Mar 17, 2025: Our weekly Institutional Insights explores the latest market developments — market performance, industry news, exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows, trending topics, upcoming events and token unlocks — to help you supercharge your crypto trading.

 explores the latest market developments — market performance, industry news, exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows, trending topics, upcoming events and token unlocks — to help you supercharge your crypto trading.

Weekly highlight — consumer sentiment falls

US consumer sentiment has fallen to its lowest level in over two years, reflecting growing concerns about the economic impact of tariffs. According to data from the University of Michigan, the preliminary sentiment index for March 2025 dropped to 57.9 from 64.7 in February, the lowest level since November 2022. This decline was worse than expected by a Bloomberg survey of economists.

Inflation expectations surged, with consumers anticipating a 3.9% annual price increase over the next five to ten years, the highest rate over three decades. Additionally, consumers expect prices to rise by 4.9% over the next year from 4.3%, marking the steepest rise since 2022.

As US president Donald Trump’s tariff policies expand, consumers across the political spectrum increasingly worry that these extra duties will lead to higher costs. Despite recent inflation cooling, ongoing price pressures could lead households to reduce discretionary spending.

The survey also indicated a record low in consumer expectations regarding personal finances, with respondents estimating only a 48.7% chance of stock market gains in the coming year. Joanne Hsu, 

 the University of Michigan, emphasized that uncertainty surrounding economic policies complicates financial planning.

Some analysts warned that declining consumer confidence poses a significant threat to spending, as fears of an economic downturn may deter purchases of major items. Overall, the current conditions gauge and the expectations index fell to their lowest levels in several months, showcasing widespread consumer apprehension.

Weekly crypto highlight — Bitcoin see slight life in the past weekend

Bitcoin rebounded from a four-month low earlier this week alongside other risky assets recovering from recent market turmoil. Economic uncertainties driven by a wave of tariffs from President Trump and the threat of a government shutdown have led to significant sell-offs across various asset classes, including cryptocurrencies.

“As we conclude a week of widespread selling, markets are experiencing a relief rally from oversold conditions,” stated Ravi Doshi, Co-Head of Markets at FalconX. The avoidance of a US government funding shutdown has eased market uncertainty.

On Friday, Bitcoin rose by as much as 6.2%, reaching $85,301, while smaller digital assets surged even more: Solana gained over 9%, Chainlink increased by 13% and XRP rose nearly 8%. Earlier in the week, Bitcoin had dropped to around $77,000, a significant decline from its all-time high of $109,000 in January 2025.

This slump triggered record outflows from Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, and large liquidations in crypto derivatives markets. Crypto markets are bouncing back as macro-driven liquidations seem to be pausing. Analysts suggest that ongoing macroeconomic stability may support crypto prices.

Advanced

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Weekly Institutional Insights: Consumer sentiment falls as crypto recovers from 4-month low

Our weekly crypto derivatives analytics report delves into macro events, the current state of crypto and trading signals from spot trading volume, and futures, options and perpetual contracts.

The ongoing sell-off in risk-on assets has intensified bearish signals in derivatives markets for crypto assets. Funding rates indicate a demand for short exposure, futures prices are trading below spot prices and volatility smiles are showing a strong skew toward OTM puts as traders hedge against further declines. The at-the-money (ATM) volatility term structure has inverted again after a lack of clarity around Trump’s proposed strategic digital asset reserve caused short-dated volatility to fall briefly before last weekend.

Please check out the report’s highlights.

Choppy spot price movements have had an impact on funding rates, with BTC and altcoin rates reacting primarily to spot fluctuations, rather than long-term market views. ETH has sold off more sharply during declines, and hasn’t participated as strongly in relief rallies, resulting in the worst YTD performance among the five tokens in Trump’s proposed digital asset stockpile. This is reflected in funding rates, with ETH perpetual swaps showing strong demand for leveraged short exposure to further downside risk.

Investors continue to protect against further decline

Despite higher realized volatility increasing both short- and long-tenor implied volatility, options trade volumes remain low. Last Friday’s expiration of significant open interest was mostly for downside protection against a deepening sell-off. However, the options market has reverted to an inverted term structure, which had dissipated during last Friday’s White House crypto summit, with strong relative demand for short-dated put contracts.

Open interest in Solana (SOL) options declined at the end of February, with over $5M in calls and more than $3M in puts expiring and most positions not rolled over. Despite SOL trading 44% below its January ATH, most new positions are in calls. However, this new positioning is disappointingly weak, given SOL's inclusion in Trump’s crypto reserve announcement alongside BTC, ETH, XRP and ADA.

Beginner

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Bybit X Block Scholes crypto derivatives analytics report (Mar 14, 2025): Investors hedge further declines

BinaryX has rebranded to Four, uniting GameFi, IGOs, and MemeFi under one ecosystem. With BNX now FORM, Four continues to innovate in blockchain gaming."

Having launched in May 2021, BinaryX, which started out as a 

 (DeFi) platform, has continued to evolve and adapt to the rapidly changing blockchain landscape. However, in the spirit of adaptability and innovation, the platform switched to 

, focusing its attention on play-to-earn (P2E) games.

As a GameFi platform, BinaryX has also created an 

 (IGO) launchpad from which developers can launch GameFi projects.

Now, BinaryX has rebranded to Four in order to align with the mission of its 

 product, a launch platform for the meme coin ecosystem.

Let's learn more about BinaryX and the way it continues to shape the crypto market with innovative products and adaptable business models.

 hub for the development of GameFi projects, includes an IGO launchpad to facilitate developers in launching games. 

BinaryX began in 2021 as a decentralized derivative trading system that featured the use of 

. But in 2022, the BinaryX team gradually evolved its project into a GameFi platform in order to adapt to the increased demand for P2E games. Its aim is to make web3 games more accessible and approachable to the vast community of gamers.

BinaryX also developed an IGO launchpad to serve as a comprehensive hub for gaming developers to launch their GameFi projects, and for investors to receive early access to promising new play-to-earn games. Furthermore, the BinaryX team announced the incorporation of a 

 (DAO) into its GameFi ecosystem so that its community of token holders could participate in voting on governance matters.

In February 2025, BinaryX rebranded to Four in order to align with its latest product, Four.meme, which was launched in July 2024. Following the rebrand, its native token, BNX, would now become FORM to reflect the project's commitment to innovation and adaptability.

As one of the top web3 platforms on BNB Chain, BinaryX has continued to innovate and experiment with different business models to adapt to the blockchain landscape's fast-paced nature. To this end, BinaryX has the following diverse products under its wing.

BinaryX launched its Initial Game Offering (IGO) launchpad in May 2022 as a dedicated platform to support blockchain gaming projects. The launchpad helps game developers secure funding for decentralized video games. They also get a platform on which to build communities and accelerate their web3 game development.

By leveraging BinaryX’s expertise in GameFi and its existing user base, projects gain exposure to a vast community of crypto gamers. The platform offers early access to promising blockchain games, allowing investors to participate in token sales and 

 presales. BNX holders can use their tokens to vote for games' listings on the BinaryX platform, and they also receive rewards, such as game tokens and NFT 

Some notable games launched on the BinaryX IGO launchpad include 

. These games showcase BinaryX’s commitment to innovation in GameFi, integrating play-to-earn mechanics, NFTs and decentralized governance to help create immersive gaming ecosystems.

BinaryX's GameFi trading platform is a marketplace designed for seamlessly trading blockchain gaming assets, including NFTs, in-game tokens and virtual items. Launched to support the growing GameFi ecosystem, the platform enables gamers and investors to buy, sell, trade and auction assets from BinaryX-powered games in a secure and efficient manner.

 and DeFi principles, BinaryX ensures transparent transactions with minimal fees, and enhances liquidity for in-game assets while empowering players to maximize their earnings.

The BinaryX GameFi trading platform supports transactions involving 

In January 2022, BinaryX launched the BinaryX DAO, a first for a GameFi project, through which BNX token holders can participate in the project's community governance, determine airdrop and dividend ratios, and submit proposals on how to improve the BinaryX ecosystem.

Case in point: BinaryX's community participated in voting for/against the platform's rebranding to Four during a community vote that was held from Sep 21–23, 2024.

The BinaryX Treasury serves as the financial backbone of the BinaryX ecosystem, supporting the development and sustainability of its GameFi projects. Some sources of assets used to fund the treasury include initial capital injection by the BNX team, income from gaming activities, income from the IGO launchpad and profit from external investment.

Profits in the BinaryX Treasury are used to reward BNX stakers, incentivize BinaryX sidechain node providers and finance strategic investments in third-party projects.

BNX is the native token for the BinaryX platform. Its original maximum supply of 2.1 billion tokens was adjusted to 580 million after a community vote in late July 2024.

Distribution of the 580 million BNX tokens is as follows:

Following BinaryX's rebranding to Four, BNX will change to FORM, and holders will be allowed to exchange to the new token at a ratio of 1:1 (details to follow at a later date).

BinaryX has integrated a multi-token model. Apart from BNX, the other two tokens associated with the platform are as follows:

BinaryX officially rebranded to Four on Feb 21, 2025, following an overwhelming vote via its DAO, marking a significant transformation in its vision for GameFi and DeFi innovation. This shift comes with a revamped website, which will serve as a hub for the GameFi platform, IGO launchpad and Four.meme, a new addition to Four’s expanding ecosystem.

Following the rebranding, a 1:1 token migration from BNX to FORM is necessary in order to enhance the token's identity and align with the project's new direction. FORM remains on the BNB Chain, ensuring smooth compatibility with existing infrastructure.

 (CEXs) won’t need to do anything — the token swap to FORM will take place automatically. BinaryX will liaise with these exchanges to switch from the BNX contract address to the one for FORM.

 (DEXs), cold wallets and self-custody wallets will need to carry out a manual token swap based on a converter provided by BinaryX. To carry out this token swap, you’ll need to do the following:

 landing page (link will be provided at a later date).

4. Sign to authenticate your transaction to receive the FORM tokens.

5. Add the new FORM contract address into your wallet to see the new tokens.

You can buy BNX as a USDT Perpetual contract (

) on the Bybit trading platform. However, the BNXUSDT contract will be delisted on Mar 17, 2025, 9AM UTC, so make sure to close your open positions and cancel your active orders for BNXUSDT as soon as possible.

Over the years, BinaryX has consistently demonstrated strong performance. The rebranding of BinaryX to Four marks a bold step forward in its mission to impact the web3 space. This transformation reflects the project’s commitment to expanding its ecosystem, enhancing token identity and integrating innovative elements, such as Four.meme, alongside its GameFi platform and IGO launchpad.

By adapting to the evolving crypto landscape, Four is positioning itself as a comprehensive hub for web3 and gaming enthusiasts so that it can offer a seamless experience for gamers, investors and meme culture participants. The introduction of the FORM token ensures a more cohesive and recognizable branding, reinforcing Four’s long-term vision. Thanks to the smooth migration process from BNX to FORM, users can continue participating in the ecosystem while benefiting from enhanced liquidity and utility.

Four remains dedicated to GameFi innovation, supporting successful blockchain games such as 

, all of which feature play-to-earn mechanics, NFTs and decentralized governance. The revamped platform is designed to foster a dynamic gaming economy, support new game launches and provide a secure environment for trading digital assets. With its rebranding and expanded offerings, Four is set to lead the next wave of blockchain gaming and DeFi innovation, uniting gamers, developers and investors in a vibrant web3 ecosystem.

Intermediate

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From BinaryX to Four: A unified hub for GameFi, IGOs and MemeFi

Learn about the benefits of using Bybit Pay and the step-by-step instructions to get started with Bybit Pay now.

Traditional financial systems and blockchain-based ecosystems have long operated in silos, creating friction for users and businesses alike. 

 is a new payment solution that’s been designed from the ground up to solve this issue to make cryptocurrency transactions seamless for any users.

With the aim of mainstreaming crypto payment options, Bybit Pay has already begun partnering with traditional payment solution providers, enabling users to transact with cryptocurrencies through existing infrastructure. For example, with its recent 

, Brazilian users can now shop by using cryptocurrencies in a quick and effortless manner. 

In this article, we’ll explain the benefits of using Bybit Pay and provide step-by-step instructions for new users who want to get started with the platform.

With more than 60 million users on the Bybit platform, Bybit Pay empowers merchants with access to the global network of its vast user base. Meanwhile, users benefit from a seamless integration with web3 wallets that makes paying with crypto as easy as paying with fiat currency. The platform also offers collateralized payment tools that allow users to borrow against their NFT and crypto holdings. 

Through these innovative features, Bybit Pay blends the ease of traditional finance with the flexibility of cryptocurrencies, creating an ecosystem that benefits both users and merchants.

Bybit Pay can be accessed using the Bybit App on mobile and desktop. 

While filling in the form, make sure that the information you enter matches the information you’ve already provided during 

: As of now, only verified users in Brazil can make transactions using a Pix QR code.

Since the Pix integration, Brazilian users can use Bybit Pay wherever Pix is accepted. This opens up a vast network of offline establishments in the country, since Pix is Brazil’s leading instant payment system provider. 

In addition to offline establishments, Bybit Pay can also be used with a number of e-commerce providers for online shopping using cryptocurrencies. Bybit Pay will be available to users from other regions soon.

With the launch of Bybit Pay, Bybit is integrating crypto payments with traditional payment services providers — and vastly expanding the number of places where cryptocurrencies can be used.

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How to use Bybit Pay for effortless payments

Bybit Learn

Blockchain

Mantle Network is the first modular Ethereum L2 solution to truly rethink how various aspects of a blockchain can better work together. Find out more here.

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 for developers, offering robust security and versatility. However, the network’s scalability challenges continue to result in high gas fees and network congestion, driving the development of alternative 

 (L2) solutions designed to enhance throughput while preserving security.

Mantle Network stands out among L2 solutions with its modular architecture, which delivers hyperscalability and enterprise-grade security. Let's explore how Mantle Network approaches Ethereum scaling, along with its key innovations, the MNT token and other features that set it apart in the competitive L2 market.

 is building the largest sustainable hub for on-chain finance. Through its core products — Mantle Network, 

) — Mantle is building banking for the next generation by leveraging the transformative power of blockchain. Anchored by the Mantle Treasury, the largest community-owned treasury in the ecosystem, Mantle ensures robust liquidity and financial stability. 

With over $4.3 billion in assets, Mantle actively funds core product development and fosters the growth of asset partners, such as Agora AUSD, Athena USDe, Ondo USDY, and EigenLayer staking, enhancing sustainable yield, deep liquidity, and financial utility on the Mantle Network. 

 is an Ethereum Layer 2 (L2) solution that combines advanced blockchain scaling technology with practical usability. Its unique modular architecture allows it to process transactions more efficiently than traditional blockchain networks, while maintaining robust security. According to 

, it presently is the largest modular L2 network in the world.

The network is moving toward leveraging ZK validity rollups and 

’s EigenDA technology to ensure data availability and transaction processing, while remaining fully compatible with Ethereum's ecosystem. This makes Mantle Network an ideal foundation for 

 (DeFi) applications and financial services seeking scalability and security.

What’s the Difference Between Mantle and Mantle Network?

Think of Mantle as the entire financial ecosystem, while Mantle Network is the technological infrastructure that powers it. Mantle encompasses all products, partnerships and financial services, including its $4.3 billion treasury and relationships with protocols like Agora (AUSD) and 

Mantle Network, on the other hand, explicitly refers to the L2 blockchain solution that enables fast, secure transactions. It's essentially the technical foundation that makes Mantle's broader financial vision possible.

The Mantle ecosystem emerged from a strategic transformation in 2023. Following a community vote with overwhelming support, BitDAO and Mantle united under a single brand and token — Mantle (MNT). This consolidation established Mantle Network as the Layer 2 technology name, and rebranded BitDAO as 

More significantly, in 2024, Mantle evolved far beyond its initial identity as a Layer 2 network. Today's Mantle has transformed into a comprehensive on-chain finance ecosystem with six core products: Mantle Network, mETH Protocol, FBTC, Mantle Enhanced Index Fund, Mantle Banking, and MantleX.

Mantle Network aims to become the premier "Liquidity Chain" for institutional-grade settlement and value transfer in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. By combining modular architecture, advanced data availability through 

 via Succinct's SP1, Mantle Network addresses the fundamental challenges facing blockchain adoption.

The network's transition to a ZK validity rollup significantly accelerates finality from seven days to just one hour — a critical improvement for institutional capital movement. This architectural approach maintains Ethereum's security guarantees while delivering the performance needed for high-value financial applications.

Beyond technical improvements, Mantle Network drives capital efficiency throughout the DeFi landscape. Its infrastructure supports the seamless, secure movement of institutional assets across traditional and decentralized markets, backed by the substantial Mantle Treasury, which ensures long-term development and stability.

Mantle Network vs. Other Ethereum Layer 2 Solutions

Mantle Network distinguishes itself in the crowded Layer 2 space through its unique combination of technical innovation and financial ecosystem integration. Unlike most L2s, which focus solely on scaling, Mantle leverages its treasury to create comprehensive infrastructure for on-chain finance.

A key differentiator is Mantle's EigenLayer-powered data availability solution, which provides security guarantees comparable to Ethereum’s while maintaining higher throughput. This addresses the security/performance tradeoff with which many competing L2s struggle.

The network benefits from an established ecosystem of financial partners, including Agora, Ethena and Ondo. These relationships provide Mantle Network with built-in liquidity and use cases that new L2s typically lack.

Governance remains fully decentralized through its 

 structure, with all decisions requiring approval from MNT token holders. This community-driven approach contrasts with more centralized decision-making in some competing L2 solutions.

As a technology stack for scaling Ethereum, Mantle Network utilizes modular blockchain rollups, modular data availability and bridging to meet the needs of 

Mantle Network employs a modular architecture that separates execution, 

, settlement and data availability into specialized layers. This separation allows each component to be optimized independently, significantly reducing gas costs and enhancing performance.

Through its innovative design, the network addresses the 

 of balancing scalability, security and decentralization. By distributing specific functions across specialized layers, Mantle achieves greater efficiency while maintaining robust security guarantees.

With its upcoming transition to a zero-knowledge validity rollup, Mantle is further enhancing its architecture. This implementation will reduce finality times from seven days to just one hour by using cryptographic proofs to verify transaction validity, rather than relying solely on the challenge period used in optimistic rollups.

This architectural approach ensures all users benefit from the same security level, not just full 

 on Ethereum's base layer. By optimizing the validation process, nodes don't need to execute all transactions for validity checking, thus significantly reducing computational requirements.

​​Mantle Network addresses data availability challenges by integrating with EigenLayer's EigenDA solution. The full mainnet integration is currently slated for Mar 19, 2025, which is in-line with the Pectra upgrade on Ethereum. As the first major adopter of EigenDA, Mantle leverages Ethereum's trust network to ensure data remains available while maintaining mainnet-level security.

EigenDA provides a specialized data availability layer separate from the consensus layer. This enables efficient data transmission between network participants through unicast channels. The system maintains an erasure rate, which allows complete block data to be reconstructed from pieces stored across both L2 and L1.

Validators can provide data availability services by staking MNT, thereby creating additional yield opportunities. These validators ensure block data completeness and accuracy on Mantle's execution layer.

As mentioned above, Mantle Network is transitioning to a zero-knowledge validity rollup via Succinct's SP1 technology. By moving from optimistic rollups to ZK validity proofs, Mantle aims to enhance performance while maintaining robust security guarantees.

The new ZK system transforms transaction finality, reducing wait times from seven days to just one hour. This improvement comes from replacing challenge periods with cryptographic proofs that mathematically verify transaction validity. For institutional users, this means capital can move more efficiently without sacrificing security.

Succinct's SP1 technology enables Mantle to generate compact mathematical proofs that simultaneously validate entire batches of transactions. These proofs confirm that all state transitions are valid without requiring validators to re-execute each transaction. This approach preserves computational resources while ensuring network integrity.

A transaction begins its journey when a user, 

 (DApp) or script initiates an action on Mantle Network. Using the Mantle SDK and supporting tools, the request is created, cryptographically signed with 

 and submitted to Mantle's Sequencer for processing.

The Sequencer orders and processes transactions before batching them into pending blocks. Mantle's batching mechanism distributes fixed costs across multiple transactions, significantly reducing fees compared to Ethereum's base layer.

With the transition to ZK validity rollups, Mantle now generates cryptographic proofs that mathematically verify the correctness of each transaction batch. These proofs eliminate the need for the lengthy challenge periods used in the previous optimistic model.

Once verified, the transaction data and validity proofs are sent to Ethereum for final settlement. Data availability nodes on Mantle Network ensure this information remains accessible to all network participants, and receive MNT tokens in return as a reward for their services.

Mantle Network (L2) and Ethereum (L1) operate as distinct blockchain environments, requiring secure 

 infrastructure to transfer assets between them. The Mantle bridge facilitates seamless movement of ETH and 

 tokens across these networks while maintaining asset recognition and integrity on both chains.

Using cryptographically secure protocols, Mantle's bridging solution verifies transaction validity and enforces proper asset locking and minting procedures. This maintains overall token supply integrity, while users also benefit from Mantle's speed and cost advantages.

The MNT token serves a dual purpose within the Mantle ecosystem as both a 

. Token holders participate in the Mantle DAO by voting on proposals, with each token carrying equal voting weight. For utility, MNT is used to pay network gas fees, and can serve as collateral for network operations.

Mantle Governance follows a deliberative process whereby community discussions can evolve into formal Mantle Improvement Proposals (MIPs) for token holder voting. Token holders must delegate their voting rights before participating, a requirement that doesn't lock or transfer their tokens.

The Mantle Treasury holds a significant portion of the MNT token supply, which it uses to fund ecosystem development, support partner protocols and ensure long-term sustainability. This treasury-backed structure provides Mantle with resources to drive continued growth and innovation across its ecosystem.

Mantle has achieved significant milestones since launching its mainnet in July 2023. The network has processed over 175 million transactions and connected to 10 million unique wallets. It now ranks among the top five Layer 2 solutions, with $2.2 billion in 

In 2024, Mantle integrated with EigenLayer for enhanced security and data availability. mETH Protocol grew to become the fourth-largest Ethereum liquid staking token, with $2.19 billion TVL, while FBTC reached $1 billion across five chains by November 2024.

December 2024 marked a pivotal moment, with Mantle's announced transition from optimistic rollup to ZK validity rollup via Succinct. 

Looking ahead, Mantle's road map includes its ZK rollup testnet launch in Q1 2025, followed by mainnet implementation. The network is expanding cross-chain capabilities via ERC-7683 and 

 integrations, positioning Mantle as the Liquidity Chain for the future of DeFi.

Looking to trade Mantle tokens? Bybit offers several MNT Spot trading pairs, such as 

. To get started, you’ll first need to create a Bybit account, then fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the respective trading pages. 

Mantle has established itself as a leading financial ecosystem in web3, distinguished by its $4.3 billion treasury and top-five Layer 2 ranking. With its upcoming transition to zero-knowledge validity proofs, integration with EigenLayer and three core products working in unison, Mantle Network offers a unique combination of security, scalability and financial infrastructure that positions it at the forefront of on-chain finance innovation.

*Mantle Network is referred to as a rollup in this article for clarity reasons. As Mantle Network utilizes EigenDA rather than 4844, it is more precisely a Validium.

Mantle Network: The Ethereum Layer 2 Solution for Next-Level Scalability

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Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards