Crypto corner

President Donald Trump signed an executive order relating to cryptocurrencies. The US is now one step closer to the creation of a strategic bitcoin reserve. Overview below.

"There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen." - Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

Solana and Ethereum are two dominant blockchains in the crypto sector, each boasting robust DeFi ecosystems and a plethora of diverse applications. The two blockchains are often seen as competitors. How do they compare?

Is it the “trade of the century”? MicroStrategy’s stock price soared 600% in the past 12 months, thanks to the audacious Bitcoin strategy of its visionary founder, Michael Saylor.

In its documentary aired on 8 October 2024, HBO claims to have uncovered the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the founder of the world’s largest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin.

In recent years, the rise of stablecoins has strongly transformed the landscape of digital finance, with over $170 billion of these digital assets now held globally, according to CoinGecko.

At its core, Avalanche is an open-source platform engineered to support decentralized applications (dApps) and enterprise blockchain solutions within a singular, interoperable, and scalable ecosystem. Its inception was motivated by the desire to overcome certain challenges inherent in Ethereum, particularly the slower transaction times and the one-size-fits-all nature of its blockchain structure. Avalanche’s founder envisioned a platform that could cater to diverse needs through modular design, leading to the development of subnets. These innovations have attracted a range of diverse companies such as Visa, Amazon, JPMorgan and CitiGroup to consider and explore implementing Avalanche’s technology.

The innovation of smart contracts is one of the most significant advances in the blockchain space, particularly with the development of Ethereum, which marked a pivotal moment in broadening the applications of blockchain technology beyond Bitcoin's initial scope. Ethereum's creation was driven by the limitations of Bitcoin's scripting capabilities, which restricted the execution of complex agreements. Vitalik Buterin's vision, outlined in the Ethereum white paper in 2013, proposed a platform that could facilitate more sophisticated applications through smart contracts and secondary tokens. This concept was revolutionary, as it extended blockchain utility beyond simple transactions to a broader range of decentralized applications (dApps), funded and developed through an innovative approach that leveraged the potential of blockchain technology for more than just cryptocurrencies.

Cryptocurrency custody is currently under the spotlight, a development that is both timely and deserved. Following the SEC's green light for spot bitcoin ETFs, a wide range of investors, financial advisors, and institutions are delving into the realm for their initial exploration, aiming to grasp the intricacies of how digital assets are securely stored and safeguarded. With a variety of custody solutions available, understanding the nuances between them is crucial. This article delves into the distinctions between hot wallets, cold wallets, and third-party custody solutions, shedding light on the different techniques used in banking and how entities like Taurus in Europe and Coinbase in the United States are pioneering in the custody space.

New technologies linked to blockchain are likely to play an important role in the luxury goods industry in the coming years. Overview below with a few case studies.

Banking giant HSBC has just embarked on the tokenisation of gold, enabling the precious metal to be invested and traded digitally.

Thanks to numerous strategic partnerships and visionary local players, Ticino's largest city is establishing itself as a European cryptocurrency and blockchain capital.

Hyperbitcoinisation is not just about the growing success of bitcoin. It is actually a scenario in which the digital token becomes the world's dominant currency. Overview.

At the end of the week, a major event will take place in the cryptocurrency world. It's called the bitcoin halving. Scheduled 15 years ago, this process occurs approximately every four years, making bitcoin rarer over time. Preview below.

The price of bitcoin has surged sharply since the beginning of the year, having increased almost fivefold from its 2022 lows. How high can the price go? In this article, we attempt to answer this question using two very distinct valuation models

In an effort to reduce the BRICS member state’s dependence on global financial institutions in 2024, they will be testing exchanges between themselves in national currencies, through a common system.

Recently, we took a bold step into the digital art realm by tokenizing the unique piece "Dreamstime" by Sarah Benslimane for our employees. This pioneering move marks a significant stride in the evolution of wealth management, underscoring our commitment to innovation. In this article, we delve into the visionary collaboration between Bank Syz and the talented artist Sarah Benslimane.

2023 was a transformative year in the cryptocurrency landscape. In this article, we explore the key developments that shaped the crypto space in 2023 and provide insights into the anticipated trends and potential shifts for 2024. We delve into what promises to be another pivotal year for this dynamic and rapidly evolving sector.

Bitcoin ordinals introduce a distinct form of digital asset to the Bitcoin blockchain, akin to non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Their advent is much more than a technological breakthrough in the field of digital assets; ordinals increase the economic value of the Bitcoin network.

In a world where change is a constant, it’s important for businesses to embrace innovation, challenge the status quo and try out new ideas. This is something for which we’ve always stood by at Syz Group. And so, when a group of colleagues suggested tokenising a real asset – in this case a piece of art – it felt like a natural next step to our digital asset journey. In a pioneering move, we have successfully tokenised a piece of art and distributed these unique tokens amongst our employees. This bold initiative is not only a testament to our commitment to innovation but also a development that marks a significant stride in the evolution of wealth management, for the long-term benefits of our clients and the Syz Group.

Binance takes a large punch from the SEC, leaving them bruised, but alive Binance’s labyrinthine operational shady dealings have long been crypto’s ‘known unknown’. For that reason, news that the company has been landed with one of the largest corporate penalties in US history came as no surprise. The crypto industry has been aware its largest exchange has been operating illicitly for years. Binance turned a blind eye to its legal obligations for KYC / AML, enabling the potential for funds to flow to terrorists and other criminals through its platform. This Tuesday, the industry breathed a sigh of relief as Binance took their hit: $4.3bln fine, CZ the CEO stepping down, with an expectation of sentencing later. We are pleased action has finally been taken and believe Binance’s settlement with US regulators is a long-term positive development for a number of reasons.

Beyond crypto currencies, blockchain has a wide range of applications: storing documents (diplomas, digital identity), real estate information, etc. To facilitate these applications, it is very useful to use non-fungible tokens.

FTX marked the end of the beginning. In the wake of its dramatic collapse, the cryptocurrency industry awoke to harsh realities. The fevered speculation of skyrocketing NFT prices has been replaced by sober debate around regulation, scrutiny over use cases, value, and environmental impact. While some purists may still harbour hopes that crypto will return to its fully decentralised roots, the truth is that the FTX saga was a seismic moment for digital assets. It has compelled the crypto world to mature and incorporate elements of the traditional financial sector to protect investors.

The tug-of-war between Grayscale and the SEC over the conversion of the famous Bitcoin Trust into an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) continues to rock the cryptocurrency world.

The world's largest asset manager has just filed an application with the US regulator to launch what could become the first ETF directly invested in bitcoin. What are the chances of success? What are the consequences?

Is it possible and sensible to introduce cryptocurrencies and other digital assets into a discretionary management mandate? Find out more below.

Bitcoin flirting with $30,000, another successful upgrade on Ethereum, NFTs volume picking up: 2023 is off to a strong start for cryptos.

The price of Ether (ETH) rebounded strongly in July. Renewed risk appetite certainly played a role, but some investors are looking positively at a major change in the way the blockchain Ethereum will operate, starting  19 September. 

The collapse of the LUNA token and de-peg of the UST stablecoin provide a number of lessons about investing in cryptocurrencies.

Among the hot topics discussed at the Bitcoin 2022 Summit in Miami was the Lightning Network, a blockchain overlay that allows off-blockchain transactions and which is expected to enable bitcoin to become a common form of payment.

The world's largest NFT exchange could go public in late 2023 or early 2024. In today’s Focus, we discuss OpenSea’s value proposition and business model, as well as some threats to its supremacy in a hyper-growth niche market.

Crypto traders have had to hold on to their seats lately, as they watched their investments dwindle. While NFT holders could have expected a similar fate in the first weeks of the year, their niche has actually continued to grow against odds and expectations. In our latest Focus, we look at how a world of punks and monkeys made its way into the mainstream to become more resilient than one would have thought.

According to an index provided by Cambridge University’s Centre for Alternatives Finance, Bitcoin mining requires twice the electricity consumed in Switzerland in 2020, or 129 TWh (source : Enerdata). Ethereum, for example, uses about 31 TWh per year.

An energy crisis and civil unrest threaten the viability of crypto mining in Kazakhstan, the world’s second-largest center for bitcoin mining after the United States.