BTCS Prepares DeFi Business To Provide Liquidity For Tokenized Stocks

TL;DR

  • BTCS says its Imperium DeFi unit has completed preparatory compliance steps for potential use of the SEC’s Covered Firm exemption.
  • The company has submitted the required notice and published relevant disclosures.
  • Imperium has not yet started providing tokenized-equity liquidity because a qualifying Tokenized Securities Venue must first become operational.

BTCS is positioning its DeFi business to become a liquidity provider for tokenized stocks under a new SEC exemption, but it has not started doing the trading yet.

The Nasdaq-listed company said on September 28 that its Imperium unit has completed the preparatory compliance work required for potential reliance on the SEC’s Covered Firm exemption.

That includes submitting a notice to the regulator and publishing required disclosures.

The Exemption Does Not Mean SEC Approval

This is an area where the procedural details matter.

BTCS has not received a broker-dealer license for Imperium.

The SEC has not endorsed the company’s tokenized-equity strategy.

Instead, the regulator created conditional temporary relief from the dealer definition for qualifying firms providing liquidity through automated market maker pools on eligible tokenized-securities venues.

BTCS says it has completed the steps needed to potentially operate within that framework.

There is still another dependency.

Imperium cannot begin relying on the exemption until a qualifying Tokenized Securities Venue is actually operational.

BTCS explicitly says tokenized-equity liquidity provisioning has not yet commenced.

Public Companies Are Moving Into Onchain Market Making

Imperium already deploys crypto assets into DeFi protocols including lending and liquidity markets.

Tokenized equities would extend that business into regulated securities represented on blockchain infrastructure.

The opportunity is easy to see.

Traditional stock markets rely on market makers to keep bids and offers available.

Tokenized securities need liquidity too.

If trading increasingly moves into blockchain-based venues, automated market maker pools could become part of that market structure.

That also creates a difficult regulatory boundary.

Providing liquidity can look very similar to activity traditionally conducted by registered securities dealers.

The SEC exemption is an attempt to define circumstances where qualifying firms can participate without being treated as dealers, subject to conditions.

BTCS is one of the first public crypto companies openly preparing around that framework.

The announcement is therefore less about revenue today and more about positioning.

Imperium has completed the paperwork and disclosures.

The actual tokenized-equity liquidity business still has to wait for the venue infrastructure required by the exemption.

That distinction is important.

BTCS is readying the machinery.

It has not switched it on yet.

This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.



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21Shares Sets New Staking Payouts Across Five Crypto ETFs

TL;DR

  • 21Shares has declared September staking distributions for five crypto ETFs covering Ethereum, Solana, Hyperliquid, Sui and Polkadot.
  • The largest per-share distribution is $0.191360 for the Hyperliquid Staking ETF.
  • The funds distribute staking rewards generated by their underlying proof-of-stake assets to shareholders.

21Shares has declared a fresh round of staking distributions across five crypto exchange-traded funds, turning onchain validation rewards into cash payouts for fund investors.

The September 28 announcement covers TETH, TSOL, THYP, TSUI and TDOT.

Each fund holds and stakes the crypto asset associated with the product.

Hyperliquid Fund Has The Largest Per-Share Distribution

The 21Shares Ethereum Staking ETF will distribute $0.031602 per share.

The Solana Staking ETF distribution is $0.076590 per share.

The Hyperliquid Staking ETF has the largest payment of the group at $0.191360 per share.

The Sui Staking ETF will distribute $0.052939 per share, while the Polkadot Staking ETF will pay $0.045029.

The ex-dividend and record date for all five products is September 29.

Payments are scheduled for September 30.

These are not arbitrary dividends funded from the asset manager’s balance sheet.

21Shares says the distributions consist of staking rewards earned from the ETH, SOL, HYPE, SUI and DOT held and staked by the respective funds.

Staking Changes The Economics Of A Crypto ETF

A conventional spot crypto fund gives investors exposure to changes in the price of the underlying asset.

Proof-of-stake assets add another source of return.

The tokens themselves can participate in network validation and earn rewards.

If a fund is structured to stake those assets and pass the proceeds to shareholders, the investment starts to look different from simply holding a passive token position.

That has become an increasingly important competitive feature for crypto funds.

The trade-off is additional operational complexity.

Staking involves validator infrastructure, liquidity considerations and protocol-specific risks.

Funds also need structures that allow those rewards to be collected and distributed while remaining compliant with securities and tax requirements.

21Shares has been building that model across several networks rather than only Ethereum or Solana.

Including Hyperliquid, Sui and Polkadot gives the distribution announcement a useful snapshot of how broad institutional staking products have become.

Crypto ETFs were originally built around price exposure.

The next generation is increasingly trying to package the native economics of the networks too.

For proof-of-stake assets, that means investors are beginning to expect more than a ticker that follows the token price.

They want the yield as well.

This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.



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Circle Brings USDC Workflows Into Banking Platform Used By Major Institutions

TL;DR

  • Volante Technologies and Circle have announced a collaboration around stablecoin payment and settlement infrastructure.
  • Volante plans to bring USDC workflows into the same payment platform banks already use for conventional rails.
  • The work covers areas including minting, redemption, wallet registration, funding and wallet-to-wallet payments.

Circle is bringing USDC deeper into the software stack banks already use to process payments.

Volante Technologies announced a collaboration with Circle on September 28 that will integrate stablecoin workflows into Volante’s payments platform.

The important part is not simply that another platform will support USDC.

It is that banks will be able to evaluate stablecoin payments alongside their existing payment operations rather than building an entirely separate digital-asset system.

Banks Can Keep One Payment Stack

Volante provides payments technology to large financial institutions.

The company says its clients include four of the five largest global corporate banks and seven of the top ten U.S. banks.

Under the Circle collaboration, those institutions will be able to explore USDC workflows inside Volante’s existing platform.

Potential functions include minting and redeeming USDC, registering beneficiary wallets, funding transactions, sending notifications and executing wallet-to-wallet payments.

That does not mean every Volante customer is immediately offering USDC payments.

The collaboration creates the infrastructure through which institutions can evaluate and deploy those functions.

Stablecoins Are Becoming A Back-End Payment Rail

Stablecoin adoption in banking increasingly looks less like a separate crypto product and more like another settlement option hidden underneath familiar financial interfaces.

That is a meaningful shift.

A corporate customer may care that a payment settles quickly and is available outside traditional banking hours.

It may care much less whether a stablecoin moved underneath the transaction.

Banks face a similar choice.

They can build dedicated blockchain systems from scratch, or they can extend software already connected to their fraud controls, account systems and payment rails.

Volante and Circle are betting on the second approach.

The collaboration also addresses on- and off-ramps, which remain one of the most important operational problems for institutional stablecoin use.

Moving USDC is easy.

Connecting that movement cleanly with regulated bank accounts, identity controls, payment messages and treasury systems is harder.

Circle has spent much of 2026 pushing USDC into exactly those kinds of institutional workflows.

The Volante partnership gives it access to another layer of banking infrastructure.

Stablecoins once sat largely outside the banking system.

Increasingly, the companies selling them are trying to become part of the plumbing inside it.

This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.



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Chainlink Launches CCIP 2.0 With Extra Security Controls For Tokenized Assets

TL;DR

  • Chainlink has launched CCIP 2.0, a major upgrade to its Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol.
  • The new version adds optional third-party verifiers, faster-than-finality transfers, built-in compliance tools and more flexible execution.
  • Chainlink is positioning the upgrade for banks and asset issuers moving regulated assets across multiple blockchains.

Chainlink has launched the next version of its cross-chain infrastructure with a clear target: institutions that want to move tokenized assets between blockchains without giving up control over security or compliance.

CCIP 2.0 went live on September 28 with a redesigned architecture that gives asset issuers more choice over how transactions are verified and executed.

Institutions Can Add Their Own Security Layer

One of the biggest additions is support for Cross-Chain Verifiers.

These are optional verification layers that can be operated by an issuer, institution or third party alongside Chainlink’s existing decentralized oracle network.

That means a bank or regulated asset issuer can add its own checks before a cross-chain transaction completes.

The default CCIP security model still remains available.

The difference is that users can now layer additional controls on top.

Chainlink has also introduced faster-than-finality transfers.

Normally, cross-chain systems wait for a blockchain to reach full finality before acting on a transaction.

CCIP 2.0 lets users choose different confirmation thresholds where speed matters more and the risk is understood.

That could be useful for high-frequency institutional workflows where waiting for full settlement on every chain is impractical.

Compliance Is Being Built Into The Protocol

The update also integrates Chainlink’s Automated Compliance Engine.

That allows policy checks to sit directly inside cross-chain workflows rather than being bolted on later.

Other changes include modular fee components and more control over transaction execution.

Users can rely on Chainlink’s executor, use their own executor or allow permissionless execution depending on the application.

The common theme is configurability.

Institutions moving tokenized funds, equities or other regulated assets are unlikely to accept the same default settings as a DeFi protocol.

They may need specific compliance checks, security policies and transaction controls.

CCIP 2.0 is trying to make those requirements part of the network layer.

Chainlink says the system is now live for institutions and digital-asset issuers.

The upgrade arrives as banks, asset managers and tokenization platforms increasingly face the same problem: issuing an asset on one blockchain is relatively straightforward.

Making that asset usable across many networks without creating a new security problem is much harder.

CCIP 2.0 is Chainlink’s answer to that second problem.

This article was written by the News Desk and edited by Samuel Rae.



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MEXC Earnings Season Data: Nearly Half of Tokenized Stock Trading Volume Occurs Outside Regular U.S. Hours

Mutsamudu, Comoros, September 29, 2026 — MEXC, a pioneer in 0-fee digital asset trading, today released stock trading data from the July-August 2026 earnings season, highlighting a continued shift in U.S. stock market participation beyond regular trading hours. During the period, 49.20% of tokenized stock trading volume took place during pre-market, after-hours, and overnight sessions, exceeding the 40.26% recorded during regular trading hours. Meanwhile, the number of users trading RealStocks increased 608% compared with May and June.

 

In July and August, 89.46% of MEXC tokenized stock trading volume still took place on U.S. trading days, while trading activity increasingly extended beyond regular trading hours. Pre-market and overnight sessions accounted for 19.75% and 20.73% of total trading volume, respectively, making them the two most active windows outside regular market hours.

 

Participation in the stock market also continued to expand. The number of RealStocks users increased 608% compared with May and June, while the number of first-time traders rose 561%. By the end of August, the number of users holding positions had also increased 105.2% from the end of June.

 

As trading hours expand and participation grows, U.S. stock activity on MEXC is also showing stronger cross-product engagement. During July and August, semiconductors and memory stocks ranked first by trading volume across both MEXC RealStocks and tokenized stocks. In Stock Futures, the memory sector also accounted for more than 50% of trading volume. Within RealStocks, trading volume in stock indices and ETFs increased 333.7% compared with May and June, significantly outpacing the 94.5% growth in individual stocks. Indices and ETFs also grew from approximately 12.6% to 24.3% of total RealStocks trading volume.

 

NVIDIA further demonstrates this cross-product activity. During July and August, the number of RealStocks users trading NVIDIA increased 777.8%, while the number of users trading the tokenized stocks NVDAON and NVDAX increased 138.4% and 228.8%, respectively. Following NVIDIA’s earnings release after the U.S. market closed on August 26, daily trading volume in NVIDIA tokenized stocks and NVIDIA Stock Futures increased 59% and 443%, respectively, compared with the previous day. The three highest-volume days for NVIDIA tokenized stocks in August also fell between August 26 and 28, around the earnings release. This shows how users can access the same market theme through different products.

 

On the cost side, MEXC continues to offer 0-fee trading for eligible Stock and Stock Index Futures. During July and August, the amount of trading fees saved by users through 0-fee trading increased 428% compared with May and June. With longer trading hours, a broader range of trading tools, and lower trading costs, barriers to participating in global equity markets continue to decline.

 

Vugar Usi, CEO of MEXC, said: “Markets are becoming increasingly 24/7, while traditional trading boundaries remain. Nearly half of tokenized stock trading volume now takes place outside regular trading hours, reflecting growing demand for more flexible market access. MEXC aims to further break down the barriers of time, tools, and cost, giving users greater freedom to participate in global markets.”

 

About MEXC

Founded in 2018, MEXC is a leading global multi-asset trading platform built as your 0-fee gateway to infinite opportunities. Serving users across 170+ markets, MEXC provides simple and efficient access to crypto, stocks, tokenized assets, derivatives, and a growing range of TradFi-linked opportunities through one account and one gateway.

 

With 0 trading fees, deep liquidity, broad asset coverage, and a high-performance trading experience, MEXC is designed for retail users who want to discover earlier, act faster, and trade with fewer barriers. As crypto and traditional finance continue to converge, MEXC is committed to making global opportunities more accessible, helping users trade freely and MEXCmize every opportunity.

 

MEXC Official Website| X | Telegram |How to Sign Up on MEXC

 

For media inquiries, please contact MEXC PR team: media@mexc.com

 

Source

 

Risk Disclaimer:

This content does not constitute investment advice. Given the volatility of financial markets, including digital assets, tokenized assets, and traditional financial products, investors should carefully assess market conditions, underlying asset fundamentals, and potential financial risks before making any investment or trading decisions.



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PrimeXBT Insights: Bitcoin rallied through a rate hike; Can it rally through a bond selloff?

By Jonatan Randin, Senior Market Analyst at PrimeXBT

In mid September the setup looked bad for Bitcoin. The CLARITY Act failed in the Senate on 15 September and the Fed hiked to 3.75 to 4.00% the next day. Bitcoin (BTC) briefly traded under $75,000. A week later it was above $87,000.

Then the bond market moved, and Bitcoin stopped going up.

What happened in bonds

On 23 September the 10 year US Treasury yield jumped more than 18 basis points, the biggest one day rise since April 2025. It kept going and rose above 5.2% the next day, the highest since 2007. The 30 year reached about 5.50%, a level last seen in 2004.

There was no single trigger. Strong PMI data, a weak five year auction and higher oil all played a part. The Treasury even bought back $4 billion of long bonds on 24 September, and yields still rose.

Why the hike didn’t matter much

Everyone saw it coming. By the eve of the meeting, futures markets priced the hike at close to 90%. Some of Bitcoin’s weakness in the weeks before arguably reflected that repricing.

ETF flows show it. Spot Bitcoin ETFs lost about $750 million over 15 and 16 September, then took in $2.39 billion in the week to 25 September, their biggest week since October 2025 according to Farside Investors.

Why the bond move is different

Look at those flows day by day: $999 million on Monday, then $715 million, $347 million, $191 million and $135 million on Friday. The buying never stopped. It just got smaller as yields went up.

A hike is one decision with a known size. A bond selloff has no size, and the market decides how far it goes. Yields above 5% compete directly with an asset that pays nothing.

There’s another way to read it. If the Treasury has to keep borrowing at higher rates, the deficit grows and so does the supply of bonds. Many in crypto see that as the long term case for Bitcoin. For now, though, the short term effect is the one showing up in the flows.

So far Bitcoin is holding the move. It isn’t extending it.

What the chart says

On the 3 day chart, Bitcoin broke above the $70,000 region around 20 August. It then spent a few weeks consolidating near $80,000 before breaking higher again last week.

That second breakout matters. It’s arguably the first higher high on the higher timeframes since the bear market began, and price reached above $87,000 before pulling back.

Bitcoin (BTC/USD) 3 day chart with the 20 and 50 EMA. The breakout above $80,000 marks the first higher high since the bear market began, and the 20 EMA has crossed above the 50 EMA. Source: TradingView

The moving averages support the same picture. The 20 EMA has crossed above the 50 EMA on the 3 day chart for the first time since they crossed down in November 2025, which is roughly where the bear market started.

Price is now retracing the latest leg up. The next higher timeframe support sits at $80,000, and the 50% Fibonacci retracement of the move from around $75,000 to $87,000 falls just above it, near $81,000.

As long as Bitcoin holds the $80,000 area, the overall structure could still be read as constructive. A sustained move back below it would put that higher high into question.

Navigating Bitcoin’s next move with PrimeXBT

As Bitcoin’s recovery meets pressure from rising bond yields, PrimeXBT, a global multi-asset broker and crypto asset service provider, allows traders to position for either a continuation of the rally or a deeper pullback. Clients can trade BTC through Crypto Futures and CFDs, taking long or short positions with adjustable leverage, as well as buy, exchange and hold Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Crypto Futures maker fees are 0.01% and taker fees start from 0.045%, falling to 0.015% at VIP 5 tier through PrimeXBT’s volume-based VIP program. Crypto CFDs carry no trading commission, with BTC/USD spreads available as low as $19 at the same tier. 

The same forces testing Bitcoin’s recovery are also relevant to Gold, US Dollar pairs and major equity indices. PrimeXBT provides access to these markets offering more than 350 instruments with accounts in USD, USDT, USDC, BTC and ETH. This gives traders scope to act on a broader macroeconomic view across crypto and traditional markets. 

On broker’s PXTrader 2.0 platform, TradingView-powered charting allows traders to follow the $80,000 support area and the moving-average signals discussed above, while advanced order and risk-management tools help them manage positions as the outlook develops. Crypto Futures execution combines a real order book and deep liquidity with volume-weighted average pricing (VWAP). With Bitcoin holding its breakout but struggling to extend it, the emphasis shifts from identifying the rally to managing the trade as evidence for its next move emerges.

Start trading with PrimeXBT.

 

About PrimeXBT

PrimeXBT is a global multi-asset broker and crypto asset service provider trusted by traders in more than 150 countries. The platform bridges traditional and digital markets within one integrated environment, redefining versatility and innovation in online trading. Clients can access Forex, CFDs on indices, commodities, shares, crypto, and Crypto Futures, as well as buy, store and exchange cryptocurrencies. This unified experience extends across both the native PXTrader 2.0 platform and MetaTrader 5, supported by advanced risk-management tools and a wide range of funding options in crypto, fiat and local payment methods. Since 2018, PrimeXBT has focused on empowering traders through broad multi-asset access, fair and transparent conditions, professional-grade technology and dedicated human support. By combining expertise, trust and a client-first approach, PrimeXBT sets a benchmark of excellence in the financial industry and provides traders with the tools they need to trade, grow and succeed with confidence.

Disclaimer: The content provided here is for informational purposes only and is not intended as personal investment advice and does not constitute a solicitation or invitation to engage in any financial transactions, investments, or related activities. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. The financial products offered by the Company are complex and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. These products may not be suitable for all investors. Before engaging, you should consider whether you understand how these leveraged products work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money. The Company does not accept clients from the Restricted Jurisdictions as indicated on its website / T&Cs. Some products and services, including MT5, may not be available in your jurisdiction. The applicable legal entity and its respective products and services depend on the client’s country of residence and the entity with which the client has established a contractual relationship during registration.



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MEXC Launches MEXC CLI, Connecting AI Agents From Trading Intent to Execution

Mutsamudu, Comoros, September 28, 2026 – MEXC, a pioneer in 0-fee digital asset trading, today announced the launch of MEXC CLI, a new command-line tool that lets users connect their own AI Agents directly to MEXC and move more seamlessly from trading intent to execution. Once installed, MEXC CLI enables users to express what they want to do in natural language within AI environments they already use, while their AI agents interpret that intent and call the relevant MEXC capabilities through the CLI.

 

The launch extends the role of AI beyond research, analysis and strategy generation. Users can use their own AI agents to retrieve market data, check account information, analyze trading history, or prepare and execute trades through MEXC CLI, while retaining control over key trading actions through confirmation before execution. By reducing the technical and operational steps between an idea and an action, MEXC CLI brings AI closer to becoming a practical execution layer for trading.

 

The Gap Between AI Insight and Trading Action

AI is increasingly becoming part of how investors research markets, analyze data and develop trading ideas. But a gap still remains between knowing what to do and actually doing it. Even when AI can help identify an opportunity or generate a strategy, users often still need to switch back to the exchange and manually translate that intent into a series of trading actions.

For users who want their own AI agents to interact directly with an exchange, the process can also involve API access, authentication, parameter construction, interface calls and data processing. MEXC CLI is designed to reduce this friction, creating a more direct path from AI-assisted insight to trading execution.

 

From Trading Intent to Execution

MEXC CLI packages MEXC API access into a command-line environment that AI agents can use directly. After installation and configuration, users can stay within their preferred AI environment and express what they want to do in natural language, whether checking account assets, retrieving market data, reviewing trading history, or preparing a trade.

The AI agent interprets the request and calls the relevant MEXC functions through MEXC CLI, while the CLI handles the underlying API interaction and data processing. This allows users to move more directly from trading intent to execution, with key trading actions remaining under user control and subject to confirmation where required.

MEXC CLI currently supports spot trading, futures trading, wealth management and activities.

 

MEXC AI, From Discovery to Action

MEXC CLI is part of the ongoing evolution of MEXC AI under its philosophy of “Intelligence for Every Opportunity ” and reflects MEXC’s Trading Companion vision. The vision is to make AI a more continuous part of the trading journey, spanning Discover, Understand and Trade. MEXC CLI extends that journey into AI tools users already rely on. Beyond MEXC CLI, MEXC AI’s existing core capabilities on the platform include AI Rankings, AI Trends, and Smart Chart for market discovery and analysis. AI Strategy lets users turn natural-language trading ideas into strategies that run after user review and confirmation, while AI Model Copy Trade offers another way to access selected trading strategies and activity. MEXC CLI extends this experience into the AI environments users already use, helping connect trading intent with execution and moving MEXC AI from information and analysis toward more agentic interaction.

 

MEXC is running the Trading Takes Two campaign, showcasing how MEXC AI supports users across different stages of the trading journey. In addition, during TOKEN2049 Singapore, the MEXC booth will debut an immersive MEXC AI Experience Zone, highlighting how MEXC uses AI to power future trading scenarios and further exploring the broader role AI can play in trading.

 

For more information about MEXC CLI and to explore MEXC’s AI capabilities, please visit the MEXC AI page.

 

About MEXC

Founded in 2018, MEXC is a leading global multi-asset trading platform built as your 0-fee gateway to infinite opportunities. Serving users across 170+ markets, MEXC provides simple and efficient access to crypto, stocks, tokenized assets, derivatives, and a growing range of TradFi-linked opportunities through one account and one gateway.

 

With 0 trading fees, deep liquidity, broad asset coverage, and a high-performance trading experience, MEXC is designed for retail users who want to discover earlier, act faster, and trade with fewer barriers. As crypto and traditional finance continue to converge, MEXC is committed to making global opportunities more accessible, helping users trade freely and MEXCmize every opportunity.

 

MEXC Official Website| X | Telegram |How to Sign Up on MEXC

For media inquiries, please contact MEXC PR team: media@mexc.com

 

Source

 

Risk Disclaimer:

This content does not constitute investment advice. Given the volatility of financial markets, including digital assets, tokenized assets, and traditional financial products, investors should carefully assess market conditions, underlying asset fundamentals, and potential financial risks before making any investment or trading decisions.



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