Deribit, the world's largest crypto derivatives exchange, announced that it will launch Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) options settled in USDC. Deribit, recently acquired by Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States, announced on August 19 that it will launch linear Bitcoin and Ethereum options priced and settled in USDC, in addition to futures, according to The Block. Deribit’s announcement of USDC for BTC and ETH comes just over a year after integrating USDC-calculated linear options for altcoins like Solana (SOL) and XRP. Deribit CEO Luuk Strijers commented on the latest announcement: The positive response and growing demand for stablecoin options in the altcoin space demonstrates that the market is ready for more flexible and accessible derivative products. Continuing this momentum, Deribit has expanded its linear options offering to include BTC and ETH. The introduction of linear options for BTC and ETH is a significant milestone in our mission to deliver institutional-grade products tailored to our clients' evolving needs. By expanding to USDC, we are providing greater flexibility, capital efficiency, and a familiar fiat-equivalent structure that appeals to both institutional and individual participants.” Deribit also added that BTC and ETH linear options settled with USDC will have smaller minimum order sizes (0.01 BTC and 0.1 ETH) to increase accessibility. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: Deribit, Acquired by Coinbase, Announces New Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) Today!
Key Highlights: Citigroup may provide custodial services for stablecoins and crypto ETFs. The bank is testing blockchain transfers and direct stablecoin settlements. Citi could issue its own stablecoin and expand into digital asset custody. Citigroup Considers Stablecoin and Crypto ETF Custody Services Citigroup is evaluating providing custody services for assets backing stablecoins and cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The bank is also considering payment and conversion services for these assets, according to Biswarup Chatterjee, Citi’s head of innovation. Interest in these products has risen after regulations now require stablecoin issuers to hold low-risk assets, such as U.S. Treasury bonds or cash. Citi could fill a niche by offering custodianship and accelerated settlements to corporate clients. Such moves could enhance efficiency, strengthen trust, and increase flexibility for businesses operating in the rapidly evolving digital asset landscape. Innovation, Regulation, and Future Plans Citigroup is also looking at custody for digital assets linked to investment products, including crypto ETFs—a segment currently dominated by Coinbase. Demand is increasing as spot Bitcoin ETFs, notably BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (about $89 billion capitalization), expand. The bank already offers blockchain-based tokenized dollar payments for 24/7 global transfers and is testing direct stablecoin transfers for instant settlements. While regulators under the Trump administration have taken a more flexible approach to cryptocurrencies, Citi stresses that all services must comply with anti-money laundering, FX, and cybersecurity requirements. The bank is considering issuing its own stablecoin, emphasizing strict legal verification and robust security for digital asset storage. This evolving approach positions Citigroup as a potential leader in the intersection of traditional finance and crypto.
Hive Digital’s fiscal Q1 2026 revenue jumped 44.9% in its mining segment and nearly 60% in its HPC unit.
Michael Saylor is back with another scheme to stretch Bitcoin into the core of a $100 billion financial empire. This time, it’s about building an entirely new funding model at Strategy, the company formerly known as MicroStrategy. According to Bloomberg, the chairman has dumped traditional tools like equity offerings and convertible debt to go all-in on something most companies wouldn’t touch: perpetual preferred stock. These new securities, branded as “Stretch,” don’t mature, don’t guarantee dividends, and don’t give investors any control. Saylor wants them to act like a funding faucet he can crank open whenever he wants to buy more Bitcoin , while avoiding diluting existing shareholders. Saylor pushes retail into perpetual preferreds The company has already raised around $6 billion this year through four perpetual preferred tranches. The most recent, a $2.5 billion “Stretch” sale, now ranks as one of the largest capital raises in the crypto industry this year, beating out Circle’s IPO. A quarter of those buyers were retail, not institutions. That’s almost unheard of for preferreds, which usually come from investment-grade names like banks or utilities. Strategy has no credit rating. The securities are junior, making them way outside the comfort zone for big debt buyers. Michael Youngworth, who leads convertibles and preferred strategy at Bank of America, said , “I have no past knowledge of any company doing this the way that MicroStrategy has just to capitalize on the retail fervor.” He’s not the only one raising eyebrows. Saylor’s goal is to create what Strategy calls a “BTC Credit Model,” a framework where Bitcoin , a volatile asset with no cash flow, supports income-generating securities. If enough buyers show up, he claims the system could raise $100 billion, even $200 billion. But if they don’t, Strategy could be left holding expensive dividend obligations without the income to cover them. Selling Bitcoin to plug the gap is off-limits. Saylor’s “hold on for dear life” strategy doesn’t bend for liquidity issues. Since January 2024, Saylor has raised over $40 billion, $27 billion from common equity and $13.8 billion from fixed-income instruments. Phong Le, Strategy’s CEO, said the plan is to build a stronger capital structure than what failed during 2022’s crash, when a Bitcoin -backed loan from Silvergate nearly tanked the company. “Over time, we may not have convertible notes,” Phong said. “We will be relying on perpetual preferred notes that don’t ever come due.” Preferreds bring long-term risks if Bitcoin crashes But the model relies on paying dividends forever using Bitcoin , which generates no yield. And if prices drop, so does investor appetite. If the market turns cold, Strategy could struggle to cover payouts. Some of the preferreds allow skipped payments. They’re non-cumulative, which means the company doesn’t need to make up missed dividends. Some obligations can even be paid in shares. But Strategy still said it’s willing to sell stock below its typical 2.5x net asset-value floor if that’s what it takes to stay afloat. Unlike convertibles, these preferreds don’t convert into shares or mature. They never have to be repaid. That gives Saylor more room to breathe, especially since Strategy has been able to sell stock at a premium over its actual Bitcoin holdings, a gap Saylor calls the “mNAV premium.” But these preferreds aren’t cheap. Youngworth pointed out they carry 8% to 10% coupon rates, which is expensive long-term. If crypto crashes, payouts don’t go away. Short seller Jim Chanos called the non-cumulative Stretch notes “crazy” for institutions to touch. “If I don’t pay the dividends, they are not cumulative. I don’t have to pay them back,” he said during a Bloomberg interview. Jim believes Strategy’s leverage is maxed out and sees Stretch as a way to push it further. He’s betting against the stock while going long Bitcoin , expecting the premium to collapse. The Stretch units sit above common shares but below convertibles in Strategy’s capital stack. They don’t carry the protections of traditional debt. Convertibles are still favored by Wall Street because they’re easier to hedge with market-neutral strategies. Killing them removes a valuable arbitrage tool for investors. All of this only works if Bitcoin stays valuable and people keep buying into the system. If confidence drops, the whole thing falls apart. Sign up to Bybit and start trading with $30,050 in welcome gifts
Speculation regarding Bitcoin reaching $1 million by this decade has been reignited by rising adoption and its recent jump beyond $118,787.84. With the push of BTC, XRP Price action and newer players like Remittix (RTX) are redefining the manner in which cross-border payments function—quietly positioning themselves as real utility tokens amidst pure speculation. Bitcoin, XRP Price and the Future of Global Transfers While Bitcoin owns the crypto world with a staggering $2.36 Trillion market cap, its role as digital gold is in question. Historical trade volume (currently more than $67.12 Billion) reflects ongoing demand, but skeptics say Bitcoin is slow and rigid to facilitate global payments. Meanwhile, XRP Price has steadied at around $3.16, demonstrating Ripple’s ongoing battle for financial remittance dominance. Its $187.24 Billion market cap and $6.85 Billion daily trade establish it as a behemoth—but a serious newcomer challenger is gaining significant ground in the same space. In the same international payments conversation, Remittix is being compared to Ripple—again, not for hot air, but for mettle. Why Remittix Is Turning Heads in 2025 At the epicenter of the crypto solving real world problems revolution is Remittix (RTX)—a gem in the next 100x crypto watchlist. In contrast to coins that promise future utility, RTX is already building for everyday adoption, bridging crypto and fiat at scale. Its crown jewel? A mobile-first crypto wallet to launch in Q3 2025. The wallet will enable users to send digital assets like BTC, ETH, and XRP directly into legacy bank accounts in over 30 countries. Real-time FX conversion and support for 40+ cryptos at launch makes Remittix stand out as a cross-chain DeFi project set to achieve mass adoption. The numbers tell the interest: $17.5 Million+ raised to date 572 Million+ tokens sold Current token price: $0.0876 50% token bonus live $250,000 Remittix Giveaway ongoing Why Remittix Is Gaining Traction Real-World Utility: Instant crypto-to-bank transfers in 30+ countries Audited Security: Audited by CertiK for secure onboarding Growing Demand: More than $17.5Million raised by early adopters Launch Imminent: Wallet beta goes live in Q3 2025 Limited-Time Offer: 50% bonus tokens now Built For Utility — Not Just Charts What sets Remittix apart from the typical low cap crypto gems is that it has an infrastructure-first approach. Instead of attempting to pump on centralized exchanges, it’s more about delivering long-term value by means of real-world utility. The project appeals to those who seek crypto with passive income prospects and to those searching for early stage crypto investment prospects. With more and more users searching for best crypto presale 2025 or best crypto under $1, Remittix is increasingly becoming a top contender. It easily takes its place among the best DeFi altcoin projects because it has a low gas fee model and a friendly interface. Whether you’re a freelancer needing fast global payments or a crypto investor looking to buy RTX tokens early, Remittix has positioned itself as more than just another upcoming crypto project—it’s a real solution to real problems. The Bottom Line: A Quiet Shift in Crypto Priorities While Bitcoin and XRP Price will remain top news, Remittix is demonstrating that genuine growth in crypto is achieved by addressing real-world challenges. And with beta wallet launch just on the horizon, RTX might be the top new altcoin of 2025 to look out for. Discover the future of PayFi with Remittix by checking out their project here: Website: https://remittix.io/ Socials: https://linktr.ee/remittix $250,000 Giveaway: https://gleam.io/competitions/nz84L-250000-remittix-giveaway
Bitcoin struggles at $117,000, raising concerns of price drop effects. On-chain indicators highlight long-term investors' selling pressure. Continue Reading: Bitcoin Faces Weekend Challenges with December Market Dynamics The post Bitcoin Faces Weekend Challenges with December Market Dynamics appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
A Brazilian crypto trader's mom was kidnapped until a Bitcoin ransom was paid in the latest crypto "wrench attack," local media reported.
The Fed announced that it has ended its “new activities supervision program,” which it launched in 2023 to monitor banks’ cryptocurrency and financial technology activities. The FED announced that these activities will now be monitored within the scope of standard audit processes. The Fed's statement noted that the program has provided significant experience in activities related to crypto assets and innovative financial technologies, the risks they pose, and banks' risk management practices. It added that this knowledge and experience will be integrated into regular supervisory procedures. Related News: The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has presented a new proposal regarding Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies! Here are the details... It was also announced that the audit letter that launched the program in 2023 has been revoked. Thus, crypto banking activities will now be evaluated within the framework of the Fed's routine oversight mechanism. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: BREAKING: Fed Announces Bullish News for Cryptocurrencies
XRP has recently entered a consolidation phase after a strong rally earlier this summer, with the price action now hovering around key resistance levels on both its USDT and BTC pairs. Yet, while momentum has slowed, the charts still indicate a generally bullish structure, with multiple key support levels remaining firmly in place. Technical Analysis By ShayanMarkets The USDT Pair On the XRP/USDT daily chart, the price is currently trading near the $3.10 mark, facing a strong resistance zone around $3.40. This follows a breakout above the $2.70 range in July, which has now flipped into a support area. Both the 100-day and 200-day moving averages are also trending upward and recently formed a bullish crossover around $2.45, reinforcing the medium-term bullish sentiment. If the $3.40 resistance breaks, a push toward the critical $4.00 range becomes likely. However, the RSI hovering near the neutral 50 level suggests a lack of strong momentum for now, meaning a short-term pullback into the $2.80 support zone is still possible. This zone will be key for maintaining the bullish structure. Losing it could open the door for a deeper correction toward the 200-day moving average located around the $2.40 mark. Yet, as long as the price stays above the moving averages, the broader trend remains bullish. The BTC Pair Looking at the XRP/BTC chart, the pair has recently pulled back after hitting the 3,000 SAT resistance, with the price currently around 2,600 SAT. This follows a clean breakout above the long-term descending channel and a successful retest of its upper boundary, which coincided with the 200-day moving average and the 2,400 SAT support zone. This confluence remains a key bullish technical factor, as holding above it could attract renewed buying pressure. That said, RSI levels around 48 show that momentum has cooled after the sharp July rally, meaning XRP may continue ranging between 2,400 SAT and 3,000 SAT in the near term. A decisive close above 3,000 SAT would likely open the path to the 3,400 SAT zone, while losing 2,400 SAT could shift the bias back toward 2,000 SAT support. For now, the structure still favors the bulls as long as higher lows remain intact. The post Ripple Price Analysis: XRP at Risk as Key Support Levels Could Trigger Sharp Drop appeared first on CryptoPotato .
Citigroup Inc. is considering offering some custody and related services for stablecoins , a senior executive told Reuters, the latest indication that broad policy shifts in Washington are pushing large financial firms to expand into cryptocurrency. The US Bank is not alone in having an eye on the stablecoin market; it joins a short list of legacy players, including Fiserv and Bank of America, eyeing moves. This move follows the introduction of a new law that allows stablecoins to be used for payment, settlement, and other financial services on a large scale. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to some fiat currency or other asset, usually the US dollar. The legislation requires issuers to back the coins with safe assets like US Treasuries or cash, opening up the door for custody banks with custody banks managing those reserves. “Providing custody services for those high-quality assets backing stablecoins is the first option we are looking at,” said Biswarup Chatterjee, global head of partnerships and innovation for Citigroup’s services division. Citi’s core services and broader digital asset ambitions Citigroup’s services business, which includes treasury, cash management, payments, and other capabilities for large corporate clients, remains a key component of the firm despite continuous restructuring. A McKinsey analysis estimates that over $250 billion in stablecoins have been produced to date, albeit they are largely used to settle bitcoin exchanges. Citigroup announced last month that it was exploring releasing its stablecoin, but it had not before disclosed the entire scope of its digital asset strategy. The bank is also looking at custody services for the digital assets that support crypto-related investment products. Since the Securities and Exchange Commission approved exchange-traded funds tracking the spot price of bitcoin last year, asset managers have created a number of similar products. The largest, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, presently has a market valuation of over $90 billion. “There needs to be custody of the equivalent amount of digital currency to support these ETFs,” according to Chatterjee. Coinbase now dominates this space, serving as custodian for more than 80% of crypto ETF issuers, according to the company. Faster payments through tokenisation and stablecoins Beyond custody, Citigroup is investigating the use of stablecoins to speed up payments. In typical banking, cross-border transfers might take several days or more. The bank already provides “tokenised” US dollar payments, which use blockchain technology to transfer dollars between accounts in New York, London, and Hong Kong around the clock. The next phase in development is to allow clients to send stablecoins across accounts or convert them to dollars for quick payments. Citi is currently discussing potential use cases for these services with clients, according to Chatterjee. Regulatory shift and compliance considerations Regulators under the current US administration, which initially took a more cautious position on letting big financial institutions into the volatile crypto sector, have grown increasingly permissive. The policy shift has allowed banks to diversify into new crypto-connected products, but compliance requirements are still high. In case of custody of crypto assets, Citigroup would be required to ensure that the underlying assets were not utilised to further criminal activity before acquisition. Chatterjee said that organisations need to enhance cybersecurity and controls around operational protections against such theft. Stablecoins would primarily remain subject to existing regulations, including anti-money laundering regulations and currency controls in some jurisdictions, for international transfers. Stablecoin issuance still on the table While Citigroup’s immediate focus is on custody and services related to stablecoins, Chatterjee stated that creating its stablecoin remained an option. The bank is evaluating its involvement in the expanding digital asset ecosystem in response to regulatory clarification, market expansion, and shifting client needs. If pursued, these measures would be one of the most significant for a large US bank in the stablecoin sector, indicating a growing convergence between traditional finance and blockchain-based payments. The post Citigroup weighs stablecoin custody and services amid new US crypto rules appeared first on Invezz