digital assets

Vanguard has hired a Head of Digital Assets as crypto majors decline due to the U.S. military strike on Iran ending a ceasefire. A meme coin frenzy is occurring on the Robinhood chain.

India's central bank has called for banks to be barred from exposure to crypto assets and reiterated support for tighter restrictions on digital assets.

The SEC has listed proposed rule changes for crypto broker-dealers, digital assets on national securities exchanges, and potential safe harbors as part of its 2026 agenda. The focus is on regulatory updates related to cryptocurrency and digital asset trading frameworks.

Vanguard is hiring a head of digital assets to lead its strategy for tokenization, stablecoins, blockchain infrastructure, and client-facing products. The move comes after years of crypto skepticism from the asset manager.

Vanguard, a multi-trillion-dollar asset manager, is hiring a crypto executive to lead its digital assets strategy for personal wealth clients and engage with regulators.

Vanguard has begun searching for a digital assets leader, signaling a shift in its approach to cryptocurrency. The move indicates the firm's evolving strategy toward digital assets.

Sovereign wealth funds invest in digital assets through regulated vehicles such as spot bitcoin ETFs, publicly traded companies with crypto exposure, blockchain infrastructure firms, and venture capital funds. Direct ownership of bitcoin or other tokens is uncommon due to governance rules, custody requirements, and political accountability.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand proposed a restriction to prevent members of Congress, the US president, and their spouses from issuing or sponsoring their own digital assets.

A UK law firm tested an AI chatbot to draft a will for a fictional client, finding that while the document appeared convincing, it omitted critical legal considerations like inheritance tax planning and financial vulnerabilities. The firm emphasized that AI-generated wills lack the depth and safeguards provided by human solicitors, who ask follow-up questions to address complex legal and personal circumstances.

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has relaxed capital and disclosure requirements for digital assets after industry complaints that the new rules were overly burdensome. The changes aim to ease the regulatory burden on crypto firms.

A CoinShares survey revealed that many EU-based wealth management companies have policies restricting digital asset investments or offering no guidance. Half of UK wealth advisers report that clients' cryptocurrency holdings are 'invisible' to them.

Indonesia’s financial regulator will require influencers promoting crypto and other digital assets to hold certifications. The move aligns with global efforts to tighten oversight of finfluencers.

Garth Howat, a fintech leader, is working on connecting traditional finance with digital assets. The article highlights the infrastructure behind modern finance.

The crypto market experienced a decline as a selloff in Nasdaq technology stocks extended into digital assets. The drop highlights a broader market trend impacting both traditional tech sectors and cryptocurrency markets.

The CLARITY Act, formally the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, is a proposed U.S. cryptocurrency market structure bill aimed at establishing a federal framework for issuing, trading, and regulating digital assets. It focuses on ensuring crypto firms comply with federal laws and clarifying regulatory oversight.

The Irish government has released its first assessment on digital assets in seven years, highlighting risks including money laundering, terrorism financing, sanctions violations, and bribery. The assessment indicates Ireland is considering safeguards to address these financial risks associated with cryptocurrencies.

Coinbase is enabling ACATS stock transfers, allowing users to move stock portfolios, as the crypto exchange expands its trading products beyond digital assets into traditional finance.

A community bank group is launching an ad campaign to highlight risks associated with digital assets, specifically targeting the Clarity Act's stablecoin reward language. The campaign aims to warn about potential dangers in the digital asset space.

House lawmakers are set to debate cryptocurrency tax bills as questions remain about how tax rules should apply to digital assets.

The Crypto Council for Innovation has launched a coalition aimed at promoting regulatory clarity for crypto vaults. These vaults are an increasingly popular method for depositing digital assets and generating yield.

Senator Cynthia Lummis has led a group of lawmakers urging financial regulators to provide 'fair capital treatment for on-balance sheet treatment of digital assets.' The effort is part of a push by Senate Republicans to clarify crypto capital rules.

Russia is targeting a British 17-year-old for allegations that digital assets were circumventing sanctions. The teenager's father, Bill Browder, claims his son is the first high school student to face sanctions from an authoritarian regime over a report on the ruble-pegged stablecoin A7A5.

Senate Republicans are urging financial regulatory agencies to revise capital rules for digital assets. They seek to clarify capital standards for these assets.

Zodia CEO Julian Sawyer claims every bank will soon need to hold digital assets. The statement highlights a potential shift in banking requirements toward digital asset adoption.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published its Draft Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2026–2030, prioritizing digital assets and blockchain technologies. The plan emphasizes creating a regulatory framework to support innovation while protecting investors, resolving jurisdictional conflicts with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and modernizing capital formation processes for small businesses.

The SEC has designated digital assets as a strategic priority through 2030, outlining a five-year roadmap that includes clearer crypto regulations, support for tokenization, and the development of a framework for staking and onchain markets.

Top Democratic lawmakers are urging the Department of Labor to withdraw a proposal that would allow retirement plans to offer investments in cryptocurrency, private equity, and other alternative assets, arguing that this could expose workers' savings to greater financial risks and higher fees.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has proposed allowing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to use digital assets, virtual assets, and intellectual property as collateral for loans. The initiative aims to expand financing options for SMEs by recognizing non-traditional assets as security.

Samsung units are acquiring a $408 million stake in Dunamu, the operator of South Korea's leading cryptocurrency exchange Upbit. This move reflects major institutions in the country expanding into digital assets ahead of regulatory developments in the crypto sector.

The article highlights the need for bipartisan Senate action to finalize legislation on digital assets, emphasizing its importance for future economic and technological development.

The crypto-aligned Protect Progress PAC spent $750,000 on media supporting a Democratic candidate in Texas primary runoffs against Representative Al Green, whom they describe as 'actively hostile' to digital assets.

MoonPay has expanded its platform to include tokenized assets and decentralized finance (DeFi) markets, introducing a new offering specifically designed for banks. This expansion positions MoonPay to serve institutional clients seeking exposure to digital assets and DeFi opportunities.

JPMorgan analysis indicates that stablecoins continue to maintain a competitive advantage over tokenized money market funds in the cryptocurrency and digital asset space. The research suggests stablecoins remain the preferred choice for certain use cases despite growing interest in tokenized traditional financial instruments.

President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday directing the Federal Reserve to review and update its regulations to integrate digital assets into traditional financial systems. The order seeks to expand master account access, requiring the Fed to provide input on modernizing banking infrastructure to accommodate cryptocurrency and digital asset integration.

Hong Kong's treasury minister Christopher Hui Ching-yu stated that gold can serve as a bridge between traditional and digital finance, emphasizing Hong Kong's commitment to fostering digital asset market growth. The government decided against creating a separate regulatory authority for digital assets, citing the convergence between conventional and innovative financial sectors.

The UK Treasury's Economic Secretary highlighted digital assets' potential to transform markets and announced an upcoming consultation on payments involving digital assets and AI agents. The consultation will focus on the role of digital assets in payments. Digital assets may bring significant changes to markets.

Figure is a crypto lender that is helping to turn digital assets into viable collateral for credit, making them more accessible to mainstream users. This move is democratizing crypto-as-collateral and has the potential to increase adoption. Figure's efforts are aimed at making digital assets a more viable option for credit.

The Senate Banking Committee is set to vote on a major crypto bill on May 14, which will determine oversight of digital assets and is a top legislative priority for the crypto industry. The bill's advancement is a significant step forward for the industry. The committee's decision will have implications for the regulation of digital assets.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated that Bitcoin projects within the Pentagon are 'classified and ongoing,' framing the cryptocurrency as a strategic tool for American power. His comments, made during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, highlight Bitcoin's potential in geopolitical strategy amid Russia and China's expansion in digital assets to bypass US sanctions.

Coinbase's asset manager is introducing a stablecoin credit fund with a tokenized share class, marking an expansion into digital asset investment products. The offering aims to provide investors with exposure to stablecoin-backed credit instruments through tokenized shares.