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KBC taps Taurus for Belgium’s first regulated crypto trade

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Nexo Partners with Bakkt for US Crypto Exchange and Yield Programs

TLDR

  • KBC partnered with Swiss fintech Taurus to support its regulated crypto trading service in Belgium.
  • KBC became the first Belgian bank to offer Bitcoin and Ethereum trading within a regulated banking framework.
  • The bank integrated Taurus-PROTECT to provide institutional-grade digital asset custody for its Bolero platform.
  • Retail clients can trade Bitcoin and Ether on an execution-only basis under the EU MiCAR framework.
  • KBC structured the service under a closed model that keeps crypto assets within the Bolero platform.

Major Belgian lender KBC has partnered with Swiss fintech Taurus to power its regulated crypto trading service. The bank will use Taurus-PROTECT to provide institutional custody for digital assets offered through its Bolero platform. The launch makes KBC the first Belgian bank to enable Bitcoin and Ethereum trading within a regulated banking framework.

KBC Group Launches Regulated Bitcoin Trading with Taurus Support

KBC Group confirmed it teamed up with Taurus SA to deploy Taurus-PROTECT for secure digital asset custody. The bank integrated the platform into Bolero, its self-directed investment service, to support regulated crypto trading. The service went live last month and offers retail clients access to Bitcoin on an execution-only basis.

KBC Group structured the offering under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation framework. The bank executes all Bitcoin transactions in compliance with MiCAR requirements and internal governance standards. Erik Luts, Chief Innovation Officer at KBC Group, said growing client demand drove the partnership.

“By working with Taurus, we can offer crypto services supported by banking-grade custody,” Luts said. He added that the bank applies the same security and control standards across its crypto operations. KBC Group confirmed that clients trade Bitcoin directly within Bolero without external transfers.

Ether Access Expands Through Closed Operating Model

KBC Group also introduced Ethereum trading under the same regulated structure. Retail clients can access Ether on an execution-only basis through Bolero. The bank keeps all purchased crypto assets within its closed operating model.

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Under this model, clients cannot transfer Bitcoin or Ether to external wallets or exchanges. The structure removes the need for clients to manage private keys themselves. KBC Group said this approach reduces operational and fraud risks linked to retail custody.

Lamine Brahimi, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Taurus, addressed the collaboration. “We are proud to support KBC’s market-first initiative in Belgium with Taurus-PROTECT,” Brahimi said. He stated that Taurus designed the platform specifically for banks seeking institutional-grade custody.

Taurus-PROTECT provides digital asset storage with governance and compliance controls aligned with banking standards. KBC Group confirmed it applies the same oversight procedures used across its broader financial services. The bank said the platform ensures secure storage of both Bitcoin and Ether holdings.

KBC Group stated that all transactions occur within a fully regulated banking environment. The bank said it processes trades through established compliance systems and internal monitoring tools. The service became available to retail investors last month through the Bolero platform.

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KBC Group emphasized that clients gain crypto exposure through a trusted banking channel. The bank maintains full custody responsibility for assets held on the platform. The announcement marked the official rollout of regulated Bitcoin and Ether trading in Belgium’s banking sector.

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Vitalik Buterin pushes ‘DVT-Lite’ to make validator setup easier

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Vitalik Buterin pushes ‘DVT-Lite’ to make validator setup easier

The Ethereum Foundation is testing a method for running validators that could make it significantly easier for institutions holding large amounts of ether to set up staking infrastructure, widening the pool of participants and creating a more decentralized network.

In a post on X, blockchain co-founder Vitalik Buterin said the foundation is using a simplified version of distributed validator technology, or “DVT-lite,” to stake 72,000 ETH. The experiment aims to make running validators across multiple machines less complicated.

Buterin said the goal is to reduce the process to something close to a one-click setup, where operators choose which computers will run validator nodes, launch the software and enter the same key on each machine. The system would then automatically connect the nodes and begin staking.

“My hope for this project is that we can make it maximally easy and one-click to do distributed staking for institutions,” Buterin wrote.

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Running Ethereum validators today typically means operating a single node that holds the key used to sign blocks and participate in the network. If that machine fails or goes offline, the validator can stop working and may be penalized.

Distributed validator technology (DVT) changes that by allowing multiple independent machines to collectively act as a single validator. Instead of relying on one key and one computer, several nodes work together and only a handful of them sign for the validator to function. That means the validator can keep operating even if some machines go down.

But existing DVT systems can be complicated to deploy because operators must coordinate networking, keys and communication between nodes. Buterin has previously argued that complexity is one reason large staking providers have come to dominate the ecosystem.

The “DVT-lite” setup aims to automate much of that process, making it easier for institutions to run distributed validators with minimal infrastructure expertise.

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Buterin said he plans to use the system himself and hopes large ETH holders will adopt similar setups, helping spread control of Ethereum’s staking infrastructure across more operators rather than concentrating it among a handful of professional providers.

“The idea that ‘running infrastructure’ is this scary, complicated thing where each person participating must be a ‘professional’ is awful and anti-decentralization, and we must attack it directly,” he wrote.

Read more: Vitalik Buterin proposes simpler ‘distributed validator’ staking for Ethereum

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Record-high Bitcoin Orderbook Asks Warn Of Price Correction

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Bitcoin Price, Markets, Cryptocurrency Exchange, Derivatives, Financial Derivatives, Bitcoin Futures, Price Analysis, Market Analysis

Bitcoin (BTC) appears to have reclaimed $70,000 as support, although the market remains cautious as technical charts indicate a setup resembling the bull trap that occurred in January 2026.

Bitcoin’s sell-side liquidity has expanded sharply during the latest range retest. According to crypto trader Ardi, Bitcoin ask orders reached a two-month high. The trader said,

“Asks on Bitcoin just hit a 2-month high. $1.57B in sell-side liquidity stacked above price vs $1.125B in bids below.”

Bitcoin Price, Markets, Cryptocurrency Exchange, Derivatives, Financial Derivatives, Bitcoin Futures, Price Analysis, Market Analysis
Bitcoin orderbook analysis by Ardi. Source: X

Within a 5% band around the spot price, the sell orders exceed demand by roughly 40%, creating a heavier supply layer above the market price. At the same time, the bids form a thinner support cushion below BTC price.

Ardi noted the last comparable setup occurred in January after Bitcoin briefly broke above $98,000. A similar sequence followed Bitcoin’s recent move above $72,000 before the price slipped back toward the middle of its range. Elevated ask liquidity during a retest often signals that traders are using rebounds to take profit.

Another positioning metric also turned in the same direction. The 30-day moving average of Bitcoin’s net taker volume remained positive at $83 million in March, indicating increased buying activity through market orders.

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Bitcoin Price, Markets, Cryptocurrency Exchange, Derivatives, Financial Derivatives, Bitcoin Futures, Price Analysis, Market Analysis
Bitcoin net-taker volume. Source: CryptoQuant

Related: Bitcoin price analysis warns of potential dip after $72K liquidity sweep

Will BTC’s underwater supply cap its rebound?

Bitcoin short-term holders’ (STHs) cost-basis data shows the average holder entered the market at significantly higher prices. The STH realized price, which tracks the average acquisition price of coins held for under six months, sits near $88,900.

According to Bitcoin researcher Axel Adler Jr., the largest supply cluster lies between $86,000 and $99,000, where many coins were accumulated between November 2025 and February 2026. This range forms the main breakeven area for a large share of the short-term market, making it a key market inflection zone.

On the positive side, realized profit and loss data shows selling pressure has begun to reduce. Crypto analyst Darkfost noted about $611 million in realized losses against $346 million in profit last week, bringing net weekly profit-and-loss to -$264 million.

That figure is far lower than the $2 billion weekly loss recorded during the February drop below $60,000.

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Bitcoin Price, Markets, Cryptocurrency Exchange, Derivatives, Financial Derivatives, Bitcoin Futures, Price Analysis, Market Analysis
Bitcoin realized loss 7-day average. Source: CryptoQuant

Compared with January’s retest, Bitcoin price currently sits much further below the main short-term cost-basis cluster. That distance limits the amount of breakeven selling that typically appears during smaller rallies.

As a result, many short-term holders may prefer to wait for higher prices, potentially closer to $86,000, rather than selling at a loss after holding through a month-long consolidation.

A move back above the $70,000 to $72,000 range eases part of the near-term selling pressure, but a more meaningful shift may require Bitcoin to reclaim the $86,000 to $89,000 range, where most of the short-term holders reach breakeven.

Related: Strategy records biggest STRC issuance day with estimated 1,420 BTC buy