Tag: integration

  • STRK price soars 7% as Starknet officially starts Bitcoin staking integration

    STRK price soars 7% as Starknet officially starts Bitcoin staking integration

    STRK price soars 7% as Starknet officially starts Bitcoin staking integration

    • The upgrade allows Bitcoiners to participate in Starknet’s consensus.
    • The L2 has reduced the unstaking period to 7 days to enhance flexibility for stakers.
    • STRK has gained more than 2% following the announcement.

    Cryptocurrencies traded cautiously on Monday while bracing for this week’s interest rates decision, poised to shape the markets’ trajectory in the upcoming sessions.

    Bitcoin hovers near $116,000 as Ethereum’s stability above $4,600 fuels altcoin season debates.

    Meanwhile, L2 platform Starknet has finally launched Bitcoin staking.

    The team has briefly paused the staking platform to finalise implementation before its official release in the coming hours.

    The announcement read:

    The BTC staking integration has started! The staking protocol is now paused for a few hours while we implement this massive update.

    With this move, the Ethereum-based Layer2 enables Bitcoin holders to participate in Starknet’s consensus for the first time.

    The L2 focuses on ZK rollups and scalability, and integrating BTC staking reflects its dedication to decentralisation and chain-to-chain partnerships.

    Native STRK turned bullish after the announcement.

    The digital token rallied from $0.1299 low to $0.139 intraday peak.

    That translated to an over 7% increase, demonstrating renewed interest in Starket’s ecosystem.

    Starknet integrates BTC staking

    The announcement highlighted that BTC will account for 25% of Starkent’s consensus power, whereas STRK dominated at 75%.

    That guarantees balances while attracting more stakers.

    Meanwhile, the staking protocol will support several BTC wrappers, including WBTC, tBTC, SolvBTC, and LBTC.

    The community would vote for more options in the future through governance proposals.

    That means the staking model can transform as Starknet’s BTC staking network grows.

    The team has temporarily halted its staking protocol to onboard the upgrade.

    Unstaking period reduced to 7 days

    The upgrade comes with multiple good news.

    One of the most striking adjustments is the substantial reduction of unstaking from 21 days to seven days for STRK and BTC stakers.

    The improved exit time remains paramount for participants who value responsiveness in a fast-paced crypto market.

    Users can react to price fluctuations quickly with a reduced lock period.

    That will likely lead to new money-making opportunities, consequently boosting Starknet’s liquidity.

    Flexible unstaking solves one of the main challenges for stakers.

    Thus, Starkent can expect enriched TVL in the coming times.

    What it means for Starknet and DeFi

    The BTC staking launch could make Starkent a more attractive platform for cross-chain decentralised finance (DeFi) undertakings.

    Notably, the L2 moves to tap into Bitcoin’s staggering liquidity base with plans to channel it into dApps built within the STRK ecosystem.

    DeFi developers can leverage the BTC liquidity to build innovative lending platforms, yield strategies, and derivatives markets.

    While most comments were positive, one X user criticised Starknet’s upgrade.

    He believes that the BTC staking launch renders STRK worthless for holders.

    “So STRK ends up as inflation fuel; printed to pay devs and now to reward wrapped BTC stakers? Where’s the actual value left for STRK holders?

    Nevertheless, Starknet promises to democratise the DeFi landscape by tapping Bitcoin’s robust liquidity.



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  • BTC holds $106K; analysts point to institutional integration, on-chain innovation

    BTC holds $106K; analysts point to institutional integration, on-chain innovation

    BTC holds $106K; analysts point to institutional integration, on-chain innovation

    • Bitcoin (BTC) regained its footing, trading around $106K after a tense weekend involving a US strike on Iran.
    • Bitcoin’s resilience is attributed to its growing integration into the broader macro-financial system via institutional infrastructure.
    • Bitcoin ETFs saw massive inflows ($1.1B last week, $350M one day), cited as a major bullish tailwind.

    Bitcoin (BTC) has regained its footing, hovering around the $106,000 mark as the Asian trading week gets underway on Wednesday.

    This resilient performance comes after a tense weekend that saw the US bomb an Iranian nuclear site, with Bitcoin now pushing past levels seen earlier this month when Israel first bombed Iran.

    This stability, in the face of significant geopolitical turmoil, is increasingly being attributed to a fundamental shift in Bitcoin’s market structure and a renewed wave of innovation flocking to its blockchain.

    Part of the reason why the crypto market has recovered so swiftly alongside traditional markets is the growing correlation between the two.

    The days of Bitcoin operating in a vacuum appear to be over. “Bitcoin’s sensitivity to traditional asset classes and macroeconomic indicators has evolved markedly over the past few market cycles, reflecting its growing integration into the broader macro-financial system,” reads a recent report from Glassnode and Avenir Group.

    This integration has been facilitated by the development of a robust institutional infrastructure. “Institutional infrastructure has reshaped how capital engages with bitcoin,” the report continues.

    As a result, its market behavior is increasingly governed by structural liquidity, long-horizon positioning, and regulated access points.

    This institutional backbone was clearly visible again this week. Semir Gabeljic, director of capital formation and investment strategy at Pythagoras Investments, highlighted the significant impact of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), citing them as a major tailwind.

    “The huge recent capital inflows in Bitcoin ETFs of $1.1 billion last week and even $350 million today alone” are driving the positive trend, Gabeljic noted.

    Spencer Yang, a Core Contributor to Fractal Bitcoin, added another perspective on Bitcoin’s ability to shake off the war jitters so quickly.

    He argued that, fundamentally, nothing has changed about the asset class itself as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.

    The core metrics that long-term investors look to for Bitcoin remain intact. Furthermore, other bullish on-chain signals are potentially on the way.

    “We’re seeing continued interest in protocols like BRC-20, especially with the recent upgrade, as well as Runes and Alkanes, which have been getting a lot of attention,” Yang added.

    So overall, on‑chain activity across the board is increasing thanks to these types of assets.

    The key takeaway seems to be that as Bitcoin’s market becomes increasingly defined by institutional demand and macroeconomic liquidity cycles, its price action is becoming less about knee-jerk reactions to headlines and more about long-term capital commitment.

    It is this structural shift that appears to be anchoring Bitcoin firmly above the $100,000 level, despite the surrounding noise.

    Tim Draper’s thesis

    Adding to this long-term bullish outlook, legendary venture capitalist Tim Draper has argued that the Bitcoin blockchain is becoming the new epicenter for crypto innovation.

    In a recent post on the social media platform X, Draper drew a compelling parallel, suggesting that Bitcoin is now absorbing ideas once exclusive to altcoins, much in the same way that Microsoft once consolidated the software revolution under its dominant operating system empire.

    Draper pointed to Bitcoin’s rising dominance – a metric equivalent to its “market share” in the crypto world – as evidence.

    This figure has risen to over 60%, up from 40% after the 2017 boom-bust cycle and 50% following the 2021 peak, signaling that Bitcoin is reasserting its control over the broader crypto ecosystem.

    Much like how Microsoft integrated or cloned early software success stories like Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect, and PowerPoint to create its powerful software suite, Draper says Bitcoin is now systematically incorporating innovations that were once the exclusive domain of altcoins.

    These include functionalities like smart contracts, decentralized finance (DeFi), ordinals (a form of on-chain digital artifacts), and low-cost layer 2 scaling solutions.

    “All the successful innovations on other platforms are now being ported to Bitcoin,” Draper wrote, describing it as an “acceleration” that mirrors the consolidation phases seen in Big Tech.

    He argued that developers are increasingly gravitating toward Bitcoin because it is the most secure and valuable blockchain.

    Draper, who runs a Bitcoin-focused accelerator with Boost VC, stated that the next generation of entrepreneurs is building on Bitcoin not just for ideological reasons, but because the infrastructure and surrounding ecosystem are now mature and ready for this new wave of development.

    “Smart entrepreneurs are always building on the platform with the strongest gravitational pull,” he wrote.

    “That platform is Bitcoin.”

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  • Coinbase partners with Lightspark for Bitcoin Lightning Network integration

    Coinbase partners with Lightspark for Bitcoin Lightning Network integration

    • Coinbase’s partnership with Lightspark for Bitcoin Lightning Network integration enhances transaction efficiency.
    • Lightspark’s advanced technology streamlines Lightning Network access, offering low-cost BTC transfers.
    • The collaboration empowers Coinbase with reliable, scalable node infrastructure, driving global financial innovation.

    Coinbase, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, has announced a strategic partnership with Lightspark to integrate the Bitcoin Lightning Network.

    The collaboration aims to revolutionize the way users conduct Bitcoin (BTC) transactions, offering them enhanced speed and cost-efficiency.

    Lightspark, in an exclusive blog post, revealed the culmination of their efforts spanning nearly two years to refine their platform as the premier gateway to the Lightning Network. With Coinbase onboard, clients can now enjoy seamless access to low-cost and almost real-time BTC transfers.

    Lightspark’s advanced technology, including its AI-driven smart engine “Lightspark Predict,” optimizes liquidity and routing for maximum efficiency.

    Coinbase to retain control over Lightning signing keys

    Through Lightspark’s remote-key validation implementation, Coinbase retains control over Lightning signing keys while Lightspark manages the node infrastructure. This ensures a reliable, scalable, and fully optimized node infrastructure for Coinbase users.

    Shan Aggarwal, Coinbase’s VP of Corporate & Business Development, expressed confidence in establishing a global financial ecosystem prioritizing efficiency and speed.

    The integration signifies a significant stride towards achieving this goal, opening doors to a multitude of payment-related use cases facilitated by Lightspark’s innovative solutions.

    Coinbase’s decision to integrate the Lightning Network comes at a time when Bitcoin’s scalability and transaction speed have become critical concerns. With transaction fees on the primary network rising, the Lightning Network offers a promising solution to alleviate congestion and reduce costs.

    The move aligns with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s vision, who previously highlighted the potential of Lightning Network integration.

    Founded in 2022 by David Marcus, Lightspark has garnered support from key industry players and investors, positioning itself as a frontrunner in Lightning Network solutions. The partnership with Coinbase further solidifies its standing in the market.

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  • Kaspa (KAS) price rising after CoinPal integration

    Kaspa (KAS) price rising after CoinPal integration

    • Kaspa (KAS) price has surged 31% in the last 7 days and 4% in the last 24 hours.
    • Kaspa was on June 22 integrated on CoinPal.
    • CoinPal is a leading cryptocurrency payment service provider.

    While yesterday’s Kaspa integration with CoinPal is not the sole reason why Kaspa (KAS) price is rising, the integration has added impetus to the KAS bullish momentum.

    The integration comes at a time when the crypto market is seeing a rebound that has pushed Bitcoin (BTC) price above $30K for the first time in months. It is also ten days since Michael Sutton, Georges Künzli, and Shai Wyborski presented a proposal referred to as KIP-4 that aims at refining the Kaspa protocol by translating its complex mechanisms into a language that everyday enthusiasts can easily grasp.

    Kaspa integration with CoinPal

    Kaspa is one of the fastest, open-source, decentralized, and fully scalable Layer-1 blockchains in the world. It is the world’s first digital ledger enabling parallel blocks.

    Kaspa and Bitcoin share the fundamental principles of decentralization and peer-to-peer technology. Kaspa has, however, introduced upgrades like increased scalability, lower transaction fees, and faster transaction speeds. Therefore, by integrating Kaspa, CoinPal and its users will have access to more than 50 supported cryptocurrencies thus expanding their options.

    By incorporating Kaspa into its platform, CoinPal.io has made significant progress toward broadening its scope. By consistently expanding the number of cryptocurrencies it supports and improving its services, CoinPal stays ahead of the curve in the rapidly changing world of digital currencies.

    By incorporating Kaspa, CoinPal is advancing e-commerce and establishing itself as a major force in the adoption of cryptocurrencies.

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