Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron called for a fundamental shift in how decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols manage liquidity, labeling the sector’s ongoing liquidity crisis as “self-inflicted.” In an exclusive interview, Boiron outlined Polygon’s vision for sustainable DeFi, emphasizing chain-owned liquidity and transparent economic models as the path forward.Boiron criticized DeFi protocols for fueling a cycle of “mercenary capital” by offering sky-high annual percentage yields (APYs) through token emissions. “It’s just renting liquidity; it’s not real loyalty,” he told Cointelegraph, noting that such strategies lead to fleeting liquidity that vanishes when yields drop or token prices falter. This reliance on short-term hype, he argued, undermines the sector’s stability and deters institutional adoption.Chasing DeFi stability over hypeTo break that cycle, Boiron urged protocols to prioritize fundamentals over flashy returns. “Sustainable DeFi needs models where liquidity sticks around for the right reasons,” he said, pointing to Polygon’s POL token as a blueprint for achieving this.“Protocols can put their treasury to work, earning yield instead of diluting token value. Over time, this strengthens the treasury rather than just paying off temporary liquidity providers.”Polygon’s approach centers on chain-owned liquidity, where protocols build treasuries to directly own liquidity positions rather than relying on external providers. Unlike token emissions, which Boiron said attract liquidity quickly but dilute token value, owned liquidity offers long-term stability and capital efficiency.The only trade-off in the plan, according to Boiron, is time. He explained that building a treasury through captured fees, bond mechanisms or limited emissions requires patience and disciplined management.Polygon prepares to onboard traditional finance in cryptoFor traditional finance (TradFi), liquidity stability and predictability are prerequisites for full DeFi adoption:“Traditional finance runs on models that need stable, reliable market access. If a DeFi protocol suddenly loses liquidity or slippage spikes, it creates a level of risk most institutions just won’t take.”However, Boiron said that Polygon’s solutions — sustainable treasury management, owned liquidity and transparent models — are not just for institutions. “These are good financial fundamentals that work for any protocol,” he said, dismissing suggestions that Polygon’s strategy is too narrow to address DeFi’s broader issues.Related: Yemenis are turning to DeFi as US sanctions target Houthi groupBuilding a scalable blueprint for chain-owned liquidityAs Polygon pushes for a DeFi reset, Boiron remains optimistic about getting support from frameworks like Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation and evolving US guidance. “We’re 12–18 months away from seeing a lot more institutional involvement,” he predicted.Looking to 2026, Boiron envisions a more stable DeFi ecosystem with less volatility, stronger community governance and sophisticated financial products bridging TradFi and real-world assets. He said Polygon (POL) could reduce reliance on mercenary capital, fostering true decentralization.He added that POL is the foundation for long-term growth, as it helps protocols focus on building better products and keeping users engaged, instead of plugging liquidity gaps or diluting tokens to stay afloat:“POL doesn’t solve everything on its own, but it gives protocols the breathing room to tackle bigger challenges like user retention and capital inflows the right way.”Boiron’s core message to DeFi protocols is clear: “Sustainable economics always win in the long run.” While market pressures make it tempting to chase high APYs, he noted that surviving protocols from past cycles prove the value of sustainability. “More teams are starting to get it,” he said, urging the ecosystem to adopt models that prioritize long-term growth over fleeting buzz.Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race

Regulatory changes could be the catalyst to spark significant adoption of stablecoins and blockchain tech in 2025, according to investment banking giant Citigroup.“2025 has the potential to be blockchain’s ‘ChatGPT’ moment for adoption in the financial and public sector, driven by regulatory change,” a team of Citigroup financial analysts said in an April 23 report. A combination of growing regulatory support and adoption by financial institutions has set the stage for the stablecoin market cap to fly as high as $3.7 trillion by 2030, or in a base case, $1.6 trillion.“The main catalyst for their greater acceptance may be regulatory clarity in the US, which could enable greater integration of stablecoins specifically, and blockchain more widely, into the existing financial system,” Citi said in its report. “The tailwinds of regulatory support and the increased integration of digital assets into incumbent financial institutions are setting the scene for increased usage of stablecoins.”On the heels of US President Donald Trump’s crypto-friendly administration assuming power earlier this year, lawmakers are weighing stablecoin legislation, such as the GENIUS Act, which seeks to regulate US stablecoins, ensuring their legal use for payments. A US regulatory framework for stablecoin would also support demand for dollar risk-free assets inside and outside the US, according to the report. “The stablecoin issuers will have to buy US Treasuries, or comparable low risk assets, against each stablecoin as a measure of having safe underlying collateral,” Citi said. “Stablecoin issuers could hold more US Treasuries by 2030 than any single jurisdiction today.” Stablecoin issuers could have significant holdings of US Treasuries by 2030. Source: Citigroup US will continue to dominate stablecoins In the future, Citi predicts the stablecoin supply will remain US dollar-denominated, with non-US countries promoting national currency or a central bank digital currency.In April, the stablecoin market cap had crossed $230 billion, an increase of 54% since last year, with Tether (USDT) and USDC (USDC) dominating 90% of the market. “While the dollar’s dominance may evolve over time, with the euro or other currencies being promoted by national regulations, stablecoins may be viewed by many non-US policy makers as an instrument of dollar hegemony,” Citi said. “Geopolitics remain fluid. Should the world continue to drift into a multi-polar system it is likely that policymakers in China and Europe will be keen to promote central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) or stablecoins issued in their own currency.” Related: Russia finance ministry official floats country making own stablecoins: ReportHowever, there are still some challenges ahead for the market. The stablecoin market cap could settle around $500 billion if “adoption and integration challenges persist.” Depegging has also been flagged as a potential issue, with 1,900 instances in 2023, according to Citi, including the major USDC depeg following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.“A major depegging event would likely dampen crypto market liquidity, trigger automated liquidations, impair trading platforms’ ability to meet redemptions, and potentially have broader contagion effects for the financial system,” the firm said. Magazine: Ridiculous ‘Chinese Mint’ crypto scam, Japan dives into stablecoins: Asia Express

Today in crypto, ARK Invest has said Bitcoin could hit a top of $2.4 million by 2030, the CME Group said it plans to launch XRP futures contracts and The Bitcoin Standard author Saifedean Ammous said Donald Trump's tariffs reversal may reflect concerns over rising bond yields. ARK Invest ups its 2030 Bitcoin bull case prediction to $2.4MCathie Wood’s ARK Invest has raised its “bull case” Bitcoin (BTC) price target from $1.5 million to $2.4 million by the end of 2030, citing increased institutional investor interest and Bitcoin’s increasing acceptance as “digital gold.”It also bumped its “bear” and “base” case scenarios for Bitcoin to $500,000 and $1.2 million,  up from the $300,000 and $710,000 respective predictions it made in February.“Institutional investment contributes the most to our bull case,” said ARK research analyst David Puell, who estimated that Bitcoin would achieve a 6.5% penetration rate into the $200 trillion financial market in a best-case scenario (that figure excludes gold).ARK’s bear, base and bull case price targets for Bitcoin by Dec. 31, 2030. Source: ARK InvestBitcoin’s acceptance as “digital gold” was also a major contributor to the lofty estimate, with Puell estimating that it could capture up to 60% of gold’s market cap by the end of 2030 in a bull scenario.At $2.4 million per Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency’s market cap would be $49.2 trillion, assuming that Bitcoin’s total supply will have reached 20.5 million by the end of 2030, making it more valuable than the current gross domestic products of the US and China combined.Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group to launch XRP futuresThe Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group, which operates the largest financial derivatives exchanges worldwide, announced that XRP futures contracts will go live on May 19.According to the April 24 announcement, investors have the option of choosing between micro-sized contracts, featuring 2,500 XRP, or standard contract sizes of 50,000 XRP. All XRP futures contracts will be cash-settled.In January 2025, the CME Group signaled an impending launch of XRP futures before quietly pulling the related page from its website.CME’s announcement is the latest in a growing wave of crypto-focused financial products entering the market or awaiting regulatory approval in the US, a sign that cryptocurrencies have reached a new level of institutional acceptance.There are now more than 70 crypto ETF applications waiting to be reviewed by the SEC, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas.Trump fought the bond market, the bond market won: Saifedean AmmousAnalysts are criticizing the financial implications of Trump’s import tariffs, a development that some say highlights Bitcoin’s (BTC) unique economic properties during times of global uncertainty.Trump’s 90-day pause on higher reciprocal tariffs, reverting them to a 10% baseline for most countries except China, has exposed vulnerabilities in the US bond market, according to critics.Economist and author of The Bitcoin Standard, Saifedean Ammous, said Trump’s decision to reverse the higher tariffs was likely a reaction to rising bond yields, suggesting the administration’s hand was forced.“Trump fought the bond market and the bond market won,” Ammous said in an April 23 X post. “The gambit seemed to work for the first day, and the huge crash in the stock market was presented as a small price to pay for fiscal sustainability.“But then the bonds began to crash, and it became clear how disastrous the tariffs were, and how wrong it was to expect that deliberately crashing the stock market would boost the bond market,” he added.Source: Saifedean Ammous

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has delayed a decision on whether to approve a proposed exchange-traded fund (ETF) holding Polkadot’s native token, regulatory filings show. According to an April 24 filing, the regulator has extended its deadline for a final ruling until June 11, nearly four months after the Nasdaq sought permission to list Grayscale Polkadot Trust on Feb. 24. Grayscale’s ETF filing adds to a roster of roughly 70 proposed ETFs awaiting SEC approval, including funds holding altcoins, memecoins, and crypto-related financial derivatives, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.  Asset managers are pitching ETFs for “[e]verything from XRP, Litecoin and Solana to Penguins, Doge and 2x Melania and everything in between,” Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas said in an April 21 post on the X platform. Asset manager 21Shares is also awaiting permission to list its own Polkadot ETF.Polkadot is a layer-1 blockchain network launched in 2020. Its native token, DOT (DOT), has a market capitalization of approximately $6.6 billion as of April 24, according to CoinMarketCap.Polkadot’s price over time. Source: CoinMarketCapRelated: Institutions break up with Ethereum but keep ETH on the hookAltcoin ETF pipelineGrayscale is among multiple asset managers seeking regulatory clearance to list altcoin ETFs in the US. The company is already behind several crypto funds, including spot Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) ETFs. The asset manager has also asked for permission to launch ETFs holding tokens such as Solana (SOL), Litecoin (LTC), XRP (XRP), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Cardano (ADA).Crypto ETFs scheduled for SEC review. Source: Eric Balchunas/BloombergThe pipeline of proposed fund listings comes as more than 80% of institutional investors say they plan to boost allocations to crypto in 2025, according to a March report by Coinbase and EY-Parthenon. However, analysts caution that demand for altcoin ETFs is likely to be much more limited than for funds holding core cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether. “Having your coin get ETF-ized is like being in a band and getting your songs added to all the music streaming services,” Balchunas said. “Doesn’t guarantee listens but it puts your music where the vast majority of the listeners are.”Magazine: Altcoin season to hit in Q2? Mantra’s plan to win trust: Hodler’s Digest, April 13 – 19