Morgan Stanley filed with the SEC to list proprietary spot Bitcoin and Solana ETFs, the first time a top‑tier U.S. bank has sought to issue crypto ETFs rather than just distribute third‑party funds. The Solana trust includes a staking provision, and the products are designed to plug directly into the bank’s vast wealth platform—signaling a deeper integration of digital assets into mainstream portfolios and fee economics.
Source: FinanceFeeds
Saudi Arabia drops QFI rules to let all foreigners invest directly in its market
Saudi Arabia’s regulator abolished the Qualified Foreign Investor regime, allowing global investors direct access to local equities from February 1. While the immediate impact may be capped by existing foreign ownership limits, the move reduces friction, aims to lift liquidity after a weak 2025, and is part of a broader effort to align with global standards and attract stable cross‑border capital.
Source: FinanceFeeds
Lloyds uses tokenized deposits to buy a tokenized gilt on Canton network
Lloyds issued tokenized deposits on the Canton Network and used them to purchase a tokenized UK government bond from Archax, then converted settlement back to standard bank funds. The pilot shows banks can achieve on‑chain settlement with FSCS‑protected, interest‑bearing tokenized deposits—without stablecoins—using a privacy‑preserving, permissioned blockchain designed for regulated markets.
Source: FinanceFeeds
Wyoming launches first U.S. state‑backed stablecoin on Solana
Wyoming’s Frontier Stable Token (FRNT) is live, the first state‑issued, dollar‑pegged token backed by reserves held in a Wyoming trust and invested in cash and short‑dated Treasuries. Issued natively on Solana with cross‑chain availability, FRNT channels reserve interest to the state’s school fund and tests a public‑sector model for stablecoin governance and transparency.
Source: FinanceFeeds
CME posts record 2025 volumes; FX options jump as hedging demand rises
CME Group reported a record 28.1 million contracts in average daily volume for 2025, with cryptocurrency products up 139% and metals up 34%. In FX, overall ADV was flat near 980,000 contracts, but FX options ADV rose 19% to 53,000, highlighting a shift toward options for risk management amid persistent macro and geopolitical uncertainty.
Source: FinanceFeeds
Barclays invests in Ubyx to build regulated stablecoin settlement rails
Barclays took a stake in Ubyx, a startup focused on stablecoin settlement infrastructure for banks, to develop tokenized money systems that integrate with compliance and central bank standards. The investment underscores a pivot from experimentation to production‑grade, regulated stablecoin use cases aimed at payments, tokenized assets, and bank‑to‑bank settlement.
Source: FinanceFeeds
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs log first major outflow of 2026 as funds rebalance
Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $243 million in net outflows on January 7 after a blockbuster start to the year, with Fidelity’s FBTC leading redemptions while BlackRock’s IBIT still drew strong inflows. Ether ETFs continued to attract capital, and overall ETF trading remained active—suggesting routine rebalancing rather than a loss of conviction in the asset class.
Source: FinanceFeeds
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