Swiss investment bank UBS AG introduced its hybrid digital bond on Nov. 3, claiming to be the world's first publicly traded and settled on both blockchain-based and traditional exchanges. According to the bank, the digital bond has the same instrument structure, legal status and rating as a traditional UBS AG senior unsecured note. In its statement, the bank said: "Through this bond, UBS enables investors, regardless of whether they have the blockchain infrastructure, to invest in a digital bond. This removes a hurdle on the way to adopt new disruptive technology that can make issuing bonds faster, more efficient and …

Goldman Sachs, MSCI, and Coin Metrics announced Nov. 3 that they have devised a digital assets classification system to increase the transparency of market movements and help market participants analyze the digital assets ecosystem. The new system is called datonomy and is available by subscription from the three companies. The new taxonomy divides digital assets world into classes, sectors and subsectors according to their use to make it possible to view those assets in a more granular way, a Goldman Sachs spokesperson told CNBC. The system is intended to provide a consistent view of the market, screen assets using different …

An app that cuts out middlemen and mediators to put the power of personal finance in your hands has unveiled a major upgrade. Blockbank says the plethora of improvements and new features coming with V3 will be hugely beneficial to crypto newcomers, as well as experienced investors. An upgraded user interface delivers an easy, elegant and clean way of accessing centralized finance, decentralized finance and neobanking services in one place. Know Your Customer (KYC) checks are also being sped up, and support for driving licenses means it'll be even faster than ever. The on and offramp that links fiat and …

During the frenzied bull run, transaction fees were running rampant. Over on the Ethereum blockchain, they hit eye-watering highs of $196.638 back in May — rendering the network unusable for most everyday consumers. The Bitcoin blockchain suffered from a similar issue the year before, accelerating to a record-breaking $300.331. When demand is high, it's easy for Proof-of-Work networks to get congested — prompting miners to prioritize the transactions with the highest fees. Here's the problem: high fees undercut one of crypto's most potent use cases — a decentralized way of offering peer-to-peer transfers. If sending funds from A to B …

Prometheum Ember ATS announced the launch of its alternative trading system (ATS) on Oct. 26. The new ATS is registered by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Prometheum Ember ATS will offer digital asset securities trading, clearing, settlement and custody. The new ATS has partnered with Anchorage Digital Bank to help it provide its service, which is meant to “seamlessly integrate with legacy securities trading systems.” The ATS promised that it “enables institutions to trade digital asset securities under Federal Securities Laws.” It will initially support digital assets …

Anticipation of the next Bitcoin (BTC) halving will be the main catalyst to spark a crypto rally as soon as the second quarter of 2023, according to hedge fund manager Mark Yusko. The halving mechanism, which reduces the Bitcoin block rewards by half every four years, has historically been a major catalyst for crypto rallies. The next halving is expected to occur in early 2024. “Usually the market will anticipate that by about nine months,” Yusko said in a recent interview with Cointelegraph. According to the hedge fund manager, the halving will propel Bitcoin to $100,000 "by the laws of …

1. Hello! So you've launched The List and you're now working on Klubcoin. Can you tell us about these two projects? If we are going to use the language of music, The List would be the prelude to Klubcoin. The List is an NFT collection that serves as a bridge between IRL events, the Web3 world and Klubcoin — which is the first global cryptocurrency for all clubbers, festival goers and electronic music fans. These nonfungible tokens will serve as an entry ticket to two festivals per year organized by Klubcoin and The List. Not only that, owners will have …

Rishi Sunak is set to become prime minister of the United Kingdom within days. Sunak was defeated for the top government post by Liz Truss on Sept. 5, but she resigned after 45 days in office. Indications so far are that his selection for the office is good news for the crypto industry. Sunak was chancellor of the exchequer, or head of the treasury, from early 2020 to July 5, when he resigned during a scandal that shook Boris Johnson’s government. In that time, Sunak repeatedly voiced his support for crypto. Speaking in April about proposed regulatory reform related to …

South Korea’s financial watchdog, The Financial Service Commission (FSC), would monitor crypto whales with assets of over 100 million won ($70,000) to prevent money laundering efforts using digital assets. The FSC noted that the greater the proportion of virtual assets and stablecoins, the higher the money laundering risk. Thus, special focus should be placed on monitoring crypto whales with significant digital asset and stablecoin holdings under the new anti-money laundering guidelines, reported local media. The report also drew attention to the use of stablecoins in money laundering and noted that stablecoins, especially those that are commonly used by the public, …

The take-off of digital gold has the potential to disrupt the industry to an unprecedented degree. Historically, gold has been used as a global currency as a hedge against inflation. It has also been serving as an investment venue (commodities), often preferred over other asset classes like equities or foreign exchange, particularly in conventional markets. However, there are certain disadvantages to owning physical gold, such as inconvenience in transport and storage, as well as the risk of theft. Gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) might come across as an alternative option, but it cannot be forgotten that the traders don’t actually own …

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), South Africa’s financial regulator, published a notice Oct. 19 indicating that the country’s 2002 Financial Advisory and Financial Intermediary Services Act (FAIS) has been updated to include a definition of crypto assets. A decision of this type has been expected for several months. It brings crypto assets under regulation in South Africa for the first time. The FSCA notice, which went into force on publication in the state Green Gazette, states that a crypto assets is “a digital representation of value” that can be electronically traded, transferred and stored but is not issued by …

The Law Commission of England and Wales hopes to establish the United Kingdom as a leading jurisdiction to grapple with legal disputes involving emerging technologies like cryptocurrencies, digital assets and electronic documentation. The project, dubbed "Digital Assets: Which Law, Which Court?" was announced on Oct. 18 with the aim of reviewing international legal challenges involving cryptocurrencies and providing recommendations for legal reform in the United Kingdom. Cointelegraph reached out to Professor Sarah Green, law commissioner for commercial and common law, to unpack the driving force behind the authority's latest law reform project. The U.K.’s legal review body has previously conducted …