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WhiteBIT secures MiCA license in Austria ahead of July 1 EU deadline

WhiteBIT secures MiCA license in Austria ahead of July 1 EU deadline

Uverejnil používateľ | jún 19, 2026 |

Crypto exchange WhiteBIT has obtained authorization under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) from Austria’s Financial Market Authority, allowing the company to offer regulated crypto services across the European Economic Area through a single license.Under MiCA, crypto companies authorized in one European Union member state can passport their services across the European Economic Area without obtaining separate licenses in each jurisdiction. WhiteBIT said the authorization will support the launch of a dedicated European platform, whitebit.eu.WhiteBIT said W Group, its parent company, serves more than 35 million customers globally. Founded in 2018, the exchange has partnerships with Visa, FACEIT, FC Barcelona, Juventus and Ukraine’s national football team.Austria did not extend grandfathering provisions for virtual asset service providers beyond Dec. 31, 2025, making it one of the first European Union jurisdictions to fully transition to the MiCA framework. According to comments previously provided to Cointelegraph by Austria’s Financial Market Authority, the regulator has licensed nine crypto-asset service providers under MiCA and described application volume as “significant.”Related: Polish president vetoes crypto bill for third time ahead of MiCA deadlineMiCA deadline approaches for crypto firmsWhiteBIT’s approval comes less than two weeks before the European Union’s MiCA transition period expires on July 1. After that date, crypto companies operating under legacy national registrations must either hold a MiCA license or stop serving clients in the bloc.The approaching deadline has increased scrutiny on exchanges that have yet to secure authorization. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Greece’s market regulator was preparing to reject Binance’s MiCA application, while The Big Whale said France may be the exchange’s last remaining path to a MiCA license before the deadline.Data shared with Cointelegraph by OKX Europe suggests the MiCA transition could affect a meaningful share of Europe’s crypto market. The company found that roughly 7.6 million of the 18.5 million crypto app downloads recorded in Europe between May 2025 and May 2026 were linked to exchanges that were not listed on public MiCA authorization registers.Statement on the end of transitional periods. Source: ESMAThe European Securities and Markets Authority has said companies that remain unauthorized after July 1 should implement wind-down and client migration plans rather than continue operating while applications remain under review.Magazine: The end of anon? AI could unmask crypto’s hidden identities

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Franklin Templeton files ETFs that turn stock dividends into Bitcoin exposure

Franklin Templeton files ETFs that turn stock dividends into Bitcoin exposure

Uverejnil používateľ | jún 19, 2026 |

Global asset manager Franklin Templeton has filed for two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) designed to convert dividend income from US stocks into Bitcoin exposure, according to a June 18 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).The proposed Franklin US Equity Bitcoin DRIP Index ETF and Franklin US Innovation Bitcoin DRIP Index ETF would track indexes that systematically reinvest stock dividends into a Bitcoin allocation, creating a rules-based Bitcoin exposure alongside traditional equity holdings.According to the filing, the funds would launch with a 5% allocation to Bitcoin exposure and a 95% allocation to US equities. Under the index methodology, regular and special dividends from the stock holdings would be reinvested into the index’s Bitcoin allocation, while quarterly rebalances would maintain the Bitcoin allocation within predefined limits.The filing states that the funds may gain Bitcoin exposure through a range of instruments, including Bitcoin exchange-traded products, futures contracts, options and Bitcoin-backed depositary receipts. The funds may also hold certain Bitcoin-related investments through a wholly owned Cayman Islands subsidiary.While the Equity ETF would track a broad US large-cap stock index, the Innovation ETF would track an index composed of the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq.Both funds would be structured as passive index ETFs tracking proprietary VettaFi indexes. The filing states that the underlying indexes would be rebalanced quarterly and reconstituted semiannually.Related: Bitcoin taps $63K on Juneteenth as July Fed rate-hike odds near 40%ETF issuers experiment with new Bitcoin strategiesFranklin Templeton’s filing comes as asset managers increasingly experiment with Bitcoin investment products that extend beyond traditional spot ETFs.Much of that innovation has focused on income generation. In January, BlackRock filed for the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, which would use an options strategy tied to Bitcoin and its spot Bitcoin ETF to generate additional returns. Goldman Sachs followed in April with plans for a Bitcoin income ETF that would invest in spot Bitcoin exchange-traded products and sell call options against those holdings to generate yield while reducing sensitivity to Bitcoin’s price swings. The following month, Hamilton ETFs entered the market with a proposed leveraged Bitcoin income fund in Canada built around covered-call strategies and short-term options contracts.Franklin Templeton’s filings come amid weaker demand for US spot Bitcoin ETFs, which recorded six consecutive weeks of net outflows between May 15 and June 18, according to SoSoValue data. US spot Bitcoin ETF weekly net flows. Source: SoSoValueMagazine: Bitcoin, the ‘canary in the coal mine,’ XRP transaction demand falls 91.5%: Market Moves

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Custodia, Vantage propose token that toggles between bank deposits and stablecoins

Custodia, Vantage propose token that toggles between bank deposits and stablecoins

Uverejnil používateľ | jún 18, 2026 |

Custodia and Vantage Bank have proposed a token that automatically switches between a bank deposit and a stablecoin as it moves between participating banks and external users.According to a white paper shared with Cointelegraph on Thursday, the token would operate as a deposit issued by a participating bank when held within a banking consortium and as a stablecoin backed by cash and short-term Treasurys when transferred outside the so-called Hazel network.The companies said the system has been running on Ethereum (ETH) since March and is being tested by participating banks ahead of a broader rollout planned for later this year. The platform is designed to support tokenized deposits, stablecoins and other blockchain-based financial assets through a shared banking infrastructure.According to the white paper, participating institutions would not need to replace existing core banking systems, with the platform operating alongside current ledgers and payment infrastructure.The companies said it was designed for banks and credit unions of all sizes, including community banks, and aims to let institutions participate in tokenized payments without moving customer deposits outside the banking system.Wyoming-based Custodia and Texas-based Vantage said they expect the Hazel network to become broadly available to banks and their customers in the fourth quarter of 2026.Related: UK crypto advocates launch campaign against banks blocking exchange transfersBanks seek alternatives to stablecoinsThe proposal comes as banks increasingly look for ways to offer blockchain-based payment services without losing customer deposits to stablecoin issuers.Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that The Clearing House, whose owners include JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup, plans to launch a tokenized deposit network in the first half of 2027, allowing banks to settle payments using blockchain-based representations of customer deposits.Banking groups have also pushed back against legislation that could allow stablecoin issuers to offer yield-bearing products. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently said banks would continue fighting provisions in the CLARITY Act, a US crypto market structure bill, arguing they could let crypto companies compete for deposits without obtaining bank charters. The bill advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee in May and still requires approval from both chambers of Congress.According to DefiLlama data, the total stablecoin market capitalization stands at roughly $315 billion, up from about $251 billion a year ago.Source: DefiLlama Magazine: Vietnam preps crypto pilot, HK pushes tokenization: Asia Express

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Wealthsimple launches Kalshi-powered prediction market app for Canadian investors

Wealthsimple launches Kalshi-powered prediction market app for Canadian investors

Uverejnil používateľ | jún 18, 2026 |

Canadian fintech Wealthsimple is launching a prediction markets app powered by Kalshi, giving that country’s retail investors access to thousands of event-based contracts following regulatory approval earlier this year.The standalone app, called Wealthsimple Predict, is scheduled to launch this summer and will offer Canadian users access to about 4,000 event contracts listed on Kalshi across categories including financial markets, economic indicators and climate.Source: KalshiThe Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) in March authorized the firm to offer prediction market contracts tied to those categories. It is the second investment dealer authorized by CIRO to offer prediction market trading in Canada. The contracts will be regulated as derivatives and must have settlement periods of at least 30 days.The Canadian rollout comes as Kalshi expands beyond prediction markets. On Thursday, the company said that its perpetual futures products were now live for trading, following a May 31 announcement that marked the company’s entry into the crypto perpetual futures market.Source: KalshiRelated: Kentucky sues Kalshi, Polymarket, joining prediction market legal battleCME pushes back against CFTC’s crypto derivatives stanceKalshi’s expansion beyond prediction markets is already facing pushback from established derivatives exchanges. On Thursday, CME Group sued the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over its approval of cryptocurrency perpetual futures contracts offered by Kalshi and similar products by Coinbase, arguing the regulator misclassified the products under federal law. The filing followed comments from CME CEO Terrence Duffy a day earlier that the exchange planned to challenge the approvals in court.CME CEO Terry Duffy. Source: CNBC Fast MoneyThe lawsuit comes amid a broader push to bring crypto perpetual futures onshore. In May, the CFTC approved Bitcoin perpetual futures contracts for Kalshi and issued a no-action position allowing Coinbase to offer similar products. Since then, Coinbase expanded US institutional access to global crypto derivatives markets, while Kraken launched perpetual futures trading this week through its CFTC-regulated Bitnomial exchange.Related: BBB National Programs refers prediction market Kalshi to state regulators over ad inquiryCountries push back against prediction marketsDespite gaining traction in Canada, prediction markets continue to face regulatory resistance in several jurisdictions. In May, Spanish regulators ordered internet providers to block access to Kalshi and Polymarket while investigating whether the platforms were operating in violation of national gambling regulations.Asian regulators have also moved against prediction markets. Indonesia recently banned Polymarket after users traded contracts tied to whether President Prabowo Subianto would leave office early, while Japanese crypto exchange Bitbank warned users over Polymarket-linked transfers and South Korean police reportedly investigated local users over alleged gambling violations.In the United States, at least 11 states have challenged prediction markets in recent months. At the center of the dispute is whether event contracts should be regulated under state gambling laws or as federally regulated derivatives overseen by the CFTC.Speaking at Bitso’s Stablecoin Conference in Mexico City on June 16, Digital Chamber CEO Cody Carbone said the growing conflict between the CFTC and state gambling regulators is likely headed for the US Supreme Court.Source: CointelegraphMagazine: The end of anon? AI could unmask crypto’s hidden identities

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HIVE secures $220M AI infrastructure contract with Bell and Cohere

HIVE secures $220M AI infrastructure contract with Bell and Cohere

Uverejnil používateľ | jún 18, 2026 |

Canadian Bitcoin miner HIVE Digital Technologies said its AI subsidiary BUZZ HPC has signed a three-year GPU cloud contract worth approximately $220 million with Bell AI Fabric for AI startup Cohere, expanding the company’s push into high-performance computing (HPC) and AI infrastructure.The agreement calls for BUZZ HPC to deploy 2,304 NVIDIA Grace Blackwell GPUs at a Bell Canada data center in British Columbia, where the infrastructure will support Cohere’s artificial intelligence models and services for enterprise and government customers.After the deployment enters service, HIVE expects the project to contribute about $70 million in contracted annual recurring revenue, increasing its contracted HPC revenue target to more than $100 million, according to the company.HIVE said it will fund the purchase of the AI infrastructure using a portion of the proceeds from the $115 million convertible note financing it completed in April.The company’s stock price was up around 9% at the time of writing and almost 24% in the past month, according to Yahoo Finance data. Sector tracking exchange-traded fund CoinShares Bitcoin Mining ETF (WGMI) was up 5.4% on the day, and up more than 30% in the past month. HIVE stock is the fund’s eighth-biggest holding.Source: Yahoo FinanceRelated: Georgia targets illegal crypto mining in Mestia crackdown: ReportHIVE grows AI business as Bitcoin holdings declineThe deal is the latest move in HIVE’s broader expansion into AI infrastructure. In May, the company said its BUZZ HPC subsidiary planned a 320-megawatt AI data center campus near Toronto, capable of supporting more than 100,000 GPUs.Earlier this month, HIVE reported that revenue from its HPC division increased to $19.5 million in fiscal 2026, nearly doubling from a year earlier. The company also said contracted annual recurring revenue from the business reached $35 million, supported by deployments of Nvidia-powered GPU clusters and new enterprise contracts.HIVE also reported a decline in its Bitcoin (BTC) treasury holdings, which fell to 150 BTC from 481 BTC a quarter earlier.Source: BitcoinTreasuries.NETRelated: Nvidia’s $20 billion debt boom reinforces Bitcoin miners’ AI pivotHashrate declines as AI investments growOn Thursday, The Energy Mag (formerly The Miner Mag) noted that Bitcoin mining difficulty, a measure of how hard it is for miners to produce new blocks, fell 10.09% on June 14, one of the largest downward adjustments in the network’s history.The publication attributed the decline to weaker mining economics, Bitcoin’s price decline, seasonal power curtailment in Texas and broader power-market dynamics. It also argued that miners dedicating power to AI and HPC projects could alter future hashrate growth by reducing the amount of capacity available for Bitcoin mining.Bitcoin mining difficulty. Source: Coinwarz.comThe decline came days after Cointelegraph reported that Bitcoin mining profitability had fallen to record lows, making it harder for some operators to remain profitable.Meanwhile, miners continue expanding into AI and high-performance computing. On Tuesday, IREN completed its acquisition of Spanish data center developer Nostrum Group, while TeraWulf recently added a Kentucky development site that it said could eventually support more than 1 gigawatt of AI and HPC capacity.Magazine: Does ‘Paper Bitcoin’ mean there’s an unlimited supply of BTC?

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