UBS AM Debuts Its First Tokenised Fund, Expanding Blockchain Initiatives

2024-10-09

21.co, the parent company of 21Shares – one of the world’s largest issuers of crypto exchange traded products (ETPs), and Crypto.com announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership.
Central to the partnership, 21.co Wrapped Bitcoin (21BTC) will source Bitcoin liquidity from Crypto.com, leveraging the exchange’s liquidity. Looking ahead, 21.co and Crypto.com intend to build on the strategic partnership, with future announcements in the pipeline.

Eliezer Ndinga
“We are thrilled to integrate 21BTC with Crypto.com, enhancing user access to crypto and marking the starting point of a long-term, strategic partnership. As two leaders in digital asset innovation, know-how and operations, the 21.co–Crypto.com partnership creates a powerful combination,”
said Eliezer Ndinga, Head of

2024-09-19

In 2024, global cryptocurrency activity continues to grow, with developing economies leading in crypto ownership.
Adoption of the new asset class is increasing worldwide, driven in part by the launch of bitcoin and ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the US, which has boosted adoption, particularly in institutional transfers and higher-income regions.
However, regulatory concerns remain a key obstacle, especially in the US and UK, though Europe is taking steps to address these challenges with the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation.
Global crypto activity on the rise
Global crypto activity has continued to rise this year despite market volatility. Between Q4 2023 and Q1 2024, the total value of global crypto activity rose substantially, reaching higher levels than those of 2021

2024-09-10

Siemens has again issued a digital bond in accordance with Germany’s Electronic Securities Act (Gesetz über elektronische Wertpapiere, eWpG).
This follows the successful issuance of its first digital bond last year. In issuing the bond, the company is supporting the trials by the Eurosystem and the Bundesbank in particular, that are aimed at testing blockchain technology for the digital financial market.
Ralf P. Thomas
“Since the successful issuance of our first digital bond on a blockchain, we have been rigorously focusing on the further development of this forward-looking technology. By issuing another digital bond, we are demonstrating once again our spirit of innovation and underscoring our aim to continuously drive digital solutions for the financial markets. Siemens remains a pioneer

2024-09-04

Tornado Cash, a decentralized smart contract protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain, was sanctioned in 2022 by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for its role in laundering over US$7 billion worth of illicit funds since 2019.
The sanctions initially led to a drop in Tornado Cash use, weakening its ability to provide anonymity. However, transactions on the platform continue, reflecting the mixed effectiveness of sanctions on decentralized networks and highlighting the challenges in regulating these systems, a new research paper by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) says.
The SNB working paper, released in August 2024, assesses the impact of OFAC sanctions on Ethereum communities and actors, with a particular focus on Tornado Cash.
Tornado Cash is a cryptocurrency mixer

2024-08-08

Cryptocurrencies are increasingly being integrated into traditional finance, driven by both retail and institutional interest. Financial institutions are embracing tokenization and institutional investors are increasingly entering the cryptocurrency market.
Bitcoin, in particular, is emerging as a valuable diversification tool in wealth management, highlighted for its low correlation with traditional asset classes and its strong growth performance, a new report by Bitcoin Suisse, a Swiss crypto services provider, says.
The inaugural “Crypto Wealth Management Report”, released in July 2024, looks at the historic performance of bitcoin, showcasing the crypto’s position as a potential powerhouse within diversified portfolios. The report explores the key drivers behind the performance of

2024-07-18

Eurex expands its crypto derivatives portfolio with the launch of FTSE Ethereum Index Futures and Options as of 12 August 2024. Following the launch of FTSE Bitcoin Index Futures and Options in 2023, this is another major milestone in Eurex’s ambition to offer secure access to cryptocurrencies in a regulated market environment.