OP_NET has launched a “SlowFi” DeFi stack that runs smart contracts directly in standard Bitcoin transactions with BTC as the only gas asset, avoiding bridges and wrapped BTC. OP_NET said it is launching a “SlowFi” decentralized finance (DeFi) stack on Bitcoin that uses standard Bitcoin transactions and native BTC fees rather than bridges, wrapped assets or a separate gas token. According to a Thursday release shared with Cointelegraph, the project is part of a broader push to bring trading and yield-style activity directly onto Bitcoin’s base layer instead of routing it through sidechains, bridges or adjacent networks. OP_NET is betting some users will accept slower and more expensive transactions in exchange for staying fully on Bitcoin. According to OP_NET co-founder Frederic Fosco, who goes by Danny Plainview, applications run through standard Bitcoin (BTC) transactions using Taproot-based spends, while the platform’s NativeSwap model is designed to support token swaps without wrapped BTC or a separate ga...
Apex Group’s Tokeny and Polygon Labs are launching T-REX Ledger, a Polygon-based blockchain that aims to centralize compliance for ERC-3643 security tokens. Apex Group’s Tokeny has tapped Polygon Labs to launch T-REX Ledger, a compliance-focused blockchain designed to help regulated tokenized assets move across networks without repeating investor checks and transfer restrictions. In a Thursday release shared with Cointelegraph, the project said it targets a key friction point in tokenized markets. ERC-3643 is an Ethereum-based token standard for permissioned tokens representing real-world assets that can support compliant issuance of RWAs, but identity checks, eligibility rules and transfer restrictions often remain fragmented when the same asset is distributed across multiple blockchains. T-REX Ledger is being pitched as a shared compliance layer that other chains can query, while settlement continues to take place on external networks. Built with Polygon’s Chain Development Kit and connected to Agglayer, th...
Beyond immediate losses, attacks often lead to prolonged downtime, liquidity shocks and confidence erosion, as interconnected DeFi systems amplify the impact across markets. A new security report from Immunefi finds that crypto hacks continue at a steady pace while losses are becoming more concentrated in a small number of massive exploits. Analyzing 425 publicly known incidents between 2021 and 2025, the report estimates that the average hack now results in about $25 million in stolen funds. In 2024 and 2025 alone, 191 hacks led to $4.67 billion in losses, with just five incidents accounting for 62% of the total. Despite representing fewer incidents, centralized exchange breaches drove the majority of losses. Twenty exchange hacks accounted for roughly $2.55 billion, or about 55% of the total, reflecting how large pools of user funds are concentrated behind fewer points of failure. Read more