In a rather significant crypto development, Ripple Labs hopes to embed itself within the traditional U.S. financial system by applying for a national banking license.  Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse confirmed on X that Ripple is seeking a national bank charter from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC),  further aligning its operations with federal oversight. “True to our long-standing compliance roots, Ripple is applying for a national bank charter,” Garlinghouse wrote, validating a report by The Wall Street Journal. What does this mean for Ripple?  If Ripple’s application succeeds, it would place the company under both state…

The European Central Bank (ECB) is set to pilot a blockchain based Euro settlement system by the end of 2026. The system will use distributed ledger technology (DLT) transactions using central bank money to facilitate payments and securities settlements across the bloc. This pilot will reportedly use findings from the ECB’s exploratory DLT trials in 2024, including over 50 experiments and 64 participants, to test a unified settlement system with central bank money. In a statement ECB said this plan will exhibit ECB’s commitment to safety and innovation.  “This move reflects the Eurosystem’s commitment to supporting innovation while safeguarding safety…

More than 60 tokenized stocks are now available on crypto exchanges Kraken and Bybit, as well as on Solana-based decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. Backed Finance announced on Monday that it has launched its new product, xStocks, offering blockchain-based versions of major stocks. The tokenized stocks can now be traded on Bybit, Kraken, and several DeFi platforms built on Solana. The list includes big names from both the tech world and the crypto space. Some of the supported stocks are Netflix, Meta, Robinhood, Coinbase, Amazon, Nvidia, McDonald’s, Apple, Tesla, and Microsoft. What are the advantages of xStocks? The official xStocks website…

The BNB Smart Chain just completed its “Maxwell” hard fork, slashing average block times to just 0.8 seconds, down from 1.5 seconds.  The upgrade officially went live on June 30 at 2:30 am UTC, following a Testnet launch on May 26. According to BNB Chain, the upgrade is expected to make transactions faster, decentralized apps (DApps) more responsive, and improve validator synchronization and network scalability. Taking to their official X account, the BNB Chain team said the upgrade is seen as a leap forward. What should you know about the Maxwell Hard Fork? The Maxwell upgrade includes three main proposals,…

Crypto exchange Bybit has formally unveiled Byreal, its inaugural on‑chain decentralized exchange (DEX) built on the Solana blockchain.  According to Byreal, its testnet will go live on June 30, with a full mainnet launch scheduled for Q3 2025.  The platform is designed to offer centralized exchange-level liquidity with the transparency and control of DeFi, positioning itself as a hybrid CeDeFi solution. Byreal integrates two trading models called Request For Quote (RFQ) and Concentrated Liquidity Market Maker (CLMM) to enhance liquidity depth, reduce slippage, and minimize the risk of miner extractable value (MEV).  This structure is also intended to provide high-speed…

Terraform Labs co-founder and South Korean entrepreneur Do Kwon’s upcoming court appearance has been further delayed by a U.S. Federal judge. Reports say this is to allow further pretrial negotiations between his legal team and federal prosecutors.  The hearing initially scheduled for June 12 has been rescheduled June 23 this year at the request of both parties. The postponement will facilitate what they described as “productive” talks and avoid unnecessary pretrial motions. Why is Kwon in hot water?  Do Kwon, the South Korean entrepreneur and co-founder of Terraform Labs, launched the Terra blockchain. The project had two major tokens, TerraUSD…

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) commissioner Paul S Atkins called for sweeping regulatory reforms to accommodate blockchain and decentralized finance (DeFi) technologies.  The commissioner acknowledged the transformative potential of blockchain and campaigned for regulatory clarity at a high-profile roundtable titled “DeFi and the American Spirit”. The event, organized by the SEC’s Crypto Task Force was moderated by Former SEC Commissioner Troy Parades.  Commissioner Atkins emphasized that DeFi embodies core American principles like economic liberty, private property rights, and technological innovation.  He referred to blockchain as “revolutionary innovation” that challenges traditional finance’s centralized model. “Blockchain technology enables the ownership and…

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Brian Quintenz, says blockchain is a transformative technology that goes beyond finance. Making these remarks ahead of his Senate confirmation, Quintenz says blockchain has the potential to impact and transform all aspects of society.  He emphasized its capacity to reshape industries across the board and called it a “horizontal technology”.  “I view blockchain as a horizontal technology that has the potential to touch every aspect of society,” said Quintenz, who previously served as the global head of policy at a16z Crypto.  Quintenz also stressed the need for a…