Quick Summary: A new RWA.io report finds banks are piloting tokenized deposits on blockchain infrastructure alongside stablecoins and central bank digital currencies. Major banks are actively exploring tokenized deposits as a way to move commercial bank money onto blockchain-based payment and settlement systems, according to a new report from real-world asset data platform RWA.io. The report was produced with contributions from institutions including UK Finance, Citi, BNY, JPMorgan’s Kinexys, Standard Chartered, ABN Amro, and Digital Asset. It positions tokenized deposits as an emerging component of a broader digital cash ecosystem alongside stablecoins and central bank digital currencies.Tokenized deposits are digital…
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Quick Summary: A 21Shares macro head says gold and Bitcoin attract distinct buyer segments, arguing investors should hold both assets for their unique properties. The growing divergence between gold and Bitcoin in 2026 comes down to who is buying each asset, according to Stephen Coltman, head of macro at crypto exchange-traded product provider 21Shares. Speaking to Cointelegraph, Coltman explained that gold’s multi-year rally has been driven primarily by central bank purchases, whereas Bitcoin remains more widely held by individual investors than by financial institutions. This distinction, he argues, is central to understanding why the two assets have moved in different…
Quick Summary: SkyBridge’s Anthony Scaramucci says Bitcoin’s bear market reflects its four-year cycle, with a new bull run expected in Q4 2026. Anthony Scaramucci, managing partner of the SkyBridge investment firm, says the ongoing Bitcoin bear market can be attributed to two key factors: the cryptocurrency’s four-year market cycle and long-term holders offloading their positions at the psychological $100,000 price level. He notes that while institutional investors and inflows from Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have softened volatility, these forces have not entirely eliminated BTC’s traditional cyclical patterns. In his view, the cycle has been dampened but not erased by the changing…
Quick Summary: The SEC and CFTC jointly released guidance clarifying which crypto assets qualify as securities, while prediction market platform Kalshi faces criminal charges in Arizona. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have jointly released interpretive guidance outlining how regulators will determine whether a given crypto asset qualifies as a security. The document establishes a taxonomy of crypto asset categories, most of which the agencies say fall outside securities law. The guidance represents one of the most detailed regulatory attempts to draw this distinction for the industry.Under the framework, digital securities — crypto assets…
Quick Summary: Ethereum’s ecosystem faces growing tensions in early 2026 over Layer 2 scaling, quantum security risks, leadership shifts, and an expanding push into AI. Ethereum has entered 2026 confronting a range of pressures that are prompting a broad reassessment of the network’s direction. Tensions have emerged across multiple fronts, including debates over scaling strategy, concerns about future security threats, and questions about the platform’s expanding scope. These challenges are unfolding even as recent upgrades have delivered measurable improvements in efficiency and reduced transaction costs.Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, has publicly criticized the network’s approach to Layer 2 scaling,…
Quick Summary: Fidelity Investments calls on the SEC to establish clear rules for broker-dealers to offer, custody, and trade crypto assets on alternative trading systems. Fidelity Investments has submitted a formal letter to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) urging the regulator to develop a comprehensive framework governing how broker-dealers offer, custody, and trade crypto assets on alternative trading systems (ATS). The letter, sent on Friday, was a direct response to a call for public comments issued earlier this month by the regulator’s Crypto Task Force. The asset manager, one of the largest in the United States, described such…
Quick Summary: Strategy’s STRC preferred stock funds bitcoin purchases through a $100 share price anchor, but analysts warn governance risks and market downturns could leave investors with losses. Strategy’s STRC preferred stock has emerged as a significant vehicle for accumulating bitcoin, designed around a stable target price of $100 per share. The instrument uses a variable dividend structure to maintain that anchor, allowing the company to raise multiple billions of dollars through successive issuances. Its design has attracted considerable interest from institutional investors seeking a combination of yield and relative price stability. The product has consequently become one of the…
Quick Summary: Gold is nearing a technical bear market as higher interest rate expectations and rising oil prices diminish its appeal to investors. Gold is approaching bear market territory despite ongoing geopolitical tensions around the world. Higher interest rate expectations are reducing the metal’s appeal to investors, as are inflation pressures stemming from rising oil prices. The combination of these factors has placed significant downward pressure on gold’s market position.When measured on an M2-adjusted basis, gold is currently trading near historical peak levels. This metric, which accounts for the broader money supply, provides a different perspective on the metal’s valuation…
Quick Summary: An attacker exploited USR’s minting mechanics to create tens of millions of unbacked tokens, crashing the stablecoin to $0.14 before a partial recovery. Resolv Labs moved to reassure users after an exploit struck the issuance mechanics of its USR stablecoin, knocking the token well below its intended one-dollar peg and prompting several decentralized finance protocols to act quickly to limit exposure. The attacker created tens of millions of unbacked tokens and sold them through DeFi liquidity pools, breaking the peg and forcing Resolv to pause protocol functions while it assessed the damage. The team stated in a post…
Quick Summary: Los Angeles Superior Court is piloting an AI tool called Learned Hand that drafts rulings and organizes case files while keeping judicial decisions with human judges. Courts across the United States are facing mounting pressure as caseloads continue to grow without a corresponding increase in resources. The Los Angeles Superior Court has launched a pilot program to test whether artificial intelligence can ease that burden by handling routine administrative work. The program centers on an AI tool called Learned Hand, which summarizes filings, organizes evidence, and generates draft rulings in civil cases. The goal is to free judges…
