Tag: Bank

Basel Reform May Bring Wave of Fresh Bank Capital to BTC — Analyst

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The Basel III rules, which govern bank capital requirements, are set to be updated in 2026, and if Bitcoin (BTC) receives a lower risk rating in the revised rules, it could potentially trigger a “huge” influx of liquidity into BTC, according to market analyst Nic Puckrin. Under the current Basel rules, BTC and similar digital assets are given a 1,250% risk weight, meaning banks must hold reserve assets at a 1:1 ratio to back any Bitcoin held on their balance sheets, Puckrin said. These restrictive capital requirements make it “almost…

Bank of England Comes Around on Stablecoins

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The Bank of England’s (BOE) position on stablecoins is evolving to a more friendly stance, but according to the bank’s deputy governor, constructive dialogue with the industry is still lacking. The UK’s central bank launched a consultation on stablecoins in November last year. Some of the proposed requirements drew the ire of crypto industry representatives, who claimed they could stifle innovation.  Over the past few months, the bank has been working with industry groups to develop its stance on stablecoins. These include revising backing requirements and rethinking account limits.  Some…

Bank of England hints at softer approach to stablecoin restrictions

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The Bank of England may soften its approach to stablecoin regulation after industry criticism of proposed holding limits. Speaking at a House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee hearing on Wednesday, Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden said the central bank is open to alternative measures to manage financial stability risks tied to potential shifts from bank deposits to stablecoins. The BOE had proposed temporary caps of £20,000 for individuals and £10 million for businesses, but officials are now reviewing feedback from the industry as part of the ongoing consultation process. The…

Amina Becomes First Regulated Bank on EU’s Blockchain Securities Platform

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Amina, a Swiss-regulated crypto bank, has joined a blockchain-based settlement platform for tokenized securities operating under the European Union’s DLT pilot regime, marking another step toward integrating digital asset infrastructure with traditional capital markets. The Zug, Switzerland-based company announced Monday that it has become a listing sponsor on the EU-regulated platform 21X, making Amina the venue’s first fully regulated bank participant. Amina said the move will allow it to support companies issuing tokenized securities on 21X through its partnership with Tokeny, a Luxembourg-based company that provides technology for creating and…

Kazakhstan Central Bank Eyes Crypto-Linked Portfolio Investments

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Kazakhstan’s central bank plans to begin investing as much as $350 million from its gold and foreign exchange reserves into a crypto-linked portfolio, with the first purchases expected in April or May, senior officials reportedly said during a Friday news briefing. According to Reuters, National Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov said the bank is compiling a list of instruments for the portfolio. He said the basket would include crypto-linked assets and did not rule out direct cryptocurrency exposure, though officials indicated the initial emphasis would be on listed instruments tied to…

Canada pilots tokenized bond settlement using central bank deposits

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Bank of Canada, together with RBC Capital Markets, TD Bank Group (TD) and Export Development Canada (EDC), has completed Project Samara, a trial of tokenized bond issuance on distributed ledger infrastructure, according to a recent press release. During the pilot, ECD issued a $100 million tokenized bond that was traded and settled on the Samara Platform using central bank money. The Samara Platform, built on Hyperledger Fabric, integrates separate bond and cash ledgers to support end-to-end transactions, including issuance, bidding, coupon payments, redemption, and secondary trading. The architecture enables instant…

Poland’s central bank chief floats using gold-linked profits for $47B defense fund

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Adam Glapiński, the governor of the National Bank of Poland, has reportedly proposed channeling central bank profits toward a 185 billion zloty (roughly $47B) defense fund — a sovereign alternative to borrowing from the European Union. The plan, which surfaced on March 4, would provide interest-free funding for Poland’s military buildup without adding a single zloty of external debt. Headlines initially suggested Glapiński was weighing outright gold sales to pay for it. That framing sent a jolt through commodity and macro circles, given that Poland has spent the better part…

Revolut applies for US bank charter, commits $500M to market growth

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Revolut is seeking a US national bank charter as part of its strategy to expand its presence in North America, the company announced Thursday. Today, we officially filed our application for a U.S. banking license. This is a major milestone in our mission to build the world’s first truly global bank. — Revolut (@Revolut) March 5, 2026 The crypto-friendly fintech giant has more than one million US customers and plans to invest $500 million in the market over the next three to five years. In pursuing the banking license, Revolut…

Top Canadian Bank Launches Multi-Crypto ETF with BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP

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The bank’s asset manager and 3iQ debut an actively managed crypto ETF to Canadian investors, offering exposure to Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and XRP at a competitive 0.25% fee. Scotiabank, one of Canada’s top-five banks by assets, has launched a new cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund in partnership with digital asset manager 3iQ, highlighting growing institutional adoption in a market that approved spot Bitcoin ETFs years before the United States. Dynamic Funds, Scotiabank’s asset management arm, unveiled the Dynamic Active Multi-Crypto ETF on Wednesday. The liquid alternative fund will trade on Cboe Canada…

BOJ to conduct blockchain experiments for central bank reserve settlements

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The Bank of Japan will test blockchain technology for settling deposits that financial institutions hold at the central bank, Governor Kazuo Ueda, the central bank’s leader since 2023, outlined the initiative during the FIN/SUM 2026 conference in Tokyo today. The initiative is part of a sandbox project designed to examine the use of central bank money for multiple settlement activities, including domestic interbank and securities transactions. Internationally, the BOJ has participated in Project Agorá, an experiment with multiple central banks and financial institutions to develop tokenized central bank deposits, which…