Binance Secures $2 Billion Investment, Sony’s Soneium Brings LINE Mini-Apps Onchain, and More

A Landmark Crypto Deal, Rumble’s Bitcoin Bet, and the Latest on Solana ETF Filings

Happy Wednesday! The latest U.S. CPI data gave crypto investors a brief sigh of relief, with inflation numbers coming in lower than expected. Bitcoin responded with a short-lived rally before giving up gains, as recession worries continue to weigh on markets.

In today's roundup: Binance lands a massive $2 billion investment, Rumble reveals its bitcoin holdings, Sony’s Soneium takes LINE’s mini-apps onchain, and Cboe BZX moves forward with a Solana ETF filing. Plus, the Venice airdrop wraps up, burning $100 million in unclaimed tokens.

Let’s dive in.

Binance Secures $2 Billion Investment in Historic Crypto Deal

Crypto exchange giant Binance has locked in a landmark $2 billion investment from Abu Dhabi-based MGX, marking the largest-ever single investment in a cryptocurrency firm.

This is MGX’s first foray into the crypto industry, and along with the funding, the investment firm has taken a minority stake in Binance. The deal, which represents Binance’s first institutional financing, was settled entirely in stablecoins.

Binance CEO Richard Teng, who previously led the Abu Dhabi Financial Services Authority, called the investment a "significant milestone" for both the company and the broader crypto space. MGX CEO Ahmed Yahia emphasized the growing need for secure, compliant blockchain infrastructure as institutional adoption accelerates.

As part of the partnership, Binance and MGX plan to collaborate on AI, blockchain, and financial innovation. Binance remains the dominant force in crypto trading, handling $651.5 billion in spot trading volume in February alone - over a third of the centralized exchange market.

Rumble Discloses $17 Million Bitcoin Investment

Alternative video platform Rumble has revealed that it holds 188 BTC on its balance sheet, worth around $17.1 million. The move is part of the company’s strategy to hedge against inflation while expanding into crypto.

Rumble acquired the bitcoin at an average price of $91,000 per coin before the recent market dip and has signaled it may make additional purchases based on market conditions. CEO Chris Pavlovski previously announced plans to buy up to $20 million in bitcoin, with its first purchase coinciding with President Trump's inauguration day - the same day BTC hit its all-time high of $109,000.

The company’s crypto ambitions don’t stop there. In December, stablecoin issuer Tether invested $775 million in Rumble, allocating $250 million for growth initiatives. Rumble’s cloud division also hosts Trump’s Truth Social and recently struck a deal with El Salvador’s government, where Tether is establishing a new headquarters.

Meanwhile, Metaplanet boosted its BTC holdings, purchasing another 162 BTC ($13.5 million), causing its stock to jump 8%.

Sony’s Soneium to Bring LINE’s Mini-Apps Onchain

Sony’s Soneium blockchain is joining forces with Asian messaging giant LINE to bring its popular mini-apps onchain, starting with four blockchain-based games launching in the coming months.

This partnership aims to enhance the user experience while offering LINE’s mini-app developers support in marketing, community-building, and intellectual property management. LINE, which enjoys strong traction in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand, has been ramping up its Web3 initiatives.

Soneium’s Ethereum Layer 2 mainnet went live in January under Sony Block Solutions Labs, coinciding with LINE’s launch of a decentralized app portal.

Cboe BZX Pushes for Solana ETF Listing

The Cboe BZX Exchange has officially filed a 19b-4 form with the SEC, seeking approval to list and trade shares of Franklin Templeton’s proposed Solana ETF.

Franklin Templeton, which oversees over $1.5 trillion in assets, is the largest asset manager to file for a spot Solana ETF to date. The filing marks the second step in the SEC’s approval process - once acknowledged, it will be published in the Federal Register, kicking off the regulatory review.

Just a day before, Franklin Templeton submitted an S-1 filing for a spot XRP ETF, signaling a growing push for altcoin ETFs. Bloomberg analysts estimate a 70% approval chance for Solana ETFs, slightly trailing Litecoin (90%) and Dogecoin (75%) but ahead of XRP (65%). However, the SEC has been slow to act, delaying multiple filings as it awaits the confirmation of new chair Paul Atkins.

HYPE Drops After Hyperliquid Whale Liquidation

HYPE token slid 8.5% on Wednesday after a major whale liquidation event left Hyperliquid’s HLP vault with a $4 million loss.

On-chain analytics platform Lookonchain reported that a Hyperliquid whale had deposited 15.23 million USDC to open a massive leveraged long position in Ethereum, worth over $300 million. The trader was ultimately liquidated but still managed to withdraw 17.09 million USDC, netting a profit of $1.86 million.

Some in the crypto community speculated that market manipulation was at play, but Hyperliquid confirmed that its liquidation engine had simply struggled to handle the size of the position, with no security breach involved.

What’s Next?

Looking ahead, investors will be watching closely as key U.S. economic data drops:

• Thursday at 8:30 a.m. ET - U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) and jobless claims figures.
• Upcoming token unlocks - Render and Axie Infinity prepare for fresh releases.

Stay tuned for more updates!