U.S. retail giant Bealls has officially begun accepting cryptocurrency payments across its stores through a partnership with digital payments firm Flexa. The integration of Flexa Payments enables Bealls to accept more than 99 different cryptocurrencies from over 300 digital wallets, marking a major step in the retailer’s modernization efforts.

Founded in Florida in 1915, Bealls operates over 660 stores nationwide, including Bealls, Bealls Florida, and Home Centric. Shoppers can now use their crypto holdings for in-store purchases, offering greater flexibility and digital convenience.

“The retail legacy that Bealls has built over the last 110 years is simply incredible,” said Trevor Filter, co-founder of Flexa. “It’s no surprise that a company with this much staying power is now adopting one of the most important payment evolutions in history.” As of early 2025, about 65 million Americans—nearly 28% of adults—own cryptocurrencies, highlighting the growing mainstream adoption of digital assets.

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What is Bitcoin and who is it for? There are a plethora of catchphrases available on Twitter to cover this one. Bitcoin is for everyone… no wait, it’s for anyone! Bitcoin is a store of value. Bitcoin is a medium of exchange. We could do a classic appeal to authority and declare that Bitcoin is exactly what Satoshi described, “A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System”.

Bitcoin becomes what we make it. It serves the people we choose to build for. If we want Bitcoin to be a store of value or medium of exchange, we have to build the protocols and services that make this happen. 

Sometimes it’s more interesting to ask specifically, who are we building for? Are we building for…

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BlackRock has officially listed its iShares Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Product (ETP) on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

This comes after the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) decision to ease restrictions on crypto-linked investment products. 

The ETP, ticker IB1T, allows retail investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin without directly trading or storing the cryptocurrency, offering a simplified entry point into the digital asset market.

The product is fully physically backed, with all Bitcoin held in secure custody through Coinbase. 

BlackRock emphasized that the ETP removes the technical challenges of holding cryptocurrency, transferring responsibility for secure…

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Trezor, the company behind the first-ever hardware wallet, has unveiled the Trezor Safe 7, a device that brings two unusual ideas to consumer crypto security: a fully auditable secure element and a “quantum-ready” architecture.

For years, hardware wallets have faced a paradox. They’re designed to eliminate trust in third parties, yet the chips that secure them — known as secure elements — are typically closed systems. Trezor’s new design challenges that model. 

At the core of the Safe 7 is TROPIC01, a secure element whose design and implementation can be publicly inspected and verified.

The company says the goal is to make security verifiable rather than taken on…

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Tether (USDT), the world’s largest USD-pegged stablecoin, has surpassed 500 million users, according to CEO Paolo Ardoino. Calling it “the biggest financial inclusion achievement in history,” Ardoino highlighted how USDT continues to bridge traditional finance with digital assets. The stablecoin’s total supply now stands near $182 billion, far ahead of Circle’s $75 billion USDC.

Ardoino described programmable money as “the ultimate social network,” emphasizing its role in enabling peer-to-peer transfers of both value and information. The growing user base signals expanding trust in crypto-backed digital dollars, especially in emerging economies where financial access remains limited.

Recent reports suggest that Tether, based in El Salvador, is in discussions to raise up to $20 billion at a $500 billion valuation—potentially making it one of the world’s most valuable private firms. The company also plans to launch USAT, a dollar-backed stablecoin for U.S. users, as new regulations drive interest in compliant crypto assets.

Today, BOS (BitcoinOS) announced a successful $10M dollar fund raise. BOS is an innovative Bitcoin “operating system” built around zero-knowledge proofs, a layer two protocol designed to unlock smart contracts for Bitcoin, such as interoperability across blockchains, potentially unlocking institutional value for Defi while opening bitcoin yield opportunities for traditional finance.  

Greenfield Capital led the strategic rounds, with backing from other capital investors including FalconX, DNA Fund, Bitcoin Frontier Fund, Trust Machines, UTXO Management, LR Ventures, Silvermine Capital, and MMW 2020 Trust. Angel investors like Paul Taylor (former Blackrock Private Equity…

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Bitcoin price roared past $113,000 today, climbing from $108,000 earlier in the session, as traditional safe-haven assets took a hit. 

Spot gold extended its losses to $4,085.39 per ounce, down more than 6%, while spot silver plunged as much as 8.7%, marking its steepest drop since 2021.

Bitcoin’s surge came after Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller signaled a major shift in U.S. crypto policy, announcing a “skinny master account” program. This initiative would give eligible fintechs and digital-asset firms limited, direct access to the Fed’s payment system, bypassing traditional banks. 

Waller framed distributed ledgers, DeFi, and crypto assets as integral…

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German fintech firm Aifinyo AG (Ticker: EBEN) has unveiled bold plans to become the nation’s first pure-play Bitcoin treasury company, targeting over 10,000 BTC by 2027. The company has already invested €3 million in Bitcoin, matched by a further €3 million from strategic partner UTXO Management, and will convert future profits from its B2B payments business into Bitcoin to fuel growth.

Aifinyo’s strategy marks a major step for corporate Bitcoin adoption in Europe’s largest economy. With 8,000 business clients using its Smart Billment platform, steady revenue will power its “Bitcoin machine.” The company operates under a strong regulatory framework with two licensed subsidiaries and secure institutional custody in Germany.

Industry experts say the move reflects a global shift, with companies now holding over $110 billion in Bitcoin. Aifinyo joins the Bitcoin for Corporations initiative, signaling a turning point for Germany’s traditionally conservative financial sector and potentially accelerating Bitcoin adoption across Europe.

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