BlackRock is ramping up its digital asset strategy with a wave of new hires aimed at expanding its crypto and blockchain-related products globally, amid growing institutional interest in tokenized and onchain assets. In a job posting board, the $10 trillion asset manager said it is hiring for seven digital asset positions, six based in the United States and one in Singapore. The move follows BlackRock's head of digital assets, Robert Mitchnick, posting about the open roles on LinkedIn last week. One of ...

Core Viewpoint - Tom Lee remains optimistic about Ethereum, suggesting that the increasing involvement of major financial institutions could support his long-term price target of $9,000 for the cryptocurrency [1][4]. Institutional Adoption - Major financial institutions, referred to as the "venerable and elite of Wall Street," are increasingly building on the Ethereum blockchain, with Amundi, Europe's largest asset manager, launching a tokenized fund on Ethereum [2][5]. - The trend indicates a broader institutional shift towards public blockchains, as asset managers explore tokenization amid growing regulatory and investor acceptance of digital infrastructure [2]. Significance of Amundi's Move - James Smith from the Ethereum Foundation highlighted the importance of Amundi's deployment on Ethereum, noting that the asset manager, with €2.2 trillion in assets, surpasses major U.S. firms like Fidelity and PIMCO [3]. - The choice of public Ethereum over private chains by institutions like BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and Amundi signifies a growing preference for Ethereum in real-world asset tokenization [3]. Price Forecast - Despite current market challenges, Tom Lee predicts that Ethereum's price could rebound significantly, estimating a range of $7,000 to $9,000 by the end of January, even as it trades around $2,843, reflecting a decrease of over 5% [4][6].

Industry Development - Chainlink expands tokenized fund access, enabling banks to trigger on-chain fund workflows [1] - Banks can utilize standard SWIFT messages without system overhaul [1]

Industry Trend - Chainlink expands tokenized fund access, enabling banks to trigger on-chain fund workflows [1] - Banks can utilize standard SWIFT messages without system overhaul [1] Technology Application - Integration of Chainlink with SWIFT allows traditional financial institutions to interact with blockchain technology [1]

🚨 @CHAINLINK EXPANDS TOKENIZED FUND ACCESS!Banks can now trigger onchain fund workflows using standard @swiftcommunity messages without system overhaul 👇https://t.co/A34GUmhvZf ...

Fund Offering - WisdomTree launches tokenized fund offering private-debt exposure on blockchain [1] - The entry point for the fund is $25 [1] Industry Trend - Bloomberg reports on WisdomTree's new offering [1]