Independent crypto reference and newsroom
Crypto, explained and checked.
Plain-English guides, sourced profiles of the companies behind crypto, measured ratings of the services you would trust with money, and the news that changes any of it. Every page names its author and its sources.
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Who earns the interest on your stablecoins?
The issuer does, on hundreds of billions of dollars. It is the largest quiet transfer of value in this industry and almost nobody frames it as one.
Priya Nair·5d ago·7 min
What actually happens when a stablecoin depegs
Two breaks, two entirely different causes. One was reserves stuck in a failed bank; the other was a price feed reading the wrong order book.
Ethan Brooks·Nov 4, 2026·8 min
USDT vs USDC: the difference in the evidence
A quarterly attestation and an audited public company are not the same instrument. Neither is the token that broke its peg the one you would guess.
Ethan Brooks·Nov 2, 2026·8 min
Can a stablecoin issuer freeze your money?
Almost all of them can. The largest has done it billions of dollars at a time, and there is a public dashboard tracking it.
Priya Nair·Oct 31, 2026·7 minWho runs crypto
Each profile says who operates the service, where it is licensed, what it charges, how it holds your money and what has gone wrong before — with the date every fact was checked.
Exchanges
34Who operates them, where they are licensed, what they charge
+30Wallets
26Software and hardware, custody model, recovery
+22DEXs and perps
17Contracts, fees, who can change the code
+13Lending and DeFi
25Where yield comes from and what can go wrong
+21Staking
13Liquid and restaking tokens, exit queues
+9Bridges
10How assets move between chains, and past exploits
+6Stablecoin issuers
5Reserves, attestations, redemption terms
+1Tools and analytics
17Trading bots, data platforms, infrastructure
+13NFT marketplaces
8Fees, royalties, custody of listings
+4Funds and market makers
13The firms behind liquidity and treasuries
+9Latest news
- Oct 5, 2026Wall Street Goes Onchain as Weak Jobs Data Lifts BitcoinOKX and NYSE owner ICE have filed with the SEC to launch a 24/7 tokenized stock venue, while a weak US jobs report has cooled Fed hike bets and kept Bitcoin near $86,000. Here is what both stories mean for US markets.
- Oct 2, 2026Bitcoin Climbs Toward $87,000 as Weak Jobs Data Meets a New SEC Custody ProposalBitcoin rallied to around $86,700 after the U.S. added just 29,000 jobs in September, while the SEC proposed a custody framework that would let investment advisers and regulated funds hold crypto assets.
- Oct 1, 2026Bitcoin Stalls Near $84,000 After Best Quarter Since 2024 as Illinois Agrees to Delay Crypto TaxBitcoin ended a 40% quarter flat near $84,000 as soft US inflation data failed to overcome high Treasury yields, while Illinois agreed to postpone its first-in-the-nation 0.2% crypto tax until July 1.
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How we work
Sourced, then checked
Facts come from the company’s own filings, registers and on-chain data, dated, with the source linked beside them.
Measured, not marketed
Ratings score what we measured against a published method. Nobody pays to be listed or to move up.
Corrected in the open
When we get something wrong we fix it and say so on the page, with the date.
No paid placement
No sponsored rankings and no affiliate links dressed as advice. Here is how the site is paid for.
The desk
Ethan Brooks is a U.S.-based Senior Crypto Analyst at ChainWatch with nearly a decade of experience analyzing digital asset markets, blockchain data, and institutional trading activity. He began his career as a quantitative analyst at a leading financial services firm before transitioning full-time into cryptocurrency research in 2017, driven by a passion for blockchain technology and market structure. Ethan holds a Master of Science in Financial Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and combines traditional financial analysis with advanced blockchain analytics to deliver institutional-quality market research. His work focuses on Bitcoin market structure, liquidity dynamics, derivatives positioning, exchange flows, and on-chain metrics that provide early signals of changing market conditions. Over the years, Ethan has covered every major phase of the crypto industry, including the 2018 bear market, the DeFi expansion, the 2021 bull market, the market correction following major exchange failures, and the institutional adoption accelerated by spot Bitcoin ETFs. He specializes in interpreting UTXO distribution, realized capitalization, exchange reserves, whale activity, miner behavior, perpetual futures funding rates, and liquidity trends to identify structural shifts before they become visible in price action. In addition to professional market research, Ethan regularly publishes educational articles that simplify blockchain analytics, technical analysis, and risk management for investors of all experience levels. He believes that transparent data, disciplined research, and financial education are essential for navigating the rapidly evolving digital asset market. His reports and educational content have established him as one of ChainWatch's leading voices on Bitcoin, on-chain analytics, and crypto market structure.
Priya Nair is a U.S.-based Senior Bitcoin & Markets Analyst specializing in Bitcoin market structure, macroeconomic trends, institutional capital flows, and portfolio construction strategies. She focuses on how monetary policy, global liquidity, ETF inflows and outflows, and investor sentiment shape Bitcoin’s price dynamics and the broader digital asset market. Priya delivers in-depth analysis of Bitcoin’s role in global financial markets, monitoring on-chain metrics, derivatives activity, market liquidity, and cross-asset correlations throughout changing market cycles. She also examines the growing influence of institutional adoption, regulatory developments, and macroeconomic events on long-term market performance. Her research combines data-driven market analysis with macroeconomic perspectives, providing readers with clear, actionable insights into Bitcoin, digital assets, and portfolio risk management for both evolving and mature market environments.
Theo Walsh is a U.S.-based Senior Editor specializing in digital asset markets and crypto infrastructure, with a focus on the evolving relationship between blockchain technology, financial markets, and institutional adoption. He covers Bitcoin, stablecoins, tokenomics, market structure, custody solutions, and the infrastructure powering the next generation of digital finance. Theo analyzes how market trends, regulatory developments, and blockchain innovations influence liquidity, adoption, and long-term industry growth. His work explores stablecoin ecosystems, exchange infrastructure, market mechanics, risk management, and the practical applications of decentralized financial technologies. Known for combining technical accuracy with accessible reporting, Theo transforms complex crypto concepts into clear, data-driven analysis for investors, professionals, and readers seeking a deeper understanding of digital asset markets and the rapidly evolving blockchain ecosystem.