Nik Nikolov

Nik Nikolov | Co-Founder & CEO @ShillGuard 🛡️
Real-time crypto data, rankings & signals | Smarter DYOR
Follow for perspectives, not hype!

[Nik Nikolov @Nik_ShillGuard]

🧠 Crypto Trends That Defined 2025

As the year closes, here are three trends that truly shaped crypto markets, beyond mere price swings, showing growing adoption and real-world impact.

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

📰 NEWS: Moonbeam is abandoning Polkadot and moving moonbeam:native to Base, retiring its parachain in favor of a new AI-focused protocol. All self-custodied tokens must be bridged 1:1 before July 31, while assets left in Moonbeam DeFi protocols could become inaccessible once the network is wound down, underscoring one of the largest strategic exits from the Polkadot ecosystem. 🤖

[Nik Nikolov @Nik_ShillGuard]

@ShillGuard @Zcash gm ☕️

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MORNING BRIEF ☕️: @Zcash developers say the Ironwood upgrade is nearing testnet activation after completing security testing with no new critical vulnerabilities found. The upgrade introduces a new shielded pool that will allow anyone running a node to independently verify zcash:native 's circulating supply following last month's Orchard vulnerability.

The focus is now shifting from fixing the bug to coordinating adoption across exchanges, wallets and mining pools before the network upgrade can be rolled out.

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

Weekly News Recap | Jun 27 – Jul 3 📰

Tokenization continued to accelerate, regulated digital asset infrastructure expanded, and institutions pushed further toward bringing traditional finance on-chain.

💶 Bridge Enters Europe
Stripe's stablecoin platform Bridge secured both MiCA and Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licences in Luxembourg, enabling it to expand regulated stablecoin services across the European Economic Area.

📈 Tokenization Gains Momentum
@Securitize tokenized its own NYSE-listed shares on Solana on its first day as a public company. The same week, the IMF published research outlining how tokenization could reshape the global financial system, from capital markets to payments.

🔐 TRON Prepares for the Quantum Era
@justinsuntron announced that tron:native 's quantum-resistant signature feature is now live on testnet, marking an important step toward protecting blockchain infrastructure against future quantum computing threats.

₿ Strategy Strengthens Its Capital Plan
Strategy introduced a revised capital framework featuring up to $1B in MSTR buybacks, $1B in STRC repurchases, a dividend increase to ~12%, a $2.55B cash reserve, and authorization to sell up to $1.25B in Bitcoin if required.

🛰 Amazon Challenges Starlink
Amazon confirmed plans to launch its own satellite-based internet service, setting up direct competition with Starlink as the race for global satellite connectivity continues.

🏛 Ondo Expands Tokenized Markets
@OndoFinance brought more than 430 tokenized stocks and ETFs to @Uniswap, giving eligible users on Ethereum and BNB Chain access to assets including SpaceX, Tesla, NVIDIA, Apple, SPY, and QQQ.

🇺🇸 Trump Highlights Crypto Push
President @realDonaldTrump said he backed crypto before taking office and argued the U.S. must remain ahead of China in digital assets. His 2025 financial disclosure also showed over $1.4B in crypto-related income, including $500M+ from World Liberty Financial and $635M from solana:6p6xgHyF7AeE6TZkSmFsko444wqoP15icUSqi2jfGiPN token sales.

🏦 Institutional Ethereum Initiative Launches
Ethereum Institutional debuted as a nonprofit focused on accelerating institutional adoption of Ethereum. The initiative is backed by BitMine, SharpLink, and Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin.

🤖 OKX Launches AI Marketplace
@okx introduced OKX AI, a marketplace where AI agents can discover work, complete autonomous transactions, and build persistent on-chain reputations.

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

📰 NEWS: @cryptoquant_com reports that altcoin spot markets have now recorded 15 consecutive months of net selling, with the cumulative Buy/Sell Volume Delta (excluding BTC & ETH) falling to a record ~-$209B — the most negative reading since tracking began in 2020. The metric was near neutral in January 2025, but has declined almost uninterrupted ever since, highlighting persistent capital outflows and the absence of broad altcoin accumulation. 📉

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

MORNING BRIEF ☕️: Binance is reportedly preparing to lead a new funding round for crypto payments infrastructure firm Mesh at a valuation of up to $2 billion, just six months after the company raised $75 million at a $1 billion valuation. The deal has not yet been officially confirmed.

The race is increasingly shifting from exchanges to payments infrastructure, as stablecoins, tokenization and cross-platform settlement become the next battleground for crypto adoption.

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

📰 NEWS: The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the 91-year-old Humphrey's Executor precedent, ruling that the President can remove commissioners of independent federal agencies without cause; while the case centered on the FTC, the decision is expected to reshape agencies including the SEC and CFTC, significantly expanding presidential control over U.S. financial regulation while leaving the Federal Reserve unaffected. ⚖️

[Malo OG @OG_MALO_]

@CryptoWendyO @VitalikButerin Bear markets are where conviction gets tested and knowledge compounds.

That’s why I never miss ShillGuard’s Tuesday Insights for deeper market context and Friday Weekly News to stay on top of the biggest developments. Staying informed beats reacting

https://t.co/mTVFSiSGd7

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

📰 NEWS: Asian equities tumbled as the AI trade continued to unwind, with South Korea's KOSPI (-7.9%) suffering its steepest drop in months after heavy selling in chipmakers SK Hynix (-14.6%) and Samsung Electronics (-9.1%). Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 2.5%, dragged by Tokyo Electron (-7.4%), while China's Shanghai Composite slipped 2% as investors took profits following one of the strongest AI rallies on record. 📉

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

MORNING BRIEF ☕️: Robinhood has significantly expanded its crypto ecosystem, launching the public mainnet of its Arbitrum-based Layer-2 Robinhood Chain, rolling out 24/7 tokenized stock trading across 120+ countries, announcing plans to launch crypto trading in the UK, and integrating Lighter Protocol for perpetual futures.

With nearly 28 million customers, Robinhood is positioning blockchain as the foundation of its next growth phase. Revisit our Thread on the topic. 🏹

[Nik Nikolov @Nik_ShillGuard]

@ShillGuard @BlackBullSol @PlayKintara @jellyvideochats @zauthinc @JatevoId 👀📊

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

SHILLGUARD | Top 5 Performers!📈

Built for research. Top performers across the platform with sustained strength across $ETH, $SOL, and beyond.

1️⃣ ANSEM @blackbullsol
2️⃣ KINS @PlayKintara
3️⃣ JellyJelly @jellyvideochats
4️⃣ ZAUTH @zauthinc
5️⃣ JTVO @JatevoId

✨Premium - now live for $SGT holders, giving access to extended metrics and research.

⚠️ For information only - not investment advice. Always DYOR.

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

📰 NEWS: @OndoFinance has brought 430+ tokenized stocks and ETFs to @Uniswap, allowing eligible users to trade assets like SpaceX, Tesla, NVIDIA, Apple, SPY and QQQ on Ethereum and BNB Chain, marking another major step in bringing traditional markets fully onchain 📈🔗

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

MORNING BRIEF ☕️: President Trump's latest financial disclosure highlights how significant crypto has become to his business interests. The filing shows more than $50 million in Bitcoin held in self-custody, $635 million in royalties through CIC Digital tied to the solana:6p6xgHyF7AeE6TZkSmFsko444wqoP15icUSqi2jfGiPN memecoin, and nearly $800 million in income from World Liberty Financial, including token sales and the sale of a business stake.

Crypto has evolved from a campaign promise into one of the largest contributors to Trump's reported income and investment portfolio.

[Nik Nikolov @Nik_ShillGuard]

Stay informed! Check our Tuesday Insights!

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

Tuesday Insights: MiCA's Big Gamble 🇪🇺

Europe was late to crypto innovation, but first to comprehensive regulation. Now comes the real test: will MiCA attract the next generation of builders or drive them elsewhere?

🔍 Key observations

1️⃣ One rulebook
MiCA rewrites crypto regulation to Europe. National registrations, largely built around AML compliance, are being replaced by a far more demanding licensing regime covering governance, capital, custody and market conduct. From 1 July 2026, a MiCA licence becomes the legal standard for operating across the EU.

2️⃣ The first impact
The effects are already visible. Several crypto firms have withdrawn services from parts of the EU or paused expansion while pursuing authorization. Others have shifted their focus to jurisdictions with lighter requirements. For established businesses, the added burden is manageable. For smaller players, it may determine whether they can compete at all.

3️⃣ A different philosophy
The change goes beyond compliance. For the first time, digital assets are being treated less as an alternative financial system and more as another part of regulated finance. Supporters see a path toward greater transparency and investor confidence. Critics argue it moves the industry further away from its original principles of openness and permissionless innovation.

4️⃣ The real test
Success won't be measured by the number of licences issued, but by the experience of users. Europeans may benefit from stronger consumer protections and greater confidence in regulated platforms, yet face fewer exchanges, tokens and services as some companies leave the market. The question is whether higher standards can strengthen trust without reducing competition and innovation.

📌 Key takeaway
The rules are now in place. The next few years will reveal whether Europe has found the right balance.

[Nik Nikolov @Nik_ShillGuard]

@ShillGuard @okx 😅

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

📰 NEWS: @okx has launched OKX AI, a marketplace where AI agents can find work, transact autonomously and build onchain reputation, marking a major step toward the emerging AI agent economy 🤖💼

[joeana @joeanab7]

@kucoincom That would be Following attention, not emotions. DYOR with @ShillGuard now has become part of my routine.

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

MORNING BRIEF ☕️: solana:GoLDppdjB1vDTPSGxyMJFqdnj134yH6Prg9eqsGDiw6A has fallen to around $4,028 per ounce, its lowest level in 34 weeks and nearly 30% below its all-time high. Meanwhile, bitcoin:native is trading around $59.5K, as investors continue to reassess the role of traditional and digital stores of value.

At the same time, AI and technology remain the market's biggest winners, with capital continuing to flow toward companies tied to chips, compute and digital infrastructure.

[ShillGuard $SGT @ShillGuard]

SHILLGUARD | Weekly Trending📊

Utility or memes, always DYOR. Trending across $SOL, $ETH and beyond, based on on-platform activity.

1️⃣ ANSEM @BlackBullSol
2️⃣ SKYAI @skyaipro
3️⃣ CARDS @Collector_Crypt
4️⃣ MANIFEST @ManifestingXs
5️⃣ TOESCOIN
6️⃣ ASTEROID @MascotAsteroid
7️⃣ KINS
8️⃣ NEST
9️⃣ Jotchua
🔟 drooling

✨Premium - now live for $SGT holders, giving access to extended metrics and research.

⚠️ Not investment advice - for information only. Always DYOR.