tZERO Aptos tokenization: Aptos is now a supported issuance and execution layer

Tech  tZERO Aptos tokenization: Aptos is now a supported issuance and execution layer  A new piece of the institutional tokenization race has clicked into place: tZERO Aptos tokenization is now part of the pitch to issuers that want blockchain-based assets without giving up compliance controls. tZERO Group has partnered with Aptos Foundation so issuers can launch tokenized assets on the Aptos blockchain through tZEROs tokenization platform.  That move does more than add another chain option. It brings Aptos into tZEROs tokenization infrastructure as a supported blockchain network, giving firms another route for deploying institutional tokenized assets while fitting their own compliance and operational requirements.  For a market that has spent years talking about real-world assets and regulated on-chain finance, this is the kind of integration that matters. It is not just about minting tokens. It is about the full plumbing around issuance, identity, wallets, execution, and asset lifecycle management.  tZERO adds Aptos for tokenized asset issuance  At the center of the deal is a straightforward shift with bigger implications: issuers using tZERO can launch tokenized assets on Aptos.  The partnership between tZERO Group and Aptos Foundation adds Aptos as one of the supported blockchain networks in tZERO‘s tokenization stack. That means firms looking at institutional tokenized assets

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Charles Schwab begins rollout of spot BTC, ETH trading for U.S. retail customers

Charles Schwab, the brokerage giant that manages around $12 trillion in client assets, began the rollout of its spot cryptocurrency trading service for retail customers in the U.S.  An initial group of clients can now trade bitcoin and ether (ETH) on the Schwab Crypto platform, the company posted on X on Tuesday.  In July last year, CEO Rick Wurster said the company planned to introduce crypto trading in the near future, with a timeframe of first-half 2026 confirmed last month.  The Westlake, Texas-headquartered firm already offers crypto investments through exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and futures trading.  The ability to directly trade the actual assets through a company with the scale of Schwab could be a pivotal accelerator for mainstream crypto adoption.  As one of the largest brokerage firms in the world, Schwab could offer its roughly 35 million clients the opportunity to trade BTC and ETH in an environment they already recognize rather than having to register with a standalone crypto exchange.

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Vietnam eyes Q3 launch for regulated crypto asset market

Vietnam could start official activity in its regulated crypto asset market as early as the third quarter of 2026. Vietnam could start regulated crypto market activity in Q3, moving demand toward licensed domestic platforms.Five firms passed initial screening, including bank affiliates, VIX Securities and Sun Group, Reuters reported.Chainalysis ranked Vietnam fourth globally in crypto adoption, reflecting strong retail and institutional activity nationwide demand.  Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Duc Chi gave the update at the Digital Trust in Finance 2026 forum in Hanoi on May 12.  Chi said “as early as the third quarter” Vietnam could witness the first official market activity under rules built for safety and transparency. The statement points to a more active phase for a market that has already entered a pilot period.  Five firms move through licensing process  The Ministry of Finance is working with the Ministry of Public Security and the State Bank of Vietnam to approve five companies for digital asset trading platform services. VnEconomy said the step forms part of Vietnams wider digital finance plan.  Reuters earlier reported that affiliates of Techcombank, VPBank and LPBank were among firms that passed an initial screening round. VIX Securities and Sun Group were also listed in the process.  Additionally, the new

05-13

If You Fail To Address Citizens’ Concerns, You’ll Lose To The Fringe

Finance  If You Fail To Address Citizens‘ Concerns, You’ll Lose To The Fringe  Why are nontraditional political parties and factions, many of them on the extreme, gaining strength in Europe and elsewhere? Local elections in Britain last week were stunning. They underscored a trend that has been building for years, not only in the UK but also in almost all other well-established democracies. Radicalism is on the rise.  The two traditional ruling parties—Labour and Conservative—were smashed. Labour suffered its lowest percentage of the popular vote in over a century. The Conservatives, who had had their worst electoral performance in the national election of 2024, failed to make a comeback. In fact, they lost ground.  In the U.S. a significant portion of the public regards both parties with disdain. Most voters think the country is going in the wrong direction.  In Germany the approval rating of Chancellor Friedrich Merz is the worst since democracy was reestablished after WWII. France‘s floundering President Emmanuel Macron isn’t doing much better.  In Japan, a country never noted for its feminist sensitivities, the long-ruling party turned to a woman, Sanae Takaichi. Promising a radical break from the past and stoutly resisting bullying from Beijing, she won a landslide electoral victory. But can

05-13

Bitcoin Treasury Firm Metaplanet Reports Massive Q1 Loss, Stock Dips 4%

Bitcoin  Bitcoin Treasury Firm Metaplanet Reports Massive Q1 Loss, Stock Dips 4%  Despite strong revenue growth in its crypto-oriented businesses, Japanese Bitcoin treasury firm Metaplanet experienced an out-sized loss. For the quarter ending in Q1 2026, the company saw net losses of over $700 million as it aggressively increased its Bitcoin position. Its stock tumbled nearly 4% amid the weak earnings report.  Japans Bitcoin Treasury Giant Metaplanet Announces Q1 Earnings  The companys Q1 2016 earnings presentation shows that ordinary losses grew to ¥114.9 billion ($725 million). It marked a 17x uptick from a previous year loss of ¥6.8 billion ($43 million). The net loss was also at ¥114.4 billion ($724.8 million) compared with ¥5 billion ($35 million) in the first quarter of 2025.  Losses were mostly due to the Bitcoin price decline in Q1, similar to Strategys losses in the quarter. During the quarter, Metaplanet reported a valuation loss of ¥116.3 billion ($736 million) on its BTC holdings.  Moreover, it reported an NAV decline in its BTC from ¥481.4 billion ($3.05 billion) at the end of December 2025 to ¥435.7 billion ($2.76 billion) as of March 31, 2026.  Firm Doubles Down On BTC Treasury  Nonetheless, the firm kept building up its Bitcoin reserve even as losses mounted. Total

05-13

ECBs Muller: Fast Hormuz solution needed to hold in June

Finance  ECBs Muller: Fast Hormuz solution needed to hold in June  European Central Bank (ECB) policymaker Madis Muller said on Wednesday that a fast resolution in the Strait of hormuz is needed for the ECB to hold rates unchanged in June.  Regarding the economic outlook, Muller noted that the Eurozone has not fallen into stagflation and added that he doesnt see any resons to talk about recession.  Market reaction  EUR/USD stays under bearish pressure following these comments and was last seen losing 0.3% on the day at 1.1705.

05-13

Euro reversal against British Pound nears 0.8650 after soft Eurozone data

Finance  Euro reversal against British Pound nears 0.8650 after soft Eurozone data  The Euro (EUR) is showing one of the weakest performances among the G8 currencies on Wednesday, and extends its reversal against the British Pound (GBP) to levels nearing 0.8650 at the time of writing, after failing at the 0.8700 area on Tuesday. The common currency has been weighed by uninspiring Eurozone Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Industrial Production figures, while the Pound skips concerns about the UKs political turmoil for now.  The Eurozone‘s Q1 GDP’s second estimation, released earlier on Wednesday, confirmed the advanced figures of a meagre 0.1% growth in the first three months of the year, down from 0.2% in the previous quarter. Year-on- year, the Eurozone economy grew at a 0.8% pace, according to the data, following a 1.3% upwardly revised growth in Q4.  Beyond that, Eurozone Industrial Production figures have shown a 0.2% increase in March, undershooting market expectations of a 0.3% advance, while Februarys figures have been revised down to 0.2% from the previously estimated 0.4% rise. Year-on-year, factory output has accelerated its contraction, to -2.1% in March, from -0.8% in the previous month.  The Pound, on the other hand, is shrugging off concerns about the fragility of

05-13

Crude Oil Prices: WTI Falls Below $102, Brent Under $107

Tech  Crude Oil Prices: WTI Falls Below $102, Brent Under $107  Crude oil prices moved lower on Wednesday, with WTI crude futures falling below $102 per barrel and Brent crude slipping under $107, snapping a three-day rally as of writing. The pullback came even as supply risks tied to the Middle East conflict remained unresolved, leaving markets in a fragile balance between easing momentum and underlying tension.  Oil Retreats Despite Lingering Supply Risks  Prices eased after recent gains, yet the broader backdrop still points to constrained supply. The ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran continues to limit oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments. While prices declined, traders did not interpret the move as a resolution of supply concerns.  Why did prices fall if the situation remains tense? The answer lies in short-term positioning. Markets often react to immediate signals, and the lack of fresh escalation prompted some profit-taking after recent highs. However, the structural issues affecting supply have not changed.  Strait Of Hormuz Remains A Bottleneck  The Strait of Hormuz continues to operate under heavy restrictions from both U.S. and Iranian forces, disrupting the movement of crude oil, natural gas, and refined fuels. This narrow passage handles

05-13

Continuous Settlement: Transforming Finance with Real-Time Payments

Global commerce has long outpaced the financial infrastructure that supports it. While businesses operate in real time, payments and settlements often rely on batch processing—an outdated system where transactions are grouped and processed at set intervals. According to Circle, this delay traps liquidity, increases counterparty risk, and burdens enterprises with reconciliation work.  Under batch systems, payments can remain idle for hours or even days before clearing. For example, U.S. ACH payments and European TARGET2 transfers operate on defined clearing schedules. Securities markets often use T+1 or T+2 settlement windows. These delays force businesses to hold excess working capital, with PwC estimating that $1.8 trillion globally is tied up due to inefficiencies in settlement cycles.  This lag also creates financial risk. The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) estimates that $2.2 trillion in foreign exchange trades are exposed to late settlement risk daily. Additionally, reconciliation work required after batch settlements slows decision-making and reduces cash flow visibility.  Continuous Settlement: A Better Model  Continuous settlement is emerging as a solution to these challenges. Unlike batch systems, where transactions queue for processing, continuous settlement clears each payment as soon as it‘s verified, allowing near-instant movement of funds. This approach aligns money movement with the digital economy’s pace.  Key benefits

05-13

SoftBank Stock Analysis: 3 Key Levels to Watch Today

SFTBY — daily chart with candlesticks, EMA20/EMA50 and volume.SoftBank Stock daily trend remains bullishTrend and moving averages  On the daily chart, price closed at 18.51, well above the 20/50/200-day EMAs at 17.28, 15.36, and 13.55. Interpretation: the primary trend is firmly higher, and buyers still control the tape.  Momentum and volatility context  The daily RSI(14) sits at 59.3. Interpretation: momentum is positive without being stretched. The daily MACD shows a small positive histogram at 0.03 with the line just above the signal. Interpretation: upside momentum persists but is losing thrust. Daily Bollinger Bands center on 17.41 with an upper band at 20.94. Interpretation: price has room to extend higher within the band. The ATR(14) is 1.17. Interpretation: daily volatility is elevated and swings can be wider than usual.  Daily pivot map  The daily pivot sits at 18.46 with R1 at 18.93 and S1 at 18.05. Interpretation: the close just above the pivot points to support near 18.46 and resistance into 18.93.  Hourly momentum has softened in SFTBYMoving averages and structure  Price ended at 18.51 with the 20-hour EMA at 18.71 and the 50-hour EMA at 18.60 overhead, while the 200-hour EMA lags at 16.32. Interpretation: short-term moving averages cap price and signal consolidation within a longer uptrend.  Oscillators

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