Europe has undoubtedly emerged as an early leader in this area. With MiCA now in force and the DLT Pilot Regime enabling structured digital-securities experimentation, the region has moved beyond fragmented sandboxes. The European market is the first to implement a unified, continent-wide regulatory framework for tokenised assets. Instead of treating compliance as an obstacle, the region has elevated regulatory clarity into a competitive advantage . It provides the legal, operational and technical certainty ...

The New York Stock Exchange is building a platform to trade tokenised versions of US-listed equities and exchange-traded funds and settle those trades on the blockchain. The platform will allow instant settlement, 24/7 trading and stablecoin-based funding, according to a company statement on Monday. Intercontinental Exchange Inc, owner of the New York Stock Exchange, is seeking US regulatory approval to launch the new platform some time this year. If approved, the platform will “power a new NYSE venue t ...

Core Insights - Bitmine is staking nearly $4 billion worth of Ethereum, representing about one-third of its total holdings of $13 billion, positioning itself as the largest staking provider in the crypto ecosystem with projected annualized revenue of $374 million [1] - Bitmine owns 3.45% of the total Ethereum supply and aims to increase this to 5%, despite Ethereum trading 37% below its all-time high [2] - The overall crypto market has seen a significant decline, losing $1 trillion in value, with current market capitalization at $3.1 trillion, which is 27% lower than its peak in October [2] Company Developments - Bitmine has received backing from prominent institutional investors, including Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and Cathie Wood's ARK Invest, making it the largest Ethereum treasury globally [1] - The company recently purchased an additional $76 million worth of Ethereum, indicating continued investment in the asset [5] Market Context - Despite the downturn in crypto prices, Ethereum is gaining traction on Wall Street, with JPMorgan selecting it for its first tokenized money market fund valued at $9 trillion, and Morgan Stanley filing for an Ethereum exchange-traded fund [5] - Bitmine's strategy comes at a challenging time for Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs), which have faced pressure as many public firms transitioning to DATs are trading below their underlying crypto asset values [4] Future Outlook - Tom Lee, a prominent figure in the Ethereum space, predicts a bullish future for Ethereum, suggesting a potential price of $250,000 per Ethereum, equating to a $30 trillion valuation for the blockchain's token [6] - Lee anticipates that 2026 will be a year of recovery for crypto prices, with stronger gains expected in 2027-2028, likening the current market conditions to a "mini crypto winter" [7]

Russia’s patents office has granted Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, approval for a trademark for the Hadron tokenisation platform. Tether submitted its application to the Russian Federal Intellectual Property Office, known as Rospatent, in October 2025, the Russian newspaper RIA Novosti reported on January 10. Rospatent reviewed the application late last year and approved it earlier this month, the outlet wrote. The development indicates Tether is looking to get in on Russia’s fast-growing c ...

Lloyds Banking Group has completed a landmark digital finance transaction executing the first-ever Gilt purchase using tokenised deposits. The transaction, carried out in partnership with Archax and the Canton Network, marks the first time tokenised deposits have been issued on a public blockchain in the UK — and the first global use of tokenised sterling deposits. How the Transaction Worked The transaction involved Lloyds Bank PLC issuing tokenised deposits directly on the Canton Network, a privacy-en ...

Group 1: Core Insights - Russians are increasingly adopting cryptocurrency, supported by banks and regulators, to create an investment ecosystem that can bypass Western sanctions [1] - The future of finance in Russia is seen as digital, with expectations for tokenized securities, commodities, industrial Bitcoin mining, and crypto derivatives to gain traction by 2026 [1] Group 2: Digital Financial Assets (DFAs) - Digital financial assets (DFAs) in Russia have grown over a third, reaching a market size of $13 billion in 2025, according to the central bank [2] - DFAs are built on private blockchains and can only be traded on domestic platforms with central bank permits, positioning them at the center of Russia's blockchain-driven economic expansion [2] Group 3: DFA Market Growth - The total volume of Russian DFA placements increased by 33% in the first nine months of 2025, with yields on short-term DFAs surpassing short-term bond yields by an average of 1.7% [3] - The Russian government aims to achieve tax parity for DFA investors in 2026, aligning them with traditional bondholders, which is expected to significantly boost the DFA market [4] Group 4: Licensing and Market Expansion - Since the issuance of its first DFA by Atomyze, Moscow has granted operating licenses to 16 additional firms, primarily banks, with a startup named Madrigal also receiving a DFA-issuing license [5] - The Moscow Exchange (MOEX) and Russian banks are promoting crypto derivatives, launching their own funds as Russians are unable to invest in US-based Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs [6]

Core Insights - The article discusses the differences and similarities between traditional finance and cryptocurrencies, emphasizing that while some financial principles remain applicable, cryptocurrencies represent a new form of financial innovation [1][2]. Group 1: Financial Activities - Finance fundamentally consists of three activities: lending, investing, and insurance, with all financial products fitting into these categories [1]. - Financial innovation historically aimed to reduce friction in these activities or obscure them, whereas cryptocurrencies are seen as a genuine innovation [2]. Group 2: Decentralized Finance and Tokenization - Tokenization allows for the breakdown of large claims into smaller ones, and decentralized finance (DeFi) aims to replicate financial market functions by eliminating intermediaries [3]. - Bitcoin serves as a modern tool for insuring against currency debasement, although its effectiveness as a transaction currency remains questionable [3]. Group 3: Risks and Historical Context - The article critiques the notion that DeFi will completely eliminate middlemen, suggesting it may instead facilitate rent extraction by a concentrated financial industry [4]. - The wisdom from traditional finance warns against leveraging borrowed money to invest in volatile assets like Bitcoin, labeling such strategies as imprudent [5][6]. - A described strategy in the crypto world, known as "looping," mirrors old financial schemes and poses significant risks, akin to a pyramid scheme [6][7].

Core Insights - The wealth management sector should industrialize its growth strategies, focusing on analytics and streamlined onboarding processes to enhance performance [1] - A significant consolidation trend is observed, with approximately 210 transactions per year since 2022, potentially reducing the number of asset and wealth managers by up to 20% by 2029 [4] - High-net-worth individuals with $1-10 million in assets represent a key demographic, holding around $38 trillion in investable wealth and showing stable revenue yields [3] Growth Strategies - Firms are encouraged to build ecosystems that support private market investments, including educating clients and introducing liquidity tools [1] - Simplifying product offerings and re-architecting core platforms can lead to gross savings of 10% to 25% [2] - The integration of AI is expected to enhance productivity and efficiency within firms [8] Market Dynamics - The alternative investment market is growing, with semi-liquid formats increasing by 41% year-over-year in 2024, making private markets more accessible [3] - Revenue margins for wealth management firms are declining, with a projected decrease of around six basis points in 2024 and an additional three basis points in the first half of 2025 [5] - Global household financial wealth is expected to grow by approximately 5.5% per year until 2029, despite shrinking revenue margins for firms [9] Client Expectations - Clients are increasingly demanding digital solutions, including self-service portals and rapid onboarding processes [7] - The industry is shifting towards an industrialized model of financial advice, with automated systems handling the majority of processes [11] - Specialized propositions for high-net-worth individuals will be developed, offering tiered services based on wealth levels [12] Future Trends - The financial services industry is projected to see around 1,500 transactions by 2029, driven by banks and independent firms consolidating [7] - Tokenization, including stablecoins, is expected to reshape deposit economies and client cash management [7] - Continued demand for yield-plus investments and tokenized cash for liquidity management is anticipated [10]

Core Insights - Tokenisation is emerging as a significant trend in the financial sector, with major players like Robinhood, Kraken, and Superstate launching tokenised stocks for 24/7 trading of digital shares by 2025 [1] - The tokenised assets market is expected to expand significantly by 2026, particularly into private markets, which have traditionally been dominated by institutional investors [2] - Retail investors are projected to gain access to a market estimated by BlackRock to grow by 53% to $20 trillion by 2030, with tokenised assets potentially reaching a combined value of $35 trillion by the same year [3] Industry Developments - The integration of traditional finance with crypto is becoming more pronounced, driven by regulatory clarity, political support, and industry maturation, leading to increased institutional investment in crypto ETFs and blockchain infrastructure [4] - Current tokenisation efforts are facing challenges due to fragmentation, limiting the ability for traders to move digital assets freely across platforms [5] - Regulatory clarity is essential for the advancement of tokenisation, particularly regarding geolocking and varying regulatory requirements across different regions [6][7]

Traditional finance just gave crypto a huge vote of confidence. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation — which clears nearly $4 quadrillion in annual transactions and custodies $100 trillion — will be tokenising US Treasury securities on the Canton Network, the DTCC announced Wednesday. The move highlights how the next chapter of onchain finance will be forged by systems — like Canton — that mirror how markets actually operate, comply with regulatory frameworks, and are designed to scale securely at ...