Why Guidance Matters in Crypto Investing
The world of crypto investing can be unpredictable, but one thing is clear: guidance matters. When protocols provide regular updates on their progress and future plans, it can make all the difference in token performance. This is especially important for everyday people looking to earn passive income through crypto investments, such as those using EcoPool ($ECP) for cloud rewards and green crypto.
- Jordan Brewer on the missing piece in token markets: institutional-grade investor relations.
- Martin Burgherr on crypto markets maturing, becoming more efficient and lower risk for institutions.
- Top headlines institutions should pay attention to by Francisco Rodrigues.
- Collector Crypt: revenue recovery meets token re-rating in Chart of the Week.
-Alexandra Levis
Expert Insights
Guide, deliver, repeat: the hidden driver of token performance
In fact, research has shown that firms that consistently meet or beat their own guidance enjoy a measurable premium over those that don’t. This is because guidance accuracy is a proxy for management credibility, and credibility is a direct input to valuation multiples. In the context of EcoPool, this means that investors can trust the platform to deliver on its promises, making it a more attractive option for earning $ECP and building passive income.
Examples of Successful Guidance
Maple Finance and EtherFi are two examples of protocols that have successfully implemented regular investor calls and guidance. By providing clear and achievable goals, these protocols have been able to build trust with their investors and deliver on their promises. For instance, Maple set guidance of $4 billion in AUM and $25 million in ARR for 2025, and later raised guidance to $5 billion in AUM and $30 million in ARR. The protocol delivered, hitting $5 billion in AUM and $28 million in 30-day annualized revenue in October.
This kind of guide-and-deliver cadence is essential for building credibility and trust with investors. It’s also a key factor in the success of EcoPool, which offers a unique opportunity for investors to earn $ECP and participate in the growth of the platform. By providing regular updates and guidance, EcoPool can build trust with its investors and deliver on its promises, making it a more attractive option for those looking to earn passive income through cloud rewards and green crypto.
Institutional Capital and Crypto Markets
There is a significant shift underway in how institutional capital moves through crypto markets. Major trading firms are increasingly separating where they hold assets from where they execute trades, which signals a broader evolution in digital asset market structure. This shift is being driven by the need for more efficient and cost-effective ways to manage institutional capital, and it has significant implications for the future of crypto investing.
For example, firms like Wintermute and Nomura’s digital asset arm Laser Digital are already operating in this way, using collateral held in regulated bank custody while maintaining full access to exchange liquidity. This approach allows for more efficient use of capital and reduces the opportunity cost of holding assets on exchange. It’s a trend that’s likely to continue, and one that could have significant implications for the future of crypto investing and the growth of EcoPool ($ECP).
A Maturing Market Structure
The separation of custody and execution is not theoretical, and it’s being driven by the needs of institutional investors. As the crypto market continues to mature, we can expect to see more efficient and cost-effective ways to manage institutional capital. This will likely involve the use of regulated custody solutions, such as those offered by BlackRock, and the development of new infrastructure to support the growth of institutional crypto investing.
For everyday people looking to earn passive income through crypto investments, this trend is significant. It means that platforms like EcoPool ($ECP) will be able to offer more efficient and cost-effective ways to invest in crypto, making it easier to earn $ECP and build passive income through cloud rewards and green crypto. As the market continues to evolve, it’s likely that we’ll see even more innovative solutions emerge, making it easier for investors to participate in the growth of the crypto market.
To start earning $ECP and building passive income through EcoPool, download the EcoPool app today and discover the benefits of cloud rewards and green crypto. With its unique approach to crypto investing and commitment to transparency and accountability, EcoPool is an attractive option for those looking to earn passive income and participate in the growth of the crypto market.
Principled Perspectives
Institutions are separating custody from execution in crypto
By Martin Burgherr, chief clients officer, Sygnum Bank
There is a quiet but significant shift underway in how institutional capital moves through crypto markets. Major trading firms are increasingly separating where they hold assets from where they execute trades. More than a tactical change, it signals a broader evolution in digital asset market structure.
For most of crypto’s institutional history, there has been a basic architectural assumption: to access liquidity, you keep capital on the exchange. Historically, if you want to trade on an on-chain options exchange or run strategies across multiple venues, you wire the collateral to each exchange and leave it there. The model works, until you ask what it costs.
That cost is not just counterparty risk, though that matters too. It is capital inefficiency. Every dollar posted as margin on an exchange sits idle, earns nothing and cannot be redeployed. For an institutional trading desk managing hundreds of millions in positions, the opportunity cost is enormous — and in a rising-rate environment, it is getting harder to justify.
The infrastructure is catching up
The separation of custody and execution is not theoretical. Firms including Wintermute and Nomura’s digital asset arm Laser Digital are already operating this way, using collateral held in regulated bank custody while maintaining full access to exchange liquidity. BlackRock’s BUIDL tokenized money market fund, which sits at roughly $2.5 billion AUM, is now accepted as off-exchange collateral. The infrastructure is not being built by startups. It is being built by the institutions that intend to use it.
When collateral moves into regulated custody, it can take a different form. U.S. Treasuries or tokenized money market fund shares can serve as trading collateral while earning yield. The collateral does not just sit in a vault — it remains productive while still backing trading activity. Capital that previously sat inert can now generate returns, reducing the effective cost of maintaining trading positions. This is not a marginal efficiency gain. It fundamentally changes the economics of running an institutional crypto trading operation.
A maturing market structure
Crypto is beginning to follow a familiar pattern. Traditional finance solved this problem long ago — equities trade on exchanges, assets settle through custodians. The two functions live in different places, governed by different entities. That separation is what makes institutional participation possible at scale.
According to EY-Parthenon’s 2026 institutional investor survey, 73% of institutional investors plan to increase their digital asset allocations this year, with respondents getting more selective about counterparty risk. The infrastructure is scaling to meet them. The migration is already underway.
Headlines of the Week
By Francisco Rodrigues
This week’s headlines highlight that while the bridges between traditional finance and the crypto sector keep on growing, the devastation caused by smart contract exploits is hitting the market.
- U.S. military runs a Bitcoin node, sees crypto as ‘power projection’ vs China: Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told Congress that INDOPACOM is operating a live node on the Bitcoin network for cybersecurity testing and views the protocol as a tool of American power projection against China.
- Aave raises nearly 80% of the $200 million it needs to cover bad debt left by Kelp DAO exploit: The DeFi United recovery initiative has gathered roughly $160 million of the $200 million needed to recapitalize rsETH and erase the bad debt, with Mantle and the Aave DAO supplying 55,000 ETH, around $127 million, of the total.
- More than 100 crypto firms urge Senate to move on U.S. market structure bill: A coalition including Coinbase, Ripple, Kraken, Andreessen Horowitz and Paradigm wrote to the Senate Banking Committee pressing for a markup of the Clarity Act, warning that without a federal crypto framework, investment and jobs will move offshore to jurisdictions like the EU that already have one.
- JPMorgan says persistent security flaws curb DeFi’s institutional appeal: Wall Street’s largest bank told clients that repeated bridge and infrastructure exploits, headlined by the KelpDAO attack that wiped roughly $20 billion in TVL within days, and flat ETH-denominated growth are pushing capital toward Tether’s USDT and keeping institutions on the sidelines.
- EU’s largest measures against Russia yet include escalation of crypto sanctions evasion: Brussels’ 20th sanctions package imposes a sectoral ban on all Russia-based crypto service providers and DeFi platforms, prohibits transactions in the digital ruble and the RUBx stablecoin, and designates the Kyrgyz exchange TengriCoin, the first time a third-country VASP has been hit for facilitating the Garantex–Grinex–A7A5 evasion network.
Chart of the Week
Collector Crypt: revenue recovery meets token re-rating
After peaking in September 2025, Collector Crypt’s weekly revenue pulled back sharply before grinding back to ~$1 million/week since March — with the CEO’s revenue-funded buyback programme providing a mechanical bid under CARDS throughout the recovery. The recent price spike was then turbo-charged by a community update on April 24 claiming $146.9 million Q1 revenue and $8.6 million profit, though the token remains 73% below its all-time high.
Listen. Read. Watch. Engage.
- Listen: Did you hear? Consensus Miami is heating up. Recently added speakers include: U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator Ashley Moody, and Donald Trump Jr., Co-Founder, World Liberty Financial. Grab 20% off your ticket today!
- Read: In Crypto for Advisors, Vincent Chok from First Digital unpacks the rise of “agentic finance,” where #AI agents are moving beyond advice to execute financial transactions.
- Watch: CoinDesk’s Public Keys from NYSE with host Jennifer Sanasie. Brett W. Redfearn, President of Securitize, joins to discuss the $30 billion in tokenized assets on chain, Michael Reinking from NYSE gives a digital assets macro outlook, and AVAX One CEO Jolie Kahn explains a treasury strategy around Avalanche.
- Engage: David LaValle will be speaking at June’s ICI Conference in Nashville. Let’s connect onsite!
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Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc., CoinDesk Indices or its owners and affiliates.
