Blockchain Press Releases
IDA, a Hong Kong-based Fiat-referenced Stablecoin Issuer, Raised USD6 Million Seed Round Led by CMCC Global and Hashed

HONG KONG, Sept. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — IDA, a premier Hong Kong-based digital asset company, has raised USD6 million in a seed funding round led by prominent blockchain investors CMCC Global, under its Titan Fund, and Hashed. This capital injection will enable IDA to advance the development and launch of its first fiat-referenced stablecoin, HKDA, which is designed to be regulated in Hong Kong.
Additional participants in this round also include Hack VC, Anagram, GSR, Protagonist, Brinc, Chorus One, Kenetic, SNZ, and Yolo Investments as well as notable angel investors, such as Raj Gokal, Co-founder of Solana. Aside from providing funding, leading blockchain foundations of Solana, Polygon, Aptos, and Mantra are also IDA’s strategic blockchain partners to foster HKDA’s interoperability, accessibility, resilience, and liquidity.
“With the current total stablecoins market cap around USD170 billion, we expect stablecoins to grow over USD3 trillion in the next 5 years. This exponential growth will underscore the increasing significance of stablecoins in the broader digital currency landscapes. Thus, IDA’s mission is to facilitate more effective and efficient cross-border trades through the blockchain for everyone,” said Lawrence Chu, Co-founder and CEO of IDA.
Sean Lee, Co-founder and CSO of IDA added, “the first goal of IDA is to enable mass adoption and empower businesses to seamlessly integrate between Web2 and Web3. To achieve this, IDA has begun active engagements with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB), as well as domestic partners in the ecosystem, to issue regulated stablecoins in Hong Kong. HKDA, our first fiat-referenced stablecoin built on public blockchains, will shortly be heading onto testnet. We intend for our mainnet launch before the end of this year and achieve regulatory clarity in early 2025.”
CMCC Global, one of Asia’s first VC funds focused purely on blockchain and cryptocurrency, is thrilled to lead this funding round and partner with IDA to push the boundaries in Web3 space. “As a Hong Kong-based company, we are excited to support innovative Web3 companies like IDA that are leveraging blockchain finance and stablecoins to create solutions addressing real-world challenges,” said Martin Baumann, Co-founder and Managing Partner of CMCC Global.
Hashed, a global early-stage venture fund focused on backing founders who are pioneering the future of blockchain and cryptocurrency, also shares the same vision as IDA. “We anticipate wider mainstream adoption of stablecoins in real-world trades and settlements. With Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s financial hub and its recent push for a stablecoin legislative framework, we expect IDA to spearhead the coming changes. Their unique blend of expertise in traditional finance and blockchain technology positions them perfectly to bridge conventional and digital financial systems, potentially reshaping finance across Asia and beyond,” said Ryan Kim, Founding Partner at Hashed.
Starting initially in Hong Kong, IDA will leverage the forefront of fintech and Web3 to reach other countries whose currency is also pegged to the USD. Over time, IDA aims to share their innovations and grow their business to other nations along the Belt and Road and Global South initiatives. More exciting partnerships will be announced to unlock a more inclusive and connected global marketplace.
Note: The current total stablecoins market cap is based on the data provided by defillama.com at 18:00 HKT on 2024-08-26.
About IDA Finance Hong Kong Limited (IDA)
IDA is the premier digital asset technology company to spearhead the widespread adoption of blockchain finance and to empower businesses to seamlessly integrate between Web2 and Web3.
HKDA, a fiat-referenced stablecoin built on public blockchain protocols, will be the first product launched by IDA. HKDA is designed to drive enhanced digital connectivity for seamless commerce and payments between Hong Kong and global markets, 24/7/365. To maintain the highest level of security and stability, all circulating HKDA will always be fully backed by at least 100% reserve assets in regulated Hong Kong based authorized institutions.
To maximize the network effect of HKDA for domestic and cross-border usage, IDA is partnering with key industry players to facilitate the minting, redemption and widespread acceptance of HKDA as a payment and settlement digital currency. In subsequent phases, IDA will also launch key products denominated in other US Dollar (USD) pegged currencies with ecosystem partners across regulated financial institutions and Web3 platforms.
More information can be found at www.idafi.xyz / LinkedIn / X
About CMCC Global & Titan Fund
CMCC Global is one of Asia’s first venture capital companies focused solely on blockchain and Web3 investments. CMCC Global has an enviable record of investing early in leading projects such as Ethereum (ETH) at USD7, Solana (SOL) at USD0.20 and Cosmos (ATOM) at USD0.10. CMCC Global has reached assets under management (AUM) of over USD500 million across its funds and is known as a high-conviction investor. Today the company has offices in Asia, North America and Europe and operates several funds with different strategies including the CMCC Global Digital Asset Fund, the Titan Fund and its two funds of quantitative trading hedge funds Crest and SYZCrest.
More information can be found at www.cmcc.vc
Titan Fund offers accredited investors exposure to attractive growth opportunities within the blockchain ecosystem through a traditional equity venture capital investment strategy focusing on seed to series A/B along the key investment verticals of Infrastructure, Fintech and Consumer Applications. The Titan Fund is CMCC Global’s latest fund strategy and complements its Digital Asset Funds, which have been investing directly into protocols and digital assets since 2016, and its Crest family of funds that invests into crypto and quant funds.
More information can be found at www.titan.fund
About Hashed
Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs and engineers in 2017, Hashed is the preeminent blockchain firm in Asia with a portfolio that spans the globe. We started Hashed because we saw an opportunity for blockchain to not only reinvent the global financial system, but the very fabric of the internet itself. This is one of the most consequential moments in human history — an opportunity to overlay the power of digital networks onto human ones, and to usher in a future where technology empowers individuals, and not the other way around.
More information can be found at www.hashed.com
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Blockchain
Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – April 22, 2025 (Activity‑Weighted Consensus, Pectra Upgrade, Yoki Legacy, Verae–Evercycle, Earth Day)

As blockchain technologies mature and diversify, today’s highlights underscore a burgeoning shift: from consensus innovation and protocol upgrades to strategic partnerships and sustainability imperatives. In this edition, we unpack five pivotal developments shaping Web3, DeFi, NFTs, and enterprise-grade blockchain adoption:
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Activity‑Weighted Consensus Steals the Show at Paris Blockchain Week
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Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade: The Next Evolution in Scalability
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Astar’s Yoki Legacy Launches on Sony’s Soneium Blockchain
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Verae and Evercycle Forge Blockchain‑Enabled ITAM Partnership
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Earth Day 2025: Why an Efficient Blockchain Is a Smart Energy Choice
Together, these stories reveal key trends—innovative consensus models, cross‑chain interoperability, tokenized asset management, and an urgent focus on energy efficiency—driving blockchain’s trajectory in 2025.
1. Activity‑Weighted Consensus Steals the Show at Paris Blockchain Week
At the recent Paris Blockchain Week Conference, the concept of Activity‑Weighted Consensus (AWC) emerged as a potential game‑changer for network security and governance. Unlike Proof‑of‑Work (PoW) or Proof‑of‑Stake (PoS), AWC allocates block‑production rights based on a node’s continuous on‑chain engagement metrics—transaction relaying, smart‑contract interactions, and decentralized application hosting. Advocates argue that this model:
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Aligns Incentives with Ecosystem Health: Nodes that actively support dApps, relays, and DeFi protocols earn governance weight, dissuading passive stake‑hoarding and promoting network utility.
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Enhances Security: By requiring sustained activity rather than one‑time stake deposits, AWC makes long‑term collusion and stake concentration more costly and detectable.
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Fosters Decentralized Governance: Community participants demonstrating developer contributions or sustainable validator uptime can gain voting power, democratizing protocol upgrades and treasury decisions.
During the Paris sessions, leading research teams unveiled prototypes on testnets demonstrating up to 60% reduction in attack surface compared to vanilla PoS chains, without compromising block‑finality times. Critics, however, caution that accurately measuring “useful activity” demands robust oracles and could introduce new attack vectors if measurement data is manipulated.
Opinion: Activity‑Weighted Consensus represents a vital next step in consensus algorithm innovation—bridging the gap between security, decentralization, and real‑world utility. While the implementation complexity is nontrivial, protocols prioritizing ecosystem engagement could see higher network effects and healthier token economies. If designed with transparency and anti‑gaming safeguards, AWC could become a mainstream alternative by 2026.
Source: Cointelegraph
2. Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade: The Next Evolution in Scalability
Ethereum’s core developers have officially detailed the ambitious Pectra Upgrade, slated for Q4 2025. Building upon the success of past hard forks, Pectra aims to tackle two pillars: throughput and data availability. Key components include:
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Rollup‑Centric Sharding: Rather than full‑state sharding, Pectra introduces “data shards” optimized for rollups, increasing per‑shard throughput to 10 MB per block—3× current levels—while aggregating rollup proofs on‑chain.
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On‑Chain Data Availability Sampling (DAS): Incorporates KZG commitments to enable light clients to verify data availability without downloading entire blocks, bolstering security against data‑withholding attacks.
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EIP‑4990: Prover Optimization: Introduces optimized precompile contracts to accelerate zk‑SNARK and zk‑STARK proof verification by up to 40%, reducing gas costs for privacy and scaling solutions.
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Native Token Recycling: Pectra reallocates a portion of burnt ETH (post‑EIP‑1559) to a “Scaling Fund” administered via on‑chain governance, seeding grants for L2 rollups and data‑availability networks.
Analysis: Pectra’s rollup‑centric vision reaffirms Ethereum’s commitment to being the settlement layer for a multi‑chain ecosystem. By offloading execution to specialized rollups while securing data integrity on L1, Ethereum anticipates 50,000 TPS across aggregated rollups, vastly improving DeFi composability and reducing gas fee volatility. Critics note the increased client complexity and potential centralization risks if DAS providers consolidate.
Implications: For DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, and application developers, Pectra could slash transaction costs, enabling new use cases—from micro‑transactions to real‑time gaming—while maintaining the security assurances of Ethereum’s vast validator set. The Scaling Fund’s token recycling mechanism also sets a precedent for sustainable ecosystem funding.
Source: Gadgets360
3. Astar’s Yoki Legacy Launches on Sony’s Soneium Blockchain
In a landmark partnership bridging gaming and blockchain, Astar Network announced that Yoki Legacy, its flagship play‑to‑earn RPG, will deploy on Sony’s Soneium Blockchain starting May 2025. This collaboration offers:
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Cross‑Chain Interoperability: Utilizing Astar’s XCM (Cross‑Consensus Message) protocol, Yoki Legacy assets—NFTs, in‑game tokens, and governance rights—can transfer seamlessly between Astar (Polkadot) and Soneium, enabling multiverse gameplay.
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Eco‑Friendly Consensus: Soneium employs a hybrid PoS‑PoA model with carbon offsets verified on‑chain, aligning with Sony’s commitment to sustainability.
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Developer Toolkits: Joint SDKs allow game studios to tap both networks’ developer ecosystems, sharing middleware for asset minting, royalty management, and composable NFT design.
Opinion & Impact: This alliance signals Web3 gaming’s maturation, as major entertainment brands partner with public blockchains to reach broader audiences. Soneium’s consumer electronics pedigree and global distribution channels could propel Yoki Legacy into mainstream consoles—validating blockchain gaming beyond niche communities. Furthermore, asset interoperability across Astar and Soneium paves the way for unified gaming economies, where items retain value across genres and platforms, potentially reshaping in‑game monetization models.
Source: VentureBeat
4. Verae and Evercycle Forge Blockchain‑Enabled IT Asset Management
Industrial IoT specialist Verae and sustainability platform Evercycle have launched a blockchain‑powered IT Asset Management (ITAM) solution targeting circular‑economy compliance. By merging Verae’s device telemetry with Evercycle’s digital product passports on a Hyperledger Fabric network, the partnership offers:
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Provenance Tracking: Each hardware component—servers, routers, laptops—receives a tamper‑proof record of manufacture, warranty, maintenance, and end‑of‑life recycling status.
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Regulatory Compliance: Automated reporting modules help enterprises meet EU’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives and emerging Right to Repair regulations.
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Tokenized Incentives: “Green Credits” are issued when devices are refurbished or recycled according to verified processes, tradable within corporate sustainability marketplaces.
Analysis: As enterprises grapple with e‑waste—projected to reach 74 million metric tons by 2030—blockchain‑backed ITAM offers both auditability and circular‑economy incentives. By tokenizing responsible disposal, companies can transparently showcase ESG compliance to investors and regulators. Critics warn of integration challenges with legacy procurement systems and potential data privacy concerns if supply‑chain partners refuse on‑chain transparency.
Strategic Takeaway: This partnership exemplifies how permissioned blockchains can underpin enterprise sustainability efforts, harmonizing environmental goals with operational efficiency. For IT procurement and finance teams, on‑chain asset management reduces manual audits, accelerates warranty claims, and unlocks new value streams through tokenized recycling incentives.
Source: PR Newswire
5. Earth Day 2025: An Efficient Blockchain Is a Smart Energy Choice
In honor of Earth Day 2025, CoinGeek highlights how next‑gen blockchains—from Proof‑of‑History in Solana to Nakamoto PoA hybrids—are slashing energy consumption compared to legacy PoW networks. Key metrics include:
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Energy Efficiency: Modern PoS chains consume 99.9% less energy per transaction than Bitcoin, with some layer‑2 rollups achieving sub‑gram carbon footprints per transfer.
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Carbon‑Offset Innovations: Protocols like Algorand and Cardano integrate on‑chain carbon oracles that automatically retire carbon credits proportional to network activity.
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Green Data Centers: Validators increasingly deploy in solar‑ and wind‑powered facilities, with projects like EcoChain offering renewable‑energy staking pools.
Opinion: As mainstream scrutiny intensifies around crypto’s environmental impact, energy‑efficient protocols are not just eco‑friendly—they’re competitive differentiators. Enterprises and institutional investors demand sustainability assurances; blockchains failing to address carbon footprints risk regulatory backlash and reputational damage. By spotlighting energy‑optimized consensus and renewable‑powered infrastructure, the industry can redefine itself as a driver of green innovation.
Source: CoinGeek
Conclusion: Mapping the Blockchain Horizon
Today’s briefing underscores three overarching themes propelling blockchain forward:
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Consensus Reinvention: From activity‑weighted protocols to energy‑efficient hybrids, networks are refining consensus to boost security, scalability, and sustainability.
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Cross‑Chain & Enterprise Integration: Interoperability—whether via rollup‑centric upgrades, cross‑chain gaming partnerships, or permissioned frameworks for ITAM—enables seamless value flows across disparate ecosystems.
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Environmental & Regulatory Alignment: As global frameworks converge around ESG and circular‑economy mandates, blockchain applications that embed sustainability and compliance at their core will capture both market share and stakeholder trust.
For developers, enterprises, and investors alike, staying ahead means embracing not only technical breakthroughs but also governance models and partnerships that align blockchain with real‑world needs. Tune in tomorrow as we continue tracking the decentralized revolution—one block at a time.
The post Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – April 22, 2025 (Activity‑Weighted Consensus, Pectra Upgrade, Yoki Legacy, Verae–Evercycle, Earth Day) appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.
Blockchain Press Releases
BingX Marks 7 Years with Grand Celebrations at TOKEN2049 Dubai

PANAMA CITY, April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — BingX, a global leading cryptocurrency exchange, kicks off its 7th anniversary as a Platinum Sponsor at TOKEN2049 Dubai. This premier Web3 gathering marks the beginning of a global series of festivities commemorating BingX’s milestone. As the anniversary unfolds, BingX will continue its celebration with a lineup of offline events around the world, uniting users, partners, and communities in a shared journey of growth and gratitude.
Attendees at the TOKEN2049 conference will be able to enjoy the vibrant anniversary spirit that infuses the event experience. The celebratory atmosphere, from immersive booth interactions to BingX-branded boats adorning the waterfront, highlights the connections BingX has built with its global user base. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet BingX’s core team, provide feedback, and discover the strategy and innovation behind the platform’s latest product developments. In addition, BingX will host a private side event, bringing together key partners, traders, and community members for a meaningful evening of connection and reflection.
“We are proud to mark our 7th anniversary with meaningful moments alongside our global community,” said Vivien Lin, Chief Product Officer of BingX. “Dubai is one of the many ideal places to celebrate how far we’ve come — not just as a platform, but as a user-first brand. From our early days to now being a top 5 derivative platform, our journey has been shaped by every user, every conversation, and the stories they tell. By showing up at TOKEN2049 as a major sponsor, we are reinforcing our belief that innovation starts with us listening.”
BingX’s celebration is already well underway. The “Your Voice, Our Story” Campaign invited users to share their personal journeys with BingX, shining a light on the very community that helped shape the platform. Chelsea FC and BingX also teamed up to launch the Bitcoin Fantasy 7 campaign, giving fans the chance to build their dream team and win exclusive prizes. Coming up next is a global trading campaign featuring various competitions, community rewards, and special giveaways as well. Together, activities reflect BingX’s commitment to creating fun, rewarding experiences that strengthen its connection with users worldwide
About BingX
Founded in 2018, BingX is a leading crypto exchange, serving over 20 million users worldwide. BingX offers diversified products and services, including spot, derivatives, copy trading, and asset management – all designed for the evolving needs of users, from beginners to professionals. BingX is committed to providing a trustworthy platform that empowers users with innovative tools and features to elevate their trading proficiency. In 2024, BingX proudly became the official crypto exchange partner of Chelsea Football Club, marking an exciting debut in the world of sports.
For more information please visit: https://bingx.com/

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Blockchain Press Releases
MEXC Exchange Report Shows Airdrops Resulting in Up to 35% New User Registrations

VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A report released by MEXC, a leading global crypto exchange, indicates that airdrop campaigns account for approximately one-third of new user registrations during peak months. The numbers showcase the effectiveness of airdrops as a marketing instrument that crypto projects can leverage to attract new audiences and bootstrap engagement. The report also highlights the importance of ongoing structural shifts taking place in the industry across regions, as well as user motivation swings.
Key Takeaways:
- Peak user acquisition rates driven by airdrops reach up to 35% in certain months.
- User behavior is influencing airdrop campaign participation through deeper mobile penetration and the involvement of gamification mechanisms.
- 76% of users who sign up via airdrop campaigns remain on the platform, with 18% becoming active traders and 58% trading occasionally.
- The CIS region leads in terms of involvement at 67%, followed by Southeast Asia at 51%, and South Asia at 32%.
- Airdrops are evolving into a means of financial inclusion, in addition to acting as an effective marketing instrument.
MEXC analyzed user behavior during airdrop campaigns and identified a significant shift in the audience. While regions with low levels of access to banking services previously served as the main source of airdrop participants, the latest report indicates that new channels of user onboarding are ousting the trend. Gamification and Tap-to-Earn games in mobile-based Telegram channels are taking center stage as key registration sources for users with no previous experience in crypto. For instance, games like Hamster Kombat attracted over 70 million users, other notable examples of similar grade being Notcoin and Yescoin.
According to the data compiled as a result of the research, users who received their first airdrop tokens demonstrated varying degrees of continued involvement in the crypto industry. As many as 18% maintained active trading patterns and delved deeper into crypto services, 58% traded occasionally, while 24% were one-off users, withdrawing their funds without further engagement in trading. The users who evolve into active traders showcase an average daily trading volume above $58,000, with select ones achieving $31 million.
Regional segmentation of the users attracted via airdrops shows that the CIS is in a leading position, with 67% of the total, followed by Southeast Asia at 51%, and South Asia with 32%. The results of the analysis correlate with low levels of access to banking services in the given regions. They also align with data provided by Chainalysis, which positioned India, Vietnam, and the Philippines as the countries in Asia with the highest rates of crypto adoption, driven by low levels of banking services access and rapid spread of internet coverage in rural areas.
The limited financial inclusion of the countries in the indicated regions into the international banking system paves the way for cryptocurrencies to act as alternative means of payment both abroad and within domestic economies. Users participating in airdrops either withdraw them to fiat or use them for their needs. Pakistan and the Philippines are leading in this regard.
The report released by MEXC highlights the prominent role airdrops are occupying in the evolving crypto landscape, transforming from a marketing action into a separate instrument for user engagement. The ability to attract 35% new user registrations via airdrops in select regions like the CIS and Asia is a powerful factor acting in favor of using the given approach to expanding the crypto industry and advancing its maturity.
About MEXC
Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 36 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.
For more information, visit: MEXC Official Website | X | Telegram | How to Sign Up on MEXC

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