Kraken Co-CEO Arjun Sethi highlighted Hong Kong's century-long role as an international business gateway, now being reshaped by stablecoins and blockchain into a 24/7 liquidity hub. Payward's recent US$600M acquisition of Reap Technologies signals expansion into Asia via Hong Kong.
A Cybrid report forecasts a surge in business stablecoin adoption within 12 months, with 42% already using them for cross-border payments and 88% likely to adopt. Businesses report significant cost savings, with larger companies saving up to 47%.
The US SEC has identified digital assets as a strategic priority in its draft 2026-2030 plan, aiming for regulatory clarity on blockchain, tokenization, and crypto market infrastructure. The plan also addresses jurisdictional issues with the CFTC.
SBI Holdings has opened talks to acquire shares in cryptocurrency exchange Bitbank, potentially making it a consolidated subsidiary. The deal would expand SBI's dominance in Japan's crypto market as the country prepares to bring digital assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. The acquisition follows SBI VC Trade's absorption of Bitpoint Japan on April 1 and a $50 million investment in Circle's IPO last June.
Tokenized US Treasurys were one of the biggest growth areas of the RWA market, rising from a market capitalization of $3.9 billion at the start of 2025 to more than $15 billion.
Solana has launched the Solana Research Institute (SRI), a Swiss-based research body founded by former Euroclear executive Angus Scott, designed to help financial institutions navigate evolving crypto regulations like Europe's MiCA and the US GENIUS Act. The initiative includes a 60-page report for senior practitioners and contributions from the Solana Foundation, Jito, R3, and Figment. The launch follows Solana's 2025 Policy Institute in Washington and targets firms assessing operational and risk considerations for public blockchain adoption.
