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DeFi Technologies’ subsidiary Valour has launched a Bitcoin staking exchange-traded product (ETP) on the London Stock Exchange, giving investors a fresh way to earn crypto yield. The product offers a 1.4% annual return and is secured by Bitcoin held in cold storage with multiparty computation (MCP) technology. Currently, access is limited to institutions and professional investors, while retail participation is expected after the UK lifts its ban on crypto ETNs on October 8.
Valour has not detailed how the yield will be generated, though a similar Bitcoin ETP in France uses Core Chain, an EVM-compatible blockchain backed by Bitcoin’s proof-of-work, for coin delegation. Shares of DeFi Technologies rose 5% on Nasdaq following the announcement, reflecting growing market interest in yield-bearing Bitcoin products.
The move comes as the United Kingdom signals a friendlier stance on digital assets. Reports suggest closer cooperation with the United States on crypto regulation, while trade groups are urging blockchain to be included in the UK’s tech innovation strategy.
Two days after unveiling AP2 — a universal payment layer for AI agents that supports everything from credit cards to stablecoins — Google and EigenLayer have released details of their partnership to bring verifiability and restaking security to the stack, using Ethereum.
In addition to enabling verifiable compute and slashing-backed payment coordination, EigenCloud will support insured and sovereign AI agents, which introduce consequences for failure or deviation from specified behavior.
Sovereign agents are positioned as autonomous actors that can own property, make decisions, and execute actions independently — think smart contracts with embedded intelligence.
From… Read more on Blockworks
Coinbase will introduce USDC lending directly within its app, allowing users to earn yields as high as 10.8% through a new onchain integration with Morpho, the company said on Thursday.
The feature, which will roll out to customers in the US (excluding New York), Bermuda, and other jurisdictions over the coming weeks, enables users to lend their USDC to borrowers on Base, Coinbase’s layer-2 blockchain.
The lending system works by creating a smart contract wallet that connects to the Morpho protocol, with Steakhouse Financial managing onchain vaults that allocate liquidity across multiple markets.
This design is meant to optimize returns while preserving user access to funds,…
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As Bitcoin BTC/USD edges closer to $118,000, prominent analyst Trader Mayne says the long-awaited 25-basis points interest rate cut clears the macro overhang and sets up one last Bitcoin-led push before an altcoin finale.
What Happened: On his podcast after the FOMC decision, Mayne argued the market can “just focus on the charts,” noting a whipsaw in the S&P 500, strength in gold and muted initial crypto reaction.
He expects the current range to resolve upward, which could “sucker more people into the market,” followed by a cleaner buying opportunity on weakness.
Structurally, Mayne still treats the higher time frame as bullish.
His trading sequence for the coming weeks: look for a final…
Read more on Benzinga
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Titan announced today a $7 million seed round led by Galaxy Ventures, with participation from Frictionless, Mirana, Ergonia, Auros, Susquehanna and several angels.
“At Galaxy Ventures, we look for teams working to build foundational infrastructure with long-term impact,” said Will Nuelle, general partner at Galaxy Ventures. “We believe Titan is creating an advanced gateway to internet capital markets on Solana.”
Titan’s raise coincides with the public launch of its frontend meta-DEX aggregator, graduating from a private beta that has processed more than $1.5 billion in spot volume….
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Brera Holdings PLC has formally announced it will rebrand as Solmate, establishing a Solana-based digital asset treasury (DAT) and crypto infrastructure company following an oversubscribed $300 million Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE).
The transaction is backed by the Solana Foundation, UAE-based investors via the Pulsar Group, and institutional players like ARK Invest.
Solmate intends to build out core Solana staking infrastructure in the UAE, including deploying bare-metal servers in Abu Dhabi that are configured to outperform typical DAT validator strategies. It will also focus on accumulating $SOL and generating revenue from staking operations.
Leadership will…
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Kraken will begin hosting token sales from Legion, a fundraising platform backed by VanEck and Brevan Howard Digital, expanding compliant crypto offerings to millions of global users.
Announced on Thursday, the initiative integrates Legion’s reputation-based allocation model with Kraken Launch, the exchange’s new onchain fundraising hub.
Unlike traditional first-come fundraising models, Legion uses a “Legion Score” to allocate up to 20% of each sale to contributors such as developers, DeFi users, and community leaders. This approach is intended to reward long-term industry participants while reducing the influence of bots and speculative wallets. Remaining allocations will…
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Plasma will launch its mainnet beta and native token, XPL, on September 25, positioning itself as the eighth-largest blockchain by stablecoin liquidity from day one.
According to the project, more than $2 billion in stablecoins will be active on the network immediately, distributed across over 100 decentralized finance (DeFi) partners, including Aave, Ethena, Fluid and Euler. The rollout also enables users to withdraw USD₮0 through bridged vault deposits, marking the final stage of Plasma’s launch process.
The project’s early campaigns drew substantial liquidity commitments, including $1 billion in deposits within 30 minutes and a $373 million oversubscribed public sale via…
Read more on Blockworks
Australia’s Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has issued a landmark class exemption allowing licensed intermediaries such as exchanges and brokers to distribute stablecoins without seeking separate regulatory approvals. The move marks the country’s first direct step toward formalizing crypto rules while easing entry barriers for firms overseen by Australian Financial Services.
The relief, delivered through ASIC’s Stablecoin Distribution Exemption Instrument, applies until June 1, 2028, and requires intermediaries to provide retail clients with the issuer’s Product Disclosure Statement. Catena Digital Pty Ltd and its AUDMA stablecoin have been named as the first participants, with ASIC signaling potential expansion to additional issuers as more stablecoins secure AFS licences. By reducing licensing frictions, the exemption creates a clearer path for stablecoin distribution ahead of upcoming national legislation.
Australia’s government plans to introduce a dual-track regime in 2025 covering digital asset platforms and payment stablecoins. This development places Australia alongside global efforts, with the U.S., Hong Kong, and China also advancing their own stablecoin regulations.