ChainCatcher news, Binance has been selected for Fortune's inaugural "2024 Asia's Financial Technology Innovators" list, ranking first in the "Blockchain and Crypto" category.The Fortune 2024 Asia's Financial Technology Innovators list showcases 60 of the most dynamic financial service companies in the fastest-growing regions globally.

ChainCatcher news, financial services company Euroclear has acquired a strategic stake in Singapore blockchain company Marketnode, with the specific acquisition amount undisclosed. Euroclear's investment aims to leverage blockchain to modernize financial market infrastructure, focusing on simplifying fund management and reducing settlement times through distributed ledger technology.Marketnode was founded in 2021 by the Singapore Exchange Group and Temasek, operating two blockchain platforms: Gateway and Fundnode, focusing on tokenization and digital fund management.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Bitcoin financial services company Fold has submitted an S-4 filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in preparation for going public. Fold's treasury currently holds over 1,000 BTC.

ChainCatcher news, according to a post by BSCN Headlines on the X platform, the Bitcoin financial services company UNCHAINED has partnered with the University of Austin to establish a $5 million donation fund, which will be used to invest in Bitcoin.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Hong Kong financial services company VSFG has submitted an application for a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) and plans to launch the ETF as early as May.Brian Chan, head of investment and product group at VSFG, stated, "If everything goes smoothly, we hope to launch the Bitcoin spot ETF in May. However, for safety reasons, we will also keep an eye on June. It's difficult to determine an exact date through the regulatory process, but we are actively discussing with the Securities and Futures Commission. We have already started working based on their preliminary feedback and are collaborating closely."

ChainCatcher news, according to Forbes, Bitcoin financial services company Swan announced the completion of $165 million in equity financing in 2023, of which $125 million is for private equity and venture capital, and $40 million will be used to expand into Bitcoin-backed lending and other institutional products. Swan founder Klippsten stated that Swan plans to raise another $150 million in 2024 to fund its expansion.Through its lending products, Swan users can deposit Bitcoin as collateral and obtain approximately 50% dollar-denominated loans at "low double-digit" interest rates. Swan will find creditors to lend the funds, charge an origination fee, and earn a spread based on its borrowing and lending rates. Swan founder Klippsten mentioned that this lending product will be launched in the coming weeks and will deploy $20 million in funds.

ChainCatcher news, Allianz's Chief Economic Advisor Mohamed El-Erian stated that Bitcoin (BTC) is becoming a safe-haven asset, while U.S. Treasuries have lost their appeal following the Israel-Hamas conflict. El-Erian told CNBC on Tuesday, "People are talking about Bitcoin and stocks becoming 'safe assets' because they have lost confidence in Treasuries as a safe asset due to interest rate risks."Investors have traditionally viewed government bonds, especially those issued by the U.S. Treasury, as a safe haven, but recently Treasuries have not lived up to that reputation. The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury is at 4.9%, which is at least 10 basis points higher than the yield on the day before the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. In other words, the price of the 10-year Treasury has fallen, indicating that investors are seeking safety in other assets.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, Bitcoin financial services company Onramp has launched a multi-signature platform, allowing multiple custodians to control the private keys of the Bitcoin they hold. The company has currently selected BitGo, Coincover, and Kingdom Trust as custodians to conduct business.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, digital asset custody provider BitGo and Bitcoin financial services company Swan have established a Bitcoin trust company. The joint venture is pending regulatory approval and will combine BitGo's custody capabilities with Swan's expertise in onboarding and fraud prevention.It is reported that BitGo is one of the custody institutions used by Swan for its Bitcoin storage needs.

ChainCatcher news, Bitcoin financial services company River announced the completion of a $35 million Series B funding round, led by Kingsway Capital, with participation from Peter Thiel, Cygni, Goldcrest, and Valor Equity Partners. (source link)

ChainCatcher news, financial services company Tradier, which provides retail trading in cryptocurrencies, announced the completion of a $24.6 million Series B funding round, led by PEAK6 Strategic Capital, with participation from Prime Capital and KF Business Ventures.It is reported that Tradier's full-featured platform supports trading in cryptocurrencies, stocks, and options, allowing users to seamlessly navigate between Tradier Brokerage and cryptocurrency accounts. The company plans to use the new funds to expand its product range, enhance its API, and improve global debit financing, futures, and cryptocurrency segments. (Source link)

ChainCatcher news, the crypto financial services company BCB Group is raising funds through convertible notes. According to insiders, these notes will convert into future Series B equity financing, with a pre-money valuation cap of $200 million. The founder and CEO of BCB stated that the Series B round has currently raised over $20 million and plans to close this round of financing in early March.Founded in 2017, BCB Group provides services such as payments, liquidity, and custody for crypto companies including Bitstamp, Crypto.com, Fireblocks, Galaxy, Gemini, Huobi, and Kraken. According to RootData, BCB Group completed a $60 million Series A financing last January, which was the largest Series A financing in the UK blockchain industry at that time. Current investors in the company include Pantera Capital, Blockchain.com Capital, Nexo, Wintermute, and Circle. (The Block)

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, Wu Jihan's Singapore-based crypto financial services company Matrixport announced that it is restructuring its leadership team and will lay off 10% of its staff. Additionally, sources revealed that Matrix Asset Management CEO Damien Loh and Head of Business Development and Investor Relations I Z Wong have both left the company. (Bloomberg)

ChainCatcher news, Nasdaq-listed digital asset financial services company EQONEX stated in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that its entity in Hong Kong, Diginex, has entered into a voluntary liquidation process, and it is expected that Eqonex Capital, located in Singapore, will also enter into voluntary liquidation.Previously, on November 15, 2022, EQONEX announced: "There is significant uncertainty regarding the Group's ability to continue as a going concern and whether the Group's working capital is sufficient to meet its short-term financial obligations. To address these liquidity issues, the EQONEX Group has been negotiating with potential investors to obtain equity financing through the issuance of new shares and has been in discussions with Bifinity seeking (among other things) waivers of defaults and modifications to loan agreements. Unfortunately, the financing plan has not been successful." (source link)