The “digital-first“ bank created in 2022 is set to go public on the Nasdaq, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. Old Glory Bank, a crypto-friendly lender, said it will merge with Digital Asset Acquisition Corporation to form a Texas-based company listed on Nasdaq. In a Tuesday notice, Old Glory and special purpose acquisition company Digital Asset Acquisition Corporation said they plan to form OGB Financial Company as part of an effort to go public under the ticker symbol OGB. The deal is expected to close “at the end of the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2026,” subject to regulatory and shareholder approval. “We intend for Old Glory Bank to be the first chartered bank to fully integrate crypto into daily banking,” said the bank’s co-founder and chief innovation officer, Michael Shaw, adding: Read more
The all-stock deal adds Semler’s 5,048 BTC to Strive’s treasury, lifting total holdings to 12,797.9 BTC and ranking it 11th among public companies. Strive’s stock fell about 12% on Tuesday after the asset manager announced an all-stock deal to acquire Semler Scientific, a transaction that will significantly expand its Bitcoin holdings. The company, co-founded by Vivek Ramaswamy, said on Tuesday that it has secured shareholder approval for the acquisition, which would add Semler Scientific’s 5,048.1 Bitcoin to Strive’s existing treasury. Following the transaction, Strive's total Bitcoin holdings would rise to 12,797.9 BTC. Strive is already the 11th largest publicly traded Bitcoin holding company, according to BitcoinTreasuries.NET data. The company also disclosed the purchase of an additional 123 Bitcoin for its corporate treasury, lifting its standalone holdings to 7,749.8 BTC. Read more
Jeremy Barnum told JPMorgan shareholders that yield-bearing stablecoins risk creating a parallel banking system without the safeguards of traditional regulation. Stablecoins emerged as a topic during JPMorgan Chase’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, with executives expressing support for blockchain technology while warning that certain stablecoin designs could threaten the regulated banking system. The comments came in response to a question from Evercore analyst Glenn Schorr, who asked about stablecoins in light of recent industry lobbying by the American Bankers Association and ongoing congressional markups related to digital asset legislation. Responding to the question, JPMorgan chief financial officer Jeremy Barnum said the bank’s position aligns with the intent of the GENIUS Act, which seeks to establish guardrails around stablecoin issuance. Read more
Ethereum remains the leader in total value locked, but declining usage and economic uncertainty in the United States may hinder a rally to $4,000. Key takeaways: Ether trades near $3,200 as weaker network usage and US economic uncertainty limit its price upside. Layer-2 networks drive most Ethereum activity, but cheaper rival blockchains reduce the chance of Ether reclaiming $4,000 soon. Read more
Less than two weeks into office, Zohran Mamdani said ”no” when questioned whether he held any crypto or planned to invest in a former New York City mayor's memecoin project. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday that he does not own cryptocurrency and has no plans to invest in digital assets, distancing himself from crypto-related initiatives promoted by his predecessor. Speaking to the press at Samson Stages, Mamdani responded “no” when asked whether he held any cryptocurrency, adding that he also had no interest in buying the NYC Token launched earlier this week by former mayor Eric Adams. Adams launched a new memecoin, the NYC Token, on Monday in his first major public move since leaving office. He said proceeds from the token would support education initiatives and other social causes. However, the token faced “rug pull” allegations after unverified reports that the team intentionally removed liquidity, causing investors to lose millions of dollars. The details were not publicly known at the time...