Canada has completed a pilot program testing the use of distributed ledger technology in bond markets, culminating in the issuance of the country’s first tokenized bond, according to a Friday announcement from the Bank of Canada. The experiment, known as Project Samara, involved the Bank of Canada, Export Development Canada, Royal Bank of Canada and TD Bank Group, and explored if blockchain-style infrastructure could streamline bond issuance, trading and settlement. As part of the pilot, Export Development Canada issued a $100 million Canadian dollar ($73.6 million) bond with a maturity…
Tag: Bank
Kazakhstan Central Bank Eyes Crypto-Linked Portfolio Investments
Kazakhstan’s central bank plans to begin investing as much as $350 million from its gold and foreign exchange reserves into a crypto-linked portfolio, with the first purchases expected in April or May, senior officials reportedly said during a Friday news briefing. According to Reuters, National Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov said the bank is compiling a list of instruments for the portfolio. He said the basket would include crypto-linked assets and did not rule out direct cryptocurrency exposure, though officials indicated the initial emphasis would be on listed instruments tied to…
Bank Resistance Puts 2026 Passage Of Crypto Market Structure Bill In Doubt, Reuters
In a report published Thursday, Reuters said the long-anticipated crypto market structure legislation, known as the CLARITY Act, may be at risk of not being signed into law in 2026. The uncertainty comes as opposition from the banking sector intensifies, particularly over key provisions tied to stablecoin regulation. Deadlock In Crypto Legislation Per the report, the legislation has run into a fresh stalemate after banks declined to support a compromise proposal advanced by the White House. That breakdown in negotiations has cast serious doubt on whether Congress can move the…
UAE Central Bank Says Banks Operating Normally Amid Tensions
The United Arab Emirates’ banking system remains fully operational despite escalating regional conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, the country’s central bank said, as authorities moved to reassure markets following missile and drone attacks on the country this week. In a statement, Central Bank of the UAE Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama said banks, financial institutions and insurers “continue to operate with full efficiency and stability,” adding that the sector is showing “the highest levels of resilience and stability.” The statement comes as the UAE’s role as a regional financial…
Top Canadian Bank Launches Multi-Crypto ETF with BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP
The bank’s asset manager and 3iQ debut an actively managed crypto ETF to Canadian investors, offering exposure to Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and XRP at a competitive 0.25% fee. Scotiabank, one of Canada’s top-five banks by assets, has launched a new cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund in partnership with digital asset manager 3iQ, highlighting growing institutional adoption in a market that approved spot Bitcoin ETFs years before the United States. Dynamic Funds, Scotiabank’s asset management arm, unveiled the Dynamic Active Multi-Crypto ETF on Wednesday. The liquid alternative fund will trade on Cboe Canada…
ECB Flags Stablecoins as a Growing Risk to Bank Lending
The European Central Bank said rising stablecoin use can pull money out of bank deposits and weaken the way monetary policy flows through to lending, according to a new ECB working paper published Tuesday. Growing adoption of stablecoins, which are digital assets often pegged to currencies such as the US dollar or euro, is expected to draw funds away from traditional bank deposits, the ECB said in its latest working paper series, “Stablecoins and Monetary Policy Transmission,” released Tuesday. “Our analysis shows that rising interest in stablecoins is linked to…
BOJ Tests Blockchain for Bank Reserve Settlement
The Bank of Japan will conduct technical experiments using blockchain technology to settle deposits held at the central bank by financial institutions, according to BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda. In a speech posted Tuesday titled “The New Financial Ecosystem and the Role of Central Banks,” Ueda said a sandbox project is underway to test settlement using central bank money “in the form of current account deposits on a system that uses blockchains.” The experiments will explore “methods of connection with the existing system” and examine use cases, including “domestic interbank settlement…
Bitcoin shrugs off $306.1b bank losses, trades steady near $63k
Bitcoin trades flat near $63k as US banks’ unrealized losses fall 9.2% in Q4 2025, easing systemic risk concerns. Summary US banks posted $306.1b in unrealized securities losses in Q4 2025, down 9.2% QoQ and the lowest since Q1 2022. Industry net income hit $295.6b in 2025, up ~10% YoY, with Q4 ROA at 1.24%, signaling resilient profitability despite rate shock legacy. Problem banks rose to 60 (about 1.4% of institutions), still within the FDIC’s “normal” 1–2% range for non-crisis periods. American banks reported $306.1 billion in unrealized losses on…
Brazilian Exchanges Receive New Bank Secrecy and Accounting Standards Provisions
The measures seek to fully integrate crypto exchanges into the established financial system and protect the identity information of the institution’s customers. The Central Bank states that this will promote “transparency, comparability, and predictability of information provided to the market.” Brazil Issues Resolution Including Crypto Brokerages to Comply With Bank Secrecy Laws Brazil is moving […] Source
Morgan Stanley Applies US Bank Charter for Crypto Custody
Morgan Stanley has applied for a de novo national trust bank charter, allowing the bank to hold digital assets on behalf of its clients — a move in rhythm with its recent crypto expansion. A public filing with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) shows the application for a bank trust charter was received on Feb. 18 under the name “Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, National Association.” More details of the business plan were released on Friday, according to reports from Bloomberg and Forbes, revealing that the Morgan…