OCC Approves Banks As Intermediaries In Crypto Transactions

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has clarified that national banks may engage in “riskless principal” transactions involving crypto-assets.

In its new Interpretive Letter 1188, the OCC explained that such transactions allow a bank to act as a principal between two customers, buying crypto from one while simultaneously selling it to another. 

The bank does not hold the assets in inventory, effectively serving as a broker acting on behalf of clients.

This guidance follows a broader regulatory trend to ease restrictions on crypto activities within the traditional banking sector. In March, the OCC removed prior requirements for banks to seek advance…

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Jack Mallers Vows To Buy ‘As Much Bitcoin As Possible’

Twenty One Capital, the Bitcoin-native company co-founded by Jack Mallers, officially began trading on the New York Stock Exchange today under the ticker XXI, following a business combination with Cantor Equity Partners.

The firm debuted with a BTC treasury of 43,514 BTC, valued at roughly $3.9 billion, immediately making it the world’s third-largest publicly traded Bitcoin holder.

Speaking live on CNBC, Mallers said the company plans to “buy as much Bitcoin as [they] possibly can”. He emphasized that the firm is not simply a treasury holder but intends to build businesses around BTC, including capital markets advisory, lending models, and educational media. 

JUST IN:…

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On The Value Of Holding The History Of Bitcoin In Your Hands

In Bitcoin culture, there is still a noticeable gap between the importance of the subject and the forms in which it is presented. Much of what exists is entirely digital, quick to disappear, or shaped by a purely functional aesthetic. Even projects that engage with Bitcoin’s history or its artistic dimension often end up looking more like documentation or marketing than something with cultural presence.

When I first saw History of Bitcoin in person at the Bitcoin Conference 2025 in Amsterdam, that contrast became quite clear. The physical object had a calm, deliberate quality that stood out in an environment dominated by screens and fast exchanges. It didn’t feel like something…

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Bitcoin Price Skyrockets To $94,000 As Banks Start To Embrace Bitcoin  

The bitcoin price is currently pumping and hit highs of $94,640 today, climbing over 4% in the last 24 hours. Bitcoin’s 24-hour trading volume reached $46 billion. It stands at its seven-day high.

The total circulating supply of Bitcoin is 19,959,806 BTC, with a maximum supply of 21 million. Today’s market capitalization is roughly $1.86 trillion, reflecting the 4% daily gain.

The broader bitcoin space is experiencing some momentum. The Bitcoin MENA conference in Abu Dhabi just wrapped up, full of bank leaders and industry thought leaders sharing their thoughts on Bitcoin’s future. 

Earlier today, Jack Mallers’ Bitcoin company, Strike, and Twenty One rang the opening…

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‘We are going to buy all of it’: Michael Saylor talks Bitcoin Strategy at Bitcoin MENA Conference

Bitcoin Magazine

‘We are going to buy all of it’: Michael Saylor talks Bitcoin Strategy at Bitcoin MENA Conference

Michael Saylor, executive chairman of Strategy, delivered a sweeping keynote at the Bitcoin MENA conference earlier today, framing Bitcoin not just as an investable asset, but as the foundation of a new era in digital capital and credit.

Speaking to an audience of sovereign wealth funds, banks, conference attendees, and investors, Saylor outlined how his company is leveraging Bitcoin to create the world’s first digital Treasury and build a global system of Bitcoin-backed credit.

“Bitcoin is digital capital,” Saylor said, opening his talk.

He contrasted…

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Binance Founder CZ Says The 4-Year Bitcoin Cycle Is Over

At the Bitcoin MENA conference, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) offered an pretty expansive view of Bitcoin’s evolving role in global finance.  

While he touched on personal experiences, from his legal challenges in the United States to his pardon from President Donald Trump, his remarks consistently returned to the trajectory and potential of Bitcoin.

Speaking alongside BTC Inc CEO Brandon Green, CZ described the current adoption cycle as distinct from previous waves. While earlier cycles were dominated by retail investors, this cycle reflects significant institutional engagement. 

Bitcoin’s institutional adoption 

From Bitcoin ETFs to corporate strategic…

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The productivity bull case for almost everything

This is a segment from The Breakdown newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

 “Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything.”

— Paul Krugman

“Total factor productivity” (TFP) is how economists measure the contribution of technological innovation to economic growth — the sustained ability of an economy to produce more output with the same amount of inputs.

As such, it’s arguably economists’ most important measurement, because the continual process of producing more with less is how life gets better.

“A country’s ability to improve its standard of living over time depends almost entirely on its ability to…

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PNC Becomes First Major U.S. Bank To Offer Bitcoin Trading

PNC Bank has launched direct spot bitcoin trading for eligible PNC Private Bank clients, becoming the first major U.S. bank to offer native bitcoin access directly through its own digital banking platform.

The new service allows qualified private banking clients to buy, hold, and sell bitcoin without using an external cryptocurrency exchange. 

The offering is powered by Coinbase’s Crypto-as-a-Service (CaaS) infrastructure, which provides trading, custody, and settlement capabilities embedded directly within PNC’s Private Bank Online platform via its Portfolio View interface.

The launch follows a strategic partnership between the bank and Coinbase announced in July and…

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Bitcoin Isn’t Speculation In Pakistan — It’s Survival

At the Bitcoin MENA conference, Bilal Bin Saqib, CEO of the government-backed Pakistan Crypto Council and chief advisor to Pakistan’s finance minister, delivered a message that framed bitcoin not as a speculative asset, but as a practical solution to structural economic problems facing millions of people in Pakistan.

One of Bin Saqib’s most striking takeaways was how grounded his argument in lived reality. In Pakistan, bitcoin is less about ideology and more about necessity. 

Bitcoin as a financial relief

As Bin Saqib put it, for many Pakistanis “bitcoin is not theory, it’s a relief,” a response to problems traditional financial systems have failed to solve for…

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