- U.S. Crypto Companies Announce Initiatives Aimed at Institutional Adoption
- Crypto Payments Companies Announce Agentic Payment Initiatives
- Crypto and TradFi Firms Collaborate on Tokenized Securities Offerings
- Report Provides New Data and Analyses on BTC and ETH Markets
- SEC Chairman Announces SEC Crypto Interpretation, Proposes Safe Harbor
- CFTC Publishes Crypto FAQ, Launches Innovation Task Force
- Reports Detail Developments in Crypto Malware, Mixers, Cross-Chain Traceability
According to reports, the Solana Foundation recently announced the launch of the Solana Developer Platform (SDP). The SDP reportedly bundles infrastructure from more than 20 technology partners into a single, API-driven interface that is designed to lower the technical barriers enterprises typically face when building on blockchain networks. Several major U.S. payments companies reportedly will be early users of the SDP.
The Solana Foundation also recently published the Privacy on Solana Report. According to a press release, the report addresses how “Solana’s composable privacy stack gives enterprises the full spectrum: encrypted balances, zero-knowledge anonymity, and multiparty confidential computing, all on the fastest Layer 1 in production, with compliance built in at every level.”
Another recent press release announced that BitGo has partnered with ZKsync to integrate BitGo’s institutional-grade custody, wallet infrastructure and regulated digital asset services with ZKsync’s Prividium, “a privacy-preserving, permissioned blockchain platform designed for regulated financial institutions.” According to a press release, “the firms plan to provide banks with a secure and compliant foundation to issue, transfer, and settle tokenized deposits (digital representations of traditional bank liabilities) while preserving customer protections, regulatory oversight, and operational control.”
In a final development, zerohash, a major digital asset infrastructure provider, recently announced “expanded support for USDCx.Canton,” which will enable access to the USDC stablecoin on the Canton Network. According to a press release, “The Canton Network is a public, privacy-enabled blockchain network (layer 1) designed specifically for institutional finance and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.”
For more information, please refer to the following links:
- Mastercard, Western Union, Worldpay Building With New Solana Enterprise Platform
- Privacy on Solana Report
- BitGo and ZKsync Partner to Power Bank Adoption of Tokenized Deposits
- zerohash Enables Support for USDCx on Canton
A major U.S. payment company recently announced the launch of the Machine Payments Protocol (MPP), “an open standard, internet-native way for agents to pay” that leverages the company’s Tempo blockchain. According to a company blog post, “MPP provides a specification for agents and services to coordinate payments programmatically, enabling microtransactions, recurring payments,” and the ability for businesses to “accept payments directly from agents, in stablecoins as well as fiat.”
In a related development, MoonPay, a crypto payments company, recently announced the launch of the “Open Wallet Standard (openwallet.sh), an open-source standard that gives AI agents a secure, universal way to hold value, sign transactions, and pay for services across every major blockchain, without ever exposing a private key.” According to a company blog post, “The Open Wallet Standard is the latest step in a deliberate shift at MoonPay toward AI-native infrastructure.”
For more information, please refer to the following links:
- Introducing the Machine Payments Protocol
- MoonPay Open-Sources the Wallet Layer for the Agent Economy
A major U.S. stock exchange recently announced a collaboration with Securitize, a “leader in tokenizing real-world assets,” to “support the development of tokenized securities markets, with Securitize named as the first digital transfer agent eligible to mint blockchain-native securities for corporate or ETF issuers” on the stock exchange’s forthcoming tokenized securities platform. According to a press release, “The companies plan to collaborate on the development of standards for digital transfer agents and tokenization agents participating in the digital ecosystem, with a focus on establishing regulatory, operational, and technology requirements for institutional-grade tokenized securities infrastructure.”
In another recent development, BitGo, a digital asset infrastructure company, and Susquehanna Crypto, a proprietary digital asset trading firm, announced a partnership “to provide eligible institutional clients with access to prediction market liquidity through BitGo’s OTC desk and platform.” According to a press release, “[t]he offering is designed to enable hedge funds, family offices, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals the ability to trade listed prediction markets on an OTC basis using cryptocurrency or stablecoin-denominated collateral already held within BitGo’s platform,” with liquidity supported by Susquehanna Crypto.
And in a final notable item, Ondo Finance has reportedly partnered with a major U.S. asset manager to issue tokenized versions of five ETFs tracking stocks, bonds and gold. According to reports, the tokenized securities are designed for crypto-native users who prefer to access investments through a digital wallet instead of through a traditional brokerage.
For more information, please refer to the following links:
- New York Stock Exchange and Securitize Agree to Memorandum of Understanding to Support Tokenized Securities
- BitGo and Susquehanna Crypto Launch First-of-Its-Kind Institutional OTC Access to Prediction Markets
- Franklin Templeton taps Ondo Finance to tokenize five equities and gold ETFs
A major U.S. crypto exchange recently published its Guide to Crypto Markets 2026 report. The report focuses on BTC and ETH and provides various analyses in the areas of adoption, spot market trading, BTC and ETH products, and trading strategies. Key findings from the report include the following for the period of 2025-2026 YTD:
- Perpetual futures have remained the largest venue for crypto trading activity globally by a wide margin, though this activity has historically been concentrated outside the U.S.
- Spot bitcoin ETFs have become a firmly established access point for traditional investors, helping deepen institutional participation through regulated wrappers and familiar brokerage infrastructure.
- ETF flows became an increasingly important driver of market direction.
- Listed options on ETF products expanded the hedging toolkit available to investors.
- Bitcoin treasury strategies gained further visibility as a corporate capital markets approach.
- Derivatives markets (especially perpetual futures and options) remained central to liquidity formation and tactical positioning.
- The rise of crypto-linked treasury strategies underscored that crypto is increasingly being used not only as an investment asset but also as a broader capital markets and ecosystem exposure strategy.
For more information, please refer to the following link:
SEC Chairman Announces SEC Crypto Interpretation, Proposes Safe HarborOn March 17, U.S. Securities and Exchange (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins delivered remarks announcing the SEC token taxonomy and investment contract interpretation (Interpretation) published on the same day. As further discussed in the Interpretation, Atkins stated that digital commodities, digital tools, payment stablecoins and digital collectibles are not subject to securities laws unless they are sold as part of an investment contract. He noted that the Interpretation also provides guidance on “how the investment contract ends, freeing the subject crypto asset from the SEC’s statutes.” Atkins said that the Interpretation also specifies that assets classified as digital securities are still subject to federal securities laws and that the distinction between asset classes “returns the Commission to its core mission—and statutory authority—of protecting investors involved in securities transactions. We are not the Securities and Everything Commission, anymore.”
In his remarks, Atkins described Regulation Crypto Assets, a proposed regulatory safe harbor that “would provide crypto innovators bespoke pathways to raise capital in the U.S., while providing appropriate investor protections.” The proposed safe harbor would consist of three components:
- A “startup exemption,” which would be a limited-duration exemption from registration designed to enable developers to “work toward maturity” and permit entrepreneurs to raise up to a certain amount of capital
- A “fundraising exemption,” which would apply to “investment contracts involving certain crypto assets” and allow entrepreneurs to raise up to a certain amount of capital during a limited window without losing eligibility to rely on certain exemptions from registration
- An “investment contract safe harbor,” which would exempt investment contracts from the definition of “security” for some crypto assets once the issuer has permanently ended “all essential managerial efforts” that the issuer was required to undertake pursuant to the investment contract
Atkins concluded his remarks by stating that he expects the SEC to consider releasing a proposed rule addressing the above safe harbors for public comment “in the coming weeks.” He said his goal is to have “a rule-based standard to give issuers and other market participants greater certainty about when a crypto asset is not subject to the Federal securities laws.”
For more information, please refer to the following link:
CFTC Publishes Crypto FAQ, Launches Innovation Task ForceOn March 20, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) published a response to “Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Registrant and Registered Entity Activities Relating to Crypto Assets and Blockchain Technologies” (FAQs). The FAQs provide answers to 11 specific questions within the context of CFTC guidance and a no-action position issued in December 2025. The FAQs provide more detailed information about the CFTC’s expectations concerning the use of digital assets in accordance with the December 2025 guidance. Among other topics, the FAQs address how and when to apply the value of a non-security crypto asset, how to calculate and factor in haircuts, rules and filing requirements for futures commission merchants, restrictions on using stablecoins as eligible collateral for uncleared swaps, use of stablecoins for residual interest, and capital charges.
In a related development, on March 24, the CFTC announced a new Innovation Task Force. According to a press release, the Innovation Task Force will work with the CFTC’s Innovation Advisory Committee as well as with other federal agencies to develop a clear regulatory framework for innovators in the areas of crypto assets and blockchain technologies, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, and prediction markets and event contracts. In a quote from the press release, CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said, “By establishing a clear regulatory framework for innovators building on the new frontier of finance, we can foster responsible innovation at home and ensure American market participants are not left on the sidelines.”
For more information, please refer to the following links:
- CFTC Staff Issues FAQs Concerning Registrant and Registered Entity Activities Relating to Crypto Assets and Blockchain Technologies
- CFTC Gives Update On Crypto Collateral Expectations
- Chairman Selig Announces Formation of New Innovation Task Force
A recent report from BleepingComputer provides details on the GlassWorm supply chain malware campaign, which has reportedly compromised more than 400 repositories and extensions across GitHub, npm and Visual Studio Code marketplaces. The report notes that attackers use “invisible” Unicode characters to hide malicious code designed to harvest cryptocurrency wallet data, developer credentials and access tokens. The malware also queries the Solana blockchain for command-and-control signaling, leading to the execution of a JavaScript-based information stealer. Developers are advised to inspect their codebases for specific marker variables and unexpected Node.js installations to detect potential compromise.
Separately, a recent article published by the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance at Cambridge Judge Business School addressed how cryptocurrency mixers have adapted following the 2022 U.S. sanctions against Tornado Cash. The analysis indicates that while overall Ethereum mixer transactions declined by 48 percent post-sanctions, demand shifted toward compliant privacy protocols such as Railgun, which now commands a 70 percent market share by utilizing a “proof of innocence” system to screen deposits against known illicit addresses. The report notes that while sanctions deterred legitimate users from unscreened protocols, remaining Tornado Cash users appear more sophisticated, with a dramatic decrease in funding from centralized exchanges.
In a final notable item, TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence platform, recently published a blog post analyzing the traceability challenges of cross-chain swaps (CCS) across various blockchain infrastructure models. According to the post, billions of dollars move across networks weekly through bridges, liquidity protocols and centralized swap desks, with each model making different trade-offs regarding speed, trust and transparency. The analysis emphasizes that building traceable analytics requires a canonical cross-chain swap event schema rather than one-off heuristics.
For more information, please refer to the following links:
