Author: Benjamin Lee

Standard Chartered and Coinbase just announced an expanded partnership to develop digital asset services for institutional clients worldwide. The collaboration focuses on trading, prime services, custody, staking and lending solutions. The move combines Standard Chartered’s global banking expertise and risk management with Coinbase’s leading institutional platform to offer secure, compliant digital asset management. It builds on their existing tie-up in Singapore, where Standard Chartered enables real-time Singapore Dollar transfers for Coinbase customers. Says Margaret Harwood-Jones, Global Head of Financing & Securities Services at Standard Chartered, “Our role as a trusted international bank is to support clients as digital-asset markets mature…

Stablecoin giant Circle (CRCL) just minted billions of dollars worth of its US Dollar Coin (UDSC), according to on-chain data. Blockchain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence says Circle’s creation of new UDSC is now surging following the crypto market’s severe correction last month. “Circle just minted $750 million USDC. They have minted $4 Billion USDC in the past week alone. There is currently $77.23 billion USDC circulating in crypto.” An increase in the circulating supply of USDC, a stablecoin designed to stay pegged to the value of one US dollar, may be a bullish signal as it indicates an inflow of…

Institutional investors just bought an overall total of $716 million in Bitcoin (BTC) and crypto assets in one week, according to a new update from Coinshares. Digital asset exchange-traded products (ETPs) drove the inflows, marking the second consecutive week of gains as market sentiment improved. Total assets under management rose to $180 billion, up 7.9% from November lows and below the $264 billion all-time high. Bitcoin attracted $352 million, pushing year-to-date inflows to $27.1 billion, which is below 2024’s $41.6 billion record. XRP saw $245 million in inflows, lifting year-to-date totals to $3.1 billion, surpassing last year’s $608 million. Chainlink…

Binance has suspended an employee who allegedly used one of the exchange’s social media accounts to promote a token. The top global crypto exchange says a preliminary investigation concluded that the employee had connections to a token that was issued on Sunday. Less than a minute after the asset was issued, the employee allegedly posted about it on the Binance Futures’ X account. Binance says it immediately suspended the employee and contacted legal authorities in the employee’s jurisdiction. “These actions constitute abuse of their position for personal gain and violate our policies and code of professional conduct.” The exchange notes…

The leading US-based crypto exchange Coinbase says it’s about to add support for two new digital assets. Starting today at 9:00 a.m. PST, Coinbase says it will add spot trading for Plume (PLUME) and Jupiter (JUPITER), assuming liquidity conditions are met. Plume is focused on bringing real-world assets onto the blockchain with a layer-1 network that scales RWAs like real estate and commodities for crypto users. The PLUME token is designed to function as the native utility token of the Plume Network, powering transaction fees, staking, governance and ecosystem incentives to support the integration of real-world assets into DeFi. Plume…

CEOs of some of the largest banks in the US are about to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as a key Senate Committee prepares to vote on major Bitcoin and crypto legislation. The Senate Banking and Agriculture Committees are preparing to vote on a digital asset market structure bill this month. And ahead of the vote, the CEOs of Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citi will meet with Senators of both parties to weigh in on the legislation, reports Punchbowl. The bill aims to establish a clear regulatory framework for digital commodities by defining their classification. The legislation…

Tether’s USDT stablecoin has been approved for broad use in Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has recognized Tether’s USDT as an Accepted Fiat-Referenced Token (AFRT) on multiple major blockchains. This allows licensed financial firms in the ADGM to use the stablecoin in regulated activities. The recognition covers Aptos, Celo, Cosmos, Kaia, Near, Polkadot, Tezos, TON and TRON networks. The move builds on prior approvals for Ethereum, Solana and Avalanche, now spanning nearly all Tether-supported blockchains. Says Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, “The UAE continues to set the global standard for digital asset regulation. This milestone highlights Tether’s dedication…

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is rolling out a pilot program that clears the way for certain digital assets including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and USD Coin (USDC) to be used as collateral in US derivatives markets. CFTC Acting Chair Caroline D. Pham says the initiative reflects growing adoption of digital assets inside regulated financial systems while keeping what she called “appropriate guardrails” in place. “Under my leadership this year, the CFTC has led the way forward into America’s Golden Age of Innovation and Crypto. This imperative has never been more important given recent customer losses on non-U.S. crypto exchanges. Americans…

A major US bank is the first in the nation to let customers buy, hold and sell bitcoin directly through its platform. PNC Bank says it’s launched the new feature for eligible PNC Private Bank clients, using Coinbase’s Crypto-as-a-Service infrastructure. This move lets high-net-worth clients trade spot bitcoin without separate exchange accounts. They access it via PNC’s Portfolio View in the online banking system. PNC aims to simplify crypto participation in a secure environment. The partnership, announced in July 2025, combines PNC’s banking expertise with Coinbase’s trading, custody, and financing tools. Clients gain oversight of all assets in one place. “As…

The crypto giant Circle has reportedly partnered with the layer-1 privacy blockchain Aleo to launch a new stablecoin that can address privacy concerns among businesses and private individuals.  The private version of the dollar-pegged stablecoin USDC aims to obscure transaction histories, reports Fortune, citing information from Aleo co-founder Howard Wu. Says Wu, “People don’t want to reveal their business revenues. They don’t want to reveal business intelligence. But the way that transparent blockchains work today unfortunately means that every time you transact, you are leaking that data.” Wu says the stablecoin called USDCx won’t be truly private. Public users who…