LATEST: ⚡ Crypto wallet Phantom is partnering with Kalshi to integrate prediction markets into its app, allowing the wallet's 20 million users to natively bet on topics across politics, crypto, sports and culture. https://t.co/Eq2YCcFRbq ...

Swedish fintech giant Klarna, best known for its buy-now, pay-later services, is deepening its move into crypto by teaming up with Privy, a wallet infrastructure provider backed by Stripe. The two companies will co-design and test crypto wallet features aimed at helping everyday users store, use and send digital assets, the companies said, in a push to "power a new generation of crypto products for Klarna users." The project builds on Klarna’s recent rollout of KlarnaUSD, a dollar-backed stablecoin laun ...

The agreement follows Klarna's recent launch of its own stablecoin, KlarnaUSD, in partnership with Tempo and Bridge. Now, the company is exploring building a wallet to make it easier for everyday people to actually use, store, and transact with crypto, lowering the barrier for mainstream adoption. The partnership represents a research and development initiative as Klarna explores the potential of digital asset infrastructure. Any future product launches would be subject to obtaining necessary regulatory app ...

Core Insights - Exodus Movement's acquisition of W3C Corp. for $175 million is a significant step towards establishing itself as the first self-custody wallet with a complete payments stack [1] - The deal is expected to enhance Exodus' revenue profile by introducing more stable fintech-style income, which will help mitigate the volatility associated with wallet and swap activities [2] Financial Impact - The W3C businesses are projected to generate between $35 million and $40 million in revenue for 2025, with profit margins ranging from 45% to 55%, contributing $20 million to $30 million to Exodus' gross profit in 2026 [3] - The acquisition is being financed through cash and borrowings from Galaxy Digital's credit line [3] Market Positioning - Monavate has issued approximately 5 million cards, and the combined platform has the potential to support up to 50 million cards, positioning Exodus for growth in mainstream payments [4] - The integration of Monavate's non-crypto client base with Baanx's crypto-native issuing capabilities is expected to serve as a growth engine for the combined business [4] Strategic Development - This acquisition follows Exodus' recent purchase of the Latin American stablecoin payments firm Grateful, which, along with W3C, is intended to create a comprehensive crypto payments ecosystem for consumers and merchants [5]

Core Insights - Paxos is expanding its presence in the DeFi sector by acquiring Fordefi, a startup focused on digital asset storage, for over $100 million [1][3] - The acquisition reflects growing demand from Paxos' clients for access to DeFi services, which were previously considered risky by larger companies [3][4] - Paxos has established itself as a significant player in the stablecoin market, issuing PayPal's stablecoin with a market capitalization exceeding $3.6 billion [2] Company Developments - The acquisition of Fordefi, which specializes in crypto wallets for DeFi, indicates a strategic move to enhance Paxos' offerings in response to client demand [3][6] - Fordefi, founded in 2021, has around 40 employees and serves approximately 300 clients, with a valuation of $83 million from its last fundraising round [6] - This marks Paxos' second acquisition in the past year, following the purchase of Membrane Finance, which helped the company comply with the EU's MiCA regulations [7] Industry Trends - The DeFi sector, while considered risky, is attracting interest from large corporations, as evidenced by Coinbase's recent feature allowing customers to borrow from DeFi networks [5] - Financial institutions are beginning to tokenize money-market funds, signaling a potential increase in institutional participation in decentralized finance [5]

Group 1: Market Overview - U.S. investors are facing challenges including high tech stock valuations, hawkish Federal Reserve commentary, and unpredictable tariff policies from the Trump administration [1] - Despite Nvidia's strong earnings, the market experienced a sell-off, indicating potential volatility ahead [2] - High-quality international stocks have emerged as a refuge from U.S. market fluctuations [2] Group 2: Shinhan Financial Group - Shinhan Financial Group, a South Korean banking conglomerate, has a market cap of $25.5 billion and reported strong growth in interest income and net interest margins in Q3 2025 [3][5] - The company is trading at a Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio of 7.94 and a Price-to-Book (P/B) value of 0.5, with a dividend yield exceeding 3% [5] Group 3: POSCO Holdings - POSCO Holdings, valued at $16 billion, is transitioning from traditional steel manufacturing to lithium battery production, which offers higher margins [6][8] - The company has secured deals for lithium extraction in the U.S. and mining operations in Australia and Argentina, yet it trades at 14 times forward earnings and 0.4 times book value [6] Group 4: PLDT Inc. - PLDT Inc., the largest telecommunications company in the Philippines, offers a range of services and has developed the popular PayMaya app, now rebranded as Maya [9] - The stock trades at 7.5 times forward earnings and 1.2 times sales, with a dividend yield over 7%, presenting a potential buying opportunity after a recent drop [11] Group 5: United Microelectronics Corp. - United Microelectronics Corp. is a key player in the semiconductor foundry market, with a market share of 5% and major clients including Texas Instruments and Intel [12][14] - The stock is trading at 14 times forward earnings and 2.4 times sales, below industry averages, and has shown improved earnings performance in Q3 2025 [14]

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry or Company Involved - The conference call primarily discusses the **Emerging Markets (EM)** and the relationship between **foreign exchange (FX) volatility** and **cryptocurrency demand**. Core Insights and Arguments 1. **Neutral Stance on DXY**: The company has shifted to a neutral stance on the DXY index, indicating a balanced view on the US dollar's strength against other currencies [6][9][12]. 2. **Funding Currency Diversification**: Investors are encouraged to diversify funding currencies to enhance carry profiles, particularly considering EUR or JPY for long EM positions [6][9][12]. 3. **Demand for Cryptocurrencies**: Contrary to the belief that higher FX volatility increases demand for cryptocurrencies, the analysis suggests that demand actually decreases as FX volatility rises, indicating that cryptocurrencies are perceived more as risky assets rather than safe havens [6][9][20][41]. 4. **Emerging Markets' Positioning**: The EM markets are well-positioned for inflows due to good risk appetite and moderate foreign buying of local bonds year-to-date, with little change in country narratives [6][9][12]. 5. **Impact of FX Volatility**: A statistically significant negative correlation was found between FX volatility and crypto demand, with a 1 standard deviation increase in FX volatility leading to a 3.2% decline in monthly active crypto users [41][52]. 6. **Country-Specific Analysis**: The analysis indicates substantial cross-country heterogeneity in crypto adoption, with countries like the US, Russia, and Turkey showing higher engagement compared to others like China and Angola, which have restrictive regulations [32][41]. 7. **Future Research Directions**: The report suggests exploring alternative measures of country risk beyond FX volatility and differentiating between stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies to better understand demand dynamics [20][54][56]. Other Important but Possibly Overlooked Content 1. **Technical Support for Panama**: The report mentions that Panama has shown technical tailwinds and reduced downgrade risks, which could be beneficial for its credit outlook [5][74]. 2. **Korea's Corporate Reforms**: Anticipated reforms in Korea could lead to significant foreign equity inflows, positively impacting the KOSPI index, although the effects on FX and rates may be modest [4][73]. 3. **Global Crypto Adoption Trends**: As of 2025, the global active crypto app user base is heavily concentrated in a few large markets, with emerging markets like Pakistan and Nigeria accounting for significant shares of activity [22][23]. 4. **Regulatory Environment**: The evolving regulatory landscape for digital assets globally is highlighted, emphasizing the risks associated with investing in cryptocurrencies [56][57][58]. This summary encapsulates the key points discussed in the conference call, focusing on the implications for emerging markets and the dynamics of cryptocurrency demand in relation to FX volatility.

Core Insights - Rumble is launching Bitcoin tipping, supported by Tether, with a full rollout expected by December after pilot tests [1][4] - The integration signifies a trend of digital platforms adopting blockchain-based revenue tools, indicating a shift towards mainstream crypto monetization [2] Company Overview - Rumble, founded in 2013, has positioned itself as a free-speech alternative to YouTube, attracting a conservative audience and independent creators [3] - The platform reported 51 million active users in Q2 and aims to empower creators with censorship-resistant payment options [3] Financial Strategy - Rumble has added $25 million in Bitcoin reserves this year, indicating a diversification of its crypto strategy [3] - Tether's $775 million investment in Rumble last year reflects a deepening partnership between the two companies [5] Future Developments - Rumble is developing a crypto wallet with MoonPay to facilitate faster in-app transfers and custody for users, aiming for seamless crypto transactions [6] - Analysts suggest that Rumble's integration of Bitcoin tipping could accelerate Bitcoin adoption among mainstream audiences, potentially expanding the crypto economy's transaction base [6]

Project Overview - Vultisig, a crypto wallet project, will launch its whitelist token issuance on October 27 [1] - Vultisig offers a live multichain MPC wallet solution with enhanced security features [1] Listing and Backers - Kraken will list Vultisig tokens 24 hours after the whitelist token issuance [1] - Vultisig's backers include Arca, Delphi, and Wintermute [1] Performance Metrics - Vultisig generated $400 thousand in cross-chain swap fees over the past year [1]

Core Insights - Blockchain.com is considering a US public listing through a SPAC deal, with Cohen & Company Capital Markets engaged as an advisor, though the status of discussions remains unclear [1][2] Company Developments - Since August 2021, Blockchain.com has aimed for a public offering, raising funds at various valuations, including $120 million in February 2021 and $300 million at a $5.2 billion valuation in March, peaking at $14 billion before adjusting to $7 billion after a $110 million raise in November 2023 [3] - To prepare for its public debut, Blockchain.com has expanded its leadership team, appointing Justin Evans as CFO and Mike Wilcox as COO, and adding Timothy Flynn and Landon Edmond to its board to enhance governance and regulatory expertise [4] Industry Trends - There is a strong momentum for public listings in the crypto sector, with firms like Circle, Bullish, and Gemini successfully going public in 2025 [5] - Blockchain.com has recently expanded its services into Africa, indicating its readiness for a public transition, which may occur this year or in 2026 [5][6] - The push for public listings by crypto firms suggests increasing investor confidence and regulatory clarity for US digital assets [6]