Web3 launchpads have become cash-grab funnels funding ideas without substance. The industry needs platforms that build better, not just raise more. Opinion by: Tim Hafner, founder and CEO of OpenServ Launchpads were introduced to give Web3 projects access to early investors. As they operate today, however, they too often result in cash grabs over long-term success. This has resulted in a flood of half-formed products hitting the market without real support for builders. Virtuals Protocol has facilitated over 17,000 AI agent token launches as of February 2025, indicating that infrastructure for token launches is not slowing down. Questions remain, however, regarding the long-term sustainability and accountability of launchpads. Read more
Privacy experts warn EU’s Chat Control law could break encryption, erode trust in digital platforms and push users toward decentralized Web3 solutions. As EU lawmakers near a decision on the “Chat Control” law, privacy experts warn it could break public trust in digital communication and push users toward Web3 platforms. As European lawmakers near a decision on the controversial “Chat Control” legislation, privacy experts warn it could break public trust in digital communication and push users toward Web3 platforms. At the center of the debate is the EU’s proposed Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse, which would require platforms to scan private messages for illegal content before they are encrypted. Critics say this effectively creates a backdoor into encrypted systems, contradicting the EU’s own commitments to privacy. Read more
LimeWire has acquired the rights to the infamous Fyre Festival and plans to revive the brand through Web3 integrations with its LMWR token. LimeWire, a former file-sharing platform turned Web3 company, acquired the rights to the infamous Fyre Festival brand and plans to relaunch it with a crypto twist. In a Tuesday announcement, LimeWire said it had purchased the Fyre Festival’s trademark, logo, domain and social media accounts. Marcus Feistl, LimeWire’s chief operating officer, told Cointelegraph that the new iteration will include offline events, with LimeWire’s LMWR token powering access to products and services. The Fyre Festival became a symbol of failed hype in 2017, when a promised luxury music event in the Bahamas collapsed into chaos, leaving attendees stranded without proper food or accommodations. Its founder, Billy McFarland, was later convicted of fraud and sentenced to prison. LimeWire confirmed that McFarland is not involved in the new project. Read more
Top Web3 white hats are earning millions uncovering DeFi flaws, far surpassing traditional cybersecurity salaries capped at $300,000. Top white hats hunting vulnerabilities across decentralized protocols in Web3 are earning millions, dwarfing the $300,000 salary ceiling in traditional cybersecurity roles. “Our leaderboard shows researchers earning millions per year, compared to typical cybersecurity salaries of $150-300k,” Mitchell Amador, co-founder and CEO of bug bounty platform Immunefi, told Cointelegraph. In crypto, “white hats” refers to ethical hackers paid to disclose vulnerabilities in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. Unlike salaried corporate roles, these researchers choose their targets, set their own hours and earn based on the impact of what they find. Read more
Web3’s mass adoption depends on embracing Web2 infrastructure, not replacing it. Gradual integration builds trust and accelerates mainstream acceptance. Opinion by: Richard Johnson, chief operating officer of Data Guardians Network In the ongoing drive to increase Web3 adoption, many Web3 enthusiasts and organizations continue to call for industries to move away from Web2 processes. Whether it’s trying to make Web3 tools feel like a Web2 application or redefining business models to focus more on Web3 infrastructure, there is a vocal group that believes in demolishing Web2 for Web3 to grow. Read more
Gaia Labs’ AI smartphone and Solana’s latest devices highlight a renewed push to merge blockchain features in consumer tech. Web3 companies are exploring ways to move beyond apps and tokens, experimenting with hardware devices like phones and consoles that merge crypto functions with everyday tech. Gaia Labs, a decentralized AI and Web3 infrastructure company, on Tuesday announced its upcoming AI smartphone for users in South Korea and Hong Kong. Built on Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge hardware, the device runs AI models directly on the phone, letting users interact with agents without relying on cloud services. According to the company, Web3 functions include onchain identity support, a pre-loaded Gaia domain, and tools for deploying custom AI agents. Read more
Hong Kong-listed Yunfeng Financial purchased $44 million of ETH to support its expansion into Web3, real-world assets and tokenized finance. Yunfeng Financial Group, a Hong Kong-listed company with ties to Alibaba founder Jack Ma, acquired 10,000 ETH (worth about $44 million) in a move to deepen its Web3 expansion. The purchase, disclosed in a voluntary announcement on Tuesday, was funded through internal cash reserves. The move follows a recent announcement by Yunfeng outlining its push into Web3, real world assets (RWA), digital currency and artificial intelligence. According to the company, Ether (ETH) was chosen as a reserve asset to support RWA tokenization, technological innovation and the broader integration of finance with Web3 infrastructure. Read more
Web3 remains a popular buzzword in crypto, but are DApps and altcoins actually delivering on their promises? Key takeaways: Web3 daily activity held steady at 24 million in Q2 2025, but sector composition is shifting. DeFi leads transaction counts with 240 million weekly, yet Ethereum gas usage is now dominated by the RWA, DePIN and AI. Read more
Web3’s current trading infrastructure fails to offer institutional participants privacy, scale and sophistication. It lags behind market maturity, leaving institutional and large-scale traders underserved. Opinion by: Anish Mohammed, co-founder of Panther Protocol Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s recent proposal to create a dark-pool perpetual swap decentralized exchange (DEX) is more than just a novel idea — it’s a timely reflection of where Web3 is falling short. In a market increasingly driven by institutions and large stakeholders, CZ’s call for private execution and protection from maximal extractable value (MEV) attacks underscores a more profound truth: The current trading infrastructure in crypto is not built for scale, discretion or sophistication. Read more
Shelby launches amid surging demand for cloud services, driven by the rapid growth in global data storage needs. Aptos Labs and Jump Crypto have introduced a cloud-based storage network tailored for Web3 and decentralized applications — a system its creators say rivals traditional cloud services. Unveiled on Tuesday, the network — called Shelby — is a globally distributed platform powered by Aptos’ high-throughput technology. It is chain-agnostic, offering compatibility with Ethereum, Solana and other major blockchains. Shelby is built for developers who need cloud-like speed and remote access for demanding use cases, including streaming video, artificial intelligence and decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN) applications. Read more
The Cointelegraph Decentralization Guardians (CTDG) initiative is operational with validators on Solana, Chiliz, Polkadot, Coreum, Canton and Mantra. Cointelegraph is evolving from industry commentary to active participation in securing Web3 with the launch of the Cointelegraph Decentralization Guardians (CTDG) initiative, debuting live, institutional-grade validators on major blockchains including Solana, Chiliz, Polkadot, Coreum, Canton and Mantra. The CTDG initiative functions as a multi-faceted program that combines running high-performance validator nodes across leading blockchain ecosystems with public education, data-driven network monitoring and increased visibility for partner protocols. Merging media operations with Web3 success support positions Cointelegraph as a direct contributor to the health and security of the industry it covers. The program’s mainnet validators are live, and its public dashboards are tracking key network statistics and validator performance. These tools are accompanied by ne...
Cointelegraph and Audius are launching a remix contest to spotlight how decentralized platforms are empowering artists and redefining creative ownership to reshape the music industry. As streaming platforms dominate music distribution, artists have increasingly found themselves sidelined and earning fractions of pennies per play, all while relying on centralized platforms to reach fans. However, in a corner of the digital world, a new wave of creators, developers and platforms are exploring how Web3 tools can offer an alternative. Decentralized, Web3-native music platforms have emerged in recent years to offer artists more control over their content, more direct access to their audiences and better monetization models. Read more
In the latest episode of Decentralize with Cointelegraph, experts break down how crypto op-eds are influencing public perception, policy and the future of Web3 storytelling. As the crypto industry matures and public perception becomes more critical to adoption and regulation, opinion pieces, often dismissed as hot takes, are emerging as powerful tools in shaping the Web3 narrative. In the latest episode of Decentralize with Cointelegraph, we sit down with three insider voices to explore the evolving role of opinion in crypto media: Cath Jenkin, opinion editor at Cointelegraph; Nikki Brown, chief strategy officer of Melrose PR; and Amal Ibraymi, legal counsel at Aztec Network. The discussion highlights the growing strategic value of op-eds in crypto media — not only as vehicles for thought leadership but as instruments of influence. Read more