The latest in digital assets, markets and regulation.
Strive debuted its SATS preferred stock on Nasdaq, raising $630 million through an upsized IPO priced at $90 per share. The security offers a 15% daily dividend to fund further Bitcoin purchases, positioning the company as the fourth-largest corporate holder with 36,818 BTC.
Swiss regulator FINMA approved the nation's first retail Bitcoin ETF, citing growing crypto interest. While exempting Bitcoin from diversification rules due to its liquidity, FINMA stressed high risks. This follows U.S. ETF successes, opening regulated access previously limited to institutions.
FINMA approved Switzerland's first retail Bitcoin ETF, waiving diversification rules due to Bitcoin's liquidity. The unnamed fund trades like stocks but faces strict custody and operational risk guidelines issued in January 2026.
Researcher Stacy Muur reports 82 crypto projects shut down in 2026, including Blast and Radiant Capital. DeFiLlama data confirms widespread failures driven by lack of product-market fit and depleted funding, despite $1 billion collectively raised.
Strive closed its $630M SATS IPO, selling 7M shares at $90 each. Net proceeds of $608.15M are earmarked for general purposes, including unspecified Bitcoin purchases. The stock offers a 15% annual dividend, with payments starting Nov. 9.
JPMorgan predicts Bitcoin may outperform stocks and bonds over ten years but deems it too volatile for strategic portfolios. The bank cites unstable correlations and high beta risks, contrasting with CEO Jamie Dimon’s longstanding skepticism.
OKXICE reports 16 issuer objections from firms like Microsoft and Alphabet against its tokenized stock platform. Co-chair Andrew Cuomo dismisses them as non-objections, citing SEC openness to 24/7 markets. The proposal involves pairing shares with stablecoins on Uniswap v4 pools.
Injective signs an MOU with BDACS to use the KRW1 stablecoin for settling tokenized real-world assets in Korean won. The deal aims to reduce reliance on US dollar stablecoins but requires regulatory approval under South Korea's developing Digital Asset Basic Act.
BlackRock filed for a new bitcoin ETF, PBIT, using options and fixed-income strategies to cap upside while limiting losses. The move targets risk-averse investors amid reduced volatility, following strong inflows into its existing IBIT trust.
Mastercard launched Agent Pay for Machines, enabling AI agents to autonomously pay for services using x402 protocol vouchers. A live demo showed an agent executing nine payments across two merchants without traditional accounts, settling via Coinbase, Base, and BVNK.
French lawmakers narrowly passed an amendment taxing crypto-to-stablecoin swaps from 2027. The measure, supported by 38 votes, aims to close tax loopholes but faces government opposition and further legislative hurdles.
Stand With Crypto reports 10,092 complaints against UK banks over crypto transfer restrictions from May to August 2026. Lloyds led with 2,297 cases, while Barclays and HSBC imposed specific monetary caps. Industry leaders warn that banking access remains separate from forthcoming FCA regulatory approvals.