Prix de Sonic (prev. FTM)S

Notably @Lombard_Finance's $LBTC dominance continues to trend higher relative to its largest LST competitors (cur. 56.2%). This momentum is driven by early integrations across: 🔹@berachain boyco pre-mainnet vaults 🔹@SonicLabs $LBTC deposits for $scBTC on @Rings_Protocol 🔹@SuiNetwork $LBTC alongside with a variety of DeFi integrations for asset utilisation 🔹@derivexyz $bLBTC vault launch for basis trading strategy (pre-deposit phase) and probably many more to come. The playbook demonstrated here is always to keep pushing for new opportunities & stay on top of the game.

Zoth, an Ethereum-based real-world asset platform, has suffered an $8.85 million exploit after attackers gained unauthorized access to a private key. The breach marks the second major security incident for Zoth in a month, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in DeFi protocols. The attacker reportedly compromised the protocol’s deployer wallet, allowing them to upgrade the “USD0PPSubVaultUpgradeable” proxy contract to a contract under their control. This maneuver helped them to withdraw $8.4 million in Zoth’s USD0++ stablecoin, which was quickly swapped for 8.3 million DAI and moved to an external address. In response, Zoth has placed its website in maintenance mode and is working with security partners to assess the damage and prevent further exploits. Proxy contracts, widely used in DeFi for upgradability, introduce a risk when private keys securing them are compromised. The unauthorized upgrade in Zoth’s case demonstrates how attackers can manipulate contract logic to reroute funds without resistance. This breach follows a March 6 exploit in which Zoth lost $285,000 due to a liquidity pool vulnerability. Repeated security failures raise concerns about the platform’s risk management and could invite regulatory scrutiny.

The Open House Group, a leading real estate company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, has announced that it now accepts XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin for payments. Open House, which added cryptocurrency payments to its accepted payment options in January this year, said it is expanding the offering to include three more crypto tokens. As well as XRP ( XRP ), Open House customers can now use Solana ( SOL ) and Dogecoin ( DOGE ) to handle real estate payments with the firm. With crypto adoption on the rise across the world amid regulatory clarity, Open House says demand for crypto transactions is huge. Given its integrated approach across the real estate space, the publicly-listed company sees crypto as a pillar of future growth. XRP, SOL and DOGE now join Bitcoin ( BTC ) and Ethereum ( ETH ) as accepted payment options for services and goods covering Open House Group’s suite of products — from property acquisition to design, construction and sales to management. “This expansion ensures our global clients with greater flexibility in their investment process, subject to compliance with their country’s regulations,” Open House wrote. Open House ranks among top real estate firms in Japan, and boasts over ¥1 trillion, about $6.7 billion, in annual sales. While it only began accepting BTC and ETH in January 2025, it has championed crypto and blockchain integration for a few years now. The company started to explore the potential application of crypto and blockchain technology in business in 2022. Open House’s involvement within the industry includes its sponsorship of a research initiative on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network. Notably, Yokiko Nishimura, who heads the firm’s crypto initiative, has helped bring crypto solutions to local financial institutions and crypto exchanges since 2015. Earlier this year, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba weighed in on the issue of crypto adoption, noting that digital assets and web3 are important to the country’s development and innovation. A positive approach to crypto has seen the Japanese Cabinet approve the Payment Services Act, which is set to provide regulatory guidelines for stablecoins and crypto brokerages in Japan.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has lifted sanctions against Tornado Cash, a decentralized cryptocurrency mixer, effectively legalizing its use for American citizens. This move reverses the August 2022 sanctions imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, which had accused the platform of facilitating money laundering activities, including transactions linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group . Tornado Cash, launched in 2019, is an Ethereum-based protocol that enhances transaction privacy by allowing users to obfuscate the origins and destinations of their cryptocurrency transfers. While this service caters to individuals seeking financial privacy, it has also been exploited by malicious actors to launder illicit funds. The Treasury Department had alleged that Tornado Cash was used to launder over $7 billion in virtual currency, including $455 million stolen by the Lazarus Group. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented on the decision, stating, “Digital assets present enormous opportunities for innovation and value creation for the American people. Securing the digital asset industry from abuse by North Korea and other illicit actors is essential to establishing U.S. leadership and ensuring that the American people can benefit from financial innovation and inclusion.” Critics argued that sanctioning open-source software infringed upon free speech and technological innovation. In response, a group of Tornado Cash users, supported by cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, filed a lawsuit challenging the sanctions. In November 2024, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, stating that the Treasury had overstepped its authority. The court emphasized that Tornado Cash’s immutable smart contracts did not qualify as “property” under federal law, thereby falling outside the scope of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Judge Don Willett noted that while the technology could be misused , it was the role of Congress, not the courts, to amend relevant laws.

Hong Kong-based HK Asia Holdings has expanded its Bitcoin holdings, purchasing an additional 10 BTC for approximately $858,581. The purchase brings the firm’s total Bitcoin ( BTC ) holdings to 18.88 BTC, valued at around $1.72 million. The acquisition follows a Feb. 23 board approval allowing HK Asia to increase its Bitcoin investments. The company had previously purchased 1 BTC on Feb. 16 and 7.88 BTC on Feb. 20, financing the acquisitions through internal cash reserves. HK Asia sees Bitcoin as a store of value and hedge against fiat currency depreciation. The company voluntarily disclosed the purchase despite not being required under Hong Kong Stock Exchange rules. Following its initial Bitcoin purchase, HK Asia’s stock price nearly doubled, and its latest announcement saw shares climb another 5.7% on Feb. 24. The firm joins a growing list of publicly traded companies adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets. U.S.-based KURL Technology Group recently disclosed a $10 million Bitcoin investment, while Japan’s Gumi has announced plans to buy JPY 1 billion worth of BTC by May. Companies like Strategy and MetaPlanet have led the charge with periodic Bitcoin investments.