Bloc3

Its a busy week for Bloc3. We are partnering on the following roles: 💼Head of Growth 📍Remote (London or NYC) 💰$250,000 plus 💼Chief Marketing Officer 📍Remote (EMEA & USA) 💰$250,000 to $300,000 💼Content & Community Marketing Manager 📍Remote (EMEA & USA) 💰$100,000 to $120,000 💼Commercial Finance Lead/Finance Manager 📍Remote (EMEA & USA) 💰$120,000 to $180,000 If you are interested in any of the above roles please reach out to me directly for a confidential chat on LinkedIn #Web3Jobs #BlockchainJobs #CryptoJobs #DeFiJobs #NFTJobs #CryptoCareers

OpenAI & Visa in talks for stablecoin wallet: A Game-Changer for Crypto Payments? Sam Altman’s World Network is in talks with Visa to launch a stablecoin payments wallet, marking a major step toward mainstream crypto adoption. According to reports, this deal would integrate Visa card functionality into World Network wallets, allowing stablecoin payments across thousands of merchants in Visa’s ecosystem. Key Takeaways ☑️ Worldcoin Wallet → Self-custody + stablecoin payments ☑️ Visa Integration → On-chain card functionality for seamless transactions ☑️ Fiat On/Off Ramps → Easier access to digital assets for everyday use ☑️ "Mini Bank" Vision → FX, apps, asset trading & more ☑️ Led by Tools for Humanity, Worldcoin’s parent company Why This Matters for Digital Assets ▪️ Mainstream Infrastructure → Visa’s involvement brings legitimacy & global payment rails ▪️ Stablecoins Go Prime Time → A sign that the US is warming up to stablecoins as real money ▪️ Altman’s Big Move → From revolutionizing AI to reshaping crypto payments—massive industry crossover With Visa stepping into stablecoin payments, are we witnessing the next leap in digital finance?

Kraken Digital Asset Exchange’s $1.5B NinjaTrader Acquisition Marks a Major Leap for Crypto Futures in the U.S. Kraken Digital Asset Exchange just made its boldest move yet—acquiring NinjaTrader, a U.S.-regulated futures trading platform, for $1.5 billion. This is more than just an expansion; it’s a strategic power play that positions Kraken to legally offer crypto futures in the U.S. market, navigating the country’s tough regulatory landscape. NinjaTrader, a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant, has been a key player in traditional finance since 2003, serving 2 million traders with advanced trading tools and futures access across multiple asset classes. By integrating its infrastructure with Kraken’s, this deal sets the stage for a seamless, institutional-grade trading experience that breaks away from legacy finance constraints—like limited trading hours and slow settlements. Why this matters: ☑️ Bridging TradFi & Crypto – This acquisition signals the accelerating merger of traditional and digital finance. ☑️ Expanding Crypto Derivatives in the U.S. – Kraken now has a legal pathway to offer futures, a market the U.S. has historically restricted. ☑️ Global Growth Potential – With Kraken’s regulatory licenses in Europe, the U.K., and Australia, NinjaTrader’s reach could expand worldwide. Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi summed it up: “Legacy finance and crypto have remained separate ecosystems—until today.” With crypto regulation evolving, this deal could be a turning point for U.S. market infrastructure, paving the way for more institutional adoption and deeper liquidity across asset classes. Is this the beginning of a new era for crypto futures trading?

Bakkt Names New Co-CEO as It Doubles Down on Crypto Crypto custody and trading firm Bakkt Holdings is making significant changes appointing a new co-CEO and shedding non-core services to focus entirely on crypto. Akshay Naheta, founder of stablecoin payments firm Distributed Technologies Research, will join Andy Main as co-CEO. Bakkt will also integrate DTR’s stablecoin-based payment infrastructure, pending regulatory approval. Bakkt is selling its crypto custody unit to its parent company, Intercontinental Exchange, for $1.5 million, reducing operating costs by $3.8 million per year and freeing up capital to invest in crypto trading and brokerage. The restructuring follows the loss of major clients, as Bank of America and Webull Financial will not be renewing contracts. This announcement sent Bakkt’s stock down 27 percent on March 18. Despite these challenges, Bakkt’s 2024 revenue reached $3.49 billion, a nearly 350 percent year-over-year increase, while net losses halved to $103.4 million. With Bakkt making bold moves to refocus on crypto, the question remains—will this strategy pay off?

“I Am Ashamed” — Solana Labs CEO Speaks Out on Ad Controversy 🚨 Solana Foundation CEO Anatoly Yakovenko has broken his silence following backlash over a controversial ad for the Solana Accelerate conference, admitting the issue was "gnawing at [his] soul." The now-deleted ad depicted a therapy session where a character representing America expressed an interest in innovation and crypto, only to be dismissed by the therapist, who suggested focusing on "coming up with a new gender" and "pronouns" instead. The line "I want to invent technologies, not genders" sparked heated debates across the Web3 space. Yakovenko has now clarified that Solana will stay out of cultural wars and focus on building—a message that resonates with many in the crypto space who prefer technology over divisive politics. What’s your take? Should crypto brands stay away from cultural debates, or do they have a role in shaping discussions?

Struggling to hire top Web3 talent? The best engineers and builders aren’t applying—they’re being headhunted. Message us below via Telegram Messenger https://t.me/Bloc3Talent Let’s fix that 🥷 ☑️

Telegram Messenger Founder Pavel Durov Leaves France Amid Legal Scrutiny Pavel Durov, the enigmatic founder of Telegram Messenger, has reportedly left France for Dubai after receiving court approval—though the details of his departure remain unclear. What’s Going On? Durov was arrested in Paris in August 2024, accused of facilitating illicit transactions on Telegram. He was released on $6M bail but was required to stay in France during the investigation. Now, a French court has granted him permission to leave, fueling speculation about his legal status. The Crypto Market Reacts Following the news, Toncoin (TON)—the native token of Telegram’s blockchain—spiked 18%. Clearly, investors see Durov’s move as a net positive for the ecosystem. Bigger Picture This case highlights ongoing tensions between tech founders, jurisdictional power, and platform responsibility. Dubai’s business-friendly environment and lack of extradition treaties make it a frequent refuge for global entrepreneurs navigating legal challenges. With no official statements from Durov or French authorities yet, what’s next for Telegram and its founder?

💼 Founding Product Engineer 📍 Hybrid (San Francisco) 💰 $225,000 to $275,000 plus Equity Bloc3 is partnering with a visionary new client on a mission to make onchain ownership universal. As their new Founding Product Engineer, you'll shape their core infrastructure, building cutting-edge hybrid onchain/offchain systems. Expect to ship code across indexers, databases, smart contracts, cryptography, APIs, and global-scale apps—fast. If you have professional experience building and shipping production-grade web applications and deep expertise in modern frontend technologies such as #React/ #Next.js, #TypeScript/ JavaScript. #UI #Frameworks, #Wagmi, #Viem, #Tevm I would love to chat. Please message me on LinkedIn for a confidential chat. #ReactJS #NextJS #TypeScript #JavaScript #UIFrameworks #Wagmi #Viem #EthereumDev #Web3Jobs #SanFranciscoTech #SFTech #BayAreaTech #SFStartups #Web3Jobs #BlockchainJobs #CryptoJobs #SFTech #FoundingProductEngineer #SeniorProductEngineer #EVM #Web3

MoonPay Expands into Enterprise Stablecoin Payments with Iron Acquisition: The stablecoin revolution is heating up! MoonPay just acquired Iron, an API-first stablecoin infrastructure platform, to supercharge enterprise payments. With this move, businesses can now: ☑️ Accept stablecoin payments instantly & at low cost ☑️ Manage multi-currency treasuries in real time ☑️ Deploy funds into yield-bearing assets like US Treasury bonds MoonPay CEO Ivan Soto-Wright puts it best: "With Iron’s technology, we’re putting the power of instant, programmable payments into the hands of enterprises, fintechs, and global merchants." This marks MoonPay’s second major acquisition of 2024—following its $175M Helio deal in January, which deepened its integration with Shopify & Discord. Stablecoins: The Future of Payments? With $230B+ in circulation, stablecoins have become one of blockchain’s biggest success stories. Heavyweights like PayPal & Stripe are integrating stablecoins, fueling mainstream adoption. The next big frontier? Yield-bearing stablecoins. With the SEC approving the first stablecoin security in February, we’re on the brink of a regulatory and financial breakthrough. What do you think—will stablecoins redefine global payments?

Solana Foundation Slips 29% in 2025—Despite Liquidity Surge and US Crypto Stockpile Inclusion Solana Foundation’s price has tumbled 29% since the start of 2025, even as $10 billion in new liquidity has entered the market and it secured a spot in the US Digital Asset Stockpile alongside Cardano (ADA) and XRP. Despite being at the center of major market developments, SOL remains in a downtrend, struggling to gain momentum from the $9.5 billion worth of newly minted USDC that has flooded the ecosystem since January. Analysts suggest this liquidity has largely flowed into memecoins rather than supporting SOL’s price action. The Trump Effect: A Drain on Solana? Since the launch of Trump’s Official TRUMP token on Jan. 18, SOL has plunged 49% from $261 to $133. Dan Hughes founder of RADIX DLT, notes that much of the liquidity rush was crypto holders selling assets—like Solana—to FOMO into TRUMP. Investors Flee Amid Memecoin Chaos Adding to Solana’s struggles, the network saw $485 million in outflows in February, with capital shifting toward Ethereum, Arbitrum, and BNB Chain Innovation. A Binance Research report pointed to a broader flight to “safety,” with Bitcoin dominance rising to 59.6%. Memecoin disappointments have also played a role. The Libra token, hyped by Argentine President Javier Milei, turned into a $107 million rug pull, collapsing 94% in hours and erasing $4 billion in investor capital. These high-profile scams have shaken investor confidence in Solana-based projects. What’s Next for Solana Labs? While SOL remains under pressure, its fundamentals haven’t changed. Will it reclaim its momentum, or are investors looking elsewhere?