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Mesh Network Raises $75M in a Series C Funding Round 

By
Paul Ugbede Godwin
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0

Mesh, a cryptocurrency payments network, has successfully raised $75 million in a Series C funding round, achieving unicorn status with a valuation of $1 billion.

The round was led by Dragonfly Capital, with participation from prominent investors including Paradigm, Moderne Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, SBI Investment, and Liberty City Ventures.

This brings Mesh’s total funding to over $200 million since its founding in 2020. Mesh is building what it describes as the first global crypto payments network, connecting hundreds of exchanges, wallets, and financial services platforms.

This enables seamless digital asset payments, conversions, and “any-to-any” transactions—allowing users to spend various cryptocurrencies while merchants receive settlements in preferred stablecoins or fiat, with reduced friction from fragmentation across chains and tokens.

Co-founder and CEO Bam Azizi emphasized that crypto’s inherent “crowded” nature with endless new tokens and protocols creates user friction, and Mesh focuses on interoperability to unify wallets, chains, and assets into a single network—positioning it to challenge traditional payment rails’ slow settlements and high fees.

A portion of the funding was reportedly settled using stablecoins, highlighting the infrastructure’s readiness for real-world, enterprise-grade use. The new capital will support: Enhancing its API suite. Expanding engineering and compliance teams.

Global market growth, particularly in Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Mesh’s network already reaches over 900 million users worldwide through its integrations. This raise reflects growing investor focus on crypto infrastructure for practical adoption, especially amid stablecoin growth and regulatory progress, rather than speculative tokens. It’s a strong signal of confidence in scalable, compliant crypto payment solutions during a period of market challenges.

Mesh’s $75 million Series C funding round, led by Dragonfly Capital and achieving unicorn status at a $1 billion valuation, carries several significant implications for the crypto payments landscape, broader blockchain infrastructure, and traditional finance.

Even in a period described as a “relatively depressed spot market” for cryptocurrencies, top-tier investors including Paradigm, Coinbase Ventures, SBI Investment, and others committed substantial capital to payments infrastructure rather than speculative assets.

This signals a shift in priorities: capital is flowing toward practical, scalable solutions that enable real-world adoption, such as unifying fragmented wallets, chains, and tokens for seamless “any-to-any” transactions.

It reinforces that infrastructure plays—especially those addressing interoperability and compliance—are viewed as high-conviction bets for long-term value creation. Mesh positions itself as the “universal” layer for crypto payments, allowing users to spend any asset while merchants receive instant settlements in preferred stablecoins or fiat.

The raise coincides with explosive stablecoin growth, highlighting demand for tools that reduce fragmentation across chains and protocols. Notably, a portion of the funding was settled in stablecoins, demonstrating the infrastructure’s readiness for enterprise-grade, high-stakes use and serving as a proof-of-concept for crypto-native financial operations.

Mesh explicitly targets inefficiencies in traditional rails: slow settlements (days vs. instant), high fees, and cross-border friction. By creating a neutral, interconnected network already reaching 900+ million users via integrations with exchanges, wallets, and platforms like PayPal and Revolut, it could challenge incumbents like Visa/Mastercard in crypto-enabled flows.

Global expansion focus on high-remittance regions (Latin America, Asia, Europe, and recent moves into India) positions Mesh to capture volume in emerging markets where crypto remittances and payments are gaining traction—potentially lowering costs and speeding up value transfer.

This follows similar large raises in the space indicating a mini-boom in payments and stablecoin-focused companies. It underscores a maturing crypto sector: success is increasingly tied to real transaction volume, compliance, and interoperability rather than hype or token speculation.

For developers and fintechs, Mesh’s enhanced API suite could simplify building crypto-native products, accelerating mainstream integration via Apple Pay support and partnerships with Paxos/Ripple.

While bullish for infrastructure, sustained success depends on regulatory clarity especially in expansion markets, competition from players like Stripe’s blockchain initiatives, and actual adoption beyond integrations.

Unicorn status is ceremonial but symbolic—real impact will come from scaling volume and proving lower-friction payments at global scale. Mesh’s raise is a clear vote of confidence that crypto payments infrastructure is entering a production era, with investors betting it can deliver the borderless, low-cost, instant value transfer that traditional finance has long promised but rarely achieved.

Global Football Transfer Market Hits New Peak as Spending, Player Mobility Surge to $13.08bn in 2025

By
Samuel Nwite
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0

The global football transfer market surged to unprecedented levels in 2025, underlining how the sport’s economic engine continues to accelerate across professional and amateur levels, according to FIFA’s Global Transfer Report published on Wednesday.

Clubs completed a record 24,558 international transfers in men’s football during the year, pushing total spending to $13.08 billion. The volume marked a rise of more than 7% from 2024 and represented the highest number of international men’s transfers ever recorded, a sign that player mobility is becoming more frequent and structurally embedded in the modern game.

When women’s professional football and amateur competitions are included, FIFA said a total of 86,158 international transfers were completed worldwide in 2025. That figure, also an all-time high, points to a sport that is no longer dominated solely by a narrow elite tier but increasingly characterized by movement at every level, from top European leagues to semi-professional and grassroots competitions.

At the upper end of the market, major European clubs once again dominated spending. One of the standout deals of the year saw German midfielder Florian Wirtz move from Bayer Leverkusen to Premier League champions Liverpool. The 22-year-old joined for a guaranteed £100 million ($137.77 million), with up to £16 million in additional bonuses, making the transfer one of the most expensive in Premier League history. The deal reinforced England’s position as the world’s financial center of club football, supported by broadcasting revenues that continue to dwarf those of rival leagues.

Liverpool featured prominently among the year’s biggest deals, also signing striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt. Other high-value transfers in the top five included Jhon Duran’s switch from Aston Villa to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, Benjamin Sesko’s move from RB Leipzig to Manchester United, and Nick Woltemade’s transfer from VfB Stuttgart to Newcastle United.

Together, the deals illustrated how spending power is spreading across both traditional European giants and ambitious clubs backed by state-linked or private capital in newer football markets.

Saudi Arabia’s continued presence among the most expensive transfers highlighted the league’s sustained effort to reposition itself as a long-term destination for elite players. By attracting talent in their prime years, Saudi clubs have signaled that their ambitions extend beyond short-term visibility, aiming instead to embed themselves in the global transfer ecosystem.

FIFA’s data also pointed to a deeper structural shift in how clubs manage risk and squad building. More teams are investing heavily in younger players with resale potential, particularly those aged between 18 and 23, as financial pressures push clubs to balance competitiveness with sustainability. This trend has intensified scouting activity in South America, Africa, and Eastern Europe, regions that remain key talent suppliers to wealthier leagues.

Women’s football recorded another year of sharp growth, reinforcing its status as the fastest-expanding segment of the global game. FIFA said 2,440 international transfers were completed in the women’s professional game in 2025, an increase of more than 6% from the previous year. Total spending reached a record $28.6 million, more than 80% higher than in 2024, driven by rising investment from clubs in Europe and North America.

A defining moment came when Orlando Pride signed Mexican winger Lizbeth Ovalle from Tigres Femenil for a world-record fee of $1.5 million. The transfer underlined the growing financial strength of the U.S. women’s game, where higher commercial revenues, sponsorship interest, and media exposure are reshaping the market. It also highlighted the increasing internationalization of women’s football, with players moving across continents at a rate unseen just a few years ago.

Beyond the professional tiers, amateur football also saw unprecedented levels of cross-border movement. FIFA recorded 59,162 amateur players transferring internationally in 2025, a rise of 9.4% from the previous year. The increase pointed to how digital scouting platforms, agent networks, and lower travel barriers are opening pathways for non-professional players to seek opportunities abroad, particularly in semi-professional leagues across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Taken together, the figures paint a picture of a transfer market that is expanding in scale, complexity, and geographic reach. Financial power remains concentrated among a small group of leagues and clubs, yet the data show growing interaction between established football economies and emerging markets.

As investment continues to flow into infrastructure, youth development, and women’s competitions, FIFA’s report suggests that record-breaking transfer activity is becoming a defining feature of the modern game, rather than an exception.

Tesla Beats Earnings but Faces First-Ever Revenue Decline as Musk Doubles Down on AI, Robotaxis, Robots

By
Samuel Nwite
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0

Tesla delivered a mixed set of fourth-quarter results that once again captured the tension at the heart of the company, which has recorded a downward spiral of revenue in the past several quarters.

The EV giant’s latest earnings offered investors a familiar contradiction: short-term financial outperformance paired with deeper signs of strain in the company’s core business, even as Elon Musk presses ahead with a costly and uncertain pivot toward artificial intelligence, autonomy, and robotics.

Tesla reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results after the bell on Wednesday, lifting its stock about 2% in extended trading. Adjusted earnings came in at 50 cents per share, ahead of the 45 cents expected by analysts surveyed by LSEG, while revenue of $24.90 billion narrowly topped forecasts. But the relief rally masked a more consequential development. Tesla’s full-year revenue fell 3% to $94.8 billion from $97.7 billion in 2024, marking the first annual revenue decline in the company’s history.

That milestone underscores how sharply Tesla’s growth story has changed. Once defined by rapid expansion and soaring deliveries, the company is now grappling with slowing sales, intensifying competition, and a lineup that has aged as rivals push newer, cheaper models into the market. Nowhere is that pressure more visible than in China, where BYD and other domestic manufacturers have steadily eroded Tesla’s market share through aggressive pricing and frequent product refreshes.

In the fourth quarter alone, Tesla’s revenue slipped 3% from a year earlier, while automotive revenue fell a steeper 11% to $17.7 billion, down from $19.8 billion. Earlier this month, the company disclosed that vehicle deliveries plunged 16% in the quarter and declined 8.6% for the full year.

Although Tesla does not precisely define deliveries in its shareholder communications, the figure is widely treated as the closest proxy for sales, and the trend highlights the depth of the slowdown.

Management attributed the annual revenue decline partly to lower vehicle deliveries and reduced regulatory credit revenue, a reminder that Tesla has long relied on those credits to bolster earnings. The fading contribution from credits comes at a time when price cuts, used to defend market share, have already weighed on margins.

Profitability pressures were stark. Net income in the fourth quarter fell 61% to $840 million, or 24 cents per share, from $2.1 billion, or 60 cents per share, a year earlier. Operating expenses jumped 39%, driven largely by spending on artificial intelligence and other research and development projects. Those investments sit at the heart of Musk’s long-term vision, but they are also dragging on near-term earnings at a moment when revenue growth has stalled.

Tesla’s challenges in 2025 have not been purely commercial. Some of the downturn has been linked to Musk’s political posture, including his close work with President Donald Trump and a series of incendiary public statements and endorsements of far-right figures in Europe. That rhetoric triggered a consumer backlash in several markets, particularly among buyers who once associated Tesla with environmentalism and progressive values. The backlash persisted through the year, compounding the impact of competition and macroeconomic pressures.

During the earnings call, Musk acknowledged another structural issue: Tesla’s aging product lineup. He said the company would end production of the Model S and Model X vehicles first introduced in 2012 and 2015, respectively. While the move streamlines operations, it also highlights how heavily Tesla has leaned on incremental updates to a small number of models while competitors have cycled through new designs more rapidly.

Yet Musk made clear that he wants investors to focus less on cars and more on what he describes as Tesla’s future as an AI company.

“We’re really moving into a future that is based on autonomy,” he said, warning that the shift would require heavy capital spending.

Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja said Tesla expects about $20 billion in capital expenditures this year, spanning new factories, AI computing infrastructure, and the development of Optimus humanoid robots.

That strategic pivot is already reshaping Tesla’s operations. Musk said the Fremont, California, factory lines that once produced the Model S and X will be converted to manufacture Optimus robots. Tesla plans to unveil the third generation of Optimus later this quarter, describing it as its first design intended for mass production. The company has pitched Optimus as a bipedal, intelligent robot capable of tasks ranging from factory work to childcare, a vision that, if realized, would open markets far beyond automobiles.

Autonomy remains the other pillar of Tesla’s long-term bet. In 2025, the company launched a Robotaxi-branded ride-hailing app and began operating a pilot service in Austin, Texas. Last week, executives said they had removed human safety supervisors from a handful of vehicles in that fleet to conduct fully driverless passenger rides. Tesla said it plans to expand robotaxi coverage to seven additional U.S. cities in the first half of this year, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas.

The company has also begun tooling ahead of production of its Cybercab, a two-seat, purpose-built autonomous vehicle designed without a steering wheel or pedals. The Cybercab is intended to be the backbone of Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions, but regulatory approval and large-scale deployment remain unresolved. Musk has spent nearly a decade forecasting imminent breakthroughs in Full Self-Driving, and investors are increasingly pressing for firm timelines rather than aspirational targets.

While the automotive business struggles, other segments are providing some support. Revenue from Tesla’s energy generation and storage business rose 25% to $3.84 billion, driven by strong demand for grid-scale batteries used to stabilize power networks and support renewable energy. The services and other segments also grew, with revenue up 18% to $3.37 billion. Though smaller than the auto unit, these businesses offer diversification and exposure to longer-term infrastructure trends.

One of the most closely watched disclosures was Tesla’s confirmation that it agreed on Jan. 16 to invest about $2 billion in Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI. The investment followed xAI’s recent $20 billion fundraising round, which exceeded its initial target and included Nvidia and Cisco as participants. Tesla said the deal, along with a broader partnership, is intended to enhance its ability to develop and deploy AI products and services “into the physical world at scale.”

The xAI investment is believed to strengthen Tesla’s autonomy and robotics roadmap by tightening integration with a dedicated AI research company. Also, it deepens concerns about capital allocation and governance, further entangling Tesla’s finances with Musk’s wider network of ventures at a time when its core business is under strain.

In essence, Tesla’s latest results capture a company at a crossroads. It highlights that the era of easy growth driven by electric vehicle adoption alone appears to be over. In its place, Musk is asking investors to accept slowing sales, declining profits, and rising spending in exchange for a future built on artificial intelligence, robotaxis, and humanoid robots.

Meta Shares Surge After Blowout Q4 as Advertising Strength and Massive AI Spending Plan Reset Investor Expectations

By
Samuel Nwite
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0

Meta delivered a stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter performance on Wednesday, beating Wall Street estimates on both earnings and revenue and issuing an upbeat sales outlook that sent its shares jumping as much as 10% in after-hours trading.

The results capped a year in which the social media giant tightened its grip on the global digital advertising market while accelerating an aggressive and costly push into artificial intelligence, a strategy CEO Mark Zuckerberg has framed as existential to the company’s long-term relevance.

For the fourth quarter, Meta posted earnings per share of $8.88, well above the $8.23 forecast by analysts surveyed by LSEG. Revenue came in at $59.89 billion, topping expectations of $58.59 billion and marking a 24% increase from a year earlier.

The company’s guidance for the current quarter further buoyed sentiment. Meta said it expects first-quarter revenue to range between $53.5 billion and $56.5 billion, comfortably ahead of the $51.41 billion analysts had penciled in. Finance chief Susan Li said the outlook was driven by “strong demand that we saw through the end of Q4 and continuing into the start of 2026,” signaling that advertisers remain willing to spend heavily across Meta’s platforms.

Advertising once again did the heavy lifting. The company said ad revenue reached $58.1 billion in the quarter, accounting for nearly 97% of total sales. Meta’s scale remains unrivalled in the sector, with daily active people across its family of apps — including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — hitting 3.58 billion, in line with Wall Street estimates and underscoring the breadth of its global reach.

Behind the headline numbers, however, investors were also focused on Meta’s spending trajectory, particularly as it pours capital into AI infrastructure at a pace few rivals can match. The company said it expects total expenses in 2026 to land between $162 billion and $169 billion, a figure that reflects both rising operating costs and heavy capital investment.

Capital expenditures tied to AI are forecast to reach between $115 billion and $135 billion in 2026, well above analyst expectations of $110.7 billion and almost double the $72.2 billion Meta spent on capex in 2025. The company said the surge is driven by “increased investment to support our Meta Superintelligence Labs efforts and core business,” a reference to its ambition to build and train frontier AI models at scale.

Zuckerberg told analysts that Meta will begin releasing its latest generation of AI models in the coming months. While he cautioned that the first releases may not immediately redefine the market, he emphasized the pace of progress. He said he expects Meta to demonstrate a “rapid trajectory” and to “steadily push the frontier over the course of the year” as new models are rolled out.

That push follows a sweeping overhaul of Meta’s AI organization in 2025. The company invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI as part of a broader effort to recruit its founder, Alexandr Wang, and key members of his team. Wang now oversees Meta’s top-tier unit, internally known as TBD, which is tasked with developing the company’s most advanced AI systems.

The restructuring came after Meta’s Llama 4 model received a muted response from developers last spring, raising questions about the company’s ability to keep pace with rivals. Meta has since been testing a new frontier model and Llama successor, code-named Avocado, which it plans to release in the first half of the year, according to CNBC.

While Meta’s core advertising engine is firing on all cylinders, its metaverse ambitions continue to weigh heavily on the bottom line. The Reality Labs division posted an operating loss of $6.02 billion in the quarter on revenue of $955 million, worse than the $5.67 billion loss analysts had expected. Since late 2020, Reality Labs has accumulated nearly $80 billion in operating losses.

Earlier this month, Meta laid off more than 1,000 employees in Reality Labs, including staff working on virtual reality studios, as it reallocated resources toward AI and wearable devices such as its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Although Meta’s chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, has insisted the company is not abandoning VR, the pullback has unsettled parts of the developer community and fueled concerns about a prolonged slowdown in the sector.

Meta said it expects Reality Labs’ operating losses in 2026 to remain broadly in line with the previous year. Zuckerberg suggested the worst may be nearing an end, telling analysts that he expects this year to mark the peak of the unit’s losses, followed by a gradual improvement.

The company also flagged mounting regulatory and legal risks. Meta warned that ongoing scrutiny in the European Union and the United States could “significantly impact our business and financial results,” noting that several high-profile social media trials set to begin this year could result in material losses.

However, investors appear focused on the company’s near-term momentum for now. Strong ad demand, resilient user engagement, and an ambitious — if expensive — AI roadmap have helped Meta reassert itself as one of the technology sector’s dominant profit engines, even as it navigates regulatory pressure and a costly bet on the future of computing.

From AI Tools to Skill-Based Gaming: Your Guide to the Top 4 Presale Cryptos of 2026

By
TI Partners
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0

As January 2026 draws to a close, the spotlight on early-stage markets is intensifying. Investors are moving away from scattered bets and focusing on projects that offer real momentum, visible results, and clear pricing plans. This trend is particularly obvious when looking at the top presale cryptos, where hitting the right window is now just as vital as believing in the project’s mission.

AI-driven data platforms, skill-focused gaming worlds, and meme-inspired experiments are all fighting for attention, but they aren’t all moving at the same pace. While some projects are hitting their final stages, others are already showing off live tools. As these windows start to close, waiting is becoming an expensive habit. The projects featured below show how these stories are playing out and why BlockDAG has shifted from a “watch and see” idea to a time-sensitive reality. 

1. BlockDAG: Only a Few Hours Remain To Secure BDAG Before Launch

BlockDAG has reached a point where timing is the only thing that matters. The project has just triggered its absolute final release before the grand launch. They have opened a final phase, making the final 1.25 billion BDAG available at a special price of $0.0005. Once this clock runs out, presale access is gone forever. The supply will lock, and BDAG will move entirely into public trading where market forces decide the price.

The team has confirmed there will be no resets and no extensions after this. In just a few hours, they will release full details on how to receive your coins and get ready for the open market. BlockDAG has already pulled in a staggering $450 million, showing massive support. With a projected launch price of $0.05, the structure suggests a potential 100× upside, or a 10,000% ROI.

For those hunting top presale cryptos, this final $0.0005 window is a massive opportunity before the project hits the big leagues.

2. DeepSnitch AI: Live Intelligence Tools Spark Demand

DeepSnitch AI is making waves as one of the most active AI presales this month. What makes it stand out is that it isn’t just selling promises; its tools are actually live. Users can already access real-time sentiment tracking, scam alerts, and smart contract analysis right now, rather than waiting for a future release date.

This focus on immediate use has made it a favorite for traders who value function over hype. The momentum behind its presale shows a growing hunger for AI tools that can navigate complex markets.

In any talk about top presale cryptos, DeepSnitch AI earns its place by delivering a working product while still in the fundraising stage. As the closing window nears, the focus is moving from basic awareness to real-world execution.

3. Tapzi: Earn Rewards Through Real Gaming Skill

Tapzi is taking a fresh path in the gaming world. Instead of rewarding people just for showing up, it focuses on skill-based play where your rewards depend on how well you actually perform. This model is a hit with gamers who want their earnings to feel like they were truly earned rather than just handed out.

The presale is moving fast, with a huge chunk of the tokens already spoken for. This level of interest proves that Tapzi is a heavy hitter among top presale cryptos for the gaming crowd. Its pricing plan shows a clear jump from the presale level to the expected launch price, making timing a very visible factor for investors. Its goal of creating long-term engagement through skill seems to be working as the presale nears its end.

4. Gassed Token: Combining Meme Culture with Fun Gameplay

Gassed Token represents the lighter, more social side of the market. Built around a click-based “play-to-earn” concept, it focuses on community fun rather than complex infrastructure. With leaderboards and themed collectibles, it keeps things simple and engaging for a wide audience.

Its clear identity is exactly why it stays relevant at the top presale cryptos list. It doesn’t try to be a serious tech giant; it leans into the fun of meme culture. While it’s definitely on the speculative side, it shows just how varied the market has become in 2026. For many, the energy of the community and the novelty of the game are plenty of reasons to pay attention.

Summing Up

The presale scene at the start of 2026 proves that momentum builds fast when timing and structure are right. DeepSnitch AI shows the power of live tools, Tapzi proves skill-based gaming works, and Gassed Token keeps the meme spirit alive. Each project speaks to a different part of the market.

However, BlockDAG is in a category of its own because its story is now driven by cold, hard numbers. With $450 million raised and only a few hours to avail BDAG at $0.0005, the time for “monitoring” is over. As access tightens, the window is closing. In a market moving at this speed, the decision to wait is a decision to potentially miss out.

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