Coinbase partners with Squads to accelerate USDC adoption on Solana

After more than two decades scaling exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and capital markets businesses at Goldman Sachs, Invesco, and BlackRock, Jürgen Blumberg has joined Centrifuge as chief operating officer. Centrifuge is a DeFi platform for tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs) and using them as collateral in decentralized lending. Blumberg believes the decentralized finance sector is now experiencing a turning point—one that mirrors the transformative rise of ETFs in traditional finance. From ETFs to DeFi Disruption Asked why he chose this moment to leave traditional finance for DeFi, Blumberg frames it in the context of what he calls the industry’s “ETF moment.” He sees clear parallels between the early skepticism around ETFs and the current perceptions of DeFi, noting that both began as disruptive innovations challenging entrenched systems. “I was always fascinated by the markets—how order books work, how instruments exchange on different venues,” Blumberg says. “The first five years of my career were in trading, and then I moved into my first ETF role. Even back then, I was convinced ETFs would replace mutual funds. It took 15 years, but now ETFs as a category are bigger than mutual funds.” He sees parallels between ETFs’ early days and the current DeFi sector : “ETFs were a new technology in traditional finance. Today, DeFi is a completely new ecosystem aiming to disrupt, offering solutions to the cost, time, and access limitations of traditional products. In DeFi, everybody can access markets—24/7.” Clearing Misconceptions About DeFi Blumberg explains that many in traditional finance view DeFi as volatile or risky, but that perception overlooks its structural advantages. “Those who take the time to understand DeFi will see it’s similar to traditional finance—just with different terminology. TVL is the same as AUM, liquidity pools are like exchanges, and derivatives exist on both sides. It’s a fascinating world with the power to disrupt how things are done today.” Tokenization: Not All Tokens Are Equal Recalling an old ETF industry saying—“not every ETF is created equal”—Blumberg applies it to tokenization. The phrase means that while all ETFs fall under the same general category, their structure, risk profile, and quality can vary. “There are tokens that are derivative structures and not fully backed by the underlying asset. Then there are fund tokens, like ours, that are fully backed, giving holders direct access to the assets. Just because something is called a token doesn’t mean it carries the same structure or risk.” Global Regulatory Competition and Centrifuge’s Growth Blumberg also sees regulatory momentum happening worldwide. “At the moment, progress is coming from the U.S. But Europe is moving forward too—Luxembourg is making progress, the EU has MiCA , and many ETP issuers choose Switzerland as their domicile. In Asia, Hong Kong and Singapore are advancing in certain areas. There’s a global competition to attract the smartest ideas and allow controlled innovation.” Centrifuge, he adds, is on the cusp of major progress. “We’re approaching the $1 billion TVL mark. With partnerships such as S&P and others we’ll soon announce, we’re well positioned to keep growing.” ONE. BILLION. DOLLARS. TVL.🔥 The flywheel is spinning. We've been heads down building since 2017, and now our onchain ecosystem has hit its first billion. The first billy was the hardest. The next ones are inevitable. 🚀 Onwards and upwards!!! pic.twitter.com/Ip4pq0qDzY — Centrifuge (@centrifuge) August 12, 2025 For Blumberg, the decisive reason to leave the security of large financial institutions was his conviction that the most meaningful innovation in the next decade will come from startups, not incumbents.

Cardano gains momentum as ADA builds quietly, while another under-the-radar project heats up for a potential breakout. #partnercontent

Billionaire Michael Saylor, executive chairman of Strategy, has once again taken to X (formerly Twitter) to explain why shares of $MSTR trade at a premium to Bitcoin’s net asset value (NAV). In his post , Saylor attributed this advantage to four key factors: Credit Amplification, Options Advantage, Passive Flows, and Superior Institutional Access—benefits that equity and credit instruments offer over commodity assets like Bitcoin. $MSTR trades at a premium to Bitcoin NAV due to Credit Amplification, an Options Advantage, Passive Flows, and superior Institutional Access that equity and credit instruments provide compared to commodities. pic.twitter.com/AYQlytS4ID — Michael Saylor (@saylor) August 13, 2025 Credit Amplification: Leveraging to Maximize Bitcoin Exposure Strategy uses intelligent leverage to achieve 2x–4x amplification of Bitcoin exposure. This level of credit-based positioning is unavailable for spot Bitcoin exchange-traded products (ETPs) or direct Bitcoin holdings. By strategically tapping into credit markets, MSTR can enhance returns when Bitcoin’s price rises, effectively multiplying the impact of favorable market moves. This approach, however, also increases risk in downturns, reflecting the high-conviction nature of Saylor’s long-term Bitcoin bet . Options Advantage: Deeper and More Liquid Derivatives Markets Another differentiator is Strategy’s $100 billion+ in open interest within the options market. In comparison, spot Bitcoin ETPs have around $30 billion, while CME Bitcoin futures sit at roughly $20 billion in open interest. This liquidity and market depth give MSTR more flexibility for institutional traders and hedgers, making it a more dynamic vehicle for large-scale strategic plays than Bitcoin itself. Passive Flows: Index Inclusion Drives Steady Capital Unlike Bitcoin or its ETPs, Strategy benefits from passive flows due to its inclusion in major equity indices such as the NASDAQ 100, MSCI, and Russell 1000. This means that as investors pour money into index funds and ETFs tracking these benchmarks, a portion of that capital automatically flows into MSTR shares. This consistent demand adds a structural tailwind to MSTR’s market performance, further widening the premium over Bitcoin’s NAV. Institutional Access: Bigger Capital Pools Than Bitcoin Institutional access is where MSTR’s advantage is perhaps most pronounced. The company’s equity and credit profile provides access to an estimated $35 trillion in equity and $60 trillion in credit markets. By contrast, spot Bitcoin ETPs tap into about $700 billion in private capital, and physical Bitcoin is limited to less than $150 billion. This broader institutional reach gives MSTR more avenues to attract capital, execute financing strategies, and scale exposure. Saylor’s post reinforces his core message: Strategy isn’t just a Bitcoin proxy—it’s a leveraged, institutionally integrated vehicle that combines the advantages of traditional equity markets with a laser-focused Bitcoin strategy. For investors seeking amplified Bitcoin exposure with deep market infrastructure, Saylor argues, $MSTR offers a unique edge.