Key takeaways Iran’s 2025 currency collapse sharply reduced the rial’s purchasing power, eroding household savings, pushing prices higher and weakening confidence in the banking system. As fiat stress intensified, public debate in Iran widened to include financial alternatives. Bitcoin entered these discussions largely because it operates outside domestic monetary and banking frameworks. Historical cases from…
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Is the “crypto treasury” strategy a double-edged sword for investors? Not long ago, companies marketed crypto-treasury stocks as a straightforward investment. They purchased shares to gain exposure to Bitcoin (BTC) or other digital assets while benefiting from the liquidity and regulatory oversight of public markets. In rising markets, this approach was effective. Shares of companies…
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Key takeaways In 2025, oil-linked capital from the Gulf, including sovereign wealth funds, family offices and private banking networks, has emerged as a significant influence on Bitcoin’s liquidity dynamics. These investors are entering Bitcoin primarily through regulated channels, including spot ETFs. Abu Dhabi has become a focal point for this shift, supported by large pools…
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Michael Saylor’s pitch to integrate Bitcoin reserves into regulated banking Michael Saylor, executive chair of Strategy, has suggested that national governments consider developing a novel type of financial system: regulated digital banking platforms backed by Bitcoin reserves and tokenized credit tools. These comments, shared during Saylor’s keynote at the Bitcoin MENA conference in Abu Dhabi,…
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Key takeaways Vanguard’s decision to open access to spot crypto ETFs marks a major shift from its earlier anti-crypto stance and gives more than 50 million clients a regulated path to gain exposure to digital assets. The firm will allow trading of approved third-party ETFs tied to BTC, ETH, XRP and SOL while avoiding memecoins…
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Introduction of stricter rules for crypto exchanges in Japan Japan is in the process of introducing significant changes to cryptocurrency regulation following renewed attention to Mt. Gox-related repayment activity in 2024. The Financial Services Agency (FSA) plans to introduce new rules requiring cryptocurrency exchanges to maintain special “liability reserves” to protect customers if their assets…
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Key takeaways The halving-driven Bitcoin pricing pattern that shaped Bitcoin’s early history is losing power. As more BTC enters circulation, each halving has a smaller relative impact. According to Grayscale, today’s Bitcoin market is shaped more by institutional capital than the retail speculation that defined earlier cycles. Unlike the explosive rallies of 2013 and 2017,…
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Key takeaways MAS has expanded Ripple’s MPI license, allowing the company to offer a much wider range of regulated payment services and marking a notable regulatory milestone for the company’s operations in Singapore. Ripple first secured a full MPI license in 2023, enabling digital payment token services but limiting comprehensive end-to-end payment capabilities until the…
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Key takeaways Texas became the first US state to add Bitcoin exposure to a state-managed investment portfolio by purchasing about $5 million of BlackRock’s IBIT ETF through its newly created Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. SB 21 shifted Texas from a crypto mining hub to an active digital asset investor. The bill authorizes the state comptroller…
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From dominance to ban: The 2021 crackdown Before 2021, China controlled a large share of global Bitcoin (BTC) mining. Data from the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index shows that Chinese miners produced about 65% of the world’s Bitcoin computing power in 2020. In 2021, the Chinese government moved to stop mining activity. Authorities cited concerns…
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