Circle (CRCL), the stablecoin issuer behind USDC, got a second upgrade by Wall Street analysts in a week, and this time by its biggest bear. Compass Point’s Ed Engel, who had a sell rating and the lowest price target among analysts, has upgraded the stock to Neutral just a day after Mizuho's Dan Dolev revised his bearish outlook. However, Engel kept his price target the lowest among Wall Street analysts covering the stock, despite the upgrade. His new price target is $60, down from $75 due to premium va ...

Core Insights - Tether has made a strategic investment in Speed, a payments infrastructure firm, co-leading an $8 million funding round to enhance Bitcoin-based financial infrastructure and expand USDT's applications in real-world payments [1][3] Group 1: Investment Details - Tether co-led an $8 million funding round for Speed alongside Ego Death Capital [1] - Speed currently processes over $1.5 billion in annual payment volume, serving 1.2 million users and businesses [2] Group 2: Technology and Operations - Speed utilizes the Bitcoin Lightning Network and stablecoins for instant global settlements, enabling high-volume, low-fee transactions [3] - The platform offers native Bitcoin and USDT settlement capabilities, providing reliable global routing for enterprise customers [2] Group 3: Market Context - Tether's CEO highlighted the potential of Bitcoin-rooted networks for mainstream commerce, emphasizing the importance of practical infrastructure in reducing payment friction [4] - Bitcoin's recent trading price was around $87,500, reflecting a 1% increase after a dip earlier in the week, with a notable 30% decrease from its all-time high of over $126,000 [4] Group 4: Broader Business Activities - Tether holds nearly $9.9 billion worth of Bitcoin and has made various investments in Bitcoin-centric firms [5] - The company is reportedly working to raise $20 billion in funding at a $500 billion valuation and has participated in significant investment rounds recently [6]

Key Players by TVL - Token Terminal highlights top companies and protocols based on Total Value Locked (TVL) [1] Leading Market Sectors - The report identifies leading market sectors including Stablecoin issuers, Lending, Liquid staking, and DEXs (Decentralized Exchanges) [1]

Ethereum Economy Overview - Ethereum 上的公司和 DAO 在过去 365 天内产生了约 73 亿美元的费用 [1] Top Market Sectors - 前五大市场领域：稳定币发行商、流动性质押、借贷、DEX 和 RWA 发行商 [1] Top Companies & DAOs - 前十大公司和 DAO：Tether、Circle、Lido Finance、Uniswap、Aave、Flashbots、SkyEcosystem、Ethena Labs、Morpho Labs、Convex Finance [1]