Autor Cointelegraph by Nate Kostar

Bybit led an $8 million Series A funding round in Hata, a dual-licensed digital asset exchange operating in Malaysia. The round also included participation from global family offices and followed Bybit’s earlier investment in Hata’s $4.2 million seed round.According to Monday’s announcement, the funding will be used to improve liquidity, expand the user base and develop additional digital asset products.Hata operates under licenses from the Securities Commission Malaysia and the Labuan Financial Services Authority, allowing it to offer trading and custody services for digital assets in the Southeast Asian country.Since launching in 2023, the company has reported more than 209,000 registered users and processed 1.04 billion Malaysian ringgits (about $225 million) in transaction volume in 2025.Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO, said Malaysia is “strategically important” and has “one of the most digitally engaged populations in Southeast Asia and strong long-term potential for digital asset adoption.” Bybit is the world’s fifth largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, according to data from CoinMarket.Beyond the region, the exchange is also deepening its commitment to the Middle East.  In March, Bybit appointed Derek Dai as the new country manager for the MENA region to oversee expansion and partnerships amid ongoing regional tensions.Dai said the Middle East is emerging as a key crypto market, with Bybit planning to expand UAE dirham access and build partnerships with banks and payment providers in the coming months.Related: Rwanda swats Bybit’s P2P platform offering franc-to-crypto tradingMalaysia builds out digital asset regulatory frameworkThe investment from Bybit comes as Malaysia has been developing its regulatory framework for digital assets through a series of initiatives and pilot programs.In June, Malaysia launched its Digital Asset Innovation Hub as a regulatory sandbox, allowing fintech and digital asset companies to test use cases such as programmable payments, ringgit-backed stablecoins and supply chain financing under central bank oversight. During the same month, a Malaysian telecom company owned by Crown Prince Ismail Ibrahim, son of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, launched a ringgit-backed stablecoin called RMJDT on the Zetrix blockchain under the sandbox framework.[embedded content]In November, Bank Negara Malaysia outlined a three-year roadmap to explore asset tokenization, including pilots for tokenized deposits, stablecoins and cross-border settlement through its Digital Asset Innovation Hub. The central bank’s plan includes an industry working group co-led with the Securities Commission Malaysia to coordinate use cases and address regulatory and legal considerations.More recently, the central bank said it is piloting three sandbox programs focused on ringgit-backed stablecoins and tokenized bank deposits for cross-border settlement, with participation from institutions including Standard Chartered, CIMB Group and Maybank.Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter BrandtCointelegraph 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. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy

Tether has taken an 8.2% stake in Antalpha, making the stablecoin issuer one of the company’s largest shareholders following its May 2025 initial public offering (IPO), according to a Monday filing.The Schedule 13D filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission indicates that Tether now holds 1.95 million shares through related entities, with Giancarlo Devasini, chairman of Tether, sharing voting and dispositive power over the position.The filing also states that Tether and its related entities may increase or reduce their holdings over time depending on market conditions and other factors.Antalpha provides Bitcoin-backed lending and equipment financing to mining operators, reporting a loan portfolio of about $1.6 billion as of the end of 2024, and is closely tied to the Bitmain ecosystem, a major supplier of mining hardware.Antalpha raised about $49.3 million in last year’s IPO at $12.80 per share, according to its prospectus. Tether had previously indicated interest in purchasing as much as $25 million worth of shares.Antalpha reported 2025 revenue of $79.7 million, up 68% year over year, while net income rose to $18.5 million, more than tripling from the previous year.On Monday, its shares rose about 7.2% to around $9.97 in early trading, per Google Finance data.Source: Google FinanceTether is the issuer of Tether (USDT), the largest stablecoin by market capitalization, with a market cap of about $187 billion, roughly 58.4% of the total stablecoin market, which stands near $320.7 billion, according to DefiLlama data.Stablecoin market cap. Source: DefiLlamaRelated: Tether announces $150M recovery program for Drift ProtocolTether expands investments across crypto infrastructure and beyondTether’s investment in Antalpha comes as the company is using its recent profits to expand into a range of sectors tied to digital assets, including mining, artificial intelligence, financial services and tokenized assets.Earlier on Monday, real-world asset tokenization protocol Kaio said Tether participated in an $8 million funding round.“The participation of Tether reflects direct strategic alignment,” the announcement said. “USDT has become the dominant settlement layer for cross-border capital flows. KAIO provides the next layer: structured, compliant access to institutional-grade yield for USDT holders.”In March, Tether led a $50 million investment in Eight Sleep, a company that develops sleep-focused products such as smart mattresses and wellness systems, valuing it at $1.5 billion.In February, the company acquired a $150 million stake in Gold.com, representing about 12% ownership, as part of a push to expand access to tokenized gold through its XAUt product.The same month, Tether made a $100 million equity investment in Anchorage Digital, a federally chartered US digital asset bank that provides custody, settlement and stablecoin issuance services to institutional clients.CEO Paolo Ardoino said in July that Tether has invested in more than 120 companies through its venture arm, with those investments funded from company profits rather than stablecoin reserves.Source: Paolo Ardoino on XEarlier this month, Tether was reported to be seeking fresh capital at a $500 billion valuation, with the company indicating it could delay the raise if investor demand falls short.Magazine: Adam Back says current demand is ‘almost’ enough to send Bitcoin to $1MCointelegraph 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. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy

Tether has taken an 8.2% stake in Antalpha, making the stablecoin issuer one of the company’s largest shareholders following its May 2025 initial public offering (IPO), according to a Monday filing.The Schedule 13D filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission indicates that Tether now holds 1.95 million shares through related entities, with Giancarlo Devasini, chairman of Tether, sharing voting and dispositive power over the position.The filing also states that Tether and its related entities may increase or reduce their holdings over time depending on market conditions and other factors.Antalpha provides Bitcoin-backed lending and equipment financing to mining operators, reporting a loan portfolio of about $1.6 billion as of the end of 2024, and is closely tied to the Bitmain ecosystem, a major supplier of mining hardware.Antalpha raised about $49.3 million in last year’s IPO at $12.80 per share, according to its prospectus. Tether had previously indicated interest in purchasing as much as $25 million worth of shares.Antalpha reported 2025 revenue of $79.7 million, up 68% year over year, while net income rose to $18.5 million, more than tripling from the previous year.On Monday, its shares rose about 7.2% to around $9.97 in early trading, per Google Finance data.Source: Google FinanceTether is the issuer of Tether (USDT), the largest stablecoin by market capitalization, with a market cap of about $187 billion, roughly 58.4% of the total stablecoin market, which stands near $320.7 billion, according to DefiLlama data.Stablecoin market cap. Source: DefiLlamaRelated: Tether announces $150M recovery program for Drift ProtocolTether expands investments across crypto infrastructure and beyondTether’s investment in Antalpha comes as the company is using its recent profits to expand into a range of sectors tied to digital assets, including mining, artificial intelligence, financial services and tokenized assets.Earlier on Monday, real-world asset tokenization protocol Kaio said Tether participated in an $8 million funding round.“The participation of Tether reflects direct strategic alignment,” the announcement said. “USDT has become the dominant settlement layer for cross-border capital flows. KAIO provides the next layer: structured, compliant access to institutional-grade yield for USDT holders.”In March, Tether led a $50 million investment in Eight Sleep, a company that develops sleep-focused products such as smart mattresses and wellness systems, valuing it at $1.5 billion.In February, the company acquired a $150 million stake in Gold.com, representing about 12% ownership, as part of a push to expand access to tokenized gold through its XAUt product.The same month, Tether made a $100 million equity investment in Anchorage Digital, a federally chartered US digital asset bank that provides custody, settlement and stablecoin issuance services to institutional clients.CEO Paolo Ardoino said in July that Tether has invested in more than 120 companies through its venture arm, with those investments funded from company profits rather than stablecoin reserves.Source: Paolo Ardoino on XEarlier this month, Tether was reported to be seeking fresh capital at a $500 billion valuation, with the company indicating it could delay the raise if investor demand falls short.Magazine: Adam Back says current demand is ‘almost’ enough to send Bitcoin to $1MCointelegraph 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. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy