Author: Tristan Lodenberg

The Netherlands is moving closer to introducing a tax on unrealized capital gains across investments such as stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrencies, a proposal that has sparked growing concern among investors and market participants. Lawmakers argue the measure is necessary to repair flaws in the existing asset tax system, but critics warn it could weaken the country’s investment climate. The proposed reform targets the Box 3 asset tax regime following court rulings that rejected taxation based on assumed returns. Under the new framework, investors would be taxed annually on actual gains, including paper profits that have not been realized. Government officials…

UBS, the world’s largest wealth manageris reportedly evaluating plans to offer direct cryptocurrency trading to its private banking clients, signaling a deeper move into digital assets for ultra-high-net-worth portfolios. The initiative would provide an in-house crypto on-ramp within one of the most established global banking institutions. According to sources the Swiss banking group is considering allowing select clients in Switzerland to trade Bitcoin and Ether as an initial step. The program could later expand to Asia-Pacific markets and the United States, depending on regulatory approvals and operational readiness. UBS is also said to be assessing potential technology and liquidity partners…

French law enforcement and cybersecurity agencies have launched a preliminary investigation into a data breach affecting crypto tax platform Waltio, after reports that personal information linked to tens of thousands of users may have been compromised. The inquiry is being handled by the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office and France’s National Cyber Unit, which are assessing both the scope of the breach and the identities of affected users. According to local reporting, a hacking group known as Shiny Hunters allegedly issued a ransom demand to Waltio after accessing personal data belonging to around 50,000 users, most of whom are based in…

Onchain derivatives platform Paradex has refunded $650,000 to approximately 200 users after a technical issue during scheduled maintenance led to unintended liquidations across several markets. The incident highlights ongoing operational risks in both decentralized and traditional trading infrastructure. The disruption occurred during a planned 30-minute database upgrade, when a software race condition caused corrupted funding and pricing data to be recorded onchain. As a result, liquidation mechanisms were triggered incorrectly, impacting leveraged perpetual positions. Paradex confirmed the issue was operational in nature, stressing that there was no hack or security breach involved. According to a Friday post-mortem shared on X by Paradex;…

Stablecoins are playing a growing role in Africa’s financial landscape, driven by the rising importance of remittances as a primary source of income, increasingly outweighing traditional foreign aid flows. The shift reflects both economic pressure and rapid adoption of digital financial tools across the continent. Cross-border payments in many African countries remain expensive and inefficient, with fees averaging around $6 for every $100 sent through conventional money transfer services. Stablecoins are changing that equation by enabling faster settlements and significantly lower costs, allowing funds to move across borders within minutes rather than days. Inflation has surpassed 20% in roughly 12…

Binance has confirmed that it is actively exploring the reintroduction of tokenized equities, marking a potential return to a product line it suspended in 2021 following regulatory pressure. The move reflects growing interest in bridging traditional financial markets with blockchain-based assets as regulatory frameworks slowly evolve. Tokenized equities are blockchain-based digital representations of publicly traded stocks, allowing users to gain price exposure without directly holding the underlying shares. Binance previously offered tokenized shares of major companies such as Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, and other technology-focused firms before discontinuing the service. The exchange now describes tokenized equities as a natural progression in…

Shares of digital asset custodian BitGo Holdings have experienced sharp volatility following the company’s New York Stock Exchange debut, underscoring cautious investor sentiment toward newly listed crypto firms. After an early surge, the stock has slipped below its initial public offering price, reflecting a rapid cooling of IPO enthusiasm. BitGo priced its IPO at $18 per share, with the stock jumping roughly 25% on its first trading day amid strong initial demand. However, gains faded quickly. In subsequent sessions, shares dropped as much as 13.4% below the offer price, signaling profit-taking and reduced risk appetite among investors. At the IPO…

Blockchain security firm CertiK is keeping a potential initial public offering firmly on its long-term roadmap as its valuation climbs to approximately $2 billion. Company leadership says a public listing could mark a turning point not only for CertiK, but for the broader Web3 infrastructure sector. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, CertiK’s leadership confirmed that while there is no fixed timeline for an IPO, pursuing a public listing remains a strategic objective. The company believes that reaching this milestone will require significant capital investment and deeper strategic partnerships to support global expansion and operational scale. CertiK’s executives…

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has formally dismissed its civil enforcement action against Gemini Trust Company, bringing an end to a high-profile case tied to the collapse of the Gemini Earn crypto lending program. The dismissal, filed in federal court, permanently closes the matter pending judicial approval. According to court records, the SEC and the defendants jointly agreed to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning the agency cannot refile the same claims in the future. The case centered on allegations that the Gemini Earn program involved the offer of unregistered securities through a partnership with Genesis Global Capital. A…

The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has confirmed it will continue reviewing World Liberty Financial’s application for a national trust bank charter, despite calls from Democratic lawmakers to pause the process over potential conflicts of interest. In a formal response, the OCC stated that the bank charter application will proceed under existing regulatory standards. The agency rejected a request to suspend the review until President Donald Trump divests from the crypto platform, emphasizing that political influence and personal financial ties will not affect the decision-making process. The OCC leadership reiterated that the charter review process is…