Ethereum R1 is a new donation-funded, tokenless Layer 2 rollup designed to offer a decentralized, censorship-resistant, and governance-minimized scaling solution for Ethereum

The S&P 500 rose 0.63% Thursday, boosted by strong Meta and Microsoft earnings, but futures slipped Friday as investors awaited the April jobs report and weighed Apple and Amazon tariff concerns. Gold fell to $3,235 as easing trade tensions cut safe-haven demand; markets await US jobs data for rate cut signals. The Coindesk Indices, which tracks the broader crypto market, rose 2.19%, with Bitcoin and Ether up 2.57% and 2.60%, respectively in the past 24 hours. Trade these markets and more with up to 500x leverage on Bybit MT5 using this 

Today's top performer is AR, which gained 16.8% following CloneX's successful migration to Arweave, sponsored by ArDrive.

Arweave (AR), founded in 2017, is a decentralized network for permanent data storage, using blockweave and Proof of Access to ensure long-term accessibility. It offers 200-year storage for a one-time fee, incentivized by AR tokens for miners. The system connects blocks efficiently to preserve and retrieve data, aiming to create a lasting digital knowledge repository. CloneX has successfully 

 to Arweave for permanent storage, with the support of ArDrive, which sponsored the migration of 100 GB of data. The process is nearly complete, with only Animus remaining to undergo decentralization.

Check out the latest prices, charts, and data of 

 is a new donation-funded, tokenless Layer 2 rollup designed to offer a decentralized, censorship-resistant, and governance-minimized scaling solution for Ethereum. Built on open-source code and the Nethermind Surge stack, it emphasizes credible neutrality, public good funding (with all fees burned after 2030), and infrastructure that remains free from VC control or centralized dependencies.

Yesterday, BTC spot ETFs saw $71.1M in total inflows, with $16M from GBTC and $55.1M from other ETFs.

 $BOOP tokens to active Solana memecoin traders and creators who promote memecoins or Solana dapps on X. To claim, users must connect their Solana wallet or X account and launch a free token. The airdrop arrives in 30 days, but growing the token’s market cap can accelerate the reward.

Beginner

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Ethereum R1 offers a decentralized rollup solution for Ethereum

This article dives into Bitcoin liquid staking protocol Lombard Finance, how LBTC works and how you can stake LBTC through Bybit Web3.

Bitcoin stands as the undisputed giant of the cryptocurrency space, commanding the largest market capitalization. Yet, much of its potential remains untapped, often sitting idle as a store of value rather than actively participating in the thriving 

 ecosystem. Lombard Finance aims to change this narrative by unlocking Bitcoin's utility and integrating it seamlessly into DeFi.

Lombard is built upon Babylon, the innovative Bitcoin staking protocol, and is incubated by Polychain Capital. Lombard’s flagship product, 

 (LST) for BTC. This article explores what Lombard Finance is and how LBTC works, and describes the Lombard ecosystem and how you can stake LBTC through Bybit Web3.

 is a liquid staking protocol that focuses on transforming 

's role in the digital economy. Its core mission is to evolve BTC from simply being a store of value — also viewed as 

 — into a productive asset that actively generates yield and participates within DeFi. Currently, a significant portion of Bitcoin's

 sits idle, lacking the native staking capabilities or cross-chain composability seen with assets such as 

Lombard Finance addresses this shortcoming by building on top of 

, a protocol that supports BTC staking without needing 

 or custodians. Babylon allows Bitcoin's economic weight to secure other 

 (PoS) chains and applications, creating a new yield source for holders. Lombard leverages this foundation to offer LBTC, making staked BTC liquid and usable across the DeFi market.

Lombard’s goal is ambitious: to channel Bitcoin's vast liquidity into DeFi. This could potentially double the ecosystem's 

 (TVL) if even a fraction of available BTC is introduced. Lombard believes this integration will catalyze significant growth and create more sustainable market dynamics by making BTC a core, yield-bearing primitive within DeFi.

Founders and investors of Lombard Finance

Lombard Finance was founded in April 2024 by a team with deep expertise within DeFi, drawing talent from established crypto projects like Polychain, Babylon, Argent, Coinbase and Maple. This collective experience underpins the protocol's design and strategic direction.

The project was notably incubated by Polychain Capital, a prominent crypto investment firm that also led Lombard's $16 million seed funding round (which was 

 in July 2024). This round saw participation from a wide array of significant players in the crypto space — including Babylon, dao5, Franklin Templeton, Foresight Ventures, HTX Ventures, Mirana Ventures, Mantle EcoFund, Nomad Capital, OKX Ventures and Robot Ventures — thus highlighting broad industry confidence in Lombard's vision. Strategic partnerships and contributions from exchanges like

 and Bitget are further bolstering its distribution and liquidity aggregation efforts.

LBTC is Lombard Finance's flagship product — a liquid staking token (LST) that represents Bitcoin staked through the Babylon protocol. Designed as a universal liquid BTC standard, LBTC is fully backed 1:1 by native Bitcoin, ensuring its value is directly tied to the underlying asset.

The token is yield-bearing, capturing rewards generated from securing PoS networks via Babylon staking. Crucially, LBTC remains liquid, meaning holders can freely use it across various DeFi applications — such as 

 and automated vaults — without sacrificing their underlying staked positions or associated yield.

LBTC is also designed for cross-chain compatibility, natively minted on supported blockchains like Ethereum, Base and Sui and using secure infrastructure [such as 

]. This avoids the risks associated with traditional bridging or wrapping methods, thus aiming to provide a more secure and seamless way to utilize Bitcoin across the multichain DeFi ecosystem.

Lombard Finance simplifies the process of putting Bitcoin to work within DeFi through its LBTC token. The mechanism is designed with security and user experience in mind, leveraging the Babylon protocol and a robust Security Consortium.

The core benefit of LBTC lies in its ability to unlock multiple layers of value simultaneously. Holders earn native yield from Babylon staking, potentially accrue additional rewards (such as Lombard Lux points) and gain access to diverse DeFi yield opportunities, all while maintaining the liquidity of their Bitcoin position. This transforms BTC from a static asset into a dynamic, yield-generating component of the DeFi ecosystem.

Lombard Finance is actively building a wide LBTC ecosystem that already boasts over 75 DeFi integrations. Security is foundational, anchored by the 14-member Security Consortium (including prominent names like Galaxy and OKX Ventures) and validating all critical operations alongside audits and bug bounties.

Core infrastructure relies both on Babylon for staking, and on the Chainlink CCIP for secure cross-chain movement, with EigenLayer integration 

. LBTC integrates with leading DeFi applications across lending platforms (e.g., 

) and automated vaults. The platform supports multiple blockchains (including Ethereum, Base, Sui, BNB Chain) and 

 (L2s), positioning LBTC as a versatile cross-chain asset.

Here's how you can stake BTC on Lombard and use LBTC in DeFi and automated vaults.

Lombard Finance (via its LBTC token) offers a compelling way for Bitcoin holders to put their assets into use, earn yield via Babylon staking and gain exposure to the expansive DeFi ecosystem — all while maintaining liquidity. Incubated by Polychain Capital and supported by a robust consortium and growing partner network, Lombard is positioning LBTC as a secure and versatile liquid Bitcoin standard.

It’s easy to participate in the Lombard ecosystem through 

, you can utilize your Bybit Web3 Seed Phrase Wallet to stake BTC and mint 

, Lombard's vault token that represents deposits in automated yield strategies. This provides you with a seamless gateway to access Bitcoin liquid staking and DeFi yields.

Ready to unlock your Bitcoin's potential? 

Intermediate

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Lombard Finance: Polychain-backed Bitcoin liquid staking protocol

The cryptocurrency market has entered a phase reminiscent of past altcoin seasons, primarily driven by Bitcoin's recent rebound to the $94K–$96K range. 

Altcoin season might have come with reviveding speculation 

The cryptocurrency market has entered a phase reminiscent of past altcoin seasons, primarily driven by Bitcoin's recent rebound to the $94K–$96K range. This resurgence has sparked renewed interest among retail traders, shifting focus from Bitcoin to smaller, more speculative altcoins. The overall market saw a 10% increase in value during the final eight days of April, contrasting with Bitcoin's 7% gain. This trend indicates a growing appetite for risk among investors, particularly in meme coins, which have seen a surge in social media discussions.

However, caution is warranted as elevated crowd enthusiasm often precedes market corrections. Historical patterns suggest that when buzzwords like "altseason" are dominating discussions, it may signal an impending price exhaustion. The current market dynamics reflect a shift toward speculative investments, raising concerns about the sustainability of this enthusiasm.

Bitcoin's bullish sentiment substantially improves

Bitcoin's position as the leading cryptocurrency has remained steady, with discussions around its price fluctuating significantly. Following a period of pessimism, when predictions dipped as low as $10K–$69K, sentiment shifted dramatically with the price recovery. Now, optimistic projections of $100K–$159K are dominating conversations, indicating a reversal in trader sentiment.

Despite Bitcoin's consistent presence in market discussions (approximately 25% of asset topics), the ratio of bullish-to-bearish commentary has grown increasingly favorable. This suggests a growing confidence among traders bolstered by Bitcoin's recent performance. However, it’s essential to monitor whether this bullish sentiment translates into sustained investment, or if it leads to overconfidence that may trigger a market pullback.

Ethere, once a robust contender in the altcoin arena, has struggled to regain retail investor confidence despite recent bullish commentary and promises of innovation from co-founder Vitalik Buterin. Its social media presence has dwindled to about 6–7% of discussions, a significant drop from previous years. This decline highlights the challenges Ethereum faces in re-establishing itself as a go-to investment in a market increasingly dominated by speculative assets.

Conversely, XRP has seen a notable increase in optimism surrounding ETF approvals, with expectations rising to 85%. This shift reflects a broader trend of institutional interest in cryptocurrencies, potentially paving the way for significant capital inflows. Meanwhile, Dogecoin's potential ETF listings have sparked renewed interest, transforming its image from that of a meme coin to a legitimate investment option. The growing dialogue surrounding institutional adoption of Dogecoin and XRP indicates a pivotal moment for these assets, suggesting they may play critical roles in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape.

Advanced

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Bybit x Santiment social sentiment report: Altcoin sentiment recovers despite Bitcoin’s resilience

Bybit Spread Trading allows traders to simultaneously buy and sell two related instruments in order to hedge risk or profit from price discrepancies. Read more.

Whether markets are flying high or wobbling unpredictably, one thing remains true: traders are always looking for smarter ways to 

 and find profit opportunities. That’s where Bybit Spread Trading comes in. This feature is tailor-made for those who want to go beyond basic buy/sell plays and start taking advantage of price discrepancies between related instruments. In this guide, we’ll walk through exactly how Bybit Spread Trading works, why it matters and how you can start using it today, whether you’re 

is a newly launched Bybit feature that allows users to simultaneously buy and sell two related instruments — such as Spot, Perpetual or Expiry contracts with different settlement dates — in order to hedge risk or profit from price discrepancies.

This type of trading strategy is popular among institutional and professional traders because it enables more precise, controlled market exposure. However, with Bybit’s interface, the barrier to entry is significantly lowered, opening the door for individual traders to tap with just a few clicks into a powerful set of tools.

At its core, Spread Trading on Bybit is about executing what’s called a combo trade. This means entering two positions at once: one long, one short. These positions are taken on related instruments, such as a BTC Spot trade and a BTC Perpetual contract, with the idea that their prices will either converge or diverge in a way that benefits your position.

When you place a buy combo, you’re buying the instrument with the longer expiration (the “far leg”) and selling the one that expires sooner (the “near leg”). 

A sell combo is the reverse: selling the far leg and buying the near leg. The profit (or loss) comes from how the spread between these two instruments shifts over time.

For example, if you believe the spread between a Perpetual and a Quarterly Futures contract will widen, you can buy the combo. If the spread increases after your entry, that movement becomes your profit. Bybit calculates your 

 prices automatically, based on the mark prices and your defined “order price,” so there’s no need to manually crunch the numbers.

Perhaps the most important feature here is atomic execution. This ensures both sides of your combo trade are filled together, in equal quantities, or the trade doesn’t go through at all. It removes “leg risk,” which is the danger of getting filled on one side of the trade, but not the other. In volatile markets, that alone can save you from an unwanted mess.

Spread Trading on Bybit currently supports combinations such as Spot and Perpetual, Spot and Expiry, Perpetual and Expiry, or even two Expiry contracts with different dates. This flexibility lets you build strategies that align with different market outlooks — bullish, bearish or neutral.

There’s a strong reason why Spread Trading is a go-to for many experienced traders: it allows for strategic plays that are more sophisticated than just guessing price direction. On Bybit, it’s not only powerful, but also convenient.

First, you get price certainty. Your spread is locked in at the price you specify. There’s no 

 between legs because the entry prices are automatically calculated and matched. You’re trading the spread, not the individual legs.

Secondly, the trading experience is smoother. Instead of placing two separate orders and manually trying to sync them, Bybit handles everything as a single transaction. You don’t have to worry about whether one leg gets filled and the other doesn’t — that risk is eliminated through atomic execution.

Third, this setup is a great hedge against volatility. By taking opposing positions on two related contracts, you reduce exposure to sharp price movements. Your P&L becomes more about the relative performance between contracts, rather than the market direction itself.

There’s also a strong cost advantage. Trading spreads on Bybit is significantly cheaper than doing it manually. You pay only half the trading fees you’d incur if you placed two individual trades on the order book. For high-volume or 

, that translates to meaningful savings over time.

Finally, it unlocks strategy flexibility. Whether you're 

 funding rates between Spot and Perpetual, doing 

 with different Futures contracts or taking advantage of price convergence before expiry, this platform gives you the tools to execute those ideas efficiently.

How to get started with Bybit Spread Trading 

Now that you have a better understanding of how Bybit Spread Trading works, let’s look into how to get started. Please note that you’ll need to have a Bybit account in order to proceed. If you don’t already have one, please check out our 

 for more information on how to create a Bybit account.

: Log in to your Bybit account and hover your cursor over the 

: The available spreads are organized in a grid, with each tile representing a unique combo. Choose your preferred combo to trade.

Tiles with a border around them signify that Spread Trading offers a better price. Hover over a tile for more details, or use the bar at the bottom of the grid to explore more options.

On the order placement page, set up your order with the following parameters:

to place your order. A pop-up window will appear for you to confirm your order details. Then, click on 

Congratulations — you’ve successfully placed an order!

You can view your Spread Trading orders from any trading page (Spread Trading, Spot and Futures), as they all share the same order data.

 to view your active orders. You’ll be able to view the combo, underlying asset, order price and more. 

If you would like to adjust your order parameters, you may click on the pencil icon under 

. To cancel your order, simply click on the order’s corresponding 

to view your completed orders. To view each order’s information on each leg, click on the order’s corresponding 

button. For additional insights, click on 

Spread trading isn’t for everyone — but if you’re someone who enjoys strategic trading, hedging or arbitrage, it’s a tool worth adding to your arsenal. It appeals to traders who are less interested in taking a directional bet, and more focused on capitalizing on inefficiencies in the market.

You don’t have to be a pro trader to benefit, either. The simplified execution and intuitive UI mean even intermediate users can explore advanced strategies without being overwhelmed. As long as you understand how spreads work, and how your P&L is affected by their movement, you’re already halfway there.

More importantly, in times of market uncertainty or low volatility — when price action feels sluggish — spread trading gives you an alternative way to profit. It keeps you in the game — even when momentum plays aren’t cutting it.

Bybit Spread Trading is a powerful tool that combines simplicity with sophistication. Whether you're looking to hedge, save on fees or experiment with 

 strategies, it offers a clean and user-friendly way to do so. With lower risk, lower costs and plenty of flexibility, Bybit Spread Trading is a smart move for any trader looking to level up their game — especially when markets get messy.

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Bybit Spread Trading: Smart strategies for market swings

Blockchain

Explainers

Altcoins

ZetaChain (ZETA) is a Layer 1 blockchain and interoperational platform that enables cross-chain data exchanges and smart contract executions. 

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Blockchain networks are designed to maintain strict security and insulation from external attacks, so they frequently face challenges in facilitating cross-chain data exchanges. Early blockchains like 

 (POL) were created to prioritize secure operations and asset transfers within their operational environments. As a result, sending assets or executing smart contracts across blockchains is far from a trivial activity.

 help facilitate cross-chain asset transfers, they often involve 

 on the sending network and minting the equivalent assets on the destination chain — which decreases efficiency and scalability, and increases transfer costs. Even cross-chain transactions between highly compatible chains carry significant overhead. When it comes to executing 

 across chains, the available options are even more limited.

Inefficiency of inter-blockchain communication has led to active R&D in pursuit of solutions. One of the latest and potentially most eloquent is offered by ZetaChain (ZETA), whose pioneering platform can read and write data across multiple blockchain networks, enabling cross-chain data exchanges and smart contract execution. 

 platform that enables cross-chain data exchanges and smart contract executions. 

 (DApps) built on ZetaChain utilize smart contracts that can read and write data across different chains. This allows the DApps to leverage the features of multiple different blockchains as if the apps were based and operated on a single one. ZetaChain supports omnichain programmability not only for smart platforms, such as Ethereum or Polygon, but also for non–smart contract chains that don’t natively feature such functionality, e.g., Bitcoin or 

Ankur Nandwani, a former Coinbase team member and the creator of the 

 (BAT) cryptocurrency, founded the ZetaChain project in 2021. Its platform launched testnet operations in 2022. Soon after, ZetaChain’s innovative concept of omnichain smart contracts attracted significant interest from the investor community, and the project raised $27 million in venture capital funding in 2023. On Feb 1, 2024, Zetachain launched its mainnet.

The ZetaChain platform is theoretically capable of connecting any chains. For now, however, its team is focusing integration efforts on the largest blockchains — Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polygon and 

At the base level, ZetaChain’s Layer 1 blockchain uses 

 (PoS) algorithm with smart contract functionality. ZetaChain’s smart contracts can read and write data on any chain to which they’ve established a connection, enabling seamless asset transfers and smart contract execution capability across multiple chains. 

Thanks to this omnichain functionality, ZetaChain-based DApps can utilize assets on other chains without the need for asset bridging – including chains like Bitcoin, which lack smart chain functionality. ZetaChain’s architecture features 

 (zEVM), anEthereum-compatible engine that powers the omnichain smart contracts.

As noted above, ZetaChain is a PoS network. As such, it depends upon validator nodes to process blocks of transactions. In addition to these core validators, the platform features another type of network actors: hyper-connected nodes. These special 

 continually monitor cross-chain communication and transactions across the entire multi-chain setup, and help flag any inconsistent or fraudulent transactions that might occur during cross-chain exchanges.

While the job of the core validator nodes is to secure the main ZetaChain Layer 1 network, hyper-connected nodes are the primary guardians of cross-chain security.

Omnichain smart contracts are the most distinct feature of the ZetaChain protocol. They’re used to orchestrate transaction activity across different blockchain networks. In order to provide omnichain smart contract functionality, ZetaChain has implemented a ZRC-20 token standard – an extension of the 

-compatible networks. Unlike ERC-20, ZetaChain’s ZRC-20 standard can support smart functionality for assets based on non-smart chains.

Any fungible crypto asset — whether it’s an ERC-20 token on Ethereum or Polygon, BTC, DOGE or any other asset type — can be represented on ZetaChain’s cross-chain protocol as a ZRC-20 token

. Using this unified standard allows ZetaChain DApps to coordinate transaction activity across all of the connected chains as if it’s occurring on a single network. Therefore, no multiple representation of assets across the participating chains is required. This crucial innovation makes ZetaChain a truly convenient ecosystem in which Bitcoin, Ether and ERC-20 tokens can all be utilized in multiple DApps on a single chain.

ZetaChain also supports cross-chain messaging to pass lightweight data across different blockchains. Cross-chain message and data transfers can be used when full-scale smart contract functionality isn’t required by an app. While the use of complex functionality and smart contract logic requires omnichain contracts, cross-chain messaging is more suitable for simple use cases, e.g., 

 transfers or basic DApps that require minimal data exchange.

The ZetaChain protocol can also be used to manage assets and vaults hosted on other blockchains remotely. This function allows you to apply smart contract logic to non–smart contract chains like Bitcoin and Dogecoin.

ZETA is ZetaChain’s native crypto token, used to pay block rewards, gas fees and for cross-chain transactions. It’s also utilized on the platform’s core crypto pools to provide liquidity and to incentivize 

 (LPs). Additionally, ZETA serves as a governance token. ZETA holders can vote on important network and policy changes affecting the protocol and its Layer 1 chain.

The token’s initial supply, specified at 2.1 billion, has already been minted. Of this, 31.5 million ZETA are allotted to the genesis 

, dedicated to those who have been using and contributing to ZetaLabs before its platform’s mainnet launch. Over 800,000 participants were deemed eligible after a snapshot was taken on Aug 20, 2023.

During the initial four years, ZETA’s total supply will remain fixed at 2.1 billion. After that, there will be a yearly supply inflation of about 2.5%. The precise amount of token inflation will depend upon ZETA’s circulating supply at the time. Initial ZETA supply distribution shares are shown in the image below.

You might consider investing in the ZETA token based on the following factors:

1. ZetaChain is among the first platforms to provide native-level. cross-chain communication and asset manipulation. This functionality has the potential to achieve mass adoption. As DApps become more sophisticated, developers and operators will be increasingly interested in the omnichain features provided by the platform. The wider adoption of ZetaChain smart contracts would, in turn, lead to a higher demand for the ZETA token.

2. Enabling smart functionality and external asset management for non–smart contract chains like Bitcoin and Dogecoin is another promising feature of ZetaChain. This is particularly relevant for the Bitcoin blockchain, given the global army of BTC holders — according to 

, now totaling over 100 million — who, by blockchain industry standards, represent an enormous potential target audience. 

While there are many cross-chain solutions attempting to bring smart contract–like functionality to Bitcoin, ZetaChain differs in one critical aspect: its DApps can easily combine the management of Bitcoin assets with those from other popular chains, including Ethereum, Polygon and BNB. For example, with ZetaChain you can utilize your BTC funds in advanced 

 operations and swaps with ETH, BNB, POL and other popular cryptos.

) on Bybit. From Jan 31 to Feb 19, 2024, you can participate in the Token Splash campaign to 

. New users who sign up with Bybit and deposit a minimum of 300 ZETA or deposit 100 USDT to trade ZETA get to earn 100 ZETA, while current Bybit users can earn 25 ZETA for completing the same tasks.

And from Jan 31 to Feb 14, 2024, you can also 

. Choose from two staking options: a USDT pool with a 850,000 ZETA prize pool, or a ZETA pool with 850,000 ZETA. 

ZetaChain’s mainnet launch signifies an important step in the evolution of blockchain technology, since ZetaChain’s unique omnichain smart contracts will make native-level asset operations across different chains a seamless experience. 

DApps that combine assets and contract operations across a multitude of blockchain platforms may soon become the norm in the industry — thanks to the innovative ZetaChain protocol!

What Is ZetaChain (ZETA): The Omnichain for a Unified Crypto World

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What Is ZetaChain (ZETA): The Omnichain for a Unified Crypto World

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Compete for 2,500 USDT USDT Every Week

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards