Category: crypto

Hong Kong’s market operator and central bank are testing a wholesale central bank digital currency for derivatives trading. The pilot program aims to allow for margin payments during after-hours trading using e-HKD, expanding the use of digital money in the city’s financial infrastructure. The initiative targets operational pain points and strengthens risk management in the…

Bitcoin and Ethereum faced a $2.13 billion options expiry on June 19 with both assets trading below their max pain levels. Bitcoin options worth $1.9 billion expired with max pain at $65,000, while Ether options worth $230 million expired near $1,725 max pain as ETH traded lower. Traders are cautious as BTC and ETH trade…

G7 leaders have called for joint action against North Korea’s cryptocurrency thefts and cybercrimes, linking them to wider nuclear and missile concerns. Estimates show that DPRK hackers stole $2.02 billion in crypto in 2025 alone. The statement did not specify new sanctions or enforcement tools and warned about the ongoing threat of stolen crypto funding…

UK merchants prioritize cryptocurrency payments as an emerging customer demand, with interest higher among larger SMEs. Security and payment simplicity remain top priorities. A survey by DECTA found that more than half of UK SMEs sell worldwide, emphasizing the importance of payment methods supporting international commerce. Despite regulatory scrutiny, interest in cryptocurrency payments persists.

Goldman Sachs has reduced its year-end gold forecast by $500 an ounce, now targeting $4,900 instead of $5,400, due to fading expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts. The bank still expects gold to rise but sees weaker near-term risks. The Fed’s decision to hold rates steady is affecting gold and Bitcoin.

South Korea is considering allowing fintech firms to participate in a new licensing regime for cross-border digital asset transfers starting in December. The revised law aims to regulate virtual asset transfers, previously operating outside the foreign exchange oversight system, to prevent illicit activities. The move could open opportunities for fintech companies in blockchain-based services.

HIVE Digital Technologies saw its shares increase following the announcement of a $220 million three-year GPU cloud contract with Bell Canada and Cohere. The deal involves providing 2,304 Nvidia Grace Blackwell GPUs at Bell’s Merritt facility in Canada and signifies HIVE’s move towards high-performance AI computing.

Franklin Templeton plans to launch two ETFs that would reinvest stock dividends into Bitcoin exposure through a rules-based allocation strategy. The proposed funds would allocate 95% to U.S. large cap equities and 5% to Bitcoin-linked investments, with quarterly rebalancing rules. This filing expands Franklin Templeton’s digital asset offerings after recent partnerships with Kraken, MoonPay, and…

SpiderPool mined an empty Bitcoin block at height 954,352, containing only the coinbase transaction. The 62-second gap between blocks raised concerns about miner timing strategies. While empty blocks are not uncommon, repeated occurrences could lead to scrutiny of miner behavior and potential prioritization of speed over fee revenue.

Japan’s Financial Services Agency has suspended moomoo Securities from acquiring new customers for three months due to compliance, AML, and cybersecurity failures. The brokerage incorrectly labeled U.S. investment products as tax exempt, had shortcomings in monitoring suspicious activities, and failed to address issues for affected clients. Regulatory action also includes a management overhaul and business…