### Big Updates in Crypto and DeFi You Should Know About

Sushi is now live on Sonic Labs! This means you can swap tokens, use advanced v2 and v3 Automated Market Makers (AMMs), and enjoy DEX Aggregator features on the EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain.

The PENDLE/WETH pool has officially launched on AerodromeFi, bringing $PENDLE into the Base ecosystem for the first time.

Panoptic has rolled out its mainnet on Ethereum, offering the first-ever on-chain, permissionless options platform. Traders can access perpetual options on any token, while liquidity providers can earn passively without impermanent loss or boost their earnings through active strategies on Uniswap. Early contributors and LPs are being rewarded with bonuses.

Wormhole and Mayan Finance now power lightning-fast, 10-second cross-chain swaps on Rango Exchange, simplifying asset transfers across blockchains.

Moonwell has introduced a new market on Base for Pendle’s Principal Token tied to Lombard Finance’s LBTC, set to mature on May 29, 2025. This opens up fresh fixed-rate Bitcoin strategies and boosts cbBTC borrowing demand, benefiting Frontier Vault depositors with higher returns.

deBridge has expanded to Sonic Labs and Fantom, enabling fast cross-chain transfers to Sonic from any other blockchain.

KyberSwap is now available on Sonic Labs, offering features like Aggregator and Limit Orders. With access to liquidity from 17+ integrated sources, users get the best rates for trades.

Hyperlane is live on Arthera, providing seamless connections to over 100 blockchains, token bridges, and interchain apps—all without permissions.

RedotPay has launched on Solana, enabling global payments at 120 million merchants with stablecoins like USDC and USDT. You can even link it to Apple Pay and Google Pay for everyday transactions.

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### Key Developments in DeFi

MetaMask now allows swapping tokens on Ethereum without needing ETH in your wallet. More token support is on the way!

Former President Donald Trump has appointed Bo Hines as the Executive Director of the Crypto Council.

The U.S. IRS has clarified that staking rewards are taxable income.

HyperLend has added its HYPE token to its Core Pool and introduced stHYPE to Isolated Pools, expanding staking and lending options.

Ether.fi’s cross-chain $eBTC can now be minted or bridged across Arbitrum, Base, and Corn platforms.

Sui Bridge now supports $USDT, making it easier for Ethereum users to move assets like ETH and USDT into Sui’s DeFi ecosystem with improved speed and security.

Sonic Labs has revamped its tokenomics following community governance proposals on Fantom. A ~200M $S airdrop is part of this update, along with plans for ecosystem growth funding, validator rewards, and a capped supply expansion until 2031. New burn mechanisms aim to reduce $S supply over time.

Kernel DAO has added three new assets: uniBTC by Bedrock DeFi, stBTC by Lorenzo Protocol, and asBNB by Astherus Hub. Users can restake these assets for additional opportunities.

Fluid has integrated KelpDAO’s $rsETH into its ecosystem with new vaults for rsETH-ETH/wstETH and rsETH/wstETH pairs, improving liquidity and staking options.

Rabby Wallet now supports Safe Wallet integration across platforms like Mantle, Worldcoin, Blast, and Sonic Labs for easier wallet management.

Inverse Finance has launched scrvUSD as collateral on FiRM, enhancing collaboration with Curve Finance and unlocking new yield opportunities.

Lorenzo Protocol has expanded $stBTC bridging support to networks like Taiko, Core DAO, Swell Network, Corn, and Hemi. This improves Bitcoin liquidity across multiple ecosystems.

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### Issues to Watch

WalletConnect experienced a temporary outage due to a domain issue. Staking activities remain unaffected while the team works on a fix.

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### What’s Coming Soon

Wormhole DAO will launch in Q1 2025. Governance will require staked W tokens, with at least 50 million W tokens allocated as rewards during the first phase.

Securitize, backed by BlackRock, is proposing to become a custodian for Frax’s upgraded frxUSD stablecoin. The initiative aims to tighten pegs and offer high-yield savings with institutional-grade security.

Zest Protocol is preparing sBTC loans to further boost Bitcoin utility. Over 35% of all sBTC on Stacks is already being used for yield generation.

A new DeFi SuperApp is set to launch on January 6 with features like 10x leverage, cross-chain token access, yield farming opportunities, and no gas fees or KYC requirements. Only 1,000 early users can join initially.

Berachain hinted at its upcoming Q5 mainnet launch.

Aethir is teaming up with Injective to introduce the first tokenized GPU marketplace for fractional GPU power trading with DeFi-ready features.

Puffer Finance teases its $SOON token launch for exciting market-driven opportunities.

Avalanche AI is preparing to bring artificial intelligence directly onto the Avalanche blockchain.

Reddex will become the official DEX for Redbelly Network alongside the exclusive launch of the $RBNT token.

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### Airdrop Alerts

– Jupiter Uplink shares its draft distribution plan for January 2025, rewarding users, stakers, and community participants.
– Tevaera updates $TEVA airdrop allocations based on loyalty in gaming activities.
– Berachain announces a 69-hour NFT giveaway for active wallets.
– Ether.fi allocates $1.5M in $ZRC tokens to participants who deposit at least 0.1 weETH into its liquidity hub.
– Tensor Foundation wraps up Season 4 and opens a rewards claim checker for eligible participants.
– StakeStone launches an early access program for Berachain rewards starting December 25, 2024.
– Solv Protocol introduces SolvBTC minting with a $6M reward pool for staking activities.

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### New Farming Opportunities

– Penpie unveils the sUSDe pool with boosted APY rewards.
– Superform Labs launches Animal Farm protocol with 10x CRED rewards for deposits.
– Bedrock introduces Bitcoin restaking with bonus rewards.
– Marginfi partners with Sky Ecosystem for fixed 40% APY on $USDS deposits.

Stay updated on these developments as they continue shaping the future of crypto and DeFi!