In today's crypto news, Divine Research has initiated 30,000 unbacked USDC loans verified through Sam Altman’s World ID platform, targeting underserved users. The loans, mostly under $1,000, are aimed at individuals like high-school teachers and fruit vendors, with interest rates between 20% and 30% and a first-loan default rate around 40%. In a separate development, Bitwise's Matt Hougan predicts that 2026 will be a strong year for Bitcoin, suggesting the traditional four-year halving cycle may no longer be relevant, especially with recent interest rate trends benefiting cryptocurrencies. Lastly, a solo Bitcoin miner successfully mined block 907283, earning a reward of 3.125 BTC, valued at approximately $372,773. Despite the mining industry being dominated by large firms, individual miners continue to contribute to the network, albeit with low probability success.

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