Author: Tristan Lodenberg

The XRPL Foundation has confirmed it successfully patched a critical vulnerability discovered in a proposed amendment to the XRP Ledger before it could be activated on mainnet. The flaw was identified during the amendment’s voting phase, preventing any direct risk to user funds. According to details shared by the foundation, the issue stemmed from a logic error in the signature validation mechanism within the updated code. If deployed, the weakness could have enabled attackers to submit unauthorized transactions from user accounts without possessing private keys. Such an exploit may have allowed malicious actors to transfer funds or alter ledger states…

Nasdaq has formally asked the US Securities and Exchange Commission to approve a new exchange-traded fund that would hold JitoSOL, a liquid staking token built on the Solana blockchain. If cleared, the product would mark the first US-listed ETF designed specifically around a liquid staking token rather than a spot cryptocurrency alone. What Is the VanEck JitoSOL ETF? The proposed fund, known as the VanEck JitoSOL ETF, would directly hold JitoSOL tokens created by the Jito Network. JitoSOL represents SOL deposited into a staking pool on Solana, allowing holders to earn staking rewards without operating validators. Instead of distributing rewards…

Shares of MARA Holdings climbed 17% in post-market trading after the Bitcoin mining firm announced a strategic partnership with Starwood Capital Group to develop large-scale artificial intelligence data centers across existing US sites. MARA and Starwood Target 2.5 Gigawatts of AI Capacity Under the agreement, Starwood will oversee design, construction and tenant sourcing through its digital infrastructure arm, Starwood Digital Ventures. The partners plan to deliver roughly 1 gigawatt of computing capacity in the near term, with ambitions to scale beyond 2.5 gigawatts over time. Both companies will jointly finance and operate the projects. Many of MARA’s facilities were originally…

Bloomberg is partnering with Kaiko to deliver licensed financial market data directly onto blockchain networks, a move aimed at strengthening data integrity across the fast-growing tokenized real-world asset sector. The collaboration focuses on embedding consistent pricing and reference data within blockchain-based systems rather than relying solely on traditional offchain databases. Tokenized US Treasurys and Repo Markets on Canton Network The first implementation centers on tokenized US Treasurys and repurchase agreement markets operating on the Canton Network, a permissioned blockchain built for institutional finance. By integrating Bloomberg’s licensed datasets through Kaiko’s infrastructure, the initiative seeks to ensure that banks, asset managers…

A bipartisan group of members in the US House of Representatives has introduced new legislation aimed at shielding blockchain developers from criminal liability when they do not control or custody user funds. Representatives Scott Fitzgerald, Ben Cline, and Zoe Lofgren unveiled the Promoting Innovation in Blockchain Development Act to clarify how Section 1960 of federal law should apply to digital asset activity. The statute currently governs the prohibition of illegal money transmitting businesses. The proposed bill would specify that criminal liability under Section 1960 applies only to individuals or entities that exercise custody or control over another person’s digital assets.…

Financial technology firm Block, Inc. plans to eliminate more than 4,000 roles as part of a sweeping restructuring initiative tied to artificial intelligence adoption. The move was confirmed by co-founder and chief executive Jack Dorsey, who outlined the decision in a letter to employees. Dorsey said the company is rapidly integrating AI-powered tools across teams, allowing for leaner and flatter organizational structures. According to him, the shift is fundamentally changing how the company builds products and manages operations. Rather than implementing smaller reductions over an extended period, leadership opted for a single large-scale cut to avoid repeated disruptions. Workforce Reduction…

A federal judge has ordered prosecutors to respond to a motion for a new trial filed by Sam Bankman-Fried, the former chief executive of FTX. In a filing issued in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Lewis Kaplan directed the US government to submit its response by March 11. Bankman-Fried was convicted in 2023 on seven felony counts tied to fraud and misuse of customer funds following the collapse of FTX. In March 2024, he was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. His latest motion argues that newly surfaced witness testimony could materially…

Swiss digital asset banking group Sygnum has launched a new institutional asset management solution aimed at the rapidly growing corporate crypto treasury sector, now estimated at around $100 billion. The service, branded Sygnum Select, operates as a discretionary mandate offering. It applies traditional Swiss private banking portfolio management standards to digital assets, giving the bank execution authority within a client’s predefined investment framework. At launch, the platform is already managing approximately $200 million in active client portfolios. Corporate Bitcoin Holdings Approach $100 Billion Growth in digital asset treasury companies has accelerated over the past several years. According to data from…

MetaMask has officially launched its Mastercard enabled crypto payment card in the United States, marking its first availability in New York. The rollout, announced by parent company Consensys, follows pilot programs conducted in 2024 and 2025. With this expansion, the MetaMask Card is now accessible across 49 states, excluding Vermont. The US debut adds to existing availability in markets including Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and the European Economic Area. Self-Custody Maintained Until Point of Payment Issued in partnership with Mastercard and regulated issuer Monavate, the card is backed by Cross River Bank, an FDIC-insured bank. It…

Bitcoin markets are approaching a critical $10.5 billion monthly options expiry, with current positioning suggesting that bearish traders may hold the advantage. BTC recently climbed to an eight day high near $68,800 after forming a double bottom around $62,500. However, the cryptocurrency remains 21% below levels seen a month ago, limiting bullish momentum ahead of expiry. The derivatives exchange Deribit dominates the market with a 76% share, holding $4.5 billion in call options and $3.4 billion in put options. OKX and CME Group follow with significantly smaller shares. Despite calls exceeding puts in total open interest, most bullish contracts sit…