Nomura, the investment bank, has announced an investment in Japanese blockchain business Crypto Garage.
The post Nomura looks to offer crypto services to Japanese institutions with new investment appeared first on The Block.
Tencent and Alibaba launched their own NFT platforms in August.
OSL, a Hong Kong-based digital asset trading platform, has started offering its exchange services to professional and institutional investors in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and México, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
The company, part of BC Group, a public technology and digital asset company, will provide institutional customers with “access to a global liquidity pool,” the company said.
Fernando Martinez, OSL’s head of Americas, told CoinDesk that the company was addressing the growing demand for crypto services among institutional investors in Latin America and will serve regional funds, family offices and private banks.
“Until the end of the year, we have removed fees for professional investors and institutions that want to start interacting with our exchange,” Martinez said, adding that the exchange does not operate with local currencies but directly with U.S. dollars.
In recent months, large financial services firms in the region have launched of a number of new investment products. In June, blockchain investment firm QR Capital started trading its bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) on the Brazil stock exchange. A month later, the firm listed an ether ETF on the same exchange after winning approval from regulators.
Earlier this month, the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) announced that it is considering listing crypto futures on its derivatives exchange.
Martinez said that OSL, the first and only digital asset company licensed by Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission, would compete against regional platforms that are currently providing similar services.
OSL primarily offers brokerage and exchange services, and to a lesser extent, custodial services, Martinez said. He believes that institutional crypto investment flow will soon equal retail investment flow in Latin America.
The move allows users to port digital assets between multiple chains via a single unified interface without the need to double wrap Terra tokens.
Multicoin Capital, an investment firm focused on cryptocurrency and blockchain companies, is planning to raise a $250 million for a third crypto-focused venture fund, according to an article by The Information.
- The Austin, Tex.-based company intends to complete the raise by the end of 2021, according to the story, which cited fundraising materials that the publication had seen.
- The initiative comes less than six months after Multicoin Capital raised $100 million for its second crypto venture fund.
- It is the latest in a series of large funds that major venture capital firms have created this year or are in the process of raising to focus on cryptocurrency and blockchain projects. In June, Andreessen Horowitz raised $2.2 billion for its third crypto fund. Paradigm, the cryptocurrency venture capital firm led by Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam, is looking to close a $1.5 billion fund for startup investments, according to documents viewed by CoinDesk.
- In the ensuing years, Multicoin Capital will be looking to invest in crypto companies that others might miss.
- Multicoin Capital Managing Partner Tushar Jain has called blockchain “the best social good in the world.”
- In an email to CoinDesk, a Multicoin Capital spokesperson wrote that the firm had no comment on The Information report.
UPDATE (Oct. 19, 00:47 UTC): Adds Multicoin Capital spokesperson’s reply.
Multicoin had already raised $100 million for a second fund in May and plans to finish fundraising by the end of 2021.
The post Multicoin Capital to raise $250 million for third crypto-focused venture fund appeared first on The Block.
At the time of writing, volumes for the so called ProShares Bitcoin futures ETF stood near $1 billion after its inaugural trading day.
The post ProShares bitcoin futures ETF sees historic nearly $1 billion trading day appeared first on The Block.
Brasileños adquirieron $4.000 millones en criptomonedas en lo que va de 2021, según el Banco Central
Los brasileños adquirieron $496 millones en criptomonedas en agosto y ya han comprado $4.270 millones en lo que va de 2021, reveló el viernes el Banco Central de Brasil (BCB).
Según la autoridad monetaria brasileña, en mayo se dio el pico de adquisición de criptomonedas, con $756 millones en compras. Desde entonces la cifra bajó a $695 millones en junio y a $583 millones en julio, pero fue superior a las de febrero y marzo. En ese momento se adquirieron $386 millones y $357 millones, respectivamente, informó el medio brasileño Portal do Bitcoin.
Si se calcula a precio de mercado, el total de activos digitales en manos de los brasileños ascendería a casi $50.000 millones, frente a los $16.000 millones en acciones estadounidenses, dijo el viernes el director de política monetaria del BCB, Bruno Serra.
En agosto, el presidente del BCB, Roberto Campos Neto, había dicho que los brasileños tenían unos $40.000 millones en criptomonedas.
“Es un negocio muy grande, atrae la atención de los reguladores de todo el mundo, no es sólo en Brasil”, dijo.
Según Serra, la autoridad monetaria de Brasil tiene un “mercado de divisas muy controlado” que le permite estar al tanto de las transacciones relacionadas con criptomonedas. “Tenemos contratos de cambio de divisas para todas las transacciones; somos capaces de mapear el cien por ciento de ellas”, dijo.
A partir de agosto la transferencia de propiedad de criptomonedas entre residentes y no residentes comenzó a ser divulgada por el Banco Central en la parte de “Bienes” de la balanza de pagos, informó Portal do Bitcoin. Las criptomonedas son consideradas bienes —o activos no financieros o producidos— siguiendo la metodología recomendada por el Fondo Monetario Internacional.
Según Serra, la inversión en criptomonedas es una búsqueda de diversificación de riqueza por parte de inversores. “Creo que esta dinámica de diversificación en el extranjero es una dinámica que puede llegar para quedarse. Los canales de diversificación se han abierto mucho. Las regulaciones cambiarias se están flexibilizando en este sentido; es algo que tenemos que abordar”, dijo.
“Es un flujo unidireccional. Debido al coste de la energía Brasil no produce criptoactivos. Sólo es un importador”, añadió Serra.
The ProShares Bitcoin Strategy exchange-traded fund’s first day of trading ranks among the biggest in the investing industry’s history.
Quick Take
- Worldpay has been processing payments for crypto exchanges since 2013.
- Now, the FIS-owned company is ramping up hiring for its crypto businesses and eyeing new products, including crypto settlement.
