VeChain news

VeChain’s Hayabusa upgrade marks a shift to real decentralization, moving from a permissioned PoA system to a public DPoS model where anyone with collateral can become a validator and delegators directly influence network security. The upgrade cuts VTHO inflation by about 50% and concentrates rewards among active stakers—only staked VET earns VTHO, so passive holding no longer yields benefits. VET holders should download the VeWorld wallet, stake via Stargate, and choose validators carefully to capture the higher rewards.

VeChain has completed the second phase of its “Hayabusa” upgrade, switching from Proof‑of‑Authority to a Delegated‑Proof‑of‑Stake consensus. The change aims to increase economic security, reward users through staking and open governance. The upgrade also introduces a deflationary token model for VTHO, higher staking limits (up to 600 million VET per validator) and a 100 % base‑fee burn, while the platform highlights real‑world use cases and regulatory compliance under MiCA.

Stand With Crypto, backed by Coinbase, has begun surveying federal and state candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections on their positions regarding digital assets, including crypto innovation, de‑banking, mining, zoning and consumer protections, and has asked whether respondents have personally used blockchain technology. The organization will use the questionnaire results to focus outreach and mobilization for 2026, citing its influence on the 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial race, while noting the broader context of upcoming Congress and potential digital‑asset legislation.

VeChain CEO Sunny Lu revealed StarGate, an NFT‑based staking system that has already attracted 5.4 billion VET and 10,000+ NFTs, lowering technical barriers for ordinary users. Validator onboarding has risen from 125 million to a target of 250–350 million VET, while the VeBetter hub hosts 42 DApps, with Mugshot.eco and GreenCart.ai each attracting roughly 1.5–1.8 million users. Institutional partners such as Keyrock, BitGo, Redeno and Franklin Templeton are joining as investors, validators and service providers, and BCG is helping to bring enterprise applications. VeChain’s compliance with the EU’s MiCAR law, confirmed by the Central Bank of Ireland, positions the token for institutional adoption and guides expansion into the U.S. and Asia. The 2025 roadmap includes Hayabusa upgrades aiming for a 600 million VET validator target, reduced VTHO issuance, growth of VeBetter to 100 apps and 20 million users, and ongoing compliance efforts.

VeWorld, VeChain’s self‑custodial wallet released in early 2023, has attracted more than 4 million downloads across iOS, Android and Chrome. Built on VeChainThor, it removes entry barriers by supporting gas‑fee abstraction so dApp interactions are paid by the app or via tokens like B3TR and VET. An upcoming social‑login feature will let users sign in with Google, Facebook and other services while keeping full key control, and account‑abstraction enables social recovery. VeWorld also integrates cross‑chain transfers via a Wanchain bridge, connects to Ledger hardware wallets, and provides a clean interface for NFTs and staking via StarGate. The app serves as a gateway to VeChain’s VeBetter ecosystem, where users earn B3TR tokens for sustainable actions, and offers a broad dApp directory for DeFi, games and more. Overall, VeWorld positions itself as a Web 3 onboarding hub that simplifies participation and encourages mass adoption.

VeChain, a layer‑1 blockchain for real‑world applications, has partnered with $1.5 trillion asset manager Franklin Templeton to bring the company’s BENJI tokenized payments platform to its network. The deal will let VeChain users access the Franklin Templeton OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund (FOBXX), a ~$780 million on‑chain fund whose shares are tokenized as BENJI tokens pegged to $1. Combined with BitGo’s custody and Keyrock’s derivatives, the partnership gives VeChain businesses a new stablecoin option and a way to integrate tokenized money‑market funds into payments. VeChain’s dual‑token architecture is marketed as offering low‑cost, predictable operations that suit money‑market products. BENJI is already live on at least seven blockchains—including Stellar, Ethereum, Avalanche, Polygon, and Aptos—while its total‑value‑locked on VeChain remains modest at $1.7 million. Competitors such as BlackRock’s BUIDL and Ondo’s Short‑Term US Government Bond Fund hold larger caps, but FOBXX has the holder base with about 690 token holders.

VeChain’s 2025 Renaissance upgrade series, staged in Galactica, Hayabusa, and Interstellar phases, is reshaping the VeChainThor layer‑1 blockchain to support wider Web3 adoption. The Galactica upgrade, live July 1, introduced a dynamic fee market that burns 100 % of VTHO gas fees and added typed transactions, while a Shanghai EVM upgrade brings EVM toolkits and dApps to the network. Hayabusa added StarGate, an NFT‑based staking platform with tiered rewards, a 6‑month Early Bird program that distributed 5.48 billion VTHO, and key tokenomic changes that switch VTHO issuance to VET stakers and begin a move to a Weighted Delegated Proof of Stake consensus. The coming Interstellar phase will deliver full JSON‑RPC and complete EVM compatibility, enabling seamless migration of Ethereum tools and broad cross‑chain synergy. These upgrades aim to increase decentralization, lower entry barriers, and position VeChain as a leading asset infrastructure provider.

VeChain CEO Sunny Lu said the July 1 launch of the StarGate decentralization engine marks a new Renaissance that aims to replace speculative hype with measurable impact. StarGate introduces NFT‑based staking that lets users delegate VET stakes without technical barriers, offering up to 15 % APY for validators and 12 % for delegators. The platform is already MiCA‑compliant in the EU and aligns with SEC guidance, and VeChain plans to support 101 validators and up to 500,000 delegators under a weighted delegated PoS model. Lu highlighted the VeBetterDAO, which has mobilised 2.7 million users across more than 40 apps, from food‑safety partnerships with Walmart to “green‑charging” rewards for Tesla drivers. He emphasized a bottom‑up sustainability approach, developer grants, and new institutional partnerships, arguing that 2025 will move the market toward fundamentals driven by real‑world utility.

VeChain announced its StarGate staking program on July 1, adding a $15 million VTHO bonus pool and a weighted DPoS model that allows holders to stake starting at 10,000 VET. The launch follows the SEC’s guidance that protocol staking is not a securities offering, giving VeChain an edge as ETF issuers seek compliant staking options. StarGate’s upgraded consensus, NFT‑based rewards, and tiered thresholds—from 10,000 VET up to 15.6 million VET—aim to broaden access and strengthen decentralization. The bonus pool boosts annual percentage yields for early participants who move VET from exchanges to self‑custody wallets, with rewards continuing after the six‑month period. VeChain’s launch positions it to reap growing institutional demand for crypto staking while maintaining regulatory compliance, as highlighted by CEO Sunny Lu.

VeChain announced the launch of its “Build Your Body” (BYB) app during UFC 317, integrating with the VeBetter ecosystem to reward users’ physical activity with B3TR tokens. The decentralized app aims to tokenise workouts, track fitness goals, and incentivise regular exercise, providing real‑time rewards that align with the UN’s sustainability objectives on health. BYB pairs user‑friendly features such as social log‑ins and mobile access, targeting UFC’s global fanbase of more than 700 million while removing the need for blockchain knowledge. The release joins a suite of VeBetter applications that have already distributed about $11 million in incentives for a range of eco‑friendly actions, signalling a shift toward personal wellness. VeChain CEO Sunny Lu highlighted the partnership’s potential to demonstrate blockchain’s role in transforming everyday habits into tangible benefits, while the company also announced new advisory ties with UFC’s Dana White and the 4Ocean nonprofit.