Japan’s biggest brokerages are racing to bring crypto investment trusts to retail investors, as regulators move to formally allow crypto-holding funds by 2028. Japan’s major brokerages are preparing to bring crypto investment trusts to retail investors, with SBI Securities and Rakuten Securities already developing products in-house, while others like Nomura plan to enter the space once regulations are finalized. SBI Securities plans to sell funds developed by group company SBI Global Asset Management, with products spanning both ETFs and investment trusts focused on liquid assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum, according to a Sunday report by Nikkei. The group intends to handle everything from product development to distribution in-house. Rakuten Securities is taking a similar approach, working with Rakuten Investment Management to build products tradeable directly through smartphone apps, the report revealed. Read more
While macro pain and Iran war uncertainty drag Bitcoin below $79K, fixed-income market outflows could trigger a medium-term Bitcoin rebound. Bitcoin (BTC) faced a sharp contraction on Friday following a rejection at $82,000 the prior day. Recent price movements closely resembled the US small-capitalization stock index, hinting that macroeconomic factors are the leading drivers behind the nosedive below $79,000. The anxiety sparked a sell-off in fixed-income markets. Counterintuitively, this may help Bitcoin embark on a sustained bull run over the next few weeks. Key takeaways: Read more
Intesa Sanpaolo grew its crypto holdings from $100 million to $235 million in Q1 2026, making first-time moves into Ethereum and XRP while nearly exiting Solana entirely. Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy’s largest bank, more than doubled its crypto exposure in the first quarter of 2026, with holdings climbing from approximately $100 million at the end of 2025 to around $235 million as of March 31. The growth was driven by expanded Bitcoin positions, with the bank adding to positions in both the ARK 21Shares BTC ETF and BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF. It also entered Ethereum for the first time through BlackRock’s iShares Staked Ethereum Trust, and picked up a fresh stake in Ripple’s XRP via the Grayscale XRP Trust ETF, worth approximately $26 million, according to a report by local crypto outlet Criptovaluta.it. Intesa also opened a new position in iShares Bitcoin Trust call options, its first derivatives play in the space. The bank previously confirmed to Criptovaluta.it that its crypto positions are held for p...
Strategy executive chairman Michael Saylor said that continuing to use the “never sell” Bitcoin mantra could ultimately undermine the very asset his company is built around. Strategy executive chairman Michael Saylor said he raised the possibility of selling Bitcoin during Strategy's recent earnings call to protect the asset's long-term interests. “We own about $65 billion worth of Bitcoin. If the market thought we would never sell it, the credit rating agencies would say, Well then, I guess it’s not an asset,” Saylor told Scott Melker on The Wolf Of All Streets podcast published to YouTube on May 10. “There is $20 to $100 billion of liquidity in the Bitcoin market that is not correlated to our equity or to our credit. If we were to say we’re never going to take advantage of that liquidity and we’re never going to use that asset, then we’re impairing the asset, which 98% of the company is built on,” Saylor explained, adding: Read more
A16z crypto said that when US legal frameworks strike a balance between innovation and consumer protection, the impact tends to ripple through into global markets. The US CLARITY Act, which aims to provide the US crypto industry with more regulatory clarity, could have a positive ripple effect beyond the crypto sector itself, according to venture capital firm a16z crypto. “If the US provides builders with regulatory clarity, it will be a boon for domestic innovation,” a16z crypto said in an X post on Friday. A16z pointed to the passage of the GENIUS Act in July 2025, which created a regulatory framework for stablecoins, as a possible indication of what may happen following the CLARITY Act. Read more
Potential liquidity contractions in secondary markets and surging government bond yields could spell trouble for preferred perpetual stockholders. Investors are mispricing risk for perpetual preferred stocks, like Bitcoin treasury company Strategy’s Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock (STRC), according to Matt Dines, the chief investment officer of credit asset management company Build Markets. The corporate issuers of perpetual preferred stocks never have to repay holders their principal investment, and can just pay dividends indefinitely, without renegotiating the investment terms, Dines told the Truth for the Commoner (TFTC) media outlet. If holders want to cash out, they must sell the perpetuals on the secondary market to recover their principal, which leaves holders exposed to liquidity contraction and interest rate risks that exist forever because perpetuals lack a maturity date, he said. He added: Basic performance metrics for Strategy's STRC perpetual preferred stock. Source: Sayl...
The notes carry a 0% coupon, but can be converted into equity in the company if holders choose to redeem their notes for shares. Bitcoin treasury company Strategy announced on Friday that it will repurchase $1.5 billion in 0% convertible notes, due in 2029, retiring about half of the 2029 convertible note tranche’s total outstanding debt. Strategy entered into “privately negotiated transactions” with a portion of its 0% senior convertible note holders on Thursday, agreeing to repurchase the debt for an estimated $1.38 billion, according to the company’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing. The transaction is set to settle on Tuesday of the week following the publication of this article, the company said, adding that the final repurchase amount could “vary” from the estimated amount based on market conditions. The company added: Read more