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Up-and-Coming Cryptocurrency Chia Blamed for SSD/HDD Shortages

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In 2017, Bram Cohen, author of the BitTorrent protocol, founded the Chia Network and developed Chia (XCH) as a potential rival to Bitcoin (BTC). Although hardly considered among the top cryptocurrencies of 2020, Chia has been making waves in recent months. The platform was valued at $500 million in a recent investment round and will reportedly aim for an IPO before the end of the year. David Fraze, a managing partner at Richmond Global, likened Chia to “what Bitcoin would look like if it was designed with knowledge from the last 13 years.”

Prior to its launch in May 2021, countries like China, Taiwan, and Vietnam reportedly experienced shortages of hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs), with producers like Seagate working hard to adjust to market demand. This is because Chia aimed to replace the energy-intensive system of Bitcoin by instead requiring miners to devote hard drive space to generating and storing data. This means that Chia miners must find ways to build PCs with enough hard drive space to earn the most, as rewards are given out to those with the most space used up. As more drives are built into circuit boards and circuits become more complex, PCB grounding design becomes a problem. Mixed-signal integrated circuits, with both digital and analog ports, compound problems. As such, Chia miners opt for large-capacity drives – and NVMe drives, in particular – to be able to support the mining process.

The price for these types of drives has reportedly gone up in the past week, particularly as some SSDs can only be used a certain number of times for mining Chia before they inevitably break. David Gerard, author of Libra Shrugged, explains that, “Instead of just wasting electricity, Chia chews through SSDs at a fantastic rate, and also has thoroughly wrecked the market for big HDs.” This could potentially cause not just an extended shortage of hard drives, but also an increase in the amount of electronic waste generated by the mining community. Aggelos Kiayias of the University of Edinburgh emphasizes that it’s important to analyze whether the benefits of these new cryptocurrency technologies justify the massive resources they consume. “Given the current numbers, being merely less resource hungry compared to bitcoin is a rather low bar as far as ‘green’ technology is concerned,” he says.

Of course, other cryptocurrencies have also had similar effects on hardware markets. Bitcoin has notoriously been implicated in blackouts in Iran. As a result, the Iranian government has banned the resource-draining process until at least late September. Mining Ethereum (ETH) also caused huge shortages in high-end graphics cards, causing Nvidia to release products with restrictions preventing them from being used for mining. As cryptocurrencies gain more traction, demand for the tools needed to mine them grows.

Cohen has discouraged the use of consumer hardware to mine Chia, but the platform’s own website says that it can be done by “anyone with a mobile phone [or] laptop”, encouraging many more speculators to attempt to jump on board before the currency sees increased demand.

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Galaxy Digital Becomes First Public Company to Tokenize Its Own SEC-Registered Equity Onchain

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Galaxy Digital has taken a landmark step in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. On September 3, the company announced a partnership with Superstate that will allow its shareholders to tokenize and hold Galaxy Digital (GLXY) equity directly onchain—making Galaxy the first publicly traded firm to tokenize its own SEC-registered shares.

Through Superstate’s Opening Bell platform, investors will be able to convert traditional GLXY shares into tokenized equivalents and hold them in digital wallets. Once tokenized, these shares can be traded on the Solana (SOL) blockchain, unlocking 24/7 trading availability and near-instant settlement times.

Why Galaxy’s Tokenized Shares Stand Out

Unlike most tokenized equities on the market—which are typically issued by third-party platforms and do not grant real ownership—Galaxy’s tokenized shares are fully integrated with the company’s official shareholder registry.

This means:

  • Token holders retain full shareholder rights, including voting
  • Dividends, if distributed, apply to onchain shares
  • Ownership records remain recognized and legally tied to the company

This level of integration marks a significant shift from earlier stock-token models, which often lacked formal rights and operated without issuer involvement.

A New Milestone for Real-World Asset Tokenization

Galaxy’s move signals a major advancement in the RWA sector, bringing traditional equity into onchain markets with regulatory alignment and direct corporate participation. By choosing Solana for settlement, the company highlights performance advantages such as speed, low fees, and continuous trading—capabilities traditional equity markets cannot match.

As the tokenization of real-world assets accelerates, Galaxy Digital’s initiative may serve as a blueprint for other publicly traded companies exploring how blockchain infrastructure can modernize equity ownership and distribution.

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Binance.US Lists Sei Network’s Native Token, Expanding Access to High-Speed Layer-1 Blockchain

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Binance.US has officially added Sei Network’s native token, SEI, giving U.S. users regulated access to a Layer-1 blockchain designed for fast, low-cost decentralized finance transactions. Trading for the SEI/USDT pair opened on November 13, 2025, at 6 a.m. EST.

The listing broadens exposure to a network that blends the developer familiarity of Ethereum with transaction performance closer to Solana. Backed by major investors—including Multicoin, Jump, Coinbase Ventures, and Circle Ventures—Sei’s core team includes talent from Google, Databricks, Coinbase, Uber, and Goldman Sachs.

Sei’s technical metrics remain central to its appeal: the blockchain can process up to 200,000 transactions per second, finalizes activity in about 400 milliseconds, and maintains average transaction fees near $0.0004. With more than 78 million active wallets, Sei ranks first among EVM-compatible chains by active addresses.

The U.S. listing arrived shortly after Binance joined Sei as a network validator, further aligning the exchange with the chain’s focus on institutional-grade financial infrastructure and tokenization.

Listing Details on Binance.US

Binance.US announced the addition of SEI on November 12, with deposits opening immediately via the Sei network. Trading began the next day with a single supported pair, SEI/USDT.

The token is available to most U.S. regions, though some states maintain restrictions similar to those applied to other digital assets. For eligible users, the listing enables direct participation without relying on cross-chain bridges, reducing friction, fees, and security risk.

Trading fees follow Binance.US’s existing tiered model, ranging from 0.1% to 0.5%. Staking for SEI is planned but will launch under a separate announcement.

Why the Listing Matters for Sei Network

The listing expands Sei’s presence in the U.S. market and follows several notable milestones, including Robinhood’s recent addition of SEI and Binance’s entry as a Sei validator on November 6. As a validator, Binance contributes to network security while leveraging its global user base and more than $180 billion in assets under management.

Sei’s goal is to provide exchange-grade infrastructure capable of supporting tokenized real-world assets and high-throughput DeFi applications. Improved liquidity is expected for protocols like Folks Finance and Takara Lend, helping enhance price discovery and market efficiency.

The chain recently integrated Monaco’s implementation of Chainlink’s CCIP, supporting secure cross-chain transfers—an important component for its institutional strategy.

Despite high network activity, SEI has faced recent market volatility. As of writing, SEI trades at $0.17, with a market cap of approximately $1.1 billion after a 30-day decline of nearly 20%.

Recent Developments and What’s Ahead

Sei has been active across several fronts, including:

  • Binance becoming a network validator
  • Robinhood listing SEI
  • A $10M Creator Fund focused on NFTs
  • Ongoing research into optimizing Ethereum Virtual Machine performance

Looking forward, Ethereum’s upcoming Fusaka upgrade in December 2025 may benefit Sei due to compatibility improvements. SEI staking on Binance.US and further real-world asset integrations are also expected to shape the network’s next growth phase.

Conclusion

The SEI listing on Binance.US marks another step in Sei Network’s expansion, offering regulated access to a high-performance blockchain built for the demands of modern DeFi. By combining speed, low fees, and a growing institutional footprint, Sei continues to position itself as a competitive contender among Layer 1 platforms.

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Turbo Energy Pilots Tokenized Solar Financing on Stellar

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Turbo Energy is taking a major step toward merging renewable infrastructure with blockchain technology through a new pilot focused on tokenized debt financing. The initiative, developed in collaboration with Taurus and the Stellar Development Foundation, explores how tokenization can improve access to capital for solar energy projects and create new liquidity paths within the Stellar ecosystem.

A Push to Modernize Green Energy Financing

The pilot centers on issuing tokenized debt instruments for solar development, using Stellar’s blockchain as the underlying asset management and settlement layer.
Turbo Energy CEO Luca Marangoni said the collaboration aims to unlock modern financing models for clean energy, noting:

“We are excited to lead the way in tokenized debt financing for renewable energy infrastructure, unlocking new avenues for investment and sustainability.”

The partnership positions blockchain as a tool for expanding investment channels in sectors that have historically struggled to secure flexible, transparent funding.

How the Pilot Works

Key collaborators—Turbo Energy, Taurus, and the Stellar Development Foundation—are working to structure renewable energy financing products directly on Stellar. By tokenizing debt, the project introduces a hybrid model that blends traditional infrastructure financing with the speed and transparency of blockchain rails.

Although financial details have not been disclosed, the project aligns with broader market trends: the global Energy-as-a-Service sector is valued in the billions, and demand for alternative green financing continues to rise.

Potential Impact on Stellar’s Network

The pilot could strengthen Stellar’s positioning in the real-world-asset (RWA) segment by bringing energy-linked financial activity onto the network. While immediate effects on the XLM token are expected to be modest, the project may:

  • Increase liquidity circulation tied to solar development
  • Attract institutions seeking blockchain-based green assets
  • Encourage further exploration of tokenized infrastructure products

The effort does not involve governance changes or regulatory updates to Stellar, but it could influence long-term utility if adoption scales.

Looking Ahead

Tokenized debt for renewable energy remains an emerging field, and this pilot provides a practical test case for how blockchain can support large-scale infrastructure. If successful, it may help establish a template for decentralized financing models across solar, wind, storage, and other sustainability-focused sectors.

The collaboration signals growing interest in using blockchain not only for digital assets but also for real-world environmental impact—an area where institutional investors are increasingly active.

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