Nasdaq is integrating blockchain records into official share registries for tokenized stocks, while HSBC and Standard Chartered are poised to become among the first Hong Kong stablecoin issuers pending regulatory approval from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. The SEC signaled it will soon review an innovation exemption to facilitate limited trading of tokenized securities, and institutional interest is expanding into commodities, with perpetual futures for oil now trading on decentralized platforms. The World Economic Forum highlighted that tokenizing real-world assets could unlock lending growth in emerging markets by putting tangible business assets onchain.
Archives: Fast News
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Decentralization and web3 dominate crypto social conversation
Social media discussions around cryptocurrency are currently centered on decentralization themes, with related conversations about web3 and blockchain technology also gaining traction. According to Santiment data, “decentralized” ranks as the top trending narrative with a score of 391.3, followed by discussions mentioning OKX at 295.1 and bounty-related content at 288.4. The FAM token also appears in related conversations, though with lower engagement metrics compared to the dominant themes of decentralization and web3 adoption.
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Nasdaq and NYSE owner explore blockchain for equity market settlement
Traditional stock market operators are exploring blockchain technology to modernize equity trading and settlement infrastructure. Nasdaq and the owner of NYSE are investigating how distributed ledger technology could support the $126 trillion global equity market. The initiative reflects growing convergence between traditional finance and crypto infrastructure, positioning legacy exchanges and digital asset platforms as both competitors and potential partners in developing unified trading solutions.
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Venus Protocol accumulates $2M bad debt following THE token price manipulation exploit
Venus Protocol suffered an exploit that left it with approximately $2M in bad debt after an attacker manipulated the price of Thena’s THE token. The attack exploited a donation mechanism to bypass Venus’s supply cap, using a similar approach to the 2022 Mango Markets exploit. Users should check if their funds are affected and verify the security status of their positions on the protocol.
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Economic calendar: Fed decision and inflation data this week
This week brings several key economic releases that could influence risk assets including crypto. Wednesday’s Fed interest rate decision and statement will be the main event, alongside February PPI inflation data. Tuesday features February pending home sales data, while Thursday includes the Philly Fed manufacturing index. These macroeconomic indicators may drive volatility across markets as investors assess inflation trends and monetary policy direction.
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Sei network reaches 2M daily active addresses
Sei has crossed 2 million daily active addresses, marking a new all-time high according to Token Terminal data. The growth is supported by expanding infrastructure and new applications launching on the network. This week, SEI spot trading went live on Hyperliquid, Backpack Wallet introduced zero-fee swaps and bridging, Monaco Trading reached 20,000 private alpha users, and Evolve launched eUSD, a yield-bearing stablecoin. Sei also redesigned its storage system with ReceiptDB replacing PebbleDB, achieving a 240x improvement in read latency.
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Florida’s stablecoin legislation reflects government surveillance tools opposed by Ron DeSantis
Florida is poised to introduce a stablecoin regulatory framework similar to federal laws aimed at anti-money laundering, drawing criticism from some libertarians. Governor Ron DeSantis, initially opposed to CBDCs, now supports regulation that may conflict with his anti-surveillance ideology.
Senator Ted Cruz has expressed worries regarding a temporary CBDC ban, arguing it’s insufficient. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 314 could grant Florida significant regulatory power over stablecoins, complicating DeSantis’ political narrative against excessive government control.
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Veteran analyst issues new gold price prediction
A veteran market analyst has released a new price forecast for gold. The prediction comes as investors continue to monitor gold’s performance amid broader economic conditions. Specific price targets and timeline details were not disclosed in the initial report.
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The different reactions of Bitcoin and gold to the Iran war crisis
The 2026 Iran conflict reshaped investor behavior as gold initially surged but later declined due to a stronger US dollar. Meanwhile, Bitcoin experienced volatility yet recovered rapidly, indicating its emerging role as an alternative asset in fluctuating markets.
The strength of the US dollar significantly influenced both Bitcoin and gold during this period. The contrasting reactions during the crisis reflect changing investor sentiment that is shifting towards diverse assets such as cryptocurrency, marking a potential evolution in safe-haven strategies.