Latest FinTech & Blockchain News
Kraken’s xStocks Hits $25 Billion in Tokenised Equity Trades
Kraken’s xStocks platform reached $25 billion in tokenised equity trades in under eight months, highlighting rapid adoption of tokenised assets despite crypto market weakness. This milestone underscores growing interest in bridging traditional finance with blockchain.
Solana’s Alpenglow Consensus Upgrade Gains Traction
Anza, a Solana Labs spinoff, is developing Alpenglow to replace Proof of History and Tower BFT, targeting 100–150 ms block finality with Votor and efficient data relay via Rotor. This could boost transaction throughput and on-chain activity if implemented.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins Embraces Tokenization
SEC Chair Paul Atkins stated tokenization could transform markets by increasing transparency and predictability, with the SEC supporting innovation under his leadership. BlackRock COO Rob Goldstein called blockchain the biggest financial breakthrough since double-entry bookkeeping.
Peter Thiel Exits Ethereum Position
Peter Thiel’s complete exit from Ethereum was confirmed by a February 17 SEC filing showing 0% beneficial ownership as of December 31, 2025, signaling institutional shifts. This move drew market attention amid crypto repositioning.
OpenAI and Paradigm Launch EVMbench for Smart Contract Security
OpenAI and Paradigm unveiled EVMbench, a standardized framework for evaluating smart contract security, bridging AI and blockchain for better DeFi auditing. It enables automated auditing and real-time threat detection.
Spark Debuts Institutional Lending Linking to DeFi
Spark, incubated by Sky, launched products connecting off-chain assets to DeFi, managing over $9 billion in stablecoin liquidity; its SPK token outperformed the market. This aids liquidity management in decentralized finance.
Clear Street Withdraws IPO Amid AI-Driven Volatility
Fintech broker Clear Street canceled its U.S. IPO due to market volatility, AI disruption fears, and fintech sector weakness affecting listings. Investors are cautious on growth prospects and profitability in uncertain conditions.
The move reflects broader challenges for financial infrastructure firms.
NextFin Asia Fund Launched for SE Asia Fintech Inclusion
LHoFT announced NextFin Asia, a dedicated fund for Catapult: Inclusion SE Asia 3.0, partnering with Luxembourg MFA and ADB Ventures to scale inclusive fintechs in ASEAN. Startups gain acceleration, mentorship, and direct investment for faster growth.
Events planned for Luxembourg in June and Singapore FinTech Festival in November 2026.
Polymarket and Base Predicted to Launch Top-10 Tokens
Analysts forecast Polymarket and Base tokens launching in 2026 to become top-10 market cap coins on fully diluted basis, riding prediction market hype. Rising search interest fuels the narrative, though regulatory risks loom.
This targets viral adoption in crypto's prediction sector.
Inscope AI Financial Reporting Platform Raises $14.5M
Dubai-based Inscope secured $14.5 million in Series A funding led by Norwest Venture Partners, with Storm Ventures participating. The AI platform focuses on financial reporting innovations.
UK FCA Crypto Regime Advances Post-Consultation
UK FCA consultation deadline passed on February 12, moving forward the FSMA cryptoasset regime amid global regulatory shifts. Other updates include California DFAL licenses opening March 9 and Poland vetoing MiCA bill again.