The hybrid layer-2 network BOB has raised $9.5 million in a strategic funding round led by Castle Island Ventures, with participation from Amber Group and other investors. This funding round brings BOB's total financing to $21 million and aims to expand its Bitcoin decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. The raise reflects increasing investor confidence in Bitcoin-based DeFi infrastructure. Meanwhile, other notable developments in the crypto sector include the Peter Thiel-backed crypto exchange Bullish seeking a valuation of up to $4.23 billion in its U.S. listing, and Michigan’s State Pension increasing its stake in a Bitcoin ETF, signaling cautious confidence in the crypto market. Additionally, Hong Kong has seen a surge in stablecoin activity with ETFs trading HK$14 million and the launch of a real-world asset (RWA) registry platform. Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at $116,000, and tokenized Tesla stocks on Backed's xStocks platform have surpassed $2 billion in trading volume.