Crypto exchange and block explorer Blockchain.com has begun talking with United States banks to explore how it may hold an initial public offering (IPO) as soon as this year. Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that sources familiar with the situation said that the talks were merely preliminary conversations and that the tech startup’s plans could change at any time. If it succeeds in going public with an IPO, it would be only the second crypto exchange in the U.S. to pull off the feat. Coinbase was the first to go public in 2021 at an opening price of $381 per share …

In an interview with Cointelegraph reporter Joe Hall last Tuesday, David Olsson, global head of institutional distribution at BlockFi, shared his insight on the state of institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies. BlockFi is a financial services company that offers retail wealth management products, such as crypto-backed loans, interest accounts, Bitcoin (BTC) rewards credit cards, etc. Meanwhile, for institutional investors, BlockFi's proprietary platform provides financing for capital efficiency, the ability to borrow coins for hedging and shorting, and institutional-grade trading infrastructure. When asked about any exciting trends among institutional clients adopting crypto, Olsson told Cointelegraph, "Out of the 80% of Top 50 …

The Bank for International Settlements, or BIS, released a paper Tuesday on central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs, and how they can be used to meet policy goals for financial inclusion. The paper drew on interviews conducted in the second half of last year at nine central banks that are currently exploring retail CBDCs. It looked common goals across a range of economic development levels and challenges to inclusion. The paper identified two distinct approaches to CBDC. Some central banks saw digital currency as a catalyst for innovation and development, while others expected it to serve as a complement to …

Institutional investors rejoice, there is one more way to gain exposure to Bitcoin (BTC). The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced overnight the approval of a fourth Bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund (ETF). Fund group Teucrium is behind the most recently approved Bitcoin Futures ETF. The ETF joins a growing number of approved futures ETFs, complementing ProShares, Valkyrie, and VanEck Bitcoin Futures ETFs. Every Bitcoin spot ETF has been rejected to date, however, for one invested observer, the way in which the approval was made could be a boon for expectant spot investors. The plot thickens on the path …

In his monthly crypto tech column, Israeli serial entrepreneur Ariel Shapira covers emerging technologies within the crypto, decentralized finance and blockchain space, as well as their roles in shaping the economy of the 21st century. Traditional finance experts are warming up to the idea of crypto, but outlandish headlines of record-breaking hacks and overhyped projects don’t necessarily reverse its bad rap. Unfortunately, we’ve seen the total value locked in decentralized finance (DeFi) recently nosedive, which isn’t exactly helpful in changing skeptic’s minds. While crypto is much more than its lows, those in the centralized finance (CeFi) space aren’t necessarily jumping …

Georgia, the country on the Black Sea, is preparing to regulate its cryptocurrency market. National Bank of Georgia Governor Koba Gvenetadze told The Financial on Monday that the central bank has already developed draft regulatory legislation in accordance with the requirements of international agencies. Gvenetadze said the size of the Georgian crypto market is unknown, due to the lack of regulation. However an estimate by Moneyval, the Council of Europe money laundering monitoring body, placed its monthly transaction volume at between 3.5 million and 5 million Georgian lari, or $1.09 million to $1.64 million USD, monthly as of September 2020. …

Despite the financial volatility that has engulfed the global economic landscape over the last month or so, there seems to be no stopping the growth of the cryptocurrency market, especially the nonfungible token (NFT) sector. This growth is highlighted by the fact that crypto’s total market capitalization has increased from around $800 billion to $1.8 trillion since the start of 2021. Furthermore, a report from NonFungible.com released late last month reveals that sales associated with the NFT market ballooned to hit an all-time high of $17.6 billion during 2021, representing an increase of 21,000% from 2020. The report further suggests …

Ever since its inception and throughout its turbulent journey toward mainstream acceptance, crypto has elicited both enthusiasm and trepidation in equal measure. After the unfair battering it has received over the years, the time has come to defend digital currencies. Unfortunately for crypto, first impressions count. Bitcoin (BTC) initially gained a tawdry reputation in its early years as the currency of choice for illicit activities — favored by dark web users, ransomware hackers, drug traffickers and money launderers worldwide. But, the world has changed since the first Bitcoin was mined in January 2009. There are now more than 18 million …

Data shows that Millennials in the United States are flocking to alternative financing methods such as crypto assets to boost their financial well-being. A report titled The State of Consumer Banking & Payments by Morning Consult in January found that Millennials are adopting new technologies to help them make financial decisions at a higher rate than any other generation. The author of the report, financial services analyst Charlotte Principato, combined data from 50,000 different respondents to monthly surveys conducted in the U.S. and internationally from July to December 2021. Principato stated in email comments to Cointelegraph today that the increase …

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the top financial authority in the United Kingdom, has raised concerns over Binance’s recent partnership with Paysafe, a retail payment processor. The U.K. financial watchdog said the latest partnership of Binance gives it access to the extensive retail payment network via Faster Payment Services (FPS), a critical service that was discontinued for the crypto exchange citing regulatory concerns. FCA had ordered Binance to halt all its services in June. Prominent banks like Barclays have withdrawn their support to the exchange, resulting in the suspension of banking services. Binance managed to facilitate its consumers with Sterling …

On Monday, VanEck, a financial institution with close to $82 billion in assets under management with exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, mutual funds, and institutional accounts, announced the launch of its first cryptocurrency fund. The fund is listed as an exchange-traded note, or ETN, on the Deutsche Borse Xetra and SIX Swiss Exchanges with exposure to Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Polkadot (DOT), Solana (SOL), Tron, Avalanche (AVAX), and Polygon (MATIC). Gijs Koning, co-head of VanEck Europe, elaborated on why it was important for the firm to facilitate investment in digital currencies: In early 2017, we determined that digital assets could provide …

Digital asset custody platform Fireblocks has raised $550 million in Series E funding to become one of the blockchain industry’s most valuable companies, underscoring heightened institutional appetite for cryptocurrency products despite extreme price volatility. The investment round was co-led by venture firms D1 Capital Partners and Spark Capital, with participation from Parafi Growth Fund, Canapi Ventures, Altimeter, General Atlantic, Index Ventures, Mammoth, CapitalG and Iconiq Strategic Partners. Since launching in 2019, Fireblocks has raised a cumulative $799 million from some of blockchain’s leading venture firms. As Cointelegraph reported, the company secured $310 million in a Series D funding round that …