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Tether has introduced Scudo, a new unit of account equal to one-thousandth of a troy ounce of gold, designed to make gold-backed digital transactions more accessible and practical. Scudo represents a fractional portion of Tether’s XAUT token, which is backed by more than 1,300 physical gold bars and has a market capitalization of about $2.3 billion. By further subdividing XAUT, Tether aims to reduce long-standing barriers to gold ownership such as divisibility, custody and ease of transfer, especially for smaller onchain transactions.
The launch comes amid a strong surge in institutional and central bank demand for gold, following a year in which bullion prices climbed sharply alongside broader gains in precious metals. Tether positions Scudo as a way to move gold beyond its traditional role as a passive store of value and into more active use on digital financial rails. The move also reflects a wider trend of renewed interest in gold as Bitcoin underperformed during periods of market stress, highlighting a shift in investor behaviour toward assets perceived as more stable during inflationary and deleveraging cycles. Source
Morgan Stanley has filed S-1 registration statements for spot Bitcoin and Solana exchange-traded funds, marking another step in Wall Street’s expanding embrace of crypto investment products. The proposed funds are designed as passive vehicles that track the prices of Bitcoin and Solana, though key details such as custodians, crypto counterparties, and specific fee levels have not yet been disclosed. Unlike some competing products, Morgan Stanley is launching the trusts directly under its own brand rather than through a joint venture or white-label arrangement.
The filings come as Bitcoin ETFs continue to attract significant capital, with total assets under management reaching about $119 billion, led by BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust. Solana-based ETFs, while newer, have rapidly formed a growing category since their U.S. debut in late 2025. The registrations also coincide with renewed momentum in crypto markets, with Bitcoin trading near recent highs and Solana posting stronger short-term gains, reflecting increasing institutional participation and investor interest in regulated digital asset exposure. Source
A proposed US digital asset market structure bill may face delays until at least 2027 as political dynamics ahead of the 2026 midterm elections threaten to slow progress in the Senate. According to analysis from TD Cowen, Democratic lawmakers may be reluctant to support the legislation before the elections due to uncertainty over future control of Congress and concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The bill, known as the CLARITY Act in the House and advancing in the Senate under the Responsible Financial Innovation Act framework, could be stalled until after voters determine the next balance of power, increasing the likelihood of passage in a later congressional session.
The legislation includes provisions aimed at addressing conflicts of interest, potentially restricting senior government officials and the president’s family from holding or participating in cryptocurrency-related businesses. These safeguards have become a focal point as Democrats scrutinize President Donald Trump’s ties to the crypto industry, including associations with digital asset ventures and policy decisions affecting major industry figures. If eventually enacted, the bill would shift primary oversight of digital assets to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, reducing the Securities and Exchange Commission’s role, with final implementation potentially not taking effect until 2029 depending on the political outcome and timing of congressional approval. Source
Arthur Hayes argues that privacy-focused cryptocurrencies are set to become the next dominant theme in crypto markets, building on Bitcoin’s growing institutional acceptance. He has disclosed that his family office, Maelstrom, has accumulated a large position in Zcash, which he views as an underappreciated asset positioned to benefit from rising state surveillance, sanctions enforcement, and restrictions on capital flows. Hayes frames privacy not as a niche use case but as a natural extension of the same macro forces that have historically supported Bitcoin, particularly expanding dollar liquidity and accommodative credit conditions.
Hayes links this thesis to US political incentives that favour ongoing credit expansion while attempting to suppress energy prices to avoid voter backlash, especially around gasoline costs. He argues that efforts to manage inflation through energy policy allow liquidity to continue flowing into risk assets, supporting crypto markets broadly while increasing demand for assets that offer stronger anonymity than Bitcoin. While acknowledging that privacy coins remain exposed to broader fiat liquidity cycles, Hayes believes Zcash can outperform within the sector as concerns over financial surveillance intensify, positioning it as a monetary privacy alternative closer to physical cash in function. Source
MSCI decided to keep digital asset treasury companies in its global indexes after receiving investor feedback and determining that more analysis is needed before changing its approach. The decision supports companies whose balance sheets are heavily weighted toward digital assets, preserving their eligibility for passive index funds and maintaining liquidity and institutional exposure. The move was welcomed by the market, with shares of Strategy rising after the announcement, reflecting relief that a potential removal from major indexes was avoided.
MSCI said it will conduct broader consultations to better distinguish between operating companies and those whose primary activity resembles investment management, particularly where digital assets account for at least half of total assets. Crypto treasury strategies expanded rapidly through 2024 and 2025, though questions about long-term sustainability led to volatility in share prices later in 2025. More than 190 public companies now hold Bitcoin, and many others have added Ether, Solana, and other digital assets to their treasuries, underscoring the growing institutional presence of crypto despite ongoing scrutiny. Source
Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott has scheduled a committee vote next week on the Senate’s crypto market structure bill, even though major disagreements between Democrats and Republicans remain unresolved. The bill is intended to establish a regulatory framework for much of the U.S. crypto industry and has been the subject of months of bipartisan negotiations, heavy lobbying, and repeated missed deadlines. Scott said moving forward with a vote is necessary to put lawmakers on record, but it remains unclear whether enough committee members are ready to support the legislation in its current form.
Crypto advocates and lobbyists have expressed concern that pushing ahead with a markup vote could severely weaken the bill’s chances of passing this year. Key unresolved issues include ethics rules governing crypto involvement by public officials, stablecoin yield provisions sought by banks, requirements for bipartisan regulator quorums, and protections for decentralized finance software developers. Negotiators from both parties and the White House continue discussions, but the existence of a so-called final Republican offer with major open questions has fuelled pessimism among industry observers about securing a bipartisan outcome. Source
US community banks are urging Congress to amend the GENIUS Act to prevent what they describe as a loophole that allows stablecoin holders to earn yield through third-party platforms such as crypto exchanges. The Community Bankers Council, representing more than 200 community bank leaders, sent a letter to the Senate arguing that while the law bars stablecoin issuers from paying interest directly, exchanges and affiliated partners are effectively bypassing this restriction by offering rewards to users who hold stablecoins. The group says this practice places stablecoins in direct competition with bank savings accounts, undermining the intent of the legislation.
The council warned that continued growth of yield-generating stablecoins could divert deposits away from community banks, reducing their capacity to lend to small businesses, farmers, students, and homebuyers. It called on lawmakers to explicitly prohibit affiliates and partners of stablecoin issuers from offering interest as part of broader crypto market structure legislation now moving through Congress. Banking groups including the Banking Policy Institute have echoed these concerns, while crypto advocacy organizations have pushed back, arguing that payment stablecoins are not used for lending and that further restrictions would harm innovation and consumer choice. Source
Veretekk played a foundational role in early digital marketing by providing powerful, easy-to-use tools that enabled entrepreneurs to generate massive volumes of legitimate online leads and build successful businesses during the 1990s. Its technology reshaped expectations around automation, traffic generation, and online publishing, leaving a lasting impression on those who experienced its impact. Markethive positions itself as the natural successor to that legacy, aiming not just to recreate Veretekk’s capabilities but to dramatically expand them to meet the demands of today’s more complex digital environment, while staying true to the same principles of innovation, accessibility, and empowerment.
Markethive’s modern vision centers on building an integrated, decentralized ecosystem that prioritizes real customer acquisition, sustainable revenue, privacy, and digital independence. Through initiatives such as Supergroups, promo and vanity codes, the Hive Press publishing network, decentralized broadcasting systems, and a blockchain-based marketplace powered by Hivecoin, the platform seeks to equip entrepreneurs with tools that go far beyond lead generation. Under the leadership of Thomas Prendergast, whose earlier innovations shaped autoresponders, publishing systems, and anti-spam practices, Markethive is designed to withstand censorship, protect user autonomy, and foster long-term growth, with plans to reward committed members as the ecosystem scales globally. Source
MSCI has decided not to alter how it classifies companies with significant digital asset holdings in its February 2026 index review, following feedback from institutional investors. The review focused on digital asset treasury companies, whose balance sheets are heavily weighted toward assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Investors raised concerns that some of these firms resemble investment vehicles rather than operating businesses, which could make them ineligible under existing index rules. MSCI acknowledged these concerns but opted to maintain the current approach while continuing to evaluate whether such companies meet the definition of operating firms or should be treated differently in global equity benchmarks.
The deferral means crypto-focused companies already included in MSCI indexes will remain eligible for now, easing fears of forced selling tied to index changes. The decision was welcomed by Strategy, a pioneer of the crypto treasury model, which said the outcome supports neutral indexing. The announcement also had an immediate market impact, with Strategy shares rising after hours. The broader context reflects a shift from rapid corporate adoption of crypto treasuries toward reassessment, as volatility and sustainability questions prompt regulators, index providers, and investors to reconsider whether these firms represent a durable corporate structure or a temporary market trend. Source
The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act is set to move to a Senate markup next week, according to Senator Tim Scott, marking a key step toward establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto market structure in the United States. The bill, which has been under committee review for more than six months, was previously approved by the House of Representatives in July 2025. If the Senate passes the legislation without amendments, it would advance directly to President Donald Trump for final approval. The effort follows earlier signals from the White House that the bill was on track for Senate consideration in January, reflecting growing momentum behind formalizing rules for the digital asset industry.
Despite progress, divisions remain within the industry and among lawmakers over unresolved provisions. Some crypto executives believe a deal is likely, though concerns persist around illicit finance and enforcement authority. Others are less confident, noting that bipartisan agreement remains uncertain as Democrats push for changes related to sanctions compliance for DeFi interfaces and expanded powers for the Treasury Department to act against illicit actors. Ongoing delays have been cited as a factor contributing to recent crypto market volatility, with significant investment outflows attributed in part to regulatory uncertainty, even as industry leaders acknowledge the bill’s foundational importance to long-term market growth. Source
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI has closed an upsized $20 billion Series E funding round, surpassing its original $15 billion target, with participation from major investors including Nvidia, Cisco Investments, Valor Equity Partners, Stepstone Group, Fidelity, and the Qatar Investment Authority. The funding will accelerate the expansion of xAI’s GPU infrastructure, which now totals over one million H100 equivalents across its Colossus I and II data centers, and support the development of consumer and enterprise applications using its Grok AI models and Grok Imagine creative tools. The round reflects strong investor confidence in xAI’s potential to compete with other AI providers and leverage data from the X platform for model training.
The funding comes amid growing international scrutiny of Grok’s content moderation practices, particularly its ability to generate non-consensual deepfakes and sexualized images of minors. The European Commission has condemned Grok’s so-called "Spicy Mode" as illegal, while authorities in France, the UK, India, and Malaysia have opened separate investigations. Despite these concerns, xAI has emphasized a maximalist free-speech approach, focusing on scaling model capability rather than formal compliance with AI standards, raising questions about oversight and regulatory alignment as the company rapidly expands its operations. Source
Ethereum has increased its blob limit from 15 to 21 with the second Blob Parameter-Only hard fork, enhancing scalability by allowing more transactions to be batched via rollups. The blob target was also raised from 10 to 14, which is considered a key metric since reaching the 21-blob limit could strain node bandwidth and storage. Each blob holds 128 kilobytes of data, allowing Ethereum to store up to 2,688 KB in a single block. These changes are part of a series of improvements aimed at scaling the Ethereum network in 2026 and stabilizing transaction throughput.
The higher blob limit also helps keep Ethereum’s mainnet more stable, reducing congestion and contributing to steadier gas fees since the first BPO hard fork in December 2025. Developers are considering raising the network gas limit from 60 million to 80 million to further increase transaction and smart contract capacity per block. Looking ahead, the Glamsterdam hard fork later in 2026 will enable the gas limit to reach 200 million and implement perfect parallel processing through Block Access Lists, transforming Ethereum’s transaction processing into a multi-lane system and boosting overall network throughput. Source
US spot Bitcoin ETFs have opened 2026 with exceptionally strong inflows, attracting over $1.2 billion in just the first two trading days. Analysts suggest that if this momentum continues, annual inflows could reach $150 billion, roughly six times the total inflows seen in 2025. Nearly all funds experienced inflows during this period, with the WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund being a notable exception. This surge coincides with Bitcoin prices stabilizing above $90,000 following volatility at the end of 2025, highlighting growing investor appetite for ETF-based exposure to Bitcoin.
The strong inflows underscore a broader trend of ETFs steadily absorbing circulating Bitcoin supply, potentially indicating a lasting demand shift rather than short-term speculation. Despite momentum slowing on the second day due to anticipated outflows from the Fidelity fund, institutional interest remains high, with Morgan Stanley filing to launch Bitcoin and Solana ETFs, joining major players like BlackRock and Fidelity. These new offerings are designed to track Bitcoin’s spot price without leverage or derivatives, reflecting an increasingly mainstream adoption of crypto ETFs in traditional finance. Source
Ethereum has increased its blob target to 14 and the blob limit to 21 in the second scheduled Blob Parameter-Only fork, boosting the network’s ability to handle Layer 2 rollup data. This change allows more transaction batches to be processed without approaching capacity limits, providing headroom for rising rollup activity from platforms like Base, Optimism, Arbitrum, and Mantle. On-chain data shows that even with steadily increasing usage, average blob consumption remains well below the network’s maximum capacity, indicating that Ethereum can scale incrementally by tuning data availability rather than relying on major protocol upgrades.
The update highlights Ethereum’s transition toward parametric scalability, where throughput can be adjusted by changing network parameters instead of overhauling procedures. This approach provides smoother rollup fee dynamics, greater data headroom, and operational flexibility, reducing the risk of chaotic fee spikes or batch delays. Observers note that Ethereum’s modular architecture allows data availability to function as a controllable resource, enabling the network to expand with demand while maintaining decentralization and coordination stability. These incremental changes reflect a larger strategy for managing near-term scaling pressures while positioning Ethereum for long-term growth. Source
Crypto adoption could accelerate as wealth shifts from older, crypto-averse generations to younger, tech-savvy heirs, according to Galaxy Digital executive Zac Prince. He suggested that as baby boomers pass down their assets, the preferences of younger generations—who are more inclined to invest in non-traditional assets such as cryptocurrencies—will increasingly influence market trends. UBS data shows Americans hold $163 trillion in wealth, with baby boomers controlling over half, highlighting the potential scale of this generational transfer. Coinbase research indicates that around 25% of younger investors already hold crypto or other non-traditional assets, compared with just 8% of older investors.
Younger generations’ comfort with technology and intuitive trading platforms could further drive crypto adoption as they inherit wealth. Prince noted that modern apps allow near-instant access to multiple investment products, contrasting sharply with the slower, traditional broker-based approach. While younger investors are expected to lead adoption, older generations may also be warming up to crypto, with surveys showing growing openness and ownership among Australians over 60. These trends suggest that both inheritance and technological familiarity may combine to increase crypto’s mainstream presence in the coming years. Source
Cybercriminals have launched a targeted phishing campaign against Ledger users after a data breach at its e-commerce partner, Global-e, exposed customer information including names, emails, phone numbers, and order details. The scammers sent emails falsely claiming that Ledger and Trezor had merged, instructing recipients to “migrate” their wallets by entering their 24-word recovery phrases on a fake website. The personalized nature of the messages, made possible by the leaked data, makes them particularly convincing and difficult for users to dismiss. Global-e has initiated an internal investigation and is working with cybersecurity experts to assess the breach, while Ledger has notified data protection authorities and is cooperating with law enforcement.
This incident is the latest in a series of security challenges for Ledger. Previous breaches in 2020 exposed the personal information of hundreds of thousands of customers due to e-commerce database access and a rogue employee at Shopify. The company has also faced a theft of approximately $600,000 in cryptocurrency after a wallet drainer was inserted into a shared library for decentralized applications. The recurring nature of these incidents underscores ongoing risks for Ledger users, particularly regarding phishing campaigns exploiting personal data from third-party breaches. Source
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
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