While earning yield on Bitcoin holdings is still a novelty, there are opportunities to do so through centralized lending platforms and Bitcoin-related networks. DeFi Technologies’ subsidiary Valour has introduced a Bitcoin staking exchange-traded product (ETP) on the London Stock Exchange, providing investors with crypto yield opportunities as the UK moves toward easing restrictions on digital assets. According to a Thursday announcement, the Bitcoin staking ETP has a 1.4% annual yield and is backed by Bitcoin (BTC) held in cold storage, with security coming from multiparty computation (MCP) technology. For the moment, the new Bitcoin staking ETP is available to institutions and professional investors. The United Kingdom will allow retail investors to buy crypto exchange-traded notes (ETNs) again on Oct. 8, removing a ban in place since 2021. Read more
Ron Morrow, head of payments at Canada’s central bank, called on regulators to pass a framework for stablecoins or be left behind. Canada’s central bank is calling for the country to establish a stablecoin regulatory framework to modernize the payment system and avoid falling behind other countries that are moving forward with such policies. “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you sit there,” Ron Morrow, the executive director of payments, supervision and oversight at the Bank of Canada, said in a speech Thursday at the Chartered Professional Accountants conference in Ottawa, Canada, a transcript of which was published on the central bank’s website. Morrow called on federal and provincial regulators to create a policy framework for stablecoins. “At the end of the day, for stablecoins to be seen as money, they need to be as safe and stable as the balance in your bank account,” Morrow said, adding: Read more
After stepping down in 2023 as part of a deal with US officials that later sent him to prison, Changpeng Zhao said he had “no plans to return to the CEO position” at Binance. Cryptocurrency enthusiasts are speculating that former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao is closer to receiving a pardon from US President Donald Trump after a change to his social media profile. The odds of Zhao receiving a pardon from Trump on the prediction platform Polymarket increased to an all-time high of 64% on Saturday, but they have since dropped to 45% at the time of publication. Several users noted on Wednesday that Zhao had removed the “ex-@binance” tag — which he had added in 2023 after stepping down as CEO under a US plea deal — suggesting he may no longer be distancing himself from the exchange he founded in 2017. Read more
The new Yield Basis would allocate 35%-65% of its value to holders of vote-escrowed CRV, while an additional 25% would be reserved for the ecosystem. The Curve Finance decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) is voting on a proposal that could open up new income streams for the protocol and its ecosystem. The proposal, introduced in August by founder Michael Egorov, would establish a $60 million credit line of crvUSD for Yield Basis. Voting began on Wednesday, with 97% of votes cast in support of the proposal at this writing. Under the Yield Basis, holders of CRV who stake their tokens would receive veCRV (vote-escrowed CRV) in return, essentially creating income for stakers. Yield Basis would return between 35% and 65% of its value to holders of veCRV, while an additional 25% would be reserved for the ecosystem. Read more
SOL rallied above $250 as institutional adoption and pending ETF approval hopes fueled speculation for further bullish momentum. Key takeaways: Corporate treasury strategies accumulated 17 million SOL, bolstering institutional demand despite weak leverage demand. A wave of cryptocurrency ETF approvals in the US is likely, but SOL must secure inflows amid competing altcoins. Read more
The crypto exchange integrates Morpho lending into its app, letting USDC users tap DeFi yields of up to 10.8%. Coinbase is rolling out a new way for users to earn yields on their USDC holdings, marking one of the exchange’s first large-scale integrations with decentralized finance (DeFi) at a time of accelerating stablecoin adoption. The company announced Thursday that it is integrating the Morpho lending protocol, with vaults curated by DeFi advisory company Steakhouse Financial, directly into the Coinbase app. The move will allow users to lend USDC (USDC) without navigating third-party DeFi platforms or wallets. Coinbase already pays up to 4.5% APY in rewards for holding USDC on its platform. With the new DeFi lending option, however, users can tap into onchain markets and potentially earn yields of up to 10.8% as of Wednesday, according to Coinbase. Read more