on finding out why traders would consider a synthetic long or short position, instead of directly buying or short-selling the asset? From understanding the rationale for a synthetic options trade to explaining how to do it as a step-by-step process, here's everything you need to know when exploring synthetic options strategies with Bybit.

Before going ahead with the use of synthetic options in your portfolio, it’s key to first understand how options work. 

Put briefly, options contracts are a popular way to invest in the stock market and act on certain financial strategies. They’re primarily used by experienced traders and investors to 

 their existing positions against potential losses. For those with larger risk appetites, crypto options contracts can be used to speculate on certain coins and tokens to take advantage of short-term market movements. 

An options contract gives investors and traders the right to either buy or sell a certain asset at a predetermined price and date. This gives them control over their investments and allows them to manage their risk more effectively. Options trading also provides greater leverage than traditional 

 transactions, meaning that traders and investors can potentially make larger profits with smaller amounts of capital because they’re dipping into margin to multiply their gains or losses. 

Synthetic options for crypto takes things one step further, as it involves two parts: an existing long or short position for the underlying asset, and the establishment of an opposing position with the use of an options contract. More on this will be explained below, as we highlight the use of synthetic call and put options strategies in the crypto space.

Synthetic options trades involve the simultaneous purchase of a call option and 

 with the same strike price. The underlying security and options are both bought at the same time, thus recreating the risk and reward profile of the desired option position.

The main benefit of using synthetic options is that they allow traders to limit their downside risk, while simultaneously creating unlimited profit potential. This makes synthetic options an attractive choice for more conservative traders who want to control their capital exposure. By having two positions instead of one, traders can also benefit from insurance against a loss in value due to changes in 

Moreover, synthetic options allow traders to replicate long or short positions on an asset without investing in the underlying asset itself. This means that traders don’t have to buy or sell shares of the stock to open an option position, which can be particularly useful for those trading assets where borrowing is difficult or expensive.

A synthetic call is a type of financial instrument that involves the combination of a long stock position with a long put option. This creates a pseudo-long call option. 

, synthetic calls allow an investor to take advantage of market movements without having to purchase the underlying asset. As such, synthetic calls let you tailor your investments to your specific needs and investment objectives, ranging from utilizing less capital to receiving dividends. Furthermore, they can be used as part of a hedging strategy by allowing investors to hedge against potential losses without taking on additional risk. 

For sophisticated crypto options traders, synthetic calls can easily provide more customized opportunities than standard call options, making them an attractive option for savvy investors.

On the opposing end of the spectrum are synthetic puts, which combine a short stock position with a long call option on that same stock to mimic the essence of a long put option. While you could instead just buy a crypto put contract, synthetic puts offer something a put can't — the ability to reduce capital outlay, since you’re only paying the premium of the call option. This makes them particularly attractive for traders who need to hedge against potential losses without making huge up-front payments. 

In addition, synthetic puts also allow for increased flexibility in terms of duration and strike price, enabling traders to tailor trades to their own investment objectives. Ultimately, synthetic puts can be a powerful tool for savvy investors looking to reduce risk while managing capital outlay.

Synthetic options provide traders with a wide array of benefits in terms of both cost and flexibility. 

Reduced Capital Outlay for Hedging Strategies

One of the advantages of synthetic options is that they can significantly reduce the capital outlay required for each trade. Instead of having to buy an underlying asset, synthetic options allow traders to pay only the premium of the call option at a much lower cost. This provides investors with greater flexibility, particularly those who may want to hedge their investments but are unable or unwilling to commit large amounts of money at once. 

With synthetic options, traders have the opportunity to reap the benefits of options trading while minimizing their financial risks.

Degree of Personalization to Fit Your Needs

Synthetic options offer greater customizability than other options, allowing traders to tailor their investments according to their unique goals and objectives. By adjusting expiration dates and strike prices, traders can effectively 

 while also keeping costs low. Synthetic options also enable traders to take advantage of specific market conditions, such as anticipated price shifts, with greater efficiency. 

Given these benefits, it's not surprising that synthetic options have become an essential tool for many investors seeking to optimize and tailor-fit their investment and trading strategies.

Synthetic options can involve complex strategies and high volatility, making them potentially riskier than alternative investment and trading strategies. 

Options Time Decay & the Need for Active Management

Theta decay is a vital aspect for options traders to consider when it comes to close-to-expiration options positions. For beginners, it’s key to understand that options gradually lose their value over time (hence, time decay), which accelerates as they get closer to expiration. Therefore, actively managing open options positions becomes crucial for traders as they seek to take advantage of the hedging protection offered by options.

The Endless Complexity of Synthetic Options

If trading cryptocurrencies weren’t already complicated enough, another risk that traders need to be aware of is that synthetic options throw an additional wrench into the mix when it comes to complexity. 

Without properly understanding the complexities of these financial tools, investors and traders may suffer additional losses due to unexpected shifts in market conditions or a lack of awareness about the different factors that can affect the value of their investments. These losses can range from extra trading fees to lowered profits because of a poor 

. Thus, it’s crucial for anyone planning to set up a synthetic options strategy to understand the potential losses involved before diving in.

How to Use a Synthetic Calls Options Strategy

For our synthetic calls options strategy, let’s go with the example of trading Ether (ETH), with a reference price of $1,800. 

As a long-term investor, if you're already holding Ether and want to mitigate your downside risk, then you can proceed with the synthetic call options strategy by purchasing an 

 put option. In this case, you would be purchasing the 1800p with a month to expiration. This would require you to pay for a put contract premium of about 0.0551 ETH if the contract were to expire on Jun 30, 2023. What this does is create the opportunity for unlimited upside, thanks to your long ETH position, while protecting your downside with the long put crypto option contract.

How to Use a Synthetic Puts Options Strategy

Conversely, for our synthetic puts options strategy, let’s utilize the reference example of trading Bitcoin (BTC) and a price of $27,000. The strategy is especially handy if you’re already holding a short position on Bitcoin and want to mitigate your downside risk. This can be achieved by purchasing an at-the-money call option. 

In this case, you would be purchasing the 27000c with a month to expiration, which would require a payment for a call contract premium of about 0.0548 BTC if the call option contract were to expire on Jun 30, 2023. What this does is create the opportunity for unlimited upside, due to your short BTC position, while protecting your downside with the long call crypto option contract.

Based on our considerations listed above, crypto synthetic options strategies are certainly worth trying if proper risk management strategies are utilized. Synthetic options are similar to traditional options, yet they allow traders to create almost any type of options position using a combination of long and short positions with call and put options. This flexibility makes these trading strategies useful for experienced traders who are aware of the risks when options contracts are involved, so that proper portfolio hedging can take place.

Experienced traders can also use these strategies to manage risk and take advantage of volatile markets. Whether there’s a bullish or bearish market trend, synthetic options can help create tailor-made trading positions to suit individual trading styles. Additionally, synthetic options provide a convenient way to hedge short positions. This can be extremely useful if you're a crypto trader expecting a 

Ultimately, whether or not synthetic options trading strategies are worth trying will depend on each trader's individual objectives and risk tolerance. However, with a little knowledge and the right tools, these tactics offer a smart way for traders to gain an edge in the options market.

When trading synthetic options, it's important to have a good understanding of the terms and conditions associated with the product — and to make sure that you’re comfortable with the level of risk. Setting clear goals upfront can help ensure that you’re making decisions based on your desired outcome. All in all, synthetic options provide a flexible way for traders of any experience level to gain exposure to markets without having to commit a large amount of capital.

Synthetic Options: Understanding Synthetic Calls & Puts

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