BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said the experiments will examine links between blockchain systems and Japan’s existing settlement infrastructure. The Bank of Japan will conduct technical experiments using blockchain technology to settle deposits held at the central bank by financial institutions, according to BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda. In a speech posted Tuesday titled “The New Financial Ecosystem and the Role of Central Banks,” Ueda said a sandbox project is underway to test settlement using central bank money “in the form of current account deposits on a system that uses blockchains.” The experiments will explore “methods of connection with the existing system” and examine use cases, including “domestic interbank settlement and securities settlement.” Read more
Ben Delo paid a $10 million fine after pleading guilty to US banking violations in 2022 and was granted a pardon by President Donald Trump in March 2025. BitMEX co-founder Ben Delo pledged 20 million British pounds ($27 million) to the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences (LIMS), ranking among the largest private donations ever made to a United Kingdom research institution outside Oxford and Cambridge, British magazine Times Higher Education reported on Tuesday. The commitment includes $13.3 million upfront and $13.3 million to be released once the Mayfair-based institute matches the amount through additional fundraising, Times Higher Education reported. The gift launches a wider campaign aimed at building an $80 million endowment to secure LIMS’ long-term future, per the report. “I would like to see LIMS winning Fields Medals and Nobel Prizes – they are already doing some world-class things and I want to help,” Delo told the magazine. Read more
Elliptic’s initial tracing found many of the funds were sent to foreign crypto exchanges, potentially indicating capital flight from Iran amid rising uncertainty in the region. Iran’s top crypto exchange saw a significant spike in crypto withdrawals within minutes of the US and Israel launching strikes in Tehran on Saturday. However, a widespread internet outage curbed additional outflows. In a post on Monday, Elliptic said crypto outflows from the Nobitex exchange surged by more than 700% to over $500,000 within minutes of the first airstrikes, with a chart showing that outflows reached nearly $3 million in a single hour later that day. Elliptic said the sharp rise in outflows “potentially represents capital flight from Iran,” with its initial tracing showing that many of those funds were sent to foreign crypto exchanges. Read more