alpha un# weekly roundup

President Donald Trump’s anticipated "Liberation Day" tariffs have injected volatility into the crypto markets, causing fluctuations in major token prices as investors react to potential economic shifts. 

MicroStrategy has expanded its Bitcoin holdings with a $1.9 billion purchase, reinforcing its long-term commitment to digital assets. Fidelity Investments is reportedly exploring the launch of its own stablecoin, signaling further mainstream adoption of blockchain-based financial products.

In the United Kingdom, BlackRock has officially registered as a cryptocurrency asset firm with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), marking a significant step in its expansion into the European Market. 

Thailand has reinforced its pro-crypto stance by indefinitely extending the 7% value-added tax (VAT) exemption on digital asset trades conducted through licensed exchanges. Meanwhile in India, tax authorities have intensified their focus on cryptocurrency traders using offshore platforms such as Binance, enforcing a strict 30% tax on total trading turnover for those failing to comply with TDS deductions.

On the un# podcast, Sri Misra chats with Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, Co-Founder & CEO of Zo World, on leveraging Web3 to enhance—not replace—your community.

DeFi highlights:

DeFi Total Value Locked (TVL) has surged to $192 billion—a 17% increase from last month and the highest level in 15 months. Real-World Asset (RWA) protocols now hold over $10 billion in TVL, with leading platforms including:

• Maker RWA – $1.298 billion
  

• BlackRock BUIDL – $1.232 billion
  

• Ethena USDtb – $1.182 billion

Ethereum's Pectra upgrade was successfully deployed on the Sepolia testnet, marking a major step toward improving scalability and efficiency—a crucial advancement for DeFi applications built on Ethereum.

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