
Blueprint Finance has completed a strategic funding round led by Polychain Capital, with participation from BitGo, FalconX, and Bullish. The amount was not disclosed. The funds will be used to expand its Concrete on-chain vault infrastructure, which serves institutions, protocols, and asset managers, integrating execution, accounting, rebalancing, and risk controls. The company is also expanding the Concrete ecosystem through AssetCX and concUSD, aiming to reduce the operational burden of managing strategies across DeFi protocols.
hace 3 horas

Ethena has partnered with FalconX to launch a $1 billion collateralized lending facility, using USDe's reserve assets to provide overcollateralized loans to institutional borrowers. FalconX will originate and service the loans through a special purpose vehicle, with qualified custodians holding the collateral. The facility aims to bring institutional credit on-chain, but carries market, custody, operational, and counterparty risks.
hace 19 horas

Ripple has successfully raised $275 million through the issuance of senior unsecured notes by its subsidiary, Ripple Prime, to fund the expansion of its prime brokerage business in the U.S., including financing, clearing, and other financial services. The funding round attracted institutional investors and follows Ripple's entry into the space via the acquisition of Hidden Road, as well as a $200 million credit facility. Ripple Prime's president stated that this reflects investor confidence in the convergence of traditional and digital asset financial infrastructure.
hace 21 horas

This article delves into the true costs of the 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S., including annual fees, tracking error, tax treatment, and the trade-offs of self-custody. By comparing fee differences among funds like IBIT and GBTC, it highlights the long-term impact of fees compounding over time. Additionally, the article notes that institutions like Morgan Stanley and Harvard have increased their ETF holdings, indicating that institutional capital still favors ETFs as an investment vehicle. Ultimately, the article aims to help investors decide whether holding an ETF or directly holding Bitcoin is more suitable.
hace 23 horas

The US spot Bitcoin ETF market is recovering from a summer slump. Bitwise's Bitcoin ETF (BITB) saw net inflows of $16.15 million in a single day, immediately purchasing 250 BTC, bringing total holdings to 36,868 BTC and net assets to $2.38 billion. Bitwise's total AUM exceeds $15 billion. CEO Hunter Horsley expressed delight but promptly attached a prospectus and reminded of risks to comply with regulations. Meanwhile, major funds like BlackRock and Fidelity lead the recovery, with total net inflows of $189.3 million across the market's spot ETFs in a single day.
2026-08-19

Interstice Digital, in partnership with FalconX, has introduced a non-custodial cross-chain swap engine that connects Canton Network with Ethereum, Solana, and Robinhood Chain. Leveraging FalconX's liquidity, the engine enables users to swap between tokenized assets on Canton and liquidity on major public chains without Interstice holding funds. Canton Network is already used for tokenized treasuries, stablecoin settlements, and institutional collateral trading. The product has been recognized as a Featured App on Canton.
2026-08-19

In an August 2026 research report, BlackRock stated that Bitcoin's decline of over 50% from its October 2025 all-time high does not alter its long-term investment thesis. The asset manager attributes the pullback to excessive leverage, weakening institutional inflows, and a slowdown in corporate treasury purchases, viewing it as a positioning and liquidity event rather than a structural change in Bitcoin's monetary or diversification attributes. The report notes that futures open interest exceeded $90 billion, with about 80% in offshore perpetual contracts, some offering up to 125x leverage. Spot Bitcoin ETPs lost around $5 billion after previously attracting $60 billion. BlackRock's historical analysis shows that a 1-2% allocation has historically improved risk-adjusted returns for hypothetical portfolios.
2026-08-19

Citigroup has announced the launch of its Custody+ platform, with plans to offer Bitcoin custody services to institutional clients by the end of 2026. The service will integrate digital assets with traditional securities within a single custody framework, initially supporting Bitcoin. Citi's existing custody network spans over 100 markets, with annual investments exceeding $2 billion in its service platform. This move marks further entry of traditional banks into the cryptocurrency custody space.
2026-08-18

Securitize, in partnership with Neuberger, has launched a tokenized high-yield fund (HINC) that invests in high-yield bonds, CLOs, and leveraged loans. The fund's tokenized shares are issued on Avalanche, Ethereum, Solana, and Sui. Neuberger serves as sub-advisor, while Securitize affiliates handle investment advisory, distribution, tokenization, and fund administration. The fund is open to accredited investors and requires KYC and anti-money laundering checks. This marks the first time a traditional asset manager has participated in a tokenized fund, advancing the RWA tokenization trend.
2026-08-18

Google has agreed to pay $10 million for corporate data from bankrupt Spirit Airlines, including internal communications, spreadsheets, booking and frequent flyer records, and employee information, to improve its AI models. The deal requires approval from a bankruptcy judge, and AI data company Mercor had bid $7.5 million. This move reflects the growing trend of AI companies prioritizing data acquisition, following similar agreements with Reddit, Wikipedia, and others.
2026-08-18