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From Bitcoin to Trumpcoin: currency of the US Government

Within a month Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. His embracement of crypto will mean a potentially much friendlier four years of policymaking than outgoing President Joe Biden's administration provided. In this blog I will give in more detail what Trump’s vision is, what are the goals he may realise, wha...

30 December 2024 /crypto Blockchain Observations

Traditional financial custodians enter the crypto market

An interesting recent development in the crypto market is the increasing introduction of institutional crypto custody services, setting new benchmarks in the crypto industry. The adoption of Bitcoin and Ether ETFs this year has attracted growing acceptance in mainstream finance. As a result the institutional demand for secure, compliant and flexib...

21 October 2024 /crypto Blockchain Observations

Blockchain: what happened during my stay in South Africa?

23 September 2024

Growing competition in the liquid restaking scene: Ethereum versus Solana

Liquid staking and liquid restaking is becoming popular in the DeFi area. A lot already has been written on this issue. But untill recently the attention was mostly on its use in the Ethereum ecosystem and the growing number of liquid restaking protocols in this area. But that is changing now that also Solana has entered the arena. Long time domin...

11 September 2024 /crypto Blockchain Observations

2024: a transformative and innovative year for DeFi

The world of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is rapidly evolving. Recent figures related to the DeFi market are showing a firm revival from the dip in 2022 and 2023. And that is not surprising. Upcoming regulation, the emergence of various innovative solutions and technology advancements that address real-world financial needs are fuelling a revival o...

19 August 2024 /crypto Blockchain Observations

MiCA regulation for stablecoins: standard for worldwide application

On June 30, new strict rules for stablecoin issuers went into effect across the European Union under the bloc’s Market in Crypto Asset (MiCA) regulation. This impending regulation represents a major change in the regulatory framework for stablecoins within Europe. In this blog we will go into more detail what this new regulation entails in terms

24 July 2024 /regulation /crypto Blockchain Observations

SEC approval of Ethereum ETFs: what may it bring for the crypto market?

On May 23, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved eight spot Ethereum or Ether ETF applications. These applications to be listed on US exchanges Nasdaq, CBOE and NYSE, may pave the way for the products to begin trading later this year after getting the green light. This announcement marks a pivotal moment in the cryptocurrency m...

24 June 2024

The corporate treasurer and blockchain

While it has been widely reported that – despite its disruptive character - the majority of banks think that innovations such as blockchain technology will positively impact their business and are exploring how they can use blockchain to their advantage, it is still largely a grey area for many corporate treasurers. But given the various chall

21 May 2024

Ripple stablecoin launch: a game changer

On 4 April, Ripple announced its plan to launch its own stablecoin, next to XRP, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar later this year. This is envisioned as a key development for Ripple, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional finance and decentralised finance. This announcement was well received by both the crypto world and the traditional financial...

18 May 2024 /crypto Blockchain Observations

Blockchain and TradFi: from disruption to transformation

Blockchain has longtime been looked at as a disruptive technology for the traditional financial (TradFi) industry. But that idea is fundamentally changing. TradFi institutions are increasingly realizing the importance of distributed ledger technology and blockchain’s opportunities. They are more and more prepared to use this innovative technology f...

14 April 2024 /crypto Blockchain Observations