Uncategorized
Nasdaq Tells SEC Precise Crypto Labeling Will Be Everything in Future Regulation

Nasdaq, the operator of one of the premier U.S. stock exchanges and a crypto index, is advising the U.S. regulators to carefully focus on defining digital assets in four buckets that will clearly determine which agency acts as referee, according to a 23-page letter sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s crypto task force.
«While a stock by any other word would still be a stock, the existing market ecosystem can readily absorb digital assets by establishing the proper taxonomy and calibrating certain rules to reflect what is truly new and novel about digital assets,» the letter argued in response to the invitation issued by the task force’s chief, Commissioner Hester Peirce, to weigh in on future regulations.
The four future categories of digital assets, in Nasdaq’s view, should be:
- financial securities (tokens tied to assets that are securities under existing definitions, like stocks, bonds and exchange-traded funds (ETFS), which Nasdaq said should be treated just the same as their underlying assets);
- digital asset investment contracts (tokenized contracts that check all the securities boxes under a «clarified version» of the Supreme Court’s so-called Howey test);
- digital asset commodities (meeting the U.S. definition of commodities)
- other digital assets (stuff that doesn’t fall anywhere else and shouldn’t have rules for securities or commodities imposed on it)
The securities categories belong in the hands of the SEC, which will be working with its cousin agency, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, that will handle the commodities. Those agencies — presumably directed at some point by a new crypto law hatched by Congress — will figure out the precise border between their jurisdictions.
The letter, signed by John Zecca, the company’s chief regulator executive, argued that «digital assets that constitute financial securities must trade as they do today.»
Nasdaq also suggested that the two agencies should formulate a kind of crossover trading designation for platforms that can handle digital asset investment contracts, commodities and other types of assets under one roof.
In the letter, Nasdaq underlined its digital-asset credibility, saying its «trading and clearing services, market and trading surveillance, and central securities depository technology support digital assets platforms on six continents.» It contended that the regulators should consider imposing safety measures or further constraints on firms that want to handle investors’ activity from top to bottom, which is the common approach of existing crypto firms.
Read More: SEC ‘Earnest’ About Finding Workable Crypto Policy, Commissioners Say at Roundtable
Uncategorized
Swiss National Bank Rejects Calls to Add Bitcoin Reserves

The Swiss National Bank has rejected holding bitcoin reserves, citing concerns over cryptocurrency market liquidity and volatility.
«For cryptocurrencies, market liquidity, even if it may seem ok at times, is especially during crises naturally called into question,” said SNB President Martin Schlegel at the bank’s General Assembly meeting Friday.
“Cryptocurrencies also are known for their high volatility, which is a risk for long term value preservation. In short, one can say that cryptocurrencies for the moment do not fulfill the high requirements for our currency reserves.”
Schlegel’s comments were prompted by the Bitcoin Initiative, a bitcoin advocacy group whose research demonstrates that adding bitcoin to Switzerland’s treasury would complement its overall portfolio and yield substantial return with minimal volatility.
Without bitcoin, the Swiss National Bank’s investments grew by about 10% since 2015. A 1% bitcoin allocation to the central bank’s portfolio would have nearly doubled returns over the same period, according to a Bitcoin Initiative portfolio simulation. Annualized volatility would have increased only slightly.
The Bitcoin Initiative emphasized that bitcoin’s volatility should not be evaluated in isolation, but in terms of its influence on the overall dynamics and performance of the investment portfolio.
“[Bitcoin] price reached new highs, it showed resilience under market stress, and it continues to be highly liquid with trading volumes in the double digit billions, every day and night, even on bank holidays,” said Luzius Meisser, a member of the Bitcoin Initiative and board member of Bitcoin Suisse.
“The Bitcoin network remains one of the most reliable and secure IT systems ever created. And most remarkably, the United States has started a strategic bitcoin stockpile.”
In an emailed statement to CoinDesk, the Bitcoin Initiative suggested the Swiss National Bank’s aversion to bitcoin might be political, as it could be perceived as “an expression of distrust towards other currencies” and harm delicate relations between Switzerland and the European Union.
European Central Bank President Christine LaGarde has consistently criticized bitcoin, calling it “worth nothing” and a “highly speculative asset” linked to money laundering. In January, Lagarde said “I’m confident” that “bitcoins will not enter the reserves of any of the central banks of the General Council” of the ECB.
That was in response to comments made by Czech National Bank Governor Ales Michl that his institution was evaluating adding bitcoin to its reserves. LaGarde argued that bitcoin fails to meet the ECB’s criteria for liquidity, security, and safety from criminal associations.
In February, Poland’s central bank ruled out “keeping reserves in bitcoins under any circumstances” and the Romanian central bank warned banks not to issue loans to crypto companies.
Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said in December 2024 that the U.S. central bank was “not allowed to own bitcoin” per the Federal Reserve Act and it’s not looking to change the law.
The Swiss National Bank has indirect bitcoin exposure through stocks that own corporate bitcoin treasuries, including 520,000 shares of Strategy, 8.12 million shares of Tesla, 580,000 shares of MARA Holdings, and 500,000 shares of CleanSpark, as of the end of 2024 according to Fintel data.
Schlegel rejected citizen calls to add bitcoin reserves to the Swiss central bank’s coffers as recently as last month. When it comes to technological advancements, Schlegel noted Thursday that the SNB is running a pilot project using central bank digital currencies to facilitate payments between financial institutions.
By contrast, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order this year that establishes a strategic bitcoin reserve and crypto stockpile, along with a Crypto Council that will evaluate budget neutral ways to supplement U.S. digital reserves. The order further prohibits government agencies from creating or promoting a central bank digital currency in the United States out of privacy concerns for citizens.
Uncategorized
CoinDesk Announces Consensus 2026 in Miami

Consensus, one of the leading events in the crypto conference calendar, will take place in Miami, Florida, CoinDesk announced today.
Consensus 2026 will take place May 5-7 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The first Consensus was in 2015, starting in New York City. The event went virtual during the pandemic lockdown before moving to Austin, Texas in 2022, 2023 and 2024. This February, CoinDesk held its first Consensus in Hong Kong, attracting more than 10,000 attendees.
Consensus 2025, the North American flagship event, will take place in Toronto May 14-16, featuring headline speakers such as Eric Trump, Charles Hoskinson and Sergey Nazarov. Up to 15,000 people are expected, according to the organizers.
«We are excited to announce that the Consensus conference will be relocating to Miami in 2026,” said Michael Lau, Consensus Chairman.
“As a leading tech and crypto hub, Miami provides an exceptional setting for innovation and collaboration. Its vibrant culture, strategic location, and international connectivity make it an ideal destination for participants from around the world.
“The largest industry-wide conference across the Americas, Consensus in Miami will serve as a pivotal meeting point for innovators and leaders, facilitating the most consequential conversations and business opportunities in this thriving metropolis.»
Tickets for Consensus Miami will go on sale during Consensus 2025 in Toronto.
Uncategorized
DOGE Mining Firm Z Squared To Go Public Through Merger

Z Squared, a firm that specializes in mining dogecoin (DOGE), the dog-themed memecoin that was propelled to mainstream recognition by Elon Musk in 2021, is merging with biopharmaceutical company Coeptis (COEP).
The merger will enable the resulting company to keep DOGE mining operations going, while Coeptis’ pharmaceutical business will be spun out and operated separately. As a result, the firm will become one of the largest publicly-traded companies with a primary focus mining dogecoin and other cryptocurrencies like litecoin (LTC).
“Going public provides us with broader access to capital markets to fuel the growth of our mining operations and pursue additional strategic opportunities we believe will be accretive to shareholders,” Z Squared CEO David Halabu told CoinDesk in an email.
The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025. The combined entity will have 9,000 U.S.-based DOGE mining machines. The company declined to share revenue figures with CoinDesk.
Spun out from Bitcoin (BTC) in 2013, Dogecoin follows a similar Proof-of-Work consensus mechanism, meaning that miners compete to solve an algorithmic problem in order to produce the next block on the blockchain; whoever solves it first is awarded coins for their efforts.
At $27 billion in market capitalization, DOGE is currently the eighth largest cryptocurrency, just ahead of Cardano’s ADA and Tron’s TRX.
With the bitcoin mining industry becoming extremely competitive in the last few years, mining operations are seeking new avenues for revenue — by dedicating resources for AI purposes, for example, or mining other cryptocurrencies like dogecoin and litecoin. Bitcoin mining firm BIT Mining (BTCM), for example, announced in December that it had made three times more money mining DOGE and LTC than BTC since it expanded into those cryptocurrencies.
-
Fashion6 месяцев ago
These \’90s fashion trends are making a comeback in 2017
-
Entertainment6 месяцев ago
The final 6 \’Game of Thrones\’ episodes might feel like a full season
-
Fashion6 месяцев ago
According to Dior Couture, this taboo fashion accessory is back
-
Entertainment6 месяцев ago
The old and New Edition cast comes together to perform
-
Business6 месяцев ago
Uber and Lyft are finally available in all of New York State
-
Sports6 месяцев ago
Phillies\’ Aaron Altherr makes mind-boggling barehanded play
-
Entertainment6 месяцев ago
Disney\’s live-action Aladdin finally finds its stars
-
Sports6 месяцев ago
Steph Curry finally got the contract he deserves from the Warriors