Author: Tristan Lodenberg

US spot Bitcoin exchange traded funds saw a strong rebound Tuesday, attracting $257.7 million in net inflows as Bitcoin recovered to around $65,000. The turnaround followed $203.8 million in outflows a day earlier and marked the largest single day inflow since early February. The positive momentum helped push weekly flows back into net gains after five consecutive weeks of redemptions totaling roughly $3.8 billion. Despite the improvement, total assets under management across US spot Bitcoin ETFs have declined significantly in 2026. Assets have fallen about 30.5%, sliding from approximately $117 billion at the start of the year to $81.3 billion,…

Bill Gates acknowledged his interactions with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a town hall with Gates Foundation employees. A spokesperson for the foundation confirmed that Gates “took responsibility for his actions” while responding to staff questions. According to report by reuters, Gates described his meetings with Epstein as a “huge mistake” and apologized to employees who were indirectly affected. He emphasized that the interactions involved only philanthropy-related discussions and did not involve any of Epstein’s victims. Gates Foundation Confirms No Financial Payments Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice indicated multiple meetings between Gates…

Global payments company Payoneer has applied for a national trust banking charter in the United States, joining a wave of fintech and crypto firms seeking formal banking status. The company confirmed it filed an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish PAYO Digital Bank. If approved, the charter would allow Payoneer to issue a GENIUS Act compliant stablecoin, PAYO-USD, designed to function as a holding currency within customer wallets. The license would also permit the firm to manage reserves, provide custodial services and enable stablecoin-to-fiat conversions. Growing Competition for US Crypto Banking Charters Payoneer’s move…

Crypto bank Anchorage Digital has disclosed that it holds Strategy’s perpetual preferred stock, STRC, on its balance sheet, underscoring its long-term commitment to Bitcoin-focused corporate treasury strategies. CEO Nathan McCauley shared the update on X, describing the investment as a strategic signal of alignment between digital asset infrastructure providers and companies building Bitcoin treasury models. STRC, issued by Strategy, is a Nasdaq-listed perpetual preferred security offering an 11.25% annual dividend paid monthly in cash. The instrument is structured as a short duration, high-yield product, with proceeds historically directed toward Bitcoin acquisitions. Strategy currently holds 717,722 BTC, valued at approximately $46.8…

Bitcoin adoption accelerated sharply in 2025, even as prices remained nearly 50% below the October peak. According to financial services firm River, institutional investors accumulated approximately 829,000 BTC this year, reflecting continued confidence from businesses, governments, funds, and exchange-traded products. Registered investment advisors have reported eight consecutive quarters of net Bitcoin buying, allocating roughly $1.5 billion per quarter into Bitcoin ETFs over the past two years. This sustained inflow has expanded exposure through brokerage accounts, retirement portfolios, sovereign wealth funds, and corporate treasuries. Bitcoin Integration by Banks and Public Companies Adoption across the US banking sector has also strengthened, with…

A South Korean man is facing potential prison time after prosecutors accused him of attempting to poison his business partner during a dispute over crypto trading losses exceeding $816,000. The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office alleges that the suspect, in his 30s, mixed the pesticide methomyl into a cup of coffee during a meeting at a café in November. According to investigators, the victim collapsed shortly after consuming the drink and was hospitalized for three days before regaining consciousness. Authorities have charged the accused with attempted murder and violating the Pesticide Control Act. The trial is scheduled to begin on…

The White House has reaffirmed that President Donald Trump has no intention of granting a pardon to Sam Bankman-Fried, the former chief executive of collapsed crypto exchange FTX. The clarification comes as Bankman-Fried has stepped up public commentary on social media, posting frequently about politics, the economy and his criminal case. According to administration officials, Trump previously stated in a January interview that he did not plan to pardon Bankman-Fried, and that position remains unchanged. While the president has granted clemency to certain high-profile figures connected to the digital asset industry, Bankman-Fried is not under consideration. Sam Bankman-Fried Appeal and…

Kraken has unveiled tokenized stock perpetual futures for eligible non US clients, offering round the clock leveraged exposure to major US equities, stock indexes and gold. The contracts, available in more than 110 countries, provide up to 20x leverage and trade without expiry, following the structure of perpetual futures. The products are built on the xStocks framework, which creates blockchain-based representations of publicly traded shares and exchange-traded funds. Rather than holding the underlying stocks directly, the contracts reference tokenized equity benchmarks, enabling continuous trading beyond traditional market hours. Expansion of Tokenized Equities and Derivatives Markets The launch follows Kraken’s agreement…

Coinbase has officially rolled out stock and exchange traded fund trading to all users across the United States, marking a major step in its transition toward a multi-asset trading platform. Customers can now access approximately 6,000 US-listed securities directly within the Coinbase app, trading equities alongside cryptocurrencies on a 24/5 schedule. The new service offers commission free trades, fractional share investing and instant funding using US dollars or USDC. By integrating traditional equities with digital assets, Coinbase is positioning itself as a unified destination for diversified retail portfolios. Multi-Asset Strategy and Tokenized Equities Growth The expansion follows Coinbase’s broader push…

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has cautioned firms offering leveraged crypto derivatives that certain products marketed as “perpetual futures” or “perpetual contracts” could fall within the European Union’s contracts for difference (CFD) regulatory framework. In a recent notice, the regulator stated that derivatives referencing cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum may meet the legal definition of CFDs if their structure mirrors leveraged exposure products. Where applicable, firms must comply with product intervention measures, including leverage caps, mandatory risk disclosures, margin close-out mechanisms and negative balance protection. MiCA Compliance and Regulatory Oversight of Crypto Derivatives ESMA, which oversees compliance…