DD
MM
YYYY

CATEGORIES

PAGES

DD
MM
YYYY

spot_img

CATEGORIES

PAGES

Home Blog Page 115

Coinbase Derivatives Expands 24/7 Futures Trading to Multiple Altcoins

By
Paul Ugbede Godwin
-
0

Coinbase’s derivatives arm, regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has announced plans to roll out round-the-clock (24/7) trading and “perp-style” futures contracts for a selection of popular altcoins.

This expansion builds on their existing 24/7 offerings for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) futures, aiming to provide U.S.-based retail and institutional traders with greater access to leveraged derivatives in a compliant environment.

Perp-style” futures are long-dated futures contracts specifically designed to behave almost exactly like the perpetual futures (perps) that dominate offshore exchanges like Binance, Bybit, OKX, etc., but they are structured to comply with U.S. regulations.

The move comes amid growing demand for perpetual futures, which now dominate over 75% of global crypto derivatives volume. Trading is slated to begin in early December 2025. Specific exact dates haven’t been confirmed, but this follows a pattern of phased rollouts seen in prior Coinbase futures updates.

The initial batch covers 11 assets, with a focus on established layer-1 tokens and meme coins. High-throughput blockchain platform. Perp-Style Futures. These are long-dated contracts up to 5-year expirations designed to closely track spot prices, offering leverage while adhering to CFTC rules.

Unlike traditional offshore perpetuals, they include built-in funding mechanisms to prevent divergence from underlying assets. Full 24/7 access, including weekends, with a brief weekly maintenance window e.g., Fridays 5-6 PM ET. Vary by asset, 1,000 ADA per contract, allowing for flexible position sizing.

0% maker / 0.03% taker fees on Coinbase Advanced Trade, plus up to 5.1% USDC rewards on collateral balances. Open to eligible U.S. users via Coinbase Derivatives Exchange; non-U.S. clients can access via Coinbase International for similar products.

This expansion follows earlier 2025 launches, such as 24/7 trading for SOL, XRP, and ADA in June, and the debut of U.S. perpetual-style BTC/ETH futures in July. It positions Coinbase as a leader in regulated crypto derivatives, competing with platforms like Kraken while capturing more of the $3+ trillion global derivatives market.

The announcement, reported by The Block on November 21, 2025, has sparked buzz on X, with traders highlighting potential volatility boosts for DOGE and SHIB amid broader market dips like DOGE down ~6% and SHIB down ~5% as of late November 21.

Perpetual futures enable hedging, speculation, and leverage without expiration pressures, but they carry high risk—especially for volatile assets like meme coins. This could drive increased trading volume (e.g., SOL futures already hit 23,000+ contracts post-launch) and attract institutional interest, though traders should note CFTC safeguards like position limits.

Coinbase is also integrating non-crypto futures like gold, oil, equities indices, signaling a push toward diversified, always-on markets. Coinbase lists contracts that expire far in the future (e.g., December 2029 or even 5-year contracts). Because the expiration is so distant, they trade almost identically to a true perpetual.

Funding rate keeps the price glued to spot. Every few hours usually every 4 or 8 hours, the exchange calculates the difference between the futures price and the actual spot price. If futures trade above spot ? longs pay shorts encourages selling futures, pushes price down.

If futures trade below spot ? shorts pay longs encourages buying futures, pushes price up. This is exactly how Binance/Bybit perps work. You can hold forever, when the current contract gets close to expiry, Coinbase automatically rolls your position into the next long-dated contract at no extra cost, so you never have to “close and reopen.”

Leverage + margin

You still only put up a small fraction of the position value which is initial margin. For most of these altcoin contracts, retail leverage is capped around 10–20× by CFTC rules much lower than the 100× you see offshore. Example: Trading DOGE Perp-Style Futures on Coinbase Spot DOGE price = $0.35

You open a 100,000 DOGE long position at $0.351 with 10× leverage. Initial margin required ? $3,510 instead of $35,100 notional. Every 4 hours, a funding rate is calculated. If the average premium stays positive, you pay a tiny amount to shorts; if DOGE moons and futures go to a discount, you collect funding.

Coinbase creates almost the identical economic experience while staying fully compliant. Bottom Line Perp-style futures = the closest thing U.S. traders can legally get to the 24/7, high-leverage perpetual contracts everyone uses on offshore exchanges — just with CFTC oversight, lower max leverage, and USD settlement.

Understanding the “Cascading Use Model” in GPUs

By
Paul Ugbede Godwin
-
0

The term “cascading use model” isn’t a widely standardized phrase in GPU literature as of November 2025, but it aptly describes an emerging paradigm in GPU utilization where computational resources are reused and repurposed in a sequential, layered, or “cascading” fashion across different workloads, users, or stages of processing.

This model is particularly relevant in the context of AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and data centers, where GPU scarcity driven by demand from training large language models, simulations, and edge inference has pushed innovations in resource efficiency.

In traditional GPU usage, a high-end chip like an NVIDIA H100 or AMD MI300X might be dedicated to a single task (e.g., training a neural network for hours or days), leading to idle time and underutilization. The cascading model flips this.

Sequential Reuse: A GPU processes heavy compute tasks first (e.g., model training), then “cascades” the hardware to lighter tasks (e.g., inference, fine-tuning, or even non-AI workloads like video rendering).

Layered Allocation: Resources are dynamically partitioned—e.g., using time-slicing, MIG (Multi-Instance GPU) partitioning, or SR-IOV virtualization—to serve multiple users or applications in a waterfall-like hierarchy, where overflow from one layer feeds the next.

It emphasizes minimizing waste by cascading underutilized cycles, often integrated with software like Kubernetes schedulers or NVIDIA’s CUDA Multi-Process Service (MPS).

This contrasts with the “dedicated silo” model, where GPUs sit idle 50-70% of the time in many data centers. GPUs are experiencing a surge in value and adoption under this model for several substantiated reasons.

Data centers report 2-3x higher throughput. For instance, hyperscalers like Google and AWS have adopted cascading via tools like NVIDIA’s GPU Operator, boosting effective FLOPS floating-point operations per second by repurposing chips post-training for serving APIs.

With GPU prices hovering at $30,000+ per unit, cascading can cut effective costs by 40-60% through better amortization, making AI infrastructure more accessible to mid-sized firms.

Scalability for AI Workloads

In the AI boom, training which dominates 80% of GPU cycles cascades naturally to inference the “serving” phase, where models are queried billions of times daily. This is evident in systems like Grok’s backend, where xAI leverages cascading to handle real-time queries after model updates.

Consumer GPUs (e.g., RTX 40-series) benefit in gaming rigs that cascade from ray-tracing renders to AI upscaling via DLSS, extending hardware lifespan. GPUs consume massive power up to 700W per card, contributing to data center energy demands rivaling small countries.

Cascading reduces total hardware needs, lowering carbon footprints—e.g., Microsoft’s Azure reports 25% energy savings via dynamic cascading in their AI clusters. Open-source frameworks like Ray or Dask enable cascading across hybrid CPU-GPU setups, democratizing access.

NVIDIA’s GTC 2025 keynote emphasized “cascading compute fabrics” in Blackwell architectures, with partnerships like Meta’s Llama deployments showing 1.5x inference speedups. GPU shipment forecasts from Jon Peddie Research predict a 15% YoY growth in enterprise segments, partly attributed to cascading-enabled virtualization, countering supply constraints from TSMC fabs.

Not all workloads cascade seamlessly—e.g., real-time graphics may conflict with ML pipelines—requiring advanced orchestration like Kubernetes with GPU plugins.

In summary, the cascading use model is transforming GPUs from expensive bottlenecks into flexible powerhouses, fueling the AI revolution while addressing efficiency hurdles.

China, America, and the Confusion That Shapes Global Power

By
Ndubuisi Ekekwe
-
0

Geopolitics, by design, is built on confusion. Nations speak with one voice in public and act with another in private. It is a theatre of strategic ambiguity where what is declared is rarely what is done. And if anyone still doubted this reality, the latest revelation involving the United States and China should settle the matter.

For close to a decade, Washington has warned countries across the Global South to beware of Beijing’s “debt-trap diplomacy”, the idea that China extends massive loans not only to build bridges and roads, but to tighten geopolitical influence over developing nations. The narrative was clear: accept Chinese credit, and you may lose sovereignty.

Yet, a sweeping new investigation reveals a stunning irony. While the United States was urging the world to avoid China’s lending machine, America itself became China’s largest borrower. A major study by the AidData research lab at William & Mary has uncovered that China’s global lending has been vastly underestimated. Between 2000 and 2023, China extended $2.2 trillion in credit across the world. But the real revelation lies not in the scale of the lending, but in the destination. Instead of focusing solely on poorer nations through the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing increasingly directed its financial power toward the wealthiest economies on earth. And topping that list is the United States of America.

For the better part of a decade, Washington has sounded a relentless alarm across the Global South, warning developing nations that Beijing’s deep pockets come with a heavy price: a “debt trap” designed to leverage infrastructure loans for geopolitical obedience.

Yet, a sweeping new investigation reveals a staggering economic irony. While American diplomats were cautioning the world against Chinese credit, the United States was quietly becoming its largest customer.

According to a landmark report released Tuesday by the AidData research lab at William & Mary, the sheer scale of China’s global lending has been vastly underestimated, totaling a colossal $2.2 trillion between 2000 and 2023. But the true revelation lies in the destination of these funds. In a stark pivot from the bridge-and-road building of the Belt and Road Initiative in developing nations, China has increasingly directed its financial firepower toward the world’s wealthiest economies.

This discovery highlights the foundational principle of global strategy: power respects power, and interests, not ideology, guide national behavior. Nations criticize publicly but transact privately. The world sees the speeches, but the real deals happen backstage.

History supports the trend we observe today. Over the last ten centuries, China has been the dominant global economy in at least six of them. The United States assumed that role in the late 1800s, propelled by industrialization and innovation. But as the 21st century unfolds, China appears increasingly visible in America’s rear mirror, economically, technologically, and financially.

For Africa, the lesson is profound: Build strategic friendships with both America and China, not as a passive participant, but as a continent that understands how power works. Yes, remember the words of Kwame Nkrumah: no west, no east, just forward. We can work with ALL even now everyone goes to China for money!

Malaysia Reveals $1.1B Loss from Crypto Mining Electricity Theft

By
Paul Ugbede Godwin
-
0

Malaysia’s national utility provider, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), has revealed staggering losses exceeding RM 4.6 billion approximately $1.11 billion USD due to illegal electricity theft by cryptocurrency miners, primarily targeting Bitcoin.

This issue spans from 2020 to August 2025 and has prompted a nationwide crackdown involving advanced monitoring and joint enforcement actions. TNB identified 13,827 premises across the country where operators illegally bypassed or tampered with electricity meters to power high-energy crypto mining rigs.

These operations siphoned power directly from the grid, evading payments and straining the national electricity supply system. The theft equates to roughly 1.5 billion kWh of unpaid electricity, causing direct revenue losses to TNB and broader risks to grid stability, public safety, and economic security. Cases surged 300% between 2018 and 2024, from 610 to 2,397 incidents annually.

While cryptocurrency mining is legal in Malaysia, electricity theft violates the Electricity Supply Act 1990, carrying penalties of up to RM 10,000 fines or jail time. However, experts note that current laws lack specificity for crypto-related theft, leading to calls for stricter regulations.

The Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry disclosed these figures in a parliamentary reply on November 19, 2025, highlighting TNB’s collaborative efforts with police and other agencies. Key measures include: A centralized system tracks owners and tenants of suspicious premises, enabling targeted inspections.

Smart Meter Rollout: Installation at distribution substations for real-time detection of anomalies like power manipulation. Raids have seized mining equipment, with authorities urging public tips on illegal wiring.

This crisis mirrors global challenges in energy-intensive regions, where cheap electricity attracts miners but burdens utilities. In Southeast Asia, similar issues plague Thailand and Indonesia, underscoring the need for region-wide policies.

As Bitcoin’s energy demands grow amid rising prices, Malaysia’s case highlights the tension between innovation and infrastructure protection—potentially influencing how other nations balance crypto growth with energy equity.

TNB is aggressively rolling out Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) smart meters to combat the RM 4.6 billion electricity theft problem, especially from illegal Bitcoin mining. Here are the key technical details of the systems currently in use or being expanded.

Primarily Landis+Gyr E450 and Itron OpenWay meters both widely used in Malaysia. PLC (Power Line Communication) + 2G/3G/4G cellular fallback. Substation-level and feeder-level smart meters critical for theft detection. High-precision 0.2s class meters installed at distribution substations and pole-top transformers

These compare total energy entering a feeder against the sum of all customer meters downstream. Energy Balance MonitoringThis is the most effective tool against crypto miners who bypass customer meters.

Crypto miners typically:Tamper or bypass the customer meter. Draw 200–2,000 kW directly from the medium-voltage line? Creates a huge discrepancy that substation smart meters instantly flag. Magnetic tamper, reverse flow, bypass detection.

Event logging; Records meter cover opening, high temperature, phase imbalance. TNB uses machine-learning models to flag “non-human” 24/7 flat loads typical of mining rigs. GPS-stamped photos. Technicians take geo-tagged photos during inspection.

Central server aggregates data from 9+ million meters nationwide. Mesh radio in dense urban areas. Head-End System (HES): Centralized platform that processes 500 million+ readings daily. Integration with GIS pinpoints exact transformer or street where losses occur within metres.

In short, the combination of high-precision substation metering + near real-time energy balancing + AI anomaly detection has become TNB’s most powerful weapon. Illegal miners can no longer hide behind bypassed customer meters; the grid itself now “sees” the missing energy within hours.

 

 

 

 

A Look into Sky’s $2.5B Major Investment in Crypto Yield Innovation

By
Paul Ugbede Godwin
-
0

The Sky ecosystem formerly MakerDAO announced a significant governance decision to allocate up to $2.5 billion in USDS stablecoins to support projects incubated by Obex, a newly launched crypto incubator focused on yield-generating stablecoins.

This move is part of Sky’s broader “Endgame” initiative to enhance its decentralized stablecoin protocol by integrating real-world assets (RWAs) and fostering institutional-grade DeFi innovations.

Obex, based in San Francisco, raised $37 million in a seed round led by Framework Ventures, with participation from LayerZero and the Sky ecosystem itself.

Described as the “Y Combinator for stablecoins,” Obex aims to identify, fund, and accelerate early-stage teams building stablecoins that generate sustainable yields through RWA-backed strategies.

The incubator’s 12-week program provides participants with initial capital, technical resources, mentorship, and access to Sky’s infrastructure, culminating in a demo day for pitching to investors.

Projects graduating from Obex will undergo Sky’s risk and governance reviews. Those approved can tap into the $2.5 billion USDS pool for scaled deployment, potentially accessing up to nine figures per project.

This capital will primarily target sectors like: Compute credits: Tokenized GPU resources for AI and cloud computing. Energy assets: Large-scale solar, battery storage, and renewable infrastructure.

Fintech lending: Loans to established fintech firms for diversified, on-chain yield. The incubated projects are designed as independent decentralized applications within the Sky ecosystem, each required to return yield to Sky’s protocol—effectively creating demand for USDS and scaling its $9 billion market cap.

Sky’s commitment addresses recent challenges in the stablecoin space, where synthetic models (e.g., Ethena’s USDE) have faced peg instability amid DeFi exploits. By emphasizing RWAs, Obex prioritizes “institutional-grade” collateral to mitigate volatility and ensure stability, aligning with projections of the stablecoin market reaching $1 trillion.

Sky founder Rune Christensen highlighted Obex’s role in “supercharging” the ecosystem to compete with traditional finance giants like Apollo and Blackstone. Framework Ventures co-founder Vance Spencer noted the program’s appeal for capital-intensive crypto ventures, while LayerZero’s involvement underscores cross-chain interoperability for these assets.

Early focus on energy and compute RWAs could bridge DeFi with real-world industries, potentially unlocking new revenue streams for USDS holders via the Sky Savings Rate.

Major crypto discussions highlight this as one of the largest capital commitments in crypto incubation, signaling renewed confidence in RWA-DeFi convergence. No major criticisms have surfaced yet, though some observers note risks in yield compression as more issuers enter the space.

This development positions Sky as a leader in stablecoin evolution, with Obex poised to launch its first cohort soon. Recent failures of synthetic stablecoins like Stream Finance’s USDX and Elixir’s deUSD—triggered by the Balancer exploit—highlighted the dangers of crypto-collateralized yield strategies, which rely on volatile perpetual swaps and recursive lending.

Obex’s emphasis on “institutional-grade” RWA collateral introduces tangible, audited backing to prevent peg breaks. This could restore user confidence, reducing the likelihood of “blowing up $500 million stablecoins” as Vance Spencer of Framework Ventures warned.

Unlike synthetic models dependent on fleeting funding rates, RWA strategies generate returns from real economic activity, such as energy infrastructure yields or fintech credit spreads. Projections suggest yield-bearing stablecoins could outpace the overall $1 trillion stablecoin market.

With Obex accelerating this by funneling diversified, on-chain returns back to Sky’s protocol. The $2.5 billion pool—nearly half of Sky’s $9 billion reserves—will deploy into graduated projects via rigorous risk/governance reviews, potentially unlocking nine-figure tranches per team.

This creates organic demand for USDS as a reserve asset, boosting its utility and the Sky Savings Rate (SSR) for holders. Early deployment of $50 million signals aggressive scaling, with the remaining ~$2.45 billion poised to capture market share from less transparent issuers like Tether.

Obex’s 12-week accelerator model, likened to “Y Combinator for stablecoins,” democratizes access to capital for capital-intensive DeFi ventures. By targeting underserved sectors like compute for AI/cloud and renewable energy.

It bridges crypto with trillion-dollar TradFi markets, potentially onboarding institutional liquidity from players like Apollo or Blackstone. Analysts forecast this could propel stablecoin supply growth, which has risen for seven straight months to ~$300 billion, toward the $1 trillion milestone faster than anticipated.

1...114115116...7,944Page 115 of 7,944

© Tekedia. All rights reserved.

Term & Privacy

© Tekedia. All rights reserved.

Term & Privacy