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Sam Altman-backed web3 identity solution World is launching a developer toolkit for the x402 protocol, the agentic payments protocol developed by Coinbase for AI bots.
Dubbed AgentKit, the tool will enable World-verified individuals to delegate their World IDs to AI agents, according to an announcement on Tuesday. World ID is a previously developed mechanism that allows users to prove their unique human identities cryptographically. 
With AgentKit, users' autonomous agents will be able to signal to websites and platforms that they are "backed by a real person while maintaining privacy," the announcement reads.
The move comes as more and more people and enterprises experiment with agentic AI bots for everything from monitoring email to making purchases. Around the time x402 released its V2, the protocol claimed to have processed over 100 million payments.
"Payments are the 'how' of agentic commerce, but identity is the 'who.' By integrating World ID with the x402 protocol, developers now have a complete trust stack: a way for agents to pay for what they need and a way for platforms to verify there is a real human behind the wallet," said Erik Reppel, head of engineering at Coinbase Developer Platform and founder of x402. "This is a massive step toward a web where agents aren't just seen as automated traffic, but as legitimate economic participants."
The toolkit was released in beta, with a more advanced version planned for release alongside an updated World protocol. World, which sometimes draws criticism due to the "Orb" device used to scan biometric data, claims to have verified nearly 18 million verified humans across more than 160 countries.
Coinbase Developer Platform has been rolling out additional features for the x402 protocol, including a wallet feature that enables autonomous agents to control their own funds. Companies including Stripe have also integrated x402 to enable developers and businesses to directly bill autonomous agents using USDC on Base.
In September, Cloudflare and Coinbase co-launched the x402 Foundation to promote the adoption of the x402 protocol.

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Global cryptocurrency trading and market-making firm GSR is expanding into the token advisory trade with the acquisition of Autonomous and Architech.
The company said it spent $57 million on the acquisitions, according to an announcement on Tuesday.
As part of the deal, the end-to-end token launch, finance, and operations platform Autonomous will operate under its existing brand under the GSR umbrella, while crypto advisory firm Architech will form the foundation of GSR Digital Asset Advisory.
The move comes amid renewed attention toward the token launch industry, particularly for firms looking to offer full lifecycle management from pre-launch governance design, tokenomics, and runway modeling. Last year, for instance, Kraken and Anchorage acquired separate token management platforms as both firms reportedly gear up to go public.
With Trump-appointed regulators helming the CFTC and SEC and a market structure bill winding its way through the federal legislature, institutions are arguably beginning to see token launches as a less dubious legal issue.
"Most teams are flying blind when it comes to some of the most thorny questions founders in this sector face. When to launch a token. How to get attention from real capital. Where to list. How to manage a treasury. What podcasts should you actually go on?" GSR Head of Content and Special Projects Frank Chaparro said on X.
"With Autonomous and a supercharged advisory capability, we can help answer those questions and bring an end to end platform that combines institutional trading, white glove advisory and go to market support," Chaparro added.
GSR's token launch business will also help with foundation structuring, token risk management and volatility operations, and portfolio construction and diversification efforts, according to the announcement.
Founded in 2013, the London-based GSR has provided liquidity across more than 250 tokens for exchanges, protocols, and institutions, including clients like Ripple, Ethena Labs, and Sei. Over time, the firm has expanded beyond market making into venture investing, asset management, and the digital asset treasury space.
Last year, the firm agreed to acquire FINRA-registered broker-dealer Equilibrium Capital Services.
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Robinhood's recently launched fund, designed to give investors exposure to private companies, said Tuesday it has invested about $35 million across startups Stripe and AI audio firm ElevenLabs.
Stripe, valued at $159 billion, owns the stablecoin platform Bridge.
Robinhood Ventures Fund I, which launched earlier this month, trades on the New York Stock Exchange. Some of the other private companies the fund has also invested in include Revolut, which has cryptocurrency trading services, Airwallex, Boom, Databricks, and Ramp.
"We’re excited to add Stripe and ElevenLabs to Robinhood Ventures Fund I and are proud to offer retail investors access to these frontier companies," the fund's president, Sarah Pinto, said in a statement. "They are helping shape the future of fintech and AI, and reflect RVI’s focus on investing in innovative companies operating at the forefront of their industries."
The fund bought approximately $14.6 million worth of Class B common stock in Stripe. Additionally, RVI invested $20 million in ElevenLabs by purchasing Series D preferred stock.
"ElevenLabs is an artificial intelligence research and product company focused on audio, voice and realistic speech," Robinhood said in its statement.
"For decades, wealthy people and institutions have invested in private companies while retail investors have been unfairly locked out. With Robinhood Ventures, everyday people will be able to invest in opportunities once reserved for the elite," Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said last year when the fund was first announced.
Robinhood is a popular retail trading app that, in recent years, has leaned further into crypto.
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

 Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies extended their rally late Monday, with prices climbing alongside a wave of short liquidations and improving macro sentiment.
Bitcoin rose roughly 4% over the past 24 hours to reach $75,653 at around 10:00 p.m. ET Monday, before sliding back down to $74,300 hours later, according to The Block's price page. Ethereum rose 3.28% to $2,315, while XRP advanced 5% to $1.54.
The broader move was accompanied by roughly $609 million in total crypto liquidations in the past 24 hours, including $485.6 million in short positions, according to public data aggregated on Coinglass.
Zeus Research analyst Dominick John told The Block that massive short liquidations fueled a squeeze-driven extension higher. However, he remains skeptical that the move will spark a long-term rally.
"Squeeze-driven moves are typically short-lived without sustained real demand, likely fading from days to a couple of weeks," John said.
Market sentiment also showed signs of recovery. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index stood at 28 in "fear" territory late Monday, moving out of "extreme fear" after lingering in that zone over the past week.
Institutional demand
Analysts said the latest price action appears largely driven by a combination of spot demand and improving macro conditions.
"Bitcoin's move toward $76,000 and the stronger rebound in Ethereum appear largely flow-driven," said Rick Maeda, research associate at Presto Research. He pointed to renewed inflows into U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds and continued corporate buying as key sources of demand.
U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs saw $767.3 million in net inflows last week, marking a third consecutive week of positive flows, according to SoSoValue data. Spot ether ETFs also recorded $160.8 million in inflows over the same period.
Maeda noted that stabilizing risk sentiment — as geopolitical tensions and oil-driven inflation fears ease — has also supported the rebound in high-beta assets such as cryptocurrencies. Still, he cautioned that the rally's durability will depend on whether these flows continue.
"Institutional spot demand also appears to have returned," said Jeff Ko, chief analyst at CoinEx. "Consistent dip-buying and spot ETF net inflows over the past week point to healthier underlying demand and a more constructive structural backdrop."
John of Zeus also attributed the rally to strong spot flows and positioning dynamics in derivatives markets. 
"BTC's breakout is boosted by robust spot flows and positioning dynamics, while ETH leads on its strongest ETF inflows since mid-January alongside continued treasury accumulation," John said.
Equities rise
Broader markets reflected a mixed but stabilizing macro backdrop. U.S. equities rose on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.83%, the S&P 500 gaining 1.01%, and the Nasdaq Composite climbing 1.22%, as investors looked past last week's losses tied to the Iran conflict. 
Stocks advanced in early Asian trading on Tuesday, with South Korea's Kospi jumping 2.6% in morning trade and Japan's Nikkei 225 rising 0.5%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1%.
Oil prices, however, resumed their climb after briefly easing, rising more than 2% late Monday as uncertainty persisted over a U.S.-led coalition to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude advanced 2.9% to $103 per barrel, while WTI crude gained 2.7% to $96.03.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged other countries to help address disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran curtailed traffic through the vital shipping route, which carries roughly one-fifth of global oil supply.
"While I do think the [crypto price] momentum is real, the sustainability of the move still depends heavily on how the macro picture evolves," said Ko. "As I mentioned before, oil remains the key transmission channel, and bitcoin is increasingly tied to the broader macro complex, including commodities, yields, and the U.S. dollar."
Looking ahead, analysts broadly agree that the next phase of the crypto rally will hinge on whether institutional inflows persist and how macro risks develop. Traders are watching ETF flows, oil prices, and upcoming economic data — including producer price index figures and the Federal Reserve's March 18 rate decision — for further direction.
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Bitcoin (BTC) and other major cryptocurrencies extended their rally late Monday, with prices climbing alongside a wave of short liquidations and improving macro sentiment.
Bitcoin rose roughly 4% over the past 24 hours to reach $75,653 at around 10:00 p.m. ET Monday, before sliding back down to $74,300 hours later, according to The Block's price page. Ethereum rose 3.28% to $2,315, while XRP advanced 5% to $1.54.
The broader move was accompanied by roughly $609 million in total crypto liquidations in the past 24 hours, including $485.6 million in short positions, according to public data aggregated on Coinglass.
Zeus Research analyst Dominick John told The Block that massive short liquidations fueled a squeeze-driven extension higher. However, he remains skeptical that the move will spark a long-term rally.
"Squeeze-driven moves are typically short-lived without sustained real demand, likely fading from days to a couple of weeks," John said.
Market sentiment also showed signs of recovery. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index stood at 28 in "fear" territory late Monday, moving out of "extreme fear" after lingering in that zone over the past week.
Institutional demand
Analysts said the latest price action appears largely driven by a combination of spot demand and improving macro conditions.
"Bitcoin's move toward $76,000 and the stronger rebound in Ethereum appear largely flow-driven," said Rick Maeda, research associate at Presto Research. He pointed to renewed inflows into U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds and continued corporate buying as key sources of demand.
U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs saw $767.3 million in net inflows last week, marking a third consecutive week of positive flows, according to SoSoValue data. Spot ether ETFs also recorded $160.8 million in inflows over the same period.
Maeda noted that stabilizing risk sentiment — as geopolitical tensions and oil-driven inflation fears ease — has also supported the rebound in high-beta assets such as cryptocurrencies. Still, he cautioned that the rally's durability will depend on whether these flows continue.
"Institutional spot demand also appears to have returned," said Jeff Ko, chief analyst at CoinEx. "Consistent dip-buying and spot ETF net inflows over the past week point to healthier underlying demand and a more constructive structural backdrop."
John of Zeus also attributed the rally to strong spot flows and positioning dynamics in derivatives markets. 
"BTC's breakout is boosted by robust spot flows and positioning dynamics, while ETH leads on its strongest ETF inflows since mid-January alongside continued treasury accumulation," John said.
Equities rise
Broader markets reflected a mixed but stabilizing macro backdrop. U.S. equities rose on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.83%, the S&P 500 gaining 1.01%, and the Nasdaq Composite climbing 1.22%, as investors looked past last week's losses tied to the Iran conflict. 
Stocks advanced in early Asian trading on Tuesday, with South Korea's Kospi jumping 2.6% in morning trade and Japan's Nikkei 225 rising 0.5%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1%.
Oil prices, however, resumed their climb after briefly easing, rising more than 2% late Monday as uncertainty persisted over a U.S.-led coalition to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude advanced 2.9% to $103 per barrel, while WTI crude gained 2.7% to $96.03.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged other countries to help address disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran curtailed traffic through the vital shipping route, which carries roughly one-fifth of global oil supply.
"While I do think the [crypto price] momentum is real, the sustainability of the move still depends heavily on how the macro picture evolves," said Ko. "As I mentioned before, oil remains the key transmission channel, and bitcoin is increasingly tied to the broader macro complex, including commodities, yields, and the U.S. dollar."
Looking ahead, analysts broadly agree that the next phase of the crypto rally will hinge on whether institutional inflows persist and how macro risks develop. Traders are watching ETF flows, oil prices, and upcoming economic data — including producer price index figures and the Federal Reserve's March 18 rate decision — for further direction.
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.#OPTINANCE
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Crypto.com has partnered with KG Inicis, South Korea's largest payment gateway and value-added network provider, according to a Tuesday press release.
The two companies plan to integrate Crypto.com Pay and enable digital asset payments across KG Inicis's merchant network in South Korea. The move targets foreign travelers visiting the country, allowing them to pay for local goods and services with crypto.
Merchants can receive immediate settlements in fiat or digital assets, while customers benefit from faster, lower-cost options and greater payment flexibility, Crypto.com said.
"A payment infrastructure that bridges digital assets with the real economy will become a core competitiveness of the future finance and commerce industries," a representative of KG Inicis said in the statement. "We plan to expand an infrastructure where digital assets can be utilised in actual economic activities, all while ensuring a solid legal and regulatory foundation."
According to the press release, KG Inicis handles over 400 million transactions annually and holds a 40% market share as the country's largest integrated payment platform.
The companies plan to explore launching additional products in compliance with local regulations.
Expanding crypto sector
More major financial players in South Korea have recently partnered with global companies to expand digital asset endeavors. Last month, Hanwha Asset Management, one of the country's largest asset managers, entered into a strategic partnership with the Jito Foundation to develop infrastructure for liquidity staking exchange-traded products.
More recently, Hana Financial Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Standard Chartered to develop joint initiatives in digital assets, possibly involving stablecoins.
These collaborations come against the backdrop of ongoing legislative efforts in South Korea to adequately regulate digital assets. A bill currently under development, titled the "Digital Asset Basic Act," would establish rules for crypto platforms, stablecoins, and crypto exchange-traded funds.
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.#OPTINANCE
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Crypto market data platform Messari announced that CEO Eric Turner is stepping down, and the company has conducted layoffs as it pivots to focus on AI.
On Monday, Messari Chief Technology Officer Diran Li wrote on X that Turner has stepped down and that he would assume the CEO role following discussions with the company's board of directors. 
Turner also confirmed the transition in a social media post, stating that he will remain an advisor to the company. Turner took the helm in 2024, succeeding founder Ryan Selkis, who resigned following a series of controversial posts on X.
Meanwhile, the leadership change was accompanied by a reduction in headcount.
"This transition also includes a difficult decision: we’ve parted ways with many teammates who helped build Messari into what it is today," Li wrote. Li did not disclose the exact number of employees impacted by the layoff. The Block has reached out to Li for further information.
Several other crypto companies have recently conducted layoffs. Last week, Optimism developer OP Labs announced that it has cut around 20% of its team to sharpen its focus on fewer priorities. Last month, Jack Dorsey's Block Inc. said it was cutting nearly 4,000 jobs, while Gemini laid off 25% of its staff to focus on its U.S. operations.
Focusing on AI
Li explained that the restructuring is intended to position Messari as an "AI-first" company that serves institutional clients through research and AI-driven products — a rationale similar to what Block Inc. cited for its roughly 40% workforce reduction last month.
Founded in 2018, Messari is a blockchain research firm known for publishing analytical reports on emerging crypto sectors, providing market data, and hosting its annual Mainnet conference in New York City.#OPTINANCE $BTC

Abra Financial Holdings has agreed to go public through a business combination with special purpose acquisition company New Providence Acquisition Corp. III, according to an announcement on Monday.
The deal values Abra at a $750 million pre-money equity valuation and would result in the combined entity, to be renamed Abra Financial Inc., listing on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "ABRX."
The transaction could provide Abra with significant growth capital, including up to $300 million of cash currently held in New Providence's trust account, subject to reductions from shareholder redemptions. Existing Abra investors — including Adams Street, Blockchain Capital, Pantera Capital, RRE Ventures, and SBI — will roll 100% of their equity into the combined company, according to the release.
The combined company targets high-net-worth investors, institutions, family offices, and registered investment advisors operating within the broader $100 trillion wealth management market.
Targeting digital asset growth
In a statement, founder and CEO Bill Barhydt said the firm aims to build institutional-grade crypto wealth management products within a regulated framework.
"We believe that Bitcoin, stablecoins, and the tokenization of real-world assets are quickly becoming the backbone of the future financial system," Barhydt said. He added that demand for crypto-backed loans, stablecoin-based yield, and other digital asset services is expected to grow in the coming years.
Abra's platform includes services such as segregated digital asset custody, trading across hundreds of digital assets, collateralized lending, and advisory services. The firm said it currently manages "hundreds of millions of dollars" in assets under management and said it is targeting more than $10 billion in AUM by the end of 2027.
Alex Coleman, co-chairman of New Providence, described the deal as an opportunity to invest in a company operating at the intersection of digital assets and personal finance. "Abra represents a compelling opportunity to invest in a pioneering company with unique technology, access to a growing customer base, and a flexible and scalable business model that addresses the future of wealth management and financial technology," Coleman said. "We believe Abra is poised for significant and sustained growth as the world moves to a tokenized and digital assets-based financial system."
Under the agreement, Abra equity holders are expected to retain a majority stake in the combined company after the transaction closes. The deal has already been approved by the boards of both companies, but will still require approval from shareholders and is subject to customary closing conditions.

Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich said Monday the Tokyo-listed investment firm has secured approximately $255 million from global institutional investors through a share placement priced at a 2% premium, part of a financing package that could deliver up to $531 million in “additional firepower” to help fund the company's 210,000 bitcoin target.
The financing combines 107.4 million new common shares at 380 yen ($2.39) each with 1.07 million warrants exercisable at 410 yen ($2.57) per share — a 10% premium to the placement price — that could generate an additional $276 million if exercised in full before the March 2028 expiration, according to a notice approved by Metaplanet's board on March 16. 
The company also authorized the issuance of 100 million new "MS Warrants" with exercise conditions tied to its mNAV metric, a measure of enterprise value relative to bitcoin holdings.
Metaplanet plans to allocate 56.9 billion yen ($357 million) of the net proceeds to additional bitcoin purchases between April 2026 and March 2028, the filing shows. The company held 35,102 BTC as of Dec. 31, 2025, a roughly 19-fold increase from the 1,762 BTC it held at the beginning of that year, and has set management targets of accumulating 100,000 BTC by the end of 2026 and 210,000 BTC by the end of 2027.
Additional capital allocation and financial position
Beyond bitcoin acquisitions, Metaplanet will direct 21.1 billion yen ($132 million) to repay borrowings under its credit facility and 6.3 billion yen ($39.5 million) to its bitcoin income generation business as margin collateral for options underwriting, per the filing. The company maintains a $500 million credit facility collateralized by bitcoin, with approximately $280 million drawn as of March 11.
The repayment comes after the company's borrowing ratio relative to the mark-to-market net asset value of its bitcoin holdings rose to approximately 11% as of March 11, up from 9% at year-end 2025, following the recent adjustment in bitcoin prices. Metaplanet targets maintaining borrowings below 10% of BTCNAV to preserve financial flexibility, the company said. 
Metaplanet reported a non-operating impairment loss of 104.6 billion yen, or about $680 million, for fiscal 2025 linked to bitcoin price volatility. At the same time, the company raised its revenue outlook for the year to 8.58 billion yen from a prior projection of 6.8 billion yen, citing stronger-than-expected performance from its bitcoin (BTC) income generation business.
Shares of Metaplanet (MTPLF) rose nearly 5% to 391 yen on Monday, according to data from Google Finance. The company’s U.S.-traded shares on the OTC Markets Group closed up about 6% on Friday at $2.33, according to The Block’s data.
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

An Australian Senate committee has recommended the passage of a major cryptocurrency regulatory bill that would require financial licenses for crypto platforms.
In a report released Monday, the Senate Economics Legislation Committee said the Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 would represent a "substantial improvement" to the regulation of digital assets in Australia. 
The committee noted that developing rules capable of accurately identifying and controlling risk — while remaining technology-neutral and compatible with international frameworks — is a "considerably difficult undertaking," but concluded the bill delivers meaningfully stronger safeguards for Australian consumers. 
The legislation is part of Australia's broader push to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto services.
Under the proposal, businesses operating digital asset platforms or tokenized custody platforms would be treated similarly to other financial service providers and required to obtain an Australian Financial Services Licence, according to an official bill digest. 
Rather than regulating the underlying blockchain technology, the bill focuses on intermediaries that hold customer assets or facilitate trading, which regulators view as the main source of potential risk in the ecosystem. 
The bill also seeks to define key concepts such as "digital tokens," clarify how existing financial services laws apply to crypto platforms, and introduce rules governing asset custody, transaction execution, and disclosure requirements for retail clients. The framework would also establish standards for safeguarding customer assets.
Introduced by the Treasury in November 2025, the bill passed its third reading in the House of Representatives on Feb. 4 before being referred to the Senate the next day. The Senate Economics Legislation Committee has since reviewed the bill and industry feedback, releasing its report on Monday.
Feedback
The committee said that industry submissions broadly welcomed the government's efforts to modernize the country's regulatory framework and create clearer rules for market participants. The committee's inquiry received submissions from a range of industry groups, including exchanges, fintech associations, and law firms. 
While many stakeholders supported the bill's overall direction, several raised concerns about the breadth of certain definitions — particularly terms "digital token," "possession," and "factual control" — warning that they could impact infrastructure providers or non-custodial services.
According to the report, the Treasury largely defended the existing draft and said that some issues on multi-party arrangements could be addressed in forthcoming regulations.
If passed, the framework would include a six-month transition period following its commencement for businesses that do not currently hold the required financial licenses.$BTC