AI and Blockchain Infrastructure

Here is what we have in store in this Market Summary:

1. Aave Labs secures dual UK licenses for regulated crypto payments infrastructure
2. Base launches Azul on mainnet as part of its push toward greater decentralization

3. OKX confirms $53M investment to acquire 20% stake in Coinone crypto exchange

4. Gemini launches AI-powered crypto data feed integrated with Grok

5. Hyperliquid-based prop trading platform Hypernova raises $3M in pre-seed funding

Aave Labs secures dual UK licenses for regulated crypto payments infrastructure

Aave Labs‘ UK subsidiaries Push Labs and Push Virtual Assets have received approval from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority to register as cryptoasset exchange providers. Combined with the existing Electronic Money Institution authorization already held under the Electronic Money Regulations, this creates a dual-permissioned framework allowing Push to both issue electronic money and exchange cryptoassets for fiat. The intended product on top of this infrastructure is zero-fee stablecoin on- and off-ramping, giving UK users a way to move between British pounds and crypto without third-party spreads.


Read the full article by The Block here

Base launches Azul on mainnet as part of its push toward greater decentralization

Base has activated Azul on mainnet, introducing a multiproof system that pairs trusted execution environment proofs with zero-knowledge proofs to reduce withdrawal finality to as little as one day. Either proof type can finalize a proposal independently, and permissionless ZK proofs can override permissioned TEE proofs if the two conflict, a design Base says moves the chain meaningfully closer to censorship resistance. Azul is also Base’s first independent network upgrade since departing the Optimism Superchain, and it aligns the chain with Ethereum’s Osaka execution-layer specifications.

Two additional upgrades are planned for H2 2026: a performance-focused release by the end of June and a user-experience update around the end of August.


Read the full article by The Block here

OKX confirms $53M investment to acquire 20% stake in Coinone crypto exchange

OKX Ventures and Korea Investment & Securities will each invest 80B won ($53M) for 19.6% stakes in South Korean crypto exchange Coinone, pending regulatory approval. The combined 160B won deal involves both secondary share purchases and newly issued shares.

After the transaction, CEO Cha Myunghun will remain Coinone’s largest shareholder with a 27.8% stake and retain management control, with Com2uS Holdings holding 25% and OKX Ventures and KIS becoming joint third-largest shareholders


Read the full article by The Block here

Gemini launches AI-powered crypto data feed integrated with Grok

Gemini has launched Command Center, an AI-powered personalized market feed built in collaboration with xAI. The service surfaces real-time insights, signals, summaries, and predictions based on user preferences, powered by Grok, and is integrated into Gemini’s prediction market platform.

The feed tracks activity across a wide range of markets and learns from user behavior to surface relevant information automatically without requiring manual searching.

Read the full article by The Block here

Hyperliquid-based prop trading platform Hypernova raises $3M in pre-seed funding

Hypernova, a prop trading platform built on Hyperliquid, has raised $3M in a pre-seed round led by Lemniscap, alongside angel investors from the Hyperliquid ecosystem, including co-founders of HypurrCollective.

The platform uses Hyperliquid smart contracts to enforce trading rules, profit splits, and payout triggers on-chain, removing the back-office compliance layer traditional prop firms rely on. Funded allocations go up to $200,000 per trader, with instant payouts rather than the multi-day settlement cycles common in legacy retail prop firms.

Read the full article by The Block here




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Disclaimer:

The content covered in this newsletter is not to be considered investment or financial advice. It is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not reflect those of AP Collective.