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Project Overview
Ripple is a real-time gross settlement system, currency exchange, and remittance network created by Ripple Labs Inc., a US-based technology company. The platform offers a suite of institutional-grade products, including Ripple Payments for cross-border settlement, Ripple Custody for digital asset storage and security, and the Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin. These solutions enable financial institutions, central banks, and businesses to integrate digital assets into their operations through the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and other distributed ledger technologies.
After receiving $150 million investment from Ripple, LMAX explores sale, SPAC merger, or IPO
Institutional trading platform LMAX is working with advisors Morgan Stanley and KBW, the investment bank arm of Stifel, to evaluate strategic alternatives. According to sources familiar with the matter, options under consideration include a potential sale, a SPAC merger, or an IPO. London-based LMAX recently launched a 24/7 multi-asset exchange and secured a $150 million strategic investment from Ripple, which is related to institutional stablecoin adoption.
Ripple Strategically Invests in Notabene to Advance RLUSD Institutional-Grade Stablecoin Payments
According to PRNewswire, stablecoin operator Notabene announced it has received strategic investment from Ripple; the specific investment amount has not been disclosed yet. The two parties will collaborate on enterprise-level stablecoin payments, including integrating Ripple's USD stablecoin RLUSD into the Notabene Flow B2B stablecoin payment platform. Both parties also plan to further expand the application of RLUSD in institutional payment networks to accelerate the adoption of compliant stablecoin infrastructure by banks, payment institutions, and fintech companies.
Ripple plans to introduce an institutional-grade lending protocol on XRPL, allowing tokenized assets to be used as collateral for financing.
Ripple is advancing the addition of a lending infrastructure layer on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), enabling institutions to raise funds using on-chain tokenized assets as collateral. The protocol will automatically execute loan terms, while credit evaluation and lending decisions remain handled by off-chain institutions.According to disclosures, the proposal is named the XRPL Lending Protocol (corresponding to XLS-65 and XLS-66 standards). It is currently in the technical draft stage and will require approval through validator voting before launching on the mainnet, but developer testing has already been opened on the test network.The protocol’s design splits the lending process into two parts: on-chain management of liquidity pools, interest calculation, repayment execution, and default handling; while borrower credit assessment and loan term setting remain with traditional financial institutions to meet compliance requirements across different jurisdictions.Ripple states that the mechanism is primarily aimed at institutional short-term liquidity needs. For example, in cross-border payment scenarios, temporary financing through stablecoins or collateral assets can be obtained before settlement is completed, thereby improving capital efficiency.Analysts believe that while the plan attempts to introduce a “rule-enforced lending infrastructure” similar to traditional finance while maintaining XRPL's open network attributes, it will still face competition from established on-chain lending protocols such as Aave, Compound, and Maple. (CoinDesk)
Strategy holds 847,363 Bitcoin, Michael Saylor hints at continued buying
According to data shared by Michael Saylor, as of June 28, 2026, Strategy holds 847,363 Bitcoin worth approximately $50.9 billion, with an average purchase price of $75,653 per coin from 113 buys.The StrategyTracker chart shows that Strategy has been continuously accumulating Bitcoin from 2024 to 2025, with Saylor also indicating an intention to continue buying. Strategy's stock price has declined recently, drawing market attention to its financing model and dividend obligations; Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has criticized this, while its dollar reserves are reportedly sufficient to cover approximately 10 months of dividend payments. (CoinDesk)
Ripple CEO remains bullish on Bitcoin but criticizes Strategy's approach as "harming the crypto market"
Odaily Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse stated in a recent CNBC interview that he remains long-term bullish on Bitcoin, while strongly criticizing Michael Saylor and his strategy of continuously purchasing Bitcoin by financing through preferred stock, arguing that this "financial engineering" approach is negatively impacting the crypto market.Garlinghouse pointed out that Strategy's reliance on issuing preferred stock (such as STRC) to raise funds for Bitcoin purchases essentially acts as a distraction in the market rather than creating long-term value. He emphasized: "Financial engineering does not create long-term value; the long-term value of digital assets comes from real utility." He specifically noted that STRC's stock price has fallen to a discount of approximately 25% from its par value, which he described as a "strong vote of no confidence" in that financing structure. Against the backdrop of market pressure this week, Strategy's common stock hit its lowest level since February 2024, and Bitcoin briefly fell below $59,000.On the market front, a CryptoQuant report indicated that if the dividend structure continues, Strategy's cash buffer has decreased from over seven years to approximately 14 months, suggesting a pause in Bitcoin purchases and a rebuilding of reserve funds. Currently, STRC trading below $100 has also rendered its "issue tokens—buy Bitcoin" funding flywheel temporarily ineffective. However, Benchmark-StoneX analyst Mark Palmer believes this model reflects more of a "decline in efficiency" rather than a systemic breakdown. Meanwhile, Ripple continues to adopt an industry-contrarian perspective, reiterating the distinct value path of its ecosystem asset XRP compared to Bitcoin. (CoinDesk)
Ripple CEO Criticizes Saylor's Bitcoin Funding Strategy, Calls STRC Discount a "Severely Negative Signal"
Odaily Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse criticized Strategy and its Chairman Michael Saylor's Bitcoin purchasing funding model during a CNBC interview on Friday, stating that "financial engineering cannot create long-term value" and that the long-term value of digital assets should ultimately be driven by real-world utility.Garlinghouse said the Saylor team is not focused on the right direction and believes this approach has already harmed the overall crypto market. He also emphasized that he remains bullish on Bitcoin but opposes Strategy's strategy of continuously adding BTC positions through complex funding structures.His criticism was primarily directed at Strategy's model of issuing preferred stock to fund Bitcoin purchases. STRC is one of the preferred stocks issued by Strategy, carrying an annual dividend obligation of 11.5%. Recently, STRC traded at a discount of approximately 25% to 26% compared to its $100 face value. Garlinghouse described this performance as a "severely negative assessment" of Strategy's approach.
Japanese game company Gumi partners with SBI to launch 300 million yen Bitcoin and altcoin fund
According to Cointelegraph, Japanese game developer Gumi announced that starting this Saturday, it will jointly operate a crypto asset fund sized at 3 billion yen (approximately $18.3 million) with SBI Financial Services, with institutions such as Daiwa Securities Group participating in the investment. The fund is operated by SBI Crypto Fund (SBI Financial Services holds 51%, Gumi's subsidiary gC Labs holds 49%), mainly investing in Bitcoin and mainstream altcoins, and adopting strategies such as staking, rebalancing, and hedging. Gumi stated that this move aims to build a bridge between the Japanese corporate sector and the crypto market, and to prepare in advance for Japan's potential future lifting of the crypto ETF ban. As of April 30, 2026, Gumi's held crypto assets have reached 14.13 billion yen, nearly doubling compared to 7.58 billion yen a year ago, with its crypto business core assets consisting primarily of XRP.
Gumi and SBI Launch Approximately $18.3 Million Bitcoin & Altcoin Fund
: Japanese game developer Gumi announced it will launch a 3 billion yen (approximately $18.3 million) crypto asset fund this Saturday in partnership with SBI Financial Services, with support from Daiwa Securities Group and other investors. The fund will be operated by SBI Crypto Fund, a joint venture in which SBI Financial Services holds a 51% stake and Gumi's subsidiary gC Labs holds the remaining 49%. The fund will primarily invest in Bitcoin and major altcoins, employing strategies such as staking, portfolio rebalancing, and hedging. Gumi stated that the fund aims to bridge Japan's corporate sector with the crypto market and establish an operational track record ahead of a potential future lifting of the ban on crypto ETFs in Japan. Gumi's crypto business also includes managing its own crypto assets centered around XRP, offering portfolio management services through Hinode Technologies, and operating a crypto investment fund. According to Gumi's latest annual report, as of April 30, 2026, the company held 14.13 billion yen in crypto assets, nearly double the 7.58 billion yen recorded a year earlier.
ESMA adds 15 crypto service providers to MiCA registry, including BNY Mellon subsidiary
the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) updated the provisional MiCA registry on Friday, adding 15 licensed crypto asset service providers (CASPs), bringing the total number to 309. The newly added institutions include BNY SA/NV, the Belgian subsidiary of US banking giant BNY Mellon. This latest batch includes four banking institutions, three of which are from Germany, alongside digital asset platforms such as BitPay, Coinify, and Bleap. Germany and Denmark each added three CASPs, Bulgaria and Latvia each added two, while Belgium, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, and the Netherlands each added one. ESMA stated that this update did not alter other MiCA-related registries, including those for asset-referenced tokens (ARTs), e-money tokens (EMTs), authorized issuers of crypto assets, and the list of non-compliant entities. Following the previous transitional deadline on July 1, ESMA’s second update had added 14 CASPs, including Ripple Payments Europe.
Ripple Strategically Invests in Notabene to Advance RLUSD Institutional-Grade Stablecoin Payments
According to PRNewswire, stablecoin operator Notabene announced it has received strategic investment from Ripple; the specific investment amount has not been disclosed yet. The two parties will collaborate on enterprise-level stablecoin payments, including integrating Ripple's USD stablecoin RLUSD into the Notabene Flow B2B stablecoin payment platform. Both parties also plan to further expand the application of RLUSD in institutional payment networks to accelerate the adoption of compliant stablecoin infrastructure by banks, payment institutions, and fintech companies.
BitPay obtains Dutch MiCA crypto asset service provider license, will expand stablecoin payments
: Crypto payment company BitPay announced that it has received approval from the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets to obtain a crypto asset service provider license, allowing it to operate within EU member states under the Markets in Crypto-Assets regulatory framework. BitPay stated that this license will support the company in expanding services such as crypto payments and stablecoin payments across Europe. According to relevant requirements, starting July 1, all entities providing crypto-related services must be subject to regulation. Jonathan Arler, BitPay's Head of Europe, stated that Europe is one of the most important regions for the future development of payments. Previously, Ripple announced that it had obtained a crypto asset service provider license from the Luxembourg financial regulator.
Ripple urges Senate to support CLARITY Act, warns opposing the bill would preserve FTX-style risks
: Ripple’s Global Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Lauren Belive, stated that opposing the CLARITY Act is not opposition to the crypto industry, but rather opposition to consumers, and would continue exposing crypto holders to bad actors who exploit regulatory arbitrage. Belive noted that while a digital asset market already exists in the United States, federal rules protecting consumers have not kept pace. She pointed out that the regulatory gaps that led to the collapse of FTX and the loss of customer funds still persist. Belive indicated that the CLARITY Act would grant the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) clear joint jurisdiction over the digital asset market, requiring tokens to undergo regulatory oversight before entering the market. Stuart Alderoty, Chief Legal Officer of Ripple and Chairman of the National Cryptocurrency Association, stated that opposing the CLARITY Act would allow the current unregulated status quo to continue and be exploited by bad actors.
Bitcoin ETFs saw a net inflow of $79.15 million in a single day, while Ethereum ETFs recorded a net outflow of $28.04 million
on July 16, Bitcoin ETFs registered a net inflow of $79.15 million, marking the third consecutive trading day of positive inflows. Among them, Blackrock IBIT saw a net inflow of $33.44 million, Fidelity FBTC recorded a net inflow of $30.73 million, and Bitwise BITB posted a net inflow of $14.98 million. Ethereum ETFs recorded a net outflow of $28.04 million on the same day. Grayscale Ether Mini Trust saw a net outflow of $14.28 million, Fidelity FETH recorded a net outflow of $11.20 million, and Grayscale ETHE reported a net outflow of $4.84 million; meanwhile, Bitwise ETHW posted a net inflow of $2.28 million. XRP ETFs recorded a net inflow of $6.78 million on that day, while Solana ETFs saw a net inflow of $1.66 million. T. Rowe Price's TKNZ began trading with approximately $15 million in initial assets, with a portfolio including Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB, Solana, XRP, HYPE, XLM, and Dogecoin.
Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs see net inflows of $239 million in a single day; Japan advances crypto ETF framework
Odaily News on July 14, Bitcoin ETFs recorded net inflows of $181 million, and Ethereum ETFs recorded net inflows of $58.34 million. No outflows were observed for either Bitcoin or Ethereum ETFs on that day. BlackRock's IBIT saw net inflows of $139 million, Fidelity's FBTC posted net inflows of $21.07 million; all net inflows into Ethereum ETFs came from BlackRock's ETHA. HYPE, XRP, and Solana ETFs had no trading activity on the day. Morgan Stanley submitted a proposed amended filing for spot Ethereum and Solana ETFs, with the document covering service providers such as Coinbase Custody and staking provisions. Japanese policymakers are advancing reforms aimed at classifying crypto assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.
Bitcoin ETFs saw a net outflow of $424.66 million, led by Fidelity and Blackrock funds
On July 13, Bitcoin ETFs saw a net outflow of $424.66 million, with Fidelity's FBTC net outflow of $245.62 million, Blackrock's IBIT net outflow of $185.5 million, and Grayscale's GBTC net outflow of $53.06 million. Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust had a net inflow of $53.38 million, while Vaneck's HODL posted a net inflow of $6.14 million. The total trading volume of Bitcoin ETFs was $2.06 billion, with total net assets of $74.79 billion. Ethereum ETFs recorded a net outflow of $15.41 million, mainly from Fidelity's FETH, with total trading volume of $430.91 million and net assets of $9.46 billion. HYPE ETFs saw a net outflow of $3.93 million, all from Bitwise's BHYP, with total trading volume of $14.79 million and net assets of $327.79 million. XRP and Solana ETFs had no trading activity that day. Glassnode indicates that the trading volume of US spot ETFs has dropped by 78% from its peak and is now below 2024 levels. (Bitcoin.com News).
Cantor Fitzgerald: Bitcoin Bear Market May Be Nearing the End, Expected to Bottom Out Around October
According to CoinDesk, Wall Street bank Cantor Fitzgerald issued a research report indicating that the crypto market is entering the final phase of the current bear cycle. As of June 10, Bitcoin has declined approximately 51% from its 2025 peak, with 252 days having passed since the peak. Synthesizing the past three market cycles, BTC bottoms on average 384 days after the peak; based on this, the low point of this cycle is projected to appear around the end of October. Analysts also noted that the model is not a precise timing tool, and macro, regulatory, and geopolitical risks remain. Regarding network value assessment, Cantor believes Hyperliquid is the prime example of fee-driven token economics, Bitcoin remains the benchmark monetary asset, and Ethereum serves as the primary collateral layer for on-chain finance; Solana, Sui, XRP, and Zcash each possess differentiated advantages, but still need to prove that their ecosystem growth can translate into sustained token demand.
XRP Open Interest Drops Below $150 Million
data shows XRP open interest has fallen from approximately $1.3 billion to below $150 million. Network and institutional-related indicators are improving, with daily active addresses rising about 72% from mid-June. On June 29, the XRP spot ETF recorded $15.34 million in inflows. (CoinDesk)
Ripple CEO remains bullish on Bitcoin but criticizes Strategy's approach as "harming the crypto market"
Odaily Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse stated in a recent CNBC interview that he remains long-term bullish on Bitcoin, while strongly criticizing Michael Saylor and his strategy of continuously purchasing Bitcoin by financing through preferred stock, arguing that this "financial engineering" approach is negatively impacting the crypto market.Garlinghouse pointed out that Strategy's reliance on issuing preferred stock (such as STRC) to raise funds for Bitcoin purchases essentially acts as a distraction in the market rather than creating long-term value. He emphasized: "Financial engineering does not create long-term value; the long-term value of digital assets comes from real utility." He specifically noted that STRC's stock price has fallen to a discount of approximately 25% from its par value, which he described as a "strong vote of no confidence" in that financing structure. Against the backdrop of market pressure this week, Strategy's common stock hit its lowest level since February 2024, and Bitcoin briefly fell below $59,000.On the market front, a CryptoQuant report indicated that if the dividend structure continues, Strategy's cash buffer has decreased from over seven years to approximately 14 months, suggesting a pause in Bitcoin purchases and a rebuilding of reserve funds. Currently, STRC trading below $100 has also rendered its "issue tokens—buy Bitcoin" funding flywheel temporarily ineffective. However, Benchmark-StoneX analyst Mark Palmer believes this model reflects more of a "decline in efficiency" rather than a systemic breakdown. Meanwhile, Ripple continues to adopt an industry-contrarian perspective, reiterating the distinct value path of its ecosystem asset XRP compared to Bitcoin. (CoinDesk)
Next week's release: XRP Ledger's new version, xrpld 3.3.0, will feature five new capabilities
Odaily News: Jazzi Cooper, RippleX Product Lead, announced on X that the next version of XRP Ledger, xrpld 3.3.0, is set to launch next week. Upon release, it will introduce five new features to validators: confidential MPT, batch transactions, delegated permissions, fee sponsorship and reserves, and dynamic MPT. Among these, the amendments for batch transactions and delegated permissions were previously urgently withdrawn after security researchers discovered severe vulnerabilities. She noted that XRP Ledger already has the capacity to support tokenized assets at scale, and this upgrade will further drive the adoption of these assets in global transfers, trading, collateralization, and settlement scenarios.
Ripple to Share North Korean Threat Intelligence with Crypto Industry to Counter Long-Period Social Engineering Attacks
According to CoinDesk, Ripple announced on Monday that it will share its internal intelligence on North Korean hackers with Crypto ISAC, a threat intelligence-sharing organization for the cryptocurrency industry, to help businesses identify coordinated intrusion campaigns. This move comes amid a recent shift in attack patterns targeting the cryptocurrency sector. The April theft of $285 million from the Drift protocol was not a traditional smart-contract vulnerability exploit; instead, North Korean hackers spent months building relationships with Drift contributors and installing malware on their devices before stealing private keys. Ripple stated: “The strongest crypto security posture is a shared one. A threat actor rejected by one company after background screening may submit resumes to three other companies the same week. Without shared intelligence, each company starts from scratch.”
Researcher cracks 15-bit ECC key, earns 1 Bitcoin reward
According to Odaily, independent researcher Giancarlo Lelli was awarded the Q-Day Prize and 1 Bitcoin by quantum security startup Project Eleven for successfully cracking the encryption keys protecting Bitcoin. Giancarlo Lelli utilized publicly available quantum hardware and a variant of Shor's algorithm to crack a 15-bit encryption key among 32,767 possibilities. The difficulty of this quantum attack is 512 times greater than the 6-bit key record set in September 2025. Project Eleven CEO Alex Pruden stated that the resource requirements for such attacks continue to decline, with approximately 6.9 million Bitcoins currently held in vulnerable static addresses, including 1 million Bitcoins owned by Satoshi Nakamoto. The Bitcoin network has proposed BIP-360 to introduce quantum-resistant address types, while platforms such as Ethereum, Ripple, and Tron have also begun releasing plans for transitioning to post-quantum defenses.
Next week's release: XRP Ledger's new version, xrpld 3.3.0, will feature five new capabilities
Odaily News: Jazzi Cooper, RippleX Product Lead, announced on X that the next version of XRP Ledger, xrpld 3.3.0, is set to launch next week. Upon release, it will introduce five new features to validators: confidential MPT, batch transactions, delegated permissions, fee sponsorship and reserves, and dynamic MPT. Among these, the amendments for batch transactions and delegated permissions were previously urgently withdrawn after security researchers discovered severe vulnerabilities. She noted that XRP Ledger already has the capacity to support tokenized assets at scale, and this upgrade will further drive the adoption of these assets in global transfers, trading, collateralization, and settlement scenarios.
Gumi and SBI Launch Approximately $18.3 Million Bitcoin & Altcoin Fund
: Japanese game developer Gumi announced it will launch a 3 billion yen (approximately $18.3 million) crypto asset fund this Saturday in partnership with SBI Financial Services, with support from Daiwa Securities Group and other investors. The fund will be operated by SBI Crypto Fund, a joint venture in which SBI Financial Services holds a 51% stake and Gumi's subsidiary gC Labs holds the remaining 49%. The fund will primarily invest in Bitcoin and major altcoins, employing strategies such as staking, portfolio rebalancing, and hedging. Gumi stated that the fund aims to bridge Japan's corporate sector with the crypto market and establish an operational track record ahead of a potential future lifting of the ban on crypto ETFs in Japan. Gumi's crypto business also includes managing its own crypto assets centered around XRP, offering portfolio management services through Hinode Technologies, and operating a crypto investment fund. According to Gumi's latest annual report, as of April 30, 2026, the company held 14.13 billion yen in crypto assets, nearly double the 7.58 billion yen recorded a year earlier.
ESMA adds 15 crypto service providers to MiCA registry, including BNY Mellon subsidiary
the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) updated the provisional MiCA registry on Friday, adding 15 licensed crypto asset service providers (CASPs), bringing the total number to 309. The newly added institutions include BNY SA/NV, the Belgian subsidiary of US banking giant BNY Mellon. This latest batch includes four banking institutions, three of which are from Germany, alongside digital asset platforms such as BitPay, Coinify, and Bleap. Germany and Denmark each added three CASPs, Bulgaria and Latvia each added two, while Belgium, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, and the Netherlands each added one. ESMA stated that this update did not alter other MiCA-related registries, including those for asset-referenced tokens (ARTs), e-money tokens (EMTs), authorized issuers of crypto assets, and the list of non-compliant entities. Following the previous transitional deadline on July 1, ESMA’s second update had added 14 CASPs, including Ripple Payments Europe.
Ripple Launches Ripple Mint Platform, Offering RLUSD Minting, Redemption, and Management Services for Institutions
According to official news, Ripple announced the launch of Ripple Mint, a unified platform designed for institutional users to access, mint, redeem, and manage RLUSD. The platform provides both User Interface and API access methods, supporting institutional automated stablecoin operations, integrating RLUSD into existing systems, and enabling cross-chain digital dollar liquidity management. Currently, the service is open to existing RLUSD users.
MoonPay Integrates Discover Network, US Users Can Purchase Crypto Assets with Discover Cards
MoonPay announces a partnership with Discover Network, enabling US Discover credit cardholders to now purchase thousands of supported crypto assets via MoonPay, including BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, TRX, HYPE, and ZEC. This partnership integrates Discover card payment channels into MoonPay's crypto asset purchase service, providing US users with a new fiat on-ramp method.
Ripple Strategically Invests in Notabene to Advance RLUSD Institutional-Grade Stablecoin Payments
According to PRNewswire, stablecoin operator Notabene announced it has received strategic investment from Ripple; the specific investment amount has not been disclosed yet. The two parties will collaborate on enterprise-level stablecoin payments, including integrating Ripple's USD stablecoin RLUSD into the Notabene Flow B2B stablecoin payment platform. Both parties also plan to further expand the application of RLUSD in institutional payment networks to accelerate the adoption of compliant stablecoin infrastructure by banks, payment institutions, and fintech companies.
Related news
Next week's release: XRP Ledger's new version, xrpld 3.3.0, will feature five new capabilities
Odaily News: Jazzi Cooper, RippleX Product Lead, announced on X that the next version of XRP Ledger, xrpld 3.3.0, is set to launch next week. Upon release, it will introduce five new features to validators: confidential MPT, batch transactions, delegated permissions, fee sponsorship and reserves, and dynamic MPT. Among these, the amendments for batch transactions and delegated permissions were previously urgently withdrawn after security researchers discovered severe vulnerabilities. She noted that XRP Ledger already has the capacity to support tokenized assets at scale, and this upgrade will further drive the adoption of these assets in global transfers, trading, collateralization, and settlement scenarios.
Japanese game company Gumi partners with SBI to launch 300 million yen Bitcoin and altcoin fund
According to Cointelegraph, Japanese game developer Gumi announced that starting this Saturday, it will jointly operate a crypto asset fund sized at 3 billion yen (approximately $18.3 million) with SBI Financial Services, with institutions such as Daiwa Securities Group participating in the investment. The fund is operated by SBI Crypto Fund (SBI Financial Services holds 51%, Gumi's subsidiary gC Labs holds 49%), mainly investing in Bitcoin and mainstream altcoins, and adopting strategies such as staking, rebalancing, and hedging. Gumi stated that this move aims to build a bridge between the Japanese corporate sector and the crypto market, and to prepare in advance for Japan's potential future lifting of the crypto ETF ban. As of April 30, 2026, Gumi's held crypto assets have reached 14.13 billion yen, nearly doubling compared to 7.58 billion yen a year ago, with its crypto business core assets consisting primarily of XRP.
Gumi and SBI Launch Approximately $18.3 Million Bitcoin & Altcoin Fund
: Japanese game developer Gumi announced it will launch a 3 billion yen (approximately $18.3 million) crypto asset fund this Saturday in partnership with SBI Financial Services, with support from Daiwa Securities Group and other investors. The fund will be operated by SBI Crypto Fund, a joint venture in which SBI Financial Services holds a 51% stake and Gumi's subsidiary gC Labs holds the remaining 49%. The fund will primarily invest in Bitcoin and major altcoins, employing strategies such as staking, portfolio rebalancing, and hedging. Gumi stated that the fund aims to bridge Japan's corporate sector with the crypto market and establish an operational track record ahead of a potential future lifting of the ban on crypto ETFs in Japan. Gumi's crypto business also includes managing its own crypto assets centered around XRP, offering portfolio management services through Hinode Technologies, and operating a crypto investment fund. According to Gumi's latest annual report, as of April 30, 2026, the company held 14.13 billion yen in crypto assets, nearly double the 7.58 billion yen recorded a year earlier.
Grayscale CEO Files to Sell GXRP ETF Shares, Becomes Third Insider to Cash Out
Previously, Founder Barry Silbert and Chief Legal Officer Craig Salm submitted similar applications in January this year, at which time the price per share was approximately $37; Mintzberg's selling price this time is approximately 45% lower than that. Notably, the number of GXRP outstanding shares plummeted from 5.79 million to 2.84 million over the past six months, a decrease of approximately 51%, reflecting that redemption pressure continues to exceed subscriptions. Currently, the total net assets of US spot XRP ETFs are approximately $971.6 million, with GXRP accounting for about 6%.
ESMA adds 15 crypto service providers to MiCA registry, including BNY Mellon subsidiary
the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) updated the provisional MiCA registry on Friday, adding 15 licensed crypto asset service providers (CASPs), bringing the total number to 309. The newly added institutions include BNY SA/NV, the Belgian subsidiary of US banking giant BNY Mellon. This latest batch includes four banking institutions, three of which are from Germany, alongside digital asset platforms such as BitPay, Coinify, and Bleap. Germany and Denmark each added three CASPs, Bulgaria and Latvia each added two, while Belgium, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, and the Netherlands each added one. ESMA stated that this update did not alter other MiCA-related registries, including those for asset-referenced tokens (ARTs), e-money tokens (EMTs), authorized issuers of crypto assets, and the list of non-compliant entities. Following the previous transitional deadline on July 1, ESMA’s second update had added 14 CASPs, including Ripple Payments Europe.
After receiving $150 million investment from Ripple, LMAX explores sale, SPAC merger, or IPO
Institutional trading platform LMAX is working with advisors Morgan Stanley and KBW, the investment bank arm of Stifel, to evaluate strategic alternatives. According to sources familiar with the matter, options under consideration include a potential sale, a SPAC merger, or an IPO. London-based LMAX recently launched a 24/7 multi-asset exchange and secured a $150 million strategic investment from Ripple, which is related to institutional stablecoin adoption.