The filing with the US SEC seeks to eliminate contract caps on crypto ETF options, a change Nasdaq argues would address unequal treatment in derivatives markets. US exchange Nasdaq has filed a rule change with the Securities and Exchange Commission to remove limits on options tied to spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds, in a move to align crypto ETF options with rules applied to other commodity-based funds. The proposal, filed on Jan. 7 and made effective on Wednesday, lifts the existing 25,000-contract limits on options linked to a range of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) ETFs listed on Nasdaq, including products from BlackRock, Fidelity, Bitwise, Grayscale, ARK/21Shares and VanEck, according to the filing. The SEC waived its standard 30-day waiting period, allowing the rule change to take effect immediately, while retaining the authority to suspend the change within 60 days if it determines further review is warranted. Read more
An actively managed fund blends Bitcoin, precious metals and mining stocks as asset managers expand crypto’s role in macro and capital-preservation strategies. Bitwise Asset Management has launched a new exchange-traded fund (ETF) designed to hedge against currency debasement, underscoring how digital assets are increasingly being incorporated into broader macro investment strategies following the success of spot Bitcoin ETFs. On Thursday, Bitwise unveiled the Bitwise Proficio Currency Debasement ETF, which trades on the NYSE under the ticker BPRO. The actively managed fund seeks to address the declining purchasing power of fiat currencies through a portfolio that includes Bitcoin (BTC), precious metals and mining equities. Unlike spot Bitcoin ETFs, BPRO allows for discretionary allocation across crypto and commodity-linked assets. The structure appears aimed at wealth managers seeking Bitcoin exposure without committing to a single-asset crypto product, particularly amid persistent inflation concerns. Read m...
US President Donald Trump has decided not to invade Greenland, which gives Bitcoin some relief from the geopolitical pressures that have been weighing on its price chart. The world breathed a small, collective sigh of relief on Wednesday when US President Donald Trump said he would not use force to take over Greenland during a rambling, hour-long speech to a crowd of world leaders in Davos. Trump argued why the US should rightly own Greenland, ostensibly as a bulwark against Russian or Chinese influence in the region. However, he walked back some worrying rhetoric about military action, stating that he would not use force to take over Greenland, which itself is an autonomous region of Denmark. He scrapped plans to use tariffs to pressure allies to go along with his acquisition plans. Indeed, he walked away from Davos with a supposed “framework of a future deal.” Bitcoin (BTC) responded positively to the news, bumping up from around $87,000 to $90,000 as the evening came to a close. Read more
Bitcoin long-term holders of two years or more broke records during 2024 and 2025, says a new analysis of the latest bull market. Bitcoin (BTC) is seeing record selling from old hands, but the trend began far below current prices. Key points: Bitcoin long-term holders have beaten records with their sales over the past two years. Read more
Bitcoin’s 20-year quantum timeline collapses. 25% of the Bitcoin supply sits in vulnerable addresses requiring urgent migration. Opinion by: Youssef El Maddarsi, chief business officer of Naoris Protocol Some Bitcoin (BTC) advocates argue that the network faces no meaningful quantum threat in the immediate future, pointing to emerging NIST-approved post-quantum standards and suggesting that Bitcoin can simply upgrade long before any cryptographically relevant quantum computer appears. This confidence relies on the risky assumption that the quantum threat begins only once a machine can break keys in real time. Adam Back argued that Bitcoin has at least 20-40 years to ready itself, but the quantum threat is already active today. Bitcoin cannot rely on a leisurely multi-decade upgrade path. Read more
The fund targets institutional investors seeking returns beyond traditional long-only, “vanilla” Bitcoin exposure. The digital asset arm of Nomura is launching a new yield-focused Bitcoin investment product, as asset managers look to offer institutional investors returns beyond simple price exposure. Laser Digital is launching the Bitcoin Diversified Yield Fund (BDYF) to address a growing market demand for tokenized yield-driven funds over “vanilla long-only funds,” according to a Thursday announcement shared with Cointelegraph. Unlike traditional long-only Bitcoin (BTC) funds, the new product seeks to produce income by deploying diversified strategies intended to generate yield while maintaining exposure to Bitcoin, according to Laser Digital. Read more
Bitcoin’s onchain structure “remains fragile,” said Glassnode, warning of a prolonged consolidation period ahead for BTC price. Bitcoin (BTC) price could be in for another prolonged period of consolidation if key support levels are not reclaimed, a new analysis reveals. Key takeaways: Bitcoin is stuck between key cost-basis levels, predicting 2022-type consolidation unless key support levels are reclaimed. Read more
The company also plans private debt-for-equity swaps for some holders of the Semler convertible notes that may shrink its offering size. Strive, an asset manager co-founded by former US presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in 2022, plans to raise as much as $150 million through an offering of preferred stock, with proceeds earmarked for debt repayment and Bitcoin purchases. Strive said it plans to sell shares of its Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock, trading under the ticker SATA, according to a Wednesday announcement. The company said the capital raised, alongside existing cash and potential proceeds from unwinding hedging transactions, would be used to pay down liabilities at its wholly owned subsidiary, Semler Scientific. This includes repurchasing a portion of Semler’s 4.25% convertible senior notes due in 2030, as well as outstanding borrowings under a master loan agreement with Coinbase Credit. Read more
The fast-food chain said employees will receive a BTC bonus per hour worked, with payouts vesting after two years and limited to company-operated locations. US fast-food restaurant chain Steak ’n Shake plans to offer Bitcoin bonuses to hourly employees at company-operated locations, signaling a move to use digital assets as a retention tool. In an X post on Wednesday, the company said hourly employees will be able to collect a Bitcoin (BTC) bonus of $0.21 per worked hour starting March 1, with a two-year vesting period. At $0.21 per hour, a full-time employee working 40 hours a week would earn about $8.40 in Bitcoin per week, or $437 per year based on a standard 52-week schedule. The program is supported by the Fold, a Bitcoin rewards and payments company. Read more