Ritual Launches AI-Native Layer 1 for Autonomous Agents

New York, United States, October 26th, 2026, Chainwire

Ritual Chain turns AI agents into persistent economic actors that control their own wallets, onchain identity, and private state.

Ritual, a lab for autonomous intelligence founded by former Polychain Capital partners Niraj Pant and Akilesh Potti, has launched Ritual Chain, an EVM-compatible Layer 1. Unlike conventional blockchains built primarily to execute financial transactions, Ritual Chain is designed to support software that can independently use intelligence, control capital, interact with external services, and continue operating without constant human intervention. The network makes AI model access, private computation, and autonomous scheduling native capabilities for EVM applications.

This makes the reason for building a new chain clearer while preserving the technical differentiation.

The most visible demonstration of that combination is long-lived AI agents, the kind designed to operate for months or years rather than a single session. An agent on Ritual Chain persists independently of the machine or operator that created it, controls and spends funds held in its own non-custodial wallet, and can keep sensitive prompts and keys confidential from compute operators through trusted execution environments.

The network launches with integrations to Phala Network, Nous Research, LayerZero and Stargate, following a public testnet that has been live since June and processed over 40 million transactions, both agent- and human-originated. Ritual Chain delivers sub-300 millisecond block times, placing it among the fastest Layer 1 networks in the industry. Ritual Chain includes 15 native precompiles that bring capabilities like LLM inference, web access, and autonomous scheduling directly into the execution layer. The protocol has been audited by Zellic.

Ritual introduces a new execution and verification architecture that allows computationally intensive work to be delegated to specialized nodes and verified by the network, avoiding the replicated execution required by most blockchains. This execute-once, verify-many-times model allows the network to support far larger workloads, including AI inference, without requiring every validator to perform the same computation.

Long Horizon Agents Require Dedicated Blockchain Infrastructure

Most AI agents today live inside a session: they run while a human is watching, on infrastructure someone else controls, with an API key that can be revoked at any time. That is fine for a chatbot. It does not work for an agent meant to manage its own treasury, run a recurring paid service, or coordinate with other agents over long periods. A long-lived agent needs continuity that does not depend on its creator, capital it actually controls, and privacy from the machines it runs on. On Ritual Chain, an agent's state and identity are held onchain, its scheduled work continues within the permissions and budget it was given, and its sensitive inputs can be processed inside trusted execution environments designed to shield them from node operators.

Continuity is handled at the protocol level. If an agent stops, the chain's heartbeat mechanism can restart it within the permissions and budget it was given; no keeper network or off-chain cron job is required, and an agent's state and identity survive beyond its deployer's involvement. Economic autonomy comes from agent-controlled wallets: an agent controls its own funds, prices its own services, and settles its own transactions without a human signer in the loop. For confidential workloads, trusted execution environments are designed to isolate an agent’s sensitive prompts, keys, and strategy data from the node operators running its compute.

“As we move toward AGI, intelligence is beginning to separate from human agency and enter the economy on its own terms. It can hold assets, make commitments, transact, and persist independently. Once that becomes possible at scale, humans are no longer the only entities capable of forming markets or economic relationships. Ritual provides the infrastructure for those actors to exist and operate on their own,” said Niraj Pant, co-founder of Ritual.

Ritual Chain Launches With Core Infrastructure Partners

Ritual Chain launches with its core infrastructure partners in place. Phala Network provides the GPU-backed trusted execution environments that run Ritual's confidential inference, so delegated AI work executes on hardware that attests to what it ran. LayerZero serves as the network's cross-chain messaging layer, with Stargate enabling USDC to move between Ritual Chain and other networks from day one. On the application side, Nous Research is bringing Hermes to Ritual Chain. 

Unlike chains that add AI access through external oracles, Ritual Chain makes AI execution part of the protocol. Smart contracts can call a language model, fetch data from the web, run private computation, or schedule their own future execution as directly as they transfer assets. Developers deploy standard EVM contracts and gain those capabilities without new tooling.

Backed by Archetype and Polychain

Ritual has raised more than $30 million from Archetype and Polychain Capital, with advisors including NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin, Gauntlet founder Tarun Chitra, and BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes. Archetype led the company’s 2023 round.

“Programmable value and programmable intelligence are the two most important technologies since the internet, and Ritual mainnet is where they finally run on the same rails. When we led the round in 2023, a chain that could execute agentic and autonomous work natively did not exist. Today it does,” said Ash Egan, Founder and General Partner of Archetype.

Developers can deploy from day one on external sites hosted at docs.ritualfoundation.org; the network explorer is at explorer.ritualfoundation.org.

About Ritual

Ritual is a lab for autonomous intelligence. Its first network, Ritual Chain, is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 where applications can use AI models, access external services, and carry out private or scheduled work alongside onchain transactions, with delegated computation executed in trusted hardware and verified onchain. Founded in 2023 by former Polychain Capital partners Niraj Pant and Akilesh Potti, Ritual has raised $30M+ from Archetype and Polychain Capital, with a team drawn from Polychain, DeepMind, a16z crypto, Flashbots, and Palantir. ritual.net

ContactJody RebakRitualjody@ritual.net

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored press release and is for informational purposes only. It does not reflect the views of Crypto Daily, nor is it intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.

* This article was originally published here

Top 3 VIP Platforms for Crypto High Rollers in 2026

For crypto high rollers, there are several things to consider when choosing the right platform to use funds. Can a platform move balances quickly, offer several cryptocurrencies and networks to choose from, and be able to reach an actual person when something goes wrong?

VIP programs have evolved accordingly. Cashback is still common, but the upper end of the market increasingly includes dedicated managers, higher limits, concierge services and crypto infrastructure built for players moving substantial amounts.

Here are three platforms approaching that market in different ways.

1. 1win: Crypto Payments and Infrastructure Meet High-Touch VIP Service

1win combines a 20-level VIP structure with an increasingly crypto-native platform.

The company supports deposits and withdrawals across major assets including BTC, ETH, USDT, TON, TRX, XRP, LTC and DOGE. 1win has said its crypto infrastructure is built to process deposits and withdrawals in under 90 seconds under normal conditions, although actual transfer times can still depend on the blockchain, network conditions and account checks.

At the higher end of its six VIP groups, the focus moves beyond conventional cashback. Benefits include dedicated personal managers, 24/7 assistance, concierge services, closed tournaments and access to private travel and events. That makes the program particularly relevant for players who expect service alongside financial rewards rather than simply a larger promotional percentage.

1win is also pushing further into crypto with its $1WIN token. The Solana-based token is designed for use across gaming, betting, lotteries and rewards. Its planned economics include revenue-funded market buybacks and the burning of 10% of $1WIN spent across supported platform products. The token’s smart-contract infrastructure has also undergone independent security assessments from CertiK and Halborn.

The token is not necessary to use 1win, but it gives crypto users another layer of participation within a platform that already operates at scale.

2. Stake: Broad Crypto Support and a Deep VIP Ladder

Stake remains one of the biggest names in crypto gaming and has one of the broader selections of supported digital assets.

Its current crypto payment infrastructure supports BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, SOL, XRP, DOGE, LTC, BNB, TRX and numerous additional tokens, with some assets available across several networks. USDT, for example, can be transferred using Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Tron and Solana.

For high-volume users, another notable feature is that Stake says it imposes no maximum crypto withdrawal amount, although particularly large withdrawals can be subject to manual processing.

Its VIP program has more than 15 levels. Players enter at Bronze after reaching $10,000 in qualifying wagering and progress through tiers that add benefits such as rakeback, reloads and eventually dedicated VIP hosts.

That combination makes Stake particularly strong for users who value a wide choice of cryptocurrencies and a well-established, activity-based VIP system.

3. Cloudbet: Strong Coin Coverage and VIP Transfers

Cloudbet takes a slightly different approach, especially for high rollers moving from another platform.

Its supported asset list is extensive, covering BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, SOL, XRP, DOGE, LTC, BNB, TRON, ZEC, TON, PAXG and numerous other cryptocurrencies. Cloudbet also says 90% of its withdrawals take less than two minutes, while processing times can still vary depending on security reviews and network conditions.

One of its more unusual VIP features is a VIP transfer program. Players with an established high-roller history elsewhere can apply to have that status considered when joining Cloudbet instead of rebuilding their position from the bottom. Accepted users can receive tier placement, a dedicated VIP host and rewards.

Cloudbet also supports more than 30 cryptocurrencies and multiple networks, giving high-volume users considerable flexibility in how they fund and withdraw from their accounts.

Crypto VIP Is More Than Cashback

The differences between these platforms increasingly come down to infrastructure and service. Stake offers particularly broad asset and network support, while Cloudbet combines a large cryptocurrency selection with an interesting route for established VIPs switching platforms.

1win is taking the model toward a wider crypto ecosystem, pairing fast multi-chain payments and high-touch VIP services with the upcoming $1WIN token.

For crypto high rollers, that may be where the competition is heading: not simply bigger bonuses, but faster access to funds, more ways to move them, and platforms built around crypto as part of the experience rather than just another deposit option.

Availability, payment methods and verification requirements vary by jurisdiction, and players should check the applicable rules before using any platform.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

* This article was originally published here

Bitcoin $3,000 reversal: Healthy correction or the start of something bigger?

With the U.S. stock market on the slide again Bitcoin was not able to hold its recent rally, giving back all the gains made on Tuesday and into Wednesday. Was this a standard healthy correction, or could this be the start of a bigger reversal?

If support fails, $BTC price could lose touch with the ascending channel

Source: TradingView

After a quick correction the $BTC price is back holding support at the bottom of the parallel channel. Is the correction over? It could be, but it will depend on whether the channel support holds. If it doesn’t, there is horizontal support at $81K, and then at $80,300. If these fail, the $BTC price could very well lose touch with the ascending channel and a target in the low $70K range could be on the table.

One important thing to bear in mind if a short-term trader is that the S&P 500 is opening almost a full percentage point down as per the futures chart. This is depressing the stock market, which is bound to also affect the crypto market.

The indicators at the bottom of the chart could save the day. The Stochastic RSI indicators are bottoming and could signal a bounce soon. While the RSI indicator has come back to retest the descending trendline. This trendline goes back about a month, so it should be fairly reliable support. A bounce here is also quite likely.

Channel bottom and 50-day SMA provide strong support

Source: TradingView

The daily time frame reveals that the $BTC price is nudging down below the boundary between the two parallel channels. This is also where the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) is offering its support. As can be seen previously, a few candle tails came down below these supports, but all were eventually bought back up. Is it going to be the same thing again this time?

If this big rally out of the bear market is to continue, the bulls will need to push the $BTC price back inside the ascending channel - yet again. A full correction is going to happen at some point, but can the bulls tick off a couple more key resistance levels first?

50-week SMA getting ready to turn back around and provide bull market support

Source: TradingView

Zooming right out into the weekly chart we can see that the trajectory of the 50-week SMA is becoming less steep. As per the previous bull market, it should start to flatten out, pass through the 200-week SMA (death cross) and then bottom, before heading up and back over the 200-week SMA (golden cross). If all goes as per the previous bull market, the $BTC price will stay above this moving average for the entirety of this new bull market.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

* This article was originally published here

Injective Partners With BDACS to Bring KRW1 Stablecoin to Onchain RWA Settlement

Injective and Korean digital-asset custodian BDACS announced a memorandum of understanding on October 20 to establish KRW1 as a won-denominated settlement asset for real-world assets and tokenization in the Injective ecosystem. The proposed structure would let tokenized assets trade and settle in Korean won instead of routing transactions through dollar-denominated stablecoins, according to Injective and The Block.

The announcement positions KRW1 for settlement rather than a broad retail launch: minting and redemption are initially for approved institutional partners and remain subject to regulatory approval.

KRW1 as a won settlement rail

The memorandum positions KRW1 as the proposed Korean-won unit for settling tokenized assets within Injective. In practical terms, the parties are targeting a structure in which the asset used to complete an onchain trade is denominated in won, not in a dollar-linked stablecoin.

That distinction matters for the scope of the deal. The announced use case is tied to real-world assets, or RWAs, and tokenization activity on Injective—not a claim that KRW1 will replace dollar stablecoins across crypto markets. The Block reported that the partnership is intended to allow tokenized assets to trade and settle directly in Korean won on the network.

For issuers and institutions that account for assets or obligations in won, a won-denominated settlement asset could reduce the need to route a transaction through a dollar unit before completing settlement. Whether that workflow becomes available will depend on the planned implementation and approvals; the announcement does not set out a public timetable for either.

Institutional rollout and approval

Injective said KRW1 is fully backed one-for-one by Korean won. However, that backing claim does not mean the token will be openly available for minting or redemption at launch. Those functions will initially be restricted to approved institutional partners and are subject to regulatory approval, the company said.

The limitation is central to assessing the announcement. A settlement asset can be designed for institutional use before it has a wider distribution model, and Injective's statement describes the former. The memorandum therefore establishes the intended role of KRW1 in the ecosystem while leaving the operational access model conditional on the approval process.

Neither party's announcement, based on the information released, details which institutions will qualify as partners or when minting and redemption could begin. The near-term significance is the proposed integration of a won-denominated asset into Injective's tokenized-asset settlement infrastructure.

Official Injective graphic announcing the Korean won stablecoin partnership with BDACS for tokenization. — Source: Injective

From Avalanche proof of concept

KRW1 predates the Injective memorandum. In September 2025, BDACS said the stablecoin was 100% collateralized by Korean won held in escrow at Woori Bank and that it had initially been issued on Avalanche as part of a technical proof of concept.

The Injective arrangement would extend the token's stated application beyond that initial issuance environment. Rather than presenting KRW1 solely as a technical demonstration, the new memorandum frames it as a prospective settlement asset for tokenized RWAs on another blockchain ecosystem.

BDACS' prior disclosure provides the clearest supplied detail on the token's custody structure: Korean won held in escrow at Woori Bank. In a separate October announcement, Injective described KRW1 as fully backed one-to-one by Korean won and said its planned use on Injective would be subject to institutional-access and regulatory conditions.

Injective's RWA settlement activity

Injective is directing the collaboration at an existing pool of activity it says has already developed on its network. The company said it has processed more than $7.5 billion in real-world-asset volume and issued more than $1 billion in tokenized assets.

Those figures, disclosed by Injective, are the scale against which the companies are proposing the KRW1 settlement rail. They do not indicate how much of that activity is Korean-won denominated, nor do they establish future KRW1 usage. They do show that the partners are aiming the integration at a network where tokenized-asset issuance and RWA trading have already been reported by the chain.

The next material development will be whether the memorandum advances into an approved institutional rollout with minting and redemption available to qualifying partners. Until then, the agreement sets out a planned won-denominated settlement path for Injective's RWA market rather than a fully open KRW1 service.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

* This article was originally published here

Outpoll Expands Beyond Prediction Markets With Crypto Futures Trading

Mahe, Seychelles, October 20th, 2026, Chainwire

Forecast an event, trade the asset it moves, and manage both from one app.

Today, Outpoll unveiled Trading, an integrated perpetual futures venue embedded directly into its prediction market ecosystem. Prediction markets, futures, and the Outpoll app now function seamlessly as a single service backed by a unified account balance. Traders can seamlessly analyze impending events, execute trades based on expected market movements, and consolidate all their positions under one dashboard.

Consider the conventional approach: anticipating an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve may involve taking a position on one platform, switching tabs to open a separate exchange, transferring capital, and then entering a long or short position on the index. Outpoll streamlines this into a single continuous process. A unified account balance supports both a position on the Federal Reserve decision and a position on the SPX500, or a forecast on oil supply alongside a direct position on crude oil. Forecasts and hedges coexist in a single unified interface across web and mobile.

How Prediction Markets and Futures Differ

Prediction markets reflect market sentiment, whereas futures empower traders to capitalize on price action. Most platforms restrict users to one mechanism — prediction venues rarely feature leveraged instruments, while derivatives platforms lack event contracts. Outpoll bridges this divide, delivering both asset classes through a single account, shared balance, and unified application.

Available Trading Assets

Trading covers three asset groups, quoted against USDT and USDC:

• Crypto: BTC, XMR, PUMPFUN and more, in total 80+ pairs
• Stocks and indices: AAPL, MSFT, SPX500 etc., in total 20+ pairs
• Commodities - 4 pairs

Every contract is perpetual, so there is no expiry to roll. Go long or short with leverage of up to 100x.

The Toolkit Traders Expect

• Isolated and cross margin
• One-way and Hedge mode, to hold a long and a short on one asset at the same time
• Market, Limit and Stop Market orders, with Take Profit / Stop Loss and Reduce-Only
• TradingView charts right in the order screen
• A calculator that displays the estimated liquidation price before an order is placed.
• A public API for algorithmic strategies

Availability

Trading is live now on the web at outpoll.com and in the Outpoll app (Google Play). Active users will find the new section in their account, running on the balance they already have. First users to sign up get a bonus using promocode “NEW100”, which can be spent either on a discount on trading fees or on increasing the size of a position. Terms are on the platform. 

About Outpoll

Outpoll is a single service for prediction markets and perpetual futures. Users trade the outcomes of real-world events in politics, economics, crypto, sports and culture, and trade perpetual futures on crypto, stocks, indices and commodities from the same balance, on the web and in the Outpoll app.

Website: Outpoll.com

App: Download

Risk disclaimer: Trading perpetual futures with leverage carries a high level of risk. See the Terms of Service: https://docs.outpoll.com/terms/terms-of-service.

ContactPRGreg RossiOutpollgr@outpoll.com

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored press release and is for informational purposes only. It does not reflect the views of Crypto Daily, nor is it intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.

* This article was originally published here

Regulator by Regulator: How Anjouan, Curaçao and Malta Supervise Web3 Sportsbooks

Three small jurisdictions license a large share of the world's crypto sportsbooks. Anjouan in the Comoros, Curaçao in the Caribbean and Malta in the Mediterranean each supervise operators in their own way, and the differences reach the bettor.

Each regulator sets its own rules on anti-money-laundering checks, player protection, complaints and crypto payments. Each also keeps a public register, though the detail it shows varies.

Viewed side by side, the three help a bettor read the licence line in a sportsbook footer as more than a badge.

Three Regulators Side by Side

Licensing regimes share common goals, yet the route to a licence and the protections behind it differ. The table sets out the main features of each.

Feature

Anjouan

Curaçao

Malta

Founding law

Gaming legislation dating from 2005

Ordinance on games of chance, effective December 2024

Gaming Act of 2018

Licensing body

Island authorities through a licensing service

The CGA, licensing directly

The MGA

Dispute route

Operator first, then an approved outside body

Operator first, then an approved outside body

Operator first, then mandatory ADR

Crypto stance

Permitted under AML rules

Permitted, treated as higher risk

Permitted with approval under a DLT policy

Public register

Yes

Yes

Yes

Last verified: October 2026

Regulators publish licence details in their registers, and the information a licence entry shows can confirm whether a sportsbook's claim holds up. Our guide to what a licence number tells a player covers how to read those entries.

Anjouan Tightened Its Rules After 2023

Anjouan licenses online gambling under laws dating from 2005, with gaming oversight, financial checks and licence administration split between separate island bodies. Trade reports put the number of licences issued above 1,650 by mid-2026, with around 1,500 active.

What Licensees Owe Players

Operators must run AML programmes with customer checks, transaction monitoring and sanctions screening. Player protection rules cover age checks, self-exclusion, deposit and loss limits and the separation of player funds.

How Complaints Move

Players complain to the operator first, which typically has around 30 days to respond. Unresolved cases then go to an approved outside body that the operator pays for, while the regulator checks that complaint processes work.

In June 2026, Anjouan's regulator stressed that its licence does not authorise operators in every country. Our look at what Anjouan regulation covers explains that scope in more detail.

Curaçao Moved to Direct Licences

Curaçao's new gambling ordinance, known locally as the LOK, became law on December 24, 2024. It replaced the old system of master licence holders and sublicences with licences issued directly by the Curaçao Gaming Authority.

Licences under the old law stayed valid into 2025, and the authority granted more than 600 provisional licences by late that year. The authority treats the move from provisional to permanent status as a priority for 2026.

New requirements include a physical office on the island and locally based key staff approved by the authority. AML rules took effect in April 2025, alongside a responsible gaming policy covering age checks, cooling-off periods, self-exclusion and deposit limits. Guidelines for outside dispute bodies followed in September 2025.

Malta Requires ADR and Regulates Crypto Through Policy

Malta's Gaming Act of 2018 underpins a licensing regime that has long attracted larger European operators. Directive 5 of 2018 requires every B2C licensee to contract an alternative dispute resolution provider and publish the procedure for players.

Since April 2019, the authority's Player Support Unit has left individual rulings to ADR providers. It accepts reports of unlawful or unfair conduct and reviews licensees' dispute records.

Malta's policy on distributed ledger technology, issued in February 2023, lets approved operators accept crypto, issue their own tokens or use audited smart contracts. Privacy coins remain banned, and operators cannot run crypto exchange services on their own sites. Our broader look at how crypto casino licensing differs across Europe sets Malta beside other regimes.

What Supervision Means for a Bettor

Supervision shapes three practical things. It sets the order of a complaint, decides which outside body hears an unresolved case and defines the player protection tools an operator must offer.

Supervision also has limits. Each regulator licenses activity from its own jurisdiction, while local law decides whether a player may bet with that operator at home.

Bettors get real value from a licence when they check the register entry, read the complaints procedure and confirm the dispute body before a problem arises.

Dexsport Under Anjouan Supervision

Dexsport operates through Dexapp LTD under an Anjouan licence, with a sportsbook, casino and prediction markets on one account. Dexsport's terms set the minimum age at 18, or higher where local law requires, and exclude residents of Russia and Belarus.

Players raise disputes with Dexsport by writing to team@dexsport.io or using the in-platform route, and its terms move from negotiation to arbitration if needed. Self-exclusion requests go to info@dexsport.io, and Dexsport blocks the account within 12 hours of receipt.

Dexsport's terms also allow identity checks at any stage, in line with the AML duties Anjouan places on licensees.

Conclusion

Anjouan, Curaçao and Malta each supervise crypto sportsbooks under their own laws. Anjouan has tightened AML, player protection and dispute rules since 2023, Curaçao moved to direct licences in December 2024, and Malta requires ADR and regulates crypto through a dedicated policy.

All three send complaints to the operator first and then to an outside body. Each keeps a public register, and each licence covers activity from its own jurisdiction only.

Five minutes with the register and the complaints procedure before a deposit makes the licence line in a footer meaningful. Each country sets its own betting rules, so confirm yours, keep to legal age limits and expect that KYC or AML checks may apply.

 

 

Disclaimer: The information here is provided for general purposes only and is not legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. Licensing laws, regulator policies and dispute procedures change over time, so check each regulator's official site and each operator's current terms before you bet. Betting carries risk, and rules vary by country, so check the law where you live. Please bet responsibly, within your means, and only if you are of legal age.

* This article was originally published here

Why AI Agents Need Crypto to Transact

* This article was originally published here