Riccardo Conti

GENIUS Act: Stablecoins, Strategy & the Future of Banking – Markus Fehn in Bitcoin News Schweiz In his latest interview with BitcoinNews.ch, Markus Fehn, Head of Strategy & Innovation at Chartered Investment, offers a strategic perspective on the GENIUS Act – the first federal framework for stablecoins in the U.S. Markus highlights how the Act positions the U.S. dollar as the digital reserve currency of the future, while creating a scalable, bank-compatible infrastructure for digital assets. His message to financial institutions is clear: "If banks ignore stablecoins, they risk losing not just transactions – but customer relationships." 🇨🇭 The interview also contrasts the U.S. approach with Switzerland's current regulatory stance. Once a pioneer in crypto regulation, Switzerland now faces the risk of falling behind due to strict licensing requirements and limited interoperability with global stablecoin ecosystems. Read the full interview (in German) to explore: - Why stablecoins are more than just a payment tool - How U.S. regulation is shaping digital finance - What European institutions must consider to stay competitive https://lnkd.in/e5GFdGvW #Stablecoins #GENIUSAct #DigitalAssets #CharteredInvestment #ThoughtLeadership #Innovation #Regulation #Fintech #InstitutionalFinance #Switzerland #USRegulation

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𝗘𝗖𝗕 𝗦𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 The latest European Central Bank paper by Ulrich Bindseil, "𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘴" (Nov 2025), argues that stablecoins are no longer a crypto niche. They are a 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲. Stablecoins have reached $𝟭𝟲𝟬𝗕 in circulation, with 𝟳𝟬% of reserves held in U.S. Treasuries and $𝟲𝟬𝗕 in daily transaction volumes. Their scale already rivals major sovereign payment systems. 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆: 🔵 𝗘𝗨 (𝗠𝗶𝗖𝗔𝗥): 2 % capital / HQLA reserves / 0 % remuneration 🟢 𝗨𝗦 (𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗨𝗦 𝗔𝗰𝘁): liquidity in Treasuries ≤ 93 days / interest banned 🟠 𝗨𝗞 (𝗕𝗼𝗘 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻): 100 % central-bank reserves / holding limits £10-20k Across all regulatory measures, the European Central Bank paper suggests that current regulation focuses too much on protecting banks rather than designing stable, efficient settlement instruments. 𝟯 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱: 🔵 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄: Stablecoins should be allowed to pay interest to align with monetary policy, not distort competition. 🟢 𝗚𝗼 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱: Back them 100% with central bank deposits, ensuring safety and transparency. 🟠 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱: Use a simple Pigouvian tax on stablecoin issuance instead of structural disadvantages to banks. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: These recommendations imply a move toward 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲. If implemented, stablecoins could operate as fully reserved, interest-bearing settlement instruments which would combine the efficiency of digital infrastructure with the safety of central bank money. That would mark a structural shift: stablecoins as a 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, not a competitor, to the banking system. #Stablecoins #FinancialStability #MonetaryPolicy #Tranched

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AMINA Bank becomes one of the first Swiss banks to obtain a MiCA license in Austria, positioning itself to scale compliant digital asset custody, trading and tokenization across Europe.

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Bybit Secures MiCAR License in 🇦🇹Austria, Establishes European Headquarters in Vienna Global cryptocurrency exchange Bybit, ranked second by trading volume worldwide, has attained a pivotal regulatory milestone by securing its Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) license from the FMA. This move enables Bybit to operate as a fully compliant crypto-asset services provider across 29 EEA member states, reaching a potential 500M users through its newly established EEA hub in Austria. Alongside this achievement, Bybit has officially set up its European headquarters in Vienna, marking a significant commitment to the region. Bybit’s co-founder and CEO, Ben Zhou, emphasized the platform’s dedication to top-tier compliance standards: “Securing the MiCAR license in Austria is a testament to our compliance-first approach at Bybit. We are actively collaborating with regulators and pursuing licenses globally to ensure our users can access our innovative platform with the highest levels of regulatory and compliance assurance.” The acquisition of the MiCAR license underscores Bybit’s alignment with Europe’s stringent requirements for transparency, consumer protection, and illicit activity prevention. Bybit now becomes the first global exchange to earn a MiCAR license from a fresh application in both Austria and the EU, a milestone that highlights the depth of the firm’s regulatory groundwork and high operating standards. As part of its expansion, Bybit plans to invest substantially in Austria, intending to hire over 100 professionals in Vienna to deliver localized and regulated crypto services. Mazurka Zeng, Chief Executive Officer of Bybit Europe, highlighted how this move not only cements Bybit’s presence in the Austrian market but also aims to cultivate the local crypto ecosystem: “Vienna is now the home of Bybit Europe, and we’re proud to contribute to Austria’s forward-looking financial environment by investing in talent and innovation. Beyond this, we are dedicated to fostering a strong local crypto community and, through the Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), we will extend our resources to work closely with universities across the region, cultivating the next generation of blockchain innovators and exploring impactful real-world applications of the technology.” The regulatory journey was both rigorous and complex, reflecting Europe’s high standards and thorough scrutiny. The success of this process solidifies Bybit’s position as a key player in the European crypto landscape, ready to build a compliant, sustainable, and future-ready industry in both the EU and Austria. ⭐Congratulations to the Bybit team: Ben Zhou Mazurka Zeng Grigory Kuznetsov Richard Teng Shunyet Jan Dustin Huang Allen Zhu Michelle Daura Juan Silva Paulo Manholetti Meyade Curfs Demet Z. Dmitrij Uskov Emre Davide Oral PARK JOSEPH Louis Tan Santiago Tomas A. Yiran Cao Julaiti Jiawuhaer May Ngiam Youting Chen Alexandr Chernenko Cody Ong Kutluhan Akçın Eunwoo Nam✨

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AllUnity just secured the EMI license from BaFin to list a Euro stablecoin from Germany to Europe and globally. This comes at a crucial point in time where global stable coin regimes are forming and the global payment system evolves with the possibilities of tokenized money. For us this is not an either-or question of the various payment means it’s an and. Stable coins offer a flexibility that by far surpasses any other payment means with even more to come when data and payment are combined. This license is not just a regulatory hurdle cleared; it’s a foundational step towards building a truly secure, transparent and compliant digital cross-border payment ecosystem for Europe and global markets. We are immensely proud to be at the forefront of this innovation meeting the highest standards of regulation and trust with the support of our esteemed partners DWS Group, Flow Traders and Galaxy. Stefan Hoops,  Mike Kuehnel and Mike Novogratz have endeavoured the hard work necessary to build a financial institution and we are humbled by their unshakable trust and support. When we announced that our ambition is to launch the EURAU in July 2025, when we handed in the license application in September 2024, everybody told me it takes at least 15 – 18 months, especially as the legislation was brand new and there still are items to be addressed between national and European law - my answer back then was, we target 9 months. Fast forward here we are ... 9 months later. Understanding what is needed and building a high execution focused team lets you tackle every challenge. I want to specially thank  Sebastian Liebscher and Dr. Dirk Sturz from FinPlanet, Mark Mayerfeld from GK8 by Galaxy (Nasdaq: GLXY), Dr. Vincent Peikert from NOUMENA DIGITAL and Nick Wittek from Jones Day and their teams for continuous drive to build AllUnity. Finally, the AllUnity team ... folks we made it! 🎉 But unfortunately, it’s just the first step and all of you knowing me know that there is more to come ... much more ;-) 🥂 Celebrate the day ... get energized ... get ready to rumble ... and always up and onwards! Official announcement: https://lnkd.in/e3NTZfPD

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🇦🇹 Meet Austria’s Top 100 Voices in Finance & Web3 shaping real change for Europe. Finance and Web3 are converging faster than ever, creating new opportunities and challenges across banking, tokenization, digital assets, regulation, and fintech. Austria is emerging as a key player in this transformation, with an ecosystem full of innovators, builders, and leaders driving progress. To spotlight the people making an impact, I’ve compiled a list of Austria’s Top 100 Voices in Finance & Web3. These individuals come from diverse fields, including: ✔️ Banking & Capital Markets ✔️ Fintech & Web3 Innovation ✔️ Insurance & Asset Management ✔️ Research, Regulation & Policy ✔️ Entrepreneurship & Education These aren’t voices chasing hype-they share actionable insights, practical strategies, and bold ideas that you can use to navigate industry shifts, design products, and inspire teams. Whether you’re exploring tokenization, adapting to regulatory changes, or diving into AI’s role in finance, this list is your guide to discovering new mentors, collaborators, and thought leaders. Full list of 100 voices is in the first comment. Why does this matter? Austria is not just a financial hub within Europe-it’s a launchpad for fintech and Web3 innovation that scales internationally. By connecting these voices across ecosystems, we strengthen bridges between Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, and beyond, creating a network of shared knowledge and collaboration. Follow at least 5 voices today. Save their insights, engage with their posts, and invite them to your next strategy session or event. Let’s keep building a future where finance and technology empower Europe’s progress. To explore your Favikon's linkedin performance metrics access below (affiliate): https://lnkd.in/ePK58byM

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Swiss-regulated AMINA Bank has officially become the first licensed financial institution to offer institutional $POL staking, in partnership with the Polygon Foundation. #Polygon #POL #AMINABank #Blockchain #CryptoNews #DeFi #Web3 #InstitutionalAdoption #DigitalAssets #CryptoAdoption #Finance #Innovation #Switzerland #Staking #CryptoMarket

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BNY launching tokenised deposits for institutional clients is another strong signal that bank money is moving onchain — with a clear focus on settlement efficiency and liquidity management. This is exactly the environment Canton Network was designed for: privacy-enabled, institution-ready infrastructure at scale. Source: https://lnkd.in/dNzyFBZs At Realworld we’re building infrastructure on top of Canton to support institutional lending and collateral workflows as this transition accelerates.

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🚨 𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙄𝙉: Bybit granted MiCA license by Austria’s 🇦🇹 FMA, becoming one of the first major exchanges to comply with the EU’s new crypto regulation. With this new license, Bybit can now operate as a fully compliant crypto-asset services provider and passport its regulated and localized crypto products and services to nearly 500 million Europeans in 29 EEA (European Economic Area) member states through its EEA hub, which is based in Austria. Alongside this regulatory milestone, Bybit has also established its official European headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The MiCAR license underscores Bybit’s unwavering commitment to meeting the highest regulatory standards in Europe, including crucial safeguards that are designed to enhance transparency, prevent illicit activities, and protect consumers within the European Union's digital finance ecosystem. “Securing the MiCAR license in Austria is a testament to our compliance-first approach at Bybit,” stated Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit. “We are actively collaborating with regulators and pursuing licenses globally to ensure our users can access our innovative platform with the highest levels of regulatory and compliance assurance.” “Obtaining the MiCAR license demonstrates our commitment to compliance and transparency, in line with Europe’s high regulatory standards,” said Mazurka Zeng, Chief Executive Officer of Bybit Europe. Source/more info: https://lnkd.in/dzD4pyxu Find this helpful? [ 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 ] Anything to add about this subject? [𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁] Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ] 

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XP LABS AG 🇨🇭 (Zug, Switzerland) is currently in the process of resolving a dispute with MEXC (@mexcofficial) in connection with the listing of the #XP8 token. According to a preliminary assessment, the claimed amount may total up to USD 33,682,000. We believe that a number of contractual and procedural issues resulted in significant reputational damage to both the project and 178 partner authors. The matter is being addressed in accordance with the dispute resolution mechanism provided for in the Agreement, and we remain open to an amicable settlement.

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🚨 #BIS Project #Agora Enters Testing Phase for Tokenized Cross-Border Payments 🚨 The Bank for International Settlements’ “Project Agora”—a joint venture with seven G-7 central banks and 24 commercial banks—has moved from design to live sandbox, testing a unified ledger where tokenized wholesale #CBDCs (wCBDCs) and commercial bank deposits move atomically across borders, cutting correspondent-bank delays from days to seconds. 🔑 Key points 🔹 Test architecture: Agora’s permissioned network hosts distinct “currency partitions” run by each participating central bank (#Fed, #ECB, #BoJ, #BoE, #SNB, #BdF, #BoC); commercial banks mint mirror claims (tokenized deposits) that trade 1:1 with wCBDCs inside a single smart-contract venue. 🔹 Live pilots: - Fed/BoE leg: #Citigroup and #JPMorgan swap tokenized USD and GBP for FX spot settled T+0 vs. current T+2. - EUR/JPY corridor: BNP Paribas and #MUFG use Agora to fund intraday NOSTRO buffers, saving €140 M in trapped liquidity per day. - SNB/BoC: UBS and RBC repo tokenized Swiss gov bonds vs. tokenized CAD deposits for 24-hour term at 2 bps below GC rate. 🔹 Privacy tech: Auditable, yet confidential: #Corda-based “blinded proofs” reveal net balances to central banks but hide counter-party identities from peers; zero-knowledge circuits ensure AML compliance without broadcasting transaction graphs. 🔹 FX market plumbing: A built-in decentralized order book matches wCBDC pairs; central banks contribute reference feeds, allowing on-chain TWAP that converges to WM/R fix—removing need for pre-funding in correspondent banks. 🔹 Timeline: Phase-1 sandbox runs March-May 2026; if loss rates <0.01 % and throughput ≥1,000 tps, Phase-2 will open to emerging-market central banks and test retail remittance corridors (USD/MXN, EUR/EGP). 🎯Bottom line: Project Agora is no longer a white paper—it’s a live, multi-trillion-dollar sandbox proving that wholesale CBDCs can coexist with tokenized deposits on one ledger, wiping out settlement risk and correspondent-bank float. If Phase-1 metrics hold, the next move is opening the network to emerging markets, turning today’s clunky cross-border wires into 30-second atomic swaps backed by the ultimate counter-party: the central banks themselves. https://lnkd.in/ersEf4Ri

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FINEXITY Group, a portfolio company of coinIX and specialist for the #Tokenization of real assets, is listed in the m:access segment of the Munich Stock Exchange. The capital increase is intended to finance the development of an electronic #Trading and settlement platform based on the #Blockchain as well as the acquisition of a regulated #Securities institution. The capital measure implies a pre-money valuation of around EUR 79m. #coinIX has invested a total of c. EUR 295k in #Finexity since 2020. mwb research AG value the stake at EUR 830k, which is roughly equivalent to a 1% stake in Finexity. A successful listing would underline the higher valuation and could also enable a profitable exit and thus support the coinIX business model. #mwbResearch confirm their Buy recommendation for coinIX with a price target of EUR 3.30. Download the German report here: https://lnkd.in/dsVhHe-t Download the English Report here: https://lnkd.in/dKminsnP

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New RWA Token - HistEIN The Histen Token marks the next evolution in Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization -where tangible heritage meets blockchain permanence. Originating from a real USSR 10 Kopeek coin, Histen transforms historical value into digital scarcity. Every token represents a verifiable and traceable link to physical assets, merging culture with decentralized technology. On-chain metadata ensures proof of authenticity, provenance, and ownership — eliminating doubts about originality. This project pioneers the “Heritage-to-Chain” concept, bridging collectible history with digital liquidity. Histen stands as both a symbol of Soviet-era craftsmanship (including but not limited to) and a prototype for asset tokenization 3.0. By anchoring tangible artifacts to blockchain, it unlocks new financial and emotional dimensions of value. The mission is not speculation -it’s preservation, transparency, and empowerment. Histen invites investors, curators, and innovators to reimagine how history can yield future wealth. Real heritage. Digital trust. Immutable value. https://lnkd.in/eS8JPmAZ

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For anyone looking for a great read on what the Canton Network is, why it performs the way it does and more detail on its #privacy, #compliance and inter-operability characteristics, please find Lightshift's recent article below. Thanks Simão Cruz! #digitalassets #crypto #blockchain #institutions #canton

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Axelar Network Deutsche Bank Memento - DAMA 2: Accelerated Asset Tokenization & Servicing for Regulated Institutions - A “Layer 1-2-3ˮ solution Source: https://lnkd.in/d9gzUswM #accelerated #asset #tokenisation #servicing #regulated #institutions Highlights: DAMA 2 strategically combines Ethereumʼs robust, public-blockchain security foundation (as Layer 1) with Memento ZK Chain, a permissioned Layer 2 developed by Memento Blockchain using the ZKsync stack framework. This Layer 2 leverages Prividium (a technology that adds privacy to ZK Stack Validiums) architecture to provide scalability, speed and privacy capabilities, and hosts a smart-contract-based application marketplace (Layer 3) that simplifies the composition of blockchain-based financial services. The Memento ZK Chain was successfully deployed on the mainnet in May 2025 and deployment of new applications and use cases will be ongoing. Interop Labs (initial developer of Axelar Network), a leading global blockchain interoperability expert, provides resilient connections to over 70 blockchains to facilitate distribution and other strategic possibilities. Developed collaboratively by Deutsche Bank, Memento Blockchain and Interop Labs, DAMA 2 incorporates advanced, multichain features including bridge management, modular compliance frameworks, on-chain investor registries and expense tracking mechanisms to support fund valuation and operational transparency. Where necessary, on-chain transaction data will be digitally consolidated with traditional technology via standardized API plugs. DAMA 2 will feature an open architecture for custody wallets. AI-enhanced accessibility for issuersʼ time -to-market competitiveness is a planned roadmap milestone. Positioned in the estimated $84 trillion intergenerational wealth transfer trend underway through 2045, DAMA 2 is a comprehensive competitive tokenization solution that offers industry issuers of digital assets and funds an intuitive user interface with one-stop access to create, program, launch, distribute and service their blockchain-based products. It is built to allow issuers and investment managers to ride the momentum of a generational shift in investing: millennials are more likely than baby boomers to own crypto and digital assets. This next generation is digitally native, with a strong affinity for digital financial products and this creates a conducive environment to drive the emergence of tokenized financial instruments as a new asset class. The World Economic Forum3 has identified asset tokenization as one of the most transformative forces in modern finance, with multiple possibilities to unlock deeper and newer benefits to investors and the industry

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