GM. Polymarket is ditching its "fee-free" model for highly active 15-minute crypto markets, introducing taker fees to fund a new rebate program for liquidity providers.

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley filed for new ETFs, Drake faces a $5 million RICO lawsuit over his Stake ties, and experts doubt Venezuela’s secret 600,000 BTC stash.

Here are the details on market pivots, institutional plays, and celebrity scandals. 👇

Polymarket Implements Taker Fees For Short Term Crypto Bets

Polymarket deployed a novel taker fee structure targeting its hyper-active 15 minute prediction markets involving Bitcoin and Solana. This strategic pivot marks a major departure for the platform which historically offered entirely fee-free trading for users.

The update went live during January 2026 across Polymarket's specific high-velocity crypto asset categories. These rapid-fire contracts resolve every 15 minutes, drawing intense participation from algorithmic bots and professional arbitrageurs seeking fleeting price discrepancies.

Management introduced these levies to bankroll a dedicated Maker Rebate Program aimed at tightening spreads and boosting depth. By redistributing daily USDC proceeds to liquidity providers, the protocol ensures robust order books despite mounting political regulatory scrutiny.

Dynamic fees scale up to 3% based on trade size and specific probability curves within the underlying smart contracts. Costs peak at 50% probability while diminishing toward extreme outcomes to incentivize balanced participation across these volatile digital arenas.

Analysts Skeptical Over Venezuela Bitcoin Reserve Claims

Onchain experts currently doubt reports that Venezuela possesses a hidden 600,000 Bitcoin stash. Investigative journalist Bradley Hope recently alleged that the Maduro administration converted national gold into digital assets via Swiss lawyers. However, major blockchain intelligence platforms have found zero verifiable evidence to support these massive claims within the public ledger.

The speculative 600,000 figure originates from mathematical estimates of gold sales rather than actual wallet data. Analysts explain that the regime has experimented with digital currencies for years to bypass international financial sanctions. While the nation ranks 11th for global adoption, the true scale of government holdings remains completely opaque to researchers.

Morgan Stanley Files For New Crypto Index Funds

Banking giant Morgan Stanley submitted formal registrations for spot Bitcoin and Solana exchange products on Tuesday. These new passive vehicles aim to track cryptocurrency prices for institutional clients seeking regulated market exposure. The filing occurred as Bitcoin reached 94,187 while Solana jumped 6% during a substantial period of renewed investor interest.

The Wall Street firm intends to manage these trusts independently without relying on third party white label sponsors. Although the documents describe specific fee structures, the bank has not yet named the custodians for the digital assets. This strategic expansion highlights how major financial institutions are now integrating diverse blockchain tokens into their core service offerings.

Drake Named In Racketeer Lawsuit Involving Crypto Casino

Prominent rapper Drake faces a $5 million class action lawsuit filed in a Virginia federal court this week. The legal complaint alleges that the musician used the Stake crypto platform to hide money transfers for music botting. Plaintiffs claim these activities violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act by misleading consumers through an illegal gambling site.

The lawsuit specifically targets a tipping feature which allegedly allowed defendants to move funds without any regulatory oversight. Attorneys represent residents who lost money while using the social casino under what they call deeply fraudulent pretenses. This case marks another legal challenge for the celebrity regarding his high profile promotion of unregulated digital betting platforms.

Data of the day

Ethereum network data shows that validator exit queues dropped to zero as institutional capital returned this week. Large entities like BitMine have recently committed over 659,219 tokens to secure the blockchain and earn rewards. This shift indicates that selling pressure has finally exhausted while major holders move back into long term staking positions.

The market momentum increased further after Grayscale’s staking fund distributed its first dividends to eligible shareholders on Monday. Investors currently monitor these flows because empty exit queues usually signal strong confidence in the underlying stability of the network. Approximately 35,670,000 ether is now locked by validators who maintain the security of the global decentralised ecosystem.

More breaking news

• Canaan launched a 3 MW pilot project in Canada using liquid-cooled Bitcoin mining servers to heat commercial greenhouses for year-round tomato production.

• Former CFTC Commissioner Brian Quintenz has officially joined the board of the Sui Group to help guide the ecosystem’s strategic regulatory growth.

• Fintech firm Kontigo reimbursed $340,905 to 1,005 users following a security breach that also affected the personal account of the company’s CEO.

• BitMEX joined Coinbase and Kraken by launching crypto-collateralized equity perpetuals, allowing users to trade major US stocks like Nvidia and Tesla 24/7.

• Lighter’s LIT token surged 14% as onchain data indicated the decentralized exchange began using protocol revenue to conduct active native token buybacks.

• Gemini and Crypto.com contributed $21 million to the MAGA Inc. PAC to support pro-crypto candidates ahead of the upcoming 2026 US midterm elections.

• Organizers canceled NFT Paris 2026 just one month before the event, citing a market collapse and big financial difficulties for the conference.

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