News linked to both this project and an event.
According to CoinDesk, New York-based digital asset infrastructure firm Prometheum has officially launched its Prometheum Capital digital brokerage solution, offering broker-dealers and registered investment advisors (RIAs) agency clearing, custody, and trading services—enabling them to directly provide tokenized securities and crypto assets to clients through traditional brokerage accounts. Aaron Kaplan, co-founder and co-CEO of the company, stated that “hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of tokenized securities already exist on-chain, yet there remains a lack of distribution channels for mainstream investors. The crypto industry solved tokenization—but not distribution.” Prometheum operates multiple regulated entities covering the full lifecycle of tokenized securities—including issuance, trading, custody, clearing, and settlement—and joined the DTCC’s industry working group in May. Initial agency clearing clients include Arete Wealth Management and Network 1 Financial Securities. Kaplan also revealed that the company is set to announce an institutional distribution partnership aimed at attracting more major issuers to its ecosystem.
a report released by FalconX shows that the crypto derivatives platform Hyperliquid is expanding from perpetual contracts to pre-IPO trading, prediction contracts, and tokenized real-world assets, beginning to compete with traditional exchanges and prediction market operators. The report indicates that Hyperliquid's HIP-3 market allows users to trade stocks, commodities, forex, and pre-IPO contracts 24/7, with traders already using it for pre-IPO speculation on companies such as Cerebras, Anthropic, and SpaceX. The HIP-4 outcome market allows traders to place binary bets on political, economic, and crypto events.In terms of capital inflows, the HYPE spot ETFs launched by 21Shares and Bitwise have attracted a combined $53 million in inflows within just a few trading days. Hyperliquid's USDC partnership with Coinbase and Circle is expected to generate up to $160 million in annual protocol revenue. FalconX warns that CME and ICE have expressed concerns to regulators about potential market manipulation risks on the Hyperliquid market. Nevertheless, Hyperliquid continues to lead the decentralized perpetual contract market in terms of trading volume, revenue, and total value locked. (CoinDesk)
According to CoinDesk, Katie Harries, Coinbase’s Head of European Policy, stated that Coinbase is not concerned about increased participation in the cryptocurrency space by major Wall Street institutions and traditional financial institutions, noting that the crypto industry possesses a community foundation that traditional financial institutions cannot replicate. She pointed out that the advocacy group Stand With Crypto already has over 3.7 million members worldwide, who have contacted legislators more than 2.5 million times. Harries also emphasized that cryptocurrency voters have become a lasting force in the global political landscape, and policymakers should urgently advance a coordinated and reasonable regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies.
: The U.S. Federal Reserve Board has released an updated streamlined master account proposal, detailing plans to provide payment system access to fintech and crypto companies. The proposal updates an information solicitation document first released in December 2025, envisioning that relevant companies would not need to be chartered as Office of the Comptroller of the Currency banks to access the payment system. The same week, U.S. President Donald Trump signed two executive orders: one requiring federal regulatory agencies to review existing policies to better integrate digital assets into the payment system; the other requiring the U.S. Treasury Department and regulators to strengthen rules related to the Bank Secrecy Act. The executive orders also direct the Federal Reserve to review arrangements for non-depository institutions and their payment account access, and to have Federal Reserve member banks assess whether they can independently provide payment accounts to relevant entities. The U.S. Senate Banking Committee previously voted to advance the Clarity Act. The Senate then entered a Memorial Day recess without voting on a reconciliation bill that includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security. (CoinDesk)
that, according to the latest report from crypto lending platform Ledn, the global market for Bitcoin-backed consumer lending could grow nearly 300 times over the next decade, reaching $1 trillion, while a significant amount of potential demand remains untapped.The report cites a survey conducted by consumer research firm Protocol Theory among 1,244 cryptocurrency holders in the United States and Australia. It shows that approximately 88% of respondents are willing to consider using crypto-backed loans or credit products, but only 14% have actually used such services, creating a so-called "6:1 interest-to-adoption gap."Ledn estimates that the current global market size for Bitcoin-backed consumer lending is around $3 billion. In comparison, Galaxy Research previously estimated the entire crypto lending market peaked at $73.6 billion in the third quarter of 2025. Ledn co-founder Mauricio Di Bartolomeo stated: "The demand-side problem has been solved. What the industry is truly missing right now is the trust infrastructure that allows borrowers to build confidence."The survey indicates that the core factors hindering user adoption of crypto-backed lending are not a lack of awareness, but concerns over price volatility, forced liquidation risks, and regulatory uncertainty. When choosing a lending platform, users prioritize platform reputation, custody security, transparency, and risk management over simple interest rates. The report argues that crypto-backed lending is essentially similar to "stock-backed financing" or "home equity loans" in traditional finance, allowing users to obtain liquidity without selling their long-term holdings. (CoinDesk)
crypto market maker and investment firm Keyrock has released a new report indicating that as traditional bank card payment systems struggle to meet micro-payment needs, blockchain-based stablecoin payment rails are gradually becoming the default payment layer for AI agents.The report shows that between May 2025 and April 2026, AI agents have completed over 176 million transactions through on-chain infrastructure, settling more than $73 million.The so-called "Agentic Payments" refer to AI software that can autonomously purchase data, computing power, API access, or AI services without requiring human authorization for each individual transaction. For example, an AI trading agent can continuously and automatically buy market data, cloud computing resources, or AI analysis services. Keyrock believes this growth rate may even surpass the early explosive phase of stablecoins.Currently, Coinbase's x402 protocol has emerged as one of the leading crypto-native machine payment solutions, allowing AI agents to directly pay for on-chain data analysis, cloud services, and other resources using USDC, without the need for accounts or subscription systems.Data shows that approximately 76% of AI agent payment amounts fall below the common 30-cent fixed fee threshold of traditional bank cards, with most transactions ranging from just 1 to 10 cents. This makes traditional payment networks unsuitable for machine-to-machine micropayments. In contrast, on chains like Base and Tempo, the settlement cost for stablecoins is "less than one cent."However, regulation may still become a limiting factor for industry growth. The report points out that new regulatory frameworks, including Europe's MiCA, the US's GENIUS Act, and the EU's AI Act, have yet to directly cover critical issues such as autonomous transactions by AI agents, liability attribution, and identity authentication. (CoinDesk)
Hyperliquid has recently significantly outperformed the broader market. Its token, HYPE, hit an all-time high following the launch of two related ETFs in the United States. Meanwhile, European traders are accelerating their migration to the platform due to restricted access to perpetual contracts on regulated exchanges. Market analyst Michael van de Poppe stated that with Hyperliquid's continued rally and renewed interest in AI-related crypto projects, signs of improving risk appetite are emerging in the altcoin market. Hyperliquid’s expansion into tokenized stocks, commodities, and pre-IPO assets is strengthening the on-chain asset tokenization trend. He suggested that if market sentiment continues to improve, HYPE’s price could target $100 or even higher.However, Michael van de Poppe also stressed that while Hyperliquid holds a short-term advantage, Solana offers greater long-term investment certainty, transitioning from a "speculative ecosystem" to institutional-grade infrastructure. In the AI track, he noted that NEAR Protocol and Bittensor remain significantly undervalued, citing a disconnect between their fundamental growth and valuations. He pointed out that NEAR’s revenue growth potential and Bittensor’s subnet expansion could support higher valuation ranges. Additionally, he indicated that the privacy sector retains long-term demand, but fully anonymous systems face regulatory pressure. The future is more likely to be dominated by zero-knowledge proofs and compliant privacy solutions.On the macro level, Michael van de Poppe highlighted that bond yields and central bank policies remain the core drivers of the crypto market, with changes in Japanese government bond yields potentially serving as a key barometer. (CoinDesk)
the proposed U.S. crypto market structure bill, the "Clarity Act," could foster a new "Yield-as-a-Service" market in the crypto industry. It may also push the sector away from a passive "hold-to-earn" model toward an AI-driven compliant yield infrastructure.Currently, the core of the debate centers on Section 404 of the bill, which would prohibit Digital Asset Service Providers (DASPs) from directly offering yields solely based on users holding a specific digital asset. Joe Vollono believes this means the industry will shift from "Hold-to-Earn" to "Use-to-Earn," making the future market more reliant on active and compliant yield strategies.Joe Vollono, Chief Business Officer at STBL, stated that the bill could drive development in areas such as DeFi infrastructure, treasury management, collateral management, automated capital management, on-chain lending, and reward systems. AI is expected to become a crucial foundational layer for coordinating regulated capital flows.At this stage, the Clarity Act has passed the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. It is expected to move next to a full Senate vote, where it will be reconciled with the version from the Agriculture Committee. The market generally believes this bill could, for the first time, establish a complete regulatory framework for the U.S. digital asset market, clearly defining the regulatory boundaries between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for digital assets. This would pave the way for large institutional capital to enter the crypto market. (CoinDesk)
MoonPay has announced the launch of a new platform, MoonPay Trade, designed for banks, fintech companies, and enterprise clients. It provides unified access to tokenized assets, decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, and stablecoin liquidity across over 200 blockchain networks.The platform is powered by Decent.xyz, a cross-chain routing infrastructure company recently acquired by MoonPay for a reported "high eight-figure USD amount." MoonPay stated that this product will serve as the core execution layer for its institutional business, MoonPay Institutional, which is led by former Acting Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Caroline Pham.MoonPay Trade will support subscriptions for tokenized funds, collateral transfers, and integrations with DeFi protocols such as Aave, Morpho, and Maple Finance, enabling institutions to conduct lending and yield generation operations directly on-chain.Industry data shows that the current scale of tokenized real-world assets (RWA) has exceeded $33 billion, growing threefold within a year. Traditional financial institutions, including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and JPMorgan, have successively launched tokenized fund products, accelerating the influx of institutional capital into on-chain finance.MoonPay stated that as institutions continue to advance their tokenized asset strategies, its goal is to provide traditional financial institutions with the infrastructure capabilities for compliant access to on-chain markets through a unified interface. (CoinDesk)
According to CoinDesk, U.S. bipartisan lawmakers Steven Horsford, Max Miller, Suzan DelBene, and Mike Carey jointly reintroduced the Digital Asset Protection, Accountability, Regulation, Innovation, Taxation, and Yield Act (the “EQUAL Act”) on Wednesday. The revised bill primarily includes the following provisions: (1) specifying that regulated payment stablecoins generate no gain or loss if their cost basis is no less than 99% of their redemption value; (2) establishing a safe harbor for broker transactions or taxpayer account transactions; (3) clarifying how “wash sale” rules apply to digital assets; and (4) requiring the IRS to assess the current tax burden associated with small-value cryptocurrency transactions and study the feasibility—and potential for abuse—of introducing a tax exemption for transactions under $200. The crypto industry has long advocated for tax exemptions on small-value transactions to promote cryptocurrency adoption in everyday payment scenarios. Representative Horsford stated that tax policy forms the foundation of the crypto regulatory framework, and that current tax law remains silent on numerous core issues concerning digital assets.
According to CoinDesk, German stablecoin startup AllUnity plans to launch SEKAU—a Swedish krona-pegged stablecoin—in June, following final regulatory and operational approvals, and will issue it under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework. Meanwhile, AllUnity has also launched Agentic Payments, enabling businesses to receive transactions initiated autonomously by AI software agents and settle funds directly into local bank accounts. The system adopts Coinbase’s x402 payment standard and targets online digital services, content, and data sales. AllUnity is backed by DWS, Flow Traders, and Galaxy Digital, and is regulated by Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).
According to CoinDesk, U.S. President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday local time, directing the federal government to update its regulatory framework to integrate digital assets and innovative technologies into traditional financial services and payment systems. The order requires financial regulatory agencies to review existing rules within three months to identify barriers hindering collaboration between fintech firms and federal regulators, and to implement measures to encourage innovation within six months. Additionally, the executive order specifically directs the Federal Reserve to review regulations governing non-bank financial institutions’ access to payment accounts and services—a move that could directly benefit Wyoming’s Special Purpose Depository Institutions (SPDIs) and companies operating under similar frameworks. Firms such as Kraken have previously actively sought access to Federal Reserve master accounts.
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is preparing to introduce a new regulatory framework for trading tokenized stocks, which could be announced as early as this week. It is reported that the SEC is studying an "innovation exemption" mechanism, allowing trading platforms to offer digital versions of listed securities on-chain under more relaxed regulatory conditions. This move is seen as a significant signal that U.S. regulators are further shifting towards supporting tokenized securities.Currently, multiple Wall Street institutions have accelerated their layout in related businesses. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) plans to launch limited production trading of tokenized assets in July and expand promotion in October; Nasdaq is developing a blockchain-based stock issuance framework; and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is advancing tokenized stocks and crypto-related products through its partnership with OKX.SEC Chairman Paul Atkins previously stated that the SEC is considering establishing formal rules for on-chain trading systems, blockchain settlement infrastructure, and crypto custody models, and believes that existing securities regulations are no longer suitable for on-chain protocols that integrate trading, clearing, and settlement. (CoinDesk)
According to CoinDesk, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a virtual currency bill that will allow state-chartered banks and credit unions to offer cryptocurrency custody services to customers starting August 1. Minnesota thus becomes the first Midwestern U.S. state to establish a unified legislative framework for this purpose. The law explicitly requires that customers’ digital assets be segregated from the institutions’ own assets, and mandates that institutions submit risk management and cybersecurity plans to the Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce at least 60 days prior to offering such services. Meanwhile, Walz separately signed another bill banning cryptocurrency ATMs and kiosks statewide effective August 1, citing their widespread use as tools for fraud—particularly harmful to elderly populations.
According to CoinDesk, leaders of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture have urged President Trump to promptly fill the four vacant commissioner seats at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), warning that with only one commissioner currently serving, the CFTC is ill-equipped to handle its expanding cryptocurrency regulatory responsibilities—especially ahead of the potential passage of the CLARITY Act.
According to CoinDesk, Simone Maini, CEO of blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, stated that the biggest emerging risk to crypto security is not larger-scale hacking attacks, but rather AI-driven financial activity operating at a speed and scale that human compliance teams cannot keep up with. As AI lowers the barriers to hacking, scams, and fraud, security firms like Elliptic are responding by deploying AI agents to analyze on-chain data in real time—sparking an automated arms race between adversaries and defenders. Maini noted that current compliance systems remain heavily reliant on manual review, and the global pool of compliance analysts specializing in digital assets is simply insufficient to meet future demand. Elliptic has raised $120 million in funding—including from Nasdaq and Deutsche Bank—to build an “agent-based compliance system” that leverages AI to automate transaction monitoring and investigation workflows, thereby reducing the cost per alert and per investigation.
According to CoinDesk, the ruble-pegged stablecoin A7A5 is transitioning from a tool for circumventing sanctions into a long-term settlement instrument for trade with Russia. Oleg Ogienko, an executive at A7A5, stated that even if sanctions are lifted, the stablecoin will remain competitive by offering fast, non-U.S. dollar cross-border settlements and yield tied to Russia’s high interest rates—currently around 13.5%. A7A5’s current market capitalization stands at approximately $500 million. However, its expansion still faces challenges stemming from restrictions imposed by Western financial infrastructure and from a draft Russian crypto regulation. The draft proposes capping annual investments by non-qualified investors at 300,000 rubles (roughly $4,000). Ogienko revealed that A7A5 is participating in consultations on this regulatory framework. He also noted that Russia’s future central bank digital currency (CBDC) will focus more on budgetary oversight than commercial applications—and therefore will not compete with A7A5.
Gemini, the crypto exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins, saw its stock price surge over 25% in pre-market trading after releasing its Q1 2026 financial results. The report showed the company's quarterly revenue increased 42% year-over-year to $50.3 million, while its net loss narrowed 27% year-over-year to $109 million. However, this still exceeded the market's expected loss per share of $0.61.The report indicates that Gemini's operating expenses rose 73% year-over-year to $144.5 million. Within this, employee compensation costs increased by 91% and included approximately $6.5 million in severance expenses. Sales and marketing spending also doubled year-over-year to $19.1 million. The company stated it is currently pushing forward with a business transformation via layoffs, business contraction, and a $100 million Bitcoin capital injection from the Winklevoss Capital Fund, as it seeks to achieve profitability.In February of this year, Gemini closed its operations in the UK, the EU, and Australia, and cut approximately 25% of its workforce to refocus on the US market and prediction market business. In April, the company received approval from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission for a Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) license, officially entering the crypto prediction market space. Bolstered by these developments, the company's stock has been rebounding recently, currently trading above $6.60. (CoinDesk)
The regulatory environment for the crypto industry continues to improve, but macro interest rate risks are dampening market sentiment. The US CLARITY Act has passed the Senate Banking Committee with a 15:9 vote, moving closer to a full Senate vote. The market expects that this bill could provide a clearer regulatory framework for tokenization, stablecoins, and smart contract platforms, potentially accelerating institutional capital inflow.Kavi Jain, Senior Research Associate at Bitwise, stated that the progress of the CLARITY Act is a significant milestone for US digital asset regulation. It is expected to particularly benefit smart contract platforms like Ethereum and Solana, and drive growth in institutional activities related to stablecoins, tokenized funds, and on-chain capital markets.However, the macro environment continues to exert pressure on the crypto market. US April inflation data came in higher than expected, driven primarily by rising energy prices. The market is now even beginning to price in the possibility of another rate hike by the Federal Reserve before April 2027. Meanwhile, the US 30-year Treasury yield has reached 5% for the first time since 2007, indicating growing market concern over long-term inflation risks. Analysts suggest that in a high-interest-rate environment, the appeal of high-risk assets, including Bitcoin, may be suppressed. (CoinDesk)
Turnkey, a company specializing in crypto wallets and key management infrastructure, has announced the completion of a $12.5 million strategic financing round. Archetype and Circle Ventures led the round, with participation from Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital Crypto, Lightspeed Faction, Galaxy Ventures, and Variant. The project's total funding has now exceeded $65 million.The company's primary business involves developing wallet and key management infrastructure for crypto applications. This round of financing will be used to support the development and public launch of Turnkey Verifiable Cloud, a product focused on digital asset security computing. This product aims to provide enterprises with verifiable operating environments, encompassing functionalities such as transaction visibility, policy decisions, and agent-driven wallet activities. Turnkey's current clientele includes Polymarket, World App, and Anchorage Digital.