2026 will likely be a busy year for crypto exchange-traded funds, which could help renew investor interest in digital asset markets. The US government's ending of the shutdown and return to the normal legislative session may spark a surge in new crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) approvals by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2026, according to market analysts. There is “huge” demand for crypto ETFs and exchange-traded products (ETPs), Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at investment firm Bitwise, told CNBC on Wednesday. Demand for crypto index ETFs will be driven by investors looking for a small, passive crypto allocation, Hougan said. Read more
The ECB is concerned that US dollar stablecoins could weaken its ability to affect policy, and European issuers have ideas about how this could be solved. Central bankers in the European Union are making the case that US dollar-backed stablecoins could be a threat to their ability to make monetary policy. The stablecoin market has boomed over the past year, largely driven by legal certainty in the US. Each month marks a new all-time high for stablecoin market capitalization. But policymakers at the European Central Bank (ECB) are concerned about what this increased adoption of dollar-based assets could mean during a time of crisis. Issuers of stablecoins backed by the euro and the pound recognize those risks as well, but they don’t believe that proposed solutions, like a digital euro, can provide an alternative fast enough. They also question whether a central bank digital currency is the right fit. Read more
The confidential filing with the SEC for a US initial public offering came less than a week after Grayscale Investments announced a similar move. Kraken, the US cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in Wyoming, announced the confidential filing of a draft registration statement for a proposed initial public offering, following months of speculation among many in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. In a Wednesday notice, Kraken said it had confidentially submitted a Form S-1 with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed IPO of its common stock, setting the groundwork for the company to go public. The potential IPO is subject to review by the SEC, which recently returned to full operations and staffing after a 43-day government shutdown. The filing came less than a week after Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi gave an interview in which he said the exchange wasn’t “rac[ing] to the door as quickly as possible” to go public. Reports had been circulating since 2024 suggesting that Kraken was planni...