SFC Expands Leverage Rules for Hong Kong Crypto Firms

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission said Wednesday it will allow licensed brokers to provide virtual asset margin financing and outlined a framework for trading platforms to offer perpetual contracts to professional investors. Under the new guidance, brokers may extend virtual asset financing to securities margin clients with sufficient collateral and strong credit profiles. Initially,…

Ethereum Whales Accumulate Aggressively as ETH Price Drops Below $2K

Ethereum accumulation addresses have witnessed a surge in daily inflows since Friday, suggesting growing confidence in Ether’s (ETH) long-term price trajectory despite its latest drop below $2,000. Key takeaways: Ether’s drop below $2,000 has left 58% of addresses with unrealized losses. Accumulation addresses have absorbed about $2.6 billion in ETH over five days. Key Ether…

Ethereum Whales Accumulate Aggressively as ETH Price Drops Below $2K

Ethereum accumulation addresses have witnessed a surge in daily inflows since Friday, suggesting growing confidence in Ether’s (ETH) long-term price trajectory despite its latest drop below $2,000. Key takeaways: Ether’s drop below $2,000 has left 58% of addresses with unrealized losses. Accumulation addresses have absorbed about $2.6 billion in ETH over five days. Key Ether…

Spot Bitcoin ETFs Post $166M Inflows Despite Market Dip

US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) extended their inflow streak to three sessions, with this week’s gains nearly offsetting last week’s outflows. Spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs recorded $166.6 million in inflows on Tuesday, bringing total inflows this week to $311.6 million, according to data from SoSoValue. Last week, the funds saw net outflows of $318…

Spark Launches Institutional Lending Suite to Channel DeFi Stablecoins

Spark announced the launch of Spark Prime and Spark Institutional Lending on Wednesday to channel more of its decentralized finance (DeFi) stablecoin reserves into institutional credit markets. Spark, a decentralized asset allocator whose core contributor, Phoenix Labs, previously helped design MakerDAO’s stablecoin and risk architecture, said its new suite is meant to let borrowers tap…

Vitalik Buterin Has Detailed Key Areas AI And Ethereum Can Help Society

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s latest vision for Ethereum’s intersection with artificial intelligence sees the two working together to improve markets, financial safety and human agency.   In an X post on Monday, Buterin said his broader vision for the future of artificial intelligence (AI) sees humans being empowered by AI, rather than replaced, though he said…

No Stablecoin Bill Deal at 2nd Crypto, Banks White House Meet

A White House-brokered meeting between crypto and bank representatives to reach an agreement on stablecoin provisions in the market structure bill has been described as “productive,” but remains unresolved.  “Productive session at the White House today — compromise is in the air,” Ripple legal chief Stuart Alderoty, one of the meeting’s attendees, posted to X…

Bitcoin Top Traders Hold Tight Despite 14% Price Recovery

Key takeaways: The Bitcoin long-to-short indicator at Binance hit a 30-day low, signaling a sharp decline in bullish leverage demand. US-listed Bitcoin exchange-traded funds reversed a negative trend with $516 million in net inflows following a period of heavy liquidations. Bitcoin (BTC) has fluctuated within a tight 8% range over the last four days, consolidating…

Hong Kong working to allow perpetual contracts, chief regulator says

HONG KONG — Financial regulators in Hong Kong are going to unveil a framework for trading platforms to offer perpetual contracts, the head of the region’s Securities and Futures Commission said Wednesday. Brokers in Hong Kong will soon be able to provide financing to clients backed by bitcoin BTC$67,625.77 and ether ETH$1,977.26 and platforms will…

Crypto Miner Canaan Shares Sink 7% Despite Strong Q4

Crypto miner and manufacturer Canaan fell 6.9% on the Nasdaq on Tuesday despite reporting a 121.1% year-on-year increase in revenue to $196.3 million in the fourth quarter, driven by an increase in hardware sales and stronger mining performance. Canaan reported that its Bitcoin (BTC) mining revenue rose 98.5% year-on-year to $30.4 million, helping boost its…