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Fifth-Largest Holder of Polygon Tokens Is Little-Known Chinese Crypto Project

At least one observer says Avatar is a multilevel-marketing (MLM) scheme in which users generate significant rewards for every person they successfully refer.

Updated May 9, 2023, 4:08 a.m. Published Feb 13, 2023, 11:41 a.m.
(Alexander Gray/Unsplash)
(Alexander Gray/Unsplash)

Cryptocurrency staking project Avatar has become the fifth-largest holder of Polygon's MATIC, accumulating 22 million tokens worth $22.5 million.

Details about the project remain scant on social media. News reporter Colin Wu says it is based in China and at least one industry observer suggests Avatar is a multilevel-marketing (MLM) scheme in which users generate significant rewards for every person they successfully refer.

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Avatar, which labels itself as a decentralized on-chain perpetual GameFi platform, is centered around a staking mechanism that involves "magic boxes." Users have the option of staking cryptocurrency tokens for between 24-hours and 181 days, with the latter option yielding a greater reward.

The anonymous nature of cryptocurrencies has led to a surge in MLM schemes over the past few years. In March, Shanghai police arrested 10 people in connection with a $16 million pyramid scheme that involved cryptocurrencies.

MATIC is currently at $1.16, down by 9.95% over the past 24-hours according to CoinDesk data.

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

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Coinbase CEO says Big banks now view crypto as an ‘existential’ threat to their business

Brian Armstrong and Larry Fink (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Brian Armstrong returns from World Economic Forum with message: traditional finance is taking crypto seriously

What to know:

  • Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said a top executive at one of the world’s 10 largest banks told him crypto is now the bank’s “number one priority” and an “existential” issue.
  • At Davos, Armstrong highlighted tokenization of assets and stablecoins as major themes, arguing they could broaden access to investments for billions while threatening to bypass traditional banks.
  • He described the Trump administration as the most crypto-forward government globally, backing efforts like the CLARITY Act, and predicted that AI agents will increasingly use stablecoins for payments outside conventional banking rails.