Why Has Guavapay’s Founder Stepped Back? The founder of London-based fintech Guavapay has stepped down as a director as the company prepares to fight a High Court winding-up petition filed by Mastercard, one of its largest creditors. Orkhan Nasibov, who launched the payments firm in 2017, has withdrawn from day-to-day leadership, citing fatigue and health-related reasons, according to a company spokesperson. His exit comes weeks after Mastercard filed the petition on Christmas Eve, escalating a dispute that now threatens Guavapay’s continued existence. The timing has drawn attention within the payments industry, where founder departures during regulatory or creditor disputes are often viewed as a way to reduce governance strain while negotiations continue. Guavapay has not announced an interim replacement or outlined changes to its board structure. The company said discussions with stakeholders are ongoing, but declined to comment on the specifics of talks with Mastercard. Investor Takeaway Founder exits during creditor disputes often reflect pressure rather than resolution. For counterparties and employees, the key issue is whether leadership changes speed up or complicate negotiations. How Did the FCA Restrictions Set the Stage? The legal action follows a turbulent year for Guavapay, which was forced in September to suspend its UK operations under an agreement with the Financial Conduct Authority. The regulator raised concerns related to fraud controls and compliance breaches, triggering restrictions that sharply altered the firm’s operating profile. Under the FCA-imposed measures, Guavapay was allowed to keep customer withdrawals open but was ordered to block new inbound payments. While framed as a temporary safeguard, the restriction effectively halted growth in the UK and tightened cash inflows at a time when the company was already dealing with elevated fraud exposure. In a statement at the time, Guavapay said it had experienced a surge in fraudulent funds entering customer accounts, which strained internal controls during the early rollout of its UK e-wallet offering in 2024. The firm also acknowledged that rapid expansion caused it to exceed certain regulatory thresholds. “While Guavapay has worked to stay within the required limits, the scale and speed of growth meant that thresholds were ultimately surpassed,” the company said in September. Although Guavapay continued operating outside the UK, industry participants note that restrictions on inbound flows often have broader consequences. Card schemes, correspondent banks, and settlement partners tend to reassess exposure once a regulator intervenes, increasing pressure on liquidity and operational continuity. Why Is a Mastercard Petition So Serious? Mastercard’s decision to seek a winding-up order is widely viewed as a last-resort move. As both a global card network and a settlement counterparty, Mastercard plays a central role in the payments ecosystem. Disputes with scheme operators can quickly escalate from commercial disagreements into existential threats for regulated fintechs. The fact that the petition was filed on Christmas Eve suggests that efforts to resolve the matter privately had already stalled. If the case proceeds and no settlement is reached, Guavapay could be placed into liquidation, potentially putting hundreds of jobs at risk. Guavapay employs roughly 500 staff across multiple jurisdictions. Despite its operational difficulties, the company reported strong top-line growth in its most recent accounts. For 2024, turnover reached £23.4 million, nearly double the previous year, while pre-tax profit came in just under £2 million. Those figures, however, offer limited protection in the payments sector. Unlike banks, e-money and payments firms rely on safeguarding structures, scheme approvals, and uninterrupted access to settlement accounts. Rising fraud-related chargebacks, higher reserves, or scheme-level actions can drain liquidity quickly, even at firms that appear profitable on paper. Investor Takeaway In payments, profitability does not equal resilience. Scheme disputes and regulatory limits can overwhelm balance sheets long before headline earnings deteriorate. What Does This Case Say About the Payments Sector? Industry observers note that leadership changes during regulatory stress are not unusual. Stepping aside can reduce personal liability exposure and allow restructuring talks to proceed under a different governance setup, especially when creditor negotiations reach court. Guavapay has not disclosed whether it is seeking new funding or strategic backing to resolve the dispute. The company confirmed that discussions continue but has offered no detail on potential outcomes. The case adds to a growing list of European fintechs that expanded rapidly during the post-pandemic payments boom, only to face tougher oversight as regulators and card networks tightened expectations around fraud controls and compliance capacity. For global schemes such as Mastercard, the harder line reflects efforts to limit systemic exposure following several high-profile payments failures and fraud incidents in recent years. For smaller fintechs, it highlights the risk of scaling faster than operational controls can absorb. Guavapay’s immediate future now hinges on whether it can reach an agreement with its largest creditor before the court process advances. Without a settlement, the winding-up petition could push the company into formal insolvency proceedings, ending the trajectory of a fintech that only months ago was reporting record revenues.

Why CySEC Is Raising Its Supervisory Profile The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission is heading into 2026 with an expanded supervisory agenda, following a year marked by heavier inspections, wider enforcement action, and closer coordination with European authorities. The effort comes as Cyprus prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of next year. Presenting CySEC’s 2025 review in Nicosia, chairman George Theocharides described the past year as one focused on reinforcing supervisory credibility at a time of growing regulatory demands, digitalisation across markets, and heightened geopolitical risk. The review was framed against Cyprus’ forthcoming role at the centre of EU-level policy coordination. During 2025, CySEC carried out close to 600 on-site and off-site inspections across Cyprus Investment Firms, fund managers, collective investment schemes, issuers, and market infrastructure providers. Key areas under review included conduct standards, capital requirements, sustainability disclosures, data quality, and adherence to EU frameworks such as MiFID II, the Digital Operational Resilience Act, and the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. Investor Takeaway CySEC’s inspection volume and scope point to closer oversight of cross-border firms operating out of Cyprus, particularly as EU scrutiny intensifies ahead of the 2026 Presidency. Enforcement Activity Broadens Beyond Fines Enforcement remained a central pillar of CySEC’s work. Administrative fines and settlements during 2025 totalled €2.3 million, lifting cumulative penalties over the past three years to €7.3 million. Regulatory action went well beyond financial sanctions. The watchdog ordered corrective measures in more than 170 cases, suspended or withdrew licences, and halted trading in certain securities listed on the Cyprus Stock Exchange. Several matters were escalated to the Attorney General, law enforcement bodies, and MOKAS, Cyprus’ financial intelligence unit. Anti-money laundering oversight featured prominently. CySEC conducted 43 thematic AML inspections and increased monitoring of compliance with EU restrictive measures, with particular attention on sanctions linked to Russia. These checks were framed as part of a wider effort to tighten controls around financial crime and sanctions enforcement. Influencers, AML, and EU Coordination Take Priority Alongside traditional supervision, CySEC expanded its focus into newer areas of market behaviour. One area under closer review was the use of social media personalities to promote investment products, which the regulator flagged as a growing risk channel for retail investors, especially in cross-border online markets. CySEC’s AML work is also tied to upcoming EU reforms. The regulator confirmed its involvement in preparations for the new Anti-Money Laundering Authority, which is expected to centralise supervision of higher-risk institutions across the bloc. At national level, CySEC is contributing to the rollout of Cyprus’ updated sanctions framework through the National Sanctions Implementation Unit. Licensing activity continued despite the tighter supervisory stance. CySEC approved 47 new licences during the year, lifting the total number of supervised entities to 808. Assets under management in collective investment schemes reached €11.4 billion, with the regulator noting that a large portion of those assets is invested within Cyprus. Investor Takeaway Greater scrutiny of influencer marketing and AML controls raises compliance expectations for firms targeting retail clients from Cyprus. How the EU Presidency Shapes the 2026 Agenda Technology investment has become a core element of CySEC’s oversight approach. During 2025, the regulator expanded its use of new IT systems, data analytics, artificial intelligence tools, and cybersecurity capabilities. Additional hiring and technical upgrades are planned for 2026 as supervisory demands increase. The timing aligns closely with Cyprus’ upcoming EU Council Presidency. Throughout 2025, CySEC officials participated in discussions on major legislative files, including the Retail Investment Strategy, the Market Infrastructure Package, and planned revisions to the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. Cyprus is scheduled to host meetings of the European Securities and Markets Authority Management Board and Board of Supervisors in April 2026, placing CySEC at the centre of EU supervisory coordination during the Presidency period. For a jurisdiction long associated with cross-border retail trading, the focus reflects an effort to underline alignment with EU supervisory priorities. Investor Protection and What Comes Next Investor protection remained a parallel theme throughout 2025. CySEC issued multiple public warnings about unauthorised online firms and expanded awareness campaigns tied to digital fraud risks. Financial education programmes continued across schools, universities, and online channels, with updated materials addressing online trading and crypto-asset exposure.

KEY TAKEAWAYS Select a trading strategy aligned with your risk tolerance and time horizon to minimize overtrading and focus on consistent gains. Implement strict risk management, such as position sizing at 1-2% of capital per trade, to preserve funds and enable long-term profitability. Avoid emotional biases by limiting market checks and predefined entry/exit rules to prevent impulsive decisions. Diversify selectively across 2-4 high-liquidity assets to spread risks without diluting focus or encouraging excessive trades. Measure success through discipline and plan adherence rather than short-term profits, as patience yields superior results in crypto markets.   There are a lot of ways to make money in the cryptocurrency market, but to do so consistently, you need to be disciplined and avoid overtrading. Studies show that approximately 10% of regular crypto traders make money, mostly because they make common mistakes, such as trading too much out of emotion. When you open too many positions because of fear, greed, or market hype, you are overtrading.  This can raise your transaction costs, lead you to make snap judgments, and make your losses bigger. This article examines ways for traders to make money while staying in control, drawing on in-depth studies of trading tactics and behavioural factors. Traders may better handle the 24/7 volatility of crypto markets by focusing on defined plans, managing risk, and mastering their own minds. Understanding Overtrading and Its Risks Overtrading is a prevalent issue in cryptocurrency trading, where traders execute excessive trades in response to short-term market fluctuations or external factors such as social media trends. Cognitive biases, including overconfidence, fear of loss, and herd mentality, often lead to this behaviour, causing people to make poor choices and deviate from a sensible trading plan. The risks are big: trading often costs more, makes you more vulnerable to volatility, and makes you more likely to make emotional blunders.  For example, it becomes much harder to recover from losses; to break even after a 50% loss, you need a 100% return. This shows how important it is to protect your capital rather than constantly chasing opportunities. Market research suggests that people new to crypto often make mistakes because they think doing something repeatedly means they're making progress. This causes stress and poor performance. To reduce these risks, traders need to make fewer, more thought-out decisions. This aligns with research showing that simple strategies are more effective in the long run. Important Tips for Making Money Trading Without Overtrading To make money trading in crypto markets, you need to choose techniques that fit your risk tolerance, time availability, and goals. You should also try to avoid overtrading by making as few trades as possible. Hodling is a basic technique in which traders buy assets based on their inherent value and hold them for years, ignoring short-term price swings.  This strategy is good for people who can handle a lot of risk and don't have much time, because it reduces the need to check on things every day and keeps them from making too many deals. Another good strategy is swing trading, which uses technical analysis to find entry and exit opportunities and predefined stop-losses and take-profits to automate choices and keep emotions out of the process. Day trading focuses on intraday price movements and requires strong discipline to avoid overtrading.  Strategies like scalping aim for modest, quick profits within minutes, using high-liquidity assets and tools like moving averages and RSI indicators. Arbitrage trading takes advantage of price differences across exchanges to make low-risk profits. It requires some technical setup, but once automated, it requires little work. Traders should keep their portfolios to 2–4 high-liquidity coins, set explicit entry conditions (e.g., buying on pullbacks), and choose a longer time frame to make fewer decisions. When you choose one of these methods based on your own circumstances, such as experience and capital, they can help you make money by cutting down on unneeded trades. Ways to Manage Risk Good risk management is the key to making money in crypto trading. It typically separates traders who make money from those who lose money without checking their losses. "Rule No. 1: Never lose money," said famous investor Warren Buffett. "Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No. 1," which stresses the importance of keeping capital safe. Traders should consider their age, finances, and aspirations to determine how much risk they can handle.  If they are worried about volatility, they should choose conservative positions. Position sizing is very important. You should only put 1–2% of your whole capital into each trade so that one loss doesn't wipe out your whole portfolio. Diversifying across assets and strategies further reduces risk, but excessive diversification can lower potential profits. Stop-loss orders automatically close positions at certain loss levels, while take-profit orders lock in profits, helping prevent overtrading driven by greed.  In day trading, using indicators like MACD to identify momentum and volume analysis to validate trends helps make better risk-adjusted judgments. Advanced options, such as smart beta index funds that automatically adjust exposure (for example, to Bitcoin momentum), include built-in risk controls through automatic rebalancing. Traders can strive for steady little gains, like 0.1% every day, that add up over time without too much effort by following a set trading plan with these methods. Getting a Handle on Emotional Discipline Emotional discipline is essential for avoiding overtrading, as psychological factors often override logical strategies in the high-stakes crypto environment. Traders need to be aware of biases such as FOMO (fear of missing out) and herd behaviour, which can lead them to make rash trades when the market is hot. To stop this, only monitor the market once or twice a day. This will make you less likely to act on every change. Setting exit guidelines in advance, such as profit targets or loss limits, helps people make decisions based on logic rather than emotion. News and social media can change how people feel about the market, leading to more trading. Sentiment analysis tools can help you figure out how people are feeling without having to trade right away. One analyst says, "In a market that moves at the speed of light, the ability to sit on your hands is the only edge that algorithms can't take away." Research shows that in crypto, patience beats excitement, so measuring success by how well you stick to your rules instead of how much money you make right away can help you make money in the long run. Practicing on demo accounts helps traders better control their emotions before putting real money on the line. Advanced Advice for Making Money Long-Term For experienced traders, using leverage can increase returns, but it should only be used sparingly to prevent the risk of liquidation. It is best for people with proven systems. Integrating technical analysis with fundamental insights, such as blockchain metrics, enhances decision-making without increasing trade frequency.  It's important to keep learning from your failures. Keep refining your goals while maintaining clarity and consistency. When markets are volatile, other tactics, such as range trading within support and resistance levels, might help you make money with little effort. Ultimately, consistent success comes from treating trading as a process of constant development, where making fewer decisions yields better results. FAQs What is overtrading in crypto, and why is it harmful? Overtrading involves executing too many trades driven by emotions, leading to higher fees, increased risk, and potential losses from impulsive decisions. How can beginners start trading crypto profitably without overtrading? Beginners should learn basic strategies, practice on demo accounts, start with small funds, and stick to a simple plan with predefined rules. What role does risk management play in avoiding overtrading? Risk management techniques like stop-loss orders and position sizing limit exposure, reducing the need for frequent corrective trades. Is day trading suitable for avoiding overtrading? Day trading can be profitable but requires discipline; it's better for those who can adhere to short time frames without constant monitoring. How does emotional discipline contribute to profitable trading? Mastering emotions helps prevent biases like FOMO, allowing traders to stick to their plans and make rational decisions for sustained profits. References How to Become a Profitable Crypto Trader: In-Depth Guide - Trakx A Beginner's Guide to Day Trading Crypto - Gemini How to Build a Simple Crypto Strategy Without Overtrading in 2026 - Binance Square

What Did Hong Kong Officials Announce? Hong Kong plans to issue its first batch of stablecoin issuer licences in the first quarter, according to remarks by Financial Secretary Paul Chan reported by the South China Morning Post. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Chan said the city’s crypto asset framework remains “responsible and sustainable,” confirming that stablecoin licensing is moving from legislation to implementation. The announcement marks the first concrete timeline for approvals under Hong Kong’s stablecoin regime, which was passed in 2025. Once licences are granted, Hong Kong would become one of the first major financial centres to operate a fully defined regulatory framework for fiat-referenced stablecoins. Chan framed digital finance as part of a broader growth strategy, saying authorities are working toward a full ecosystem that includes stablecoins, licensed trading platforms, and tokenized assets. The emphasis suggests Hong Kong sees regulation not as a constraint on crypto activity, but as a way to attract issuers and institutional participants seeking legal clarity. Investor Takeaway Hong Kong’s timeline gives stablecoin issuers a clear regulatory runway, reducing uncertainty for firms considering Asia-based issuance or settlement operations. How the Stablecoin Licensing Regime Works Hong Kong’s stablecoin framework applies to fiat-referenced stablecoins and sets out strict requirements on reserves, redemption rights, and risk controls. Issuers must hold high-quality backing assets, provide clear redemption mechanisms, and meet governance and operational standards designed to protect users. The regime reflects lessons drawn from global stablecoin failures earlier in the decade, when weak reserve management and opaque disclosures triggered market disruptions. By locking in rules before licenses are granted, Hong Kong aims to avoid retroactive enforcement and provide issuers with predictable compliance expectations. While authorities have not disclosed how many licences may be approved in the first batch, the phased approach suggests regulators intend to move cautiously, prioritizing oversight quality over volume. That stance contrasts with jurisdictions that allowed rapid growth first and tightened controls later. How Stablecoins Fit Into Hong Kong’s Broader Crypto Push The stablecoin rollout comes alongside Hong Kong’s existing licensing regime for crypto trading platforms. Under that framework, the Securities and Futures Commission has approved 11 operators so far, including OSL, HashKey, and Bullish, according to the regulator’s public records. Together, the two regimes form the backbone of Hong Kong’s crypto policy: regulated issuance on one side and regulated trading on the other. The structure is designed to support institutional participation by aligning digital assets more closely with traditional financial supervision. Beyond trading and payments, authorities are also exploring tokenization. In November 2025, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority launched a pilot under Project Ensemble to test real-value transactions using tokenized deposits and digital assets. The initiative involves major banks and asset managers and focuses on settlement efficiency rather than speculative use cases. Taken together, these efforts point to a strategy that treats digital assets as financial infrastructure rather than a standalone sector. Stablecoins are positioned as settlement tools within a regulated system, not as parallel money operating outside it. Investor Takeaway Stablecoins in Hong Kong are being built into a regulated financial stack, which may appeal to banks, funds, and corporates that require clear legal boundaries. Where Tensions Are Emerging Despite the progress, not all industry voices are aligned with the direction of regulation. Authorities are currently seeking public feedback on proposals to extend licensing to crypto asset dealing, advisory, and management services. On Tuesday, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Professionals Association warned that the proposed changes could raise compliance costs and discourage traditional asset managers from entering the crypto space. The group argued that higher licensing thresholds may slow institutional adoption rather than accelerate it. This tension highlights a familiar regulatory tradeoff. While tighter rules can enhance credibility and reduce risk, they can also narrow participation if compliance burdens outweigh commercial incentives. How regulators adjust those thresholds may determine whether Hong Kong’s framework attracts a broad mix of market participants or concentrates activity among a smaller group of large firms. What Comes Next The first stablecoin licences, if issued on schedule, will test whether Hong Kong’s regulatory-first approach can translate into real issuance and usage. Market attention is likely to focus on who receives approval, how reserve rules are implemented in practice, and whether licensed stablecoins gain traction in payments, settlement, or tokenized markets.

Daymer Group, an independent fiduciary and consulting firm focused on the global asset management industry, has launched a regulated presence in the United Arab Emirates with the opening of a new office in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The expansion marks a strategic step for the London- and Cayman Islands-based group as it looks to support the rapidly growing Middle East investment and startup ecosystem. The Dubai office is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and will be led by senior finance professional Mike Davis. From the DIFC, Daymer Group will provide fiduciary, governance and advisory services to asset managers, investment vehicles, corporate structures and family offices operating across the region. The move reflects both rising demand from international asset managers relocating to the UAE and increasing interest from regional investors seeking independent, experienced oversight as capital flows into new funds, structures and growth-stage businesses. Responding to the Middle East’s Expanding Asset Management Landscape Headquartered in the Cayman Islands, Daymer Group’s core business centres on sourcing experienced, highly competent Independent Non-Executive Board Members for asset management clients. Its remit spans investment funds, structured products, corporate entities and family offices, alongside consulting and fractional executive services, including CEO, CFO and COO roles. The firm’s client base collectively manages more than USD 12 billion in assets under management, giving Daymer a strong foothold in global investment governance at a time when regulatory scrutiny and investor expectations continue to rise. Founder Richard Scott-Hopkins said the decision to establish a regulated Dubai presence was driven by both market dynamics and direct client demand. “With existing offices in London and Cayman, Dubai was the logical third location for Daymer Group,” he said. “New and established asset managers are moving to the UAE to take advantage of the attractive tax regimes, developed regulatory network and to be closer to their current and potential investors.” He added that several existing clients are already expanding their regional footprint. “Several of our existing clients are moving people or opening offices in the UAE and they have asked Daymer to support them,” Scott-Hopkins said. DFSA-Regulated Platform Led by Senior Industry Figures The DIFC office will be headed by Mike Davis, who joins Daymer with extensive experience across financial services and advisory roles. As Director of the Middle East business, Davis will oversee the delivery of fiduciary and consulting services under the DFSA regulatory framework, positioning Daymer as a locally regulated provider in one of the world’s fastest-growing financial hubs. Commenting on the expansion, Davis highlighted a shift in priorities among both managers and investors. “As the Middle Eastern asset management industry continues to evolve, managers and their investors are putting a higher value on truly independent advice and support,” he said. “Daymer team members are not only highly qualified themselves, but they can also call on the experience and know-how of the wider, global Daymer Director Network,” Davis added, pointing to the firm’s emphasis on independence and real-world operational experience. A Deep Bench of Regional and Global Expertise The Daymer Middle East team brings together senior professionals with decades of experience across banking, compliance, operations, cybersecurity and public-sector strategy. Among them is Martin Homberger, who previously led Barclays Bank’s Middle East regional Compliance and Financial Crime functions, and has also held senior roles at Deutsche Bank and international law firm Clifford Chance. Mark Emmerson, another senior member of the regional team, contributes more than 40 years of banking and trade finance experience, while Simon Calder joins following a six-year tenure as Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer for HSBC in the UAE. The broader advisory bench also includes cybersecurity specialist Tom Gamali, a former member of the European Advisory Council of ISC², and healthcare strategist Yoko Shimada, who has worked on global initiatives with organisations such as the World Bank, UNAIDS, the World Health Organization and the Gates Foundation. Daymer said the combination of financial, regulatory, operational and sector-specific expertise allows it to support clients navigating complex governance, risk and growth challenges as they scale across jurisdictions. Governance, Credibility and Independent Oversight As regulators worldwide tighten expectations around governance, conflicts of interest and board independence, firms operating in cross-border structures are increasingly seeking experienced non-executive directors and independent advisers who understand both local and international standards. Daymer’s model focuses on providing independent insight rather than bundled or conflicted advisory services. Its directors and consultants include former C-suite executives, partners and senior leaders from multiple sectors, enabling clients to enhance credibility with regulators, investors and counterparties. The launch of a DFSA-regulated entity is intended to reinforce that positioning in the Middle East, where DIFC has become a focal point for asset managers, venture capital firms, hedge funds and family offices establishing regional headquarters. By operating under DFSA oversight, Daymer can offer on-the-ground support aligned with local regulatory expectations while maintaining connectivity with its London and Cayman operations. Supporting Capital Inflows and Startup Growth Beyond traditional asset management, Daymer’s expansion also targets the region’s growing startup and private capital ecosystem. The UAE has positioned itself as a gateway for emerging market investment, attracting founders, venture funds and institutional capital seeking stable regulation and global connectivity. Fractional executive services form a key part of Daymer’s offering in this space, allowing early-stage and scaling businesses to access senior leadership expertise without the cost or commitment of full-time appointments. The firm believes this approach is particularly relevant in the Middle East, where international investors increasingly expect institutional-grade governance and reporting from startups and private investment vehicles. With offices now spanning Cayman, London and Dubai, Daymer aims to act as a bridge between established financial centres and the Middle East’s expanding investment landscape. Takeaway: Daymer Group’s DFSA-regulated launch in the DIFC reflects the Middle East’s growing demand for independent governance, fiduciary oversight and senior advisory expertise as asset managers, investors and startups expand into the region.

In the cryptocurrency world, getting in early enough on a high-potential project has generated life-changing returns. A classic example is Cardano (ADA), a token that many smart investors recognized for its early potential. Back in 2017, Cardano debuted at around $0.02 per coin. Few investors imagined then that Cardano would later soar to over $3 at its peak. Granted, the token has given up much of its gains, but early investors are still sitting on a roughly 1,750% gain. These types of returns are very common for select crypto presale projects. Many analysts and experts are drawing parallels between Cardano’s early days and Digitap ($TAP), the maker of the world’s first “omni-bank” and one of the best cryptos to buy now. The idea is that buying Digitap today, during its infancy, could be similar to buying ADA at $0.02. Source: Digitap How Digitap Blends FX, Savings, Crypto, and a Visa Card Digitap may be a crypto presale project, but it is unusually mature for its age. Most startups offer investors ideas or prototypes, with the expectation of building a product later using funds raised. Digitap, on the other hand, already offers a working product with a global reach. Digitap’s core banking platform lets users manage their day-to-day fiat and crypto banking needs seamlessly. This includes opening foreign currency accounts, accessing high-yield savings accounts, using a crypto wallet that supports more than 100 tokens, and spending through a Visa debit card. The fintech app also offers users an optional no-KYC signup process. This means anyone worldwide can open a Digitap account and access basic services. There are an estimated 800 million people worldwide who are unbanked, many of whom live in regions where access to identification is limited or unavailable. By having these options built in, Digitap is positioned for global expansion and aims to bring financial inclusion to those who need it most. Source: Digitap How Digitap’s $4.3M Raise and Audits Boost $TAP’s Credibility Digitap’s crypto presale of its native $TAP kicked off in late summer. To date, Digitap has raised more than $4.3 million, with the bulk of activity occurring during a harsh crypto market selloff. The sea of red prompted many investors to reallocate funds away from purely speculative projects. Instead, projects able to demonstrate a working product and a clear growth strategy were viewed as better crypto to buy. This is reflected in the early metrics Digitap has reported. The project has connected with more than 120,000 user wallets and has successfully passed smart contract audits from Coinsult and SolidProof. What further differentiates Digitap as an altcoin to buy, particularly when compared with Cardano’s early returns, is its tokenomics. With a fixed supply of 2 billion $TAP, the project allocates half of its profits toward buyback and burn initiatives, as well as rewards for stakers. Digitap’s presale is structured in tiers, with the price of $TAP scheduled to increase after each round is completed. $TAP was first offered for sale at $0.0125, and the price has gradually risen to $0.0439. While the roughly 250% paper gain has given early investors Cardano-era vibes, there may still be room for upside. The team recently confirmed that $TAP is headed to major exchanges, with an expected listing price of $0.14. What Cardano’s $0.02 Origins Reveal About Early-Stage Upside Cardano, much like Digitap, quietly entered the market as a little-known project in 2017. It was a promising yet unproven platform led by Charles Hoskinson, who envisioned a peer-reviewed, scalable smart contract network. The project continued to attract investors through continuous upgrades and improvements. These included the implementation of staking during the Shelley era in 2020 and smart contracts during the Goguen era by 2021. ADA reached an all-time high of around $3.10 in September 2021. Investors who bought ADA at $0.02 and sold near the peak would have realized a gain of roughly 15,400%. That means an early $1,000 investment could have been worth more than $150,000 at its height. The takeaway is that at just a few cents, ADA had significant upside potential if the project succeeded, with relatively limited downside. Digitap, trading at around five cents, sits in a similar position. It is considered a top altcoin to buy as it carries not only a low per-token price, but also an approximate $80 million valuation. That figure is small compared with the multi-billion-dollar valuations achieved by successful crypto platforms. $TAP Is A Top Crypto To Buy, Echoing ADA’s Early, High-Upside Years Buying Digitap during its crypto presale as a high-upside, early-stage investment is drawing parallels to backing Cardano in its infancy. Just as ADA at $0.02 represented early exposure to a bold experiment in building a new blockchain network, $TAP at around $0.05 represents early exposure to a new model of global banking and payments. This comparison does not suggest Digitap will replicate Cardano’s exact returns. Rather, it highlights that outsized gains have historically been possible when investing early in successful crypto projects. Digitap already holds an advantage by offering a live product at the presale stage, reducing execution risk, making it a top crypto to buy before the token is listed on major exchanges. If Digitap delivers on its vision of borderless banking and global financial inclusion, early adopters could see the token’s value appreciate significantly over the coming years. Discover the future of crypto cards with Digitap by checking out their live Visa card 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 Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) has acquired the ESG data analytics business line of Luxembourg-based technology firm Tetrao International, strengthening its control over the collection and structuring of sustainable bond data and reinforcing its long-term strategy in sustainable finance. The transaction brings Tetrao’s specialised ESG data analytics team and proprietary data extraction capabilities into the LuxSE Group, while Tetrao continues to operate independently as a technology company under the leadership of its founder and chief executive, Christian Gillot. The deal is expected to close by the end of February, subject to regulatory approvals. LuxSE said the acquisition reflects growing investor demand for high-quality, reliable sustainability data and underlines the exchange’s ambition to maintain its leadership position in the rapidly expanding global market for green, social and sustainability-linked bonds. Strategic Control Over Sustainable Bond Data Announcing the acquisition, Julie Becker, Chief Executive Officer of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, described the move as a natural extension of a long-standing partnership between the two organisations. “This acquisition is a strategic move for the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to providing structured and meaningful sustainable bond data,” Becker said. “Investors need access to reliable data to make informed investment decisions, and given our long-term strategy in this field, we consider it important to have full oversight of the data collection process and strategy.” Becker added that LuxSE had worked closely with Tetrao for several years and saw strong potential in both its technology and expertise. “We have successfully worked with Tetrao for a number of years and see great potential in its technology and expertise,” she said. The acquisition allows LuxSE to internalise a critical part of its ESG data value chain at a time when transparency, data quality and traceability are becoming increasingly central to sustainable finance regulation and investor scrutiny. Powering the LGX DataHub at Scale Tetrao’s ESG data analytics unit has played a central role in building and maintaining the Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX) DataHub, widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive sustainable bond databases globally. The technology developed by Tetrao uses artificial intelligence to extract large volumes of sustainability-related bond data points from a wide range of public and proprietary sources. Its platform combines machine learning algorithms, generative AI large language models and advanced computer vision to deploy automated agents that simulate human behaviour. These agents are designed to identify, read and interpret complex information from websites and documents, while maintaining high data quality through processes that combine human expertise, AI-driven predictions and fully auditable decision trails. LuxSE said that bringing this capability in-house would enhance both the robustness and scalability of its sustainable finance data services, while ensuring consistency with its broader governance and strategic objectives. Today, the LGX DataHub provides up to 200 data points across more than 23,000 green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked bonds, representing close to the entire universe of sustainable bonds listed worldwide. Building on a Long-Standing Partnership LuxSE first took a minority stake in Tetrao in January 2021 and has relied on the company’s data collection services to accelerate the development of its sustainable bond data offering ever since. As part of the transaction, Tetrao’s ESG data analytics team will join the LuxSE Group and continue extracting and collecting sustainable bond data for LGX using the proprietary tools and methodologies developed by the start-up. Tetrao will remain a key technology provider to LuxSE, ensuring continuity and ongoing innovation. Pierre Schoonbrodt, Chief Financial Officer of LuxSE and a board member of Tetrao International, said the integration would strengthen LuxSE’s ability to expand its data services. “We look forward to bringing Tetrao’s ESG data analytics unit into the LuxSE Group,” Schoonbrodt said. “The team offers unique expertise in the field of data collection and has a deep understanding of our processes and business needs.” He added that the tailored technology developed for LuxSE’s specific requirements would create new opportunities. “Thanks to the advanced technological solution which was developed for our specific area of activity, this acquisition will strengthen our data services and open opportunities to expand into new areas,” Schoonbrodt said. Tetrao’s Evolution and Focus on AI-Driven Data Founded in Luxembourg in 2014 by Christian Gillot, Tetrao began commercialising its technology in 2017. In 2019, the company launched a major research and development project for the investment fund industry, collecting daily documentation and metadata on around 85,000 fund instruments. Building on this foundation, Tetrao later specialised in sustainability data collection. Since 2020, it has consistently supplied LuxSE’s sustainable bond database with detailed data points on bonds identified by LuxSE’s sustainable finance experts. Under the new structure, Tetrao International will continue to operate as an independent company and develop new AI-powered data services for a broader client base, while maintaining its close relationship with LuxSE. Gillot said the transaction marked a logical next step in the partnership between the two firms. “We are grateful for the trust that LuxSE has placed in Tetrao over the years and we are proud of the robust and efficient data collection processes we have developed and operated for the LGX DataHub,” Gillot said. He added that collaboration with LuxSE had helped refine Tetrao’s operating model. “Through this partnership, we have refined our ability to collaborate with and deliver seamlessly for corporate stakeholders,” he said. Looking ahead, Gillot emphasised the growing role of artificial intelligence in financial data services. “As artificial intelligence continues to progress rapidly in capabilities, our proven track record positions us well to deliver tangible value to innovative clients seeking to extract greater value from data and future-proof their businesses,” he said. Strengthening LuxSE’s Sustainable Finance Leadership The acquisition comes as demand for sustainable investment products continues to rise globally, alongside heightened regulatory and investor focus on data accuracy, comparability and auditability. LuxSE has positioned itself as a global hub for sustainable finance through the Luxembourg Green Exchange, which was launched in 2016 and has since become a benchmark platform for green, social and sustainability-linked securities. By acquiring Tetrao’s ESG data analytics unit, LuxSE gains greater control over a critical infrastructure component underpinning its sustainable finance ecosystem, while ensuring that data strategy, technology development and governance remain closely aligned. The move also reflects a broader trend among exchanges and market infrastructure providers to internalise key data capabilities as ESG data becomes increasingly central to investment decision-making and regulatory compliance. With the transaction expected to complete by the end of February, LuxSE said it would continue investing in its data services to support investors, issuers and regulators navigating the evolving sustainable finance landscape. Takeaway: By acquiring Tetrao’s ESG data analytics unit, LuxSE is deepening its control over sustainable bond data infrastructure, reinforcing LGX’s global position and responding to rising investor and regulatory demand for high-quality, auditable ESG data.

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