Crude fell by the most since the COVID shock after Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that is expected to reduce immediate supply risks through the Strait of Hormuz. The swift pullback in oil has cooled inflation worries, buoyed risk assets, and reset rate-cut odds as traders recalibrate around lower energy costs. Strategists caution the truce remains fragile and shipping toll proposals could reintroduce volatility.
Source: Seeking Alpha
Treasury proposes real‑time block-and-freeze rules for stablecoin issuers
The U.S. Treasury outlined a framework requiring permitted stablecoin issuers to implement AML/CFT programs with the technical ability to block, freeze, and reject illicit transactions in real time. The plan, developed with FinCEN and OFAC, would align stablecoin oversight with traditional payment networks, raising operational bars for compliance, monitoring, and sanctions controls while integrating stablecoins more deeply into regulated finance.
Source: FinanceFeeds
Morgan Stanley debuts spot bitcoin ETF, intensifying competition and access
Morgan Stanley’s MSBT launched on NYSE Arca with a 0.14% fee, undercutting rivals and giving 16,000 advisors direct access to bitcoin exposure for $6.2T in client assets. While the debut comes amid choppy crypto ETF flows, the move signals further mainstreaming of digital assets within wealth platforms and adds fee pressure across the product set.
Source: FinanceFeeds
CME Group sets new quarterly record as volatility lifts activity
CME reported average daily volume of 11.4 million contracts in Q1, a fresh high, as rate, FX, and commodity volatility spurred hedging and trading demand. Elevated cross-asset swings are pulling more flow onto listed venues, reinforcing the exchange’s leverage to macro uncertainty and liquidity needs.
Source: Seeking Alpha
Standard Chartered weighs folding Zodia Custody into core bank unit
Standard Chartered is considering moving its majority-owned Zodia Custody business into its corporate and investment bank while keeping Zodia’s tech as an external SaaS platform. The potential restructuring reflects a broader banking trend to internalize digital-asset custody under regulated entities and offer tokenization/custody as integrated infrastructure.
Source: FinanceFeeds
TNS and Radianz combine to form Waypoint Trading Solutions
Transaction Network Services merged its Financial Markets unit with Radianz to launch Waypoint Trading Solutions, bringing connectivity, low-latency infrastructure, and market data under one roof. The consolidation targets clients seeking end‑to‑end trading infrastructure and fewer vendor touchpoints as market access, data, and execution converge globally.
Source: FinanceFeeds
Circle launches managed stablecoin payments for banks and fintechs
Circle unveiled CPN Managed Payments, letting institutions settle via stablecoins without holding crypto or re‑plumbing core systems—Circle handles mint/burn, compliance, and fiat conversion. The offering aims to scale cross‑border and merchant settlement use cases by abstracting blockchain complexity behind a single, compliant interface.
Source: FinanceFeeds
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