News linked to both this project and an event.
According to CoinDesk, Ethena has reached a $1 billion credit partnership with digital asset prime broker FalconX, deploying USDe synthetic dollar collateral assets into the institutional credit sector. According to the announcement, the financing will be used to fund over-collateralized loans originated by FalconX, with use cases including trading strategies, corporate treasury management, and payments. The loan collateral will be custodied by third-party custodians, and Ethena holds first-priority security interests.
Odaily News: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) abruptly canceled a meeting originally scheduled for last Friday. The meeting was intended to advance crypto regulatory rulemaking and unveil repeatedly delayed innovation exemption arrangements. The pause may be related to the Clarity Act. Earlier last week, the SEC announced it would hold a public meeting where commissioners would discuss the Reg Crypto proposal, covering how companies can raise funds through tokens and eventually exit SEC oversight after issuing their own digital assets. The SEC had also planned to unveil at least some innovation exemption arrangements regarding how securities-token issuers handle underlying securities. Neither of these initiatives moved forward as scheduled. (CoinDesk)
Crypto startups completed USD 11.2 billion in funding in the first half of 2026, with all disclosed capital flowing to regulated, licensed enterprises. Payments and stablecoins, prediction markets, exchanges, and trading platforms received the most funding. Major backers include Wall Street and large global financial institutions, whose investment focus is on licensed and compliant companies. Investors and founders increasingly view regulatory licenses as scarce and defensive assets, while retail investors still primarily trade on unlicensed or alternative platforms. (CoinDesk)
Odaily Planet Daily: Crypto asset trading platform Bullish has announced its financial results for Q2 2026. The company stated that as global securities markets gradually migrate to public blockchains, Bullish is planning to build a comprehensive issuer-supported tokenized securities service system covering issuance, listing, trading, and tracking.Bullish CEO Tom Farley stated that the global securities market, valued at nearly $300 trillion, is transitioning to public blockchains, and Bullish aims to work with issuers to drive this process. Upon completion of the proposed acquisition of Equiniti, the company will form an integrated platform covering tokenized securities issuance, listing, trading, and tracking.Financial data shows that Bullish's Q2 digital asset sales reached $32.6 billion, down from $58.6 billion in the same period last year; the net loss was $280 million, compared to a net profit of $108.3 million in the same period last year, corresponding to a diluted loss per share of $1.78.However, the company's core business performance improved. Q2 adjusted revenue (non-IFRS) reached $92.6 million, up 62% year-over-year from $57 million in the same period last year; among which subscription, services, and other revenue hit a record $62.7 million. Adjusted trading revenue was $29.9 million, up 24% year-over-year; adjusted EBITDA was $29.5 million, compared to $8.1 million in the same period last year; adjusted net profit was $14.3 million, compared to a loss of $6 million in the same period last year.In terms of business progress, Bullish stated that the acquisition of UK fintech company Equiniti is progressing and is expected to be completed in early 2027, subject to customary conditions including regulatory approvals. Additionally, Bullish's CoinDesk indices continue to gain institutional adoption. Morgan Stanley has launched Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana-related trading products based on CoinDesk benchmark indices, attracting over $400 million in inflows during Q2.On the regulatory front, Bullish has received approval from the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) to provide secondary trading services for tokenized securities, becoming one of the first regulated platforms to offer issuer-supported tokenized securities trading.The company has also raised and refined its full-year 2026 guidance, projecting subscription, services, and other revenue (non-IFRS) of $225 million to $245 million, adjusted operating expenses of $225 million to $230 million, and financing costs of $52 million to $60 million. (Globenewswire)
According to CoinDesk, the Bank of England (BOE) announced that its digital pound project has officially entered the second phase, focusing on testing whether public stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) can interoperate within a single payment stream to promote the modernization of cross-border trade finance. This experiment focuses on SME trade finance scenarios: exporters receive advance financing through stablecoin technology, while UK importers complete final settlement using the digital pound. Participants include UK fintech company NOBO Finance, global business data analytics firm Dun & Bradstreet, and blockchain company Polygon Labs. The three parties will integrate wallet transaction data, open finance information, and business intelligence to build reusable credit assessment profiles for SMEs. Polygon will provide stablecoin settlement infrastructure through its Open Money Stack, encompassing fiat currency exchange, wallet, and smart contract functionalities. The BOE emphasized that the laboratory does not involve real customers or funds, does not represent a decision to officially issue the digital pound, and the experimental results will serve as a reference for the joint assessment of the digital pound by the Bank of England and the Treasury later this year.
Odaily News: The Bank of England's (BOE) digital pound project has entered its second phase, testing whether publicly issued stablecoins and central bank currency can operate together in a single payment process for trade finance. The BOE will collaborate with NOBO Finance, Dun & Bradstreet, and Polygon Labs in its Digital Pound Lab to explore building reusable credit profiles for small businesses and research the use of stablecoins alongside a potential digital pound in invoice factoring. The experiments do not involve real customers or funds and are designed to provide a reference for the BOE and the UK Treasury in evaluating the interoperability of different forms of digital currency. (CoinDesk)
Odaily News: Itaú, the largest bank in Latin America by asset size, is partnering with OpenAssets to participate in an industry-led pilot of tokenized fixed income and investment funds. Brazil has become a testing ground for placing bonds, credit, and other financial assets on blockchain under a regulatory framework. (CoinDesk)
Odaily News: Crypto-friendly bank Erebor Bank is in talks to raise $1.5 billion at a target valuation of $9.5 billion. The funds will be used to meet the 12% mandatory leverage ratio requirement and support loan business expansion, including a $200 million credit facility to Valar Atomics. Erebor Bank's total deposits grew from $1.1 billion in March to $4.6 billion in July, with customer growth primarily coming from the crypto, AI, and defense sectors. (CoinDesk)
Odaily News The inside story behind stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK's acquisition by Mastercard for $1.8 billion has recently come to light. According to Concentric, an early investor in BVNK, during the bidding process, US crypto exchange Coinbase once held an advantageous position and reportedly submitted a bid as high as $2.5 billion, but ultimately withdrew from the competition due to insufficient strategic and cultural alignment between the two parties.Kjartan Rist, founding partner of Concentric, stated that BVNK's founding team did not focus solely on the offer price when selecting an acquirer, but placed greater emphasis on long-term partnership and corporate culture fit. "Coinbase may have offered a higher price, but the chemistry between the two sides was not ideal." In contrast, Mastercard, as a traditional financial services company, is more likely to create synergies with BVNK in payment infrastructure and stablecoin applications.It is understood that Mastercard participated in acquisition discussions with BVNK at an early stage, and after Coinbase failed to advance the deal, Mastercard re-emerged as the primary buyer, ultimately completing the acquisition for $1.8 billion.Visa also participated in the competition. Having previously invested in BVNK and holding a board observer seat, Visa once had an advantage. However, Visa ultimately chose not to pursue a direct acquisition, instead adopting an open strategy of partnering with multiple stablecoin companies.Founded in 2018, BVNK provides enterprises with stablecoin payment, cross-border settlement, and treasury management infrastructure. Its early investor Concentric invested in the company at a valuation of $4 million in 2019, and this transaction has generated substantial returns.The acquisition also reflects a new round of competition between traditional payment giants and crypto companies over stablecoin infrastructure. Previously, Stripe acquired stablecoin infrastructure company Bridge for $1.1 billion, prompting payment giants such as Visa and Mastercard to accelerate their expansion into the stablecoin sector.Currently, the global stablecoin market size has approached $300 billion. As enterprise payments, cross-border settlements, and treasury management use cases grow rapidly, stablecoin infrastructure is becoming a critical gateway for traditional financial institutions to capture. (CoinDesk)
Odaily News Stablecoin issuer Tether has announced that its asset tokenization platform Hadron will provide real estate asset tokenization technology for institutional investors in Saudi Arabia, bringing traditional real estate assets on-chain.Tether stated that it will collaborate with local Saudi partner First Data and fintech company BKN301 to provide institutional clients with infrastructure support for the issuance, management, and digitalization of real estate assets. In the future, this model could expand to other real-world asset (RWA) sectors such as energy and infrastructure financing.This move is Tether's latest initiative to expand from its stablecoin business into the real-world asset tokenization space. Tether launched the Hadron platform in 2024 to streamline the asset tokenization process, and is currently one of the world's largest issuers of tokenized gold assets, with its gold token XAUT reaching approximately $2.6 billion in size.In recent years, banks and asset management institutions have been exploring the tokenization of traditional assets such as money market funds, private credit, real estate, and equities on blockchain to improve settlement efficiency, broaden investor reach, and optimize capital utilization. Citigroup previously forecast that the tokenized securities market could reach $5.5 trillion by 2030.Saudi Arabia is actively exploring the application of blockchain technology in financial services, government, and supply chains as part of its economic diversification strategy under Vision 2030.Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated that with the digital transformation opportunities brought by Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is an ideal market to demonstrate the value of the Hadron platform. (CoinDesk)
Odaily News – Laser Digital, the digital assets division of Japanese financial group Nomura, has announced a strategic investment in ZIGChain, a Layer 1 blockchain project based in the UAE. The two parties will collaborate to advance the on-chain adoption of the private credit market in the Middle East and Gulf region, including Sharia-compliant asset products.Neither party disclosed the specific investment amount, but market sources indicate the investment is in the high single-digit millions range. ZIGChain has already partnered with Standard Chartered and crypto-friendly fund services provider Apex Group, focusing on on-chain asset management and private credit infrastructure development. (CoinDesk)
According to CoinDesk, Swiss digital asset bank AMINA is partnering with Wall Street firm Cantor to evaluate potential listing options. Sources familiar with the matter said the company had explored paths such as mergers with special purpose acquisition companies, but currently favors entering the public market through a reverse acquisition by a digital asset treasury company. However, AMINA stated that relevant discussions are still ongoing and no final decision has been made; the core goal at this stage is to raise capital to support strategic growth, rather than pushing for a rapid listing.
According to CoinDesk, institutional crypto trading platform LMAX Group is evaluating strategic options with Morgan Stanley and investment bank KBW, including a sale, a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, and an initial public offering in the US or Europe. Sources say the company's valuation could reach up to $5 billion, with a Nasdaq listing currently the preferred option.
According to CoinDesk, citing sources familiar with the matter, cryptocurrency market maker B2C2, 90% owned by Japan's SBI Holdings, has held discussions with multiple potential acquirers regarding a partial or full sale over the past 18 months.
B2C2, a crypto market maker in which SBI Holdings holds a 90% stake, has been in acquisition negotiations with multiple potential acquirers over the past 18 months. The negotiations have been impacted by valuation differences. B2C2 is seeking a transaction price exceeding $1 billion, which one source familiar with the matter said is difficult to achieve in the current crypto market environment. These talks have taken place against the backdrop of consolidation in the digital asset industry, as several companies seek to expand their institutional businesses and increase scale through acquisitions.
Odaily News As Bitcoin prices have experienced a significant correction, publicly listed companies that had accumulated large BTC holdings are facing multiple challenges, including falling stock prices, debt pressures, and a deteriorating financing environment. Some of these companies are now starting to sell Bitcoin, repay debts, and even pivot towards artificial intelligence (AI) data center operations.Strategy pioneered the "Digital Asset Treasury (DAT)" model, continuously purchasing Bitcoin through financing and borrowing, inspiring a wave of other listed companies to follow suit. However, as the BTC price has fallen approximately 50% from its peak of around $126,000 in October 2025, the stock prices of related companies have also shrunk significantly, forcing them to reassess their BTC accumulation strategies.This week, shareholders of London-listed company Satsuma Technology approved the liquidation of all 668 BTC, returning capital to shareholders, while proceeding with delisting. Another London-listed company, The Smarter Web Company, sold 178 BTC to repay its convertible debt.Additionally, Sequans Communications has sold 1,025 BTC and further sold nearly 80% of its remaining holdings to repay convertible bonds. The company stated it will not continue purchasing Bitcoin in the future and plans to sell the remaining approximately 658 BTC.Nakamoto's stock price has fallen approximately 99% since its SPAC listing in May 2025. The company recently sold about 284 BTC, raising approximately $20 million for working capital. Of its remaining approximately 5,342 BTC, nearly 70% has been pledged as collateral for loans from Kraken, which market observers believe poses a potential risk event.Meanwhile, Bitcoin mining companies are also adjusting their strategies. Companies like Bitdeer Technologies and MARA Holdings are selling portions of their BTC to repurchase shares, repay debts, and redirect energy resources and computing infrastructure towards AI data center operations.Other companies selling BTC include Empery Digital. Data shows that Strategy has recently sold approximately 3,620 BTC and has authorized further asset sales to maintain its U.S. dollar reserves.However, Strategy remains the world's largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, with holdings exceeding 840,000 BTC. The company's CEO, Michael Saylor, stated that while it may sell some Bitcoin in the future to pay dividends, this does not mean the company is exiting its Bitcoin investment.Beyond asset adjustments, management and capital operations at some Bitcoin treasury companies are also changing. Jack Mallers has stepped down as CEO; and Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company (BSTR), affiliated with Adam Back, failed to complete a proposed merger due to the deteriorating market environment.Analysts believe that with rising financing costs and increased BTC price volatility, the "borrowing to buy Bitcoin" treasury model is undergoing a reshuffle. Some companies are shifting from simply hoard
crypto bank Augustus announced the completion of a $180 million funding round, bringing the company's valuation to $1 billion. The company aims to build a 24/7 financial infrastructure that connects traditional payment systems with stablecoin networks. The round was led by Tiger Global Management, with participation from investors including Hummingbird, QED, and the founding teams of Nubank, Ramp, Circle, and Deel.Augustus stated that as stablecoins gradually transform the global financial system, the traditional Correspondent Banking model is facing efficiency bottlenecks. The company aims to establish a federally chartered clearing bank for fintech companies and financial institutions, replacing traditional cross-border payment infrastructure.Unlike stablecoin issuers, Augustus does not plan to issue its own stablecoin. Instead, it aims to provide underlying banking infrastructure, enabling financial institutions to freely transfer funds between traditional payment networks and blockchain networks. Currently, Augustus offers euro clearing services through its regulated Finnish entity, processing tens of billions of euros in transactions annually. Its clients include international financial institutions, fintech companies, banks, and crypto firms, including crypto exchange Kraken. (CoinDesk)
According to CoinDesk, Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company (BSTR) and Cantor Equity Partners I (CEPO) announced on July 8, 2026, that both parties will no longer proceed with the transaction under the original merger agreement signed in July 2025, but will instead renegotiate new terms to better reflect the current market environment. Meanwhile, the private investment in public equity (PIPE) arrangement attached to the original merger agreement will no longer be a prerequisite condition for the completion of the transaction. CEPO's shareholder meeting originally scheduled for July 10 has been postponed indefinitely; all redemption requests previously submitted will be cancelled, and the relevant shares will be returned to investors. BSTR initially planned to list via this SPAC merger, at which time its balance sheet would hold over 30,000 Bitcoins, and intended to raise up to $1.5 billion through PIPE financing to increase Bitcoin holdings.
According to Odaily, driven by the hype surrounding SpaceX’s initial public offering (IPO), the tokenized stock market hit a record high for trading activity in June, with on-chain transaction volume reaching $3.86 billion, a 145% increase from May. Among the trades, tokenized SpaceX stocks accounted for $1.19 billion, representing approximately 31% of the total tokenized stock volume in June. The SPCX token launched by Backpack Securities became the most actively traded tokenized SpaceX stock product, with a single-month on-chain trading volume of $1.08 billion.Data indicates that this growth surge was primarily fueled by demand for SpaceX-related assets. Previously, SpaceX completed a $75 billion IPO, marking the largest IPO in history, and the company is valued at approximately $1.8 trillion on a fully diluted basis. Traditional popular assets such as Nvidia, Tesla, the S&P 500 ETF (SPY), and the Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQQ) remained actively traded, but none matched the market heat of tokenized SpaceX stocks. Additionally, the total market capitalization of the tokenized stock market rose to $1.53 billion in June, up 6.64% from the previous month, marking the 15th consecutive month of growth. (CoinDesk)
as the 25-day quiet period following SpaceX's (SPCX) June IPO comes to an end, Wall Street analysts have begun releasing formal research reports. Multiple major brokerages have issued favorable ratings, indicating institutional investors remain optimistic about the company's long-term growth potential.As IPO underwriters, both Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have assigned buy-equivalent ratings to SpaceX. Goldman Sachs analyst Eric Sheridan set a price target of $205, while Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas gave a target of $300. Additionally, institutions such as Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, and UBS have also initiated coverage with buy or equivalent ratings. Among them, Raymond James Financial provided the most optimistic forecast; analyst Brian Gesuale initiated coverage of SpaceX with a "Strong Buy" rating and a price target as high as $800, believing SpaceX will become "one of the most representative industrial infrastructure companies of the 21st century."Analysis suggests that market optimism towards SpaceX is primarily based on its布局 (layout/foundation) in areas such as rocket launches, Starlink satellite internet, and government contracts. At the same time, the company's communications business can provide a sustainable source of revenue and support future expansion of launch scale.As of March 31, 2026, SpaceX holds 18,712 Bitcoins. Wall Street believes that the concentrated coverage following the end of the IPO quiet period provides a window for institutional investors to conduct their first systematic assessment of SpaceX's valuation. The fact that nearly all major institutions simultaneously issued positive ratings is relatively rare for large-scale IPOs. (CoinDesk)