Blockchain & Digital Assets

May 1, 2025 @ 7:04 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Payments processing Fintech Stripe has recently announced two significant updates that underscore its objective to advancing financial technology and enhancing user experience. The company has partnered with Visa through its newly acquired stablecoin platform, Bridge, to launch a card-issuing product, and has expanded its AI-powered… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 7:00 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The United Kingdom is taking decisive steps toward regulating the evolving crypto-asset sector with the release of its draft crypto regime, a move that integrates key activities such as trading, custody, lending, and staking into the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) framework. Laura Talvitie,… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 2:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) financial landscape in 2025 is poised for transformative shifts, driven by evolving regulatory frameworks and the rapid adoption of blockchain-based digital currencies. Citigroup’s recent reports offer critical insights into these trends, highlighting the interplay between regulatory developments and technological breakthroughs. As financial… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 5:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

Tether, the top stablecoin issuer globally, has acquired a controlling stake in Adecoagro (NYSE:AGRO), according to a company statement. Tether purchased a 70% equity stake in Adecoagro, a Latin American company in the sustainability and agriculture sector. Adecoagro currently has a market cap of around… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 3:59 pm By JD Alois  |  

Digital asset company Galaxy Digital Holdings (TSX:GLXY) expects to uplist to the Nasdaq on May 16, 2025. A special meeting of shareholders is expected to take place on May 9th to approve the move. Final approval will be from the exchange. Mike Novogratz, CEO and… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 3:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

Digital Asset Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: DAAQ) has sold 17,250,000 units in an initial public offering, raising $172.5 million. There is an underwriters over allotment offer of an additional 2,250,000 units. Each unit includes one half of a redeemable warrant exercisable at a per-share price of… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 3:15 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The global financial landscape is undergoing a shift, with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) projected to facilitate $213 billion in transactions by 2030. As central banks worldwide race to design the future of public money, a new report, Hyperledger in Action: Central Bank Digital Currencies… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 12:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Alex Mashinsky, the former CEO of crypto firm Celsius Network, has pleaded guilty to fraud charges, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal scrutiny of the collapsed crypto lending platform. The U.S. Department of Justice is said to be seeking a 20-year prison sentence… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 10:32 am By JD Alois  |  

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has announced new crypto rules, where crypto exchanges, dealers, and others will be brought into the regulatory perimeter. Clear regulation is vital to allow digital asset technology to develop responsibly. In a public statement, Reeves noted that new rules will… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 9:07 am By JD Alois  |  

Plume and Soneium by Sony Block Solutions Labs are working together to enable real-world asset (RWA) yield. Plume is a blockchain focusing on the RWA sector. Soneium is an Ethereum layer-2 developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs. The goal of the partnership is to bring RWA staking and real-world… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 8:59 am By JD Alois  |  

Securitize has announced a “new chapter for institutional DeFi.” The tokenization platform has partnered with Gauntlet to enable a Real World Assets (RWA) strategy, powered by Morpho, deployed on the Polygon Network. Securitize states that the institutional-grade solution enables permissioned Apollo Diversified Credit Securitize Fund… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 8:39 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The European Crypto Initiative (EUCI) has ushered in a transformative phase for cryptocurrency regulation with the release of The AML Handbook: A Guide for Crypto Activities. This comprehensive guide introduces 13 pivotal compliance pillars that crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) must adopt to align with the… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 8:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The UK’s capital markets, a key part of its financial ecosystem, are undergoing a digital transformation driven by distributed ledger technology (DLT) and securities tokenization. A report by TheCityUK and Hogan Lovells, titled “The Digitalisation of UK Capital Markets: Digitalised Financial Market Infrastructure and Tokenised Bonds,”… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 8:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFI) is reportedly set to reintroduce cryptocurrency investing by the end of 2025, marking its return to the digital asset space after a forced exit in 2023. The update, made by CEO Anthony Noto in an interview with CNBC, reflects a… Read More

April 29, 2025 @ 9:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a transformative step toward bridging traditional finance and the digital economy, Mastercard (NYSE: MA) has unveiled an initiative to incorporate stablecoins into its global payments network. This move aims to make stablecoin transactions as intuitive and secure as conventional payments, enabling consumers to spend… Read More

April 29, 2025 @ 9:29 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

MoonPay, a global cryptocurrency payment platform, has announced the opening of a new U.S. headquarters in New York City’s vibrant SoHo district. The company has secured a facility exceeding 5,000 square feet, marking a significant expansion of its operations in the United States. This move… Read More

April 29, 2025 @ 9:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Arizona’s legislature has passed legislation that could position the state as a pioneer in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency adoption within the United States. The bill, which authorizes the state treasurer and retirement system to allocate up to 10% of their available funds to Bitcoin and other… Read More

April 29, 2025 @ 4:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

bunq, a digital bank based in the Netherlands, now offers crypto investing within its app. The service is now available in the Netherlands, France, Spain, Ireland, Italy, and Belgium. Bunq states that it will roll out crypto trading across the entire European Economic Area, as… Read More

April 29, 2025 @ 1:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Circle Internet Group, Inc., a global financial technology company and stablecoin market participant, announced it has received In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM to operate as a money services provider. This IPA marks a significant step towards Circle securing… Read More

April 29, 2025 @ 10:56 am By JD Alois  |  

Last week, FCA Chief Data, Information, and Intelligence Officer Jessica Rusu delivered a speech on the regulation of digital assets. Delivered at the CityUK International Conference 2025, Rusu said the regulator is supporting growth via innovation while reducing regulatory burdens. She noted that entrepreneurs are “looking for predictability,… Read More