By Karen Roman Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF (BTS: ARKK) is buying shares of crypto infrastructure company Solmate, the new operating name of Brera Holdings PLC (Nasdaq: SLMT), after a recent dip. ARK Innovation has been adding to its position in SLMT and focusing on Solmate becoming a leader in Abu Dhabi’s next-generation financial infrastructure, Ms. Wood said in a Jan. 15 episode of ARK’s “For Your Innovation” podcast. “We are seeing ‘regulatory whiplash’ in the U.S.,” Ms. Wood said. “By moving t ...

Core Viewpoint - Chainlink (CRYPTO: LINK) experienced a significant decline of 17.1% in value over the past week, making it one of the worst-performing large-cap cryptocurrencies [1] Group 1: Chainlink's Role and Recent Developments - Chainlink serves as a leading infrastructure player for developers creating crypto applications that require off-chain data, such as price feeds, to be integrated into the blockchain [2] - The launch of Chainlink's "24/5 U.S. Equity Streams" solution aims to enhance data streams for DeFi protocols, facilitating real-time trading and promoting integration between traditional finance and DeFi [6][8] Group 2: Market Conditions and Impact - A broad market decline affected Chainlink, as speculative capital shifted towards low-correlation assets like precious metals, leading to a downturn in higher-risk equities and digital assets [7] - Despite the negative market conditions, Chainlink's launch of the 24/5 U.S. Equity Streams solidifies its position as a leading oracle network, supporting the ongoing integration between traditional finance and DeFi [8]

Group 1 - ClearBank has partnered with Taurus to provide stablecoin services, indicating banks' desire for crypto infrastructure without the associated risks [1][2] - Taurus, a Swiss firm, will manage the technical aspects of stablecoin services while ClearBank maintains customer relationships, emphasizing a focus on security and governance [2][3] - The stablecoin market has reached a $300 billion valuation, driven by regulatory clarity in the US and Europe, which has encouraged banks to engage with crypto [5] Group 2 - Taurus has established connections with major banks like Deutsche Bank and State Street, highlighting a trend where banks seek faster, compliant money transfer solutions [4][5] - The integration of bank-grade stablecoin services is expected to enhance user experience by providing smoother transactions akin to traditional bank transfers [6] - Adoption of stablecoins is rapidly increasing, with data indicating triple-digit growth as users begin to treat them like digital checking accounts [7]

Core Viewpoint - Bakkt is expanding into the stablecoin payments market by acquiring Distributed Technologies Research (DTR), aiming to enhance its stablecoin settlement and programmable payments capabilities [1]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - Bakkt will issue approximately 9.1 million shares of its Class A common stock, representing about 31.5% of its current share count, to complete the acquisition [2]. - The final number of shares may change before closing, which is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals [2]. - DTR's CEO, Akshay Naheta, will lead Bakkt post-merger, having previously led investment efforts at SoftBank [3]. Group 2: Market Reaction and Valuation - Following the acquisition announcement, Bakkt's shares increased by 17% to over $19, reaching a two-month high, with the deal valued at around $168 million at current prices [4]. Group 3: Strategic Implications - DTR's platform facilitates programmable digital payments, including cross-border transactions with stablecoins, which are becoming increasingly significant in the digital asset sector [5]. - By acquiring DTR, Bakkt aims to reduce reliance on third-party vendors and accelerate the launch of new services, including neobanking offerings planned for later this year [6]. - The acquisition is expected to consolidate Bakkt's stablecoin settlement infrastructure and support its neobanking strategy with various distribution partners in the near future [7].

Edward Woodford, CEO of crypto-infrastructure startup zerohash, joins "Bloomberg Crypto" to discuss the growth of stablecoins in the US, banks' usage of the technology and the overall growing institutional adoption of digital assets. He speaks with Bloomberg's Scarlet Fu and Katie Greifeld. The company builds stablecoin and blockchain infrastructure that allows for payments and crypto trading. The firm, founded in 2017, has settled more than $65 billion of transaction volume, according to its website. ...

Bitcoin mining firm Hut 8 is the latest crypto infrastructure company to lock in large-scale, Google-backed financing, as miners increasingly pivot toward artificial intelligence data centers to offset post-halving pressure on their core business. On Dec. 17, Hut 8 announced it had signed a 15-year lease agreement valued at $7 billion with cloud infrastructure firm Fluidstack for 245 megawatts of IT capacity at its River Bend data center campus in Louisiana. The agreement includes a financial backstop f ...

Before Rushi Manche’s ousting from Movement Labs, the crypto infrastructure startup he co-founded with fellow Vanderbilt University dropout Cooper Scanlon, he was a rising young star in the DeFi world. This feature is a part of CoinDesk's Most Influential 2025 list. But in April 2025, the buzzy project became embroiled in a scandal over hidden market-making deals connected to MOVE’s token launch. Internal documents obtained by CoinDesk showed that Movement Labs, under Manche’s leadership, had signed a con ...

Core Insights - Solmate Infrastructure has launched the first-ever Solana validator in the UAE, which is expected to rank among the top globally and allows users to stake $SOL at 0% commission [1][2] - The company aims to establish RPC nodes and colocation services to support decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, leveraging partnerships to enhance yield generation [2][3] - Solmate's strategy includes an "Infrastructure Flywheel™" that relies on increasing $SOL inventory to boost revenue from RPC and colocation services [3][7] Company Overview - Solmate Infrastructure is based in Abu Dhabi and focuses on building infrastructure for the crypto revolution, particularly for the Solana network [8] - The company is backed by notable investors including Ark Invest and RockawayX, and aims to process Solana transactions more efficiently than competitors [8] Strategic Initiatives - The company plans to grow its $SOL stake through capital market activities and yield generation strategies, which will enhance the performance of its services [3][7] - Solmate's CEO emphasized the importance of maximizing RPC and colocation fees to generate more $SOL for the treasury [7]

Core Insights - Solmate Infrastructure has provided an update on its validator operations, data center selection, M&A strategy, and a $300M PIPE Securities Purchase Agreement [1][4][6] Validator Operations & Data Center Selection - The company has selected a data center in the UAE for its bare metal validators and is currently testing its first validator hardware, which will be the first performant Solana validator in the Middle East [2] - The validator is being configured using SOL purchased at a historic discount to market prices [2] Planned M&A Strategy - Solmate Infrastructure plans to pursue an aggressive M&A strategy, focusing on opportunities across the Solana value chain with rigorous criteria for synergy and growth [3][4] - The company aims to target businesses that can leverage its SOL treasury for growth, enhancing SOL-per-share for investors [4] Amended Registration Rights Agreement - An amendment to the registration rights agreement for the $300M PIPE financing has been successfully negotiated, with a registration statement expected to be filed with the SEC by November 22, 2025 [4][5] - This extension is intended to provide the company with flexibility in completing and announcing new infrastructure while enhancing long-term shareholder value [5] Company Overview - Solmate Infrastructure, based in Abu Dhabi, focuses on building infrastructure and hardware for the crypto sector, specifically leveraging Solana's staking infrastructure to drive network adoption in the Middle East [6] - The company is backed by notable investors including Ark Invest and RockawayX, and aims to process Solana transactions more efficiently than competitors [6]

Core Insights - Solmate Infrastructure announced a $50 million purchase of SOL tokens at a 15% discount during a significant liquidation event in the crypto market [1] - Ark Invest disclosed an 11.5% ownership stake in Solmate Infrastructure, indicating growing institutional confidence in the Solana ecosystem [2] Group 1: Company Actions - Solmate executed the purchase of SOL tokens as part of a strategic agreement with the Solana Foundation, capitalizing on what is perceived as a historically low market price for SOL [3] - The acquisition will support Solmate's infrastructure operations in the UAE and is aligned with the country's digital transformation agenda [4] - The Solana Foundation will have the right to nominate up to two directors to Solmate's Board as part of the deal [4] Group 2: Institutional Interest - Ark Invest's stake in Solmate builds on its previous investments, including a $300 million participation in the company's oversubscribed PIPE financing round [5] - The investment by Ark Invest is notable as it represents the first-ever investment by a regulated American ETF into a crypto infrastructure PIPE [5] - There is a broader institutional interest in Solana-based treasury vehicles, reflecting a rapid expansion in this space [6]