Algorand foundation cuts a quarter of its workforce as crypto sector layoffs continue
The non-profit, which stewards the layer-1 Algorand blockchain and has fewer than 200 employees according to LinkedIn, cited macroeconomic uncertainty and depressed crypto prices for the decision, with no disclosure of the exact headcount affected. The cuts follow similar reductions at OP Labs, Messari, Block, and Gemini. The news arrives just one day after Tuesday’s SEC-CFTC guidance classified ALGO as a digital commodity rather than a security — a regulatory milestone the foundation welcomed even as it announced the restructuring.
Visa enters the AI agent payment race with its first product from Visa Crypto Labs
Visa CLI, currently in closed beta and accessible via GitHub authentication, allows AI agents to initiate card payments directly from a terminal environment without managing API keys — positioning Visa’s existing card network as the settlement layer for autonomous, machine-driven commerce. The launch puts Visa on a collision course with Coinbase and Cloudflare, which are pursuing stablecoin-based solutions through the x402 protocol, as incumbents and crypto-native players converge on what is increasingly described as the agentic commerce infrastructure race.
SEC gives Nasdaq the green light to trade tokenized versions of Russell 1000 stocks and major ETFs
Wednesday’s approval clears Nasdaq to run a pilot in coordination with the Depository Trust Company under which eligible securities can trade in tokenized form on the same order book as traditional shares, with identical tickers, shareholder rights, and T+1 settlement, while surveillance runs across both formats using the same underlying data. The ruling is technology-agnostic and makes no endorsement of any specific blockchain protocol, but it arrives as Intercontinental Exchange separately develops its own tokenized securities platform. Nasdaq has already partnered with Kraken’s parent company Payward to build an equities gateway bridging regulated markets and DeFi networks.
Polymarket acquires DeFi infrastructure startup Brahma in third acquisition of 2026
Brahma, founded in 2021 and reporting more than $1 billion in processed transaction volume and $100 million in total value locked, will wind down all of its existing products within 30 days as its team integrates into Polymarket to focus on scaling blockchain execution and settlement infrastructure. The deal is aimed in part at improving liquidity for smaller, niche prediction markets where capital is thin, and comes as Polymarket, valued at a reported $20 billion, pulls further ahead of fiat-based rival Kalshi in its commitment to crypto-native rails.
Solifi’s new AI tool promises to cut document verification time by 70% for auto and equipment lenders
Solifi Document Intelligence applies agentic AI-driven checks and configurable verification logic to automate one of the most manual steps in the lending lifecycle, with an optional human-in-the-loop workflow for regulated environments. Chief Product Officer Karan Oberoi said the tool is designed to improve speed and scalability without sacrificing accuracy, transparency, or audit controls, areas of particular sensitivity for secured finance lenders operating under strict regulatory oversight.