RedStone, a blockchain oracle, acquired the Security Token Market and its conference. This will provide the company with a dataset on tokenized RWAs, drastically boosting its standing as RWA activity grows larger.  In the meantime, the crypto market started a heavy correction as BTC fell below $90K, leading to many traders exploring early-stage projects.  With nearly $1.3M secured and multiple 100x projections under its belt, DeepSnitch AI is touted as the best crypto presale in 2026.  Centered on providing the retail sector with an analytics suite powered by five AI agents, DeepSnitch AI is well-positioned for mass adoption. The hype is slowly building ahead of the expected late January launch, with whales betting on the project after a 300% bonus for large investors was unveiled.  RWA race is heating up On January 20, Blockchain oracle provider RedStone acquired Security Token Market (STM) and its TokenizeThis conference, significantly strengthening its position in the tokenized real-world asset space. The acquisition adds STM’s historical dataset to RedStone’s oracle business, which covers over 800 tokenized products across equities, real estate, debt, and fund structures.  Moreover, STM founder Herwig Konings will join RedStone as an advisor and head of TokenizeThis conference, while the COO, Jason Barraza, will rotate into an institutional business development role targeting asset managers, banks, and tokenization platforms. At press time, RedStone secured more than $6B in on-chain value, providing data feeds to protocols including Securitize, Ethena, Compound, Morpho, Drift, and ether.fi.  The move is strategically significant, considering that tokenized RWAs are gaining massive traction across the industry.   Yet, the crypto market went sideways, which led to many traders looking for the best crypto presale to offset the losses and ensure asymmetric gains.  Trending new ICOs 1. DeepSnitch AI: Is DSNT one of the best early investor opportunities? If you’re looking for something in the January presale crypto calendar, DeepSnitch AI may present a perfect choice. The project pulled in almost $1.30M in presale and, combined with DSNT’s price of $0.03609, it could make its end-of-January launch quite an event. However, even though the DeepSnitch AI is widely considered the best crypto presale, it doesn’t focus on hype alone. The utility is the main course, with an analytics suite that runs five dedicated AI agents that handle on-chain monitoring, smart contract audits, and scam detection that covers honeypots, rugs, and other threats.  It’s also quite simple to work. Simply paste the CA into an LLM interface, and you’ll gain accurate and instantaneous insights.  These tools make DYOR way easier, and traders see huge adoption potential once the platform goes live. The most common projection for the DSNT token is 100x, which is possible considering the growth trajectory of other coins. The rush isn’t slowing down either. Exclusive DeepSnitch AI presale codes give 30% bonuses on $2K+ investments all the way up to 300% on $30K+, which has everyone scrambling to secure their spot. 2. LiquidChain: Does LIQUID have a future? While it’s still too early to tell if LiquidChain is the best crypto presale, considering the project raised little over $440K, it’s been hitting the trending new ICOs lists lately due to its utility.  As an L3 execution layer connecting Bitcoin, Solana, and Ethereum, it allows these networks to share liquidity and solves one of DeFi’s biggest issues: fragmentation.  Developers can also launch cross-chain apps with shared liquidity pools, which certainly expands LiquidChain’s appeal. LIQUID is priced at $0.01325, which presents a solid entry for a project that shows clear potential. 3. LivLive: Is LIVE too niche? PokemonGo meets the blockchain seems like an unhinged sell, but it’s actually the best way to describe LivLive.  Blending AR and crypto into a lifestyle platform, LivLive allows users to complete real-world challenges. These are simple but quite effective and include actions such as reviewing local spots or boosting community engagement in exchange for token rewards.  The idea is to gamify daily actions while introducing new audiences to blockchain.  The project raised over $2M, with LIVE at $0.02, and traders are already speculating a jump to $0.08 after launch. While its experimental nature may inhibit it from being the best crypto presale, the concept could spark real traction. Final words: Best time for early entries? With the market going through full corrections, presales are gaining new ground as traders are adamant on avoiding the volatility. DeepSnitch AI, with its late-January launch, real utility, and mass adoption potential, is many traders’ choice for the best crypto presale. Raising nearly $1.30M shows interest is hot, and with the community eyeing 100x gains, the presale could be your ticket for asymmetric gains - and the year has just started. Plus, you can stack extra value with the latest presale codes: DSNTVIP30 for 30% on $2K+, DSNTVIP50 for 50% on $5K, DSNTVIP150 for 150% on $10K, and DSNTVIP300 for 300% above $30K. Join the DeepSnitch AI presale ASAP and catch all the latest updates via X and Telegram. FAQs 1. What is the best crypto presale right now? DeepSnitch AI is widely considered the best crypto presale right now, having raised close to $1.30M and offering retail-focused AI trading tools with strong 100x upside projections. 2. Why is DeepSnitch AI attracting whale investors? Whales are piling into DeepSnitch AI due to its real AI utility, late-January launch timeline, and aggressive bonus structure, including up to a 300% bonus on $30K+ investments. 3. How does the RedStone acquisition impact presale demand? RedStone’s acquisition of Security Token Market highlights growing interest in tokenized RWAs, and will likely contribute to the sector’s expansion. 

InvestiFi has secured a new contract with Truity Credit Union to embed its digital investing and wealth management capabilities directly into the credit union’s online and mobile banking environment, expanding access to investing for more than 75,000 members across the central United States. The agreement will see Truity integrate InvestiFi’s full suite of digital investment tools, enabling members to invest directly from their checking accounts without leaving the credit union’s trusted digital ecosystem. The move reflects a broader push by credit unions to retain deposits, deepen member relationships, and compete with third-party investing apps that have increasingly captured retail investor attention. For InvestiFi, the partnership strengthens its footprint in the U.S. credit union market, where institutions are seeking compliant, turnkey solutions that allow them to offer modern investing experiences while preserving their community-first identity. Digital Investing Embedded in Everyday Banking Headquartered in Oklahoma, Truity Credit Union serves members across Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. Founded in 1939 by the Jane Phillips Sorority in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, the credit union has grown steadily to nearly $1.5 billion in assets, operating nine branches while maintaining a strong focus on financial wellbeing and community engagement. Through the new integration, Truity members will be able to access investing tools directly within the credit union’s digital channels, eliminating the need to move funds to external platforms. The solution is designed to provide a seamless, secure experience that aligns investing activity with members’ day-to-day financial management. Amy Grose, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Truity Credit Union, said: “We are committed to offering innovative financial solutions that put our members first and support their goals and long-term financial wellbeing. InvestiFi will allow us to bring modern, accessible and user-friendly investment tools directly to our members, empowering them to manage their investments within the trusted Truity experience they already know.” Full Spectrum of Investing Options for Members Under the agreement, Truity will offer all three of InvestiFi’s core solutions: guided investing, self-directed investing, and cryptocurrency investing. The guided investing option provides a robo-advisory experience that builds diversified portfolios aligned with members’ individual goals and risk tolerance. For members seeking more control, the self-directed platform enables trading across more than 6,500 stocks and exchange-traded funds. In addition, members will have access to cryptocurrency and stablecoin investing, allowing them to explore digital assets within a regulated, credit-union-backed environment. Grose highlighted the importance of education alongside access, noting: “We are excited to be integrating InvestiFi’s platform, allowing us to offer an all-in-one, digital-first investing experience. The new tools will also include a robust education platform designed to improve financial literacy, enhancing members’ confidence in their investment journey.” Addressing a Strategic Challenge for Credit Unions The partnership underscores a growing strategic concern for credit unions: the steady migration of member funds to third-party investing and trading apps. As younger and more digitally native consumers seek easy access to investing, institutions risk losing both deposits and long-term engagement if they cannot meet those expectations in-house. InvestiFi positions its platform as a way for credit unions to counter that trend by keeping investment activity within their own ecosystem. By allowing members to invest directly from checking accounts, the solution aims to reduce friction, increase trust, and strengthen the primary financial relationship. Kian Sarreshteh, CEO of InvestiFi, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Truity Credit Union, a respected institution that shares our commitment to financial empowerment, to offer their members convenience and safety to invest directly from their checking accounts.” He added: “As more and more credit union members turn to third-party investment apps and divert their funds away from credit unions, it is increasingly important for credit unions to offer seamless investing opportunities. By bringing this directly to its members, Truity is able to retain trust and attract new members looking for safe pathways to investment opportunities.” Balancing Innovation, Trust, and Regulation Unlike standalone trading apps, InvestiFi’s model is designed specifically for regulated financial institutions. The platform emphasizes security, compliance, and integration with existing core banking systems, allowing credit unions to expand their offerings without taking on disproportionate operational or regulatory risk. For Truity, the decision to roll out guided, self-directed, and crypto investing reflects a calculated approach to innovation—offering choice while maintaining oversight and alignment with member interests. The inclusion of an education layer further supports the credit union’s emphasis on responsible financial decision-making. The collaboration also highlights how community-focused institutions are evolving. While Truity remains rooted in its regional presence and history, the addition of digital investing tools positions it to compete for members who expect modern financial capabilities alongside personalized service. A Broader Signal for the Credit Union Sector The Truity-InvestiFi partnership is emblematic of a wider shift across the U.S. credit union landscape. As investing becomes a core expectation rather than a niche offering, institutions are increasingly seeking embedded solutions that allow them to participate in wealth-building activities traditionally dominated by large brokerages and fintech platforms. By integrating investing directly into digital banking, credit unions can create a more holistic financial experience—one that spans saving, spending, and investing under a single trusted brand. For providers like InvestiFi, this represents a growing opportunity to serve institutions that value both innovation and member-centric design. Summing up the strategic significance of the deal, Sarreshteh concluded: “As members increasingly seek investing opportunities, it is incredibly important for credit unions to integrate investing tools into their digital banking ecosystems. This alliance is a great example of a respected credit union working to support members’ needs and interests in digital investing.” Takeaway: By partnering with InvestiFi, Truity Credit Union is embedding guided, self-directed, and crypto investing directly into its digital banking platform, signaling how credit unions are evolving to retain member relationships and compete with third-party investing apps while staying true to their community-first model.

This is the third part of our feature examining how retail FX brokers moved beyond platform sameness over the past decade. We kicked off our coverage with conversations featuring industry leaders Alexis Droussiotis of Match-Trader, Steve Sanders of Interactive Brokers, Sergey Klinkov of Finery Markets, Roman Nalivayko of TraderEvolution, Jon Light and Ivan Kunyankin from Devexperts. You can check them out here. In the second part, we heard from Arthur Azizov, Founder and Investor at B2 Ventures (B2BROKER), Pavel Spirin and John Williams from Rostro Group, Tom Higgins, Founder and CEO of Gold-i. If you missed them, you can catch up here! Today, we round it off with insights from, Ran Strauss, CEO and Co-Founder of Leverate, Justin D. Hertzberg, CEO of FPFX Tech, Stanislav Bunimovich, Managing Director APAC and Strategic Adviser at GCEX, Remonda Kirketerp-Møller, Founder and CEO of Muinmos. Why Modern Trading Platforms Win on Experience, Not Incentives Over the past decade, retail trading platforms moved away from generic, promotion-driven growth toward experience-led differentiation. Regulatory constraints reduced the effectiveness of bonuses and incentives, forcing brokers to compete on product quality rather than marketing tactics. Retention and reactivation became product responsibilities, not promotional ones. At the same time, winning brokers designed full mobile journeys—onboarding, funding, alerts, education, and execution—rather than simplified desktop replicas. The platform narrative evolved from “download software” to “trade, invest, and learn in one place.” User acquisition also changed. Traders increasingly arrived through content, creators, and communities rather than directly from broker advertising. As a result, successful brokers embedded the full learning loop inside their platforms: learning, simulation, execution, and review all happened in one environment. Platform differentiation no longer centered on choosing one execution system over another. While core trading platforms remained important, value increasingly came from the layers around execution—charting ecosystems, analytics, education, personalization, and community features. Behind the scenes, these advantages were enabled by stronger infrastructure. Reliable execution, modular technology stacks, and advanced data and risk engines allowed faster iteration, personalization, and stability. Much of the real differentiation originated in systems traders never directly see. Leverate: Operational Intelligence Replaced Spreads as the Real Advantage Ran Strauss, CEO and Co-Founder of Leverate, says the point where generic platforms started to fail was also the point where brokers had to rethink how they actually compete. “As the market matured, generic platforms became less effective,” Strauss told FinanceFeeds. According to him, the brokers that survived did not rely on spreads or branding, but instead rebuilt their operations around infrastructure, automation, and day-to-day execution. That change, he adds, was supported by enterprise providers willing to go deeper than surface features. Strauss describes a moment when many brokers reached the same conclusion at once. “We watched the entire market realize that differentiation isn’t built on spreads or branding, it’s built on operational intelligence,” he says. For Leverate, that meant moving away from packaged tools and toward giving brokers direct control over how their businesses run. “The change happened when we stopped selling ‘solutions’ and started giving brokers real leverage,” Strauss explains. That leverage showed up in practical ways: “the ability to route smarter during news spikes, segment traders by behavior in real time, and onboard a user in Lagos as seamlessly as one in London.” Capacity under pressure is another dividing line he points to. Strauss says many earlier systems simply were not built for stress. “We helped multiple brokers scale from startup operations to processing thousands of concurrent trades during high-volume market periods,” he notes, something their previous setups could not support because “they weren’t designed to perform under heavy load.” In his view, technology alone was never the deciding factor. What separated durable firms from short-lived ones was how they operated. “The brokers still standing today didn’t just adopt new technology,” Strauss says. “They embraced a different operating philosophy.” That philosophy, he adds, shows itself in moments that matter most. “Competitive advantage lives in execution speed during volatility, in conversion rates at the KYC stage, and in how intelligently you manage risk when everyone else is guessing.” Strauss sums it up simply: “That’s what we made possible.” FPFX Tech: Most Platform “Innovation” Is Overstated Justin D. Hertzberg, CEO of FPFX Tech, takes a markedly different view from many infrastructure providers when assessing what has — and has not — meaningfully changed broker and prop firm differentiation over the past decade. On liquidity and execution, Hertzberg is blunt. “I don’t think this is a major differentiator,” he told FinanceFeeds. In his view, most modern platforms are already designed to be liquidity-agnostic. “Trade execution is not handled by the platform, but by the LP and/or exchange,” which limits how much credit platforms themselves should claim for execution quality. He applies the same skepticism to API flexibility and modular stacks. While newer platforms have made onboarding easier, Hertzberg sees this as incremental rather than transformative. “Generally-speaking, newer platforms have focused on ease of integration with brokers and prop firms to enable easier adoption, less downtime and ready access to more features,” he notes. “With that said, these are merely evolutionary or iterative improvements.” The same logic extends to analytics and tooling. “The inclusion of additional tools are helpful,” Hertzberg says, “but again, evolutionary and not revolutionary.” Even where platforms offer new ways of viewing or analyzing data, he sees them as refinements rather than structural changes. “What we are seeing in some newer platforms is more of an ‘all-in-one’ solution,” he says, “but again, merely evolutionary and not revolutionary.” Where Hertzberg does see tangible impact is in areas that affect business efficiency rather than trading mechanics. He points to onboarding and payments as one example. “Some platforms are building in onboarding and reloading functionality into the trading platform,” he says. That matters because it can “remove friction and encourage traders to ‘re-up’ faster and with less hassle,” directly extending trader lifespan and lifetime value for firms that rely on retail deposits. At a broader level, Hertzberg argues that the market has reached a point where surface-level differentiation has largely disappeared. “In a maturing space, the deliverables to traders are virtually the same,” he says. “Same trading platforms, same liquidity provisioning, same bridges, same payments solutions.” As a result, “customers are unable to meaningfully discern the differences, because the front-end experiences are virtually identical.” The real dividing line, in his view, sits entirely outside what traders see. “The difference between why one broker is an IG or IC Markets and another is some no-name in parts unknown comes down to the execution of the business model,” Hertzberg says. That includes how efficiently firms market, how well they support clients, and whether the overall experience feels professional or “amateur hour.” Above all, he points to risk management. “Most importantly, how does the firm manage back-end risk,” he says. “A trader would never see this or be able to fully understand, but it’s what allows good firms and good operators to scale their businesses.” Hertzberg argues that this is where FPFX Tech focuses its effort. “Every other tech provider has tried to copy what is readily apparent to prop firm operators or traders,” he says, “but they have no idea what goes on in the background.” That hidden layer, he adds, is where “data and innovation really come together.” He is particularly critical of large parts of the prop trading space. “Most others are just running a variant of a Ponzi scheme and are technically insolvent — including most of the prominent and heavily marketed firms,” Hertzberg says. By contrast, he argues that firms which follow data-driven risk controls can build durable businesses. “Prop firm backend systems, like brokerage, are not commodities,” he says. “Incredibly bright people consuming massive amounts of data with a clear vision of how to build sustainable, scalable tech and manage prop firm risk are what allow firms to grow not only their businesses, but also their reputations for prompt and full payouts to traders.” GCEX: Liquidity Provision Is a Test of Survival, Not a Commodity At first glance, being a liquidity provider can look deceptively simple. Stanislav Bunimovich, Managing Director APAC and Strategic Adviser at GCEX, describes the common assumption bluntly. “Being a liquidity provider might seem straightforward at first glance: connect a few feeds, aggregate them into a cohesive stream, and channel the flow directly to your clients,” he says. In theory, brokers internalise profitable flow, offload the rest, and “watch revenues roll in with minimal effort.” “But not quite,” Bunimovich adds. In practice, he explains, FX and CFD liquidity is fragile. “That apparent simplicity is more like a delicate web, vulnerable to the slightest disruption.” One provider falters, aggregation breaks down, and “clients are voicing frustration over slippage while your team deals with endless reconciliations and complaints.” With alternatives readily available, “they’ll just move on to the next provider.” What looks like provision quickly turns into “a test of survival.” According to Bunimovich, the last few years brought a material change. “Over the past couple of years, the landscape has shifted,” he says. API flexibility, open data streams, and modular stacks have turned liquidity from a brittle setup into something brokers can actively manage. “Brokers aren’t just hanging on through the market’s turbulence anymore — they expect to steer through it.” He contrasts this with earlier API promises that often fell short. “Back in the day, APIs promised efficiencies but often delivered headaches,” Bunimovich notes. Integrations required heavy custom work, dev and support costs climbed, and data ended up locked in silos. “Modularity was a myth,” he says, with turnkey solutions designed to lock clients in and turn even small changes into scaling problems. By 2025, that picture looks different. Bunimovich points to AI-driven development and open architectures as practical enablers rather than buzzwords. “Flexibility now allows brokers to swap LPs or add crypto CFDs in days, not weeks or months.” Real-time data access, he adds, now feeds everything from back-office processes to marketing and analytics, including “NOP optimisation, client-by-client analytics, churn forecasts, and own funds optimisation.” The architecture behind this matters. Bunimovich describes modern stacks as modular by design. “Modular stacks, powered by microservices for onboarding, flow analytics, trading, and back-office data, enable LEGO-like assembly,” he says. Brokers can add a risk module, connect a CRM, or layer in analytics “all without downtime.” The outcome is freedom to build “hybrid products, personalised experiences, and AI-driven tools that turn data into revenue.” This approach, he says, explains GCEX’s recent momentum. “With our APIs, we offer easy-to-integrate, efficient, and modular functionality,” Bunimovich explains, which shortens time-to-market and supports brokers “in real time,” alongside what he describes as strong client service. What appears simple on the surface, he adds, is the product of long, unseen work. Bunimovich points to partnerships across compliance, custody, banking, and non-bank liquidity, supported by a resilient internal architecture designed to make complexity invisible to clients. He questions whether generic, all-in-one platforms still make sense. “Will a generic trading platform suffice in today’s market? Probably not,” he says. Brokers are more demanding and more aware of the risks of concentrating everything in one place. “Is it truly worth the cost and complexity and risk of placing all your eggs in one basket,” he asks, compared with modular setups that don’t require “a PhD in computer science or a costly tech division?” In his view, the answer is clear. Brokers should focus on what they do best. “Procuring clients and monetising their flow,” Bunimovich says, while leaving the rest “to the experts.” Muinmos: Onboarding and Risk Intelligence Replaced Trading Features as the Real Battleground Remonda Kirketerp-Møller, Founder and CEO of Muinmos, says the basis of competition in brokerage has changed far more than many firms expected. “Ten years ago, the brokerage industry’s competitive battleground was trading platforms, spreads, execution speed, charting tools,” she told FinanceFeeds. “Today, those have largely commoditised.” What replaced them, in her view, is far less visible but far more decisive: “the ability to onboard legitimate clients quickly while keeping bad actors out.” She traces this change to two pressures that hit the industry at the same time. On one side, regulation tightened across jurisdictions. “Manual KYC, KYB, and AML processes weren’t just inefficient anymore,” Kirketerp-Møller explains. “They became genuinely risky.” On the other side, client expectations moved faster than many brokers anticipated. “Retail traders who could open a neobank account in minutes weren’t going to wait three days for broker approval.” The firms that adjusted early, she says, stopped treating compliance as a box-ticking exercise. “The brokers who understood this early stopped thinking about compliance as a necessary evil and started treating it as product differentiation.” That shift, she argues, produced measurable results. “One broker we work with reduced their onboarding time by 96% while simultaneously improving their client assessment accuracy.” For Kirketerp-Møller, that outcome goes beyond efficiency. “That’s not just operational efficiency,” she says. “That fundamentally changes your market position.” She also points to agentic AI as a turning point in how onboarding and risk assessment are handled. Instead of static rules that generate friction, “modern platforms can make contextual decisions,” she explains, “understanding patterns and behaviour.” This allows brokers to move away from blanket controls. “It means brokers can offer genuinely personalised risk assessment rather than one-size-fits-all compliance.” According to Kirketerp-Møller, many generic platform providers failed to see this coming. “They were solving yesterday’s problem,” she says, focusing on trading infrastructure while “the real competitive advantage shifted to identity, payments, and continuous monitoring.” The brokers that invested early didn’t just aim for speed. “Not just faster onboarding,” she adds, “but smarter onboarding.” Looking ahead, she is clear about where advantage will sit. “Success in the next decade won’t be about who has the slickest trading interface,” Kirketerp-Møller says. It will belong to firms that can “confidently say ‘yes’ to the right clients in minutes rather than days or weeks,” while remaining comfortable that “their risk management is actually working.”  

The Chair of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has declared that American financial markets are entering what he described as a potential “golden age,” driven by rapid technological innovation and an impending shift in regulatory philosophy. In a wide-ranging statement, the CFTC Chair positioned digital assets, blockchain, and artificial intelligence as catalysts for a fundamental transformation of the financial system. At the heart of this transition is the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, legislation currently before Congress that would establish a clear regulatory framework for digital asset markets. The Chair framed the bill as a long-overdue correction, arguing that regulatory uncertainty has pushed innovation offshore and limited access for U.S. participants. With Congress poised to redefine market structure oversight, the CFTC is preparing for an expanded mandate. The agency’s leadership has emphasized that its long history regulating futures, derivatives, and complex financial instruments uniquely positions it to oversee emerging asset classes built on new technologies. A Shift Away From Regulation by Enforcement The CFTC Chair drew a sharp contrast between the current direction of U.S. financial regulation and the approach taken under the previous administration. He criticized what he described as a reliance on “regulation by enforcement,” where novel products were forced into legacy regulatory frameworks ill-suited to their design. According to the Chair, this approach created uncertainty and discouraged innovation, particularly in digital assets and perpetual futures. He argued that applying rules designed for traditional markets to new technologies neither protected investors nor supported responsible market development. Under the new leadership, the CFTC is signaling an explicit departure from enforcement-led policymaking. Instead, the agency intends to rely on formal rulemaking, providing market participants with clearer, more stable expectations through notice-and-comment processes. The ‘Future-Proof’ Initiative and Modernized Rulemaking To support this regulatory reset, the CFTC has launched a “Future-Proof” initiative aimed at reviewing and modernizing decades-old rules. While agricultural futures regulations may remain fit for purpose in traditional markets, the Chair acknowledged they were never designed for blockchain-based assets or AI-driven trading venues. The initiative will involve a comprehensive review of existing regulations to ensure they are tailored to modern market realities. The stated goal is to create a level playing field where both incumbents and new entrants can innovate without facing inconsistent or outdated requirements. Central to this effort is the principle of proportionality. The Chair argued that regulation should deliver the “minimum effective dose,” balancing market integrity and consumer protection without stifling innovation or locking markets into rigid structures that cannot evolve. Digital Assets, Prediction Markets, and a Broader Mandate The statement highlighted the rapid growth of digital assets, now a multi-trillion-dollar market, and the rising popularity of prediction markets as tools for risk management and information discovery. Both areas are expected to fall increasingly within the CFTC’s oversight if Congress advances new market structure legislation. The Chair emphasized that regulatory frameworks should be purpose-built, fitting not only the product but also the role it plays in the financial ecosystem. He argued that emerging markets require bespoke oversight models rather than one-size-fits-all rules inherited from legacy finance. If Congress delivers on its ambition to make the U.S. the global hub for digital assets, the CFTC stands ready to assume broader responsibilities. The Chair pledged that the agency would ensure these markets develop domestically, under clear and stable rules, rather than migrating to foreign jurisdictions. Takeaway: The CFTC is signaling a major shift toward principles-based, fit-for-purpose regulation, positioning digital assets and emerging markets at the center of a broader effort to modernize U.S. financial oversight and restore regulatory clarity.

Netflix (NFLX) reported its quarterly results yesterday, posting a modest beat versus Wall Street forecasts on both earnings per share (EPS) and gross revenue. Nevertheless, the market reaction was negative, with NFLX shares retreating in after-hours trading to around $82.50. What Is Behind the Decline in NFLX Shares? According to media coverage, investor pessimism is being shaped by several key concerns: → More cautious outlook from management. Netflix has guided for a slowdown in revenue growth to 11–13%, down from 15–16% recorded in 2025. → Decelerating subscriber additions. Although the company’s global subscriber base reached a new record of approximately 325 million, the pace of new sign-ups is easing. By comparison, Netflix added around 41 million users in 2024, versus about 23 million in 2025. → M&A-related uncertainty. As highlighted in our analysis on 8 December, a potential acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery could have a significant impact on NFLX shares. Such a deal would be substantial in scale and could increase debt levels, adding to investor uncertainty. NFLX Chart: Technical Perspective In previous technical assessments of Netflix shares, we identified both upward and downward price channels. Key developments include: → In October, the upward channel was broken to the downside, with the former support area near $117 turning into resistance and confirming the dominance of the downward trend. → In December, NFLX prices moved into the lower portion of the descending channel, accompanied by higher trading volumes and accelerating downside momentum — a bearish technical signal. The shares also slipped below the psychological $100 mark, which may now cap any recovery attempts. Should NFLX open today near $82.50: → the price would be trading below the lower boundary of the descending channel; → it would be close to important 2025 lows, which could act as a support zone; → technical indicators would point to oversold conditions. These factors may allow for a short-term corrective bounce. However, reversing the broader and well-established downtrend is likely to require stronger fundamental catalysts. FXOpen offers spreads from 0.0 pips and commissions from $1.50 per lot (additional fees may apply). Enjoy trading on MT4, MT5, TickTrader or TradingView trading platforms! The FXOpen App is a dedicated mobile application designed to give traders full control of their accounts anytime, anywhere. This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

Ramsey, Isle of Man, January 21st, 2026, FinanceWire Proprietary AI Systems Outperform Major Hedge Funds with Superior Risk-Adjusted Returns. Vertus, a frontier artificial intelligence company, today announced two major milestones demonstrating the advancement of machine reasoning in financial markets: surpassing $1 billion in daily AI-driven transactions and delivering 51.15% returns for 2025 with a Sharpe ratio of 2.13-figures independently audited by Alpha Performance Verification Services, Certified Public Accountants. The $1 billion single-day volume milestone, first achieved on November 25, 2025, caps a breakthrough year in which Vertus' AI systems significantly outperformed both traditional market indices and leading hedge funds on both absolute and risk-adjusted return metrics. Vertus' 2025 performance places the company's AI systems among the top-performing institutional trading operations globally: 51.15% annual return vs. S&P 500's ~17% (more than 2x market performance) 2.13 Sharpe ratio vs. leading hedge fund range of 0.5-1.5 (superior risk-adjusted returns) $600M+ average daily volume with systems processing $1B daily regularly Consistently positive returns achieved through advanced machine reasoning "This milestone validates everything we built," said Julius Franck, Co-Founder at Vertus. "We engineered a quantitatively backed system that thinks and acts at market speed-processing complexity, making decisions, and executing with precision that traditional algorithms simply cannot match. The independently verified billion-dollar threshold proves the architecture is performing exactly as designed." Vertus developed and stress-tested its core systems in the Isle of Man, where progressive regulation and robust digital infrastructure provided the ideal environment to validate machine reasoning under live market conditions. What began as controlled experimentation has become production-grade technology now powering institutional-scale investing infrastructure. The company's technology now serves as the decision-making backbone for a growing network of funds, family offices, and asset managers, executing in high-velocity markets where legacy systems falter. "We've proven that advanced intelligence architecture outperforms decades-old algorithmic models," said Alex Foster, Co-Founder. "Financial markets were the perfect crucible-unforgiving, instantaneous, high-stakes. Our planned expansions put us at the center of the next wave: applying this reasoning power across autonomous systems and the computational infrastructure required for superintelligence." The 2.13 Sharpe ratio-a measure of risk-adjust ed returns-demonstrates that Vertus' performance wasn't achieved through excessive risk-taking. The company's AI systems generated returns more than double the market while maintaining disciplined risk management; a combination rarely achieved in quantitative finance. With daily transaction volumes regularly exceeding $1 billion, Vertus has established itself as critical infrastructure in modern investing ecosystems. The company's trajectory from inception to billion-dollar daily transactions represents one of the fastest scaling timelines in autonomous systems deployment. "Financial markets are just the beginning," said Michal Prywata, Co-Founder. "We built AI that learned to reason in an environment where mistakes cost millions and decisions happen in milliseconds. That same intelligence now powers capital at scale-and we're rapidly expanding into domains that demand genuine machine reasoning. We're not just building financial systems. We're architecting the infrastructure for the next generation of intelligence. Trading volume figures, performance metrics, and milestone achievements have been independently verified by Alpha Performance Verification Services, Certified Public Accountants. Verification report available upon request. About Vertus Vertus builds frontier artificial intelligence where intelligence meets consequence. Its systems operate directly in live financial markets, transacting over $600 million daily while reasoning under extreme uncertainty, learning in adversarial conditions, and adapting in milliseconds. This real-world crucible produces intelligence that is not simulated - it is proven. Founded by Julius Franck, Alex Foster, and Michal Prywata, Vertus develops AI systems where precision matters and every decision has irreversible cost. Today, its technology powers institutional trading infrastructure for funds, family offices, and professional investors - environments where errors are measurable and accountability is absolute. Beyond finance, Vertus is extending this intelligence into general reasoning systems designed to operate in complex, high-stakes domains. By training AI in environments where failure is punished and success compounds, Vertus is building the infrastructure for reliable machine intelligence - systems capable of reasoning, adapting, and acting autonomously across industries yet to be defined. Contact Brooke Greenwald Vertus Limited media@vertus.ai +1-240-370-7036

Capital.com has partnered with operational data automation specialist Duco to automate and strengthen its client and payment reconciliation processes, as the global trading platform continues to scale across jurisdictions and product lines. The agreement will see Capital.com deploy Duco’s AI-powered platform to manage complex reconciliation workflows, addressing the growing volume, velocity, and diversity of data generated by a fast-expanding, multi-market fintech operation. The move reflects a broader industry shift toward automation-led operational resilience, as trading platforms face increased regulatory scrutiny, higher transaction volumes, and rising expectations around transparency and control. Building Scalable Controls for a Multi-Jurisdictional Business As Capital.com expands into new markets, payment and client reconciliations have become a critical operational function rather than a back-office utility. The complexity of operating across multiple jurisdictions introduces fragmented data sources, differing regulatory requirements, and increasing reconciliation workloads. Duco’s platform is designed to handle these challenges by automating data ingestion, matching, exception management, and reporting across heterogeneous systems. For Capital.com, this provides a future-proof control framework capable of adapting to new use cases, payment methods, and regulatory regimes without requiring constant reengineering. Rupert Osborne, CEO of Capital.com UK, said: “As we continue scaling our multi-jurisdictional business, establishing a strong reconciliation capability, deployable for a wide array of use cases and regional requirements, will be vital. Duco has proven to be a flexible, forward-looking partner who can meet our needs both today and into the future.” AI-Driven Automation to Reduce Risk and Improve Efficiency Traditional reconciliation processes are often heavily manual, relying on rigid rules, spreadsheets, and bespoke scripts that struggle to cope with changing data structures and increasing transaction volumes. These limitations can introduce operational risk, slow investigation times, and constrain growth. Duco’s AI-powered approach replaces static reconciliation logic with flexible data models and machine-assisted matching, allowing operations teams to identify breaks faster, resolve exceptions more efficiently, and maintain consistent oversight as complexity grows. This capability is particularly valuable for trading platforms handling diverse payment rails, client accounts, and third-party integrations. Michael Chin, Chief Executive Officer of Duco, said: “Reconciliation is not just a task, but a strategic capability. We’re proud to support their operations with automation and strategic AI capabilities that delivers transparency, control, and the flexibility to grow across markets and regulatory regimes.” Laying the Foundation for Sustainable International Growth For Capital.com, the partnership is not simply about operational efficiency, but about enabling sustainable expansion. A scalable reconciliation framework allows the firm to onboard new markets and payment providers with confidence, knowing that control environments can keep pace with growth. From a regulatory perspective, robust reconciliation and data control processes are increasingly central to demonstrating sound governance, safeguarding client funds, and meeting supervisory expectations. Automated, auditable workflows help firms respond more effectively to regulatory inquiries and internal risk assessments. By selecting Duco, Capital.com is aligning its operational infrastructure with its growth ambitions, reinforcing reconciliation as a core capability that supports transparency, resilience, and long-term scalability in a competitive global trading landscape. Takeaway: Capital.com’s partnership with Duco highlights how reconciliation is becoming a strategic function for fast-growing trading platforms, combining AI-driven automation with scalable controls to support global expansion and regulatory resilience.

Currency.com has signed a strategic partnership with Zodia Markets, strengthening its global trading infrastructure and enhancing its ability to execute large-volume digital asset transactions at institutional standards. The agreement brings together Currency.com’s global digital finance platform and Zodia Markets’ institutional-grade liquidity venue, which is backed by Standard Chartered Bank. Through the collaboration, Currency.com gains access to deeper liquidity pools, extensive banking rails and a broader international footprint, supporting faster settlement, more competitive pricing and greater resilience for high-value trades. As institutional participation in digital assets continues to grow, execution quality and operational stability have become critical differentiators. Currency.com said the partnership is designed to address those demands by enabling more efficient handling of both everyday trading activity and transactions exceeding $100 million. Strengthening Global Trading Infrastructure The integration with Zodia Markets is intended to reinforce Currency.com’s execution capabilities across its global operations. By connecting to Zodia Markets’ liquidity, Currency.com can offer its clients access to one of the deepest pools available in the digital asset market, while benefiting from established banking infrastructure and international reach. Zodia Markets’ position as an institutional liquidity venue backed by Standard Chartered Bank makes it a natural partner for Currency.com as it continues to scale its services for professional and institutional users. The partnership supports Currency.com’s ambition to deliver fast, fairly priced execution for large and complex trades, even during periods of heightened market activity. Through the collaboration, Currency.com clients are expected to see improvements across several key areas. Trades will settle faster, pricing will become more competitive, and large-cheque transactions will be supported by more stable, end-to-end processes. The company said these enhancements are particularly important for institutional clients that require certainty and efficiency when deploying significant capital. The partnership also reflects a broader industry trend toward deeper collaboration between digital asset platforms and bank-backed liquidity providers, as the market continues to mature and institutional standards become the benchmark. Institutional-Grade Execution for Large Trades A central focus of the partnership is enabling Currency.com to handle ultra-large trades with greater confidence and consistency. As digital asset markets evolve, the ability to execute sizable transactions without excessive slippage or operational friction has become increasingly important for businesses, funds and other professional participants. By integrating Zodia Markets into its network, Currency.com is expanding its capacity to process large trades intra-day, ensuring that execution quality remains robust even as transaction sizes increase. The companies said this capability is essential for supporting cross-asset operations and meeting the expectations of sophisticated market participants. For clients, the practical impact of the partnership is access to execution quality that aligns with institutional benchmarks. Whether executing routine trades or transactions above $100 million, users can expect improved speed, more competitive pricing and greater operational resilience. Currency.com said the collaboration allows it to offer a more consistent trading experience across different market conditions, reducing the risks often associated with executing large orders in less liquid environments. Supporting a Long-Term Global Strategy The agreement with Zodia Markets represents an important milestone in Currency.com’s long-term global strategy. The company has been investing in infrastructure capable of supporting higher volumes and larger transaction sizes, as demand from institutional and professional clients continues to rise. Building a platform that can reliably handle ultra-large trades requires not only advanced technology but also access to deep liquidity and strong banking relationships. By partnering with Zodia Markets, Currency.com is bringing those elements together, moving closer to its goal of delivering a high-performance global trading platform. Konstantin Anissimov, Global CEO of Currency.com, described the partnership as a natural progression for the company’s strategy. “Our partnering with Zodia Markets is a natural progression in our overarching strategy to strengthen Currency.com’s global execution capabilities,” Anissimov said. “Integrating with their institutional-grade liquidity and robust banking infrastructure allows us to raise the bar when it comes to scaling large trades.” He added that the collaboration marks a significant step in building the platform Currency.com aims to deliver. “It’s an important milestone in building the kind of high-performance, global platform that we wish to deliver to our clients,” Anissimov said. From Currency.com’s perspective, the partnership is not only about improving current execution standards but also about preparing the platform for future growth as digital assets become more deeply integrated into global financial markets. Zodia Markets’ Role as a Liquidity Partner For Zodia Markets, the partnership reinforces its position as a provider of institutional-grade liquidity and infrastructure to leading digital finance platforms. Backed by Standard Chartered Bank, Zodia Markets brings a combination of deep liquidity, established banking rails and international reach that is increasingly sought after by platforms serving institutional clients. By working with Currency.com, Zodia Markets is extending its footprint within the digital asset ecosystem and supporting the development of execution standards that align more closely with traditional financial markets. Mark Richardson, Chief Commercial Officer of Zodia Markets, said the partnership reflects a shared ambition to set higher standards for execution in digital assets. “We are proud to be the liquidity partner of choice for Currency.com,” Richardson said. “By combining our bank-backed infrastructure with their innovative digital finance platform, we are setting a new benchmark for execution in the digital asset space.” Richardson added that the collaboration is designed to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving market. “Together, we are providing the scale and reliability that the next generation of global finance demands,” he said. The partnership highlights Zodia Markets’ focus on supporting platforms that are targeting institutional adoption and large-scale trading activity, as digital assets continue to attract more sophisticated participants. Raising the Bar for Digital Asset Execution The Currency.com–Zodia Markets partnership comes at a time when execution quality, liquidity depth and operational resilience are becoming defining factors in the digital asset industry. As more institutional players enter the market, expectations around speed, pricing and reliability are converging with those seen in traditional finance. By aligning with a bank-backed liquidity venue, Currency.com is positioning itself to meet those expectations and differentiate its offering in an increasingly competitive landscape. The collaboration underscores the importance of infrastructure partnerships in enabling platforms to scale responsibly while maintaining high standards of execution. For Currency.com’s clients, the partnership promises tangible benefits in the form of deeper liquidity, faster settlement and more consistent execution for large transactions. For the wider market, it signals continued progress toward a more mature, institutionally oriented digital asset ecosystem. As Currency.com continues to expand its global footprint and execution capabilities, the integration with Zodia Markets is expected to play a central role in supporting its ambition to serve businesses and institutional clients at any scale. Takeaway: Currency.com’s partnership with Zodia Markets strengthens its institutional execution capabilities, delivering deeper liquidity, faster settlement and greater resilience for large digital asset trades as part of its long-term global growth strategy.

Why the Acquisition Talks Collapsed Mastercard is assessing a strategic investment in blockchain infrastructure firm Zerohash after earlier plans for a full acquisition broke down, according to people familiar with the discussions. The payments group had explored buying the crypto infrastructure provider last year, but those talks ended when Zerohash decided to remain independent. Fortune reported in October that Mastercard had entered late-stage negotiations to acquire Zerohash, with the transaction valued at up to $2 billion. Zerohash provides custody, settlement, and fiat on- and off-ramp services that allow fintech firms and brokerages to offer digital assets without building their own crypto infrastructure. According to multiple sources, formal acquisition discussions have now concluded. However, conversations around a potential minority investment are ongoing, indicating that Mastercard still sees strategic value in the relationship even without full ownership. Investor Takeaway The shift from acquisition talks to a possible minority stake suggests large payments firms are becoming more selective, favoring exposure to crypto infrastructure without full balance-sheet integration. How Zerohash Views Independence Zerohash publicly confirmed that it is not pursuing a sale to Mastercard. In emailed comments, a company spokesperson said independence remains central to its growth strategy and operational model. “We are not entertaining an acquisition by Mastercard. We respect the Mastercard team and look forward to scaling commercial partnerships,” the spokesperson said. “Our team is central to our velocity, and we believe that remaining independent best positions Zerohash to continue innovating, building and delivering for our customers.” The statement reflects a broader trend among crypto infrastructure firms that have reached scale and regulatory maturity. Rather than seeking exits through takeovers, some providers now prefer partnerships that preserve autonomy while expanding distribution through established financial networks. Infrastructure Firms Emerge as Prime Deal Targets The talks between Mastercard and Zerohash come as merger and acquisition activity picks up across the digital assets sector. Unlike earlier cycles dominated by speculative protocols, recent deal interest has centered on revenue-generating infrastructure businesses with institutional clients and regulatory footing. Meanwhile, crypto data platform CoinGecko was exploring a potential sale at a valuation of around $500 million. Market participants say the most sought-after assets now include licensed exchanges, custody and settlement providers, staking platforms serving institutions, and compliance or data firms with high margins. Zerohash fits squarely within that profile. Founded in 2017, the firm offers APIs and embedded developer tools that allow financial institutions and fintech companies to integrate crypto, stablecoin, and tokenization services into their products. Its infrastructure supports clients including Interactive Brokers, Stripe, BlackRock’s BUIDL fund, Franklin Templeton, and DraftKings, reaching more than 5 million users across 190 countries. Investor Takeaway Crypto dealmaking is increasingly centered on infrastructure firms with proven clients and regulatory clarity, rather than consumer-facing trading platforms. How Mastercard Fits Into the Broader Crypto M&A Picture Mastercard has been linked to several potential digital-asset transactions as it deepens its exposure to blockchain-based payments and settlement. The company has previously been associated with discussions around other infrastructure-focused fintechs, including BVNK, a London-based stablecoin payments firm, according to earlier Fortune reporting. Zerohash last raised capital in October, securing $104 million in a Series D-2 round led by Interactive Brokers that valued the company at $1 billion. The round included participation from Morgan Stanley, Apollo-managed funds, SoFi, Jump Crypto, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, FTMO, IMC, and Liberty City Ventures, alongside existing investors. For Mastercard, a strategic investment would allow continued exposure to crypto infrastructure growth without the integration risks of a full acquisition. For Zerohash, retaining independence while expanding commercial partnerships may offer a way to scale alongside traditional finance without ceding control. As large payment networks and banks reassess their digital-asset strategies, the outcome of these discussions may serve as a reference point for how far incumbents are willing to go — and how much control mature crypto infrastructure firms are prepared to give up.

What Was Executed and Why It Matters State Street has completed its first reverse repo transaction for Dutch pension asset manager MN using an enhanced version of the Eurex Select Invest repo model, marking a step forward in expanding buy-side access to centrally cleared euro-denominated repo markets. The transaction was cleared through Eurex Clearing’s central counterparty framework, with State Street acting on behalf of its client. Under the new structure, State Street intermediates the clearing and settlement process for buy-side clients, allowing them to access CCP-cleared repo without becoming direct members of a central securities depository. This removes one of the most significant operational hurdles that has historically limited asset managers and pension funds from participating directly in cleared repo markets. For MN, which manages assets for Dutch pension funds, the deal represents the first use of this enhanced Select Invest structure. More broadly, it reflects a growing effort across European market infrastructure to bring buy-side cash providers into centrally cleared repo by lowering operational and legal barriers rather than altering trading behavior itself. Investor Takeaway Custodian-led access models are reshaping euro repo market participation, allowing buy-side firms to gain clearing benefits without the cost and complexity of direct infrastructure membership. How the Enhanced Structure Changes Buy-Side Access At the core of the arrangement is a shift in responsibility. Instead of requiring asset managers to onboard directly with a CCP or CSD, State Street assumes the operational and settlement role while still routing trades through Eurex’s cleared environment. Clients retain exposure to CCP risk management, margining, and default protections, but without the need to build or maintain clearing infrastructure internally. This approach is particularly relevant for pension funds and long-term asset managers that use repo primarily as a cash-investment and collateral-management tool rather than as a high-frequency trading activity. For these firms, the cost and complexity of direct clearing membership have often outweighed the benefits, leaving bilateral repo as the default option. By repositioning the custodian as an access layer, the enhanced Select Invest model reframes clearing as a service rather than a structural commitment. That distinction lowers the threshold for participation and makes centrally cleared repo a more practical option for a wider segment of the buy side. Why Cleared Repo Is Gaining Momentum in Europe The transaction comes amid rising interest in centrally cleared repo across Europe. As interest rates have normalized and collateral efficiency has become more critical, clearing is increasingly viewed as a way to manage counterparty exposure while improving balance-sheet efficiency. Eurex has been expanding its cleared repo offering as part of a broader push to strengthen integrated trading, clearing, and post-trade infrastructure. The expected participation of the European Central Bank in Eurex’s cleared repo market from 2026, through its securities-lending activities, is widely seen as a potential catalyst for deeper liquidity and broader institutional adoption. Although the ECB’s plans are not directly linked to this transaction, the prospect of central bank involvement has reinforced the strategic importance of cleared repo as a core market rather than a niche product. That backdrop makes access models aimed at the buy side particularly timely. Investor Takeaway As cleared repo liquidity deepens, buy-side firms that can access CCP clearing efficiently may gain advantages in collateral optimization and counterparty risk management. What This Signals for Market Structure Eurex Select Invest was originally designed to attract buy-side participation by preserving bilateral trading relationships while still enabling CCP clearing. Unlike anonymous interdealer models, it allows counterparties to retain visibility over who they trade with. The enhanced version used by State Street builds on that framework by focusing on operational access rather than execution mechanics. MN’s role as the first client reflects a broader trend among large asset managers toward building more control over execution and infrastructure choices. The firm has emphasized internal execution capabilities across asset classes, and extending that philosophy to repo aligns with a focus on efficiency and reduced friction in liquidity operations. From a market-structure perspective, the transaction highlights a gradual shift in European repo. Historically dominated by bank-to-bank activity, cleared repo is increasingly being positioned as a venue for buy-side cash as well. Custodians and clearing houses appear to be betting that access, rather than product design, is the key constraint to broader participation. What Comes Next for Buy-Side Repo Participation While the enhanced structure does not eliminate all costs associated with clearing, including margin requirements and eligibility rules, it significantly lowers the operational barrier to entry. That may prove decisive as pension funds and asset managers reassess how they deploy cash and manage counterparty exposure in a higher-rate environment. If similar arrangements gain traction, they could accelerate a structural shift in how buy-side firms interact with repo markets, moving cleared repo closer to the center of European liquidity management rather than keeping it confined to the interbank sphere.

Why Is Massachusetts Seeking to Stop Kalshi? Kalshi could face immediate limits in Massachusetts after a state judge said he would issue a preliminary injunction that would bar the platform from offering sports-related contracts to Massachusetts residents without a gaming license, according to a Reuters report. The case is being heard in Suffolk County Superior Court, where Judge Christopher Barry-Smith indicated the restriction would apply unless Kalshi meets the state’s licensing requirements. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed in September by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, who accused Kalshi of offering “illegal and unsafe sports wagering” in the state. Reuters reported that the injunction came at Campbell’s request, signaling that Massachusetts is treating Kalshi’s sports markets not as a novel financial product, but as a regulated form of wagering activity. Kalshi did not provide an immediate public response to the request for comment in the report. The platform’s broader business model, however, has been built around the idea that event contracts can function as regulated markets rather than informal betting, an argument that now faces a sharper test at the state level. Investor Takeaway The Massachusetts move highlights a core vulnerability for prediction markets: even if a platform can argue federal legitimacy, state-by-state enforcement can still reduce access, liquidity, and product breadth. What Does This Say About the Legal Status of Prediction Markets? Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket sit in a grey zone because their contracts resemble both derivatives and bets. They offer event-linked contracts on topics ranging from politics to sports outcomes, allowing users to trade positions based on the probability of an event occurring. Supporters argue this creates price signals and forecasting tools. Critics argue the same mechanics can replicate gambling products without the full set of consumer protections that apply to licensed operators. Massachusetts’ approach suggests that when contracts mirror sports betting, regulators are more likely to classify them under gaming rules. That distinction matters because it sets up a direct conflict between a platform’s framing of its product and a state’s authority to regulate wagering within its borders. A preliminary injunction is not a final ruling on the merits, but it can still have immediate business impact. If enforced, it would restrict Kalshi’s ability to serve Massachusetts users for sports markets, while also sending a signal to other states that similar legal theories may succeed. Why Are States and Lawmakers Focusing on These Platforms Now? The lawsuit in Massachusetts is one example of wider scrutiny aimed at prediction markets that remain largely unregulated compared with traditional financial exchanges or licensed sportsbooks. As prediction markets have gained visibility, they have also drawn attention from state attorneys general, gaming regulators, and federal lawmakers concerned about oversight gaps. One driver is consumer protection. States regulate sports betting heavily, often requiring licensing, controls on marketing, verification requirements, and dispute mechanisms. If a prediction market can offer sports-linked contracts without those safeguards, states may see that as a regulatory bypass. Another driver is market integrity. Prediction markets can be sensitive to information advantages, especially when the underlying event is political, legal, or military in nature. Reuters noted that lawmakers have continued to raise concerns about who is permitted to place bets and whether contracts can create incentives for manipulation or the misuse of non-public information. This broader tension is amplified by the fact that prediction markets are not confined to sports. They often expand into political and geopolitical contracts, where public backlash can be sharper and the risk of reputational spillover is higher. Investor Takeaway Platforms that depend on event contracts face a regulatory tradeoff: the more they broaden into culturally sensitive or gambling-adjacent markets, the more likely they are to trigger enforcement that narrows distribution. How Does This Relate to Kalshi’s Prior Court Fight With the CFTC? Kalshi previously won a legal fight in 2024 involving the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission related to election-linked contracts, a decision that helped legitimize parts of the prediction markets model in the eyes of supporters. But the Massachusetts case shows that a federal-level win does not automatically prevent state action, particularly when the contracts resemble products that states already regulate through gaming law. This creates a fragmented operating landscape. A platform might maintain that its contracts fall under a federal framework, while a state argues that a specific category of contracts is effectively sports betting and therefore requires a state license. Even if a platform ultimately prevails in a broader interpretation dispute, interim injunctions can still restrict business activity, raise legal costs, and complicate user acquisition. The same dynamic applies to other high-profile prediction markets. Polymarket, another major platform mentioned in the Reuters context, has also been pulled into political debate as the scope of event contracts expands. The industry’s growth has therefore been accompanied by a parallel growth in regulatory attention, creating uncertainty about what product categories will remain viable in the US. What Comes Next for Kalshi and US Prediction Markets? The immediate next step is the issuance and enforcement of the preliminary injunction in Massachusetts, which would restrict sports-linked contracts for residents unless Kalshi holds the required license. Beyond that, the larger issue is whether other states follow the same path, either through litigation or administrative action. For the sector, the key question is whether prediction markets evolve toward a clearer licensing model, narrow their product mix to avoid gambling classifications, or continue to push the argument that event contracts are financial instruments that should be governed primarily by federal frameworks. Each path implies different economics: licensing increases compliance costs, product narrowing reduces revenue opportunities, and continued legal confrontation raises uncertainty. In practical terms, the Massachusetts action suggests that sports may be the most immediate flashpoint. Political and geopolitical markets may generate controversy, but sports is already a mature regulatory category at the state level. That makes enforcement more straightforward and lowers the burden for state officials to argue that a platform is offering a familiar product under a new label.

RegTech provider AMLYZE has entered into a strategic partnership with Vinted Pay, the payments subsidiary of European second-hand marketplace Vinted, as the company expands its proprietary payment infrastructure across multiple markets. The collaboration is designed to support Vinted Pay’s gradual rollout with robust anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) controls embedded directly into its payment operations. Vinted, headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, has grown into Europe’s leading marketplace for second-hand fashion and goods, built around a mission to make second-hand the first choice worldwide. As the platform increasingly integrates Vinted Pay into its ecosystem, the partnership with AMLYZE adds a critical compliance layer to ensure secure onboarding, transaction monitoring, and customer risk assessment. The move highlights the growing importance of RegTech partnerships as large digital marketplaces internalize financial services and navigate complex regulatory requirements across jurisdictions. Takeaway As Vinted Pay scales across Europe, AMLYZE’s monitoring and risk tools provide the compliance backbone needed to support safe growth in regulated payments. Supporting Vinted Pay’s Step-by-Step Market Expansion Vinted Pay is being introduced progressively across Vinted’s markets, reflecting a measured approach to payments expansion in a highly regulated environment. By integrating AMLYZE’s technology, Vinted Pay gains access to both real-time and retrospective transaction monitoring, alongside customer risk assessment tools designed to meet AML/CFT obligations. This framework helps ensure that as new users are onboarded and payment volumes increase, compliance processes scale in parallel. Rather than treating compliance as a downstream control, the partnership embeds risk management directly into the core of Vinted Pay’s payment flows. According to AMLYZE, its platform supports continuous monitoring throughout the customer lifecycle, allowing Vinted Pay to adapt controls as its footprint grows and regulatory expectations evolve across different European markets. RegTech Expertise Backed by European Regulatory Experience AMLYZE positions itself as a specialist RegTech Software-as-a-Service provider, with a team drawn from some of Europe’s most influential regulatory and financial institutions. Its professionals bring experience from the European Central Bank, the European Banking Authority, the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Bank of Lithuania, and major financial corporations. This regulatory pedigree is a key component of the partnership, particularly as Vinted Pay operates within the European payments landscape, where scrutiny around AML, fraud prevention, and consumer protection remains intense. Gabrielius Erikas Bilkštys, CEO and Co-Founder of AMLYZE, highlighted the importance of the collaboration, saying: “We are proud to partner with Vinted, a key player in the online marketplace industry.” He added that “our advanced solutions will support Vinted Pay in maintaining strict compliance standards, including as onboarding progresses, helping ensure it continues to be a safe and trusted platform for its users.” Building Trust as Payments Become Central to Marketplaces For large digital marketplaces like Vinted, payments are no longer a peripheral feature but a central component of the user experience. Owning the payment relationship allows platforms to improve efficiency, reduce friction, and strengthen customer loyalty, but it also brings heightened regulatory responsibility. Vinted Pay’s partnership with AMLYZE reflects a broader trend among marketplaces to invest early in compliance infrastructure as they expand financial services capabilities. By doing so, platforms aim to protect users while avoiding regulatory setbacks that can slow growth. Modestas Tursa, VP of Payments at Vinted, emphasized this focus on trust, stating: “Vinted Pay is dedicated to providing a safe and reliable payment experience for our community.” He added that “the expertise and innovative technology of AMLYZE helps ensure we continue to foster trust within our platform as we gradually introduce and scale Vinted Pay across markets.” Real-Time Monitoring and Retrospective Analysis A key element of AMLYZE’s offering is the combination of real-time transaction monitoring with retrospective analysis. This dual approach allows potential risks to be identified as they occur, while also enabling deeper reviews of historical activity to uncover patterns or anomalies that may not be immediately visible. For a high-volume marketplace like Vinted, where transactions are frequent and often low in individual value, this capability is particularly important. Automated monitoring helps manage scale, while retrospective analysis supports ongoing risk calibration and regulatory reporting. The partnership ensures that Vinted Pay’s compliance framework can evolve alongside its payments business, rather than relying on static rules that may become outdated as user behavior and regulatory expectations change. A Model for Marketplace-Led Financial Services The collaboration between AMLYZE and Vinted Pay underscores how RegTech providers are becoming strategic partners rather than simple vendors. As marketplaces increasingly operate payment services, compliance technology must be flexible, scalable, and aligned with business growth strategies. For AMLYZE, the partnership reinforces its role in supporting large consumer platforms as they transition into regulated financial activities. For Vinted Pay, it provides assurance that compliance standards are upheld consistently as the service expands. Together, the two companies are positioning compliance not as a constraint, but as an enabler of sustainable growth—helping Vinted Pay scale securely while maintaining the trust of regulators and users alike.  

Crypto presales have been around in the market for quite some time now. And they’ve become super relevant in 2026 for their potential to deliver massive gains. According to reports, the top 3 ICOs to watch this year are Digitap ($TAP), IPO Genie (IPO), and NexChain (NEX). IPO Genie has set out to become the top destination for investors evaluating ICOs. And NexChain claims to be the world’s first entirely AI-built blockchain. But it’s Digitap that has hit a chord with everyday crypto users for its omnibanking platform. Digitap took off in Q4 2025 as the best crypto presale project after launching its global money app. Millions of Android and iOS users can now handle crypto and fiat with one app. Its global appeal is the main reason behind market experts calling Digitap the best ICO and the best crypto to buy now. January Crypto Report: Top 3 ICOs to Watch in 2026 It’s common knowledge that most of the value of a crypto asset is created before it hits the market. To be in the “inner circle” is the right plan to become a crypto millionaire. That’s exactly why ICOs are in such demand lately. But not all crypto presales deserve attention. The top 3 ICOs worth watching this year are: Digitap ($TAP) — Having raised $4 million in the presale phase, Digitap is counting on its omnibanking platform to drive global adoption. IPO Genie (IPO) — A presale-vetting project that analyzes early-stage projects for red flags and provides investors with clarity before investment. NexChain (NEX) — Touted as the world’s first entirely AI-built blockchain, NexChain is focusing on speed and interoperability. Digitap Dominates Crypto Presales After Pushing for Global Adoption What matters most for the 1.4 billion unbanked individuals worldwide is easy access to banking. And that dream could soon become true with Digitap pushing for global adoption of its omnibanking platform in 2026. Digitap is termed the world’s first true omnibank. And its global money app is already live for millions of Android and iOS users. That’s especially a relief for the billions of unbanked individuals now that they can store, send, spend, and swap crypto and fiat through a single app. But Digitap takes it a step further with its latest Visa partnership. To make banking truly accessible for its users, Digitap offers virtual and physical Visa cards that can be used to spend crypto like cash for the very first time. What’s more, Digitap users can now make near-instant cross-border payments at fees as low as sub-1%. This only adds to the appeal around Digitap as a true omnibank built for the future of finance. Bringing so much to the table, Digitap has rightfully earned its place on the list of the top 3 ICOs to watch this year. And this also explains why Digitap is the best crypto to buy in January. IPO Genie Uses AI to Flag Investment Risks — Strengths And Limits Dozens of crypto presales hit the market every day. And more often than not, most are full of empty promises and red flags. That’s something IPO Genie claims to help actively looking investors with. IPO Genie gives investors AI tools to scan and analyze presales for red flags. That’s where most of its appeal lies. And that’s also what limits its use cases. Unlike Digitap, which has global appeal, IPO Genie hit a wall in terms of utility. Even with the limited use cases, IPO Genie is an interesting case and naval concept. And this could be its blessing in disguise. What’s more, it’s still in its presale phase, which automatically puts it above large-cap coins on the list of the best cryptos to buy now. The IPO Genie crypto presale is on. And anyone interested can buy IPO tokens at $0.000115 each. But the presale is already in Stage 38. This basically means that the presale could be in the final phase. On the other hand, Digitap still has plenty of room to grow before it hits exchanges. NexChain’s AI-First Blockchain — Why It Ranks and Where It Falls NexChain is yet another addition to the number of blockchains currently operating in the market. But what makes NexChain unique is its focus on AI. Termed the world’s first entirely AI-built blockchain, NexChain has found itself among the top 3 ICOs to watch this year. From high transaction speeds to cross-chain interoperability, NexChain has what it takes to remain in focus throughout 2026. But it falls short on hitting a chord with an everyday crypto user who might prefer better banking access. That’s where Digitap wins as the best crypto to buy now. In Stage 30 of its crypto presale phase, NexChain seems to be inching closer to its launch. And that also means NEX sits lower on the list of the top 3 ICOs to watch this year for its lack of potential to deliver maximum gains. The NEX presale has already raised over $13 million of its $14 million target. On the other hand, $TAP is still available at a 69% discount from its launch price, which makes it the best crypto to buy this January. Digitap’s Presale Metrics: Price Climb, $4M Raised, Limited Supply Digitap caught the market off guard with its stunning rise as one of the top 3 ICOs to watch this year. And this rise to prominence hasn’t been random. It also has a low market cap, which makes it a perfect investment option for those looking to maximize gains in the next bull cycle. For now, $TAP tokens are selling hot during the presale. Starting at $0.0125 in Q4 2025, the Digitap token price has climbed 241% to $0.0427. And the fundraising amount has now crossed $4 million in record time. Those who missed out on the 241% gain still have a chance to grab a stunning 227% ROI since $TAP is still up for grabs at a 69% discount from its launch price of $0.14. And the best part is that these tokens can be grabbed along with insane discounts and bonuses for a limited time. For context, Digitap is currently running a New Year’s sale that drops a unique offer every single day on the presale dashboard. But the Digitap presale supply is limited. And now is the perfect time to grab a share of what many consider the best crypto to buy. Digitap, IPO Genie, NexChain: How Analysts Rank the Field The stage is set for crypto presales to dominate the 2026 bull cycle. And investors across the market are already rushing to shuffle their portfolios for maximum returns. The problem with large-cap altcoins is that they’re bloated and can’t deliver life-changing gains. That’s why low-cap altcoins remain the best cryptos to buy now. Now that experts are releasing their lists of the top ICOs to buy this year, Digitap, IPO Genie, and NexChain consistently dominate every single one. Digitap is the most interesting case among the three. It is relying on its potential global adoption to drive the $TAP price. And many are certain that the $TAP price could potentially pump 10x once its crypto presale concludes and Digitap hits major exchanges. Discover how Digitap is unifying cash and crypto by checking out their project here: Presale: https://presale.digitap.app Website: https://digitap.app  Social: https://linktr.ee/digitap.app  Win $250K: https://gleam.io/bfpzx/digitap-250000-giveaway

The crypto market is entering a period where patience is no longer the strategy. With governments slowly opening the door to Bitcoin reserves, traders are already moving toward high upside assets. These changes are affecting how people think about the best crypto to invest in. For investors focused on long-term crypto investments, the debate is no longer just about safety. It is about timing, upside, which only assets like Deepsnitch AI can give. US states move toward Bitcoin reserves A new bill introduced in West Virginia could allow the state treasury to invest in digital assets with a market capitalization above $750 billion. At the moment, only Bitcoin meets that requirement. If passed, the Inflation Protection Act would let the state hold Bitcoin through custodians, exchange-traded products, or secure custody solutions. The proposal is similar to several crypto reserve bills introduced in 2025 across the United States, with only Texas, Arizona, and New Hampshire successfully passing legislation. This is bullish for Bitcoin as a long-term crypto investment.   With government adoption moving slowly, traders are searching for the best crypto to invest in right now, not years from now. DeepSnitch AI: Live utility as the countdown shrinks While institutions debate reserves, DeepSnitch AI is already operating. This is the main reason it keeps appearing in conversations about the best crypto to invest in before launch. DeepSnitch AI is not a future promise. Its tools work during presale.  SnitchFeed tracks real-time token spikes and whale wallet activity, helping traders see early momentum. SnitchGPT turns complex blockchain data into plain answers that traders can act on immediately. DeepSnitch AI is priced at $0.03469 and has raised over $1.19 million. More than 28 million tokens are already locked in staking. With launch weeks away, there are rumors of a big announcement coming.  For traders building portfolio growth picks, DeepSnitch AI is viewed as the most aggressive option among the best cryptos for 2026. However, the window to enter the project is closing very fast. Solana: Reliable, but too slow for this moment Although Solana has a strong network and expansion, it has traded between $125 and $150 since late October 2025. Investors who bought at $257 during the Uptober season have made 0% profit. Predictions suggest a rise toward $156.65 by March 2026, which supports its place in long term crypto investments. However, for traders chasing the best crypto to invest in this cycle, Solana’s pace feels sluggish. Although SOL may be one of the best cryptos for 2026 from a stability perspective, it struggles to compete as a short-term portfolio growth pick.  Pepenode: High rewards, locked capital Pepenode takes a different approach by offering virtual mining through digital nodes. Users earn rewards without physical hardware, and a 70% burn rate on upgrades reduces supply over time. The presale has raised $3 million, with tokens priced at $0.0011825 and staking rewards near 560%. From a long term crypto investment view, Pepenode’s model is interesting. However, rewards decline as participation grows, and capital often remains locked. For traders hunting the best crypto to invest in before launch, that lock-up creates hesitation.  When compared to DeepSnitch AI, Pepenode feels slower. Many investors now weigh whether holding Pepenode aligns with their portfolio growth picks. Conclusion State-level Bitcoin adoption confirms crypto’s long term relevance, but it does little for short term upside. Traders are acting on a different signal. They want speed, utility, and a launch countdown that creates momentum. DeepSnitch AI fits that demand. Its live tools, visible adoption, and shrinking presale window are why it keeps climbing lists of the best crypto to invest in. Compared to Solana’s slow grind and Pepenode’s locked rewards, DeepSnitch AI offers a clearer path for aggressive portfolio growth picks.  As the market looks ahead to the best cryptos for 2026, timing is becoming just as important as fundamentals. However, time is ticking to get into the next 100x project. Visit the official DeepSnitch AI website, join Telegram, and follow on X for the latest updates. FAQs Why is DeepSnitch AI seen as the best crypto to invest in right now? Because it offers live tools during presale, unlike many projects that are still building. Is Solana still one of the best cryptos for 2026 compared to Deepsnitch AI? From a stability standpoint, yes. From a fast growth view, many traders want more upside. How does Pepenode compare to Deepsnitch AI as a portfolio growth picks? Pepenode offers high rewards, but capital lock-ups reduce flexibility for short-term moves. Why does timing matter when choosing the best crypto to invest in? Because launch phases and early adoption often create the strongest price movements.

Global prime broker EXANTE has introduced Omni Screener, a new market analysis module aimed at helping professional traders identify, compare, and evaluate trading opportunities across multiple asset classes from a single interface. Launched from Limassol, Cyprus, the new tool reflects EXANTE’s continued investment in proprietary technology as professional market participants demand faster, more efficient ways to analyse increasingly complex and interconnected markets. At launch, Omni Screener supports stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and bonds, with additional asset classes planned as the platform evolves. The release positions Omni Screener as a practical productivity upgrade for active traders and institutions that operate across asset classes and require consistent analytical workflows without switching between fragmented tools. Takeaway EXANTE’s Omni Screener consolidates cross-asset market analysis into a single workflow, reflecting growing demand from professional traders for faster, more flexible screening tools. A Unified View Across Asset Classes Omni Screener is designed to remove one of the persistent inefficiencies faced by multi-asset traders: the need to analyse different instruments using separate tools with inconsistent logic and data structures. By bringing multiple asset categories into one interface, EXANTE enables clients to compare opportunities across markets with greater speed and consistency. At launch, the screener supports equities, ETFs, and fixed income instruments. Each asset class is supported by filters that adapt to its specific characteristics, allowing traders to apply relevant metrics without unnecessary complexity. The company says this adaptive design allows traders to move seamlessly between asset classes while maintaining analytical depth, an increasingly important requirement as portfolios become more diversified and strategies more dynamic. Smarter Filters and Custom Screeners A core feature of Omni Screener is its instrument-specific filtering logic. Rather than applying a single set of generic filters, the system automatically adjusts criteria depending on whether a trader is analysing equities, ETFs, or bonds. For example, equity-focused traders can filter by metrics such as market capitalisation and price-to-earnings ratios, while fixed income investors can focus on coupon rates and other bond-specific parameters. This design reduces noise and ensures that screening results remain relevant to the instrument being analysed. Traders can also create and save custom screeners, enabling them to reuse complex filter combinations without rebuilding them each time. This feature is particularly valuable for institutional desks and active professionals who rely on repeatable analytical processes as part of their daily workflows. Flexible Views for Different Trading Styles In addition to filtering, Omni Screener offers flexible visualisation options. Users can select from predefined layouts or build bespoke dashboards that highlight the data most relevant to their strategies. This flexibility allows traders to tailor the interface to different use cases, whether scanning broad markets for new opportunities or conducting deeper analysis on a narrower set of instruments. By allowing users to control how information is presented, EXANTE aims to reduce cognitive load and improve decision-making efficiency. The ability to customise views also supports collaboration within trading teams, where different roles may require different analytical perspectives using the same underlying data. Client-Driven Development EXANTE positions Omni Screener as a direct response to feedback from its professional client base, highlighting the advantages of owning and continuously developing its proprietary trading platform. Richard Forss, Chief Technology Officer at EXANTE, underscored this approach, saying: “At EXANTE, innovation is always driven by our clients. Omni Screener is a direct response to their demand for faster, smarter ways to compare opportunities across asset classes.” Forss added: “Because we own and continuously develop our proprietary platform, we can turn client feedback into cutting-edge tools, ensuring our technology evolves in lockstep with the needs of professional traders.” This emphasis on in-house development allows EXANTE to iterate quickly and deploy new functionality without relying on third-party vendors, a model that has become increasingly attractive to institutional and high-net-worth clients seeking differentiated trading infrastructure. Immediate Availability on the EXANTE Platform Omni Screener is available immediately through the latest update to the EXANTE desktop platform, allowing existing clients to integrate the tool into their workflows without additional setup or third-party integrations. The company has indicated that support for additional asset classes will be added over time, aligning with EXANTE’s broader multi-asset offering, which already spans more than 50 markets and eight asset classes. This phased expansion suggests that Omni Screener is intended to become a core analytical component of the EXANTE ecosystem rather than a standalone feature. Meeting the Needs of Professional Traders The launch comes as professional traders face growing pressure to analyse more instruments, across more markets, in less time. Fragmented tools and manual workflows can slow decision-making and introduce operational risk, particularly for desks operating across equities, fixed income, and derivatives. By centralising screening and comparison within a single interface, EXANTE aims to help clients improve efficiency while maintaining analytical rigour. The focus on customisation and adaptability reflects the reality that professional trading strategies are rarely one-size-fits-all. For institutions and sophisticated traders, the ability to standardise analysis across asset classes while retaining flexibility is increasingly seen as a competitive advantage. Strengthening EXANTE’s Technology-Led Positioning Omni Screener reinforces EXANTE’s positioning as a technology-driven prime broker serving high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and professional partners. The firm offers access to more than one million instruments through a single multi-currency account, supported by proprietary trading technology and resilient infrastructure. Rather than competing on pricing alone, EXANTE continues to emphasise advanced trading modules and platform functionality as key differentiators in a crowded prime brokerage landscape. The introduction of Omni Screener signals that the broker is prioritising tools that directly enhance how clients identify and evaluate opportunities, rather than focusing solely on execution and access. A Platform Built for Expansion While the current release focuses on stocks, ETFs, and bonds, EXANTE has confirmed plans to extend Omni Screener to additional asset classes. This roadmap aligns with the broker’s broader strategy of offering unified access across diverse markets from a single platform. As market complexity increases and correlations between asset classes continue to evolve, tools that enable efficient cross-asset analysis are likely to become standard expectations rather than optional extras. With Omni Screener, EXANTE is positioning itself to meet that shift early, offering professional traders a smarter, more integrated way to navigate global markets.

Iowa City, The Uniteds States, January 19th, 2026, FinanceWire ZBXCX Digital Asset Exchange has announced its plans to further advance its expansion into the European market in 2026, marking a strategic milestone in the platform’s long-term global development roadmap. This initiative reflects ZBXCX’s intention to strengthen its international presence and deepen engagement with key global financial regions. Europe has been identified as a priority market for ZBXCX due to its mature financial infrastructure, strong technological adoption, and steadily growing participation in digital asset trading. As interest in digital assets continues to expand across the region, ZBXCX aims to position itself as a long-term participant by delivering a stable, efficient, and transparent trading environment tailored to the needs of European users. As part of its 2026 European expansion strategy, ZBXCX is preparing to increase investment in regional marketing and brand development initiatives. These efforts are expected to include localized brand campaigns, cooperation with regional industry partners, and participation in digital asset and fintech events across multiple European markets. Through these initiatives, ZBXCX seeks to enhance brand visibility, improve market recognition, and build stronger connections with local user communities. In parallel, ZBXCX is advancing operational localization to better support European users. Planned initiatives include the rollout of multilingual platform interfaces, region-focused customer support services, and localized educational resources designed to help users better understand digital asset markets, trading tools, and risk considerations. These measures are intended to improve accessibility while supporting both new and experienced traders. Technology and infrastructure optimization remain central to ZBXCX’s 2026 expansion planning. The platform is working to enhance system stability, improve liquidity integration, and strengthen internal risk management and operational oversight frameworks. These upgrades are designed to ensure a consistent and reliable trading experience as platform activity scales across new regions. ZBXCX has emphasized that its European market expansion in 2026 will follow a phased and disciplined approach. Rather than prioritizing rapid short-term growth, the platform intends to focus on sustainable development, long-term user trust, and consistent operational standards. Ongoing market research and performance evaluation will guide future expansion decisions, allowing ZBXCX to adapt to evolving regional market conditions. Looking ahead, ZBXCX views Europe as a key pillar of its broader global strategy. By combining localized market initiatives with a unified global technology foundation, ZBXCX aims to contribute to the development of a more open, efficient, and sustainable digital asset trading ecosystem across Europe and beyond. About ZBXCX ZBXCX Digital Asset Exchange is a global digital asset trading platform committed to providing secure, efficient, and transparent access to digital asset markets. The platform offers a comprehensive range of trading services for both individual and professional users, with a strong focus on technological reliability, platform stability, and continuous product innovation. Through responsible global expansion and international collaboration, ZBXCX is dedicated to building a sustainable and globally connected digital asset ecosystem. Contact Michael Anderson media@zbxcx.com

Adelaide, Australia, January 19th, 2026, FinanceWire SRQCGX announced that it is actively welcoming collaboration with key opinion leaders (KOLs) and institutional partners as part of its broader strategy to strengthen brand influence and expand global market presence. The initiative reflects SRQCGX’s belief that open cooperation and professional engagement are essential to building a credible and sustainable brand in an increasingly competitive digital asset landscape. As the digital asset industry continues to mature, information transparency, education, and trusted communication channels have become increasingly important. SRQCGX recognizes that KOLs play a meaningful role in shaping market understanding, user perception, and community dialogue. By collaborating with experienced and responsible KOLs, the company aims to deliver clearer, more balanced insights to users across different regions and experience levels. SRQCGX’s approach to KOL collaboration emphasizes long-term value rather than short-term exposure. Potential areas of cooperation may include educational content creation, market research discussions, platform feature walkthroughs, and community-oriented initiatives. Through these efforts, SRQCGX seeks to promote informed participation and foster a more engaged user community. In parallel, SRQCGX is also open to working closely with institutional partners, including media platforms, research organizations, technology providers, and industry service firms. The company believes that institutional collaboration can enhance brand credibility while supporting more structured and professional communication with the market. These partnerships are expected to contribute not only to brand visibility, but also to the overall quality of industry dialogue. SRQCGX aims to leverage institutional expertise to improve content depth, data transparency, and market education, while ensuring that collaboration initiatives remain aligned with platform values and long-term development goals. SRQCGX places strong emphasis on transparency and mutual benefit in all partnerships. The company seeks collaborators who share a commitment to responsible communication, professionalism, and sustainable industry growth. By maintaining clear cooperation standards, SRQCGX aims to build trust with both partners and users alike. Looking ahead, SRQCGX views strategic collaboration as a key pillar of its global branding strategy. By expanding cooperation with KOLs and institutions across different markets, SRQCGX aims to strengthen its international brand profile, enhance community engagement, and support the platform’s long-term development in a measured and responsible manner. About SRQCGX SRQCGX is a digital asset trading platform dedicated to providing users with a secure, efficient, and transparent trading environment. The platform offers a range of trading services designed for both individual and professional market participants. With a focus on responsible growth, open collaboration, and long-term value creation, SRQCGX continues to expand its global presence while strengthening brand influence and community engagement worldwide. Contact Lena raine media@srqcgx.com

Malvern, Australia, January 19th, 2026, FinanceWire LPKWJ DIGITAL SERVICES LTDA announced that it is further expanding its investment in technology as part of a broader strategy to enhance user experience, improve platform reliability, and support long-term operational development. This initiative reflects the company’s continued focus on building a more stable, scalable, and user-oriented digital service infrastructure. As digital services become increasingly integrated into users’ daily activities, expectations around performance, reliability, and ease of use continue to rise. LPKWJ DIGITAL SERVICES LTDA believes that sustained and structured technology investment is essential to meeting these expectations. By strengthening its technical foundation, the company aims to deliver a more consistent and responsive experience across its platform. The expanded investment will focus on core infrastructure optimization, including system architecture upgrades, performance tuning, and scalability improvements. These efforts are designed to ensure that the platform can operate smoothly under varying levels of demand, reduce latency, and improve overall system responsiveness. Enhanced infrastructure is expected to provide users with a more stable environment during both routine usage and periods of increased activity. In parallel, LPKWJ DIGITAL SERVICES LTDA is continuing to refine its platform interface and functional design. The company is placing emphasis on usability improvements, workflow optimization, and clearer interaction logic to reduce complexity and improve accessibility for users with different levels of experience. These enhancements aim to create a more intuitive and efficient user journey across key platform features. Security and system resilience also remain important components of the company’s technology roadmap. LPKWJ DIGITAL SERVICES LTDA is investing in monitoring tools, system safeguards, and internal controls to strengthen platform reliability and operational continuity. These measures are intended to support a more robust technical environment while reinforcing user confidence in platform operations. In addition to external system upgrades, the company is enhancing its internal development capabilities. This includes improving development workflows, testing procedures, and deployment processes to ensure that new features and updates are delivered in a controlled and reliable manner. By strengthening internal technical operations, LPKWJ DIGITAL SERVICES LTDA aims to balance innovation speed with system stability. The company emphasizes that technology investment is not a short-term initiative, but a continuous process aligned with long-term development goals. Rather than pursuing rapid changes, LPKWJ DIGITAL SERVICES LTDA is adopting a measured approach focused on incremental improvements, system reliability, and sustainable growth. Looking ahead, LPKWJ DIGITAL SERVICES LTDA plans to continue evaluating emerging technologies and best practices that can further enhance platform performance and user experience. Through ongoing investment in infrastructure, usability, and operational resilience, the company aims to build a digital service platform capable of adapting to evolving market needs while maintaining a high standard of service quality. About LPKWJ DIGITAL SERVICES LTDA LPKWJ DIGITAL SERVICES LTDA is a digital services company dedicated to providing reliable, efficient, and user-focused online solutions. The company emphasizes technological stability, continuous improvement, and responsible growth as the foundation of its operations. Through sustained investment in technology, infrastructure, and internal capabilities, LPKWJ DIGITAL SERVICES LTDA aims to deliver a consistent and high-quality user experience while supporting long-term business development. Contact Josh Darnold media@lpkwjgroup.com

Zug, Switzerland, January 19th, 2026, FinanceWire Crypto Fund Trader (CFT), the first proprietary trading firm built specifically for crypto traders, today announced that it has paid more than $18 million to traders, marking a key milestone in the development of crypto proprietary trading. Founded as a crypto-native firm from the outset, CFT was not created as an adaptation of traditional prop trading models. Instead, it was built around the structural realities of digital asset markets, including blockchain-based infrastructure, continuous trading hours, and elevated volatility. This foundation positioned Crypto Fund Trader as a pioneer in a category that did not previously exist. Today, that early vision continues to translate into sustained leadership. From the Pioneer to Leader in the Crypto Prop Trading Industry The announcement of more than $18 million distributed to traders reflects the maturity and scale of Crypto Fund Trader’s operating model. In an industry where growth is often uneven and credibility must be earned over time, consistent payouts based on real trading performance remain a clear indicator of stability. CFT has developed infrastructure capable of supporting a growing global trader base while maintaining disciplined risk management and reliable execution across volatile market conditions. This ability to scale without sacrificing consistency has positioned Crypto Fund Trader as a reference point for crypto prop trading. Trust Built on Transparency Trust in financial markets is demonstrated through transparency. Crypto Fund Trader operates with Proof of Reserves, making it the only crypto prop firm that publicly and transparently demonstrates it has the funds to back its traders. By introducing verifiable accountability into a segment where opacity has often been common, CFT sets a higher standard for the industry. Proof of Reserves is treated not as a differentiator, but as an operational requirement that reinforces confidence and raises expectations across the crypto prop trading landscape. Execution, Scale, and Consistency CFT’s leadership is reflected in its day-to-day operations rather than in feature lists or comparisons. In crypto markets, reliable execution is essential, particularly during periods of heightened volatility. Infrastructure must also be capable of scaling without introducing instability. Consistency plays a central role as well. Predictable rules, stable systems, and timely payouts allow traders to focus on performance while relying on the firm’s underlying structure. Crypto Fund Trader integrates execution, scale, and consistency into a single operating framework designed exclusively for cryptocurrency trading. Trading With a Broader Purpose Through Ascend, Crypto Fund Trader reinforces a long-term vision that extends beyond short-term individual profit. Ascend reflects the firm’s commitment to sustainability, responsibility, and meaningful impact within the broader crypto ecosystem. By incorporating this perspective into its identity, CFT positions itself not only as a proprietary trading firm, but as a company aligned with the long-term evolution of digital asset markets. Setting the Industry Standard Crypto Fund Trader was created for crypto traders at a time when no true crypto-native prop firm existed. By establishing standards tailored specifically to digital asset markets, the firm helped define how crypto proprietary trading could operate at scale. The announcement of more than $18 million paid to traders reinforces that position. Through verifiable results, transparent Proof of Reserves, and consistent execution, Crypto Fund Trader continues to demonstrate what leadership looks like as the crypto prop trading industry matures. About Crypto Fund Trader Crypto Fund Trader is a next-generation prop firm, offering traders the opportunity to prove their skills and earn real rewards through simulated capital. Specialized in the evaluation of crypto, forex, indices, commodities, and stock traders through a performance-based model. Contact Director of Marketing Álvaro Mateos Crypto Fund Trader sponsor@cryptofundtrader.com

Last month, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission made headlines when it announced it’s going to launch a three-month pilot project that will allow derivatives traders to utilize digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USD Coin as an alternative form of collateral.  Experts were quick to highlight the implications of this news, with much emphasis on how it could accelerate the flow of institutional capital into digital asset markets, but very few realized that the CFTC’s initiative is not a brand-new innovation.   While the CFTC’s pilot is encouraging and adds a lot of credibility to the concept of “crypto as collateral”, it’s an idea that was first born in the decentralized finance world, where cutting-edge exchange platforms like PrimeXBT and others first pioneered this capability.  Accelerating TradFi capital flows By enabling traders to deposit digital assets as collateral for derivatives trading, the industry can eliminate a friction point that has prevented institutional capital from flowing into the digital asset markets for years.  In traditional derivatives markets, most traders typically use either cash or low-yield securities as margin deposits to cover their positions. The problem with this is that this capital does nothing but sit there, acting as margin, without earning interest or any other benefits for traders. As a result, crypto-native companies with significant digital asset exposure are forced to choose between keeping their capital deployed in crypto protocols that offer higher yields, or else keep utilizing their capital to maintain their derivatives positions.  With crypto as collateral, there’s no need to make that trade-off. For instance, a hedge fund that possesses substantial Ethereum holdings can use its ETH as collateral for futures contracts without having to liquidate it first. Meanwhile, a corporate treasury that holds stablecoins such as USDC could use those assets to obtain exposure to the derivatives market while maintaining its liquidity in dollar denominations. It transforms the economics of hedging and speculating in digital asset markets.  As the idea catches on, it’s likely to accelerate the flow of institutional capital into the crypto derivatives market. Traditional institutions have already shown a lot of interest, and they now account for around 42% of the crypto market’s derivatives trading volume, up from almost nothing just two years earlier.    Such institutions are led by sophisticated risk managers who have a unique understanding of collateral optimization, and it’s not difficult to see them taking advantage of the crypto collateral opportunity if it receives a permanent green light from the CFTC.  Real-time margin adjustment In fact, institutional investors are already pursuing the opportunity through innovative crypto exchange platforms. PrimeXBT is one of a new breed of digital asset trading venues that’s trying to bridge DeFi with TradFi by offering access to both crypto and traditional assets in the shape of Forex, commodities and stock indices. Uniquely, it enables traders to deposit crypto as collateral in traditional derivatives markets, facilitating cross-asset margin trading. Users can leverage their crypto holdings without selling them to open positions in alternative markets.  With PrimeXBT, users gain access to a unified multi-asset account where their digital holdings live alongside traditional financial assets. Traders can deposit crypto such as USDC or USDT into their PrimeXBT wallet, and then the value of this capital can be utilized as margin for all trades conducted on the platform, including Forex, indices and commodities.  It’s a highly efficient system that eliminates the inefficiencies associated with moving capital across platforms, enabling users to avoid having to liquidate their crypto holdings to fund new investments.  Perhaps the biggest implication of crypto as collateral is its operational benefits. In traditional finance, collateral deposits are forced to move through a legacy banking infrastructure that only operates during business hours, leading to significant settlement delays. This creates painful exposure windows for investors and limits how fast they can adjust their margins during volatile market conditions.  With crypto, this no longer happens. Digital assets can be traded continuously, 24 hours per day, meaning traders that use them as collateral can make real-time margin adjustments. Should the price of an asset fall by 10% on a Sunday afternoon, someone could instantly deposit more funds to maintain their position. In traditional derivatives, that’s not possible, which means traders can only twiddle their thumbs, hoping that prices rebound or risk instant liquidation if it falls further. With crypto, derivatives markets can become much more resilient.   What about the risks? Despite this potential, there are still risks associated with digital assets, which is precisely why the CFTC is taking such a cautious approach with its pilot project. The challenge is that crypto assets are uniquely volatile compared to traditional forms of collateral. In October 2025, the price of Bitcoin fell from above $100,000 to just under $95,000 in a matter of hours, triggering a stunning $19 billion in liquidations.  These are the risks that institutional investors will need to manage, and there is another worry that if crypto is increasingly utilized as collateral, it could amplify the market’s volatility. Should prices fall dramatically, it would likely force mass deleveraging across the entire derivatives market, potentially making a bad situation turn cataclysmic. In comparison, traditional collateral acts more like a stabilizer, because its price is not correlated to the underlying derivative.  Even so, the CFTC’s willingness to experiment suggests there’s a degree of confidence that institutions will apply the necessary risk management processes to counter the volatility of crypto assets. For the promise of crypto as collateral is likely too compelling to ignore.