Blockchain
Spool hones in on bringing institutions into DeFi by launching its expansive V2 upgrade
Spool DAO, or Spool, the platform allowing institutions and users to build customizable risk-managed DeFi products, launches its V2 upgrade. Spool’s new platform expands its original DeFi infrastructure and tools, with heightened decentralized access and new capabilities. Institutions of all sizes can now leverage its slate of new features and interface updates to build, manage, and explore DeFi products with unparalleled flexibility, risk reduction, and security.
Despite crypto’s whirlwind year, DeFi’s blue-chip protocols managed to largely withstand the industry-wide chaos. But that doesn’t mean the DeFi landscape hasn’t changed at all. Looming regulatory steps, such as the new bipartisan bill entering the U.S. Senate, aim to monitor DeFi apps similarly to banks, setting the stage to accommodate increasing interest from legacy financial institutions. Banks and institutions clearly see potential in crypto and DeFi’s financial possibilities, but they lack the proper tools to enter it easily, compliantly, and on their terms.
To meet this institutional need, Spool now provides a completely rebuilt platform for risk-managed and automated DeFi yield. Created from the ground up to be faster, more efficient, more composable, and easier to use than its predecessor, V2 represents a leap for Spool and institutions expanding their DeFi presence. The upgrade expands upon Spool’s core offering and introduces several key features to maximize the effectiveness of institutional DeFi investment. These features and enhancements include:
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- Multi-Asset Smart Vaults: Institutions creating Smart Vaults can now build them to contain a range of yield strategies using multiple assets. Multi-asset Smart Vaults enhance functionality in addition to Spool’s classic auto-swapping and auto-rebalancing capabilities. Investors can simply create or pick an existing Smart Vault that matches their investment preferences, and send the assets they have available. The assets are then automatically swapped and implemented in audited and battle-tested smart contracts to attain the best yields possible while allowing funds to be withdrawn at any time.
- Smart Vault Guards: Institutions building Smart Vaults can now dictate which users can deposit or withdraw from the Vault based on specific criteria, mirroring traditional investment funds. This helps institutions tailor DeFi offerings not only to regulatory compliance but to their specific client needs as well. Institutions can create KYC and AML-compliant Smart Vaults, for example, and only allow access to vetted investors through whitelisted wallets. Other parameters include NFT or Token Gating (where a user must hold a specific NFT or token amount to access the vault), and Time Locks.
- Actions: Spool builders can now implement customizable actions tied to user activities such as entering or exiting a Smart Vault that is configured during its creation. Actions help support institutions by creating a framework that feels familiar to traditional finance and includes features such as deposit or withdrawal fees, deposit insurance fees, and automated asset swaps that help streamline the once-manual process for yield farming.
- Liquid Staking Derivatives (LSDs) Support: LSDs are tokens issued in return for staking cryptocurrency through a staking provider. This comes in handy for networks such as Ethereum, where validators must hold a minimum of 32 ETH to access staking and validator privileges. LSDs also allow users to withdraw staked ETH, which validators cannot do. As strategies using LSDs become more popular and prevalent, adding support in V2 enables greater convenience.
- Advanced Automation: One of DeFi’s major obstacles lies in manual asset management within yield farms. V2 improves upon Spool’s original automation features while maintaining decentralization and self-custody. Once assets are within a Smart Vault portfolio, V2 automatically rebalances them between various strategies configured in the Vault. Spool also now offers automated collateral conversion, meaning clients investing in a Smart Vault can utilize any underlying asset they have available. Spool automatically converts the asset before investing, granting increased ease and choice.
- Deposit NFTs (dNFTs): D-NFTs provide users with an immutable NFT receipt of their Smart Vault deposits, enabling the withdrawal of funds. ERC-20 Smart Vault Tokens (SVTs) are created by burning D-NFTs and act as yield-bearing stablecoins, which can be easily transferred or traded on a secondary market, creating a new liquid financial instrument.
Check out Spool’s video here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/150B6sSdX9gMAjdig-5675nLfftciWidJ/view
More detailed video with features overview can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uIr_AJ_iHKErkHR5lFaUWk39A4-NUtEo/view?usp=drive_link
Among these new features, Spool V2’s completely redesigned interface allows institutions and asset managers to have a birds-eye view of their Smart Vault portfolio. The platform champions accessibility while providing the comprehensive tools and oversight that institutions require. This includes tools for easily white-labeling Smart Vaults for client access with their own branding and unique insights into Smart Vault performance based on customizable KPIs.
By enabling the codeless creation of financial services and products backed by audited financial primitives, institutions that don’t have DeFi-specific teams are now able to easily access DeFi. The upgrade’s capabilities set the stage for large-scale institutional partnerships in the pipeline for Spool, following a steady stream of integrations and collaborations leading up to its launch.
“We are incredibly proud to launch Spool V2 after countless months of our team developing, testing, and listening to the feedback and needs of our institutional partners,” says Philipp Zimmerer, Lead of Token Strategy of Spool. “This lands at a pivotal moment in crypto in a year that has been all about responsibly rebuilding the industry and forging a new path for DeFi. Improving access, flexibility, and security will not only garner further institutional support but set a new standard for what DeFi can make possible for any investor.”
Blockchain
Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 27, 2025 Featuring Blockchain.com, Bilal Bin Saqib, XRP Ledger, Unstoppable Domains, ReNEW, MEXC Ventures
Welcome to Blocks & Headlines, your op-ed–style daily briefing on the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. Today we cover:
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Blockchain.com’s African push – expansion into Nigeria and Ghana
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Pakistan’s new blockchain czar – Bilal Bin Saqib appointed to steer crypto policy
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XRP Ledger powers Dubai real-estate tokenization – fractional ownership goes live
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Unstoppable Domains’ patent filing – bridging Web2 DNS and blockchain assets
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ReNEW project – digital twins and blockchain safeguard Europe’s rivers
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MEXC Ventures – sponsoring Korea University’s Blockchain-AI Ideathon
Below, we unpack each story, analyze its significance, and offer insights on the broader blockchain ecosystem.
1. Blockchain.com Seeks Footprint in Nigeria & Ghana
What happened: UK-based crypto exchange Blockchain.com is opening an office in Nigeria—its fastest-growing West African market—and targeting expansion into Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa.
Why it matters: Africa’s crypto adoption continues to outpace global averages, driven by remittances, inflation hedging, and youth entrepreneurship. By establishing a physical presence, Blockchain.com gains regulatory clarity and local partnerships essential for on-the-ground support and compliance.
Opinion & implications:
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Localized strategy wins: Purely digital exchanges risk friction with regulators and limited brand trust. A local office signals commitment and builds goodwill.
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Regulatory trailblazing: As African nations craft crypto frameworks, Blockchain.com can help shape favorable rules through dialogue with policymakers.
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Competitive edge: Early movers that navigate KYC/AML hurdles and deliver localized offerings (e.g., naira- or cedi-denominated trading pairs) will dominate these fast-growing markets.
Source: Bloomberg
2. Pakistan Appoints Bilal Bin Saqib as Crypto Advisor
What happened: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif named 29-year-old Bilal Bin Saqib—CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council—as his Special Assistant on Blockchain & Crypto, with minister-of-state status.
Why it matters: This high-profile appointment demonstrates Pakistan’s ambition to develop a FATF-compliant digital-asset framework, launch Bitcoin-mining initiatives, and integrate blockchain into governance, land records, and finance.
Opinion & implications:
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Regulatory momentum: Pakistan’s top-down approach contrasts with countries that ban or ignore crypto. A dedicated ministerial role accelerates policymaking and VASP licensing.
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Ecosystem growth: With 40 million crypto users and $300 billion in annual trading volume, Pakistan offers scale. Clear rules could attract institutional and retail VASPs alike.
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Global posture: By aligning with international standards, Pakistan signals to global investors that it’s open for blockchain business.
Source: Dawn.com
3. XRP Ledger Powers Dubai’s Real-Estate Tokenization
What happened: The Dubai Land Department launched “Prypco Mint,” a government-backed platform for fractional real-estate ownership on the XRP Ledger. Investments start at AED 2,000 (~$545), exclusively for UAE ID holders initially.
Why it matters: Tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) is rapidly gaining traction. Using XRPL’s high throughput and low fees, Dubai cements its status as a global crypto hub and innovator in DeFi infrastructure.
Opinion & implications:
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RWA narrative: As institutional investors seek regulated exposure to illiquid assets, real-estate tokenization on public blockchains offers transparency, tradability, and compliance.
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Platform scalability: If XRPL proves resilient under real-estate workloads, other jurisdictions may follow suit, driving demand for XRP and associated on-chain services.
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Economic inclusion: Lower-entry points democratize property investment, but secondary markets and custody solutions must mature to ensure liquidity.
Source: Benzinga
4. Unstoppable Domains Files Patent for Blockchain-DNS Integration
What happened: Unstoppable Domains filed a patent application (submitted November 2023, published May 2025) outlining methods to tie Web2 DNS records to blockchain assets—such as NFTs or wallet addresses—and authorize DNS changes via on-chain signatures.
Why it matters: This innovation bridges legacy Internet infrastructure and Web3 identity, offering a unified control plane for domain management that’s tamper-proof and cryptographically secure.
Opinion & implications:
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DNS security reimagined: Traditional DNS is vulnerable to hijacking. Blockchain-based record resolution could harden the domain ecosystem against centralized attacks.
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ICANN synergy: As an ICANN-accredited registrar, Unstoppable Domains may pilot hybrid services that complement DNSSEC and emerging Internet standards.
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Business models: Monetizing blockchain-DNS services through premium domain auctions or DNS-as-a-service could unlock new revenue streams.
Source: Neuron Expert
5. ReNEW: Digital Twins & Blockchain Protect Europe’s Waterways
What happened: The EU-funded ReNEW project deploys digital twins, real-time sensors on tourist vessels, and a blockchain ledger to monitor and enforce wastewater discharge rules on the Douro River—and across living labs in Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Why it matters: Environmental compliance platforms often struggle with data integrity. Blockchain’s immutability ensures that pollution records are permanent and tamper-proof, automating fines for illegal discharges.
Opinion & implications:
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Green Web3: This use case exemplifies “blockchain for good,” where transparency incentivizes sustainable practices in logistics and tourism.
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Digital twins synergy: Coupling predictive river-system models with on-chain enforcement creates a robust decision-support tool for regulators and operators alike.
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Scalable blueprint: Other critical-infrastructure sectors—energy grids, air quality, waste management—can adopt similar hybrid architectures.
Source: Smart Water Magazine
6. MEXC Ventures at Korea University’s Blockchain-AI Ideathon
What happened: On May 16, MEXC Ventures co-hosted the 2025 Korea University Blockchain Startup Ideathon—part of the National Center of Excellence in SW AI Startup program—with 27 blockchain teams, 36 AI teams, and 208 total participants. MEXC sponsored the blockchain track alongside KISA, LG CNS, and Tether, and awarded the “MEXC Ventures Award” to team AlchemyLab.
Why it matters: Academic hackathons are incubators for early-stage blockchain innovation, fostering talent pipelines and new use-cases. Corporate sponsorships validate these events and accelerate academia-industry collaboration.
Opinion & implications:
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Talent cultivation: With global shortages of blockchain engineers, ideathons provide hands-on training and recruitment opportunities.
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Innovation hotspots: South Korea’s strong R&D environment and high university participation rates make it a strategic node for Web3 breakthroughs.
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Ecosystem growth: MEXC’s involvement signals that exchanges and VCs view academic partnerships as vital for sustainable ecosystem development.
Source: MEXC Blog
Conclusion
Today’s highlights—from Blockchain.com’s African push to Unstoppable Domains’ DNS patent—showcase an industry maturing across regulation, real-world asset tokenization, environmental use-cases, and talent development. Key trends to watch:
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Localized expansion as exchanges tailor services to regional markets.
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Government appointments signaling blockchain’s policy importance.
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RWA tokenization driving DeFi into mainstream finance.
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Hybrid Web2–Web3 solutions hardening Internet infrastructure.
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Sustainability platforms leveraging blockchain for public-good.
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Academic partnerships fueling the next generation of innovators.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s deep dive into the stories shaping blockchain’s evolution.
The post Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 27, 2025 Featuring Blockchain.com, Bilal Bin Saqib, XRP Ledger, Unstoppable Domains, ReNEW, MEXC Ventures appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.
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