Bitcoin benefits from a weaker dollar, but credit market signals warn of possible investor caution that could prevent the bulls from making a run at $120,000. Key takeaways: Dollar weakness alone may not be enough for Bitcoin to reclaim $120K. Ongoing global trade tensions add uncertainty to Bitcoin’s short-term price outlook. Read more
Nomura’s crypto arm gains regulatory green light in Dubai to offer institutional OTC crypto options, expanding the UAE’s footprint in global digital derivatives. Laser Digital, the digital asset subsidiary of Japan’s investment bank Nomura, has become the first company licensed under Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) pilot framework to offer regulated over-the-counter (OTC) crypto options. The “limited license” will allow Laser Digital to offer OTC crypto options to institutional clients under strict oversight, the company said Wednesday. OTC desks allow institutions to trade large volumes of digital assets directly with counterparties, minimizing slippage and enabling more flexible pricing. These desks are typically used by hedge funds, asset managers, trading firms and other high-volume and institutional clients. Read more
The deal marks Bakkt’s latest pivot toward becoming a crypto treasury company, with a 30% stake in Tokyo-listed Marusho Hotta and plans to rebrand it as bitcoin.jp. Digital asset custodian and trading company Bakkt is finalizing a minority acquisition of Japanese company Marusho Hotta, marking a strategic step in its transformation into a crypto treasury business backed by Bitcoin and other digital assets. As part of the deal, Bakkt announced plans to acquire a 30% stake in Marusho Hotta, a publicly listed company that manufactures specialty yarns for domestic and international markets. The company will be renamed “bitcoin.jp,” signaling a likely pivot toward operating as a Bitcoin (BTC) treasury vehicle. Marusho Hotta trades under the ticker symbol 8105 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Its stock surged more than 36% on Wednesday, likely in response to the acquisition news. Read more
The deal was announced in response to the White House’s recent policy strategy to make the United States the AI capital of the world. US President Donald Trump’s administration has signed a deal with OpenAI to provide the enterprise-level version of the ChatGPT platform to all federal agencies in an effort to “modernize” operations. Under the deal, all US government agencies will have access to the AI platform for $1 per agency to facilitate integration of AI into workflow operations, according to a Wednesday announcement from the US General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA, which is the US government’s procurement office, said the private-public partnership “directly supports” the White House’s AI Action Plan, a three-pillar strategy to establish US leadership in AI development recently disclosed by the admnistration. Read more