415.24K
979.35K
2025-04-03 13:00:00 ~ 2025-04-10 09:30:00
2025-04-10 11:00:00 ~ 2025-04-10 15:00:00
Total supply10.13B
Introduction
Babylon is a decentralized protocol that enables native Bitcoin staking directly on the Bitcoin blockchain without intermediaries. The protocol implements a novel shared-security architecture that extends Bitcoin's security model to the broader decentralized ecosystem. Through its architecture, BTC holders can participate in multi-staking operations while maintaining their assets on the Bitcoin network, providing verifiable security guarantees to Bitcoin Secured Networks (BSNs). Babylon Genesis is the first Bitcoin Secured Network (BSN) to leverage Bitcoin's security and serves as the control plane for security and liquidity orchestration for future BSNs. Built on the Cosmos SDK framework, Babylon Genesis introduces key innovations for enhanced PoS security and interoperability, unlocking Bitcoin's potential beyond its traditional role as a store of value.
Avalon Labs (AVL) rallied by over 30%, rising vertically to a one-month high. The asset gained attention after Yzi Labs announced Avalon Labs as its next investment. Yzi Labs (formerly Binance Labs) announced its next investment project. After the news, the native AVL token rallied by over 30%, going vertical after weeks of flat price action. The AVL token traded at above $0.30, entering a turbulent period of hype. AVL is still down from its all-time peak of $0.75, achieved on March 10. Avalon Labs had a vertical rally, reaching a one-month peak above $30. | Source: Coinmarketcap AVL tokens have been trading since February when the airdrop was completed. Currently, only 16.6% of AVL tokens are unlocked, with multiple new token releases expected in the coming months. Around 161M AVL are in circulation out of the total supply of 1B tokens. AVL still depends mostly on PancakeSwap and other DEX. The involvement of Yzi Labs suggests AVL may gain more attention as part of the Binance ecosystem. AVL is an Ethereum-based token and will be an improbable selection for Binance Alpha, but the involvement of Yzi Labs may lead to more listings and support for AVL. Avalon Labs taps Bitcoin DeFi trend Avalon Labs is part of the Bitcoin DeFi trend, offering on-chain trading and lending with BTC as collateral. Avalon’s trading product is fully on-chain, transparent, and accessible to anyone. See also VanEck debuts PurposeBuilt fund to invest in Avalanche-based applications Avalon Labs already locks in $1.22B , down from over $2B in January. So far, the protocol carries $46.91 in collateralized loans. Despite the recent BTC rally, Avalon Labs operates at a smaller scale compared to Babylon Labs. As with other protocols, the value locked sometimes decreases with the end of the airdrop program. Bitcoin’s DeFi ecosystem has grown its value locked to $6.69B, led by Babylon Labs. Of that amount, $5.4B is staked with Babylon. However, smaller platforms are accruing their own collaterals. Yzi Labs resumes investments Avalon Labs is the first project to receive backing from Yzi Labs since April 30. For the past three months, the platform only backed five hand-picked projects. Yzi Labs focused on rounds between $3M and $10M. ‘At YZi Labs, we back projects with strong fundamentals that have the potential to revolutionize industries and create long-term impact,’ said Alex Odagiu , investment director at YZi Labs. Avalon Labs aims to become the largest issuer of stablecoins backed by BTC, unlocking the underlying value of the leading coin. Avalon Labs drew attention as the Season 8 winner of the Most Valuable Builder event. The program is a special incubator led by BNB Smart Chain, Yzi Labs, and CoinMarketCap. See also United States DOJ recovers $2.5 million linked to fraudulent crypto schemes Avalon Labs already reports 20,000 non-custodial BTC as backing, linked to 300K reported daily active users. Avalon Labs is also the second-largest protocol based on Collateralized Debt Position (CDP). The project has issued over $613M in its USDa stablecoin, second only to DAI/USDS by Sky Protocol. Avalon Labs will use the funding from Yzi Labs to become compliant in several jurisdictions. The protocol’s goal is to become viable for institutional users and create a public fund for BTC staking and institutional lending. Cryptopolitan Academy: Want to grow your money in 2025? Learn how to do it with DeFi in our upcoming webclass. Save Your Spot
Key Points: $4 billion in BTC staked via Babylon. Yields range from 1-2% annually. Increased adoption of liquid staking tokens. Bitcoin Staking Matures with Over $4 Billion in BTC Staked Bitcoin staking has achieved a milestone, with the Babylon Protocol surpassing $4 billion in BTC allocated into yield strategies as of May 2025. Babylon Protocol and Advancements in Bitcoin Staking Babylon Protocol, a key player in Bitcoin staking , enables holders to time-lock BTC for yield without bridges, with over $4 billion staked. Marketing Director Vincent Maliepaard discussed Babylon’s momentum. Native BTC staking offers 1–2% annual yields, indicating robust interest. “Babylon’s mechanics and momentum highlight a significant evolution in Bitcoin staking, allowing users to access yield strategies without bridging or wrapping.” — Vincent Maliepaard, Marketing Director at Sentora Liquid Staking Tokens like LBTC and xSolvBTC represent staked BTC, facilitating secondary DeFi activities. The Staking Summit in Dubai presented BTC wrappers in Layer 2 environments, highlighting innovative yield approaches. Natan explored L2-native tokens for BTC staking, while Yair Cleper of Lava Network introduced restaking for efficient blockchain data routing. Impact on Financial Markets and Future of Yield Strategies Bitcoin yield strategies impact financial markets, with growth in total value locked and wider utilities in DeFi. Governance tokens and L2 tokens distributing rewards show market adaptation. This model aligns with BTC-backed DeFi tools, enabling credit systems without selling BTC. Future implications include sustainable yield offerings, with regulatory attention on yield strategies. Bitcoin yield has matured from centralized finance to native options, opening opportunities for decentralized finance innovation. Insights indicate potential for enhanced financial infrastructure, leveraging BTC’s security within decentralized environments. Historical trends from Ethereum’s DeFi space provide a precedent for expansion of similar strategies.
The following is a guest post and analysis from Vincent Maliepaard, Marketing Director at Sentora. The Bitcoin market cap recently surpassed $2 trillion, and with over 50 million bitcoin addresses with a balance, the value of the asset is becoming undeniable. However, where traditional currencies like dollars or euros typically pay interest on holdings, Bitcoin provides no such rewards for simply holding the asset. More recently though, two distinct pathways have emerged to change that picture: Native Bitcoin “staking” – lock BTC in the Babylon protocol and earn fees. Liquid‑staking tokens (LSTs) – mint a tradable receipt such as LBTC that keeps the staking rewards flowing while restoring liquidity. These two solutions provide a viable route to earning stable yield on your Bitcoin. Let’s dive into what this entails and how it works. From Proof‑of‑Stake to Proof‑of‑Bitcoin Babylon went live on mainnet in late‑2024, letting BTC holders time‑lock coins on the Bitcoin chain and delegate them to so‑called Bitcoin‑Secured Networks. The networks pay out fees in BTC, producing a yield of roughly 1 – 2 % currently. The idea has caught on quickly: Babylon reports more than $4 billion in BTC staked on the protocol since last year. Key features No wrapping or bridges: BTC never leaves its native chain. Main risks: a protocol bug or “slashing” if a delegated validator misbehaves. Drawback: staked coins stay immobile until an unbonding timer expires. Liquid staking: LBTC puts mobility back on the menu Lock‑ups are a deal‑breaker for many traders. Liquid‑staking tokens fix that by issuing a transferable asset that represents the underlying stake plus its future rewards. An example of such a liquid staking token for Bitcoin is LBTC from Lombard Finance 1:1 minting: stake BTC through Lombard’s Babylon contracts and receive LBTC on an EVM chain. (Lombard) Seven‑day exit: burn LBTC to trigger the same unbond period as native Babylon staking, about a week. Nonetheless, users can easily exit LBTC by trading it on DEXs. Real liquidity: daily on‑chain volume averages more than $200 million, and liquidity is large enough to facilitate transactions up to $30 million without significant slippage; enough for most portfolio‑sized exits. Custody trade‑off: holders must trust Lombard’s mint‑and‑burn smart contracts and the Babylon validator set. While LBTC inherits the base staking reward, its real super‑power is capital efficiency: users can post LBTC as collateral, spin it into DeFi pools or simply sell it on a DEX while the original BTC keeps working. Vaulting the yield curve While this sounds enticing, earning a notable return with your Bitcoin LST can be complicated. As a retail user, you have to understand complex dynamics in DeFi related to risk and return of different protocols and strategies. Even if you do have a basic understanding of these factors, users must still actively manage their positions, as returns often fluctuate depending on the markets. That means that to sustain a notable APY, users have to occasionally switch strategies or take action to keep their position profitable. Fortunately, there are other options. Lombard offers a variety of vaults that aim to simplify this process and keep earning yield on Bitcoin as straightforward as possible. Let’s take a look at one recently launched vau< the Sentora DeFi vault. Sentora, born from the merger of IntoTheBlock’s with Trident’s Digital, launched a BTC Yield Vault on Lombard recently. The product accepts either wBTC or LBTC and targets an APY of ~6 %, significantly more than plain staking. How it earns the spread The vault automatically executes several different strategies in different capacities depending on the market conditions. This is all automated and requires no manual action from users or vault managers. Some of these strategies include the following: Over‑collateralised lending – lends BTC‑derived assets on lending markets like Aave for interest. Pendle yield trading – splits and sells future yield streams, front‑loading extra return. Delta‑neutral borrows – borrows other assets such as stablecoins to deploy in delta-neutral high yield strategies Every one of these strategies is plugged into Sentora’s real‑time DeFi risk engine; the same data institutions use to monitor risk exposure across DeFi. Positions that drift beyond preset limits are automatically rebalanced. Risk‑reward snapshots Native staking: tight risk surface, modest return. Ideal for cold‑storage purists who can tolerate lock‑ups. LBTC alone: same base yield, but tokens stay liquid, at the cost of smart‑contract and bridge exposure. Users can amplify yield by interacting with DeFi protocols. Sentora Vault: broader risk because multiple DeFi venues are involved, but mitigated by automated risk management and hedges. What to watch next Holding Bitcoin can finally pay off beyond price appreciations. With different options available for different needs and risk appetites, Bitcoin holders can finally benefit from advancements in DeFi. And with the recent increases in LBTC volume, it is becoming feasible for larger institutional trading desks to utilize these strategies, likely further pushing innovation in the Bitcoin staking area.
The following is a guest post and analysis from Vincent Maliepaard, Marketing Director at Sentora. The Bitcoin market cap recently surpassed $2 trillion, and with over 50 million bitcoin addresses with a balance, the value of the asset is becoming undeniable. However, where traditional currencies like dollars or euros typically pay interest on holdings, Bitcoin provides no such rewards for simply holding the asset. More recently though, two distinct pathways have emerged to change that picture: Native Bitcoin “staking” – lock BTC in the Babylon protocol and earn fees. Liquid‑staking tokens (LSTs) – mint a tradable receipt such as LBTC that keeps the staking rewards flowing while restoring liquidity. These two solutions provide a viable route to earning stable yield on your Bitcoin. Let’s dive into what this entails and how it works. From Proof‑of‑Stake to Proof‑of‑Bitcoin Babylon went live on mainnet in late‑2024, letting BTC holders time‑lock coins on the Bitcoin chain and delegate them to so‑called Bitcoin‑Secured Networks. The networks pay out fees in BTC, producing a yield of roughly 1 – 2 % currently. Babylon Staking Statistics The idea has caught on quickly: Babylon reports more than $4 billion in BTC staked on the protocol since last year. Key features No wrapping or bridges: BTC never leaves its native chain. Main risks: a protocol bug or “slashing” if a delegated validator misbehaves. Drawback: staked coins stay immobile until an unbonding timer expires. Liquid staking: LBTC puts mobility back on the menu Lock‑ups are a deal‑breaker for many traders. Liquid‑staking tokens fix that by issuing a transferable asset that represents the underlying stake plus its future rewards. An example of such a liquid staking token for Bitcoin is LBTC from Lombard Finance 1:1 minting: stake BTC through Lombard’s Babylon contracts and receive LBTC on an EVM chain. (Lombard) Seven‑day exit: burn LBTC to trigger the same unbond period as native Babylon staking, about a week. Nonetheless, users can easily exit LBTC by trading it on DEXs. Real liquidity: daily on‑chain volume averages more than $200 million, and liquidity is large enough to facilitate transactions up to $30 million without significant slippage; enough for most portfolio‑sized exits. Custody trade‑off: holders must trust Lombard’s mint‑and‑burn smart contracts and the Babylon validator set. Daily Transaction volume of LBTC While LBTC inherits the base staking reward, its real super‑power is capital efficiency: users can post LBTC as collateral, spin it into DeFi pools or simply sell it on a DEX while the original BTC keeps working. Vaulting the yield curve While this sounds enticing, earning a notable return with your Bitcoin LST can be complicated. As a retail user, you have to understand complex dynamics in DeFi related to risk and return of different protocols and strategies. Even if you do have a basic understanding of these factors, users must still actively manage their positions, as returns often fluctuate depending on the markets. That means that to sustain a notable APY, users have to occasionally switch strategies or take action to keep their position profitable. Fortunately, there are other options. Lombard offers a variety of vaults that aim to simplify this process and keep earning yield on Bitcoin as straightforward as possible. Let’s take a look at one recently launched vault; the Sentora DeFi vault. Sentora, born from the merger of IntoTheBlock’s with Trident’s Digital, launched a BTC Yield Vault on Lombard recently. The product accepts either wBTC or LBTC and targets an APY of ~6 %, significantly more than plain staking. How it earns the spread The vault automatically executes several different strategies in different capacities depending on the market conditions. This is all automated and requires no manual action from users or vault managers. Some of these strategies include the following: Over‑collateralised lending – lends BTC‑derived assets on lending markets like Aave for interest. Pendle yield trading – splits and sells future yield streams, front‑loading extra return. Delta‑neutral borrows – borrows other assets such as stablecoins to deploy in delta-neutral high yield strategies Every one of these strategies is plugged into Sentora’s real‑time DeFi risk engine; the same data institutions use to monitor risk exposure across DeFi. Positions that drift beyond preset limits are automatically rebalanced. Risk‑reward snapshots Native staking: tight risk surface, modest return. Ideal for cold‑storage purists who can tolerate lock‑ups. LBTC alone: same base yield, but tokens stay liquid, at the cost of smart‑contract and bridge exposure. Users can amplify yield by interacting with DeFi protocols. Sentora Vault: broader risk because multiple DeFi venues are involved, but mitigated by automated risk management and hedges. What to watch next Holding Bitcoin can finally pay off beyond price appreciations. With different options available for different needs and risk appetites, Bitcoin holders can finally benefit from advancements in DeFi. And with the recent increases in LBTC volume, it is becoming feasible for larger institutional trading desks to utilize these strategies, likely further pushing innovation in the Bitcoin staking area. The post Understanding Bitcoin yield: staking, liquid staking tokens and vaulted strategies appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Babylon released the second phase of the mainnet launch update, revealing that the total amount of Bitcoin staked on the Babylon Genesis chain has exceeded 50,000, with 60% of the staked amount activated to ensure the security of the Babylon Genesis network and earn staking rewards.
Crypto insurance provider Nexus Mutual is developing a slashing protection product for Bitcoin-based Babylon’s proof-of-stake mechanism. Babylon Labs is advising the development, though not participating directly in the cover products. The companies say there will be several cover options “tailored to all of the different participants” on the Babylon network, including individual stakers and institutions. Babylon is a so-called “Bitcoin Secured Network,” i.e. a network that relies on Bitcoin’s proof-of-stake security model to power a more flexible proof-of-stake system that can support smart contracts. The protocol, which began rolling out its “Genesis” mainnet earlier this month, pays stakers to lock up funds used as economic security. Proof-of-stake systems rely on a process called “slashing” as a penalty mechanism that confiscates a portion of a validator's staked tokens for malicious or negligent behavior, like double-signing or being offline. While the process is designed to improve staking participation, theoretically, slashing itself has failure models. “We’re excited about Nexus Mutual’s upcoming slashing protection product and what it could mean for Bitcoin stakers,” said Clayton Menzel, head of BD at Babylon, said in a statement. “This collaboration supports our mission of unlocking bitcoin to secure the decentralized economy, offering bitcoin holders a way to participate in staking with greater peace of mind.” Nexus Mutual, founded in 2019, calls itself “the largest and most trusted underwriter for crypto risk.” The company claims to underwrite over $5.5 billion worth of digital assets and to have paid out on “100% of valid claims,” totaling over $18 million. Some 45,000 bitcoins are staked through Babylon, which is used to secure anything from other PoS chains to decentralized applications like asset wrapping services. Allnodes, Figment and Galaxy Digital are among the protocol’s 250 "finality providers," aka validators. Several major crypto firms plan to integrate Babylon's bitcoin staking layer, including custodians Anchorage and Bitgo, as well as exchanges like OKX. BABY currently trades at $0.083 and is up 7.82% over the last 24 hours, according to The Block's price data . Platforms like Blockdaemon or Chainproof offer similar slashing insurance products that compensate stakers for losses if and when they are penalized. These products generally offer premiums based on the value of the staked amount and validator reliability.
Babylon and Sui deepen technical collaboration, taking Sui's integration with Bitcoin to new heights. Bitcoin staking protocol developer Babylon Labs and groundbreaking Layer1 blockchain Sui (designed for scalability, security, and mass adoption) today announced a joint effort where Sui will play a more significant role in Babylon's Bitcoin ecosystem. This upgrade builds upon their integration announced last year, and Sui will officially become the Bitcoin Enhancing Network (BEN) on the Babylon protocol. How Babylon's Bitcoin Staking Operates on the Sui Network Bitcoin holders can now stake their Bitcoin through the Babylon protocol while maintaining full custody of their assets, providing additional security to the Sui network and earning staking rewards simultaneously. This mechanism allows Sui to leverage Bitcoin staking to enhance network security and offers participants a convenient pathway into the Sui ecosystem. It also presents unprecedented opportunities for Bitcoin holders, enabling them to participate in DeFi with heightened security. Fisher Yu, Chief Technology Officer of Babylon Labs, stated: "Babylon and Sui are collaboratively building a deeper cross-chain utility to create more earning opportunities for Bitcoin holders seeking a safer entry into DeFi. As the infrastructure layer for Bitcoin, Babylon secures decentralized systems through a trustless, self-custody Bitcoin staking mechanism to unlock Bitcoin's full utility potential. Through the Babylon Bitcoin Staking Protocol, Sui gains access to the world's largest and most decentralized secure network, opening up new opportunities for Bitcoin holders." Evan Cheng, Co-Founder and CEO of Mysten Labs, the initial development team of Sui, expressed: "Our ongoing collaboration with Babylon Labs aims to bring Bitcoin's core advantages – scalability, security, and liquidity – into the high-performance DeFi ecosystem. Through this integration, Sui further solidifies its position as the premier Bitcoin DeFi platform, allowing Bitcoin holders to efficiently leverage their assets to create value." Through the integration with Babylon, Sui introduces a new economic paradigm supported by Bitcoin's scalability. The integrated infrastructure will expand Bitcoin's liquidity and security alongside the Sui network, unlocking new applications and decentralized services secured by Bitcoin. This integration represents a broader transformation in the blockchain industry—$1.5 trillion worth of assets (Bitcoin) has been expanded to secure and empower a fast, scalable, programmable blockchain ecosystem (such as Sui). For Bitcoin holders, the Babylon Protocol programmatically allows users to autonomously transform their held assets into a foundational source of yield, further extending Bitcoin's utility beyond store of value and medium of exchange functions, making it a more pervasive part of the digital economy. About Babylon Labs Babylon Labs focuses on a Bitcoin-backed security-sharing protocol, aiming to build a decentralized world secured by Bitcoin. The latest innovation from Babylon Labs, the world's first global trustless, self-custodial Bitcoin staking protocol, allows holders to directly stake Bitcoin in decentralized systems such as PoS chains, Layer2 networks, and the Data Availability (DA) layer, enabling staking rewards without relying on third-party custody, cross-chain bridges, or wrapping services. This innovation aims to combine Bitcoin's high security and widespread adoption with the efficient scalability of PoS systems, significantly expanding Bitcoin's utility value. About Sui Sui is a groundbreaking Layer1 blockchain and smart contract platform, with an architecture that has been thoroughly redesigned to enable a fast, private, secure, and inclusive experience of digital asset ownership. Based on the Move programming language's object-centric model, it supports parallel transaction processing, sub-second finality, and rich on-chain asset capabilities. Through its horizontally scalable computing and storage architecture, Sui offers unparalleled transaction speeds at low cost for various applications. This leap in blockchain technology provides an ideal platform for developers and creators to build the ultimate user experience. This article is contributed content and does not represent the views of BlockBeats
The Bitcoin staking protocol Babylon announced on X platform that the governance proposal to modify the Babylon Genesis chain parameters has officially launched. This proposal aims to adjust the unbinding fee for the second stage of staking from 100 sats/vbyte to 30 sats/vbyte. Voting is now open and will close at 7 AM UTC on Monday, April 21.
The Bitcoin staking protocol Babylon announced on the X platform that a governance proposal to amend the Babylon Genesis chain parameters is now officially launched. This proposal aims to adjust the unbinding fee for the second phase of staking from 100 sats/vbyte to 30 sats/vbyte. Voting is now open and will close at 7 AM UTC on Monday, April 21st.
the Bitcoin collateral protocol Babylon posted on X platform, stating that the governance proposal to modify the parameters of the Babylon Genesis chain has officially launched. The proposal aims to adjust the unbundling fee for the second stage of collateral from 100 sats/vbyte to 30 sats/vbyte. Voting is now open, with a deadline of 7:00 AM on Monday, April 21st, UTC time.
A massive unstaking event has rocked Babylon, a prominent Bitcoin staking protocol, leading to a staggering $1.26 billion worth of BTC being withdrawn and slashing its total value locked (TVL) by 32%. On April 17, blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain flagged four wallet addresses responsible for unstaking 14,929 BTC from Babylon. One address alone accounted for the lion’s share—13,129 BTC—valued at roughly $1.1 billion based on Bitcoin’s market price of around $84,400. The exit triggered a sharp decline in Babylon’s TVL, which dropped from $3.97 billion to $2.68 billion, according to DefiLlama data . While the identities behind the unstaking addresses remain unknown, speculation has spread rapidly within the crypto community. Some users on X suggested the funds could belong to the Chinese government, while others believed it might be part of a strategic portfolio rotation or risk-off move. Adding fuel to the discussion, decentralized finance platform Lombard Finance acknowledged it was behind the movement. In a public post retweeted by Babylon Labs, Lombard stated it had initiated the BTC withdrawal as part of its transition to a new group of finality providers. The move was deliberately timed to align with the end of Babylon’s Phase 1 Cap 1 on April 24, ensuring users wouldn’t forfeit staking rewards. Lombard further assured the community that the withdrawn BTC would be restaked once the unbonding phase was complete. This large-scale activity closely follows Babylon’s April 3 airdrop announcement , where 600 million BABY tokens were allocated to early adopters, including stakers, developers, and NFT holders. That announcement also triggered a smaller wave of withdrawals, with $21 million in BTC unstaked shortly after. Meanwhile, Bybit recently launched a new BTC staking campaign through its Web3 platform in partnership with Lombard Finance, offering users fresh incentives to explore decentralized finance (DeFi) rewards. The initiative runs from April 11 to May 9. If you want to read more news articles like this, visit DeFi Planet and follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram , and CoinMarketCap Community. “Take control of your crypto portfolio with MARKETS PRO, DeFi Planet’s suite of analytics tools.”
Babylon (CRYPTO:BABY), a Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) staking protocol, experienced a significant outflow as $1.26 billion worth of Bitcoin was unstaked, leading to a 32% decline in its total value locked (TVL). On April 17, blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain identified four wallet addresses responsible for the movement of 14,929 Bitcoin from the protocol. One of these addresses alone accounted for $1.1 billion of the unstaked assets, with Bitcoin trading near $84,400 at the time. Following the event, Babylon’s TVL decreased from $3.97 billion to $2.68 billion, according to data from DeFiLlama. The unstaking activity has sparked speculation in the crypto community regarding the identity of the wallet holders. Some users on social media suggested the Bitcoin could be linked to the Chinese government, while others proposed it might be a strategic rotation, a risk-off move, or simply a trader’s liquidation. No definitive information has been provided about the owners of the addresses. The timing of the unstaking coincided with an announcement from Lombard Finance, a decentralised finance protocol, which stated it was moving Bitcoin as part of a transition to a new set of finality providers. “All of this BTC will be staked back into Babylon as soon as the unbonding is complete,” Lombard clarified, as Babylon Labs retweeted his message to reassure users about the temporary nature of the withdrawal. Lombard also noted that the unstaking was coordinated with the end of Babylon’s phase 1 cap 1 on April 24 to ensure users did not miss out on rewards. This major movement comes shortly after Babylon’s airdrop for early adopters, which distributed 600 million BABY tokens to phase 1 stakers, NFT holders, and developers. Following the airdrop, $21 million in Bitcoin was also unstaked, which Bitlayer (CRYPTO:BTR) co-founder Kevin He described as a typical short-term market reaction. Babylon, which reached over $6 billion in TVL in December, has positioned itself as a key player in Bitcoin DeFi by enabling non-custodial staking and integrating with multiple blockchains. At the time of reporting, the Babylon (BABY) price was $0.0748, and the Bitcoin (BTC) price was $84,819.27.
Astar Network has made changes to its tokenomics structure to reduce inflationary pressures within its ecosystem. The blockchain firm announced on April 18 that it had cut base staking rewards from 25% to 10%, a measure aimed at controlling token inflation. The company stated that this adjustment promotes a more stable annual percentage rate for users as staking approaches what they consider a more ideal ratio. According to Astar Network, this ensures rewards "remain meaningful" without causing excessive inflation. "This change lowers automatic token issuance, reducing overall inflationary pressure while maintaining strong incentives for users to stake their ASTR," the company explained in its announcement. Unlike Bitcoin with its fixed total supply, ASTR operates on a dynamic inflation model without a maximum token supply cap. As the blockchain functions, it generates more tokens, continuously increasing the available supply, which can create downward price pressure if demand doesn't keep pace. Beyond lowering staking rewards, Astar has begun routing token emissions into a parameter governing total value locked-based rewards like decentralized application staking. This change aims to make DApp staking APRs "more predictable" over time, providing stability to those who stake their tokens. The network also established a new minimum token emission threshold of 2.5%, ensuring emissions don't fall below what Astar considers a sustainable baseline. Continued transaction fee burning will also contribute to reward predictability, according to the company. These tokenomics adjustments come amid broader fluctuations in staking protocols. Just a day earlier, Bitcoin staking protocol Babylon saw $1.26 billion worth of Bitcoin unstaked, causing its TVL to drop by 32% from $3.97 billion to $2.68 billion, according to DefiLlama. These changes have already reduced Astar's annual inflation rate from 4.86% to 4.32%, according to the firm. The total ASTR tokens emitted per block decreased from 153.95 to 136.67, cutting estimated annual emissions by 11%, from 405 million to 360 million tokens. The inflation control measures come shortly after ASTR reached a new all-time low. Data from CoinGecko shows the token dropped to $0.02 on April 7, representing a 93.8% decline from its peak of $0.42 in January 2022. ASTR had previously rallied with the broader market in December 2024, reaching $0.09, but has since declined steadily before hitting its new record low in early April.
Babylon, a platform enabling native Bitcoin (BTC) staking, recorded a notable unstaking event on April 17. Approximately $1.26 billion worth of BTC was withdrawn from the protocol. The move resulted in a significant decline in Babylon’s total value locked (TVL). Moreover, the price of its native token, BABY, also dipped. Babylon’s TVL Drops 32% After Massive BTC Unstaking Blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain alerted users about the unstaking on X (formerly Twitter). “About 5 hours ago, 14,929 BTC($1.26 billion) was unstaked from Babylon,” the post read. Addresses Unstaking Bitcoin from Babylon. Source: X/Lookonchain This move triggered a sharp drop in the platform’s TVL. According to data from DefiLama, Babylon’s TVL dropped from $3.9 billion to $2.6 billion in just a day, representing a decline of 32.7%. Moreover, only 31,502 BTC remain staked in the protocol at press time. That’s not all. The BABY token was also not immune to market pressures. According to BeInCrypto data, the token depreciated by 9.8% over the past day alone. At the time of writing, the altcoin was trading at $0.8. BABY Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto The unstaking led to widespread speculation about the platform’s stability and the broader implications for Bitcoin-based decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. “What’s going on. I don’t waste my time partaking in staking BTC, but this can be concerning. You don’t just see so much unstaking in such a short window,” a user said. Nonetheless, Lombard Finance quickly moved to calm investor concerns. The Bitcoin restaking protocol, built on Babylon, clarified that the withdrawal was part of a planned transition to a new set of finality providers. “To carry out the transition to our new set of Finality Providers, the Lombard Protocol has begun the process of unstaking BTC from the Lombard Finality Provider,” Lombard Finance stated. The post emphasized that this process was a necessary step in the evolution of the platform. In addition, the company reassured investors that the withdrawn funds are expected to be restaked once the unbonding process concludes. The unstaking event follows closely on the heels of Babylon’s airdrop earlier this month. 600 million BABY tokens—representing 6% of the token’s total supply—were distributed to early adopters, including Phase 1 stakers, Pioneer Pass NFT holders, and contributing developers. Shortly after the airdrop, $21 million worth of Bitcoin was unstaked within 24 hours. This suggests a pattern of capital withdrawal that has intensified with the latest event.
Coinbase International will launch WCT, BABY, KERNEL, PROMPT perpetual contract trading.
After months of keeping over 50,000 Bitcoin (BTC) locked, Babylon Labs saw a sudden large outflow. Whales unlocked 14,929 BTC from the protocol just as Babylon launched its Genesis L1 chain. Babylon Labs lost 14,929 BTC previously locked for staking and point farming. The protocol held over 57K BTC just as it launched its Babylon Genesis L1 chain and airdropped the native BABY token. The tokens were unstaked and withdrawn to four anonymous addresses , of which the biggest one held $1.1B in BTC. Since the withdrawals, the BTC was not moved, remaining in new anonymous addresses. Potentially, the withdrawals could be sent back to the original depositors, either whales or retail. As a result, Babylon’s smart contract is now secured by just 31,701 BTC. The withdrawals lowered the TVL of the protocol down to $2.76B. Previously, Babylon Labs held nearly 50% of all locked and staked BTC for DeFi projects. Babylon Labs saw a major outflow of value, with coins sent to four anonymous whale wallets. | Source: DeFi Llama Babylon Labs did not see withdrawals since its latest lockup events in January. The protocol has not announced any specific events or incentives, in order to boost its locked BTC. Babylon Labs causes potential BTC selling pressure Until recently, Babylon Labs surpassed even Mara Holdings and some of the top corporate treasuries with its locked BTC. The protocol also offset the outflows of BTC from the WBTC smart contract, which also suffered from withdrawals. However, Babylon Labs also showed it could become the source of selling pressure. See also Only 11 stablecoin issuers survive MiCA’s first 100 days The value locked aims to secure a single chain, with more coming in the future. Babylon Labs still has incentives in place to encourage locking more BTC, by rewarding stakers with the native BABY token. The price of BABY has fallen to $0.08 since the token generation event, and the incentives are not aligning with BTC holders. BABY also fell after the end of a special trading period on the LBank exchange, and looks like facing more selling pressure from early airdrop recipients. Babylon Labs has designed BABY for additional staking and rewards, but at one point, delegates and validators will sell the token to lock in value. Additionally, BTC is facing price pressures while trading at $84,717.00. The potential selling of $1.26B in BTC can extend the downward trend. The non-custodial staking on Babylon is mostly linked to delegates , who also take and redistribute the rewards from holding BTC. After the withdrawal, Lombard and Solv Protocol remain the biggest depositors on behalf of users. Babylon Labs hosted deposits from 135,323 individual users who chose one of the top depositors. The withdrawals are not linked to any specific delegator, though Acorn Protocol recently lowered its share of deposited BTC. Babylon Labs has daily fluctuations of up to $8M with inflows and outflows, but the recent unstaking is the biggest outflow of value since the protocol launched. See also Crypto lending market declines 43% to $36.5B in Q4 2024: Galaxy report Currently, Lombard Finance is trying to boost staking while adding DeFi startups secured by BTC. However, the potential rewards from BABY tokens and the risk of holding BTC during turbulent times have made some depositors reconsider their position. Cryptopolitan Academy: Want to grow your money in 2025? Learn how to do it with DeFi in our upcoming webclass. Save Your Spot
Bitcoin staking protocol Babylon experienced a significant withdrawal on April 17, with $1.26 billion worth of Bitcoin unstaked from its platform. According to blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain, several addresses removed a total of 14,929 Bitcoin from the staking platform. The security firm identified four addresses that had unstaked varying amounts: 299 BTC, 499 BTC, 1,000 BTC, and 13,129 BTC. One address was responsible for the majority of the unstaked assets, worth approximately $1.1 billion. The current Bitcoin price was around $84,400 at the time of the event. This substantial withdrawal caused Babylon's total value locked (TVL) to decrease by 32%. Data tracker DefiLlama reported that Babylon's TVL fell from $3.97 billion to $2.68 billion following the unstaking event. Community speculation about the source of the unstaking has varied. One user on X suggested the Bitcoin might belong to the Chinese government, while another proposed it could simply be a rotation, risk-off strategy, or a trader seeking liquidity. Though the ownership of the four addresses remains unclear, the fund movements may be connected to a transition initiated by decentralized finance protocol Lombard Finance. Babylon Labs retweeted an announcement from Lombard stating it was unstaking Bitcoin as part of a transition to a new set of finality providers. Lombard Finance explained they timed the unstaking with the end of Babylon's phase 1 cap 1 on April 24 to ensure users would not miss rewards. They also stated: "All of this BTC will be staked back into Babylon as soon as the unbonding is complete." The large unstaking event follows Babylon's recent airdrop for early adopters on April 3. The protocol allocated 600 million BABY tokens for early phase stakers, NFT holders, and developers. After this airdrop, $21 million in BTC was unstaked from the protocol, which experts described as common short-term market behavior. The crypto adoption landscape continues to evolve beyond DeFi platforms. Panama City recently joined municipalities accepting digital currencies for government services. Since April 16, residents can pay taxes, fees, and permits using bitcoin, ether, USDC, and USDT through a bank partnership that converts cryptocurrencies to U.S. dollars at payment time.
According to a report by Jinse and monitored by Lookonchain, approximately 5 hours ago, 14,929 bitcoins valued at about $1.26 billion were unstaked from Babylon.
Sui has announced that it integrates Babylon’s Bitcoin staking protocol and begins operating as a Bitcoin Secured Network (BSN). The integration is part of Phase 3 of Babylon’s expansion plan, scheduled to launch before the end of the year. The move marks a significant shift in how Proof-of-Stake networks can benefit from Bitcoin’s security and liquidity without compromising the custody of funds. The Babylon protocol allows users to participate in Bitcoin staking without handing over control to a third party or using bridges or wrapped assets. With this structure, Bitcoin users can directly contribute to the security of the Sui network and earn rewards without taking their funds off the main chain. This integration creates an operational link between both networks and opens the door to new decentralized applications and services that leverage Bitcoin’s security and Sui’s scalability. Sui, currently ranked seventh among Proof-of-Stake networks by CoinGecko, is adopting this model, following a clear trend: more projects are looking to expand Bitcoin’s utility beyond its role as a store of value. The goal is to channel BTC capital into programmable environments that generate yield and support other decentralized infrastructures. For Bitcoin users, this represents a way to activate a historically passive asset without giving up custody themselves. Image: freepik Designed by Freepik
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