Tag Archives: Blockchain/Bitcoin

Ten newly launched US spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) broke their daily volume records on February 28, 2024, totaling nearly US$7.7 billion worth of assets being traded on that day alone, data shared on X by James Seyffart, an ETF analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, reveal. The figure represents a staggering 63.8% increase from their previous peak of US$4.7 billion from their first day of trading on January 11, 2024, and demonstrates booming interest from...

UBS has launched Hong Kong’s first investment-grade tokenised warrant, leveraging the Ethereum public blockchain. This product is part of the bank’s UBS Tokenise initiative, aimed at advancing its in-house tokenisation services. The product is a call warrant with Xiaomi Corporation as the underlying stock. The tokenised warrant is also reportedly the first natively issued warrant on a public blockchain that was sold to OSL Digital Securities Limited, a licensed...

Project Tourbillon, an initiative led by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub Swiss Centre and supported by the Swiss National Bank (SNB), explored the feasibility of a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC), finding that it is possible to implement a CBDC design that provides anonymity to the payer and which is scalable and secure. In a new report released in November 2023, BIS shares details of the project, outlining findings of their...

Miles & More, the loyalty program of the Lufthansa Group, has partnered with blockchain-based B2B marketplace qiibee to allow small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) to join the program easily. The key highlight of this collaboration is the integration of blockchain technology, which simplifies the onboarding process for SMEs while ensuring the secure and efficient management of loyalty rewards. qiibee’s blockchain-based marketplace offers instant, cost-effective...

Robinhood is set to make a significant stride in the European Union by launching the Robinhood Crypto app for all eligible customers in the region. The company claims that the app is the only custodial crypto platform in the EU where customers can earn a portion of their trading volume back every month in Bitcoin (BTC). In an effort to drive new users, Robinhood Crypto is offering a unique opportunity for both new and existing customers. New customers are eligible to...

End of November Societe Generale issued its first digital green bond as a Security Token directly registered by SG-FORGE on the Ethereum public blockchain with increased transparency and traceability on ESG data.  Security tokens have been fully subscribed AXA Investment Managers and Generali Investments, through a private placement. This transaction is the first digital green bond issued by Societe Generale to leverage blockchain’s differentiating functionalities....

The Swiss city of Lugano announced that it has broadened its payment options by including cryptocurrencies for the payment of tax invoices and all other community fees. Lugano will accept Bitcoin (BTC) and Tether (USDT) as a means of payment through a simple and fully automated process. The new payment option introduced by the City of Lugano marks a modern shift in how people handle city-related expenses. Citizens and companies alike may now use Bitcoin (BTC) and...

On 1 December 2023, the Swiss National Bank – together with five Swiss and one German commercial bank – started a pilot project with central bank digital currency for financial institutions (wholesale central bank digital currency) on the regulated platform of SIX Digital Exchange (SDX). With this pilot, called Helvetia Phase III, the SNB will for the first time issue real wholesale CBDC in Swiss francs on a financial market infrastructure based on distributed ledger...

Deutschland’s DZ BANK hat eine neue Plattform für die Abwicklung und Verwahrung digitaler Finanzinstrumente in Betrieb genommen. Damit gehört das genossenschaftliche Institut zu den ersten Kreditinstituten, die auf Basis der Blockchain-Technologie ein solches Angebot für institutionelle Kunden auf den Weg gebracht haben. Die DZ BANK ist mit einem Volumen von über 300 Mrd. EUR nach BNP Paribas und State Street die drittgrößte Verwahrstelle in Deutschland, unter den...

On 1 December 2023, the Swiss National Bank – together with six commercial banks – will start a pilot project with central bank digital currency for financial institutions (wholesale CBDC) on the regulated platform of SIX Digital Exchange (SDX). With this pilot, called Helvetia Phase III, the SNB will for the first time issue real wholesale CBDC in Swiss francs on a financial market infrastructure based on distributed ledger technology (DLT). The SNB is thus moving...