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.
The country's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) confirmed this week that it is preparing comprehensive regulatory guidelines that would allow crypto ETFs to be formally established, crypto futures to trade on the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX), and digital assets to be recognized as an official asset class under existing derivatives law. SEC Deputy Secretary-General Jomkwan Kongsakul said the new framework is designed to expand access to digital assets while addressing security and custody risks that have historically deterred institutional investors.
Every year, workers around the globe send approximately $900 billion to their families back home and, when it comes to helping them send that money, the market is suddenly up for grabs. The reason is the recent momentum behind stablecoins, which offer an easy way to move money across borders-and for a far cheaper price than legacy transfer systems, whose fees can reach as high as 6%.
As Bitcoin enters 2026 with sustained institutional adoption and price stability following the 2024-2025 bull run, self-custody remains a cornerstone of the asset's sovereignty promise. Yet the landscape has evolved significantly. Spot Bitcoin ETFs have unlocked access to passive investors comfortable with Wall Street's "trust me, bro" brokerage models, while physical attacks on crypto users have surged to record levels, known as "wrench attacks".
Strive, Inc. announced today that stockholders of Semler Scientific, Inc. approved its acquisition by Strive, marking a landmark deal in publicly traded Bitcoin-backed companies. The all-stock transaction includes Semler Scientific's 5,048.1 Bitcoin, significantly expanding Strive's digital asset holdings. In addition, the company said they purchased 123 more Bitcoin for its corporate treasury at an average price of $91,561 per coin, for a total cost of approximately $11.26 million, inclusive of fees and expenses, the company said.
Figure Technology Solutions reported that its loan origination system produced $2.705 billion in volume during the fourth quarter of 2025, up 131% from the same period a year earlier, according to preliminary operating data released Monday. Compared to the prior quarter, the volume increased 9.5%. The volume was driven by the company's consumer loan marketplace, which includes home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR) loans and personal loans, as well as third-party loans traded on Figure Connect.
Iran's national currency, the rial, has completely collapsed against the U.S. dollar as the country's economic crisis worsens. The value of one rial is now worth $0.00 right now. On the open market, one U.S. dollar now trades for roughly 1.4 million rials, a collapse that has erased decades of purchasing power and fueled widespread unrest. The currency's plunge isn't new, but the pace of decline in 2025 and early 2026 has been dramatic.
Covered calls, protective puts, and collar strategies that once defined sophisticated Bitcoin trading are now standard tools across the most liquid altcoin markets. This shift marks a turning point in how altcoins are perceived and traded. XRP, SOL, and ETH are no longer just speculative assets for retail traders chasing 10x returns. They're becoming institutional products: vehicles for structured yield generation, volatility management, and portfolio hedging.
Credit card payments move trillions of dollars every year, yet the way those transactions settle has barely changed in decades. A December 2025 report from Amplify ETFs highlights a shift that could change that. Since November 6, 2025, Ripple and Mastercard have been running a live pilot that settles real credit card transactions on the XRP ( ) Ledger using RLUSD-Ripple's USD-backed stablecoin.
JPMorgan Asset Management has placed a very traditional product on the Ethereum blockchain: a tokenized money market fund called the My OnChain Net Yield Fund (MONY). It launched on Dec. 15, 2025, and runs on the bank's Kinexys Digital Assets platform. Investors access the fund through Morgan Money, with ownership interests issued as blockchain tokens delivered directly to their onchain addresses.
Prenetics Global Limited said it has ended its bitcoin purchasing program and will redirect its capital and strategic focus entirely toward IM8, its fast-growing consumer health and longevity brand co-founded with David Beckham. The Nasdaq-listed health sciences company said it ceased daily bitcoin purchases on Dec. 4, following approval from its board of directors, and will not pursue future acquisitions of the cryptocurrency.
