Pendle is overhauling its long-standing vePENDLE lockup system by introducing sPENDLE, a liquid staking token designed to improve usability, flexibility, and capital efficiency across the protocol.

1️⃣ Key Changes

- sPENDLE replaces vePENDLE: Users can now stay liquid while earning protocol rewards, with a 14-day withdrawal period

- Rewards funded by PENDLE buybacks from the open market

- No multi-year lockups required to earn rewards or participate in governance.

- sPENDLE is freely transferable and usable across DeFi

2️⃣ Emissions & Governance Update

- Manual gauge voting will be phased out

- An algorithmic emissions model will replace it, expected to reduce token emissions by ~30%

- Existing vePENDLE holders will receive boosted sPENDLE during a two-year transition period

3️⃣ How It Worked vs. Now

- Previously, users deposited yield-bearing assets (e.g. stETH) and received vePENDLE, gaining voting power and bonus rewards while their principal continued earning base yield

- With sPENDLE, users still earn those rewards — but without locking capital long-term

- In simple terms: base yield remains intact, while previously locked value becomes liquid and reusable

4️⃣ Timeline & Stats

- sPENDLE staking goes live: January 20

- New vePENDLE locks paused: January 29 (snapshot taken to calculate conversion boosts)

- Total Value Locked: Over $3B as of Tuesday

5️⃣ Why It Matters

- This shift turns long-term locked positions into flexible, liquid capital, lowering the barrier to entry and making Pendle more attractive to a broader range of DeFi users and investors

NYSE-parent Intercontinental Exchange is developing a platform for 24/7 tokenized securities trading. The digital platform will support round-the-clock operations, instant settlement, dollar-denominated orders, and stablecoin funding.

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) said the launch is a bullish signal for crypto markets and exchanges, reflecting growing institutional adoption of blockchain-based trading.

MegaETH will launch its public mainnet on January 22, initially supporting latency-sensitive apps under sustained network load.

The team targets 15K–35K TPS and 11B transactions over seven days, with testing involving Stomp GG and Smasher, while backend load will be generated via Kumbaya using ETH transfers and v3-style AMM swaps.

Following the stress test, MegaETH plans to roll out its public mainnet with a first wave of USDM-powered DeFi and consumer apps, with more integrations expected post-launch.

Sale Cap: $7.6M. Sale FDV: $380M. Current Pre-market FDV: $738M. Sentient is building the GRID, the largest open intelligence network, where 100+ models, agents, tools, and researchers operate as one.

HeyElsa is an AI-powered crypto assistant that helps users research tokens, track portfolios, and navigate on-chain data through conversational queries. Listing will take place on January 20th.

ETHGas is an infrastructure layer that enables instant, gasless transactions through blockspace markets, optimizing execution costs across Ethereum. Listing will take place on January 21st.

Record-high Ethereum transaction volumes, topping ~2.2 million transactions per day, are coinciding with gas fees below 1 gwei ($0.15), marking record lows. The shift reflects how recent upgrades and Layer 2 adoption are reshaping network economics.

Total supply is 1B ELSA with 40% allocated for community. Elsa is an AI-powered co-pilot that simplifies blockchain interactions, allowing users to perform complex DeFi tasks like staking and bridging using natural language commands across multiple blockchains.

Anchorage Digital Bank National Association became the first federally chartered crypto bank in 2021 and is now well-positioned to lead stablecoin issuance and related services following the passage of the GENIUS Act in July.

Kontigo, a U.S. startup backed by Y Combinator and Coinbase VC, operates a platform in Venezuela allowing users to convert local currency into USDC and use it to move money and store value.

As the platform facilitated stablecoin flows interacting with the Venezuelan fin system, analysts raised questions about how it intersected with sanctions — what does this case illustrate about compliance considerations in complex, high-risk environments?

The sale will begin during the week of February 9, 2026.

1️⃣ ICO Details:

- Sale Allocation: 10% of total supply

- Initial Circulating: 11% (10% ICO + ~1% market makers)

- Payment: cUSD stablecoin

- Network: Ethereum Mainnet

- Valuation: FDV $150M, max $250M

- Lockup: None; 100% at TGE

2️⃣ Participation:

- Whitelist: CAPS holders, Frontier participants, pre-approved strategic partners get early bid rights

3️⃣ Bid Phases:

- Registration & KYC: 7 days

- Pre-Bid: 2 days (whitelist)

- Early Bid: 2 days (whitelist)

- General Bid: 5 days (open to all)

4️⃣ Innovative Reward – “Stabledrop”:

- Frontier participants receive cUSD from ICO proceeds instead of CAP tokens, balancing short-term gains and long-term token stability. Full payout details coming soon.

5️⃣ Next Steps – Frontier → Homestead:

- Frontier ends Jan 29, Homestead launches immediately

- Pendle markets open for asset rollover and point accrual

Cap Protocol is building a next-generation DeFi ecosystem focused on fair token access, sustainable rewards, and long-term community growth