GeckoPulse: It's Time to SKALE on Base

1+2 Equals 3

The SKALE Layer-1 network plans to leverage the Base L2 to develop a new Ethereum-based Layer-3 network for AI agents.

Simply known as ‘SKALE on Base’, the network will be built to handle workloads and communication between agents, particularly for Coinbase’s x402 payments solution.

As part of their SKALE Expand program, the team is able to deploy the network’s core SKALE Manager smart contracts on top of various other blockchains.

As such, other ecosystems can easily benefit from SKALE’s instant and gasless transactions.

Additionally, SKALE on Base will also include a built-in credit system for resource allocation, which can be paid for using USDC or Skale’s native SKL token.

Since the announcement, the price of SKL has remained unchanged at $0.0139.

Buy Now, Stable up Later?

Payments company Klarna has announced the launch of its KlarnaUSD stablecoin, to be issued on Stripe and Paradigm's Tempo blockchain.

The stablecoin will be pegged to the US dollar and is currently live on the Tempo testnet.

However, Klarna has stated that the stablecoin will mainly be utilized to reduce internal costs during its initial launch.

KlarnaUSD is scheduled to go live in 2026, although a more specific timeframe has yet to be revealed.

A Relief Rally, or Just a Tease?

Bitcoin is finally seeing a small bounce — nothing dramatic, but just enough for everyone to wonder if we’re getting a bit of relief after weeks of bleeding down toward $80K.

Still, we’re sitting below key levels like the yearly open and the 50-week MA, and the weekly uptrend structure has already broken. A relief rally is likely at some point, but unless BTC starts reclaiming those supports, it’s safer to treat this as a breather rather than a real shift back to bullishness.

Exodus Buys Its Way into Payments

Self-custody wallet provider Exodus is making a major push into crypto payments with a $175 million deal to acquire W3C Corp — the parent of payments infrastructure firms Baanx and Monavate. The acquisition, expected to close in 2026, will let Exodus build an end-to-end stack from wallets to cards, enabling users to spend crypto and stablecoins directly.

The move also gives Exodus the ability to issue cards through Visa, Mastercard, and Discover, while expanding its reach in the U.S., UK, and EU. The company is funding the deal through cash reserves and a bitcoin-backed credit facility, on top of an existing $58.8 million loan to W3C.

It follows Exodus’ recent purchase of stablecoin payments startup Grateful as it continues doubling down on payments — even as its stock has slid more than 50% over the past six months.

In Other News

MoonPay Receives New York Trust Charter. Crypto payments firm MoonPay gains regulatory approval to hold digital assets for customers. The New York Trust Charter license is only granted to a select few crypto companies including Coinbase, Ripple and Paxos.

Polymarket Secures CFTC Approval. The approval allows US customers to trade Polymarket contracts through FCMs and traditional brokerages. This move is in line with Polymarket’s target for a full US return after its 2022 ban.

Meet Binance Bibi. Crypto exchange Binance introduces AI assistant “Bibi” on its platforms. Bibi is said to be able to spot token trends, read token charts and more.

MegaETH Opens Flood Gates Early. A misconfigured multisig allowed a community member to open pre-deposits for its USDm stablecoin early, causing confusion and general mayhem. The initial $250M deposit cap was filled in 3 minutes, prompting MegaETH to raise the limit to $1B.

Naver Financial Confirms Merger with Upbit. Naver Financial, the fintech subsidiary of tech giant Naver, has confirmed a merger with Dunamu, the parent company behind South Korea’s largest crypto exchange, Upbit. Naver Financial plans to issue $10.28B worth of stock to complete this stock-swap merger.

Paxos Acquires Fordefi. Paxos, the company behind Paypal’s stablecoin, is acquiring crypto wallet startup Fordefi. Fortune reports that the acquisition price was over $100M.

Introducing Krak Card. US crypto exchange Kraken is entering the crypto debit card market with its new “Krak” card, promising 1% cashback, supporting over 400 currencies with zero spending fees.

Bitcoin Wrench Attacks on the Rise. The horrific details of a 2024 $1.6M Bitcoin heist was revealed, Tsz Wing Boaz Chan, one of the four attackers pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, unlawfully confining the victims, and sexual assault.

Japan’s FSA Mandates Crypto Insurance Fund. Japan's financial regulator is preparing rules to require crypto exchanges to hold reserve funds to protect customers in the event of hacks and security breaches. This new legislation will scrap the cold wallet exemption that exchanges have been using to avoid the need for a reserve fund.

Monad Bounces Back. The first token sale on Coinbase’s ICO platform drew in nearly 86K buyers, raising a total of $269M. MON rose 46% above its listing price of $0.025 after initially hovering at the sale price in its initial trading hours.

Demystifying Berachain’s $25M Refund Deal. “Smokey”, Berachain’s founder, disputed the recent rumors that Brevan Howard, one of Berachain’s investors, had a $25M refund clause. He called the allegations as “incomplete and inaccurate” and affirms that Howard was not given special treatment.

HumidiFi Launch Date Set. HumidiFi, a prop AMM on Solana, will be launching on Jupiter’s ICO launchpad, “Jupiter DTF” on December 3, 2025. Liquidity for their WET token will be supported by Meteora on the token’s launch date.