NewsBriefs - Grayscale plans Bitcoin ETF spinoff from GBTC fund

Jul 19, 8:25 PM Cointelegraph

Grayscale plans Bitcoin ETF spinoff from GBTC fund

Grayscale announced plans to spin off 10% of its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) into a new ETF called Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC). The new ETF is set to trade on NYSE Arca, pending regulatory approval. Current GBTC shareholders will receive proportional shares in the Mini Trust, maintaining their total Bitcoin holdings across two funds. This move follows a similar strategy with Grayscale's Ethereum Trust. Industry analysts expect the new Mini Trust to have significantly lower management fees compared to GBTC's current 1.5% annual fee.

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• Mar 13, 5:32 PM CoinDesk

  US Senate advances major stablecoin regulatory bill

  The US Senate Banking Committee has advanced a significant stablecoin regulation bill, marking a pivotal step toward potential enactment. The bill, targeting federal regulation of US stablecoin issuers, won committee approval with an 18-6 vote and now moves towards a full Senate vote, paralleling action in the House of Representatives. Despite remaining challenges, including reconciling Senate and House versions, this development signals substantial legislative movement in crypto regulation.

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• Mar 13, 2:00 PM The Block

  Aave Labs launches Horizon to target institutions with real-world asset initiatives

  Aave Labs has introduced Horizon, a new initiative designed to foster the institutional adoption of decentralized finance (DeFi) by integrating traditional finance with DeFi. Horizon will leverage the Aave ecosystem to offer structured real-world asset (RWA) solutions, enabling institutions to use tokenized money market funds as collateral for stablecoin liquidity. The initiative will enhance the role of Aave's stablecoin GHO and aims to bridge the gap between traditional finance and DeFi while addressing the need for compliance and risk management in institutional DeFi engagement.

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• Mar 13, 3:40 AM Página/12

  Argentine lawyer calls for international arrest of LIBRA founder Hayden Davis

  Attorney Gregorio Dalbon has requested the Argentine courts to issue an international arrest warrant for $Libra founder Hayden Mark Davis, citing the risk of him fleeing the US and impeding an ongoing investigation into a major crypto scam. Dalbon argued that Davis's substantial financial resources and critical role in creating and promoting $LIBRA, combined with the scandal's international impact, greatly increase the chance of him evading justice. This legal action follows allegations linking the scam to high-profile Argentine politicians and significant losses for investors.

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• Mar 13, 12:54 AM Cointelegraph

  Crypto trader loses $215K to MEV bot in sandwich attack on Uniswap

  A crypto trader lost $215,500 due to a sandwich attack by an MEV bot during a stablecoin swap on Uniswap, converting $220,764 worth of USD Coin to just $5,271 of Tether in eight seconds. This incident highlights vulnerabilities in decentralized trading platforms against MEV tactics.

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• Mar 12, 4:45 PM Etherlink

  Etherlink launches Calypso upgrade on Tezos L2 to boost dApp development

  The Calypso upgrade has been deployed on the Tezos L2 Etherlink, enhancing functionalities such as speed, efficiency, and resilience for dApp developers. This upgrade introduces significant improvements, including a 30x increase in smart contract storage speed, smaller storage footprint for nodes, and improved governance, which facilitates easier protocol decision-making participation by node operators. Additionally, the update has made Etherlink more robust with better security and infrastructure, supporting faster XTZ withdrawals and other modern enhancements vital for decentralized application development.

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• Mar 11, 10:21 PM The Block

  House passes bill to repeal IRS crypto tax rule, awaits Trump's signature

  The US House of Representatives voted to repeal an IRS rule imposed during the Biden administration, which mandated DeFi brokers to report user data similar to traditional securities brokers. This bipartisan move, pushed by Rep. Mike Carey and Sen. Ted Cruz, aims to foster innovation in the crypto sector in the US and prevent American companies from moving overseas due to stringent tax reporting requirements. The bill, having passed the House, now awaits President Trump's approval.

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• Mar 11, 2:30 PM PRNewswire

  Cantor Fitzgerald collaborates with Anchorage Digital and Copper to expand Bitcoin financing

  Cantor Fitzgerald has partnered with Anchorage Digital and Copper as collateral managers and custodians for its new global Bitcoin financing business. This initiative aims to provide leverage to institutional investors holding Bitcoin, ensuring high security and resilience through Anchorage Digital and Copper's robust security architecture. Anchorage Digital brings expertise from operating the only federally chartered crypto bank in the US, while Copper offers comprehensive digital asset services, including custody, and collateral management. The partnership starts with $2 billion in initial financing, with plans for future expansion.

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• Mar 11, 2:25 PM The Block

  Cboe BZX Exchange files for staking addition in Fidelity's Ethereum ETF amid market challenges

  Cboe BZX Exchange has submitted a rule change proposal to the US Securities and Exchange Commission to enable staking for Fidelity Investments' Ethereum ETF, FETH. This move comes as FETH experiences a decrease in assets under management due to falling ether prices, reflective of the broader crypto market downturn. The proposal aims to allow staking of ether through trusted providers, with generated rewards treated as income. This feature was not included in initial Ethereum ETF approvals.

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• Mar 11, 2:00 PM Business Wire

  Bitwise launches first ETF tracking Bitcoin-heavy companies

  Bitwise Asset Management launched the Bitwise Bitcoin Standard Corporations ETF (ticker: OWNB), the first ETF to track the Bitwise Bitcoin Standard Corporations Index, which includes companies holding at least 1,000 bitcoins. Major index holdings at inception are Strategy, MARA Holdings, CleanSpark, Riot Platforms, and others. This ETF provides investors with exposure to companies that leverage bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset, reflecting a broader trend of corporates increasingly treating bitcoin akin to traditional safe-haven assets.

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• Mar 11, 10:00 AM Texas Legislature Online

  Texas introduces new $250 million Bitcoin reserve bill, HB 4258

  Texas has introduced HB 4258, a legislative proposal to allocate $250 million from its economic stabilization fund to Bitcoin and other digital assets. This new bill follows the earlier SB 778, which recently gained bipartisan support in the Senate. HB 4258, set to take effect in 2025 if passed, allows municipalities and counties to invest up to $10 million in digital assets and marks the state's second attempt to establish a digital asset reserve. This move is part of Texas' broader strategy to integrate Bitcoin into its financial framework, highlighted by the Texas Blockchain Council as aligning with the state's significant industrial convergence in the Texas Triangle.

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• Mar 11, 8:35 AM Cointelegraph

  Deutsche Boerse's Clearstream to launch institutional crypto custody services in 2025

  Deutsche Boerse's trading unit Clearstream is set to offer Bitcoin and Ether custody and settlement services starting April 2025 to meet the increasing demand from over 2,500 institutional clients. The services, leveraging Crypto Finance AG, also plan to include additional cryptocurrencies, staking, lending, and brokerage. This initiative complements a wider European trend towards regulated crypto infrastructures following the full implementation of MiCA regulations.

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• Mar 10, 11:01 PM The Block

  Solana transaction fees hit lowest level since September 2024

  Transaction fees generated on the Solana network have dropped to 53,800 SOL, the lowest weekly amount since September 2024, with 77% attributed to non-vote fees. This rate marks a 10% decrease from the previous week and is significantly lower than the 25% average weekly decline over the past six weeks. The downturn follows the network's peak during the $TRUMP and $MELANIA memecoin launches, which saw fees as high as 361,000 SOL. Current metrics, including a 35% drop in the 7-day moving average of active addresses and significant declines in Jito validator tips, coincide with almost a 50% plunge in SOL price since January 20.

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• Mar 10, 5:04 PM The Block

  CleanSpark to join S&P SmallCap 600 despite share and BTC price declines

  US-based bitcoin miner CleanSpark will join the S&P SmallCap 600 index later this month. Despite the company's inclusion, CleanSpark shares fell approximately 5%, paralleling a 4% decline in bitcoin prices. According to CleanSpark's CEO, this move is expected to increase visibility and offer investors enhanced exposure to their vertically integrated Bitcoin mining model. Last year, CleanSpark reported a significant revenue increase with $162.3 million in the fourth quarter.

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• Mar 10, 1:00 PM PRNewswire

  REX-Osprey files for first Movement ETF in the US

  Movement Network Foundation announced the filing of a new ETF by REX-Osprey focused on the $MOVE token, marking the first of its kind to offer exposure to the Movement ecosystem through traditional financial channels. Concurrently, the Foundation has successfully launched its Public Mainnet Beta, achieving a Total Value Locked of $250M at launch. The ETF aims to provide traditional investors with regulated access to Movement, leveraging the Move programming language for more secure, efficient smart contracts.

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• Mar 10, 12:00 PM Tether

  Thailand SEC approves Tether USD₮ as an accepted cryptocurrency

  Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission has approved Tether's USD₮ as a recognized cryptocurrency, enabling its trade on regulated exchanges and use in payments, reflecting the country's progressive stance on digital asset innovation. This approval, effective from March 16, 2025, aligns with Thailand's updated digital asset regulations aimed at enhancing industry flexibility and investor choice. The recognition of USD₮, a globally leading stablecoin with a $142 billion market cap, marks a significant advancement in the integration of stablecoins into Thailand's financial landscape.

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