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Babylon Phase-1 Mainnet Staking Cap Extended to 10 Bitcoin Blocks Following High Demand

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Babylon Bitcoin Staking Mainnet Phase-1, Cap 2 is a duration-based cap of 10 BTC blocks with no TVL limit.

TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Babylon, the self-custodial Bitcoin Staking Protocol, will launch Cap 2 for its Phase 1 mainnet with a new duration-based cap set at 10 Bitcoin blocks where all valid transactions accepted in the 10 blocks will become active stake with no TVL limit. The minimum amount allowed per staking transaction will be 0.005 bitcoins and the maximum – 500 BTC in Cap 2, an increase from .05 in Cap 1. The unbonding transaction fee for Cap 2 stakes will be set to 0.00032 bitcoins.

Cap 2 will follow the successful launch of Phase-1 cap 1, which closed its 1000 BTC cap in 74 minutes from both native stakers and liquid staking protocols (LST) such as Solv protocols, Lorenzo, Bedrock, and others. The mission continues to unlock Bitcoin‘s $1.2 Trillion in value to secure PoS systems.

The high demand to participate in Phase 1 led to a spike in Bitcoin transaction fees with more than 50 BTC paid to miners in transaction fees. The first launch block included 70x more transaction fees than the previous non-launch block. Ultimately, 12,720 stakers staked with 21,000 staking transactions filling 6 Bitcoin blocks. Staking real-time stats can be found here.

Fisher Yu, Co-Founder and CTO of Babylon Labs, shared, “Following the successful Phase 1 mainnet launch with a 1,000 BTC cap, we are seeing the same high demand from native stakers, wallet users, and LST protocols to participate in the second cap of 10 BTC blocks. We are excited to see the supply of Bitcoin interested in providing security to other chains and networks.”

Lixin Liu, the CEO of Keystone, said, “We are excited to highlight the groundbreaking opportunity it presents for Bitcoin holders to earn yields securely and self-custodially, without relying on third-party bridges to other chains. This innovation maximizes Bitcoin liquidity and yield potential while maintaining the highest security standards. By collaborating and participating in the Babylon ecosystem, we empower users to safely stake their BTC and engage in PoS security directly on the Bitcoin network, eliminating the need for third-party intermediaries.”

Ben He, Founder & CEO of imToken, said, “Nearly 30% of Ether is currently being staked by holders to gain 3-5% in yield. This performance from the second-largest cryptocurrency demonstrates a clear market demand for a secure, trustless protocol that can put idle Bitcoin to work for staking yield. The Babylon protocol helps us pioneer in these innovative solutions. imToken is developing the product side, progressively introducing it to our user base.”

As the only Bitcoin staking protocol that is self-custodial with BTC holders retaining control of their keys and value, the Babylon protocol paves the way to a new era for both institutional and retail Bitcoin holders to enhance the utility of their BTC. At the same time, PoS systems benefit from the security and liquidity supplied by BTC holders, lowering PoS inflation pressure and improving their tokenomics. The second cap of Phase-1 mainnet launch represents another step towards creating the framework for a Bitcoin-secured world.

For more information about the Babylon project, please visit:
Website: https://babylonlabs.io/learn Twitter: https://twitter.com/babylonlabs_io 

About Babylon
Babylon is a project that designs Bitcoin security-sharing protocols with a vision of building a Bitcoin-secured decentralized world. Its latest development is the world’s first trustless and self-custodial Bitcoin staking protocol, which enables Bitcoin holders to stake their BTC on Proof-of-Stake (PoS) systems such as PoS chains, L2s, Data Availability (DA) layers, etc, enabling them to earn staking rewards without the need for third-party custody, bridge solutions, or wrapping services. Babylon’s approach combines the high security and wide adoption of Bitcoin with the efficiency and scalability of PoS systems, increasing Bitcoin‘s utility. Babylon was founded in 2022 by Stanford Professor David Tse and Dr. Fisher Yu. Professor Tse is a member of the U.S. Academy of Engineering and is renowned as the inventor of the legendary proportional-fair scheduling algorithm for wireless communications. Babylon is led by a team of consensus protocol researchers and experienced layer 1 engineers from around the world.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/babylon-phase-1-mainnet-staking-cap-extended-to-10-bitcoin-blocks-following-high-demand-302270387.html

SOURCE Babylon

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Eddid Financial, SageRock Capital, and ArtWise Sign MOU to Drive Art Tokenisation and Blockchain Finance in Hong Kong

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HONG KONG, July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eddid Financial, a leading fintech-driven financial services group; SageRock Capital, which integrates traditional finance with blockchain financial innovation; and ArtWise, a specialist in the art collection industry, jointly announced that the three parties have formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The parties have established a strategic partnership focusing on art tokenisation and blockchain finance, joining hands to help build Hong Kong into an international hub for art collection and blockchain financial innovation.

Harnessing Tripartite Expertise to Drive Art Tokenisation

This collaboration combines the respective expertise of the three parties across investment architecture, compliant financial services, and the art sector. SageRock Capital focuses on investment structuring and asset allocation; Eddid Securities and Futures, a subsidiary of the Eddid Financial, leverages its core strengths in Hong Kong’s capital markets and compliant financial services; and ArtWise contributes its deep expertise in art collection. By integrating blockchain technology, the three parties will jointly construct development pathways for art asset tokenisation, driving the deep integration of traditional finance and digital assets.

Upholding Regulatory Standards to Build an Art Blockchain Financial Ecosystem

Under Hong Kong’s mature and robust virtual asset regulatory framework, the tripartite collaboration will strictly adhere to the compliance requirements of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and other relevant regulatory bodies in advancing the research and development of art tokenisation products. Empowered by blockchain technology, the partnership will focus on enhancing ownership verification and transaction transparency for art assets, bridging traditional and digital financial markets to forge a new pathway for compliant development in Hong Kong’s art market and blockchain finance sector.

By leveraging the traceable and immutable characteristics of blockchain technology, this collaboration significantly enhances the transaction transparency and credibility of art assets. This will not only drive the digital upgrading of Hong Kong’s art market, but also further solidify Hong Kong’s position as a premier international hub for art trading and Web3 financial innovation.

About the Three Parties

About Eddid Financial

Anchored in Hong Kong, Eddid Financial is an all-encompassing financial group centered around fintech and dedicated to integrating latest technologies into its enterprise DNA. The diversified businesses of Eddid Financial range from retail to institutional and include but are not limited to fintech, internet finance, wealth management, asset management, investment banking, and digital assets. Eddid Financial is committed to providing one-stop financial services and products to customers through high-quality investment solutions.

Members of the Group hold a variety of licenses and memberships across key financial markets. These include Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) regulated activities (“RA”) licenses for types 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9; SEHK and HKCC participant (OTP-C broker number: 0974 and 0977), Insurance Broker Company license; Trust or Company Service Provider License in Hong Kong. Additionally, our fully owned U.S. broker-dealer subsidiary, Eddid Securities USA Inc., maintains approved membership with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the National Futures Association (NFA), the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (NQX), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NYSE American, and is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the United States. Our Singapore subsidiary, Eddid Financial Singapore Pte. Ltd., holds the Capital Markets Services License (License No.: CMS101839) issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

About SageRock Capital

SageRock Capital focuses on integrating TradFi with blockchain innovation. With years of experience in asset integration, structural design, and financial innovation cooperation, SageRock is committed to building bridges between traditional and digital finance. It specializes in new economic industries supporting high-quality industrial development. In this cooperation, SageRock will leverage its strengths in capital structure design and asset integration, collaborating with licensed financial institutions and technology/industry partners to explore innovative financing and tokenisation models for art assets under a compliant framework.

About ArtWise

ArtWise is deeply engaged in the art collection and investment sector, possessing rich artwork resources, professional appraisal and appreciation expertise, and profound industry heritage. The company is committed to driving the modernization and digital transformation of the traditional art market, leveraging cutting-edge technology to convert blue-chip artworks into compliant, structured, and tokenised assets. Centred on asset compliance and legal enforceability, ArtWise utilizes custodial trust frameworks and a dual-layer governance structure (direct binding of on-chain smart contracts with off-chain legal contracts) to deliver high-credibility and liquid art finance solutions for institutional investors and private banking clients. In this collaboration, ArtWise will leverage its professional strengths in the art collection industry, select high-quality art assets, and work alongside its partners to build a compliant, transparent, and trustworthy art tokenisation ecosystem.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/eddid-financial-sagerock-capital-and-artwise-sign-mou-to-drive-art-tokenisation-and-blockchain-finance-in-hong-kong-302834847.html

SOURCE Eddid Financial

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BinBase Releases 2026 BIN Data Updates for Subscriptions, Digital Wallet Tokens, and Dynamic Currency Conversion

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BinBase enhances its 2026 dataset with Apple/Google Pay token range identification, Direct Debit attributes, and default ISO currency codes to optimize recurring billing and reduce SaaS churn.

MIAMI, July 26, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — BinBase, a global provider of payment intelligence and card issuing data, has announced the rollout of specialized subscription and digital wallet attributes within its updated 2026 BIN Database. Engineered for SaaS platforms, recurring billing engines, and cross-border digital merchants, the new dataset addresses silent transaction declines and involuntary churn in recurring revenue models.

As consumer payment preferences shift heavily toward mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, payment gateways frequently encounter Tokenized Device Account Numbers (DPANs) rather than traditional primary account numbers (PANs). Without updated token-range BIN mapping, recurring billing engines fail to recognize underlying issuer capabilities, leading to unexpected declines during subscription renewals.

The 2026 BinBase release resolves these recurring billing challenges through specific data attributes:

Tokenized Range Identification: Dedicated indicators for Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Network Tokens, allowing subscription engines to maintain seamless recurring billing authorization paths.Direct Debit & Pull-Funds Support (Pull Dom): Indicators for recurring debit eligibility, helping subscription platforms optimize automated bank-direct collections.Default ISO Currency Mapping: Precise issuing country currency codes to eliminate friction during Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) and prevent cross-border fee surprises for subscribers.Card Tier & Category Precision: Granular identification of premium, rewards, and corporate card ranges to help merchants customize retry logic and billing schedules based on cardholder profiles.

“Involuntary churn is the silent killer of subscription businesses,” said a spokesperson for Damiko Inc. “When a recurring billing charge fails due to misidentified token ranges or currency conversion errors, merchants lose lifetime value. Our 2026 update provides software engineers with the data precision required to maximize subscription authorization rates and protect recurring revenue.”

Software architects and billing platform developers can evaluate the complete 29-field schema and download a free 2026 sample dataset on GitHub.

To learn more about full commercial licensing options, API access, and bulk CSV database downloads, visit BinBase at https://binbase.com.

About Damiko Inc

Damiko Inc is a US-based fintech data provider specializing in card issuer analytics, payment routing data, and global BIN database solutions. Operating through its flagship product, BinBase.com, the company supplies high-precision transaction intelligence to help merchants and payment facilitators worldwide optimize approval rates and mitigate processing fees.

Media Contact
Fedor Lavrikoff, BinBase, 1 7866133334, sales@binbase.com, www.binbase.com

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/binbase-releases-2026-bin-data-updates-for-subscriptions-digital-wallet-tokens-and-dynamic-currency-conversion-302829565.html

SOURCE BinBase

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Ookla Study in Manila: Carrier VoLTE Networks Prove to Outperform OTT Apps in Voice Quality and Reliability

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MANILA, Philippines, July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ookla’s comprehensive controlled network test reveals that traditional mobile operator networks deliver a measurably superior voice experience compared to Over-the-Top (OTT) applications like WhatsApp, particularly in critical areas such as audio fidelity, weak signal resilience, and call reliability.

The study, which evaluated the networks of the Philippines’ three major mobile operators—Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, and DITO Telecommunity, demonstrates that carrier-managed VoLTE infrastructure remains the gold standard for consistent, high-quality communication, outperforming OTT voice services.

Operator Voice Deliver Consistent HD Audio, OTT Apps Only Offer Fair Quality

The research found a distinct quality gap in audio performance. While operator voice calls consistently delivered HD-grade audio quality—rated “Good”(scoring > 4.0) to “Excellent” (scoring > 4.3) across all three networks, OTT voice calls were rated only as “Fair” (scoring < 4.0). Smart and DITO achieved higher MOS scores than Globe by deploying the advanced EVS codec, which offers superior audio fidelity over Globe’s AMR-WB.

Conversely, this gap exists because OTT apps treat voice as generic data packets, vulnerable to the internet’s “best-effort” delivery. Even with operator network optimizations, OTT voice lacks the stringent Quality of Connection (QoC) guarantees. Under network stress—such as congestion, weak coverage, high packet loss, or significant jitter—OTT audio degrades noticeably. In contrast, VoLTE leverages exclusive high-priority cellular bearers to safeguard voice quality.

Operator Voice Sustains HD Quality in Weak Coverage While OTT Calls Degrade

The performance gap widens significantly at the cell edge, where signal strength is low. Under moderate-to-low RF coverage conditions (RSRP ≤ -100 dBm), operator-managed VoLTE calls maintained HD-grade clarity.

Conversely, OTT calls degraded further, slipping from “Fair” into the “Poor” (scoring < 3.6) and “Bad” (scoring < 3) ranges. This is a critical finding for consumers in areas with obstructed signals or far from cell sites, proving that dedicated voice bearers protect call quality where best-effort data (used by OTT) cannot.

VoLTE Delivers More Reliable Call Connections Than OTT

Reliability is another key differentiator. The study shows that VoLTE has significantly lower block rates (call setup failure rates) than OTT services. For instance, Globe recorded the lowest VoLTE block rate at 0.47%, versus its OTT rate of 1.64%. This trend was consistent across operators, highlighting that the dedicated signaling protocols of VoLTE (like optimized SIP and SRVCC) provide a more robust connection experience than OTT’s best-effort data model.

The Path Forward: Building a Solid VoLTE Foundation for AI-Driven Voice

As Philippine NTC mandates the 3G sunset by December 2026, the industry must prioritize comprehensive VoLTE coverage and user migration. Looking ahead, the convergence of voice and AI stands as the industry’s definitive future trend. However, a high- performance VoLTE network is the vital prerequisite for this shift. Operators should continuously refine their VoLTE infrastructure, laying a solid foundation to seamlessly integrate voice with AI and unlock the next generation of intelligent calling experiences.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/ookla-study-in-manila-carrier-volte-networks-prove-to-outperform-ott-apps-in-voice-quality-and-reliability-302834868.html

SOURCE Ookla

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