Aave crossed $1 trillion in cumulative lending, signaling DeFi maturity and sustained on-chain credit demand.
Circle posted 77% revenue growth in Q4, driven by a 72% rise in USDC circulation.
UNI jumped 15% as governance reforms aim to boost annual protocol revenue by $27 million.
The crypto market saw major developments across DeFi milestones, institutional earnings, AI-finance integration, governance reforms, and strategic investments. From serious allegations involving Jane Street to Aave’s trillion-dollar lending milestone.
Trading giant Jane Street is under scrutiny following allegations circulated by analyst @ai_9684xtpa on X.
The claims, which gained nearly 1.5 million views, accuse the firm of playing a role in the collapse of Terra’s LUNA and manipulating Bitcoin ETF flows.
According to the allegations, Jane Street exploited its position as an authorized participant in Bitcoin ETFs to conduct structured daily sell-offs around 10 am, allegedly triggering long liquidations and pressuring prices.
The firm is also accused of using regulatory loopholes to establish concealed short positions and coordinating market downturns for profit.
Decentralized finance protocol Aave has become the first DeFi platform to exceed $1 trillion in cumulative lending volume.
The milestone reflects total borrowing activity over the protocol’s lifetime, rather than outstanding debt, signaling sustained demand for on-chain credit markets.
Launched in 2017 as ETHLend before rebranding in 2018, Aave now secures over $27 billion in total value locked (TVL).
Founder Stani Kulechov described the achievement as proof that decentralized finance has matured from experimental smart contracts into infrastructure capable of rivaling traditional financial systems.
Stablecoin issuer Circle delivered a strong Q4, sending its shares up more than 35%. The company reported $770 million in Q4 revenue, up 77% year-over-year, with net income reaching $133.4 million, exceeding analyst expectations.
A key growth driver was USDC circulation, which expanded 72% year-over-year to $75.3 billion.
For the full year 2025, Circle generated $2.7 billion in revenue, although it reported a net loss of $70 million due to IPO-related stock compensation expenses.
Its payment network now connects 55 financial institutions, reinforcing stablecoins’ growing role in global settlement systems.
Ripple participated in a $5 million seed funding round for t54 Labs, a startup building compliance and identity infrastructure for autonomous AI agents in finance.
The platform introduces a “Know Your Agent” (KYA) framework and real-time risk monitoring tools to support machine-driven transactions.
Integrated across the XRP Ledger, Solana, and Base, t54 aims to power AI-based treasury systems and machine-to-machine payments.
Evernorth plans to deploy the technology for managing over $1 billion in institutional XRP holdings.
Also Read: XRP Plunges 70%: Can History Bring an 835% Spike?
Uniswap’s UNI token surged 15% following a governance proposal to expand the protocol’s fee switch across eight additional chains.
If approved, the proposal would automate fee capture across all v3 pools and introduce a tier-based fee system.
Estimates suggest the move could add roughly $27 million in annualized revenue, on top of the approximately $34 million already supporting UNI burns.
The change would strengthen Uniswap’s transformation into a cross-chain revenue-generating protocol.
Tether announced a $200 million strategic investment in online marketplace platform Whop, valuing the company at $1.6 billion.
The partnership aims to integrate Tether’s global payments infrastructure with Whop’s digital marketplace ecosystem.
The move reflects Tether’s broader push beyond stablecoin issuance into internet commerce and infrastructure.
By embedding stablecoins into creator-driven marketplaces, the companies aim to reduce friction in global digital transactions and expand access to digital income opportunities.
Also Read: Bitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Climbs Toward $69K as Asian Demand Tightens Market Supply
1. What does Aave’s $1 trillion milestone represent?
It reflects total lifetime borrowing volume processed through the protocol, not current outstanding loans.
2. Why did Circle shares surge?
Strong Q4 revenue growth and expanding USDC circulation exceeded analyst expectations.
3. What is Uniswap’s fee switch proposal?
It aims to automate protocol fee capture across multiple chains, increasing annual revenue.
4. What are the allegations against Jane Street?
The firm is accused of ETF-related price manipulation and involvement in the LUNA collapse, though no official findings exist.
5. Why did Tether invest in Whop?
To integrate stablecoin payments into digital marketplaces and expand its presence in internet commerce infrastructure.
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