Gold has emerged as one of many best-performing belongings of 2025, lifted by geopolitical uncertainty, document central financial institution shopping for and skepticism over policymakers’ potential to rein in inflation as fiscal deficits widen.
Whereas Bitcoin (BTC) is commonly dubbed “digital gold,” the normal safe-haven asset is drawing renewed consideration from traders. Gold has gained about 35% year-to-date, climbing to contemporary all-time highs above $3,600 an oz.
US retirement planners have a brand new solution to entry the steel via blockchain-based tokenization, following a partnership between Chintai Nexus and SmartGold. The initiative provides momentum to the broader tokenization development, which is attracting rising institutional curiosity in digital belongings.
This week’s Crypto Biz explores gold’s rally, the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) lending and the most recent public providing from a crypto firm.
US IRAs acquire entry to tokenized gold
IRA supplier SmartGold has partnered with tokenization platform Chintai Nexus to permit traders to deliver their vaulted gold onchain, the place it may be used to earn yield via DeFi lending platforms akin to Morpho and Kamino.
For these opting in, SmartGold’s IRA-held bullion is tokenized on a one-to-one foundation by way of Chintai, making a digital illustration of the underlying bodily gold, whereas preserving the self-directed IRA’s tax-deferred standing.
Gold’s tokenization development is accelerating. Worldwide Treasured Metals Bullion Group lately launched tokenized merchandise throughout its provide chain, whereas Tether’s gold-backed stablecoin, XAUT, has elevated previous $1.3 billion in market worth.
DeFi lending surges on real-world asset growth
Decentralized finance lending is gaining traction amongst establishments, with the fast rise of stablecoins and real-world belongings (RWAs) driving contemporary community exercise.
Based on Binance Analysis, whole worth locked in DeFi lending protocols has climbed 72% to this point this 12 months, to $127 billion from $53 billion.
“As stablecoin and tokenized asset adoption accelerates, DeFi lending protocols are more and more positioned to facilitate institutional participation,” Binance Analysis famous in a report.
Tokenized RWAs have emerged as one in every of crypto’s fastest-growing use circumstances in 2025. Business knowledge reveals the market has expanded to almost $28 billion, led by tokenized non-public credit score and US Treasury bonds, with tokenized equities additionally gaining floor.
Determine Know-how eyes $526 million IPO
Determine Know-how Options has turn out to be the most recent crypto-focused firm to pursue a US preliminary public providing (IPO), aiming to boost as much as $526 million at a valuation of greater than $4 billion.
Based on regulatory filings, the corporate plans to promote 21.5 million shares priced between $18 and $20. Determine had beforehand signaled its intention to go public, and if the deal proceeds as anticipated, the IPO could possibly be priced as early as Wednesday.
Determine, finest recognized for providing monetary merchandise on the Provenance Blockchain, reported $191 million in income in the course of the first half of the 12 months. Whereas the focused valuation might seem formidable, the corporate was valued at $3.2 billion in 2021.
A number of crypto firms have lately gone public or indicated plans to take action. As Cointelegraph reported, crypto change Gemini is pursuing a list that might increase as much as $317 million, whereas separate reviews recommend Kraken is searching for to boost about $500 million.
Gryphon finalizes merger with American Bitcoin
Shareholders of Gryphon Digital Mining have accredited a merger with American Bitcoin, a mining firm linked to the household of US President Donald Trump. The mixed entity will commerce beneath the ticker image “ABTC.”
As a part of the deal, a reverse inventory cut up lowered Gryphon’s excellent shares to about 16.6 million from 82.8 million. The transfer follows an preliminary settlement introduced in Might, when American Bitcoin outlined its intention to go public via a merger with Gryphon.
American Bitcoin itself is a rebrand of American Information Heart, launched in March by Trump’s sons, and is affiliated with mining firm Hut 8. At its debut, the corporate described itself as a “pure-play” Bitcoin miner with plans to build up important holdings of the cryptocurrency.
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