Bitcoin News Today: Animoca's DeFi Expansion Future-Proofs Web3 as Sector Prioritizes Infrastructure Growth

Animoca Brands, a leading force in blockchain-based gaming and digital entertainment, has expanded its strategic investments with a significant move into the decentralized finance (DeFi) infrastructure space. The company, best known for its ownership of The Sandbox (SAND), recently announced a partnership with AERO, a liquidity hub operating on the Base network, according to CoinTurk. This acquisition is positioned to enhance Animoca's Web3 gaming ecosystem by providing advanced tools for asset management, scalability, and interoperability, a development Bitcoin World notes. The Base network, launched by Coinbase, has emerged as a key layer-2 solution for Ethereum, with AERO controlling nearly half of its total value locked (TVL). By integrating AERO's technology, Animoca aims to align incentives for liquidity providers and veAERO token holders, fostering a more sustainable economic model for its platforms.

The move reflects a broader trend of institutional and corporate adoption in the crypto space, where infrastructure development is becoming a priority. Separately, Jiuzi Holdings Inc., a micro-cap company with a recent pivot into digital asset finance, announced a $1 billion Bitcoin staking initiative through SOLV Foundation, per Investing.com. Despite its weak financial health, Jiuzi plans to allocate 10,000 Bitcoin into SolvBTC.BNB, a yield-bearing vault on the BNB Chain. The partnership leverages Chainlink for real-time proof-of-reserves audits, addressing institutional concerns around security and transparency. Jiuzi's CEO, Li Tao, emphasized the initiative as a step toward becoming a "premier platform for global institutions to access Bitcoin," underscoring the growing appeal of staking as a revenue-generating strategy.

Institutional staking infrastructure is also seeing consolidation. Coinbase and Galaxy Digital recently integrated their services to offer a unified custodial and staking solution for institutional clients, as reported by Bitcoin.com. The collaboration allows Coinbase Prime users to access Galaxy's validator network directly through Coinbase's custody system, streamlining operations and enhancing liquidity. Galaxy, which reports $6.6 billion in assets under stake, highlighted the integration as a response to rising demand for scalable, secure staking infrastructure. This development aligns with broader efforts to make crypto staking more accessible to traditional financial institutions, bridging the gap between decentralized protocols and regulated markets.

Meanwhile, Bybit has strengthened its Solana staking offering by securing custody support from Anchorage Digital, a U.S.-chartered crypto bank, Coinotag reports. Bybit's bbSOL token, a liquid staking derivative, now benefits from institutional-grade security and compliance, with an estimated annual percentage yield (APY) of 5.72%. The partnership addresses a key barrier to institutional participation—regulatory uncertainty—by providing insured protection and federal oversight. With $393.49 million in TVL, bbSOL's integration with Anchorage Digital signals a maturing market where traditional finance standards are increasingly being applied to DeFi products.

These developments highlight a critical shift in the crypto landscape: infrastructure and institutional adoption are now central to the sector's growth. For Animoca Brands, the AERO acquisition is not just a strategic investment but a foundational move to future-proof its Web3 gaming ambitions. As staking platforms and custodial solutions evolve, the lines between decentralized ecosystems and traditional financial systems continue to blur, paving the way for a more integrated and scalable digital economy.