Crypto World
Kraken Opens US Stock Trading for EEA Clients via European Entity
Kraken has expanded its regulated brokerage offering by launching trading in more than 7,000 US-listed stocks for eligible customers in the European Economic Area (EEA). The move adds traditional equity exposure to the exchange’s existing focus on cryptocurrencies and its growing tokenized-assets lineup.
According to Kraken, the service is available to EEA users through Kraken Pro and its mobile app under the firm’s Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) authorization. The company says customers can trade US-listed shares alongside crypto markets and tokenized equity products from a single platform.
Key takeaways
- Kraken now supports trading of 7,000+ US-listed stocks for eligible EEA customers under its MiFID II authorization.
- The offering is accessible via Kraken Pro and Kraken’s mobile app.
- US shares can be held alongside tokenized equity exposure (“xStocks”) within the same ecosystem.
- Kraken says eligible customers can trade commission-free, subject to applicable conditions.
- Kraken plans to expand its integrated equities offering to additional markets in the coming months.
How Kraken’s integrated equities push works
Kraken’s announcement positions the new US-stock access as part of a broader strategy to combine conventional market instruments with tokenized representations. The company says customers can trade directly through Kraken’s brokerage framework while also retaining the option to use its tokenized equity products.
Kraken also highlighted that its equities offering aligns with its existing product slate: more than 600 crypto assets plus over 700 xStocks. xStocks are tokenized versions of publicly listed equities and are designed to allow users to gain exposure to those underlying assets through tokens.
By pairing traditional share trading with tokenized equity offerings, Kraken is effectively reducing the need for users to switch between different platforms or infrastructures to pursue both “native” crypto exposure and conventional equity exposure. For traders and portfolio builders, that matters because it can simplify custody, account access, and execution pathways—at least within Kraken’s ecosystem—while offering a single interface for multiple asset types.
Regulation and operating structure
Kraken said the service is delivered by Payward Europe Digital Solutions, the company’s Cyprus-based investment firm. The regulatory framing is an important part of the story: Kraken’s ability to offer traditional stock trading in Europe hinges on its MiFID II authorization.
Kraken stated that eligible customers can trade US-listed stocks commission-free, while also noting that the offer remains subject to applicable conditions. The practical detail for users is that commission-free pricing may not be identical to “no costs”—spreads, fees tied to execution, and other terms can still apply depending on the product and account type. Kraken’s statement indicates the company is leaning into cost competitiveness as a way to attract liquidity and retail usage alongside its crypto business.
xStocks growth underscores Kraken’s tokenized-equity ambitions
While the headline is about US-listed stocks, Kraken’s tokenized-equities business provides context for why the exchange is making the integration step now. Kraken launched xStocks in 2025, offering tokenized exposure to US equities and exchange-traded funds, and it says xStocks has since generated more than $38 billion in total transaction volume.
Kraken further claims xStocks has become one of the largest tokenized stock issuers. Based on Token Terminal data shared in the announcement, xStocks is the second-largest tokenized stock issuer by market capitalization as of Monday, at roughly $609 million. Token Terminal places Ondo Finance ahead, at about $974 million, and notes that Binance’s bStocks is currently third-largest with around $544 million.
For investors watching the tokenized-assets sector, the ranking matters because tokenized equities are still in an evolving phase—liquidity, issuance, and market structure differ across products. Issuer scale can affect how easily users enter and exit positions and how closely token prices track their underlying reference assets. Kraken’s inclusion among the top issuers suggests its xStocks product has traction, but it also sets expectations: as Kraken expands into conventional equities, market participants will likely compare which portion of trading volumes remains token-focused and which portion shifts toward standard share execution.
What to watch next as Kraken expands beyond the EEA
Kraken said it plans to extend its integrated equities offering to additional markets in the coming months. That matters because access decisions often depend on regulatory clearances and operational readiness. It also raises a key question for users: whether Kraken will replicate the same stock universe size and commission structure as it expands, or tailor offerings by region.
Another practical item to monitor is how Kraken will position tokenized equities relative to conventional trading as product adoption grows. If Kraken’s platform increasingly captures both share trading and xStocks activity, investors may see tighter cross-asset workflows—while regulators and market observers will continue to scrutinize how tokenized products are marketed, priced, and risk-managed compared with their underlying markets.
For now, EEA customers get a broader “all-in-one” access point for US equities, crypto, and tokenized stocks via Kraken’s Pro platform and mobile app—setting the stage for what could be a more competitive next phase in regulated digital asset brokerage. The next developments to watch are Kraken’s rollout timeline to other regions and the ongoing balance between traditional share volumes and tokenized equity demand.
An address associated with Justin Sun-owned exchange HTX is causing controversy on X after it sent out a variety of so-called “dust” transactions.
Purported users are claiming that transactions sent from 0xa03400E098F4421b34a3a44A1B4e571419517687 were sent to their deposit addresses on other exchanges, provoking review of their accounts.
These other exchanges are apparently reviewing these accounts because these transactions suggest links to the sanctioned HTX.
Read more: European Union sanctions Justin Sun’s HTX
The sanctions on HTX from both the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the European Union have led exchanges including Bybit, OKX, and Binance to announce that they will either no longer process transactions with HTX or will review accounts that do transact with HTX.
More recently, 0xa03400E098F4421b34a3a44A1B4e571419517687, which is labeled as “HTX 48” on Etherscan and is also included in the HTX proof of reserves, has been “dusting” various addresses.
The fact that it is included in HTX’s own proof of reserves means we can be absolutely confident that this is an HTX address.
Many of these small transactions are using USDT.
This has led users to claim that they’ve received additional scrutiny because of these transactions, something Sun denies.
Despite the fact that this address is included in HTX’s own proof of reserves according to a machine translation, X user “HTX_Molly,” who is verified as part of the HTX organization, has claimed:
“HTX’s official channels have not initiated any related transfers or testing activities. As for the specific sources and reasons behind these transfers, we’re conducting further verification and don’t rule out various possibilities such as address tagging, on-chain transfer source identification, and more. We will refrain from speculation until the facts are confirmed.”
It’s not clear what this explanation could possibly mean when HTX includes this address in its own disclosures.
Protos reached out to HTX for clarification, but it didn’t immediately respond.
Got a tip? Send us an email securely via Protos Leaks. For more informed news and investigations, follow us on X, Bluesky, and Google News, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Crypto World
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Making Medicine in the U.S., Vaccines After COVID, and How He Gets Along With RFK Jr.
Coming out of COVID was a big comedown for Pfizer’s business. You’ve said that impacted you psychologically. What did you mean?
I’m a very, very high achiever. To go from the top performer to the bottom performer—although not in everything, but in stock price, for example—was something that I didn’t take lightly. And I know that my whole organization didn’t take it lightly. I needed to find the path and rally an organization behind it. I tried to explain to people, “You were the guys that saved the world when nobody thought that it could be saved. And you did it in ways that nobody thought it was possible. Guess what? We are going to do it again, with cancer this time.”
You seem to be behind some of your competitors when it comes to obesity. How do you think you’re going to catch up?
We aspire to bring into the market an obesity treatment that instead of weekly injections requires monthly injections. That’s a very big differentiation.
What’s your relationship like with Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr.?
I told him that there are things that we have very different views [on]—vaccines, for example. If we select the areas that don’t have that big of a difference and try to work together to produce something good … that will create a bonding and will take away the trust issues, and then we can tackle the vaccines.
The Health Secretary has attacked a revolving door between Washington and the industry. You recently hired a top FDA official to be your chief medical officer. What went into that decision? The FDA official used to be a Pfizer employee before going to the FDA.
Is it possible for the U.S. to build a medical supply chain without China?
I don’t think it’s a good thing to have a reliance on the supply chain of China when it comes to medicines.
But can we build it here?
I think we can, but we need to provide market incentives. There was a reason why medicines that used to be manufactured in the U.S. moved out.
You’ve prioritized speed here at Pfizer. Are there any risks for a pharmaceutical company to be so focused on speed?
I think it is extremely important that we do things faster without cutting any -corners … We have a saying in Pfizer: “Time is life.” Bringing medicine for a cancer patient earlier makes all the difference in the world. If that medicine will allow someone to see the wedding of the son or the graduation of the daughter, there is nothing more important in their life, and speed is what will allow them to do it.
An effort by Alex Mashinsky, the former CEO of now-defunct cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius, to convince a federal court to vacate his 12-year sentence for fraud and market manipulation faces pushback from US prosecutors in the Southern District of New York (SDNY).
In a Friday filing, SDNY Attorney James McDonald and Assistant US Attorney Allison Nichols said that the court should deny Mashinsky’s petition to vacate his conviction and sentence, saying that many of his legal arguments were “without merit” and pushing back against claims of ineffective assistance of counsel.
The former Celsius CEO informed the court in May that he would be proceeding pro se — that is, representing himself in the case — and filed a motion to vacate, including claims about cryptocurrency exchange FTX and his former colleague, the company’s chief revenue officer Roni Cohen-Pavon.
“Mashinsky has not even submitted a sworn declaration in support of these baseless allegations, and his petition should be denied without a hearing or further fact-finding,” said prosecutors, adding:
“[…] He presents a litany of complaints, blaming others for problems at Celsius and rehashing the evidence presented at his sentencing hearing. Though Mashinsky stops short of claiming that he is factually innocent, he blames his lawyers for failing to press certain arguments on his behalf.”
As of Tuesday, the judge overseeing the case had not responded to the federal prosecutors’ filing. Mashinsky was sentenced in May 2025 to 144 months in prison, having pleaded guilty to commodities fraud and securities fraud related to “manipulative and deceptive devices” at Celsius. Cohen-Pavon, who according to the government provided “substantial assistance” to the prosecutors case again Mashinsky, was sentenced to time served in May.
Related: Celsius co-founders Leon, Goldstein to pay FTC over $6M
Celsius was one of a slew of crypto companies to file for bankruptcy in 2022 amid a market downturn starting with the collapse of Terraform Labs. Authorities indicted Mashinsky and Cohen-Pavon in 2023 and both subsequently pleaded guilty. The former CEO was ordered to pay $48 million in forfeiture at sentencing and agreed to pay $10 million as part of a separate settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission.
Mashinsky banned from commodities markets trading
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced in June that the former Celsius CEO was permanently banned from trading in markets within the commodities regulator’s purview.
The CFTC case was one of the last against Mashinsky and Celsius to be resolved following the company’s collapse in 2022. However, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) civil action against the co-founder, first filed in 2023, was still ongoing despite the court reaching a judgment against the platform months after the initial complaint.
As of July 30, the SEC reported that its attorneys and Mashinsky were “engaged in settlement discussions.“ The regulator asked the court for 60 days to file a status report on the matter, pushing any potential resolution to the end of September.
Magazine: ‘Fabricated rumors’ about BitMart founder, Binance bStocks dominate: Asia Express
Bitcoin climbed to around $65,000 after the Wall Street open, extending gains as broader risk sentiment stabilized despite renewed geopolitical concerns tied to the US and Iran. The move came alongside a rebound in US equities, where the S&P 500 bounced from its lowest level since early August.
While stocks were finding support, the bond market and oil developments signaled a more complicated macro backdrop. BTC’s latest push also revived chart-based debate over whether the market is genuinely transitioning from consolidation into a sustainable breakout.
Key takeaways
- Bitcoin reached $65,000 for the first time since Aug. 10, following a rebound in the S&P 500.
- US 30-year yields jumped to 5.34%, the highest since January 2007, highlighting inflation and borrowing concerns.
- Trump’s Strait of Hormuz comments pushed geopolitical headlines back into focus, even as oil showed limited immediate volatility.
- Technical traders are watching key levels tied to a head-and-shoulders “bottoming” argument around $62,300.
US equities bounce while Bitcoin tests new highs
According to TradingView data referenced in the report, BTC/USD continued building on the week’s gains as the S&P 500 recovered from a session low of 7,696, its lowest since Aug. 4. The divergence matters because it suggests Bitcoin’s momentum is not merely mirroring equity direction—at least in the near term.
The geopolitical narrative returned to the forefront after US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the Strait of Hormuz oil route would be treated as “new US territory,” framing the area as “open.” His later message emphasized that there were “no talks or conversations” with Iran, while asserting that naval conditions remained active and that the strait was operating.
Both the US and Iran have long-standing claims connected to control and security in the Hormuz region. In earlier commentary carried in the coverage, Trump also referenced threats against US ally Oman related to Oman’s plans to work with Iran on charging shipping tolls. Despite these headlines, oil’s immediate reaction appeared muted in the same timeframe, with WTI crude reported down about 1% to roughly $84 per barrel as of the time of writing.
Bond yields send a warning signal for risk assets
Even with stocks rebounding, government bond pricing suggested investors were still demanding more compensation for macro uncertainty. The US 30-year yield reached 5.34%, the highest level since January 2007, according to the cited market updates.
BNY Mellon analyst Geoff Yu warned in a research note quoted by the New York Times that the rise reflected investors seeking higher yields to cover inflation risk, while also pointing to the impact of government borrowing. The practical takeaway for crypto traders is that steep yield moves can raise the discount rate for risk assets, sometimes tightening financial conditions just as equities attempt to stabilize.
For Bitcoin specifically, this backdrop can create a tug-of-war: crypto may benefit from renewed interest when risk appetite returns, yet it can struggle if rates continue to rise sharply or if liquidity conditions tighten.
Chart watch: head-and-shoulders “bottoming” debate
Beyond macro headlines, the latest price action has turned attention back to technical structure. Trader and analyst Aksel Kibar, writing to X followers and cited in the report, focused on a potential reverse head-and-shoulders formation and pointed to $62,300 as the culmination point where a rebound would need to originate to validate the pattern.
Kibar argued that if Bitcoin is going to reverse higher, the move needs to develop from that area. He also discussed downside and upside scenarios if the structure fails or if the rebound sustains, including a potential target of $53,000 in the event of breakdown, and an upside target around $76,000 if the recovery extends.
That structure-focused framing is important because $65,000 is not simply a “new high” in isolation—it’s part of a decision zone where market participants determine whether the breakout is real or whether price returns to the prior range.
Why $65,000 may not be the finish line
The coverage also highlighted that earlier resistance levels have been a recurring barrier. Cointelegraph previously reported that underwater investors were contributing to Bitcoin’s inability to push higher. In the current update, Bitcoin’s rebound to $64,500 was described as stopping short of an overhead trend line: the 50-month exponential moving average (EMA), now referenced as $65,827.
That level is likely to draw attention from traders because moving averages often act as a proxy for longer-term trend health. A failure to reclaim and hold above the 50-month EMA could signal that the market is still negotiating the same distribution between sellers and buyers—especially if bond yields remain elevated.
At the same time, the fact that Bitcoin pressed toward $65,000 as US stocks bounced suggests demand is present. The immediate question is whether buyers can convert that momentum into follow-through without a renewed risk-off shock from rates or geopolitics.
Going forward, readers should watch whether BTC can hold above the reclaimed zone around the recent breakout levels and whether the market’s behavior around the $65,827 50-month EMA becomes more decisive—particularly as long-end Treasury yields and Hormuz-related headlines continue to influence broader risk sentiment.
Crypto World
Japan's Metaplanet launching U.S. bitcoin treasury company through $135 million nanocap deal
The deal involves Metaplanet contributing 2,100 bitcoin and $2.5 million in cash, valuing the initial investment at $134.6 million.
Metaplanet, the Tokyo-listed company that has adopted Bitcoin as its primary treasury reserve asset, plans to take a controlling stake in Nasdaq-listed Super League Enterprise, expanding its Bitcoin treasury strategy into the United States and potentially opening up new sources of capital.
On Tuesday, Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich said the company plans to contribute 2,100 Bitcoin (BTC) and $2.5 million in cash to Super League, which will be renamed Superplanet and become the company’s US Bitcoin treasury platform.
The 2,100 BTC contribution represents just under 5% of Metaplanet’s 43,000 BTC holdings and is worth roughly $135 million at current Bitcoin prices. Because the Bitcoin will come from Metaplanet’s existing treasury, the transaction does not represent a new BTC purchase.
Gerovich said the structure would give the company two avenues for raising capital, with Superplanet tapping US markets while Metaplanet continues to raise funds in Japan. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from Super League shareholders.
Under the proposed structure, capital raised by either company could support the group’s broader Bitcoin treasury strategy. Metaplanet said Superplanet could also pursue acquisitions in the US Bitcoin treasury sector that may not be available to the Japanese parent company.
Super League Enterprise currently operates an immersive gaming, content and advertising business. Its shares surged more than 50% following the announcement, accompanied by a sharp increase in trading activity.
Trading volume reached roughly 37.3 million shares, compared with about 393,000 shares previously, an increase of nearly 95-fold, according to Yahoo Finance data.
Super League Enterprise (SLE) stock. Source: Yahoo Finance
Related: Strategy CEO says company will resume Bitcoin accumulation this year
Bitcoin treasuries face new capital pressures
Metaplanet has emerged as the third-largest corporate Bitcoin holder, trailing Twenty One Capital by roughly 500 BTC. Twenty One Capital is a publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company backed by Tether, Bitfinex and SoftBank that was formed to accumulate Bitcoin and increase holdings on a per-share basis. Metaplanet last added to its Bitcoin holdings in early July, according to BitcoinTreasuries.NET.
Michael Saylor’s Strategy remains the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, with more than 840,000 BTC. However, the company has also sold Bitcoin in recent months to fund dividends, share repurchases and its US dollar reserve, highlighting some of the capital-management challenges facing publicly traded Bitcoin treasury companies.
Magazine: ‘Fabricated rumors’ about BitMart founder, Binance bStocks dominate: Asia Express
Long-term borrowing costs are reaching multi-decade highs as U.S. debt approaches $40 trillion and AI hyperscalers accelerate bond issuance.
South Korea ordered domestic access to Polymarket blocked, citing violations of the country’s Criminal Act and National Sports Promotion Act over gambling concerns.
The Korea Communications Commission announced the decision on Tuesday, after consulting with police and gambling regulators, ordering internet providers to cut off access nationwide.
Why South Korea Ordered the Block
Gambling is illegal for South Korean citizens, with the Criminal Act imposing fines of up to roughly $7,000 for offenders. That law now applies directly to Polymarket’s operations in the country.
The commission said Polymarket constitutes information that facilitates gambling or provides a venue for it, as well as activities resembling sports betting under the National Sports Promotion Act.
Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens.
Regulators consulted the National Police Agency, the National Gambling Control Commission, and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation before finalizing the block. Those agencies concluded that Polymarket’s operations could constitute an unlicensed gambling venue under existing law.
The commission argued that Polymarket’s structure inherently encourages gambling. It said the winner-take-all format makes financial outcomes heavily dependent on events users cannot control, such as politics, sports, and weather.
Regulators also pointed to Korea-specific betting markets as evidence that the platform targets local users. They specifically cited a listing on Seoul rainfall totals for August.
What Polymarket Does and How It Pushed Back
Polymarket lets users trade on real-world outcomes, from elections and World Cup matches to central bank decisions and geopolitical events, with transactions running through cryptocurrency.
One case drew particular attention earlier this year. A US soldier reportedly used classified information in January to win more than $400,000 betting on the raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Polymarket pushed back during a July 6 hearing. The company said it had removed its Korean-language service and does not accept payments in Korean won, arguing that those changes place it outside the relevant communications law.
The platform also argued that it does not directly hold user funds or issue betting tickets, meaning it should not meet the legal threshold for gambling violations.
Regulators rejected both arguments. They said companies cannot avoid Korean law simply by relying on technical features such as language availability or currency support.
South Korea now joins more than 30 jurisdictions restricting Polymarket over similar gambling concerns. France and Argentina already block access to the platform, part of a broader pattern of regulatory pushback worldwide.
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The post South Korea Bans Polymarket, Citing Its Winner-Take-All Structure appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto World
Why the Trump-backed crypto venture is distancing itself from Hong Kong AI aggregator WorldClaw
WLFI says the AI platform is independent and uses USD1 as a payment rail, but would not say whether it has equity, financing, revenue-sharing or other economic interests in the company.
If Targa wanted to lure in hyperscaler customers, it just secured some tremendous bait. The energy stock is rising on news of a 20-year deal with Exxon for three new natural gas processing plants and related services in the Permian Basin. Targa Resources (TRGP) spiked more than 7%, jumping above a flat base buy point at 280 and an alternate…
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