Autor Ezra Reguerra

SBI to acquire Bitbank in $289M deal creating Japan's biggest crypto exchange

SBI to acquire Bitbank in $289M deal creating Japan's biggest crypto exchange

Uverejnil používateľ | jún 25, 2026 |

Japan’s SBI Holdings has signed agreements to acquire full control of crypto exchange Bitbank through a 46.7 billion Japanese yen ($289 million) transaction, advancing a deal first disclosed in May that would create the country’s biggest crypto exchange.On Thursday, SBI said that its wholly owned subsidiary SBICAH will acquire shares from Bitbank CEO Noriyuki Hirosue and other shareholders before subscribing to a third-party share allotment. The exchange will then buy back shares held by MIXI and Ceres, leaving SBI with 100% indirect ownership. SBI expects the transaction to close around October, subject to regulatory clearance.The acquisition would expand SBI’s regulated crypto exchange footprint and customer base, giving it another potential distribution channel for the stablecoins, tokenized assets and onchain financial products.Bitbank’s daily trading volume has hovered below $50 million for most of the last four months, CoinGecko data showed. Volume is dominated by the BTC/JPY pair (39.5%), followed by XRP/JPY and ETH/JPY (both at 19.7%).SBI said combining Bitbank with SBI VC Trade would give the group about 1.1 trillion yen in assets under custody and roughly 2.92 million crypto accounts, based on figures from the end of April. The company said the combined business would rank first among Japanese crypto exchanges by assets under custody and among the largest by account numbers.Bitbank trading volume has hovered below $50 million for most of the last four months. Source: CoinGeckoSBI builds broader digital asset ecosystemThe Bitbank deal is the latest in a series of moves by SBI to build infrastructure, including crypto trading, stablecoins and tokenized financial markets. In February, SBI and Startale Group unveiled Strium, a layer-1 blockchain designed to support around-the-clock trading and settlement of tokenized equities and real-world assets. Related: Circle, Nomura eye Japan corporate FX with stablecoin settlement: ReportOn Wednesday, SBI and Startale launched the yen-pegged stablecoin, JPYSC. The token is issued by SBI Shinsei Trust Bank and distributed by SBI VC Trade. The stablecoin is initially limited to transfers within SBI VC Trade accounts, while public blockchain circulation will roll out after resolving outstanding legal and tax conditions, according to SBI. The same day, Ripple and SBI Group launched the dollar-backed Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin in Japan also through SBI VC Trade. At launch, RLUSD became available to institutional and retail customers after receiving approval under Japan’s regulatory framework for foreign-issued stablecoins. Magazine: Japanese pension fund tips 1% in crypto, G7 urges action on NK hackers: Asia Express

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Spark migrates $150M in stablecoin to Uniswap to advance shared liquidity

Spark migrates $150M in stablecoin to Uniswap to advance shared liquidity

Uverejnil používateľ | jún 25, 2026 |

Decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Spark has deployed approximately $150 million in stablecoin liquidity across two Uniswap v4 pools on Ethereum as part of a collaboration aimed at creating shared liquidity and exchange infrastructure for stablecoin issuers.A Spark spokesperson told Cointelegraph that the initial deployment is live in two pools pairing USDS with PayPal USD (PYUSD) and USDT, with USDS serving as the foundation. Spark described the deployment as one of the largest automated market maker (AMM) liquidity migrations in DeFi.“These pools represent the initial deployment of approximately $150 million of liquidity and establish the first phase of the Stablecoin FX Layer,” the spokesperson said. “This initial deployment focuses on bootstrapping shared liquidity on Uniswap v4.”Earlier this month, Standard Chartered identified Uniswap as a potential beneficiary of tokenized assets moving into DeFi. It forecast that total assets held in DeFi could reach $2.7 trillion by 2030, with Uniswap potentially emerging as a liquidity venue for the growing market. The deployment announced Thursday lays the groundwork for a planned programmable liquidity system that could reduce the need for banks, financial technology firms and stablecoin issuers to build separate liquidity networks while testing whether Uniswap can make onchain capital more efficient without weakening market depth.Spark plans programmable liquidity expansionSpark said it plans to introduce its Shared Liquidity Layer and DualPool hook in subsequent phases using Uniswap v4’s programmable architecture to coordinate how liquidity is distributed across stablecoin markets. A liquidity hook enables protocols to seamlessly integrate with platforms for capital access and developing yield and trading strategies. Spark said a hook is intended to allow capital not immediately needed for trades to be deployed into governance-approved products, liquidity venues and yield-generating strategies.The implementation of the DualPool hook will go through a separate security review, testing and production-readiness process before deployment. The first phase uses standard Uniswap v4 pools rather than the planned programmable framework.Related: Aave positioned to capture tokenized asset growth in DeFi: Standard CharteredSpark said the planned framework is intended to give future stablecoin issuers access to shared liquidity rather than requiring them to individually bootstrap pools, coordinate market makers and manage inventory across different venues.The spokesperson told Cointelegraph that Spark is working with additional partners across the stablecoin ecosystem but is not yet ready to disclose those integrations.Uniswap seen as winner as tokenized assets move onchainIn a June 15 note to clients, StanChart’s bank’s head of digital assets research, Geoff Kendrick, said that tokenized treasures, equities, bonds and other assets could bring more trading activity and liquidity to decentralized exchanges as their DeFi use expands. DeFi total value locked as of June 25. Source: DefiLlamaThis new $150 million migration offers a more immediate test of StanChart’s infrastructure thesis, though it involves stablecoins rather than tokenized securities. The migration also follows Uniswap’s push into institutional tokenized-asset trading. On Feb. 12, BlackRock said it would bring its $2.1 billion tokenized Treasury fund, BUIDL, to Uniswap, allowing eligible institutional investors and market makers to trade the security through decentralized infrastructure. Magazine: Japanese pension fund tips 1% in crypto, G7 urges action on NK hackers: Asia Express

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Indonesia sets certification rules for influencers recommending crypto

Indonesia sets certification rules for influencers recommending crypto

Uverejnil používateľ | jún 25, 2026 |

Indonesia’s financial regulator has introduced certification requirements for influencers who recommend crypto and other digital financial assets, as the country expands oversight of financial promotions on social media.Under Financial Services Authority Regulation No. 6 of 2026, announced Wednesday, individuals recommending digital assets must obtain competency certifications unless they are already subject to a separate licensing requirement. Influencers may recommend only digital assets listed on authorized exchanges, while any service provider they recommend must also be licensed. Marketing campaigns must be conducted through regulated financial services businesses, which are responsible for the promotional content, and distributed through their official communication channels.Indonesia joins a growing number of jurisdictions tightening oversight of financial influencers, also called finfluencers, with Australia and the United Kingdom introducing broader rules for investment promotions and the Philippines adopting crypto-specific marketing restrictions.Machine translated excerpt of the OJK announcement. Source: OJKGlobal regulators tighten oversight of finfluencersAustralia and the UK were among the earlier jurisdictions to clarify how existing financial laws apply to influencers. In March 2022, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said influencers may require a financial services license when their content amounts to financial advice or helps arrange transactions. It also warned that licensed financial firms may be liable for misconduct by influencers they engage with.In 2024, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued guidance saying unauthorized influencers may commit a criminal offense when promoting regulated financial products without approval from an appropriately authorized firm. Related: Indonesia blocks Polymarket after bets on president’s exitOn April 24, the FCA led an international “week of action” campaign targeting illegal finfluencers. According to the FCA, 17 regulators participated, conducting enforcement activity, consumer awareness campaigns and educational programs for influencers who want to act responsibly. The FCA said it submitted 120 account-takedown requests covering 1,267 illegal financial advertisements that had reached at least 2.3 million UK social media accounts.Meanwhile, the Philippines introduced crypto-specific marketing restrictions in 2025 that cover endorsements, sponsored material, social media posts, podcasts, livestreams and certain paid educational content. Under the rules, crypto asset service providers are required to disclose their authorized third-party marketers to the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission. Magazine: Japanese pension fund tips 1% in crypto, G7 urges action on NK hackers: Asia Express

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Binance eyes alternative EU licensing route if Greek bid fails: Report

Binance eyes alternative EU licensing route if Greek bid fails: Report

Uverejnil používateľ | jún 24, 2026 |

Crypto exchange Binance reportedly plans to seek a different route to authorization in the European Union after its licensing application in Greece encountered a setback.Speaking to Reuters, Gillian Lynch, Binance’s head of Europe and the United Kingdom, said the exchange is “not leaving Europe” and would pursue authorization in another EU jurisdiction if its application in Greece does not move forward.Lynch said Binance contacted other regulators but submitted a formal application only in Greece. The exchange reportedly held talks with Ireland, Latvia and Greece but encountered resistance over its past money-laundering penalties, international structure and what officials viewed as a risk-taking culture. Binance has days to secure authorization before the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) transitional period ends on July 1, a key deadline for crypto firms seeking to operate across the EU. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) said on Tuesday that crypto service providers that remain unauthorized by the deadline must take “immediate” steps to wind down their EU activities.On June 16, Binance pushed back against a Reuters report that EU regulators were preparing to reject its MiCA application, saying Greece’s Hellenic Capital Market Commission had reviewed the application and considered it compliant, subject to further review by ESMA. The exchange said at the time that it expected the process to advance toward authorization.Binance told Cointelegraph it would provide additional information but had not done so by publication.MiCA deadline puts Binance’s European reach at risk On Monday, CryptoQuant analyst Maartunn told Cointelegraph that euro-denominated pairs account for about 1% of Binance’s global spot trading volume, suggesting that a European licensing setback may have a limited effect on the business.Source: CryptoQuantHowever, Binance remains a significant trading venue for European users, handling between about $100 million and $250 million in daily euro-pair volume in 2026, with occasional spikes of about $600 million. Binance held an estimated 18.5% share of euro-denominated spot trading during the year, placing it second behind Kraken’s 43.3% share, according to CryptoQuant’s data.Exchanges emerge as MiCA compliance gatekeepersBinance’s licensing difficulties could also affect token issuers, as authorized exchanges increasingly prepare and notify MiCA white papers for assets they list.In a LinkedIn post, Ryan King, creator of the EU Crypto Register, said at least 380 of 867 white-paper entries he tracked were notified by third parties rather than token issuers. He said Kraken, LCX, OKX and Bitstamp accounted for 271 notifications, or about 31% of the total.Related: Binance’s Yi He warns of alleged impersonation scam, CoinUp denies tiesKing told Cointelegraph that the model was “symbiotic” because exchanges employ MiCA-trained compliance teams, maintain regulator relationships and retain large law firms. He added that exchanges increasingly request white papers during onboarding and may offer to prepare them, even for tokens covered by transitional arrangements. “They also use standard templates,” King told Cointelegraph, recalling that one exchange told a token project to “fill it in and we’ll handle the rest.”Magazine: Japanese pension fund tips 1% in crypto, G7 urges action on NK hackers: Asia Express

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Aave positioned to capture tokenized asset growth in DeFi: Standard Chartered

Aave positioned to capture tokenized asset growth in DeFi: Standard Chartered

Uverejnil používateľ | jún 24, 2026 |

Banking giant Standard Chartered has identified Aave as a potential beneficiary of tokenized assets as they move into decentralized finance (DeFi), saying the protocol could rebuild its position as a dominant onchain lending platform.In a Wednesday research note, Geoff Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital assets research, said active tokenized assets in DeFi could drive more deposits into Aave. “Despite recent setbacks, we are bullish on the outlook for Aave, the largest [DeFi] lending protocol,” Kendrick wrote.The bank said Aave’s recent performance had been weighed down by a broader decline in digital asset prices and the fallout from the April cybertheft involving KelpDAO. Standard Chartered said the $292 million incident affected Aave, contributing to a decline in the protocol’s lending market share as assets exited the platform. “We think both of those negatives are poised to fade,” Kendrick said. “We forecast significant upside for digital asset token prices into year-end, and we think Aave has moved beyond the April incident.”According to the research note, Aave’s October 2025 deposit base of about $75 billion would have ranked alongside the 30th-largest US bank by deposits. Kendrick added that Standard Chartered expects Aave to recover part of that scale as tokenized assets become more widely used as collateral and sources of liquidity within DeFi. Aave’s total value locked. Source: DefiLlamaStandard Chartered expands tokenization thesis to lendingThe Aave forecast extends Standard Chartered’s tokenization thesis from decentralized trading to lending, with the protocol emerging as a potential venue for borrowing against tokenized real-world assets (RWAs).Standard Chartered said in an earlier research note that assets locked in DeFi could reach $2.7 trillion by 2030, driven by RWAs and other crypto-native assets moving through onchain protocols. Related: StanChart says Ethereum price will catch up to bullish internal metricsKendrick identified decentralized exchange Uniswap as a possible trading hub for tokenized markets, citing its scale, brand and history of operating through multiple crypto market cycles. Magazine: Japanese pension fund tips 1% in crypto, G7 urges action on NK hackers: Asia ExpressCointelegraph 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.

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