TL;DR Converge, the upcoming blockchain developed by Ethena and Securitize, is scheduled to launch its mainnet by the end of Q2 2025. It will leverage Arbitrum's scalability technology and Celestia's data availability layer to deliver superior performance with low latency.

Decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Ethena and tokenization firm Securitize said they will use part of Arbitrum's tech and data availability network Celestia for their real-world asset focused, Ethereum-compatible blockchain, aiming to launch mainnet in the second quarter of this year.

Alchemy Pay has partnered with Ethena Labs to enable direct fiat purchases of USDe and ENA using regular payment methods.

RedStone has expanded its support for Ethena Labs' stablecoins USDe and sUSDe to the BNB Chain, triggering a 14% price surge.

Former Australian Air Force pilot John-Paul Thorbjornsen, also known as JP Thor, has been promoting his new crypto wallet, Vultisig, which runs on THORChain a decentralized network he founded to enable cross-chain swaps without intermediaries. Marketed as more secure than other wallets, Vultisig has recently seen a spike in usage alongside THORChain.

Researchers say North Korea used THORChain to launder $1.2 billion following the biggest-ever crypto heist.

Bitcoin and most cryptocurrencies slumped on Thursday, with their total market capitalization plunging by over 5.7% to $2.6 trillion. Pi Network (PI) was one of the worst performers as it dropped to a record low of $0.

As the crypto market enters Q2 2025, both investors and traders are anticipating a shift from bearish to bullish momentum. This change is essential for altcoins to recover, as many are currently facing challenges in bouncing back.

THORChain encountered some difficulties in 2025, including announcing insolvency in January. The company made an announcement on X, revealing that it had temporarily paused its network due to significant debt and leverage problems affecting its ecosystem.

Many crypto tokens have recovered this week as investors moved back to risky assets. This surge has brought the cryptocurrency market valuation to nearly $3 trillion.

KuCoin has introduced new USDC trading pairs for Stellar (XLM), Toncoin (TON), and Ethena (ENA). Following the announcement, the prices of all three tokens saw modest gains as traders responded to the development.

Stablecoins surpass Visa, Mastercard in transaction volume, signaling a major shift in global finance.

Cryptocurrency prices resumed their downward trend on Tuesday as market participants awaited the second Federal Reserve interest rate decision of the year. Pi Network (PI), the viral tap-to-earn token, was one of the worst performers, dropping by almost 13%.

Here is how some of your favorite assets concluded the week.

Ethena's daily revenue has surpassed PancakeSwap and Jupiter, trailing only behind Tether and Circle. Following this achievement, ENA rose 4%.

With Bitcoin on the verge of a breakout (or rejection), the altcoins are starting to stir. The altcoin market cap could already have bottomed.

THORChain has been called a money laundering protocol — a label no decentralized finance (DeFi) project wants unless it's prepared to have regulators breathing down its neck.Its supporters have fended off the criticism by championing decentralization, while its critics point to recent activities that showed some of the protocol's centralized tendencies. After exploiting Bybit for $1.4 billion, the North Korean state-backed hackers behind the attack, known as the Lazarus Group, flocked to THORChain, making it their top choice to convert stolen funds from Ether (ETH) to Bitcoin (BTC).

XRP price has pulled back in the past few days, and is at risk of further downside after forming a head and shoulders pattern on the daily chart. Ripple was trading at $2.3515 on Saturday, down by over 30% from its highest level this year.

The crypto market today continues to spark investor uncertainty, showcasing riveting movements. Bitcoin (BTC) price stagnates around $85K as the week comes to an end, whereas altcoins mimic a volatile trajectory.

The crypto market slid back into the red as it declined over 4%, slipping below the $3 trillion mark and moving to its current $2.87 trillion. Bitcoin (BTC) is down nearly 5% despite Donald Trump's announcement of a strategic reserve consisting of Bitcoin.

This crypto bull market has not been particularly kind to the vast majority of altcoins. Unlike previous bull markets, the focus has been very much on Bitcoin, seemingly with only the merest sniff of an altcoins season, which has so far failed to arrive.

Ethena Labs' USDe continues to make moves to position itself as a logical alternative to USDC and USDT as the stablecoin competition heats up. The latest in a series of progressive moves Ethena Labs has made regarding USDe involves Bybit, one of the largest exchanges in the industry right now.

THORChain, a decentralized cross-chain swap protocol, witnessed an unprecedented surge in activity following the Bybit hack. According to DefiLlama, THORChain processed a record $4.66 billion in swaps in the week ending March 2, surpassing $1 billion in a single day.

The Lazarus Group has already laundered all the unfrozen funds it stole from the recent Bybit hack. The group used THORChain's DEX to convert ETH tokens, sparking community criticisms.

The CEO of the recently hacked crypto exchange Bybit says that North Korean hackers have converted 417,348 stolen Ethereum (ETH) into Bitcoin (BTC). According to Bybit CEO Ben Zhou, North Korean state-sponsored hackers stole approximately $1.4 billion in ETH from Bybit, bridging a significant portion of the assets to Bitcoin.

THORChain reportedly generated $5.5M in transaction fees from the surge in activity linked to the laundering of Bybit's stolen funds.

THORChain generated over $5 million in revenue as Bybit's $1.4 billion hacker used the protocol for moving funds, sparking controversy over its role in illicit crypto transfers.

North Korean hackers used THORChain to help launder $1.4 billion in stolen Bybit funds, driving the protocol's weekly volume to a record $4.6 billion.

Bybit CEO Ben Zhou has confirmed that $1.07 billion—roughly 77% of the assets stolen in the exchange's recent $1.4 billion security breach—can still be tracked. In a March 4 update, Zhou disclosed that hackers successfully laundered $280 million, around 20% of the 499,000 ETH stolen.

THORChain was one of the platforms Bybit hackers used to launder funds, according to observers.

Bitcoin Suisse, an institutional-grade crypto services provider, is expanding its digital asset offerings with access to four new tokens.

RUNE, the native token of the THORChain protocol, remains under significant bearish pressure following a 9.09% price decline in the last week. According to crypto analyst Ali Martinez, RUNE is likely far from a market recovery following a bearish flag pattern on its trading chart.

A developer from THORChain, known as Pluto, has announced his departure from the decentralized liquidity protocol following a contentious decision involving North Korean-linked transactions. The controversy emerged after a vote by the network's validators to block these transactions was swiftly overturned, raising concerns about the platform's governance and resilience to regulatory challenges.

Thorchain is facing operational risks as developers look to quit over disagreements on handling sanctioned funds linked to North Korean hackers.

THORChain developer “Pluto” resigns over failure to block illicit transactions. The FBI urged exchanges and validators to prevent North Korean money laundering.

Thorchain is grappling with developer departures and mounting concerns over its role in laundering stolen crypto, particularly Ethereum from the Bybit hack, tied to North Korean hackers.

THORChain token is flashing a bearish signal, forming a bearish flag pattern that suggests further downside even as swap volume surges. THORChain (RUNE) was trading at $1.3050 on Friday, down 82% from its November peak.

Key Points

Supporters of the decentralized exchange Thorchain have pushed back against claims that the protocol is actively aiding North Korea-backed hackers attempting to cash out funds from the Bybit hack.

THORChain's native token has plummeted 20% in the past 24 hours, wiping off recent gains as the rest of the market also bleeds. The price of THORChain (RUNE) changed hands around $1.20, dipping sharply after hitting highs above $1.60.

According to Arkham, Lazarus-linked wallets have moved over $240 million in ETH through THORChain. They primarily swapped it for Bitcoin (BTC).

THORChain developer Pluto announces his departure after a vote to block North Korean hacker-linked transactions was reverted. A validator is also threatening to exit unless the protocol can stop the flow of hacker funds.

A core developer of THORChain has announced their resignation following the reversal of a vote to block transactions linked to North Korean hackers. The post THORChain Developer Resigns After Vote to Block North Korean Hackers Was Reverted appeared first on Cryptonews.

Thorchain faces a critical moment as key developers leave amid concerns over North Korean hackers using the platform to launder stolen cryptocurrency.

Bybit hackers laundered 270,000 ETH, equivalent to approximately $605 million, via THORChain, representing over half of stolen funds. The post Bybit Hacker Launders 270K ETH Via THORChain, Still Holds $514M appeared first on Cryptonews.

THORChain is facing internal turmoil after a developer resigned over a controversial vote to block transactions linked to North Korean hackers.

A THORChain RUNE developer has stepped away from the project after an attempt to block transactions linked to North Korean hackers was reversed.

A THORChain dev has backed out and a validator is threatening to follow as North Korean hackers have reportedly sent $605 million worth of crypto through the protocol.