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Opinion by: Annabelle Huang, co-founder and CEO of Altius LabsFor centuries, the world’s traders and speculators have pursued one thing above all else: alpha. Not just returns, but an edge — a structural advantage that lets them capture value before everyone else. In modern times, they’ve achieved this through speed and precision, often beating the competition by mere nanoseconds.As markets migrate to blockchain rails, however, the nature of alpha itself is shifting. Future alpha won’t come from co-locating servers next to an exchange or shaving nanoseconds off fiber routes. Rather, it will emerge from using onchain infrastructure in unique ways.High-frequency…

OKX has announced the launch of the OKX Card in Europe, expanding its payments footprint across the European Economic Area. The product allows users to pay with stablecoins at merchants that accept Mastercard, positioning crypto balances for direct everyday use rather than requiring prior conversion or preloaded fiat balances. Related Reading The announcement comes at a time when crypto infrastructure is increasingly intersecting with traditional financial rails. While price action across major assets remains volatile, platforms are continuing to build payment and settlement tools aimed at reducing friction between on-chain assets and real-world spending. Rather than introducing a new payment…

Rising geopolitical tensions are strengthening the case for a European-controlled digital payments system, according to European Central Bank (ECB) executive board member Piero Cipollone.In an interview with Spanish newspaper El País, shared by the ECB on Wednesday, Cipollone described the proposed digital euro as “public money in digital form,” arguing that it was needed to complement cash and address an increasingly fragmented payments landscape in Europe, especially as e-commerce grows. He noted that cash accounted for around a quarter (24%) of day-to-day transaction value in 2024, down sharply from 2019 (40%), and said the ECB had a responsibility to adapt how…

South Korea’s top financial regulator said crypto exchanges should face ownership limits similar to those applied to securities markets, signaling a harder public stance on governance reforms under the country’s proposed Digital Asset Basic Act.According to a report by The Korea Times, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chair Lee Eog-weon said licensed crypto exchanges should no longer be treated as ordinary private companies but as entities with public-infrastructure characteristics. Lee’s comments come as the FSC reviews a proposal to cap major shareholders’ stakes in crypto exchanges at around 15% to 20%, a measure that has drawn resistance from exchange operators and…

PwC’s 2026 crypto regulation report says market surveillance, disclosures, and investor protections are moving onchain.Regulators are starting to treat crypto and decentralized finance (DeFi) more like traditional financial markets, according to a new report from PwC, one of the “Big Four” accounting firms.In its Global Crypto Regulation Report 2026, PwC said regulators are no longer treating crypto as a special case. Instead, they are starting to apply the same kinds of rules used in traditional markets, like making trading fairer, protecting everyday users, and setting clearer standards for how platforms should operate.PwC said the change is happening across both centralized…

Nasdaq has filed a rule change with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission seeking to remove position and exercise limits on options tied to spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, a move that would further integrate crypto-linked products into traditional derivatives markets. The proposal, originally filed on Jan. 7 and made effective this week on the 21st, eliminates the current 25,000-contract cap on options linked to Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs listed on Nasdaq.  Affected products include funds from BlackRock, Fidelity, Grayscale, Bitwise, ARK/21Shares and VanEck, according to the filing. The SEC waived its standard 30-day waiting period, allowing the rule change to…

UBS Group AG is preparing to offer bitcoin trading to a select group of private banking clients in Switzerland. According to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter, the Swiss banking giant has been in discussions for several months about launching a cryptocurrency trading offering and is currently in the process of selecting external partners.  The service would initially be limited to a small subset of Swiss private banking clients, with a broader rollout possible at a later stage. UBS has not made a final decision on implementation, the people said, and the plans remain subject to regulatory,…

Oklahoma lawmakers introduced legislation this week that would allow state employees, vendors, private businesses, and residents to negotiate and receive payments in bitcoin. Senate Bill 2064, introduced by Senator Dusty Deevers during the 2026 legislative session, establishes a legal framework for the use of bitcoin as a medium of exchange and compensation without designating it as legal tender. The bill explicitly states that it does not conflict with the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on states coining money or declaring legal tender other than gold and silver, instead recognizing bitcoin as a financial instrument operating within existing legal frameworks. If enacted, the…

In brief The Ethereum Foundation has created a new Post Quantum team, according to a post from researcher Justin Drake. The effort centers on LeanVM, new developer calls, live post-quantum devnets, and $2 million in prizes. Drake said a full post-quantum roadmap is coming, with the goal of zero fund loss or network downtime. The Ethereum Foundation has officially elevated post-quantum security to a top-tier strategic priority, establishing a dedicated internal team as industry experts warn of accelerating threats from quantum computing.In an announcement posted on X on Friday, Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake unveiled the formation of the Post-Quantum…

Here’s what ChatGPT thinks about XRP’s potential in the following week. Ripple’s cross-border token, alongside most of the cryptocurrency market, began the new year with a bang, surging by double digits within the span of just days. More specifically, XRP went from under $1.90 to $2.40 by January 6 when the tide turned, and it quickly lost momentum. The subsequent geopolitical tension caused by US President Trump’s ambitions to take over Greenland led to a market-wide correction. XRP was not spared, and it now struggles at its 2026 starting point of around $1.90. Here’s a look, through the eyes of…