Autor Cointelegraph by Nate Kostar

Vanguard is hiring a head of digital assets to lead the asset manager’s strategy on tokenization, stablecoins, blockchain infrastructure and client-facing digital asset products, signaling a broader push into the sector after years of resisting crypto investment offerings.According to the job description on Vanguard’s website, the executive will be responsible for determining how Vanguard participates in digital assets, including evaluating client-facing products, tokenization, stablecoins, custody models, blockchain-based settlement and digital asset operating infrastructure. The role will also represent Vanguard in discussions with regulators, clients and industry groups.Hiring announcement for Vanguard head of digital assets. Source: Vanguardjobs.com The move marks a notable shift for the asset manager, which has long resisted crypto investment products. In August 2024, CEO Salim Ramji said the company would not launch crypto exchange-traded funds, arguing Vanguard would not “copy competitors” despite the rapid adoption of spot Bitcoin ETFs.ETF analyst Nate Geraci highlighted the contrast in an X post on Tuesday, noting Vanguard had previously blocked customers from purchasing spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs through its brokerage platform. “Life moves pretty fast,” he wrote.Founded in 1975, Vanguard manages approximately $12.5 trillion in global assets, according to the company.Related: Broadridge rolls out crypto, tokenized asset platform for Canada wealth managersAsset managers expand into tokenized financeVanguard’s hiring comes as asset managers push deeper into tokenization. According to RWA.xyz data, the tokenized real-world asset market has grown to $33.5 billion, including $14.9 billion in tokenized US Treasury products. Franklin Templeton manages about $2.5 billion in tokenized assets, BlackRock oversees roughly $2.3 billion and WisdomTree’s tokenized Treasury fund has grown to more than $700 million.Top tokenized treasury managers. Source: RWA.xyzIn March, Franklin Templeton partnered with Ondo Finance to offer tokenized versions of its ETFs accessible through crypto wallets, and then launched a dedicated cryptocurrency investment division following its acquisition of crypto asset manager 250 Digital.JPMorgan and State Street have also entered the market for tokenized cash products. JPMorgan filed in May to launch a tokenized money market fund for stablecoin issuers, while State Street introduced a government money market fund for stablecoin reserves and a tokenized liquidity product the following month.Also in May, Fidelity launched a blockchain-based liquidity fund, which received its first crypto-native investment last month after Theo allocated $20 million to the product.Magazine: AI is banking the unbanked in Africa… faster than crypto

Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, has won a $22 million arbitration award against former auditor Mazars USA and asked the Delaware Court of Chancery to enter judgment on the award, according to a letter published Tuesday by co-CEO Arjun Sethi.Payward said Mazars withdrew from the exchange’s nearly completed 2022 audit despite finding no fraud, raising no concerns about management’s integrity and reporting no disagreements with the company.”An audit is not a favor. It is oxygen,” Sethi wrote, arguing that independent audits are essential for obtaining banking services, licenses and other business relationships.Sethi said Mazars’ resignation was part of what he described as Operation Chokepoint 2.0, a broader campaign that pressured banks, auditors and other institutions to cut ties with lawful crypto companies.The letter cited a series of regulatory developments from 2023 as evidence supporting that claim. These included joint guidance from US banking regulators, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s since-rescinded Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121 and the collapse of crypto-focused banking networks Silvergate SEN and Signature’s Signet.Sethi also called on Congress to pass the CLARITY Act, arguing that a comprehensive market structure framework would provide clearer rules for digital asset companies and reduce reliance on regulatory enforcement.Related: Kraken lets traders use tokenized stocks as collateral for leveraged tradesKraken executives reflect on auditor disputeKraken co-CEO Dave Ripley said on X Tuesday that “this story is worth surfacing despite its PTSD-inducing nature,” adding that “only a fraction of the stories from that era have ever been told.” Ripley described the $22 million arbitration award as compensation for financial harm caused by what he called a coordinated campaign against the crypto industry.Meanwhile, US regulators continue to address concerns around crypto-related debanking. In February, the Federal Reserve sought public feedback on a proposal to formally remove “reputation risk” from bank supervision, following its 2025 directive to stop pressuring banks to close customer accounts over reputational concerns. Critics said the move could help bring an end to Operation Chokepoint 2.0.Source: Dave RipleyKraken was founded in 2011 and has been widely expected to pursue an initial public offering. In November 2025, the company said it had confidentially submitted a draft Form S-1 registration statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. However, it was reported in May that its public debut may not come until 2027, citing weaker crypto market conditions and the exchange’s ongoing cost-cutting efforts.Magazine: China’s 107 Bitcoin memory thief, Bithumb CEO booked: Asia Express

Tether has invested $20 million in Brazilian crypto platform Mercado Bitcoin to support the company’s expansion into tokenized assets, stablecoin payments, lending and other blockchain-based financial services across Latin America.Since its 2013 launch, Mercado Bitcoin has expanded beyond crypto trading into regulated financial services, including tokenized assets, credit, stablecoin payments and cross-border services. The company said it has more than 4.5 million users, has issued more than 2 billion Brazilian reais (about $370 million) worth of tokenized assets, and operates under nearly a dozen licenses across Brazil and Europe, including a payment institution license from Brazil’s central bank.Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said Mercado Bitcoin has built one of Latin America’s most comprehensive regulated onchain financial platforms, citing its licensing, tokenization infrastructure and integrated financial services.In February, Mercado Bitcoin announced it had deployed more than $20 million in tokenized private credit, one segment of its broader tokenization business, on Bitcoin (BTC) sidechain Rootstock.Related: Former Tether CIO seeks to sell stake in stablecoin issuer, Bloomberg reportsTether using profits for strategic investmentsThe Mercado Bitcoin investment aligns with Tether Investments’ strategy of backing companies developing blockchain-based financial infrastructure.Tether issues USDT (USDT), the world’s largest stablecoin, with about $184 billion in circulation. In the first quarter of 2026, the company reported approximately $1.04 billion in net profit, which it is tapping for strategic investments.In April, the firm participated in a $134 million funding round for Stablecoin Development Corporation, a NYSE American-traded company focused on expanding access to the stablecoin economy and digital asset infrastructure.A month later, Tether invested in remittance platform LemFi to support the integration of USDT as a settlement layer for cross-border payments across Africa and Asia. The companies said the partnership would expand stablecoin-based payment infrastructure across key remittance corridors.Later in May, Tether announced plans with the Government of Georgia to launch a stablecoin pegged to the Georgian lari under the country’s digital asset framework. Beyond stablecoin-related initiatives, Tether has also invested in sectors including artificial intelligence, energy, biotechnology and digital media through its investment arm.Despite speculation about a potential listing, CEO Paolo Ardoino has said the company has no plans to go public.Source: DefiLlamaMagazine: AI is banking the unbanked in Africa… faster than crypto

Former Tether chief investment officer Richard Heathcote is seeking to sell part of his 1.26% stake in the stablecoin issuer, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter.Heathcote stepped down as Tether’s chief investment officer in March to take an advisory role after overseeing the stablecoin issuer’s investment portfolio. Bloomberg reported the planned sale involves only part of his 1.26% ownership stake.Tether issues USDt (USDT), the world’s largest stablecoin by market capitalization. With a circulating supply of roughly $184 billion, USDT accounts for roughly 59% of the stablecoin market, according to DefiLlama data.The planned sale could offer a rare look at ownership in Tether, which remains privately held despite becoming one of the crypto industry’s most profitable companies.The sale also comes as Tether navigates regulatory pressure in Europe. USDT has been delisted by a growing number of MiCA-authorized platforms after Tether opted not to comply with the European Union’s crypto framework, with Revolut announcing this month that it will remove the stablecoin from its platform.Related: Strategy sells 3,588 Bitcoin for $216M to fund dividends, keeps $2.55B reserve intactCrypto companies weigh IPOs While Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has said outright that the stablecoin issuer does not need to go public, several other crypto companies are reportedly mulling initial public offerings (IPOs).Kraken has taken several steps toward a public listing. Fortune reported in September 2025 that the crypto exchange had raised $500 million at a $15 billion valuation, fueling expectations that the exchange was preparing for an IPO.Source: Paolo ArdoinoThe company also announced it had confidentially filed a draft registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering in November 2025. However, Bloomberg later reported that the IPO plans could be pushed back until 2027 following layoffs tied to the company’s expanding use of artificial intelligence.South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb also announced in April that it is delaying its IPO until after 2028 as it works to strengthen its accounting policies and internal controls following earlier regulatory setbacks.Magazine: The end of anonymity? AI could unmask crypto’s hidden identities Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Ripple said it has received full authorization under the European Union’s MiCA crypto framework after Luxembourg’s financial regulator granted the company a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) license.The authorization follows Ripple’s preliminary approval in June and, together with the company’s existing Electronic Money Institution license, allows the blockchain payments company to offer regulated crypto-asset services across the European Economic Area (EEA).Ripple said the approval makes it one of a small number of digital asset companies with full authorization under MiCA. The company now holds more than 75 regulatory licenses worldwide, including authorization from the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority secured in January.”This CASP authorisation means Ripple enters the post-transitional MiCA era fully compliant and ready to scale,” said Cassie Craddock, Ripple’s managing director for the United Kingdom and Europe.Source: Cassie Craddock Related: Binance outflows triple to $1.2B as ETH withdrawals hit 3-year highEurope begins enforcing MiCA crypto rulesRipple’s approval follows the end of the European Union’s MiCA transition period on July 1, when crypto companies were required to obtain authorization or cease offering regulated services in the bloc. The framework allows authorized companies to generally passport regulated crypto services throughout the EEA under a single license.On Friday, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published an updated register listing 280 licensed crypto-asset service providers. The total rose from 243 a week earlier after 37 companies, including Standard Chartered, FalconX and Sygnum Europe, were added.Not every company secured MiCA authorization before the deadline. Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, withdrew its MiCA application in Greece ahead of the July 1 transition and said it would pursue authorization in another member state while taking steps to comply with the bloc’s new rules.The bloc has now entered MiCA’s enforcement phase, with unauthorized crypto companies expected to wind down operations or face penalties. While ESMA coordinates supervision and maintains the bloc’s register of authorized crypto companies, day-to-day enforcement is carried out by national regulators, meaning implementation is likely to vary across member states.Belgium’s Financial Services and Markets Authority has already begun applying the new rules. On Monday, the regulator identified six crypto-asset service providers it said were operating without authorization and added them to its list of unauthorized crypto-asset service providers.Belgium’s FSMA warns against unauthorized crypto providers. Source: FSMAMagazine: Japanese pension fund tips 1% in crypto, G7 urges action on NK hackers: Asia Express