Shiba Inu Confirms TREAT Token Launch in January

The Shiba Inu (SHIB) ecosystem has officially announced the long-awaited launch of its TREAT token in January of this year. The team announced the news in a post on TREAT’s official X account, but did not provide an exact launch date.

The announcement comes after years of anticipation and delays, marking a major milestone for the project.

The August 23 announcement puts an end to speculation, with the TREAT token first announced by the Shiba Inu team in 2022.

Shiba Inu positions the token as an important tool that will lead to the complete decentralization of the Shiba Inu ecosystem. After several delays, the official launch provides clarity and stability to the community.

In 2024, Shiba Inu used the $12 million raised from the TREAT token sale to build a Layer-3 privacy blockchain. While the public sale was expected shortly thereafter, no date was set, giving room for misinformation.

The delay resulted in scammers coming forward with a warning and making it clear that they do not have legitimate TREAT tokens in circulation with the public.

 

Metaplanet Announces Plans to Increase Bitcoin Portfolio to 10,000 BTC

Japanese investment firm Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich has announced that the firm aims to increase its Bitcoin portfolio to 10,000 BTC in 2025.

To achieve this goal, he said, Metaplanet will use the most efficient financial instruments available in the market. Additionally, the company’s plans for 2025 include:

• Increasing transparency and shareholder engagement through new initiatives;

• Leveraging partnerships to advance Bitcoin adoption in Japan and globally;

• Exploring innovative opportunities to increase Metaplanet’s influence in Japan and the Bitcoin ecosystem.

 

Gemini Agrees to Pay $5 Million to US Authorities

Gemini has agreed to pay $5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that accused the exchange of misleading the regulator in an attempt to get approval for a bitcoin futures product. The Southern District of New York court issued a consent order for the exchange to pay the fine. Gemini will pay the amount without admitting or denying the agency’s allegations. The move will allow the exchange to avoid a trial that was originally scheduled for January 21, with a preliminary hearing set for January 13. In 2022, the CFTC filed a lawsuit against Gemini in Manhattan federal court, alleging that the exchange provided inaccurate and misleading information about its measures to prevent manipulation of the bitcoin price. The exchange made the announcements between July and December 2017 in an effort to gain approval for a futures product it launched with Cboe Global Markets, the regulator insists.

 

Solana Mobile Plans to Launch 'Solana Seeker', Solana's Second Phone, in the First Half of 2025

Solana Mobile is gearing up to launch its second smartphone, the Solana Seeker, in 2025. The $500 phone has already received more than 145,000 pre-orders. With this launch, Solana aims to connect blockchain technology with everyday mobile use.

Along with the Seeker, other innovations like the Firedancer validator client and blockchain-powered wearables are in the works, marking a big year for Solana.

Solana Seeker: A Phone for Blockchain Enthusiasts

The Solana Seeker builds on the foundation laid by the first Solana smartphone, offering expanded capabilities and deeper integration with the Solana ecosystem.

One of its features is its connection to Solana’s DApp store, which hosts various decentralized applications created by Solana projects. This integration makes it a unique option for those who want to access Web3 tools directly from their phone.

 

Ripple Labs CEO Says Company's Success in US After Trump's Victory

Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse has announced the company's growth in the United States after Donald Trump was elected president.

He said that as of January 5, 2025, 75% of Ripple's open positions are in the US, "whereas over the last four years, the vast majority of hiring has occurred outside the country."

In addition, the Ripple Labs CEO added that since the presidential election (the last six weeks of 2024), the company has signed more deals in the US than in the previous six months.

 

Movement Labs Closes $100M Funding Round

Movement Labs, a startup working on the creation of the Ethereum layer-2 (L2) network, is preparing to close a venture funding round that is expected to attract $100 million, Fortune reported on January 8. The round could value the company at $3 billion.

With the deal, Movement will join the ranks of blockchain developers with “unicorn” status, a designation given to companies valued at over $1 billion. Other recent unicorns include Celestia and Story Protocol.

In December, Movement completed the launch of the L2 mainnet and issued its native token, MOVE. This “beta” launch is focused on attracting infrastructure providers before going mainstream.

Movement aims to differentiate itself with a new mechanism for quickly finalizing transactions directly on L2, co-founder Rushi Manche told Cointelegraph in September.

 

Trump Raises Record $170 Million for Inauguration: Google and Microsoft Donate

Tech corporations Google and Microsoft have each donated $1 million to Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, following other major companies such as Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, and Uber, The Guardian reports. In total, Trump's inauguration fund has already raised a record $170 million.

"Google is excited to support the 2025 inauguration through a live stream on YouTube and a direct link on our homepage. We are also donating to the inauguration fund," said Karan Bhatia, Google's global head of government and public policy.

Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said the company has donated to previous inauguration funds and has previously live streamed inauguration ceremonies.