With this investment, Tether leads Orionx&#8217;s Series A funding round for an undisclosed amount, aiming to expand the company&#8217;s foothold in Latam. The region is considered a fertile market for stablecoin-based financial services, as it has the second-largest proportion of unbanked adults. Tether Leads Orionx Series A Funding Round Tether, the leading stablecoin company, has […]

Tether Leads Strategic Investment in Orionx to Increase Stablecoin Adoption in Latam

Pudgy Penguins has launched Pudgy Records, a new music label initiative, as 
its PENGU memecoin shows early signs of a potential breakout. Pudgy Penguins 
(PENGU) has launched Pudgy Records, a new community-driven music label aimed 
at expanding the brand’s cultural…

Pudgy Penguins launches music label as PENGU price eyes a breakout

Switzerland’s Federal Council expects to enforce the bill on the automatic 
exchange of crypto information with 74 countries by late 2026, with the first 
exchange expected in 2027.

Switzerland greenlights crypto tax info sharing with 74 nations

Shares of Circle Internet Group, the issuer of the market’s second-largest 
stablecoin, USDC, experienced a remarkable surge on Thursday, skyrocketing 
168% as the company made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). 
Circle&#8217;s IPO Exceeds Expectations Circle&#8217;s stock opened at $69, well above its 
IPO pricing of $31. Throughout the day, the shares reached a peak of $103.75, 
showcasing strong investor enthusiasm. The IPO was priced late Wednesday, 
exceeding the anticipated range of $27 to $28, and substantially outpacing an 
earlier range of $24 to $26. This pricing strategy valued the company at 
approximately $6.8 billion before trading commenced. Related Reading: Messari 
Flags XRP’s Silent Rise As A Treasury Favorite—Here’s Why By the end of the 
trading session, Circle&#8217;s trading volume reached about 46 million shares, far 
surpassing the number of freely floating shares available. This impressive 
performance positions Circle alongside other cryptocurrency firms like 
Coinbase, Mara Holdings, and Riot Platforms as a notable player in the US 
market. CEO Jeremy Allaire emphasized the importance of building relationships 
with governments and policymakers, stating, “To realize our vision, we needed 
to forge relationships with governments… it’s got to work in mainstream 
society and you need to have those rules of the road.” Allaire highlighted 
Circle&#8217;s commitment to compliance and transparency, which he believes has 
contributed to the company&#8217;s success in a challenging regulatory environment. 
Could Higher Prices Follow For Future Listings? The strong debut of Circle&#8217;s 
IPO could signal a shift in how institutional investors approach upcoming 
listings, potentially leading to higher initial public offering prices for 
future offerings. Notable companies preparing for IPOs include Omada Health, 
which is pricing on Thursday, and Klarna, a fintech firm set to list next 
week. While Circle&#8217;s IPO share price initially set its market value at $6.1 
billion—below its last private market valuation of $7.7 billion from 
2021—Thursday&#8217;s trading surge adjusted that figure. Related Reading: Crypto 
Analyst Warns: This Bitcoin Bull Cycle Looks Nothing Like 2017 or 2021 By the 
close of trading, Circle&#8217;s market capitalization, excluding employee options, 
stood at an impressive $16.7 billion. The company successfully raised 
approximately $1.1 billion through the offering. Circle&#8217;s journey to this 
point has been marked by challenges, including its previous attempt to go 
public. Circle&#8217;s previous attempt to go public via a merger was with a special 
purpose acquisition company (SPAC), which collapsed in late 2022 due to 
regulatory hurdles. The company&#8217;s largest outside shareholders include General 
Catalyst and IDG Capital, holding approximately 8.9% and 8.8% of all stock, 
respectively. Other significant backers such as Accel, Breyer Capital, and Oak 
Investment Partners continue to support Circle’s vision in the evolving crypto 
marketplace. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

Circle Soars 168% In First Day Of Trading On NYSE Following Strong IPO

Memecoin launchpad Believe has introduced new security features to protect 
users from rugpulls and scams, including automatic and manual fee blocking on 
new tokens and a standardized “BLV” contract address suffix. Believe, the 
SocialFi memecoin launchpad formerly known as Clout,…

Believe memecoin launchpad rolls out rug protection features

Japan’s Metaplanet plans to hold 100,000 BTC by 2026, revising its target from 
21,000 and issuing shares to accelerate its Bitcoin treasury strategy.