Tether’s rivals are exerting more and more extra stress to push the world’s largest stablecoin issuer out of the crypto market, together with political stress aimed toward lowering the agency’s main market share.
Within the wider crypto markets, analysts are suggesting that the majority cryptocurrencies gained’t see a widespread “altcoin season” rally in 2025, and solely choose tokens with sustainable investor curiosity and revenue-generating fashions will be capable to outperform the remainder of the tokens.
Paolo Ardoino: Rivals and politicians intend to “kill Tether”
Tether’s rivals are working to push the world’s largest stablecoin issuer out of the crypto market, in line with the corporate’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino.
Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, USDt (USDT), has a market capitalization of greater than $142 billion — over twice as massive as Circle’s USD Coin’s (USDC) $56 billion, in line with Cointelegraph information.
Nevertheless, the stablecoin issuer faces mounting stress from competing corporations and politicians, Ardoino mentioned in a Feb. 25 X put up.
“Whereas our rivals’ enterprise mannequin ought to be to construct a greater product and even greater distribution community, their actual intent is ‘Kill Tether.’ Each single enterprise or political assembly that they’ve culminates with this intent.”
“I’ll depart it to you to outline a competitor making an attempt to make use of lawfare to kill an opponent, as a substitute of specializing in higher merchandise,” Ardoino added.
Tether will proceed specializing in its mission to advertise international monetary inclusion, notably in underdeveloped economies, Ardoino mentioned, noting that USDT is utilized by greater than 400 million folks and beneficial properties 35 million new wallets every quarter.
Ardoino’s feedback adopted Tether’s exclusion from the record of 10 corporations authorized to difficulty stablecoins underneath the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Property (MiCA) regulatory framework.
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Altseason 2025: “Most altcoins gained’t make it,” CryptoQuant CEO says
Most cryptocurrencies past Bitcoin and Ether could not expertise a widespread “altcoin season” rally in 2025, however initiatives with sturdy fundamentals and revenue-generating fashions may outperform the broader market, in line with Ki Younger Ju, the founder and CEO of CryptoQuant.
“Most altcoins gained’t make it” throughout the 2025 market cycle, Ju wrote in a Feb. 25 X put up.
Cryptocurrencies with potential exchange-traded fund (ETF) approvals, sturdy revenue-generating fashions and sustained investor consideration could outperform the remainder of the market, Ju mentioned. Nonetheless, “The period of every little thing pumping is over,” he added.
Supply: Ki Younger Ju
Ju’s outlook comes as 24% of the 200 largest cryptocurrencies have fallen to their lowest ranges in additional than a yr, sparking hypothesis about potential market capitulation.
Prime 200 cryptocurrencies. Supply: Jamie Coutts
The present downturn could sign an incoming market capitulation, in line with Juan Pellicer, senior analysis analyst at crypto intelligence platform IntoTheBlock.
“The latest market correction, with vital liquidations (particularly in property like Solana) and a drop in whole crypto market cap to $3.13 trillion, factors towards potential capitulation as overleveraged positions are flushed out,” Pellicer advised Cointelegraph.
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Bybit hacker launders $335M as funds proceed to maneuver
The hacker behind the $1.4 billion Bybit exploit has laundered greater than $335 million in digital property, with investigators persevering with to trace the motion of stolen funds.
Crypto investor sentiment was hit by the biggest hack in crypto historical past on Feb. 21, when Bybit misplaced over $1.4 billion in liquid-staked Ether (STETH), Mantle Staked ETH (mETH) and different digital property.
Onchain information reveals that the hacker has moved 45,900 Ether (ETH) — price about $113 million — prior to now 24 hours, bringing the overall quantity laundered to greater than 135,000 ETH, valued at $335 million.
That left the hacker with about 363,900 ETH, price round $900 million, in accordance to pseudonymous blockchain analyst EmberCN.
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US lawmakers advance decision to repeal “unfair” crypto tax rule
US lawmakers within the Home of Representatives have superior a decision to repeal the “DeFi dealer rule,” which requires brokers to report digital asset transactions to the Inner Income Service.
Set to take impact in 2027, the IRS dealer regulation was authorized on Dec. 5 and would broaden present reporting necessities to incorporate decentralized exchanges. It might require brokers to reveal gross proceeds from gross sales of cryptocurrencies, together with info concerning the taxpayers concerned within the transactions.
Throughout its Feb. 26 committee markup, the Home Methods and Means Committee, a key group inside the Home that offers with monetary points, voted 26 to 16 to advance the decision.
Supply: Methods and Means Committee
In an announcement, Miller Whitehouse-Levine, the CEO of DeFi advocacy group the DeFi Schooling Fund, mentioned the rule is an “illegal and unconstitutional overreach” and wanted to be overturned to “defend People’ freedom of alternative in how they transact.”
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MetaMask provides fiat off-ramp for 10 blockchains to enhance crypto accessibility
Ethereum-based cryptocurrency pockets MetaMask is increasing its fiat off-ramp providers to assist 10 further blockchain networks. The transfer, in partnership with funds supplier Transak, is aimed toward simplifying the method of changing digital property into conventional foreign money.
MetaMask customers had been beforehand pressured to swap property into Ether (ETH) tokens earlier than having the ability to convert them into fiat cash, including further steps and transaction charges.
Nevertheless, as a part of MetaMask’s ongoing partnership with Transak, the pockets will add assist to 10 new networks: the Arbitrum mainnet, Avalanche C-Chain mainnet, Base, BNB Chain, Celo, Fantom, Moonbeam, Moonriver, Optimism and Polygon.
The primary 4 tokens to obtain rapid off-ramping assist embody ETH on Ethereum, ETH on Optimisim, BNB (BNB) and the Polygon (POL) token. Assist for the extra six networks will probably be steadily rolled out.
“By increasing off-ramping capabilities with Transak, MetaMask is eradicating limitations between crypto and conventional foreign money, permitting customers to transform a broader vary of tokens on to money,” mentioned Lorenzo Santos, senior product supervisor at Consensys.
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DeFi market overview
Based on information from Cointelegraph Markets Professional and TradingView, a lot of the 100 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization ended the week within the pink.
The Solana-based decentralized change Raydium’s (RAY) token fell over 55% because the week’s greatest loser, adopted by the Lido DAO (LDO) token, down over 34% on the weekly chart.
Whole worth locked in DeFi. Supply: DefiLlama
Thanks for studying our abstract of this week’s most impactful DeFi developments. Be part of us subsequent Friday for extra tales, insights and training concerning this dynamically advancing house.
