European Central Bank chief economist Philip Lane delivered a warning that most markets treated as European housekeeping: the ECB can stay on its easing path for now, but a Federal Reserve “tussle” over mandate independence could destabilize global markets through higher US term premiums and a reassessment of the dollar's role. Lane's framing matters because […]
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Crypto startup Saturn is raising funding for an on-chain dollar product, USDat, that routes yield from Strategy’s Bitcoin-linked credit instruments into DeFi. The round included $500,000 from YZi Labs and a $300,000 angel raise led by Sora Ventures, as Saturn positions USDat as a dollar-denominated token whose returns are tied to Strategy’s STRC preferred equity. […]
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Standard Chartered has pushed its base-case price target for Ethereum to $7,500 by the end of the year, a big jump from an earlier $4,000 projection. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s New Power Buyers: Companies Bought 3 Times What Miners Produced According to the bank’s digital assets team, growing demand from corporate treasury buyers and spot ETH products has driven the change in outlook. Bank Raises Ethereum Target The bank’s lead analyst expects fee growth on the Ethereum network and stronger institutional adoption to be key drivers for the move higher. The bank also revised its longer-term numbers, lifting its 2028 target to $25,000 and laying out scenarios that push toward $40,000 by 2030. These wider targets reflect models where stablecoins and tokenized assets expand on Ethereum’s chain. Institutional Buying Drives Demand Data cited by market researchers points to heavy accumulation since June, with spot ETF flows and treasury firms together taking close to 4% of Ether’s circulating supply over that period. ETHEREUM SEEN OUTPERFORMING BITCOIN Standard Chartered says Ethereum’s outlook has improved and it is likely to outperform bitcoin. While weak bitcoin performance has weighed on the broader crypto market, rising institutional demand for ethereum and its dominance in stablecoins,… — *Walter Bloomberg (@DeItaone) January 13, 2026 Treasury firms alone reportedly bought about 2.3 million ETH in just over two months, a pace that Standard Chartered says outstrips some previous accumulation phases seen in Bitcoin. Ethereum Vs. Bitcoin Standard Chartered’s note also argues that Ether could outperform Bitcoin, raising the possibility of the ETH/BTC ratio returning toward levels last seen during 2021’s run-up. Based on the bank’s scenarios, weaker Bitcoin momentum combined with stronger real-world use of Ethereum might lift Ether’s price faster than Bitcoin’s in the months ahead. Long-Term Upside Scenarios Some headlines have pointed to even bigger long-range targets produced by the same models, including forecasts of $30,000 by 2029 and $40,000 by 2030 under more bullish assumptions. These outcomes rely on a substantial expansion of stablecoin use, tokenized real-world assets, and continued staking demand that would remove supply from the market. Independent forecasters remain split, and other banks have offered lower year-end projections, offering a reminder that expert views differ. Meanwhile, market watchers caution, though, that relative moves depend heavily on ETF flows and corporate balance-sheet decisions. Related Reading: Bitcoin At $100K Could Spark A Fresh Wave Of Retail FOMO, Analysts Warn Network Fundamentals And Risks According to the bank, Ethereum’s large share of stablecoin activity and its role in decentralized finance make fee income and on-chain demand a meaningful part of valuation models. That said, the bank notes that scale improvements and Layer 1 throughput will matter a lot if big, traditional finance transactions migrate onchain. The research also warns that shifts in macro conditions, outflows from major ETFs, or regulatory setbacks could change the math quickly. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
While Congress pushes ahead with the CLARITY Act, the unfinished fight over how the U.S. draws the line between “crypto” and “securities” is spilling into public view, and into a familiar blame game. Online, critics argue the bill’s structure could hardwire advantages for regulated incumbents, with centralized platforms accused of quietly backing tweaks that would […]
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Banks are fighting stablecoin rewards to protect a secret $360 billion revenue machine. When Coinbase chief policy officer Faryar Shirzad posted a thread on Jan. 8 warning that stablecoin rewards “remain under debate” as Congress marks up market structure legislation, he attached numbers that banking groups would rather keep quiet. US banks earn $176 billion […]
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On Jan. 7, Donald Trump’s World Liberty Financial (WLFI) formally applied for a national banking charter to establish the “World Liberty Trust Company.” This is a proposed national trust bank specifically designed to handle USD1 stablecoin issuance, custody, redemption, and reserve management. USD1 is WLFI's flagship product, with more than $3.3 billion in supply across […]
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On the last day of 2025, while most traders were half watching fireworks and half pretending they were not checking charts, the quietest corner of the financial system started making a lot of noise. Banks pulled a record amount of cash from the Federal Reserve’s SRF, about $74.6 billion, on December 31. That number matters […]
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On the last trading days of the year, the kind of chart that almost nobody outside finance ever looks at started yelling again. Banks piled into the Fed’s Standing Repo Facility, borrowing a record $74.6 billion on Dec. 31 for 2025. Overnight funding rates popped, the benchmark SOFR briefly hit 3.77%, the general collateral repo […]
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It started the way these things often do: a screenshot, a red circle, a big number, and a timeline that makes your stomach do a tiny flip. On Dec. 29, the Federal Reserve’s overnight repo line item jumped to $16 billion after printing close to zero on most days. It then slid back to $2.0 […]
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This week started with a sensational screenshot shared across hundreds of breathless posts on X, and a claim designed to hit every financial nerve ending at once. A “systemically important” US bank, a silver margin call, liquidation by the exchange in the middle of the night, the Federal Reserve allegedly “forced” to pump billions into […]
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JPMorgan Chase & Co. is considering offering cryptocurrency trading services to its institutional clients, based on reports from Bloomberg and Reuters. The move is reported to be in early stages and has not been confirmed by the bank. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s $126K Sprint May Be Over — Fidelity Predicts 2026 Slide Institutional Demand And Product Options Reports have disclosed that the bank is looking at a range of possible offerings, including spot trades and derivatives, as it tests whether client demand justifies a rollout. Decisions will depend on risk assessments and the regulatory environment, sources say. Banks Respond To A Shifting Market Wall Street is already moving closer to crypto. Morgan Stanley, for example, plans to make crypto trading available on its E*Trade platform by mid-2026, a step that shows firms are racing to meet investor interest. The global crypto market is estimated to be about $3.1 trillion, with Bitcoin close to $1.8 trillion of that total, according to market data cited by reporters. JPMorgan Chase reportedly plans launching crypto trading services for institutional clients. https://t.co/Ggj0bOxcUc — TheStreet (@TheStreet) December 22, 2025 Plans To Start Without Custody Several industry reports say JPMorgan may initially focus on executing trades rather than holding clients’ tokens — that is, the firm would facilitate transactions but not provide custody services at first. That approach would let the bank offer access while limiting direct exposure. Banking History And Changing Views JPMorgan’s public position on crypto has shifted over time. Its CEO was once highly critical of Bitcoin, yet the firm has been testing blockchain and tokenization projects in recent years. The broader policy climate has also turned more favorable: US President Donald Trump has taken a stance seen by some observers as supportive of crypto, and that has affected industry calculations. What This Would Mean For Clients If JPMorgan moves ahead, clients could gain access to bank-grade execution for Bitcoin and other tokens, potentially with institutional custodians or third-party safekeeping used where needed. Market makers and asset managers would likely react quickly; liquidity could increase, and trading costs might shift. Those outcomes would depend on the exact products launched and on regulatory guardrails. Collateral And Tokenization Moves Earlier This Year The bank has already taken other crypto steps. In October, Bloomberg reported that JPMorgan planned to allow institutional clients to use Bitcoin and Ether as collateral for loans by the end of the year, a sign that the firm is testing ways to bring crypto into traditional banking functions. Related Reading: Saylor Sparks Bitcoin Speculation With ‘Green Dots’ Signal Bitcoin Price Reaction Traders reacted positively to the news of JPMorgan exploring crypto trading, sending Bitcoin briefly higher into the $88,000–$90,000 range. While the price didn’t break past $90,000 decisively, the announcement added support near existing resistance levels and boosted market sentiment. Analysts note that any lasting price impact will depend on whether JPMorgan actually launches trading services and how US regulators respond, but for now, the story has reinforced optimism among institutional and retail investors alike. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Search engine giant Google has emerged as a silent architect behind Bitcoin miners' rapid pivot towards artificial intelligence (AI). Instead of acquiring mining firms, the Alphabet-owned company has provided at least $5 billion of disclosed credit support behind a handful of BTC miners' AI projects. While markets often frame these announcements as technology partnerships, the […]
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The SEC has refreshed its crypto asset FAQs, clarifying how broker-dealers like Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and others can satisfy custody and capital requirements for crypto asset securities, and addressing how the framework applies to Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF activity. The update appears on the Trading and Markets FAQ index as “Frequently Asked Questions Relating […]
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Next year's first quarter could prove kinder to Bitcoin than late 2025, not because bank-run stablecoins arrive overnight, but because the pipes feeding retail and advisors just widened. Vanguard reversed its crypto ban, opening spot ETF access to roughly 50 million clients. Bank of America advisors can now recommend crypto allocations of 1% to 4% […]
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For years, US banks treated Bitcoin as something best observed from a distance. The asset lived on specialist exchanges and trading apps, walled off from core banking systems by capital rules, custody worries, and reputational risk. However, that posture is finally giving way. According to data from River, nearly 60% of the country’s 25 largest […]
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The firms have obtained conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to convert into national trust banks.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency probed debanking of certain industries, including digital assets, and said it'll pursue any repeat of such activity.
For years, XRP’s market identity was shaped by the dynamics that defined the early crypto era: retail-driven speculation, regulatory uncertainty, and an enduring belief that blockchain rails could overturn decades-old banking infrastructure. That narrative was volatile, adversarial, and deeply cyclical as XRP’s performance rose and fell with court headlines and sentiment waves rather than measurable […]
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PNC Bank, a US banking giant with more than $569 billion in assets under management (AUM), has embedded spot Bitcoin trading into its private banking platform, marking a distinct pivot in the institutional adoption cycle. This makes it the first top-10 US lender to allow clients to buy, sell, and hold digital assets directly alongside […]
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Based on reports, France’s second-largest banking group has started letting customers trade crypto in its mobile apps. BPCE opened the service on Monday for selected users of Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Épargne. Related Reading: Bitcoin Adoption Is Just Getting Started — 200x Growth Possible, Tom Lee Says Around 2 million people in four regional banks can now buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and USDC through the apps. Measured Limited Rollout The launch covers the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur branch of Caisse d’Épargne and the Île-de-France division of Banque Populaire, among others. BPCE has said it will watch early use closely. That controlled approach is meant to catch technical issues and fix the user flow before wider availability. If all goes to plan, the bank intends to extend the feature across its 25 remaining regional entities by 2026, reaching a retail base of roughly 12 million clients. ???? EXCLUSIVE @TheBigWhale_: BPCE now lets customers buy crypto assets. Starting this Monday, the French bank’s customers will be able to purchase BTC, ETH, SOL, and USDC: https://t.co/J2C4UnWi68@GroupeBPCE, one of Europe’s leading banks, is rolling out this service in a first… pic.twitter.com/3olRgVoot4 — Raphaël Bloch ???? (@Raph_Bloch) December 6, 2025 BPCE has set up a separate unit, Hexarq, to handle customer crypto accounts. Each user will have a dedicated in-app digital-asset account that is managed by Hexarq rather than being routed to outside exchanges or third-party wallets. The arrangement keeps custody within the bank’s ecosystem. It also comes with a monthly fee of €2.99 and a trading commission of 1.5% on transactions. Banks Face Fintech Pressure Reports have pointed to the rise of fintech rivals as a driving reason for the move. Companies such as Revolut, Deblock, Bitstack and Trade Republic built early crypto offerings and attracted many retail users. Traditional lenders now risk losing younger customers unless they match those services. Some banks in Europe already offer in-app trading: BBVA supports Bitcoin and Ethereum, Openbank under Santander lists five cryptocurrencies, and Raiffeisen in Vienna provides similar features through a tie-up with Bitpanda. BPCE’s entry follows this trend and could push other big lenders to act. Related Reading: All-In On XRP: Why This Leading Investor Sold His Entire Bitcoin Stack The fees set by BPCE are higher than what many crypto-first platforms charge. Yet many consumers may accept that in exchange for having crypto tied directly to their bank accounts and day-to-day services. For many users, trust and convenience matter more than the lowest possible fee. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould spoke at an industry event in Washington, arguing that the OCC won't resist crypto because of banker complaints.
Bitcoin’s recent rebound came as traders raised the probability of a December Federal Reserve rate cut, the dollar eased, and attention turned to who will lead the central bank after Jerome Powell’s term ends in 2026. Futures markets moved the odds of a 25-basis-point cut this month into the mid-to-high 80% range, a shift that […]
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An unnamed national bank has asked the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for permission to hold crypto on its own balance sheet to support blockchain-based services. On Nov. 18, the OCC finally answered. In Interpretive Letter 1186, the agency confirmed that national banks may hold the native assets needed to pay blockchain “network […]
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Erik Thedéen said a different approach is needed as the U.S. and U.K. refused to implement the rules already set out.
For decades, wholesale dollar settlement has meant waiting for Fedwire to open, and JPMorgan just stopped waiting. The bank converted its permissioned “JPM Coin” system into JPMD, a deposit token backed by insured balances at JPMorgan, and placed it on Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 (L2) Base. Pilot transactions with B2C2, Coinbase, and Mastercard are already live. […]
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The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) just fell off a cliff. For most people outside financial circles, that means absolutely nothing. For markets, it’s seismic. Borrowing money overnight in U.S. markets suddenly got much cheaper. And in the plumbing of the global financial system, that’s the equivalent of someone opening the floodgates a little wider. […]
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Ripple’s newest funding round landed with unusual force for a company long defined by court battles and contested narratives. On Nov. 5, the firm announced a $500 million strategic investment at a $40 billion valuation, backed by funds associated with Citadel Securities, Fortress Investment Group, and Brevan Howard. These are traditional financial institutions that rarely […]
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For years, Ripple was best known for its legal battles and its token, XRP, which was a symbol of crypto’s friction with the traditional financial world. Now, after years of courtroom and regulatory turbulence, Ripple has quietly built something far more ambitious: a full-stack institutional financial platform that resembles a 21st-century investment bank, albeit without […]
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Iran’s financial system just suffered one of its most dramatic implosions in years. The country’s Central Bank declared Ayandeh bank, one of its largest private lenders, bankrupt and its assets were absorbed by the state. Founded in 2012 with over 270 branches nationwide, Ayandeh bank had accumulated $5.2 billion in losses and nearly $3 billion in debt, […]
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After years of tension between crypto and traditional finance, a symbolic shift is taking shape inside the world’s largest bank. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is reportedly preparing to let institutional clients use Bitcoin and Ethereum as collateral for cash loans. This means the bank’s borrowers can pledge the two top cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, which […]
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