Bitcoin saw a key rejection at local highs before reversing lower, moving with stocks for a second day as US-Iran war downside took its toll. Bitcoin (BTC) dipped below $62,500 at Friday’s Wall Street open as stocks took a fresh hit from the US-Iran war. Key points: Read more
The Bank of England approved HSBC Orion to go live in its Digital Securities Sandbox, with the first Digital Gilt Instrument transaction expected in the first quarter of 2027. HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks, has received approval to operate in the United Kingdom’s Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS), allowing its digital assets platform, HSBC Orion, to support the issuance, servicing and settlement of digital securities. The bank announced Tuesday that HSBC Orion will operate as a digital securities depository within the DSS, a regulatory environment designed to test new technology for securities markets. HSBC said it is the first company approved by the Bank of England to go live in the sandbox. HSBC’s platform will support digitally native bond issuance, including the UK’s planned digital sovereign bond — Digital Gilt Instrument (DIGIT) — and corporate bonds. HSBC said HSBC Orion has enabled more than $5 billion in digital bond issuances globally. Read more
SBI Holdings received regulatory approval to acquire a majority stake in Singapore-based crypto exchange Coinhako as it expands into stablecoins, onchain finance and tokenized assets. Japanese financial services group SBI Holdings has acquired a majority stake in Holdbuild, the parent company of Singaporean crypto platform Coinhako, after receiving regulatory approval from Singapore’s central bank. The approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) enabled SBI to acquire company shares from existing shareholders through a capital injection, making Coinhako a consolidated subsidiary of SBI, the company announced on Thursday. Coinhako holds a Major Payment Institution license under MAS through its subsidiary, Hako Technology Pte. Ltd. SBI announced its intent to acquire a majority stake in the Singaporean crypto exchange in February. Read more
Kraken, Bitstamp, 1inch and Bitfinex have all set up shop in the British Virgin Islands — but you might find it tricky to book an on-site meeting with one of their executives. More than $1 out of every $10 of the world’s tokenized US Treasuries is issued by a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. That places the small Caribbean territory behind only the United States as a key jurisdiction for the rapidly growing asset class, according to BVI Finance. BVI Finance’s Destination Digital report in June found that BVI entities accounted for approximately $1.5 billion of the $14.98 billion global market for tokenized US Treasuries as of June 1. Read more
The Rotterdam court said bankruptcy was necessary to ensure an orderly settlement because the company lacked enough assets to fully repay users. A Dutch court has declared cryptocurrency platform Knaken Cryptohandel BV and its affiliated foundation bankrupt after prosecutors said 7 million euros ($8 million) in customer assets were missing. The Rotterdam court issued the ruling on Thursday, saying the bankruptcy was needed to ensure an orderly settlement after Knaken blocked access to its platform and accounts. According to the court, the company has insufficient assets to fully repay users. The court also said customers lacked sufficient information to determine their legal position. Read more