Jefferies, a Wall Street investment bank, said maturing blockchain infrastructure and incremental regulatory progress are laying the groundwork for a new wave of tokenization by institutions in traditional finance (TradFi). Broad adoption, however, depends on having clear U.S. market structure rules, it said. The bank pointed to the draft Digital Asset Market Clarity Act as the most detailed blueprint yet for how blockchain-based financial infrastructure could develop, even though hurdles remain in its p ...

Group 1: Gold Market Insights - Gold has reached a new all-time high price above $5,100 per ounce, confirming predictions from users on the Myriad platform that it would surpass $5,000 before Ethereum [1] - The price of gold increased by 65% in 2025 and has gained approximately 12% in the first three weeks of 2026 [4] - Goldman Sachs has forecasted that gold could reach $5,400 before the end of the year, indicating strong bullish sentiment in the gold market [2] Group 2: Ethereum Market Sentiment - 69% of users on Myriad believe that Ethereum is likely to drop to $2,500 before it can recover to $4,000, reflecting a bearish outlook on the cryptocurrency [2] - Ethereum has recently traded at $2,883 and has fallen more than 10% in the past week [4] - The closest Ethereum has come to surpassing its previous all-time high was $4,946.05 in August [4] Group 3: Market Dynamics and Influences - Gold tends to surge during periods of uncertainty, particularly when trade tensions escalate, as it is viewed as a safe haven asset [3] - In contrast, cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Bitcoin have struggled to attract defensive flows, behaving more like risk assets rather than hedges against geopolitical stress [3] - Recent comments from President Trump regarding potential tariff hikes on Canada have contributed to the uncertainty in the market, influencing gold prices [5]

Davos 2026 did put crypto back in the global spotlight. It may not have dominated the WEF agenda but it was a part of enough speeches and conversations to move markets and set narratives for 2026. What was the big takeaway? Politics is still navigating through short-term price action. But traditional finance, Wall Street and more are increasingly treating crypto and tokenization as inevitable. In an exclusive chat with 99Bitcoins, Dea Markova, Policy Director for Fireblocks, weighed in. “As geopolitical ...

Core Insights - Ripple Labs Inc. has secured a significant partnership with Riyad Bank in Saudi Arabia, aimed at enhancing the country's financial future through blockchain technology [1] - The collaboration will focus on exploring advanced blockchain applications via Jeel, a subsidiary of Riyad Bank, to strengthen financial services in the region [2] Group 1: Partnership and Strategic Goals - The partnership with Jeel aims to develop a secure and transparent digital infrastructure to support financial services across Saudi Arabia, aligning with the country's vision for financial innovation [2] - This collaboration is seen as a key opportunity for the Gulf region's remittance and trade corridors, emphasizing the importance of crypto custody and tokenization as foundational components for future financial markets [3] Group 2: Institutional Demand and Market Developments - The deal reflects a growing institutional demand for crypto assets, indicating a broader trend within the crypto space [4] - Ripple has also made strides by listing its USD-pegged stablecoin RLUSD on Binance, which is expected to increase liquidity within the Ripple ecosystem [5] - Additionally, Ripple has extended its collaboration with Garanti BBVA in Turkey, utilizing its custody technology for securing major crypto assets, showcasing confidence in Ripple's offerings [6]

Core Insights - Bitmine has staked a total of 2,009,267 ETH, representing 3.52% of the total ETH supply, and aims to reach 5% within the next six months [1][2][8] - The company has a total asset value of $12.8 billion, which includes 4.243 million ETH tokens, $682 million in cash, and other crypto holdings [1][2] - Bitmine has made a significant investment of $200 million into Beast Industries, which is part of its strategy to diversify its holdings [3] Company Holdings - As of January 25, 2026, Bitmine's crypto holdings consist of 4,243,338 ETH valued at $2,839 per ETH, 193 Bitcoin, and stakes in Beast Industries and Eightco Holdings [2] - The total cash holdings amount to $682 million, contributing to the overall asset value of $12.8 billion [1][2] Staking and Future Plans - Bitmine's staked ETH has increased by 171,264 in the past week, with a current staking rate of 2.81% [8] - The company is developing the Made in America Validator Network (MAVAN), which is expected to launch in Q1 2026, aimed at providing secure staking infrastructure [9][14] Market Position - Bitmine is recognized as the largest ETH treasury globally and ranks as the second-largest treasury in the world, following Strategy Inc. [10] - The company is one of the most actively traded stocks in the US, with an average daily trading volume of $1.2 billion, ranking 91st among US-listed stocks [11] Industry Context - Recent discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos highlighted the growing acceptance of digital assets and the convergence of traditional and digital finance [4][5] - Industry leaders, including Larry Fink of BlackRock and David Sacks from the White House, emphasized the importance of tokenization and the integration of banking and crypto [5][6]

Now that dual share classes are a reality, what’s next for ETFs? Some say tokenization. The $18 billion issuer F/m Investments took a major step toward such a future last week by filing an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking to tokenize shares of its F/m US Treasury 3 Month Bill ETF (TBIL). The move would allow TBIL, which invests in a single three-month Treasury bill and cash equivalents, to trade on both traditional brokerage platforms and digital-first ones without changing ...

Core Insights - Digital asset treasuries are rapidly accumulating significant amounts of crypto assets, with SharpLink Gaming focusing on long-term stability rather than aggressive accumulation strategies [1][2] Company Strategy - SharpLink Gaming aims to differentiate itself by being a disciplined digital asset treasury, prioritizing shareholder value over mere accumulation of assets [2][4] - The firm has accumulated 865,797 ETH, valued at over $2.6 billion, but has not made major acquisitions since October, indicating a strategic pause to ensure accretive investments [2][3] Competitive Landscape - SharpLink Gaming lags behind BitMine Immersion Technologies, which holds over 4.2 million ETH valued at more than $12.6 billion and has made significant investments, including a recent $200 million into Beast Industries [3] Market Positioning - The firm emphasizes a systematic and methodical approach to operations, attracting long-term investors despite a 60% decline in share value over the past six months [4][5] - Institutional ownership of SharpLink's shares is reportedly increasing, suggesting that its long-term investment narrative is resonating with investors [4] Recent Developments - SharpLink recently staked $170 million of its ETH holdings on the Ethereum layer-2 network Linea, aiming to generate higher yields and additional incentives for investors [5]

Core Insights - R3 is undergoing a strategic reset to determine the best way for customers to move assets fully onchain, coinciding with a comprehensive review of the blockchain landscape [1] - The firm has established a strategic partnership with the Solana Foundation, viewing Solana as the optimal network for future onchain markets due to its structure and design [2][3] Company Developments - R3 supports over $10 billion in assets through its Corda blockchain platform, collaborating with major financial institutions such as HSBC and Bank of America [4] - The firm is focusing on tokenization, which is gaining traction among traditional financial institutions as a key use case for blockchain technology [5] Industry Trends - Decentralized finance (DeFi) activity is primarily concentrated on a few chains, with Ethereum leading in total value locked (TVL), while Solana is rapidly growing due to its high throughput and low fees [6] - Solana's DeFi ecosystem has surpassed $9 billion in TVL, positioning it as a leading network outside of Ethereum and demonstrating significant onchain transaction volume and active wallet engagement [7]

Core Insights - Ondo Finance has surpassed $2.5 billion in total value locked (TVL) across its tokenized products, making it the largest platform for tokenized U.S. Treasuries and tokenized stocks [1] Group 1: Tokenized U.S. Treasuries - Ondo leads the tokenized U.S. Treasury market with a TVL of approximately $2 billion, primarily driven by the Ondo U.S. Dollar Yield (USDY) product, which has exceeded $1 billion in TVL [2] - USDY is designed for global (non-U.S.) investors, offering a stablecoin-like experience with yield and is available on nine blockchains [2] - The Ondo Short-term U.S. Government Bond Fund (OUSG) has also seen significant growth, holding over $770 million in TVL and providing features such as round-the-clock subscriptions and redemptions, daily interest accrual, and multi-chain support [3] Group 2: Tokenized Stocks - Ondo is the largest platform for tokenized stocks, accounting for more than 50% of the total market share, despite entering the market later than competitors [4] - Since its launch in September 2025, Ondo Global Markets has surpassed $500 million in total value across more than 200 tokenized stocks, with tens of thousands of asset holders generating over $7 billion in cumulative trading volume [4] - The tokenized stocks are available on Solana, Ethereum, and BNB Chain, supported by major wallets, custodians, and exchanges [5]

Binance is considering bringing back tokenized stock trading on its platform, after abandoning the product in 2021. Stock tokens are digital representations of shares in public companies. Instead of owning a whole share of Apple or Microsoft, an investor can buy a fraction of a share — held and settled on a blockchain — mirroring the real-time price of the underlying asset. "Binance is committed to bridging traditional finance and crypto, expanding user choices while maintaining the highest regulatory s ...