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

3.png

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

lombard tutorial.png

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

Intro to Santiment.png

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.

bybit spread trading.png

Bybit Spread Trading: Smart strategies for market swings

Bybit Learn

Strategies

Excited about the Vasil upgrade? Find out more about Cardano's Vasil hard fork and how you can profit from it with out ADA trading strategies.

ADAUSD_2022-09-16_00-05-59.png

Sign_Up_Welcome_Bonus.png

759_Cardano_Vasil_Hard_Fork-_3_Trading_Strategies_To_Consider_(1).jpg

As Cardano pushes toward their latest major upgrade, the Vasil hard fork aims to improve the network by making it faster, more functional and secure. 

According to the team, the Vasil hard fork, previously said to come in June, is set to go live on September 22 or about a week after The Merge takes place. Read on as we detail what is in store for Cardano and the possible courses of action you can consider to take advantage of the upcoming volatility.

The Cardano Vasil Hard Fork is an upgrade in which the Cardano network will become more robust and scalable as it fixes security loopholes, boost connectivity, and improve the overall functionality of the network.

In 2021, Cardano introduced smart contract compatibility after their previous upgrade known as the Alonzo hard fork. This feature has greatly helped the Cardano ecosystem as many new decentralized applications (DApps) are now building their platforms on the Cardano blockchain.

How will the Vasil Hard Fork improve Cardano?

Prior to the upgrade, there were several Cardano Improvement Proposals (CIPs) posted on the forum on how to improve the overall state of the Cardano blockchain. The Vasil hard fork will roll out many of these CIPs and work on fixing any bugs or security loopholes. There were three critical improvement proposals made in line with one another: CIP 31, CIP 32, and CIP 33.

CIP 31 introduces a new reference input to facilitate access to information stored on the Cardano blockchain and allows anyone to look up outputs without processing them. This means that DApps can now access transactional output without having to recreate it as before.

CIP 32 is simple and aims to bring an on-chain data storage feature for the community and developers. This is expected to improve the decentralization of Cardano's structure.

CIP 33 will allow for lighter transactions, quicker processing and lower fees. It points the Cardano Virtual Machine to a reference script instead of having to include the whole script with the transaction. Since apps built on the blockchain are written in a programming language known as Haskell, it has to be converted into a different language for smart contract compatibility. This results in slower performance and increased cost when making transactions due to the additional transfer of app logic along with the transaction. 

Other small improvements include CIP 40 and diffusion pipelining. CIP 40 will introduce a new type of output transaction and diffusion pipelining is said to improve block transmission without full validation. All of these changes put simply, will increase the throughput of Cardano and improve the development of smart contracts and DApps.

The Vasil hard fork has been getting a lot of attention from the Cardano community. While the upgrade is largely overshadowed by The Merge, we‘ll explore three potential outcomes of the Vasil hard fork and what you can do with each strategy. For reference, we’ll be using ADA's price as of 15th September 2022, which is at $0.47.

Before diving into specifics, here’s a table that summarizes each trading strategy:

According to Cardano's founder Hoskinson, the Vasil hard fork will be the most complicated upgrade in Cardano's history. The current upgrade will include changes to their smart contract language and new primitives to further optimize the blockchain.

The crypto community is very optimistic about the upgrade and expects the price of Cardano to move upward from now until the end of September. It is clear that hard forks have been a catalyst in pushing the price of ADA up previously. Of the last two upgrades, ADA prices have soared by more than 10 times, and the latest Alonzo hard fork in 2021 saw the price of Cardano soar more than 3 times in less than 3 months. 

Additionally, the blockchain is set to become a developer's paradise which could eventually lead to more usage of the blockchain should useful DApps start to appear on Cardano. This is a positive sign for investors and some might look to pick up some ADA if the hard fork commences as scheduled on September 22.

Optimal Strategy: Stop Market Leveraged Long Order

If you’re bullish about the Vasil hard fork following its previous trends and believe that the price of ADA will once again soar upon a successful upgrade, an optimal strategy would buy a leveraged perpetual token ADA2L on Bybit. To open a stop market long order, you have to change your order type from 

 then set your entry above the resistance levels for ADA and choose the amount you would like to enter into the trade.

This strategy is designed to help short term investors take advantage of leveraged positions to increase their profit when an asset goes up in value. Leveraged tokens have rebalancing mechanisms and could be seen as buying into perpetual contracts without the risk of liquidation.

First, check the ADA chart for an area with strong resistance. You can use an indicator like the 20 Weekly Moving Average which shows a strong resistance for ADA between $0.51 and $0.58.

To open the trade, ensure that you have funds in your Bybit Spot Trading wallet. Next, buy the ADA2L leveraged token above the resistance area at a price of your choice, using the stop market order. This would tell the exchange to execute your order if ADA goes above your price target.

 Difference between Entry - Exit before rebalancing

Sometimes there might be unforeseen problems before the upgrade which could cause sentiments to turn negative. We have seen this with the Vasil hard fork previously as it was originally pushed from June to July and now to September. 

While some think the Ethereum merge could be beneficial for the price of Cardano, many believe a successful merge could see ETH taking market share away from ADA, this could cause a bearish short term outlook for Cardano regardless of the completion of the upcoming Vasil hard fork.

Another bearish factor could be the lack of developer interest after the upgrade, which could be due to the complexity of their programming language. As one of the slower growing Layer 1 ecosystems, Cardano has seen competitors like Solana and Near grow over 4 times in developer size despite having a much smaller market cap than Cardano.

Optimal Strategy: Stop Market Leveraged Short Order

If you’re bearish about the Vasil hard fork and believe the hype around it will fizzle out after the upgrade, you can set a stop market short order on Bybit. A leveraged short order is the opposite of our previous example, which means that you will be entering a short position of ADAUSDT perpetual contracts with leverage.

It’s designed to help short term investors take advantage of leveraged positions to increase their profit when an asset goes down in value. Entering a short position with leveraged can be safer than purchasing the underlying contract as there is no margin or liquidation price to worry about.

First, check the ADA chart for an area with strong support. Similarly, you can use an indicator like the Fibonacci Retracement which shows strong support for ADA at around $0.43.

To open the trade, ensure that you have funds in your Bybit Spot Trading wallet. Next, buy the ADA2S leveraged token below the support area at a price of your choice, using the stop market order. This would tell the exchange to execute your order if ADA goes below your price target.

While this seems unlikely to happen due to historical data, we should not leave out the possibility of a non-event. This happens when the market decides on the value of a coin before its event and moves before anything occurs. In this situation, the price would trade sideways which means ADA would neither pump nor dump.

Since you can stake ADA on Cardano without sending your coins out (unlike Ethereum), long term holders might continue to stake their ADA while earning yield. This combined with a low buying pressure could cause the price of ADA to stay neutral. This could be possible as Cardano has been known to roll out developments at a slower pace and the community could just see the Vasil hard fork as another upgrade among many others in the future.

This is a popular neutral strategy that involves buying spot assets, staking them and shorting the same amount of assets. This would allow you to earn from the staking yield instead and ignore any price movements. 

. If you still have USD, you can short the same USD amount on 

 to hedge your position, and proceed to stake your ADA. If you don't have anymore USD, you can use half the ADA you bought and short it on 

 to hedge your position, and stake the remaining half to earn staking rewards. Both methods will ensure you are delta neutral, but do take note of funding rates and liquidation prices. 

You can also hedge using leveraged tokens but ensure you use half the amount as they are innately leveraged, however, because they get rebalanced daily, it is not recommended for long term holds. 

As Cardano runs on a PoS blockchain, you can earn yield on your ADA by staking them with 

. Similar to our other staking products, you won't be able to trade, send or sell the amount you’ve staked, but you may withdraw your ADA balance at any time unless you’ve chosen fixed term staking.

Here’s how you can start earning yield on your ADA with Bybit:

Your first rewards payout should appear two days after each deposit. Your reward payout depends on the amount of ADA staked, and should appear daily after your yield has been calculated.

Like all major upgrades, the hype around Cardano will rise as the date draws near. If you decide to pick up some ADA, it’s worth looking through the above strategies and how you can use them in the event of a bullish or bearish market reaction. Should this upgrade be successful with no delays, Cardano could become a serious competitor to Ethereum and steal some market share even after The Merge.

Cardano has been maintaining its position well in the top 10 cryptocurrency spots. However, similar to post-merge Ethereum, Cardano still has a long way to go as the Layer 1 is known for pushing out developments at its own pace. The Vasil hard fork is a step in the right direction, but if Cardano wants to hold its spot among the top cryptocurrencies, it will need to get more users onboard to its ecosystem.

Whether you’re a long-term investor or short-term speculator, you can invest in ADA and other kinds of cryptocurrencies by 

 to begin your crypto investing journey today.

For an abridged version of our recommended trading strategies, check out our handy infographic below.

Cardano Vasil Hard Fork: 3 Trading Strategies To Consider

Compete for 2,500 USDT Every Week

Earn Points by Completing Tasks

Event Rules

Register now and get 10 points

Write/Reply Comments (0/5)

Publish an Article (0/5)

Share an Article on Social Media (0/5)

Like an Article (0/5)

Read an Article (0/5)

Weekly Leaderboard