A wave of 2025 state bills would let agencies accept cryptocurrency for taxes and fees. Where programs already exist (Colorado, Utah), payments run through a processor like PayPal that converts your crypto to dollars instantly and adds a service fee—so the state never holds crypto. Early adoption has been tiny, but more jurisdictions are exploring similar setups.
What the new bills…
What counts as a “crypto exchange” in the U.S.?
If a business exchanges, transfers, or administers crypto for others, it is generally a money services business (MSB) and must register with FinCEN and implement AML programs, including the Recordkeeping/“Travel Rule” for certain transfers. Peer-to-peer “exchangers” are also covered when they transmit value for others.
Key AML pieces you’ll see in onboarding…
Fundraising isn’t one thing; it spans institutional capital formation, community grants, and charitable giving. In 2024–2025, three shifts made blockchain funding practical at scale: (1) real institutional products like tokenized money-market funds, (2) clearer rulebooks and sandboxes that let regulated players issue and settle digital securities, and (3) maturing crypto-philanthropy and public-goods mechanisms that prove out transparency and global reach.…
Despite real progress in trading, remittances experiments, and on-chain finance, cryptocurrency still struggles to penetrate several high-value, real-world payment niches. Data from central banks and industry bodies shows crypto’s share of day-to-day payments remains tiny in developed markets, stablecoins are used largely inside the crypto ecosystem, and compliance frictions persist across borders. This guide maps the major “not-yet-occupied” niches, explains…
Why Beijing calls blockchain “strategic” infrastructure
In an October 2019 speech, President Xi urged accelerated blockchain R&D and real-world deployment for the digital economy and governance. That endorsement moved blockchain from niche to national priority.
Key implication: in China, blockchain is framed as a state-aligned “top-level system” for data trust and coordination across government and industry, not as a pathway to…
Crypto crime hasn’t slowed down. By mid-2025, thieves had already stolen over $2.17B from crypto services—worse than all of 2024—with a single exchange hack accounting for the majority. That backdrop makes disciplined due diligence non-negotiable.
The 30-second sniff test (fail fast)
Guaranteed returns, “risk-free,” or urgent “act now” pitches. Classic fraud red flags called out by U.S. regulators.
Celebrity or influencer shilling…
Bank blockchain isn’t a hype cycle anymore. In 2024–2025 we’ve seen production-grade rails for tokenized cash, collateral, and funds, alongside CBDC pilots for wholesale settlement and cross-border payments. Central banks, market infrastructures, and the world’s largest asset managers are converging on the same thesis: tokenized money + tokenized assets on shared ledgers reduce settlement frictions and unlock new products.
The strategic…
If you want the lowest typical FX markup, start with Wise (mid-market rate; conversion fee shown upfront). For a feature-packed super-app, choose Revolut. PayPal is everywhere but conversion fees can apply. Skrill suits gaming/online payments with 40+ currencies. For self-custody crypto, pick Trust Wallet (huge multi-chain support) or Crypto.com Onchain Wallet (non-custodial with DeFi tools). Ratings and currency counts are…
Table of Contents
Why traders repeat the same mistakes
Regulator portals you should bookmark
Verify people and platforms before you trade
Research companies and funds the right way
Rules that trip up new traders
Order types that protect you from bad fills
Risk management and options risk documents
Academic evidence that keeps your ego in check
Fee tools that save you real money
A quick, printable checklist
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1)…
Initial coin offerings (ICOs) once promised open, global fundraising. In 2025, they sit at the intersection of securities law, consumer-protection rules, platform ad bans, and very real cybercrime risk. This guide explains how regulators now treat token sales, highlights fresh enforcement and crime data, and gives you a practical checklist to avoid today’s most common investment hazards.
What is an ICO—legally…
How does a crypto portfolio-tracking app realistically turn a new funding round into $1.5 million in annual revenue? In 2025, the path typically combines product-led growth (PLG), reasonably priced premium plans, disciplined user acquisition, and exchange affiliate programs. This guide uses live market examples (Zerion, Zapper, CoinStats, Delta) and current SaaS/app benchmarks to build a conservative model you can adapt.…
What “war” are miners fighting?
Miners constantly battle three moving fronts: protocol economics (halvings), market competition (difficulty/ASIC arms race), and real-world inputs (power, policy). “Hashprice”—revenue per unit of hashrate—captures the pressure: it moves with BTC price, fees, and difficulty. Luxor’s Hashprice Index is the industry reference.
Halving 2024: a fee-driven ceasefire that didn’t last
On April 20, 2024, the block subsidy fell…
Customer payments, supplier settlement, and payroll are where crypto delivers immediate utility this year. Major processors now let you accept dollar-pegged stablecoins at checkout, card networks are settling with stablecoins behind the scenes, and payroll platforms support USDC payouts—so you can move money globally with lower friction while keeping your books in dollars.
Accepting payments: stablecoins at checkout
Stripe enables USDC…
Why these 12 engines matter now
The next five years favor products that do work for users, distribution that meets buyers where budget already sits, and channels you truly control. That’s why AI-native product loops, cloud marketplaces with co-sell, and first-party reach (email/SMS/owned communities) show outsized leverage—while SEO evolves under Google’s AI Overviews and privacy changes in Chrome.
1) AI-native product…
Nations team up on blockchain for three big reasons: to make cross-border processes cheaper and faster, to verify people and products with portable proof, and to align rules so digital records move with legal certainty. Europe’s public-sector blockchain (EBSI, evolving into EUROPEUM), the W3C Verifiable Credentials 2.0 standard used with the new EU digital identity framework, the BIS-supported mBridge platform…