Crypto World
WLFI Passes Staking Governance With 180 Day Lock-Up Requirement
World Liberty Financial (WLFI) holders who want a chance to steer the protocol’s future will now need to lock up their tokens for nearly six months under a newly passed proposal.
The proposal from the Trump family-backed crypto venture closed on Friday with 99.12% of 1,800 votes cast in favor, according to the snapshot governance vote. Over 76% of the tokens came from ten users.
WLFI said the proposal was to ensure only those with “long-term alignment to the protocol” can make decisions on the protocol.
It also entices stakers with a 2% annual percentage yield on their staked tokens if they participate in at least two governance votes during the lock-up period. Users with already-locked tokens are unaffected and can continue voting as usual.
Low voter turnout has been a recurring issue across decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), with some estimates suggesting average participation rates between 15% and 25%.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin suggested in February that AI personal assistants could help DAO members vote and increase participation, while Stani Kulechov, the founder of decentralized lending platform Aave has suggested scaling back token holders’ votes in favor of more input from leadership. The latest WLFI proposal offers a different approach to the issue.
Super nodes gain “direct access” to WLFI team
One part of the proposal also suggests that those staking 50 WLFI million tokens, worth about $5 million, could get “guaranteed direct access” to the WLFI team for collaboration opportunities.
The WLFI “Gold Paper” lists US President Donald Trump’s sons, Eric and Baron, as co-founders and part of the team “supporting the WLF commitment.” Steven Witkoff’s sons, Zach and Alex, are also named as co-founders.
However, WLFI spokesman David Wachsman reportedly told Reuters on Sunday that the preferential access is to the business development team and executives, not to specific founders, and in a separate statement, said that it also does not guarantee partnership.
WLFI seeks bank charter and to support US dollar
WLFI investors could see an eventful few years ahead.
WLFI is seeking to build a crypto-enabled financial ecosystem centered around its stablecoin, USD1, while also supporting other Defi applications and stablecoins that “seek to preserve the US Dollar’s status”, according to its “Gold Paper.”
Related: WLFI proposes governance staking system and USD1 usage incentives
In January, the project applied to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national trust bank charter to expand the use of USD1, but is still waiting for a decision. It has also launched rewards programs and partnerships with institutional platforms and other protocols to increase USD1 adoption.
CEO Zach Witkoff has teased tokenization efforts around assets such as real estate and oil and gas, while the project is also exploring the creation of a publicly traded company to hold its WLFI tokens.
The WLFI Gold Paper promises holders the “right to vote on certain WLF Protocol matters.”
So far, WLFI has completed six snapshot votes. Past proposals included using unlocked WLFI tokens to help grow the project’s stablecoin, USD1, and to make the governance token tradable.
Magazine: Bitcoin may take 7 years to upgrade to post-quantum — BIP-360 co-author
An Australian Senate committee has backed proposed legislation to integrate cryptocurrency platforms and custody providers into the country’s financial services framework.
The Senate Economics Legislation Committee said in a report published Monday that the proposed Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 would modernize digital-asset oversight with traditional market safeguards to protect consumers.
The framework seeks to establish a licensing and compliance system for digital token managers by amending the Corporations Act 2001 and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001.
The proposal targets firms that hold digital assets on behalf of customers, bringing them under existing financial services rules instead of attempting to regulate the underlying blockchain infrastructure. Should the measure become law, firms without an AFSL would be given six months to obtain the required authorization and comply with the new framework.
Crypto exchanges operating in Australia are already required to register with the country’s financial intelligence agency, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, as digital currency providers before offering exchange services.
EUR/USD is recovering losses from 1.1500. USD/JPY is correcting gains from 159.00 and might decline further if it stays below 158.30.
Important Takeaways for EUR/USD and USD/JPY Analysis Today
· The Euro struggled to stay in a positive zone and declined below 1.1700 before finding support.
· There was a break above a connecting bearish trend line with resistance at 1.1580 on the hourly chart of EUR/USD at FXOpen.
· USD/JPY started a decent increase above 157.00 before the bears appeared near 158.90.
· There is a key contracting triangle forming with resistance near 158.30 on the hourly chart at FXOpen.
EUR/USD Technical Analysis
On the hourly chart of EUR/USD at FXOpen, the pair started a fresh decline from 1.1825. The Euro declined below 1.1750 and 1.1700 against the US Dollar.
The pair even declined below 1.1665 and the 50-hour simple moving average. Finally, it tested the 1.1500 zone. A low was formed at 1.1507, and the pair is now recovering losses. There was a move above 1.1550 and a connecting bearish trend line at 1.1580.
The pair surpassed the 38.2% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the 1.1826 swing high to the 1.1507 low. On the upside, the pair is now facing resistance near the 50% Fib retracement at 1.1665.
The first major hurdle for the bulls could be 1.1705. An upside break above 1.1705 could set the pace for another increase. In the stated case, the pair might rise toward 1.1775.
If not, the pair might drop again. Immediate support is near the 50-hour simple moving average and 1.1620. The next key area of interest might be 1.1565. If there is a downside break below 1.1565, the pair could drop toward 1.1505. The main target for the bears on the EUR/USD chart could be 1.1440, below which the pair could start a major decline.
USD/JPY Technical Analysis
On the hourly chart of USD/JPY at FXOpen, the pair gained pace for a move above 157.00 and 158.00. The US Dollar even traded close to 159.00 against the Japanese Yen before the bears emerged.
A high was formed at 158.90 before there was a downside correction. The pair dipped below 158.00 and the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the 156.45 swing low to the 158.90 high. However, the bulls were active above 157.00 and they protected the 61.8% Fib retracement.
The pair is back above the 50-hour simple moving average and 158.00. Immediate resistance on the USD/JPY chart is near 158.30. There is also a key contracting triangle at 158.30.
If there is a close above the triangle and the hourly RSI moves above 65, the pair could rise toward 158.90. The next major barrier for the bulls could be 159.25, above which the pair could test 160.00 in the near term.
On the downside, the first major support is near 158.00. The next key region for the bulls might be 157.40. If there is a close below 157.40, the pair could decline steadily. In the stated case, the pair might drop toward 156.45. Any more losses might send the pair toward 155.85.
Trade over 50 forex markets 24 hours a day with FXOpen. Take advantage of low commissions, deep liquidity, and spreads from 0.0 pips (additional fees may apply). Open your FXOpen account now or learn more about trading forex with FXOpen.
This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.
Australia’s financial regulator has published findings from a Gen Z money mindset study, highlighting how social media and artificial intelligence are shaping young investors’ approaches to money. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) released the results of a survey conducted between Nov. 28 and Dec. 10 last year, involving 1,127 respondents aged 18–28. The study shows that roughly one in four Gen Z individuals in Australia now invest in cryptocurrency, and while there is a strong appetite for credible, trustworthy financial content, many struggle to locate it amid engagement-first material. Regulators warn that marketing on social platforms can push people toward riskier investments and, in some cases, toward scams. posted.
The regulator’s findings come as ASIC outlined a cautious stance toward crypto marketing and the broader financial-advice ecosystem. The survey reveals a generation that craves reliable content but often lands on sources built for engagement rather than accuracy. ASIC Commissioner Alan Kirkland highlighted that some marketing activity on social media is specifically designed to drive investments, and a portion of it promotes activity that could expose young Australians to scams. He warned that the volatility of crypto investments is not always understood by those advertising or encouraging participation, particularly when the audience is spread across a developed but complex financial landscape. issuing warning notices to 18 influencers for unlawfully promoting high-risk financial products and providing unlicensed financial advice is a sign of the regulator’s willingness to take action against misleading campaigns.
The survey, which included respondents aged 18–28, found that 63% rely on social media for financial information and guidance, 18% use artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, and 30% turn to YouTube as a source for financial content. On trust, the results show a nuanced picture: 56% of Gen Z say they somewhat or fully trust financial information found on social media, and 52% say the same about “finfluencers”—those online personalities who cover finance and investments. AI, however, stands out as the most trusted source among Zoomers, with 64% expressing trust in AI-enabled financial information.
ASIC calls for caution on crypto influencers
The study also shows a notable crypto footprint among Gen Z in Australia, with 23% reporting ownership of cryptocurrency. Among those who own crypto, 29% trade based on content from social media or influencer posts, a dynamic that prompted regulatory caution. The regulator has warned that influencers may set unrealistic expectations about investment returns, market volatility, and the realities of long-term investing. The findings reinforce concerns about how promotional content can shape risk perceptions and trading behavior in a sector that remains volatile and is subject to evolving regulatory scrutiny.
Speaking with the Australian Financial Review (AFR) on Sunday, ASIC Commissioner Alan Kirkland underscored the risk that marketing activity on social platforms can steer consumers toward risky crypto investments and even scams. “We’re conscious that there’s a lot of marketing activity on social media to encourage crypto investment, and our work has shown some of it is actually encouraging people to invest in scams,” he said. “It’s really important for people to be aware of those risks, because you don’t see that same volatility in other types of investments and often that volatility is driven by forces that it’s impossible for an individual sitting in Australia to understand.”
Kirkland also flagged Australian superannuation funds—the country’s $4.5 trillion retirement pool—as an area where unqualified influencers may be offering inappropriate investment guidance. “We see it most where people are lured in through social media ads and then encouraged to switch their super, because super is often people’s most valuable asset, and that’s why disreputable people often target it and why it can be so tragic if people are encouraged to put it into a risky investment,” he said.
ASIC has AI financial advice in its crosshairs
The regulator also said it is watching closely how AI tools generate financial information. Licensing requirements apply where a source is giving financial advice or making product-specific recommendations based on an individual’s circumstances. “Under Australian law, if any entity is giving financial advice, they need to be licensed. So if an AI tool, whoever’s providing it, is actually making recommendations about individual financial products, taking into account individual circumstances, that would be personal advice, so it needs to be licensed,” Kirkland noted.
Industry observers have noted that some crypto exchanges have begun integrating AI-based guidance features for customers. Platforms such as MEXC, KuCoin and Bitget have introduced AI-assisted options to accompany trading services, signaling regulators’ interest in how digital-asset markets are combining advisory capabilities with automated decision-making.
“One of the most surprising findings from this research was the degree of trust young people are placing in AI platforms,” Kirkland said, adding that the usefulness of AI depends on the specificity of questions and the quality of sources AI can draw on to provide results. The regulator’s concerns extend beyond AI itself, as evidenced by the ongoing focus on licensing requirements for those delivering financial guidance, including AI-driven advice.
ASIC’s stance on AI financial advice is set against a broader regulatory backdrop. In January, the agency signaled that crypto and AI firms exploiting licensing gaps around payments in Australia would be a top priority in 2026. The regulator’s crosshairs are not limited to platforms or influencers but extend to the legal framework that governs how digital financial products are marketed and advised upon.
The Gen Z study illuminates how a generation that grows up with social media and AI navigates risk and opportunity in a rapidly evolving financial landscape. As ASIC continues to monitor marketing practices and the deployment of AI tools in financial services, stakeholders—from investors to platform operators—will be watching closely to see how policy adapts to new behavioral realities in the digital economy.
Why it matters
First, the findings underscore a critical consumer-protection challenge: young investors actively turn to social media and AI for guidance, often without access to robust, independent sources. The potential for misinformation, exaggerated returns, or misaligned risk underscores the need for credible educational resources and transparent disclosures in fintech marketing. Regulators’ emphasis on licensing for AI-driven advice signals a move toward more formal accountability, reducing the likelihood that automated recommendations operate outside established compliance frameworks.
Second, the study highlights the evolving risk landscape around crypto participation among younger demographics. With 23% of Gen Z reporting crypto ownership and 29% of them trading as a result of influencer content, the regulatory focus on finfluencers and marketing practices gains renewed urgency. This is particularly salient as the Australian market approaches broader financial-technology innovations and digital asset service providers push deeper into mainstream finance.
Finally, the integration of AI bots by crypto and fintech platforms is prompting regulators to rethink the boundaries between information and advice. The balance between innovation and consumer protection will likely shape future licensing, disclosure, and advertising standards. In Australia, that balance currently hinges on whether AI-driven guidance crosses into personalized financial advice, a threshold that triggers licensing requirements and stricter oversight.
What to watch next
- ASIC’s ongoing monitoring of social-media marketing for financial products and potential enforcement actions against misleading campaigns.
- Any new guidance or licensing requirements addressing AI-based financial advice and tools that tailor recommendations to individuals.
- Regulatory scrutiny of crypto and fintech platforms deploying AI-based trading guidance or “trading partners.”
- Regulatory priorities in 2026 around payments licensing and licensing expectations for AI-enabled financial services.
Sources & verification
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Gen Z and money advice study — 26-049mr: https://www.asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/find-a-media-release/2026-releases/26-049mr-asic-urges-gen-z-to-sense-check-money-advice-as-social-media-fuels-riskier-financial-decisions/
- Australian Financial Review interview with ASIC Commissioner Alan Kirkland on Gen Z and AI trust: https://www.afr.com/wealth/personal-finance/gen-z-puts-trust-in-ai-for-financial-advice-asic-says-don-t-20260311-p5o9iy
- ASIC cracks down on unlawful finfluencers in global push against misconduct: https://www.asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/news-items/asic-cracks-down-on-unlawful-finfluencers-in-global-push-against-misconduct/
XRP pushed higher after clearing a key resistance level, extending a breakout from a multi-month consolidation range.
News Background
- XRP’s latest move comes after several months of sideways trading, where the token repeatedly failed to sustain rallies above the mid-$1.40 area.
- The breakout marks the first clear move above that ceiling since early 2026, shifting short-term momentum toward buyers.
- While the price advance lacked a clear XRP-specific catalyst, activity on the XRP Ledger has continued to rise.
- Tokenized real-world assets on the network recently climbed sharply, with the value of tokenized commodities approaching $1.14 billion during the first quarter.
Price Action Summary
- XRP rose from about $1.41 to $1.47 during the latest 24-hour session
- The token broke through the $1.426 resistance zone that capped previous rallies
- Trading volume spiked to roughly 170 million tokens during the breakout
- XRP traded within a roughly 5% intraday range
Technical Analysis
The key development was the breakout above $1.426, which had acted as a ceiling throughout recent consolidation. Once the level cleared on strong volume, price accelerated quickly toward the $1.47 area.
Short-term charts show a sequence of higher lows forming after the breakout, suggesting buyers are attempting to turn the former resistance zone into support.
Momentum remains constructive while XRP holds above roughly $1.43. The next technical barrier sits near the $1.48–$1.50 area, where previous rallies have stalled.
What traders say is next?
Traders are now focused on whether XRP can maintain support above the $1.43–$1.44 breakout level.
If that zone holds, the token could extend the move toward $1.50 and potentially the $1.55 region as momentum builds.
However, a drop back below $1.43 would weaken the breakout and could pull XRP back toward the previous consolidation range near $1.39–$1.40.
Australia’s financial regulator has urged young investors not to rely on social media influencers and artificial intelligence chatbots to make financial decisions, according to a study that also found that one in four “Gen Zs” invest in crypto.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) posted the results of a survey on Sunday, finding that Gen Z has high levels of trust in “often unreliable sources,” which has contributed to riskier financial decisions.
“Moneysmart’s Gen Z study found that while Gen Z has a strong appetite for reputable and trustworthy financial content, many struggle to find it – and their search often leads them to sources designed for engagement rather than accuracy,” said ASIC.
ASIC took action against influencers over their financial social media content last year in June, issuing warning notices to 18 influencers “suspected of unlawfully promoting high-risk financial products and providing unlicensed financial advice.”
The latest survey, conducted between Nov. 28 and Dec. 10 last year with 1,127 respondents between 18 and 28, found that 63% of the group uses social media for financial information and guidance, while 18% use artificial intelligence (AI) platforms and 30% said they use YouTube specifically.
It also found that 56% of Gen Z say they “somewhat or completely trust” financial information on social media, with 52% saying the same of “finfluencers” — social media influencers primarily covering financial or investment niches who appear well-versed in finance.
AI, however, was the most trustworthy among Zoomers, at 64%.
ASIC calls for caution on crypto influencers
The survey also showed that 23% of Gen Z now own crypto in Australia, with 29% of these trading based on social media and influencer content, prompting a warning that influencers may “set unrealistic expectations” about investment returns, market volatility, and the intricacies of long-term investing.
Speaking with the Australian Financial Review (AFR) on Sunday, ASIC commissioner Alan Kirkland said the regulator has been keeping an eye on marketing activity designed to drive people to make investments, noting some of them are scams.
“We’re conscious that there’s a lot of marketing activity on social media to encourage crypto investment, and our work has shown some that is actually encouraging people to invest in scams,” Kirkland said.
“It’s really important for people to be aware of those risks, because you don’t see that same volatility in other types of investments and often that volatility is driven by forces that it’s impossible for an individual sitting in Australia to understand,” he added.
Kirkland also flagged Australian superannuation funds — a $4.5 trillion market made of retirement funds — as an area in which unqualified influencers are offering advice.
“We see it most where people are lured in through social media ads and then encouraged to switch their super, because super is often people’s most valuable asset, and that’s why disreputable people often target it and why it can be so tragic if people are encouraged to put it into a risky investment,” he said.
ASIC has AI financial advice in its crosshairs
Kirkland also told the AFR that ASIC is “watching very closely” what types of financial information are being derived from AI tools. The commissioner warned that licenses are required for anything that gives out information representing concrete financial recommendations.
“It is clear under Australian law that if any entity is giving financial advice, they need to be licensed. So if an AI tool, whoever’s providing it, is actually making recommendations about individual financial products, taking into account individual circumstances, that would be personal advice, so it needs to be licensed,” he said.
ASIC’s concerns come amid a number of crypto exchanges that have already integrated AI bots into their services to offer personalized trading guidance or “trading partners”, including the likes of MEXC, KuCoin and Bitget.
Related: Ripple targets April for Australian financial license via acquisition
“One of the most surprising findings from this research was the degree of trust young people are placing in AI platforms,” he said, adding:
“Depends very much on the nature of the questions you’re asking, how specific those questions are and the quality of the sources that AI is able to draw upon in order to serve us the results.”
AI financial information is not the only area ASIC is eyeing this year. In late January, the regulator warned that any crypto or AI firms exploiting licensing gray areas around payments in Australia will be one of its top priorities in 2026.
Magazine: Spot Bitcoin ETFs first green week, crypto ATM losses surge 33%: Hodler’s Digest, Mar. 8 – 14
Bitcoin broke through the $74,000 resistance zone that it had rejected four times in two weeks, and this time the move has more behind it than a short squeeze.
The largest cryptocurrency was trading just above $74,000 on Monday morning, up 2.9% over the past 24 hours and 9.7% on the week. Ether surged 7.7% in 24 hours and 14.3% on the week to $2,261, its strongest weekly performance in months. Solana jumped 5.6% on the day and 12% on the week to $93.
Dogecoin hit $0.10 for the first time since early March, up 4.6% daily and 10.6% weekly. BNB gained 3.8% to $683 with a 9.5% weekly gain. XRP rose 4.2% to $1.47, up 8.9% over seven days.
The catalyst was a shift in tone from multiple directions at once. Trump said the U.S. was talking to Iran, though Tehran denied requesting talks or a ceasefire. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz was only closed to ships from “enemies,” a notable softening from the blanket closure that had been in effect.
Two tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas to India sailed through the strait on Sunday, the first commercial transit since the war began.
Oil reflected the change in mood. Brent traded around $104 after earlier climbing as high as $106.50 following the Kharg Island strikes, but pulled back as the Hormuz headlines hit. WTI dropped below $100. The dollar weakened 0.3%. S&P 500 futures advanced 0.5%, set for their first gain in five days. MSCI’s global equity gauge stabilized after three days of declines.
For crypto, the combination of easing oil, a weaker dollar, and even a hint of de-escalation is the exact macro cocktail that loosens the liquidity chain that has been choking risk assets since the war began.
The weekly numbers are the most impressive since before the war. Bitcoin’s 9.7% gain is strong but the altcoin outperformance is the signal that risk appetite is genuinely returning. When ether outperforms bitcoin by 4.6 percentage points and solana outperforms by 2.3 points on a weekly basis, capital is rotating down the risk curve rather than hiding in bitcoin.
The Fed meeting on March 17-18 arrives with different context than it had a week ago.
Oil is still elevated but the Strait of Hormuz showing signs of reopening changes the inflation calculus. The dot plot and Powell’s press conference on Wednesday will determine whether the market’s rate cut hopes survive or get crushed.
Bitcoin’s price has risen past its key average for the first time in two months, signaling strengthening bullish momentum.
The cryptocurrency’s price has gained over 3% to $73,700 in 24 hours, topping the 50-day moving average, which stood at $71,125 at the time of writing. The positive price action follows days of resilient performance amid the Iran war and global equity turmoil, especially in Asian markets.
The so-called 50-day moving average is one of the most widely tracked momentum indicators in the market, which analysts recently cited as one of the formidable resistance levels holding back gains.
“This indicator often signals the medium-term trend, and a confident break above it would be an important turning point in the coming days,” Alex Kuptsikevich, senior market analyst at FxPro, said in an email.
Note, however, that the bullish breakout doesn’t necessarily promise a sustained uptrend. For instance, the previous one in early January was followed by an 8% price rise, but the momentum lasted just two weeks before selling resumed. Previous instances have delivered mixed results as well.
For now, the breakout, points to a continued move higher and perhaps increased volatility as prices move closer to the $75,000 mark. This is the level where market makers – those ensuring a smooth trading experience by providing liquidity on an exchange – hold net short gamma positions worth billions, as CoinDesk noted Friday.
So, as prices rise toward $75,000, they are likely to buy high to rebalance their net exposure to neutral. This could add to market volatility.
Blockfills, a Chicago-based crypto trading firm, has filed for bankruptcy, as the crypto winter takes its toll on the industry.
On Sunday, BlockFills operator Reliz Ltd. and three affiliated entities filed voluntary Chapter 11 restructuring petitions in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, according to documents seen by CoinDesk.
The court filing shows Reliz reporting assets between $50 million and $100 million against liabilities of $100 million to $500 million, a stark indicator of the mounting pressures in its crypto trading operations.
The company decided to file for bankruptcy after consulting all stakeholders, it said in an official statement.
“After extensive discussions with investors, clients, creditors, and other stakeholders, BlockFills has determined that a voluntary chapter 11 filing is the most responsible path forward in order to preserve the value of the business and maximize recoveries for stakeholders. This filing will allow the firm to implement an orderly restructuring while maintaining transparency and oversight through the court-supervised process,” it said.
“To that end, on March 15, 2026, certain BlockFills-related entities filed a voluntary petition to restructure under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware,” it added.
CoinDesk reported last month that the crypto lender had lost about $75 million and was seeking a buyer or emergency funding.
BlockFills is a crypto trading and lending firm that provides liquidity, financing and risk-management services to institutional clients. Its platform facilitates crypto lending and borrowing, derivatives trading and over-the-counter (OTC) execution for hedge funds, asset managers, market makers and mining companies.
The company is backed by institutional investors including Susquehanna Private Equity Investments, CME Ventures, Simplex Ventures, C6E and Nexo Inc.
A U.S. federal judge issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against BlockFills last week in a lawsuit brought by Dominion Capital.
Dominion alleged that the firm had misappropriated and improperly retained millions of dollars in customer crypto assets, commingled client funds and concealed significant losses.
BlockFills said on Feb. 11 it was halting customer withdrawals and deposits due to recent market and financial conditions.
The company said at the time it was working with investors and clients to reach a swift resolution and restore liquidity to the platform. CoinDesk later reported that the crypto lender had lost about $75 million and was seeking a buyer or emergency funding.
CoinDesk also reported that BlockFills co-founder and CEO Nicholas Hammer had stepped down from his leadership role. Joseph Perry is the firm’s interim CEO.
BlockFills said it processed more than $60 billion in trading volume in 2025, up 28% from the prior year, and is among the more active institutional crypto lending and borrowing desks. The firm serves about 2,000 institutional clients, including hedge funds, asset managers and mining firms.
Read more: U.S. judge freezes BlockFills assets in dispute over 70 bitcoin with creditor Dominion Capital
A block on stablecoin yield payments in the US will likely prompt other countries to step up and offer the option, according to Takatoshi Shibayama, Asia-Pacific lead at crypto wallet company Ledger.
Shibayama told Cointelegraph that if a wider ban on stablecoin yields is enacted in the US, it “definitely opens up a conversation” between institutions, stablecoin issuers and regulators overseas about how to respond.
He said countries such as Australia have given stablecoin issuers a regulatory carveout, but most stablecoins, even outside of the US, are “not providing yields or rewards to their user base just so that they can protect the banks’ interest.”
“If that were to change in the US, then I think it definitely opens up a lot of conversation between the stablecoin issuers and the regulators to allow yields or rewards to be passed through to their user base,” Shibayama said.
The US Senate is currently working on a bill to outline how market regulators will police crypto, but a banking lobby-supported provision to ban third-party platforms from offering stablecoin yields has stalled the legislation, as crypto lobbyists have resisted the ban.
Meanwhile, Shibayama said there’s been a shift in how Asia’s financial heavyweights have approached crypto.
Asia’s institutions focused on blockchain, not crypto
Shibayama said that since last year, “there has been a bit of a decoupling of crypto and the rest of blockchain technology” in Asia, and institutions are not really looking at products offering exposure to cryptocurrencies.
“They’re really looking at: Can they tokenize their financial products? Can they issue stablecoins?” he said. “There’s been lots of talks around that as opposed to offering DeFi and staking.”
“The institutions have carefully selected what they want out of this blockchain technology and then leaving crypto — the Bitcoins and Ethereums of the world — out of the conversation.”
Related: Blockchain firm eyes $200M in tokenized water projects across Asia
Shibayama said asset managers “are a little bit different” and are still looking at launching crypto products to increase the variety of what they can offer to clients, and are also drawn to doing so as there aren’t “strict regulations around them having to have a regulated custodian.”
“Obviously, they prefer to have regulated custodians,” he added. “They’re becoming a lot more selective on how they choose their custody provider.”
Magazine: All 21 million Bitcoin is at risk from quantum computers
Additional reporting by Stephen Katte.
Nearly three-quarters of all undersea fibre optic internet cables (which carry about 99% of international internet traffic) would need to fail to have a significant impact on Bitcoin, according to a study released earlier this year.
In research first published in February and last revised on March 12, researchers Wenbin Wu and Alexander Neumueller from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance said they used P2P network data from 2014 to 2025 and 68 verified cable fault events to apply a country-level cascade model to determine Bitcoin’s physical infrastructure resilience.
They claim it to be the first longitudinal study of Bitcoin’s resilience to submarine cable failures, and it helps to answer a long-standing question about what would happen to Bitcoin if the internet were to be disrupted.
The researchers found that the critical failure threshold for random cable removal sits at 0.72 to 0.92, meaning 72% to 92% of all “inter-country” submarine cables would need to fail before more than 10% of network nodes disconnect.
However, the Bitcoin network was more vulnerable to targeted attacks on certain subsea cable chokepoints, with researchers calling it an “order of magnitude more effective,” with a critical failure threshold of 0.05 to 0.20.
Tor routing provides greater resilience
The study also found that Tor (The Onion Router) “creates a compound barrier to disruption,” given the current concentration of relay infrastructure in well-connected European countries.
Tor is similar to VPNs (virtual private networks), bouncing web traffic through a chain of volunteer-run servers around the world, wrapping each hop in a layer of encryption for privacy, like the layers of an onion.
Related: Is Tor still safe after Germany’s ‘timing attack?’ Answer: It’s complicated…
The Bitcoin network uses Tor to obfuscate nodes, meaning their physical locations are hidden. The paper revealed that 64% of Bitcoin nodes are essentially “invisible” to researchers.
“Tor adoption increases resilience under current relay geography rather than introducing hidden fragility,” it stated.
This is because Tor relay infrastructure is concentrated in Germany, France, and the Netherlands — countries with extensive and redundant submarine cable connectivity — so cable failures rarely take down relay capacity.
Near-zero correlation between cable events and BTC price
The researchers concluded that 87% of the 68 verified historical cable fault events caused less than a 5% node impact, and cable events showed essentially zero correlation with Bitcoin (BTC) prices, or a statistically insignificant correlation coefficient of −0.02.
They also note that the geographic diversification of BTC mining “has not materially altered infrastructure resilience,” which is consistent with physical cable topology rather than with hashrate distribution.
Magazine: Big questions: Would Bitcoin survive a 10-year power outage?
Opinion: Roger Cook’s express exit from his own electorate
Australian Senate panel backs crypto regulation framework
David Gauke: Donald Trump is not our friend and all parties should be wary of being too close
Smart energy pays enters the US market, targeting scalable financial infrastructure
Why Israel is blocking foreign journalists from entering
Bitcoin: We’re Entering The Most Dangerous Phase
HUBUNGI WA 0857-7492-0549 #foryou #smartphone #giveawayyy #money #viral #automobile #funny #fyp
Oil Collapses 30% Plus As Fears Ease.. Markets React!! Institutions Are Buying Crypto RIGHT NOW!!!!!
Ethereum’s Set Up Actually Looks Insane Right Now
-
Tech5 days agoA 1,300-Pound NASA Spacecraft To Re-Enter Earth’s Atmosphere
-
Crypto World2 days agoHYPE Token Enters Net Deflation as HyperCore Buybacks Outpace Staking Rewards
-
News Videos7 days ago10th Algebra | Financial Planning | Question Bank Solution | Board Exam 2026
-
Business6 days agoExxonMobil seeks to move corporate registration from New Jersey to Texas
-
Crypto World7 days agoParadigm, a16z, Winklevoss Capital, Balaji Srinivasan among investors in ZODL
-
Fashion3 days agoWeekend Open Thread: Addict Lip Glow
-
Tech6 days agoChatGPT will now generate interactive visuals to help you with math and science concepts
-
Sports2 days ago
Why Duke and Michigan Are Dead Even Entering Selection Sunday
-
NewsBeat4 days agoResidents reaction as Shildon murder probe enters second day
-
Business5 days agoSearch Enters Sixth Week With New Leads in Tucson Abduction Case
-
NewsBeat6 days agoPagazzi Lighting enters administration as 70 jobs lost and 11 stores close across Scotland
-
Business11 hours agoSearch for Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Enters Seventh Week with No Arrests
-
Tech7 days agoDespite challenges, Ireland sixth in EU for board gender diversity
-
Business2 days agoUS Airports Launch Donation Drives for Unpaid TSA Workers as Partial Government Shutdown Enters Fifth Week
-
Crypto World2 days ago
Coinbase and Bybit in Investment Talks: Could Bybit Finally Enter the US Crypto Market?
-
NewsBeat5 days agoI Entered The Manosphere. Nothing Could Prepare Me For What I Found.
-
Business6 days agoSearch Enters 39th Day with FBI Tip Line Developments and No Major Breakthroughs
-
Sports7 days agoSkateboarding World Championships: Britain’s Sky Brown wins park gold
-
Business2 days agoCountry star Brantley Gilbert enters growing non-alcoholic beer market
-
Crypto World6 days agoWill Chainlink price reclaim $10 amid volatility squeeze?
