Cryptocurrency infrastructure and digital assets security firm Fireblocks has acquired onchain accounting firm Tres Finance in a deal reportedly worth $130 million in cash and equity. The deal brings Tres Finance’s deep suite of accounting, auditing, and reporting services and tools into the Fireblocks ecosystem. According to a report from Fortune, Fireblocks CEO Michael Shaulov says the firm will focus on integrating Tres Finance within its platform and providing “a much broader treasury management sol ...

Crypto.com has fully integrated the Lynq network’s real-time settlement solution, bringing instant funding and settlement, off-exchange collateral, and yield-in-transit features to the exchange’s institutional clients. According to a Jan. 7 press release, Lynq was “built by the industry, for the industry” with high profile launch partners including Fireblocks, Wintermute, GSR, Aquanow, DV Chain, and Nonco, supporting its development. Crypto.com is the first exchange to fully integrate its services. Elim ...

Core Insights - The cryptocurrency market is experiencing a resurgence, with Bitcoin (BTC) surpassing $90K and altcoins showing significant recoveries, indicating a shift in market sentiment from bearish to neutral/slightly bullish [1][4]. BNB Chain Market Performance - The BNB Chain sector has seen a notable increase, adding $4.5 billion to its market capitalization, representing a 6.9% week-over-week improvement, and has recovered all losses from December, now up 5.1% month-over-month [2]. - Trading volume for the BNB Chain sector increased by 15.8% week-over-week and 50.7% month-over-month, indicating a growing risk appetite among speculators [3]. Token Performance - Among the 100 largest BNB Chain tokens, 83 are showing positive performance, with BNB reclaiming the $900 mark after a 4.6% week-over-week gain, although it is outperformed by smaller tokens [3]. - Notable small-cap performers include CZ's Dog (BROCCOLI) and PAAL AI (PAAL), which gained 169.7% and 102.5% week-over-week, respectively [3]. Sentiment and On-Chain Activity - The overall sentiment in the market has shifted positively, with the Fear and Greed Index moving towards a neutral-bullish stance as BTC rises above $90K [4]. - Despite the positive trading momentum, on-chain activity on the BNB Chain L1 has not seen a corresponding increase, with daily transactions down 6.6% [5]. Total Value Locked (TVL) and Developments - The total value locked (TVL) on the BNB Chain improved by 8% week-over-week, primarily due to increased deposits to the Venus Protocol [5]. - BNB Chain has published its 2026 tech roadmap, focusing on upgrades for higher throughput, sub-second finality, and improved execution quality, which includes plans for parallel execution and client improvements [6].

Core Insights - The cryptocurrency market is transitioning from a technology adoption phase to an integration phase, with institutions facing challenges in mass-migrating clients on-chain due to regulatory hurdles and compliance requirements [3][12][13] - Modern blockchain technology is capable of supporting complex financial instruments and operations, offering programmability that legacy systems cannot match, which is expected to lead to a significant shift in how Wall Street operates by 2026 [4][5][12] - Institutional adoption of crypto has accelerated, with significant growth in spot bitcoin ETFs and the launch of tokenized money market funds, indicating a growing acceptance of crypto within traditional finance [6][13] Adoption and Integration Challenges - Adoption is hindered by the need for robust identity management systems and compliance with regulations similar to those in traditional finance (TradFi) [2][3] - Institutions require reporting tools that can integrate with existing legacy accounting systems, and if crypto necessitates separate workflows, adoption will stall [9][11] - The integration of modern blockchains with API-style layers and programmable audit trails is expected to resolve these last-mile tech obstacles by mid-2026, allowing institutions to treat crypto as part of their core operations [12] Market Dynamics and Future Outlook - The tone of the conversation around crypto is shifting, with market dynamics and client demand driving adoption rather than belief in the technology itself [16] - Major financial institutions are beginning to build on blockchain technology, with predictions that 2026 will see the launch of fully on-chain lending products by traditional asset managers [13][16] - Stablecoins are expected to gain traction, particularly in global foreign exchange settlements, while the focus on tokenization will shift towards actual replacement of traditional financial instruments [14][15] Performance and Sentiment - The cryptocurrency market started 2026 positively, with significant corporate accumulation of bitcoin and a favorable regulatory environment [16][20] - Memecoin trading volumes surged in early January, indicating broader market momentum and potential recovery, with major tokens leading this rally [26][27]

Core Insights - A new stablecoin named BRD has been announced, pegged to Brazil's currency and designed to share interest earned from government bond reserves with its holders [1] - The Brazilian benchmark Selic interest rate is currently at 15%, the highest since July 2006, creating an attractive environment for high-yield investments [1] - BRD is being issued by CF Inovação, targeting large financial institutions looking to access Brazil's government debt through a digital token structure [1] Company Overview - Tony Volpon, a former Deputy Governor for International Affairs at Brazil's Central Bank, co-founded CF Inovação in 2023, initially focusing on real estate tokenization [2][3] - Volpon has over 30 years of experience in financial markets, having held managing director positions at UBS and Nomura Securities [3] Market Context - The global stablecoin market has a total capitalization of $299.15 billion, with a monthly transfer volume of $6.86 trillion, while Brazilian real stablecoins represent a small segment with approximately $20 million in on-chain circulation [4] - BRD enters a developing market for real-pegged stablecoins that offer interest-sharing models, similar to yield-bearing security tokens in the U.S. [4][5] Competitive Landscape - Crown's BRLV, which launched about 18 months ago, has secured R$360 million (approximately $67 million) in commitments, with around $19 million currently in circulation [5] - Transfero's BRZ claims the largest market position among real-pegged tokens but shows only $13.6 million in on-chain circulation [6] Regulatory Environment - Brazil is set to implement new cryptocurrency regulations, classifying stablecoin transactions as foreign-exchange operations, subjecting providers to the same oversight as currency exchange businesses [7] - The Brazilian crypto market reached 227 billion reais (approximately $42.8 billion) in transactions in the first half of 2025, with stablecoins accounting for about 90% of the volume [7]

Digital asset infrastructure firm Fireblocks said it bought TRES Finance, a crypto accounting and financial reporting platform for an undisclosed amount, in a bid to close the gap between blockchain-based operations and traditional finance systems. TRES will continue to operate as a standalone product, with Fireblocks supporting its growth and integrating it more deeply into institutional workflows. The acquisition was valued at $130 million, according to people familiar with the negotiations cited by For ...

Wall Street broker Bernstein said 2026 is likely to mark the start of a tokenization “supercycle,” with digital assets having probably bottomed after a weak end to 2025, making market dips an opportunity to add exposure to crypto-linked stocks. The broker says sentiment weakened late last year but underlying fundamentals remain intact, analysts led by Gautam Chhugani wrote in a Tuesday report. Bernstein maintained its bitcoin (BTC) forecast of $150,000 in 2026, with a $200,000 target for the peak of the ...

Core Insights - The ultra-rich are eager to invest significantly in cryptocurrency, but traditional banks are not providing adequate support beyond a few ETFs [1][2] - Binance has launched Binance Prestige to cater to high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) seeking comprehensive crypto investment solutions [1][5] Group 1: Demand for Crypto Investment - There is a growing trend among ultra-rich family offices to invest more in cryptocurrency, facing challenges in finding proper support from traditional wealth managers [3] - A survey by Avaloq indicates that 63% of ultra-rich investors in the UAE have switched or are considering switching wealth managers due to the demand for digital assets [3] Group 2: Traditional Wealth Management Challenges - Private banks often claim there is no significant demand for crypto beyond ETFs, highlighting a disconnect between wealthy clients and the offerings of traditional wealth managers [2] - The traditional wealth sector is under pressure to adapt and provide digital asset solutions to meet the needs of wealthy clients [3] Group 3: Evolution of Crypto Investment Preferences - Initially, many family offices treated crypto investments similarly to venture capital, with only a small subset investing in spot crypto [4] - As awareness of cryptocurrency as an asset class has grown, more family offices are questioning whether they should have invested in crypto earlier, indicating that ETFs may not suffice for their needs [5] Group 4: Binance Prestige Offering - Binance Prestige aims to provide a white-glove service for ultra-rich clients, offering personalized guidance through the onboarding process and facilitating their first crypto purchases [6] - The service will tailor crypto purchases based on clients' backgrounds, investment profiles, and risk appetites, ensuring a customized approach to crypto investment [6]

Company Overview - Proactive is a financial news publisher that provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2] - The company has a team of experienced and qualified news journalists who produce independent content [2] Market Focus - Proactive specializes in medium and small-cap markets while also covering blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [3] - The content delivered includes insights across various sectors such as biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging digital and EV technologies [3] Technology Adoption - Proactive is recognized for being a forward-looking technology adopter, utilizing decades of expertise and experience among its content creators [4] - The company employs automation and software tools, including generative AI, while ensuring that all published content is edited and authored by humans [5]

Coinbase stock price has sunk into a technical bear market in the past few months as sentiment in the crypto industry waned. It was trading at $250 on Tuesday, down sharply from the July high of $444. ...