The Sandbox co-founders ousted from exec roles amid mass layoffs

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The metaverse is long over.

And yet, it’s always been here, since the dawn of the internet. You’re in the metaverse as you read this.

The metaverse in the 2022-era sense of the word was little more than a fancy marketing play around rebranding VR. But every video game, every livestream, and every social media app is arguably all part of the existing metaverse that is the internet.

Paradoxically, the metaverse as corporate executives imagined it never materialized, because it was already here this whole time.

Today we’re unpacking some details about what’s been going on at The…

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Solana validators commence vote on landmark Alpenglow consensus protocol

This is a segment from the Lightspeed newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

Solana validators have begun voting on SIMD-0326, the governance proposal for its new Alpenglow consensus protocol.

The proposal needs at least 33% of validators to reach quorum. As of this morning, at least 11.8% (135) of Solana’s ~1.3K validators have voted in favor, based on Dune.

When you send a transaction on Solana today, the chain takes about ~12.8 seconds (32 slots * 0.4s slot time) to reach deterministic finality, though it is also sometimes informally referred to as having a soft/optimistic transaction finality of 500-600ms.  

12.8 seconds is fast compared to the 12.8…

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LATEST: Tether Expands By Launching USDT Natively On Bitcoin Using RGB Protocol

Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, has announced the launch of USD₮ on RGB, a next-generation protocol designed to bring digital assets directly onto the Bitcoin network. The move signals a major step forward for stablecoins by making them native to Bitcoin’s secure and decentralized ecosystem.

RGB, which recently went live on mainnet with its 0.11.1 release, enables private, scalable, and user-controlled issuance of assets. With this integration, USD₮ can now be transacted directly on Bitcoin, offering lightweight, private, and fast payments worldwide. Users will be able to manage USD₮ and Bitcoin in the same wallet, enjoy sovereign transactions, and even transfer value offline—expanding Bitcoin’s utility far beyond a store of value.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino emphasized the importance of this milestone, calling it a step toward “a freer financial future.” The launch highlights Tether’s continued leadership in digital assets while strengthening Bitcoin’s position as the foundation for global, everyday money.

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U.S. Government Posts GDP Data On Bitcoin Blockchain

The U.S. government has officially begun publishing gross domestic product (GDP) data on public blockchains. According to Bloomberg, the Commerce Department’s announcement on Thursday brings blockchain into the core of America’s economic reporting, making GDP available on nine networks including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.

Commerce officials emphasized that the blockchain rollout is not a replacement for traditional economic data releases, but rather “another avenue” for distribution, according to Bloomberg. The move, however, carries significant symbolic weight, as it effectively places the government’s seal of approval on technology once viewed with deep…

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ETH poised to set tempo for the rest of the bull run

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Whether you’re bullish, bearish, or channeling some other animal spirit, you’re forgiven for feeling the pressure right now.

It’s been two weeks since bitcoin’s last all-time high and only four days since ether set a new price after almost three years.

Bitcoin could trend sideways and even downward for all anyone would care. 

ETH sets the tempo for the foreseeable future. Scary stuff.

This is good for ETH

Before we zoom in on ETH, let’s see the momentum it’s inherited from bitcoin.

The chart below plots every bitcoin bull market together, as if they all started on the…

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Nunchuck Wallet Brings Programmable Bitcoin To Everyone With Miniscript Support

Today Nunchuck Wallet releases support for fully generalized Miniscript use, bringing a degree of flexibility and control to their users not seen before. 

For those unfamiliar with Miniscript, it is a policy language invented by Core developer and former Maintainer Pieter Wuille to make the creation of customized Bitcoin scripts easier and safer. Miniscript takes the most commonly used pieces of Bitcoin script, i.e. signature locks, timelocks, hashlocks, etc. and creates a “higher level” programming language for users to create custom scripts. 

This higher level language is designed to be safely analyzable and composable, meaning that once users create a customized script they…

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LATEST: VanEck CEO Recognize Ethereum As Wall Street’s Leading Crypto Token

Ethereum may emerge as the dominant blockchain for stablecoins, according to Jan van Eck, CEO of investment giant VanEck. Speaking to Fox Business, van Eck argued that banks and financial services will be forced to adopt blockchain technology to handle the rapid growth of stablecoins — now worth over $280 billion in circulation. He called Ethereum “the Wall Street token,” predicting it will be the backbone of future financial transactions.

Van Eck pointed to the new U.S. Genius Act, recently signed into law, which regulates payment stablecoins at the federal level. He emphasized that no bank or institution can afford to reject stablecoin payments, saying companies must integrate digital dollar technology within the next year or risk losing business. A Fireblocks survey supports this view, showing 90% of institutional players are exploring stablecoin adoption.

The remarks come as Ethereum recently hit a record high above $4,946. VanEck, which manages an Ether ETF approved by the SEC, currently holds over $284 million tied to ETH prices, highlighting the growing confidence of traditional finance in crypto markets.

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Jackbit BTC Casino Gains Recognition as a Crypto-Friendly Platform for Slots and Live Games

Glendale, CA, Aug. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

Jackbit Casino, operated by Ryker B.V., is gaining traction rapidly in the crypto casino space for itself for its seamless Bitcoin integration and fast, reliable payouts. Players can deposit, play, and withdraw using cryptocurrency without any hassle, and blockchain technology guarantees that every game is fair and transparent. 

Jackbit has an enormous library of online slots, table games, and live dealer games, giving opportunities for all types of players, from casual players to high-rollers. Players report that they enjoy Jackbit’s user-friendly interface, secure transactions, and fun gameplay, and those features have clearly…

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LATEST: Circle Joins Mastercard And Finastra Bringing Stablecoin Settlement Into Mainstream

Mastercard and Circle are strengthening their partnership to enable settlement in USDC and EURC stablecoins across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA). This marks the first time acquiring institutions in the region can settle transactions using stablecoins, signaling a major step in merging blockchain assets with traditional payment infrastructure. Arab Financial Services and Eazy Financial Services will be the first acquirers to adopt the new system.

The initiative allows institutions to settle in fully reserved USDC and EURC, bringing faster, more secure, and efficient digital payments for merchants. This builds on previous collaborations between Mastercard and Circle, including crypto card solutions like Bybit and S1LKPAY. The move is expected to cut friction in cross-border payments and strengthen liquidity across emerging markets, unlocking new opportunities for digital trade.

Executives from Mastercard, Circle, and regional partners hailed the collaboration as transformative. Mastercard emphasized its commitment to building secure, regulated infrastructure for tokenized money, while Circle highlighted the milestone as a step toward borderless, real-time commerce. With stablecoins gaining traction, this partnership sets the stage for wider adoption in global payments.

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Bitcoin Hong Kong Returns In 2026

HONG KONG – August 28, 2025 – BTC Inc., the organizer of the world’s largest Bitcoin conferences, today announced that Bitcoin Hong Kong 2026 will take place in Hong Kong on August 27 – 28, 2026. Following record-breaking growth in recent years, the return to Hong Kong highlights it’s pivotal role in the global Bitcoin economy.

The momentum continues after Bitcoin Asia 2025 saw over 20,000 sold passes, building on the success of Bitcoin Asia 2024, which featured some of the industry’s most influential voices. This year edition lineups have included notable speakers such as Eric Trump, CZ, Belaji Srinivasan, Adam Back, Bilal Bin Saquib and Dr. Xiao Feng, underscoring the…

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