22 May 2025, 15:00

Crypto for Advisors: When Crypto Meets Netflix

Last week was Consensus Toronto 2025 . If you couldn’t attend, CoinDesk has you covered! Listen to amazing global thought leaders, sharing their insights on pertinent topics surrounding the digital asset space on day 1 , day 2 and day 3 . You can also read the extensive editorial coverage . In today’s Crypto for Advisors, Shivani Phull from Pixelynx explains how Black Mirror is leveraging blockchain as part of evolving fan content and engagement. Then, Eric Tomaszewski from Verde Capital Management answers questions about the appeal of these products to next-gen investors in Ask an Expert. Thank you to our sponsor of this week's newsletter, Grayscale. For financial advisors near Boston, Grayscale is hosting an exclusive event, Crypto Connect, on Thursday, June 5. Learn more . – Sarah Morton Unknown block type "divider", specify a component for it in the `components.types` option Storytelling 3.0: When AI, Blockchain and IP Collide How Black Mirror’s on-chain experiment is paving the way for the future of entertainment monetization. Traditional storytelling is hitting its ceiling. The passive, one-way consumption model that has defined entertainment for decades is increasingly out of sync with the expectations of digital-native audiences. And now, with the rise of new technologies, the entertainment intellectual property (IP) is entertainment intellectual property, or IP, is being fundamentally reimagined. From Bandersnatch to Blockchain Black Mirror has never been afraid to challenge the status quo. In 2018, the series broke new ground with Bandersnatch , an interactive episode. It hinted at a deeper shift: from stories we watch to stories we shape. That shift is accelerating. Members of Gen Z and Gen Alpha have been raised in worlds like Minecraft, Roblox and Fortnite, where user-generated content forms the foundation of the experience. These audiences don’t want to passively consume; they want to participate, shape and own the narrative. Traditional IP Revenue Is Evolving Traditionally, IP holders made money through licensing, syndication, product placement and box office sales. But generative AI is disrupting this model. With tools like OpenAI’s Sora or Runway, anyone can spin up derivative content, posing both a threat and an opportunity. For IP owners, the challenge is clear: either lose control of the narrative or lean into new models that protect and expand it. Enter blockchain. Blockchain as the Rails for Interactive IP Blockchain brings the missing layer of structure. It allows for: On-chain IP verification — using blockchain to prove who owns creative content, making it secure and transparent. Composable rights — content can be broken down into smaller parts that others can build on, remix or combine with new creations, allowing for microlicensing. Community ownership and participation rewards — fans can hold tokens that give them access to exclusive experiences and benefits as the project grows. Tokenized incentives for creators and fans — digital tokens are used to reward people for contributing, collaborating or being active in the community. This format unlocks new paths for storytelling, where fans are stakeholders shaping narratives with their favorite IPs, not just spectators. Case Study: Black Mirror Enters Web3 Banijay Rights, the global sales arm of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment, which handles distribution for Black Mirror , has partnered with Pixelynx Inc. and KOR Protocol, a blockchain-based IP infrastructure and entertainment company based in Los Angeles, co-founded by iconic DJs Deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin. Led by visionary CEO Inder Phull, Pixelynx helped bring the Black Mirror universe on-chain in a way that’s interactive, compliant and community-driven. Their latest initiative is a token inspired by the Nosedive episode, where fans link their socials and wallets to earn a reputation score. With more than 300,000 sign-ups, top participants unlock exclusive experiences and rewards, offering IP holders a new way to engage and reward their most passionate fans. The IP Industry’s Fork in the Road The future of entertainment lies in embracing this shift through new frameworks that provide clear guardrails for IP usage, that preserve integrity, protect rights and enable value to accrue to fans and creators in a fair and transparent way. This marks the beginning of a new era for IP: one defined by protection, participation and sustainable monetization. By making IPs interactive, tokenized and on-chain, rights holders aren’t just experimenting—they’re sketching the blueprint for Storytelling 3.0. - Shivani Phull, CFO, Pixelynx Inc. Unknown block type "divider", specify a component for it in the `components.types` option Ask an Expert Q. What does "ownership" mean in the age of Web3, and how is it different from traditional investing? A. Ownership in Web3 is not just about holding an asset. More so, it's about participating in a system. With the Black Mirror token, owning the token means having a say in governance, gaining access to exclusive ecosystems, and building a digital form of identity that has the ability to grow in value over time. Unlike passive stock ownership, this is participatory. You are a stakeholder, not just a shareholder. Q. Can reputation-based tokens create economic value from behavior and is it sustainable? A. Yes, but it's nuanced. Black Mirror token gamifies trust because your on-chain actions and social interactions can earn tangible rewards. As a financial advisor, I'd caution that while this is exciting, it introduces performance-based risk. That being said, it reflects the direction of where young digitally native investors are heading. Q. Could these tokens act as a new form of "digital yield" for younger investors? A. Absolutely. Instead of fixed income yield, this is engagement yield. The more active and credible you are, the more awards you could potentially earn. It could be whitelisting access, platform discounts, or possibly token-based income. This is a new incentive model in some respects. When speaking to a client, I frame it as a form of behavioral finance in motion. With the right level of risk and time allocation, it becomes an asset that pays in influence and access. It's also a way to acknowledge that fulfillment and value look different to each person. Not every return is financial. - Eric Tomaszewski, financial advisor, Verde Capital Management Unknown block type "divider", specify a component for it in the `components.types` option Keep Reading JP Morgan to enable clients to invest in bitcoin . Robinhood to acquire Canadian crypto firm Wonderfi. The U.S. Senate voted 66-32 to advance its landmark stablecoin legislation , the GENIUS Act. Digital Assets: Month in Review , with Joshua de Vos of CoinDesk delivering a monthly column on the crypto markets and ETF/ETP flows.

22 May 2025, 14:46

500 Bitcoin Partnership from Crypto Mining Company MARA Holding! Here Are the Details

MARA Holdings (formerly Marathon Digital), the largest publicly traded crypto mining company in the United States, has taken another strategic step to evaluate institutional Bitcoin assets. MARA Holdings Expands Partnership with Two Prime to Increase Yields on Bitcoin Assets The company announced that it will expand its existing partnership with SEC-registered investment advisor Two Prime, allocating an initial 500 BTC to Two Prime-managed yield strategies. Two Prime was already providing Bitcoin-backed loans to MARA. The new move aims to transform this collaboration into a more comprehensive capital management model. “MARA holds one of the largest institutional Bitcoin treasuries in the world. It sets the standard for how institutional investors can responsibly unlock the value of Bitcoin,” said Alexander Blume, CEO of Two Prime. “This partnership is not only about returns; we are also building a model based on transparency, risk awareness and capital efficiency.” MARA Holdings is the second-largest Bitcoin holder among public companies after Strategy, with 48,137 BTC. The company's market value is around $5.7 billion. MARA, which generated $214 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2024, still reported a net loss of $533 million. In March, the company announced plans to sell up to $2 billion in shares in order to increase its Bitcoin reserves. “More actively investing our Bitcoin assets is a smart and balanced strategy for our shareholders,” said Paul Giordano, Vice President of Digital Asset Management at MARA. “With this allocation to Two Prime’s strategies, we continue to prioritize flexibility and security while increasing our return targets.” Two Prime operates with access to $2.5 billion in capital by developing proprietary Bitcoin derivative strategies for institutional investors. On the other hand, MARA shares have lost about 8% of their value since the beginning of the year, while the bitcoin price has increased by 11.5%, reaching a new all-time high of over $110,000 recently. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: 500 Bitcoin Partnership from Crypto Mining Company MARA Holding! Here Are the Details

22 May 2025, 14:31

Dow Jones, S&P 500 trading flat as House passes Trump’s tax bill

U.S. stocks were mostly flat an hour after the opening bell, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 13 points as investors weighed the latest developments surrounding President Donald Trump’s tax bill. While the Dow managed to reverse futures losses seen earlier in the day, the S&P 500 hovered just 0.06 percent in the green. Like the benchmark S&P 500 and the blue-chip Dow, the Nasdaq Composite posted very slight gains, up 0.5 percent at the open. Wall Street’s jitters threatened to pull the major indices off recent highs, which followed notable spikes fueled by trade deal optimism. However, fresh concerns around U.S.-China tensions over semiconductor policy and the latest House vote appear to have pushed investor sentiment into more negative territory. You might also like: Bitcoin eyes rally beyond $150k as golden cross forms Investors reacted unfavorably to the House of Representatives’ passage of a bill focused on lowering taxes and increasing military spending. There are concerns that the passage of Trump’s tax bill could further accelerate the U.S. deficit. Investors worry that the current 36 trillion dollar U.S. deficit could balloon by several trillion dollars more. Just days ago, Moody’s downgraded the U.S. credit rating. This outlook has pushed the 30-year Treasury yield to 5.1 percent, its highest level since October 2023. Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury note yield continues to hover near 4.6 percent. Rising long-term interest rates, combined with broader macroeconomic pressures, could drive stocks lower. As stocks struggle, Bitcoin ( BTC ) has spiked to a new all-time high above $111k. the gains have also seen altcoins, including Ethereum ( ETH ) notch some upward action. Elsewhere in the market, U.S. jobless claims dropped slightly in the week ending May 17. Data on initial filings for unemployment insurance showed a decline of 2,000, coming in at a seasonally adjusted 227,000. That was just below the 230,000 estimate from Dow Jones. Meanwhile, the four-week moving average for jobless claims ticked slightly higher to 231,500. You might also like: Why is the Dow Jones tumbling while Bitcoin and altcoins are rising? 38 minutes ago

22 May 2025, 14:26

Pakistan to Launch Digital Assets Authority in Push Toward Blockchain Regulation

Pakistan Ministry of Finance has backed the formation of a new regulatory body focused on blockchain-based financial infrastructure. The Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA) will oversee the development and regulation of cryptocurrencies, tokenized platforms, decentralized finance (DeFi), and related services in the country, according to a May 21 report from the state broadcaster PTV. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb emphasized the urgency and ambition behind the move , stating, “Pakistan must regulate not just to catch up, but to lead.” He added that the PDAA will be “a future-ready framework that protects consumers, invites global investment, and puts [the country] at the forefront of financial innovation.” The PDAA’s role will extend beyond crypto trading regulation. It will also be responsible for tokenizing national assets, managing government debt through blockchain, enabling regulated Bitcoin mining to monetize surplus electricity, and supporting local startups developing Web3-based solutions. Pakistan Making Strategic Policy Shift The creation of the PDAA marks a major policy shift for Pakistan, where the stance on cryptocurrencies had once been skeptical. In May 2023, then Minister of State for Finance Aisha Ghaus Pasha had firmly declared that the country would never legalize digital assets, citing concerns about money laundering and the potential to circumvent financial controls imposed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). However, a surge in grassroots adoption and increasing interest in blockchain innovation appears to have altered the narrative. In 2024, Pakistan ranked ninth globally on Chainalysis’ crypto adoption index, highlighting strong retail engagement and a growing ecosystem around centralized crypto services. According to Statista, Pakistan’s crypto market is rapidly expanding, with the number of users projected to exceed 27 million by 2025. The market’s revenue is expected to reach $1.6 billion, a notable rise for a country with limited prior exposure to regulated digital finance. While still trailing far behind the United States, which projects over $9.4 billion in revenue, Pakistan’s growth trajectory has caught global attention . A Vision for Economic Transformation Bilal Bin Saqib, CEO of Pakistan Crypto Council, hailed the PDAA initiative as more than just a crypto regulation move. “This is about rewriting our financial future,” he said, “expanding access and creating new export channels through tokenization, digital finance, and Web3 innovation.” With former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao advising the government-backed Cryptocurrency Council , Pakistan’s pivot toward blockchain regulation could well place it on the global fintech map — not just as a fast follower, but as a proactive player shaping the future of digital finance. The post Pakistan to Launch Digital Assets Authority in Push Toward Blockchain Regulation appeared first on TheCoinrise.com .

22 May 2025, 14:05

Mantle and Republic Technologies Forge Strategic Partnership to Pioneer Institutional mETH Integration

Singapore, Singapore, May 22nd, 2025, Chainwire mETH becomes the first liquid staking token to be held on the balance sheet of a publicly listed company. Mantle , the largest sustainable hub for on-chain finance with over $3 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL), today announced a strategic partnership with Republic Technologies , the Ethereum (“ETH”) treasury of publicly listed Canadian company Beyond Medical Technologies Inc. (CSE: DOCT) (IBKR: DOCT) (FSE: 7FM). This partnership marks a major milestone in institutional cryptocurrency adoption, positioning Mantle’s mETH as the first liquid staking token to be held on the balance sheet of a publicly listed company. Through the partnership, Republic Technologies plans to delegate a significant portion of its ETH holdings to Mantle’s mETH Protocol and will hold mETH as a yield-bearing, liquid staking token on its balance sheet. The collaboration underscores a structural shift in institutional digital asset strategy and growing investor conviction in Ethereum-native yield infrastructure, reflecting Republic Technologies’ deepening alignment with the Mantle ecosystem. Republic Technologies: The First Publicly Listed Ethereum Treasury Republic Technologies is establishing a new institutional paradigm by building a treasury strategy around Ethereum, seen as the foundational layer for smart contracts, tokenization, and decentralized financial settlement. In contrast to Bitcoin-focused strategies employed by firms like Strategy and Metaplanet, whose reserves are largely Bitcoin-based, Republic Technologies’ approach is anchored in Ethereum’s role as the infrastructure layer powering both blockchain innovation and real-world enterprise integration. By accumulating ETH as a core balance sheet asset, Republic Technologies advances the growth of its underlying healthcare technology businesses while offering institutional-grade exposure to digital assets for all shareholders. This strategy attracts growing interest from traditional markets and accelerates institutional participation in the emerging technology sector. “We hold strong conviction that Ethereum is the institutional chain, with ETH serving as the digital fuel powering global financial systems,” said Daniel Liu , CEO of Republic Technologies . “Our initial entry through Mantle’s Scout Program helped us gain early exposure to the broader Mantle ecosystem, where our alignment with mETH Protocol came as a natural next step. More than 50 established incumbents —including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, PayPal, and Visa—have already built services on Ethereum. Wall Street has made its decision. Our role now is to extend the benefits of this macro tailwind to a broader base of institutional and retail participants worldwide.” Its leadership team brings decades of experience from top-tier financial institutions, including Apollo Global Management, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, and Canaccord Genuity. Republic Technologies operates under the publicly listed company Beyond Medical Technologies Inc. , a technology firm integrating blockchain infrastructure to drive operational efficiency and improve patient outcomes across the medical ecosystem. In March 2025, Republic Technologies entered into a licensing agreement and launched its medical attestation platform, leveraging Ethereum-based distributed systems to power healthcare data integrity and regulatory compliance. The Ethereum treasury was established to support and scale this vision, marking a first-of-its-kind integration. Institutional Alignment with Mantle’s Yield Infrastructure Mantle’s mETH Protocol has quickly emerged as one of the leading platforms in Ethereum liquid staking and restaking. Within just 66 days of launch, it surpassed $1 billion in TVL —the fastest growth in its category—and has since peaked at over $2.19 billion. Designed with institutional-grade capital efficiency and composability in mind, mETH enables institutions to access Ethereum-native yield through a fully composable and capital-efficient framework. To date, over 170,000 mETH (approximately $455 million) has been restaked into EigenDA, securing Mantle’s modular data availability layer. Validator operations are distributed across leading infrastructure providers, including Stakefish, P2P.org, Blockdaemon, A41, and Veda, ensuring high availability and robust institutional reliability. “Republic Technologies’ participation highlights mETH Protocol’s ability to support institutional strategies built natively on Ethereum,” said Jonathan Low, Growth Lead at mETH Protocol . “As demand accelerates for ETH-native yield and utility, we remain focused on building resilient infrastructure that long-term allocators can trust.” Looking Ahead: MI4 and Mantle Banking The partnership precedes mETH’s inclusion in MI4 , a tokenized, yield-focused index fund developed in collaboration with Securitize—the tokenization firm behind BlackRock’s BUIDL and Apollo’s ACRED. Backed by up to $400 million anchor investment from the Mantle Treasury, MI4 targets $1 billion in AUM and will offer regulated exposure to BTC, ETH, SOL, stablecoins, and select staking assets, with mETH playing a central role in its ETH allocation strategy. In parallel, Mantle is preparing to extend mETH’s utility across traditional finance through Mantle Banking , an initiative that will integrate mETH into fiat rails, credit products, and conventional payment systems. This integration will allow users to spend, borrow, and invest with mETH across traditional payment rails, unlocking real-world utility for digital assets. About Mantle Ecosystem A pioneering on-chain ecosystem dedicated to revolutionizing the future of finance and blockchain scalability, seamlessly bridging traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). Through innovative products like Mantle Network , mETH Protocol, Function (FBTC), and Mantle Index Four (MI4), Mantle’s ecosystem empowers users and institutions with a unified financial services platform, redefining how the world spends, saves, and invests in the Web 3.0 era. For more information, users can visit: https://group.mantle.xyz/ Contact Consultant Faizah Faizuwan Wachsman [email protected]

22 May 2025, 14:04

Mantle and Republic Technologies Forge Strategic Partnership to Pioneer Institutional mETH Integration

May 22nd, 2025 – Singapore, Singapore mETH becomes the first liquid staking token to be held on the balance sheet of a publicly listed company. Mantle , the largest sustainable hub for on-chain finance with over $3 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL), today announced a strategic partnership with Republic Technologies , the Ethereum (“ETH”) treasury of publicly listed Canadian company Beyond Medical Technologies Inc. (CSE: DOCT) (IBKR: DOCT) (FSE: 7FM). This partnership marks a major milestone in institutional cryptocurrency adoption, positioning Mantle’s mETH as the first liquid staking token to be held on the balance sheet of a publicly listed company. Through the partnership, Republic Technologies plans to delegate a significant portion of its ETH holdings to Mantle’s mETH Protocol and will hold mETH as a yield-bearing, liquid staking token on its balance sheet. The collaboration underscores a structural shift in institutional digital asset strategy and growing investor conviction in Ethereum-native yield infrastructure, reflecting Republic Technologies’ deepening alignment with the Mantle ecosystem. Republic Technologies: The First Publicly Listed Ethereum Treasury Republic Technologies is establishing a new institutional paradigm by building a treasury strategy around Ethereum, seen as the foundational layer for smart contracts, tokenization, and decentralized financial settlement. In contrast to Bitcoin-focused strategies employed by firms like Strategy and Metaplanet, whose reserves are largely Bitcoin-based, Republic Technologies’ approach is anchored in Ethereum’s role as the infrastructure layer powering both blockchain innovation and real-world enterprise integration. By accumulating ETH as a core balance sheet asset, Republic Technologies advances the growth of its underlying healthcare technology businesses while offering institutional-grade exposure to digital assets for all shareholders. This strategy attracts growing interest from traditional markets and accelerates institutional participation in the emerging technology sector. “We hold strong conviction that Ethereum is the institutional chain, with ETH serving as the digital fuel powering global financial systems,” said Daniel Liu , CEO of Republic Technologies . “Our initial entry through Mantle’s Scout Program helped us gain early exposure to the broader Mantle ecosystem, where our alignment with mETH Protocol came as a natural next step. More than 50 established incumbents —including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, PayPal, and Visa—have already built services on Ethereum. Wall Street has made its decision. Our role now is to extend the benefits of this macro tailwind to a broader base of institutional and retail participants worldwide.” Its leadership team brings decades of experience from top-tier financial institutions, including Apollo Global Management, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, and Canaccord Genuity. Republic Technologies operates under the publicly listed company Beyond Medical Technologies Inc. , a technology firm integrating blockchain infrastructure to drive operational efficiency and improve patient outcomes across the medical ecosystem. In March 2025, Republic Technologies entered into a licensing agreement and launched its medical attestation platform, leveraging Ethereum-based distributed systems to power healthcare data integrity and regulatory compliance. The Ethereum treasury was established to support and scale this vision, marking a first-of-its-kind integration. Institutional Alignment with Mantle’s Yield Infrastructure Mantle’s mETH Protocol has quickly emerged as one of the leading platforms in Ethereum liquid staking and restaking. Within just 66 days of launch, it surpassed $1 billion in TVL —the fastest growth in its category—and has since peaked at over $2.19 billion. Designed with institutional-grade capital efficiency and composability in mind, mETH enables institutions to access Ethereum-native yield through a fully composable and capital-efficient framework. To date, over 170,000 mETH (approximately $455 million) has been restaked into EigenDA, securing Mantle’s modular data availability layer. Validator operations are distributed across leading infrastructure providers, including Stakefish, P2P.org, Blockdaemon, A41, and Veda, ensuring high availability and robust institutional reliability. “Republic Technologies’ participation highlights mETH Protocol’s ability to support institutional strategies built natively on Ethereum,” said Jonathan Low, Growth Lead at mETH Protocol . “As demand accelerates for ETH-native yield and utility, we remain focused on building resilient infrastructure that long-term allocators can trust.” Looking Ahead: MI4 and Mantle Banking The partnership precedes mETH’s inclusion in MI4 , a tokenized, yield-focused index fund developed in collaboration with Securitize—the tokenization firm behind BlackRock’s BUIDL and Apollo’s ACRED. Backed by up to $400 million anchor investment from the Mantle Treasury, MI4 targets $1 billion in AUM and will offer regulated exposure to BTC, ETH, SOL, stablecoins, and select staking assets, with mETH playing a central role in its ETH allocation strategy. In parallel, Mantle is preparing to extend mETH’s utility across traditional finance through Mantle Banking , an initiative that will integrate mETH into fiat rails, credit products, and conventional payment systems. This integration will allow users to spend, borrow, and invest with mETH across traditional payment rails, unlocking real-world utility for digital assets. About Mantle Ecosystem A pioneering on-chain ecosystem dedicated to revolutionizing the future of finance and blockchain scalability, seamlessly bridging traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). Through innovative products like Mantle Network , mETH Protocol, Function (FBTC), and Mantle Index Four (MI4), Mantle’s ecosystem empowers users and institutions with a unified financial services platform, redefining how the world spends, saves, and invests in the Web 3.0 era. For more information, users can visit: https://group.mantle.xyz/ Contact Consultant Faizah Faizuwan Wachsman [email protected] This content is sponsored and should be regarded as promotional material. Opinions and statements expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of The Daily Hodl. The Daily Hodl is not a subsidiary of or owned by any ICOs, blockchain startups or companies that advertise on our platform. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in any ICOs, blockchain startups or cryptocurrencies. Please be advised that your investments are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. Follow Us on X Facebook Telegram Check out the Latest Industry Announcements The post Mantle and Republic Technologies Forge Strategic Partnership to Pioneer Institutional mETH Integration appeared first on The Daily Hodl .