RaaS #433: Mantle Launches Onchain Neobank!

Vitalik Bullposting Again, Dark Pool DEXes Trade Integrity For Discretion, and Moar!

Kaito AI’s Yapper Leaderboard tracks social engagement for Boundless, a ZK protocol enabling fast rollup upgrades and verifiable compute. It shifts focus to quality content and rewards, challenging hype-driven models with AI metrics and gamified incentives.

Fellow enables instant stablecoin payments across platforms (e.g., Apple Pay → Coinbase), bypassing slow banking rails. Backed by ex-MoonPay, it tackles UX flaws and rising friction in digital payments. Launching at Permissionless IV, it signals a mobile-first stablecoin future.

A $100M liquidation on Hyperliquid sparked calls for dark pool DEXes to prevent MEV and front-running. Powered by MPC and ZKPs, these DEXes offer privacy but raise concerns about transparency, mirroring TradFi’s dark pools, which trade off integrity for discretion.

Even top VCs aren’t immune! a16z’s X account was hacked in a social engineering scam mimicking February’s Insight breach. Fake token promos led to ~50 SOL losses. With scams increasing YoY, highlighting the urgent need for MFA and AI threat detection.

Missed this soo much!

At SuperAI 2025, KITE AI’s CTO, Scott Shi, spoke on building a decentralized economic layer for Agentic AI. The panel featured leaders from Agora, Wiz.ai, Gaianet, and KITE, reflecting rising interest in AI systems owned and rewarded by contributors, not Big Tech.

Mantle’s new neobank, UR, combines fiat and crypto via Swiss IBANs and Mastercard, launching June 19. Built on Ethereum L2 with tokenized deposits and NFT IDs, it spans 40+ countries. Critics flag transparency gaps, noting no website or audits yet—credibility will hinge on disclosures.

Ethena and Securitize now enable 24/7 atomic swaps between USDtb and BlackRock’s BUIDL fund, merging DeFi speed with TradFi scale. Built on Converge, this increases onchain asset access and instant settlement, but raises questions on regulation amid growing institutional adoption.

Top Gainers: SNTR, FORT, FUN, AURA, GOUT.

Corporate crypto treasuries now show improved risk management, with firms hedging rather than hoarding. VanEck’s Spot Solana ETF signals rising institutional exposure, but BIS warns of systemic risks. On-chain flows suggest strategic moves, not FOMO-driven accumulation.

Spark manages $4.1B via its Liquidity Layer, generating $190M in yield through fixed-rate lending with Sky’s USDS. By tokenizing RWAs and tying rates to SSR, Spark offers DeFi-native alternatives to banks, fueling the $10B sUSDS market and challenging legacy finance inefficiencies.

Ohio’s new law exempts crypto gains under $200 from taxes, protects mining and self-custody, and follows global moves like Thailand’s tax break. It positions Ohio as a crypto policy leader, potentially pressuring U.S. lawmakers to act as states push forward independently.

That’s all for today!