executive

According to CoinDesk, 21Shares Chief Investment Officer Adrian Fritz stated that the spot Bitcoin ETF continues to attract inflows, reinforcing Bitcoin's core position in institutional asset allocation, even as prices remain fluctuating below $80,000. Adrian Fritz pointed out that since the beginning of this year, Bitcoin ETFs have accumulated nearly $2 billion in funds, with sources including retail investors, institutions, and hedge fund arbitrage and options strategy trading.As traditional asset management institutions like Morgan Stanley accelerate their layouts, crypto assets are being more widely incorporated into multi-asset portfolio allocations. Bitcoin's current daily trading volume has exceeded $50 billion, and liquidity levels are approaching those of large tech stocks like Nvidia. The ETF mechanism simultaneously provides liquidity in both primary and secondary markets, gradually giving it "institutional-grade asset" attributes.Although the market is still suppressed by macro and interest rate environments, Adrian Fritz believes that ETF inflows have shifted from being driven by speculation to structural demand. He expects that with improvements in geopolitical conditions, continued inflows, and short covering, Bitcoin is likely to challenge the $100,000 mark within the year. Meanwhile, the differentiation among altcoins is intensifying, and the market is shifting towards a logic of asset selection that emphasizes fundamentals and cash flow.

According to Bloomberg, JPMorgan Chase has appointed former Goldman Sachs executive Oliver Harris as the head of its blockchain division Kinexys.Harris officially joined the bank earlier this month and will primarily be responsible for advancing the commercialization of applications under Kinexys and deepening partnerships with institutional clients.

According to The Block, Ciarán Fitzpatrick, the global head of ETF products at JPMorgan Securities Services, stated: "We believe that tokenization will definitely drive changes in the market, not only for ETFs but for the entire fund industry as well."Ciarán Fitzpatrick pointed out that given the many benefits that tokenization may bring, such as more convenient subscription and redemption, "almost instant settlement," and uninterrupted access, experiments with ETF tokenization are still ongoing. He added: "I think tokenization will become part of the ETF ecosystem, but it will be a few years before we see some really good use cases."

According to CoinDesk, in the past year, several senior executives from Coinbase's marketing team have joined OpenAI, including former Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch, Head of Integrated Marketing Sarah Russell, and Head of International Marketing Elke Karstens.In addition, several former employees of Coinbase have also transitioned to the AI field, including positions in policy, product, and data. Coinbase stated that the team size exceeds 150 people, and the personnel changes are considered normal.

ChainCatcher reported live that HashKey Capital CEO Deng Chao and Sharplink CEO Joseph Chalom jointly attended the 2026 Hong Kong Web3 Carnival roundtable discussion, exploring "From Finance to Strategy: How Public Companies Are Positioning Themselves Based on Digital Assets."Chalom, who worked at BlackRock for 20 years, began leading BlackRock's blockchain and digital assets team six years ago, during which he launched Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, raising about $100 billion at its peak. He stated that the choice to establish a digital asset treasury with Ethereum rather than Bitcoin is because Ethereum is a "native productive asset," which can earn nearly 3% returns through staking, while Bitcoin can only be held in anticipation of appreciation. Sharplink has been listed on Nasdaq and has raised billions of dollars to purchase Ethereum since launching its digital asset treasury strategy last June, currently holding approximately 770,000 ETH and earning about 17,000 ETH and over $35 million in rewards for investors through staking.Regarding industry trends, he pointed out that Ethereum is dominating three major use cases: stablecoins (over 60% occur on Ethereum), asset tokenization, and decentralized finance. He specifically warned that currently over 95% of stablecoins are denominated in US dollars, and if stablecoins are to become the payment rail for trillions of transactions in the AI economy, Asian regulators should not allow them to be dominated by the US dollar and US Treasury bonds, as this will trigger a geopolitical competition to advance local stablecoin legislation.Discussing market cycles, he noted that the crypto market has experienced significant pullbacks since last October, with short-term prices being unpredictable, but in the long term, the current risk-reward ratio is at its best level in a long time. He emphasized that digital asset treasuries are not passive investments; Ethereum is a high-volatility asset, and volatility is a characteristic of capital appreciation rather than a defect.

ChainCatcher reported live that Fan Wenzhong, Executive Director of the Chinese Financial Society and former Chairman of Beijing Financial Holdings Group, delivered a keynote speech at the 2026 Hong Kong Web3 Carnival. He pointed out that we are currently at a historical turning point similar to the transition from pawnshops to modern banking, where AI is an advanced productive force in the physical world, and Web3 represents a new type of production relationship in the digital world. The integration of the two will give rise to a Decentralized Agent Economy (DAE).He analyzed that AI Agents have execution capabilities but lack independent identity, accounts, and trust mechanisms, while Web3 addresses these pain points through smart contracts, on-chain identities, and programmable currencies; conversely, AI Agents significantly lower the barriers to using Web3. He proposed that DAE has four major characteristics: agent sovereignty and 24/7 operation, high-frequency atomic exchanges, a collaboration mechanism based on technological trust rather than moral or legal frameworks, and the organizational evolution from companies to DAOs and then to Decentralized AI Companies (DACs).He warned that this transformation will impact the labor market, with white-collar workers being replaced before blue-collar workers. AI quantitative funds have already achieved returns far exceeding those of retail investors, and he suggested that the government proactively advance social security reforms. Finally, he recommended that Hong Kong develop a self-controllable high-performance public chain, pilot limited digital persona registrations, attract Web3+AI composite talents, establish a digital finance industry fund, and promote collaborative innovation between the Hong Kong dollar stablecoin and digital renminbi.

ChainCatcher live report, the Executive Director of the Intermediaries Division of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, Ye Zhi Heng, delivered a keynote speech titled "ASPIRe in Action Hong Kong's Digital Asset Journey" at the 2026 Hong Kong Web3 Carnival. He reviewed the six major milestones since the Commission launched the ASPIRe roadmap last year, including allowing licensed platforms to provide staking services, conducting joint consultations on virtual asset trading and custody systems, opening up perpetual contracts and margin financing frameworks, and launching plans to strengthen market defenses through technology.He revealed that the draft regulations for the four systems of virtual asset trading, custody, management, and advisory have reached 260 pages, and the draft was received last week. The work for the next 12 months is divided into three major clusters: first, promoting innovation through regulation, advancing legislative and regulatory guideline consultations; second, promoting innovation through practice, gradually allowing tokenized authorized funds to trade on licensed platforms; third, promoting innovation through interaction, advancing automated reporting, signing international bilateral memorandums, and combating financial crime frameworks. He emphasized that Hong Kong is "moving steadily forward, fast because of stability."

Today, Bitget, in collaboration with media outlet Rhythm, held an online live broadcast themed "Dialogue with Bitget Executives: A Comprehensive Breakdown of the SpaceX Ticket, from Capital Privilege to Universal Sharing," providing a systematic interpretation of the product mechanisms of IPO Prime and preSPAX.Ken, the product head of Bitget IPO Prime, stated that IPO Prime is not the traditional "new coin listing," but rather utilizes digital tokens issued by the regulated issuer Republic to transform the high-threshold, low-liquidity non-standard assets of the primary market into priceable, tradable, and exit-able digital products.Ken pointed out that Pre-IPO opportunities have long been scarce, not only because the targets are of high quality but also due to the inherent high thresholds, strong circles, and low liquidity issues in the primary market. The launch of IPO Prime by Bitget aims to provide users with the opportunity to access potential economic benefits before the listing of unicorn companies through clearer product design and trading mechanisms within a compliant framework.The first phase of the preSPAX launched is an important attempt in this direction, focusing on providing users with a more flexible and tradable participation path.He further stated that from crypto trading to UEX, and now extending to the primary market, Bitget has been continuously pushing the boundaries of trading. In the future, the platform hopes to do more than just list more assets; it aims to further bridge the previously fragmented opportunity structures between different markets, allowing users to access earlier, higher quality, and more diverse global asset opportunities within the same system.

The President of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Eddie Yue, stated that the first batch of stablecoin issuers has been granted licenses today. Based on the business plans of the licensees, they intend to commence operations in the coming months once the relevant preparations are completed.Eddie Yue expressed hope that the issuers will carry out their business as planned, actively explore development opportunities while managing risks, promote the application of compliant stablecoins, and address pain points in financial and economic activities. At the same time, the public should remain vigilant against any fraudulent activities or scams claiming to be related to the licensees or the stablecoins they issue. When purchasing or using stablecoins, regulated channels should be used, and if there are any doubts, they should refer to the records of the Monetary Authority to verify the identity of the licensees or contact the licensees for further inquiries.

The crypto super political action committee Fellowship PAC announced the appointment of Jesse Spiro, Tether's U.S. executive, as chairman to lead political actions supporting pro-crypto candidates.This appointment comes at a time when the advancement of the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act in the Senate is stalled. The current point of contention is whether to allow platforms to provide yields or incentives for stablecoin holdings, which has become a key obstacle to reaching consensus on the bill. Recently, some crypto companies, including Coinbase, have expressed reservations about the latest version of the bill, while stablecoin issuer Circle is also facing market pressure due to policy uncertainty. Analysts point out that as the midterm elections approach, the crypto industry is ramping up political lobbying efforts in an attempt to secure a more favorable policy environment regarding regulation.

The U.S. Department of Justice's Northern California Prosecutor's Office announced that 10 executives and employees from four cryptocurrency market-making firms have been charged with allegedly manipulating token trading volumes and prices through wash trading, involving Gotbit, Vortex, Antier, and Contrarian.Three of the defendants have been extradited from Singapore to the U.S., and two others have pleaded guilty and been sentenced. The FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division even created multiple cryptocurrency tokens during an undercover operation to investigate illegal volume manipulation and price inflation within the industry. Over $1 million in cryptocurrency assets have currently been seized.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order prohibiting government-appointed officials from using non-public information obtained during their duties to engage in insider trading for profit in prediction markets, and expanded the ban to include their spouses, family members, and former business partners. The executive order specifies that public officials appointed by the governor may not use "confidential or non-public information" to bet on political or economic events related to their duties. Newsom stated that public service should not become a tool for profit and emphasized the need to draw a clear line between power and interests.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung nominated Shin Hung-song, the head of the Monetary and Economic Department of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), to serve as the governor of the Bank of Korea. Shin Hung-song stated last year that the issuance of a Korean won stablecoin is "an effective shortcut to bypass existing foreign exchange controls," which could open the door for capital outflows, and he immediately resigned from his BIS position after the nomination.Previously, Lee Jae-myung had listed the issuance of a Korean won stablecoin as a core campaign issue, but the Bank of Korea has consistently blocked the advancement of related legislation. Several large tech companies in South Korea have been waiting for stablecoin policies to be implemented for months. A report released by the BIS last year pointed out that stablecoins do not possess the functions of stable currencies and could pose risks to financial stability and monetary sovereignty. Industry insiders indicate that Shin Hung-song's stance on stablecoins will be closely monitored after he takes office.

According to The Block, Nasdaq-listed tokenization company Streamex Corp. (stock code: STEX) has announced the appointment of Christine Plummer as Chief Financial Officer.Plummer has worked at Morgan Stanley for over twenty years and then served as the Global Financial Director at cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. Streamex stated that Plummer will be responsible for overseeing the company's financial operations and driving the expansion of its institutional platform.Streamex primarily focuses on the tokenization of physical assets such as gold. In February of this year, the company launched the tokenized securities product GLDY, aimed at providing investors with exposure to gold and generating returns. The company believes that gold tokenization has the potential to surpass Bitcoin in terms of trading volume, market capitalization, and institutional adoption rate.

Takatoshi Shibayama, the head of Ledger's Asia-Pacific region, stated that if the United States implements a broader ban on stablecoin yields, discussions will take place among institutions, stablecoin issuers, and regulators in other countries. He pointed out that countries like Australia have provided regulatory exemptions for stablecoin issuers, but currently, most stablecoins do not offer yields or rewards to users even outside the United States, in order to protect banking interests.If U.S. policies change, discussions between stablecoin issuers and regulators in various countries about allowing yields to be passed on to users will significantly increase. The U.S. Senate is currently advancing a cryptocurrency regulation bill, but provisions supported by banking lobby groups that prohibit third-party platforms from offering stablecoin yields have stalled the legislation, which has drawn opposition from cryptocurrency industry lobbyists.Shibayama also mentioned that the way Asian financial institutions are focusing on the cryptocurrency industry has changed, with a certain degree of decoupling from cryptocurrency and blockchain technology since last year. Institutions are more focused on the tokenization of financial products and the issuance of stablecoins, rather than on DeFi and staking, which are native cryptocurrency products. Assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum are excluded from discussions. However, asset management companies are still considering launching cryptocurrency products to enrich client options.

Coinbase shareholder Kevin Meehan filed a derivative lawsuit on behalf of the company, accusing CEO Brian Armstrong and other executives of making misleading statements between April 2021 and June 2023, failing to adequately disclose the risks of customer asset custody, the securities law risks of token listings, and anti-money laundering compliance deficiencies. The lawsuit also names Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam, Chief Operating Officer Paul Grewal, and President and Chief Operating Officer Emilie Choi.The complaint states that the Coinbase user agreement describes custodial wallet assets as "assets held by the company on behalf of customers," but does not disclose that these assets may be included in the bankruptcy estate if the company goes bankrupt, potentially leaving retail users as ordinary unsecured creditors. Meanwhile, the company claims that the token listing review process can "ensure that no securities appear on the platform," yet some tokens still face securities risks.

The documents show that two directors of the Bitcoin mining company American Bitcoin (ABTC), supported by the Trump family, collectively increased their holdings by approximately 1.63 million shares of the company stock after the earnings report disclosure window reopened. Among them, Justin Mateen purchased about 1.3 million shares at an average price of around $1, while Richard Busch bought about 330,000 shares in the past two days. The company previously announced a net loss of approximately $59 million for the fourth quarter of 2025.Co-founder Eric Trump stated that the company currently holds over 6,500 Bitcoins, an increase of about 500 since the last disclosure, ranking 17th among publicly traded companies in Bitcoin holdings globally. ABTC employs a dual strategy of "mining + direct purchase," with about one-third of its Bitcoins coming from mining and the rest acquired through market purchases and strategic trades. The company also announced the acquisition of 11,298 ASIC miners, which is expected to increase its hash rate by approximately 12%. Currently, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. collectively hold about 20% of the company's shares.

According to Cointelegraph, the UK House of Lords questioned Coinbase's Vice President of International Policy, Tom Duff Gordon, on Wednesday, focusing on whether stablecoins could lead to a loss of bank deposits and pose new risks to the UK financial system.Gordon stated that fully reserved and regulated stablecoins are "safer than uninsured bank deposits" because they are backed 1:1 by cash and high-quality government securities and can be redeemed at face value. He emphasized that stablecoins can significantly reduce payment costs and accelerate cross-border payments.Members of the UK House of Lords questioned the redemption risks of stablecoins during a crisis, their potential impact on banks, and their role in criminal activities. Gordon countered that concerns about disintermediation from banks are "greatly exaggerated" and emphasized that Coinbase strictly enforces KYC and anti-money laundering measures.Adam Jackson, Chief Strategy Officer of Innovate Finance, warned that the UK could establish a regulatory regime "stricter and less competitive than the EU's MiCA framework," causing the UK to fall behind the US and Europe in the competition for stablecoin innovation.

Bitget has launched the "Crypto Anti-Bias Pledge" as an important part of its International Women's Day series of activities. This initiative focuses on three core areas: lowering educational and industry entry barriers, promoting equal career development opportunities, and implementing a "zero tolerance" policy against discrimination and harassment in professional and community environments.Bitget CEO Gracy Chen stated that through the Blockchain4Her public welfare program, which has established a special fund of $10 million, Bitget is driving industry improvement through educational collaboration and corporate governance practices. The platform has partnered with UNICEF to provide blockchain and digital skills training to 300,000 young people globally, with an expected female participation rate of 90%.Internally, approximately 40% of executive positions at Bitget are held by women, and a performance-based promotion mechanism has been established. The latest internal assessment shows that several top-performing employees are women, reflecting a talent development culture focused on capability and performance.

According to on-chain detective ZachXBT, multiple employees of the cryptocurrency trading platform Axiom Exchange have been accused of exploiting internal tool access vulnerabilities to view sensitive user information and track private wallet activities since early 2025, allegedly engaging in insider trading. ZachXBT specifically pointed out that employee Broox Bauer is one of the individuals involved.Axiom was founded by Mist and Cal in 2024 and completed Y Combinator incubation in the winter of 2025, becoming one of the most profitable companies in the field, having generated over $390 million to date. ZachXBT stated that he was hired to investigate the platform's misconduct allegations after receiving reports.