Author: NBTC
Vietnam has set a mid-January timeline to approve its first pilot cryptocurrency exchanges, marking a shift toward controlled market testing. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh instructed regulators to complete approvals by Jan. 15, 2026, under a sandbox model that allows crypto trading while limiting systemic risks. The move places digital assets on a formal policy track after years of legal uncertainty. The decision followed a Jan. 6, 2026 national finance-sector conference, where the government outlined priorities for the year ahead. Among them, pilot crypto exchanges ranked as a key task. Officials framed the initiative as a way to observe market…
StoneX Digital has received a Crypto-Asset Service Provider licence under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. The licence was granted by the Central Bank of Ireland. StoneX Group also operates the retail trading brand Forex.com. The platform became part of the group after StoneX acquired GAIN Capital in 2020. Forex.com provides foreign exchange and CFD trading services to retail clients through locally regulated entities in several jurisdictions. Brian Mulcahy, CEO of StoneX Digital, Source: LinkedIn StoneX Digital launched in June 2022. The authorisation allows the firm to provide digital asset execution and custody services across the European Union. These…
Temple Digital Group has launched a private, institutional trading platform built on the Canton Network, offering continuous, 24/7 trading of digital assets using a central limit order book and non-custodial market structure. According to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph on Thursday, the platform supports trading in cryptocurrencies and stablecoins and is designed to allow institutions to transact with approved counterparties while maintaining privacy and regulatory oversight, with participants retaining custody of assets rather than relying on a central intermediary. The system is built around a price-time priority central limit order book with sub-second matching and includes execution monitoring and transaction…
Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brett Knoblauch on Wednesday raised his price target on Hut 8 (HUT) to $72 from $64 following the company’s announcement of a $7 billion lease agreement with AI infrastructure firm Fluidstack. “We believe this is a deal the market has been waiting for,” Knoblauch wrote in a note to clients, calling the finalized terms stronger than initially expected. He pointed to the 15-year duration, a power usage effectiveness (PUE) ratio of 1.35, and projected net operating income of $6.9 billion over the base term as key highlights. If all renewal options are exercise, Knoblauch added. His new…
Turkmenistan’s new Law on Virtual Assets, which came into force on January 1, 2026, has formally legalised cryptocurrency mining and digital asset exchanges in a country with some of the world’s lowest energy costs. While the move is designed to attract foreign investment, it does so within a tightly controlled, licence-driven framework that may deter all but the most compliant operators. Signed into law in November 2025, the legislation is part of a broader effort to diversify an economy heavily reliant on natural gas exports. It establishes a legal pathway for crypto-related activity, but under a model that prioritises centralised…
BitMEX is expanding beyond crypto-native markets with the launch of Equity Perps, a new line of perpetual swap contracts that provide 24/7, crypto‑collateralized exposure to major US stocks and indexes like Apple, Tesla, Nvidia, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph. The product mirrors the role perpetual swaps played in reshaping crypto markets with non-expiring, funding‑rate‑based, highly leveraged exposure — now applied to equities that have traditionally been confined to limited market hours. Demand for onchain equities is rising The move comes as onchain access to equities is showing signs of traction. Bitget…
International oversight of crypto and stablecoin flows is evolving fast, and tron dao recognition in a major FATF publication marks a turning point for public blockchain enforcement models. FATF showcases T3 FCU as model for blockchain crime prevention Origins and impact of the T3 Financial Crime Unit Shift toward real-time interdiction on public blockchains Implications for TRON DAO and global financial integrity TRON DAO network metrics and growth FATF showcases T3 FCU as model for blockchain crime prevention On January 8, 2026, in Geneva, Switzerland, TRON DAO welcomed the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) spotlight on the T3 Financial Crime…
SoFi (SOFI) has launched a U.S. dollar stablecoin, SoFiUSD, in a bid to bring faster, cheaper money movement to banks, fintechs and enterprise platforms. The coin is issued by SoFi Bank, a nationally chartered and FDIC-insured institution, making it the first U.S. national bank to offer open access to its stablecoin infrastructure. Last month, JPMorgan launched its deposit token, JPM Coin, on Base. SoFiUSD will be available for internal use for now with a broader rollout to SoFi members expected in the coming months. Unlike stablecoins issued by crypto-native firms, SoFiUSD is fully backed 1:1 by cash held at the…
China’s move to let banks pay interest on digital yuan wallets from Jan. 1 is sharpening the debate in Washington over whether United States dollar stablecoins are being left structurally uncompetitive by the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act’s ban on yields. The move allows China’s commercial banks to pay interest on balances held in e‑CNY wallets, with officials framing it as a way to better integrate the central bank digital currency (CBDC) into bank balance sheets. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong warned in an X post on Wednesday that the decision gives China a “competitive advantage”…
Prediction market platform Polymarket updated its documentation to show that 15-minute crypto up/down markets now carry taker fees, marking a departure from its long-standing zero-fee trading model. According to the newly updated “Trading Fees” and Maker Rebates Program” sections of the site’s documentation, the prediction markets platform has enabled taker-only fees on 15-minute crypto markets to fund liquidity incentives for market makers. Fees collected from takers are redistributed daily in USDC (USDC) stablecoin to liquidity providers, rather than retained by the protocol. The change applies only to these short-duration crypto markets, while the vast majority of Polymarket’s markets remain without…