While global darknet crypto sales fell by double digits over the past year, Russia&#8217;s darknet market Kraken still saw a big jump in crypto trade, Chainalysis says. Global cryptocurrency sales on darknet markets dropped by 15% in 2024, though Russia&#8217;s…

Russia-focused darknet crypto sales jump 68% as global revenue falls: Chainalysis

Slana&#8217;s Sonic SVM has introduced a novel token burn mechanism, aimed a 
boosting liquidity and rewarding holders.

Solana’s Sonic SVM chain introduces new burn mechanism to boost liquidity

Stocks opened lower on Monday as Wall Street flipped negative after Moody&#8217;s 
downgraded the United States’ credit rating. The S&amp;P 500 fell 0.8% at the 
open, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1%, as the downgrade combined with 
broader market concerns…

Dow recovers from morning lows, indices nearly flat despite U.S. debt downgrade

Franklin, a hybrid cash and crypto payroll provider, is launching a new 
initiative that aims to turn idle-sitting payroll into an opportunity for 
yield.
The new solution, dubbed Payroll Treasury Yield, uses blockchain lending 
protocols to help firms earn returns on payroll funds that would otherwise sit 
idle, the company told Cointelegraph in an exclusive statement.
Franklin said its new offering integrates Summer.fi, a decentralized finance 
(DeFi) lending platform, to allow companies to deposit stablecoin-denominated 
payroll reserves into smart contract-based lending pools.
These funds are lent to vetted borrowers, and companies earn yields while 
retaining access to their capital. Companies maintain full custody throughout 
the process, and smart contracts used are audited to reduce risk.
&#8220;The problem that Franklin solves for is two-fold,&#8221; Megan Knab, founder and 
CEO of Franklin, told Cointelegraph. For companies that have already 
integrated crypto onto their balance sheets, Franklin helps them use those 
assets to manage their operations, he said.
&#8220;But for the broader market, we are enabling business models of the future, 
where money moves instantly, more intelligently, and to more globally,&#8221; Knab 
added.
_Source: Franklin_
 _**Related:**__**PayPal to offer 3.7% yield on stablecoin balances: Report**_
## Alternative to T-Bills
Franklin said its new offering is an alternative to traditional treasury tools 
like sweep accounts or T-bills, which often involve operational complexity and 
limited returns.
Furthermore, it differentiates from earned wage access (EWA) platforms, which 
enable employees to access their earned wages before their scheduled payday by 
avoiding additional debt and associated costs.
&#8220;Traditional payments in the next decade will run entirely on public 
blockchain rails as a wholesale replacement to ACH and SWIFT,&#8221; Knab said.
He added that if onchain payroll products go mainstream, banks could fade into 
the background. While technology may replace many banking functions with self- 
custody tools and smart contracts, regulatory frameworks will still require 
accountable legal entities.
The result may be &#8220;zombie-like institutions&#8221; &#8212; banks in name only, existing 
to meet compliance rules but playing a minimal role in actual payment 
processing, Knab said.
However, decentralized lending comes with risks like smart contract 
vulnerabilities and market fluctuations. Franklin said it aims to mitigate 
these by using Summer.fi&#8217;s audited contracts and overcollateralized lending.
_**Related:**__**How to Use tsUSDe on TON for Passive Dollar Yield in 2025**_
## Rising interest in yield-generating strategies
Interest in yield-generating strategies within the cryptocurrency sector has 
surged in recent years, driven by both retail and institutional investors 
seeking to maximize returns on their digital assets.
On May 16, Solv Protocol launched a yield-bearing Bitcoin token on the 
Avalanche blockchain, giving institutional investors more exposure to yield 
opportunities backed by real-world assets, or RWAs.
On May 1, Ryan Chow, co-founder and CEO of Solv Protocol, said the demand for 
yield-generating strategies around Bitcoin is surging, especially from firms 
seeking liquidity without liquidating their BTC.
_**Magazine: **__**Arthur Hayes $1M Bitcoin tip, altcoins &#8216; powerful rally&#8217; 
looms: Hodler&#8217;s Digest, May 11 &#8211; 17**_

Franklin taps blockchain to offer yield on idle payroll funds

Ethereum price dropped on Monday as risk-off sentiment continued in the crypto 
and stock markets, and after a whale capitulated at a significant loss. 
Ethereum (ETH) fell to $2,400 on Monday, down from this month’s high of 
$2,732. The decline…

Ethereum price dips as a whale capitulates with a big loss

Bitcoin is currently priced at $102,554 with a market capitalization of $2.03 
trillion. The 24-hour trading volume reached $47.58 billion, and the intraday 
price range fluctuated between $102,126 and $107,115. Bitcoin A recent 
rejection from the local high of $107,115 signals a significant turning point, 
especially with heightened selling pressure seen across all major timeframes. 
[…]