The investment department of the large multinational financial service organization, Wells Fargo, is looking into offering cryptocurrency products to its institutional clients. A senior executive outlined the innovation in a recent interview and called bitcoin “a nice diversifier.” Wells Fargo Getting on the BTC Wagon? In a recent interview with BusinessInsider, Darrell Cronk, president of...Read More
While Ripple continues with its ongoing legal battle against the SEC in the US, the payment processor has partnered with Egypt’s largest and oldest bank – the NBE. By utilizing RippleNet and the financial service provider LuLu, the National Bank of Egypt will process cross-border payments from the UAE to the African country. Ripple Brings...Read More
American multinational investment bank Cowen Inc. will join some Wall Street organizations after announcing plans to hold digital assets for hedge funds and asset managers. The firm partnered up with Standard Custody & Trust Co. to provide ”institutional-grade” custody services for cryptocurrencies. The Demand Is Here The recent rally of most crypto assets has caught...Read More
The trend of giant banks developing crypto services is expanded beyond the US with Switzerland’s UBS Group AG. The institution plans to enable its wealthy customers exposure to digital asset investments later in the year. By citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that UBS Group AG is in the “early stages of planning...Read More
In an announcement on May 5, the leading provider of crypto financial intelligence, Coin Metrics, stated that it had concluded a Series B funding round of $15 million. In addition to Goldman, which added Bitcoin to its returns report last month, investors included some big names in crypto venture capital such as Castle Island Ventures,...Read More
Choosing stock of gold mining companies instead of shares of firms investing in bitcoin has caused an underperformance for BNY Mellon’s tech-focused funds. The giant US bank outlined MicroStrategy – the company owning over 90,000 bitcoins – as the biggest missed opportunity. BNY Mellon’s Funds Performance In recent filings with the US Securities and Exchange...Read More
Six of the biggest banks in China’s megapolis Shanghai are supporting the digital yuan ahead of a May 5th shopping festival. The move represents a direct threat to the country’s top two payment providers – Alipay and WeChat Pay. The Digital Yuan vs. Alipay and WeChat Pay According to a Reuters report, some of the...Read More
Turkey’s government has introduced a new regulation that will prohibit cryptocurrency assets from being used as payment methods as of April 30th, citing significant risks. Nevertheless, banks are excluded from the legislation, meaning that users can still deposit the Turkish Lira on crypto exchanges through their banking accounts. Turkey’s Ban on Crypto Usage as Payment...Read More
Shortly after the oldest US-based bank entered the cryptocurrency space, so has done the second-oldest – State Street Corporation. The banking giant with $3 trillion in assets under management will allow the London-based Puremarkets to use its Currenex platform for digital asset trading. Launched by Puremarkets Ltd., Pure Digital is advertised as an “interbank marketplace...Read More
The Bank of Japan has officially kicked off experiments on a proof of concept for its central bank digital currency. The first testing phase is already live and should be completed by March 2022. BOJ Takes a Swing at CBDC Development Japan’s Central Bank has put its mind into issuing its own digital currency. The...Read More
Large banking organizations and institutional investors could reinvigorate their demand for bitcoin soon, commented researchers from JP Morgan Chase & Co. They reasoned that BTC volatility levels have been decreasing in recent weeks, which could be the primary benefit for institutions. BTC’s Volatility Plays a Role for Institutions Analysts representing the giant US multinational investment...Read More
A few months after launching Bitcoin custodial services in the US, the nation’s oldest bank, BNY Mellon, has doubled-down on its interest and involvement with the first-ever cryptocurrency. It has published a report attempting to determine bitcoin’s value by comparing BTC with gold and referring to the popular stock-to-flow model. BNY Mellow Evaluates BTC It...Read More
The European Central Bank (ECB) has asked the parliament for veto powers in matters concerning Facebook’s Diem and other stablecoin projects. According to a Reuters report on Tuesday (Feb. 23, 2021), the ECB has asked European Union (EU) lawmakers for veto powers on stablecoin regulations in the Eurozone. An excerpt from the ECB’s formal opinion...Read More
San Francisco-based crypto payments platform Metal Pay has applied for a national bank charter with the U.S. national bank regulator, which would enable the company to offer seamless cryptocurrency-related services. Metal Pay Eyes Full National Bank License In a tweet thread published on Thursday (Feb. 4, 2021), Metal Pay’s First Blockchain Bank and Trust (FBB&T)...Read More
The Singaporean private banking arm of OCBC Bank has dismissed the chances of cryptocurrencies eventually replacing fiat currencies as a medium of exchange. However, the large institution believes that BTC and other altcoins can replace gold in terms of serving as a store of value. Cryptocurrencies: Store Of Value; Not Medium Of Exchange Ever since...Read More
Amid the renewed anti-Bitcoin remarks ascribed to mainstream finance stakeholders, reports have emerged showing banks in Australia working in cahoots with violent South American cocaine cartels. Despite aspersions to the contrary, the crypto market continues to account for an insignificant proportion of global financial crimes. Australian Banks Funelling Dirty Money for Drug Cartels According to...Read More
The legal battle comes as the Aussie man allegedly suffered significant losses in his crypto business after the banks, Westpac and ANZ, shut down his accounts, local media reported Monday. According to the proceedings filed at the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Allan Flynn alleged that the banks’ action was illegal as they closed his accounts...Read More
Anchorage, a crypto custodial service, has become the first to receive a national trust charter from the United States Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The move puts the firm in the position to claim the mantle of the first U.S.-based national crypto bank. Anchorage Digital Bank Scores OCC Approval According to a...Read More
As Bitcoin cools from its recent all-time high, HSBC has become the latest banking giant to restrict what its customers can invest in by preventing them from transferring any profits from crypto exchanges to their bank accounts.ban According to a recent report in The Sunday Times, HSBC has blocked transactions to or from crypto exchanges...Read More
The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has published more crypto-friendly guidelines allowing greater participation by regulated financial institutions in the industry. US Banks Can Now Use Stablecoins and Blockchains for Settlement In a press release issued on Monday (Jan. 4, 2020), the OCC revealed its decision to allow Federally chartered banks...Read More
Three months after registering Hashed Venture Fund I, the blockchain-focused investment group Hashed has already raised $120 million. The organization plans to utilize the funds to invest in the blockchain space and other fintech companies focused on protocol economy. Hashed Has Raised $120M In Three Months Based in Seoul, North Korea, Hashed’s mission is to...Read More
The Puerto Rico Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF) has granted permission to FV Bank to provide custody services for cryptocurrency assets such as Ethereum and Bitcoin. The institution plans to integrate the new service into its digital banking platform as of early 2021. FV Bank Granted Permission To Be A Crypto Custodian...Read More
The digital asset trading venue has reportedly doubled-down on its endeavors for its planned stock market listing. The US multinational investment bank Goldman Sachs, which has a somewhat controversial history with the cryptocurrency industry, will lead the preparations. CryptoPotato reported recently that the exchange had confidentially submitted a draft registration statement with the US Securities...Read More
With bitcoin climbing to new all-time highs, the cryptocurrency has garnered the attention of centralized financial institutions. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. offered its views on the market and said that BTC’s rise shouldn’t threaten gold’s position as the inflation hedge of choice as both assets can coexist. Bitcoin And Gold Can Coexist Ever since bitcoin’s...Read More
A few months following the soft-launch of the DBS Digital Exchange, the Singaporean multinational banking and financial services corporation announced the release of its digital asset trading venue. In addition, the investment holding company Singapore Exchange has announced it will take a 10% stake in the platform. DBS Digital Assets Officially Announced CryptoPotato reported in...Read More
The Reserve Bank of Australia has partnered with two major local banks and ConsenSys to explore the potential use of Ethereum-based wholesale central bank digital currency. The announcement from Australia’s central bank named the other partners – Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, and the financial services company Perpetual. The research group will develop a “proof-of-concept...Read More
For the first time in a decade, central banks around the world are selling off their bullion stocks. Economists have opined that this is a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic led fiscal stress. If the trend continues, gold prices are in for some serious freefall rides. The question is, will central banks start stockpiling...Read More
Now the United States can boast a new crypto bank: Welcome Avanti. Avanti Financial Group, a firm founded by the former managing director at Morgan Stanley, Caitlin Long, announced that it had been granted a license to offer banking services by the Wyoming State Banking Board. Avanti is The Second Crypto-bank Operating in the United...Read More
Singapore’s largest bank, DBS Bank, has reportedly soft-launched an exchange offering fiat-to-cryptocurrencies trading pairs called DBS Digital Exchange. According to the website and a few reports, it will enable customers to buy and sell four of the “top digital currencies in circulation” – Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum (ETH), and Ripple (XRP). They will be traded...Read More
PayPal’s decision to enable its users to interact with cryptocurrencies directly on its platform continues to attract popular individuals’ attention. The latest to acknowledge the significance of this move were the Head of Facebook Financial, David Marcus, and Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya. Banks Will Follow PayPal, Says Marcus Arguably the most significant piece of...Read More
