The post Grayscale Launches Solana Trust ETF on NYSE Arca With Solana Exposure and Staking Rewards appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Grayscale Investments, the world’s largest digital asset-focused investment platform, announced that its Grayscale Solana Trust ETF (GSOL) is now officially trading on NYSE Arca as an exchange-traded product (ETP).

This marks a major milestone, making it the first of Grayscale’s staking products to uplist under the new SEC-approved generic listing standards.

Introducing Grayscale Solana Trust ETF (Ticker: $GSOL), offering investors exposure to @Solana $SOL, one of the fastest-growing digital assets. $GSOL features:
Convenient Solana exposure paired with staking benefits.
Exposure to a high-speed, low-cost blockchain.… pic.twitter.com/TgVNlhqBPO

— Grayscale (@Grayscale) October 29, 2025

Leading Solana ETP Manager

With GSOL now trading on NYSE Arca, Grayscale is now among the leading Solana ETP managers in the U.S. by assets under management. This builds on its strong track record in crypto asset management and leadership across Bitcoin and Ethereum products.

GSOL offers exchange-listed, low-cost exposure to Solana and its staking rewards through a familiar ETP format, backed by an institutional staking program. 

GSOL was launched in 2021 and began staking in October 2025. Staking returns are captured in NAV, giving investors the potential to compound over time. Grayscale intends to pass through 77% of all staking rewards accrue to GSOL investors on a net basis.

Today, @Grayscale celebrates the latest milestone in our history of innovation, as
Grayscale Solana Trust ETF (ticker: $GSOL) began trading on @NYSE Arca, offering investors exposure to Solana and the ability to earn staking rewards.

Grayscale was among the first to enable…

— Peter Mintzberg (@PeterMintzberg) October 29, 2025

GSOL is an exchange-traded product and does not offer the same regulatory protections as traditional ETFs or mutual funds. Grayscale also notes that while GSOL holds Solana, an investment in GSOL is not a direct investment in Solana.

Digital Assets in Modern Portfolios

Inkoo Kang, Senior Vice President of ETFs at Grayscale, notes that the GSOL launch reinforces the company’s belief that modern portfolio now includes digital assets for growth and diversification alongside traditional assets like equities, bonds, and alternatives.

“Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs were just the start, and with GSOL, we’re expanding investor choice, backed by the scale, education, and operational infrastructure advisors and institutions expect,” he added. 

Investor Participation in Network Growth

President of the Solana Policy Institute, notes that the rails of global finance is being rebuilt on Solana and millions of investors can now gain exposure to it through Solana staking ETPs like Grayscale’s GSOL. 

Through staking in these products, investors are not just gaining exposure to Solana, they also have the opportunity to help secure the network, support developer innovation and earn rewards from one of the most dynamic digital assets.

A Busy Week for Crypto ETFs

This comes after three new crypto ETFs hit Wall Street on Tuesday. Bitwise launched its Solana Staking ETF on the NYSE while Canary listed its Litecoin ETF and HBAR ETF on Nasdaq.

The post DBS and Goldman Sachs Lead First-Ever Interbank OTC Crypto Options Trade  appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The gap between traditional banking and digital assets is lately getting smaller. 

In a significant move, two major banks completed a first-of-its-kind trade which shows how actively the financial institutions are engaging with crypto. 

First-Of-Its-Kind Crypto Trade

DBS, one of Asia’s leading financial services groups, and Goldman Sachs, a leading global financial institution, successfully carried out the first-ever over-the-counter (OTC) cryptocurrency options trade. 

The transaction involved trading cash-settled OTC Bitcoin and Ether options. These transactions allow firms offering crypto-linked products to better manage the risks tied to their digital asset holdings. OTC transactions are trades made directly between two parties, rather than through a public exchange. 

The participation of such well-capitalised, trusted banks in such a trade is a major milestone for digital assets in the region. 

DBS Sees Surge in Crypto-Linked Trades

This comes amid a rising demand for cryptocurrency-linked products with more accredited and institutional investors considering exposure to digital assets. 

In the first half of 2025 alone, DBS clients traded over USD 1 billion in crypto options and structured notes, with volumes jumping nearly 60% from Q1 to Q2. 

Jacky Tai, Group Head of Trading and Structuring at DBS, notes that more professional investors are looking for safe and reliable platforms to invest in digital assets. And in response, these platforms are working to strengthen their risk management and governance.

The recent trade also shows how these platforms can benefit from banks’ strong credit standing and structuring expertise, helping to bring the trad-fi practices into the digital asset space.

A Key Step Towards Interbank Crypto Market

Max Minton, Head of Digital Assets for Asia Pacific at Goldman Sachs, said this trade marks an important step in developing an interbank market for cash-settled OTC crypto options. He also expects this segment to grow as more institutional investors enter the space.

In September, DBS teamed up with Franklin Templeton and Ripple to offer accredited and institutional investors the ability to trade and lend using tokenised money market funds and Ripple’s U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin.

Last year DBS revealed plans to offer OTC crypto options and structured notes to eligible institutional and accredited investors, becoming the first Asian bank to do so.

As more institutions join in, crypto and traditional banking appear to be teaming up strongly to create a more stable and mature digital asset market.

The post Circle Launches Public Testnet For Arc With Participation from Over 100 Institutions appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Circle has officially launched the public testnet for Arc, an open Layer-1 blockchain network built to support developers and companies, driving more economic activity onchain.

The New Economic “OS” For Internet

This is a major milestone for Circle and it’s already attracting participation from over 100 companies across the financial and technology sectors. 

Arc is now available for developers and enterprises to deploy, test and build on what Circle describes as the new Economic Operating System (“OS”) for the internet.

CEO Jeremy Allaire said that the testnet is “seeing remarkable early momentum”, as leading companies, protocols, and projects begin to build and test.

He highlighted that these participants collectively serve billions of users and handle trillions in assets worldwide, underscoring Arc’s goal to connect local markets to the global economy. He described Arc as enterprise-grade infrastructure designed to enable a more open, inclusive, and efficient financial system built natively on the internet.

The Arc Ecosystem is Taking Shape

With today’s public testnet launch, we’re proud to share that leading companies across major sectors of the global financial system and onchain economy are already engaging in the early Arc ecosystem.

Collectively, these organizations manage… pic.twitter.com/dI3aCIzS43

— Jeremy Allaire – jda.eth / jdallaire.sol (@jerallaire) October 28, 2025

Arc is a big step toward building a more open and programmable financial infrastructure for the global economy. It is designed to make onchain transactions faster, smarter, and easier to use, with predictable dollar-based fees, sub-second transaction finality and opt-in configurable privacy.

With its integration to Circle’s full-stack platform, Arc enables a wide range of use cases across lending, capital markets, foreign exchange and global payments.

Institutional Partners

Leading capital markets firms engaging with Arc include Apollo, BNY, Intercontinental Exchange, and State Street.

Other participating banks, asset managers, and insurers include Absa, Clearbank, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered, Invesco, SBI Holdings and others. 

Circle notes that payments are emerging as one of Arc’s most powerful use cases, making it easy for people and businesses to move money instantly and without friction. The same infrastructure also supports AI-driven systems that can autonomously send and settle value in real time.

Technology and Fintech Partners

The technology and payments firms engaging with Arc, include AWS, Mastercard, Visa, Cloudflare, Brex, Nuvei, among others. Stablecoin issuers from various regions are also active on the testnet.

Infrastructure Providers and Developers

Arc is also partnering with leading developers and infrastructure providers including MetaMask, Ledger, Fireblocks, Alchemy and Chainlink. 

Anthropic is enhancing the developer experience on Arc with Claude code-powered builder tools. Crosschain partners include Across, Wormhole and Stargate while Elliptic, Quicknode, and TRM will ensure that Arc stays fast, secure, and reliable. 

Arc is bringing together leading players from across the digital asset ecosystem, from decentralized and centralized exchanges to market makers, lenders, and custodians. DEXs like Uniswap and Curve provide onchain liquidity, while Coinbase, Kraken, and Robinhood expand global access.

Major market makers like Galaxy Digital, Wintermute, and GSR enhance liquidity, and lending platforms such as Aave and Maple support credit and capital efficiency. Custodians like BitGo and Zodia Custody help keep assets secure.

The First Step to Shared Governance

Circle notes that the testnet launch marks the beginning of a network designed to evolve into a distributed, community-driven system.

Over time, it plans to expand validator participation, introduce transparent governance models, and involve the community in its evolution.

The post Metaplanet Announces ¥75B Share Repurchase Program to Strengthen Bitcoin Strategy appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Metaplanet, widely known as “Japan’s MicroStrategy”, has taken a major step forward in its long-term strategy by launching a 75 billion JPY share repurchase program. 

This comes after the company faced a setback with a decline in its mNAV, and aims to make better use of capital and boost returns for shareholders.

Metaplanet has established a share repurchase program to enhance capital efficiency and maximize BTC Yield. The Board also approved a credit facility to enable flexible execution as part of the company’s capital allocation strategy. https://t.co/zucPBrIqOQ

— Simon Gerovich (@gerovich) October 28, 2025

Why Metaplanet Is Buying Back Its Own Shares 

In its latest disclosure, Metaplanet noted that recent market volatility and a decline in its mNAV have led to its stock being undervalued. 

The mNAV compares the company’s enterprise value to the market value of its Bitcoin holdings. When it falls below 1.0x, the company’s shares are seen as trading below their fair value based on BTC reserves. 

To address this, Metaplanet launched a capital management plan designed to maximize BTC yield and improve capital efficiency. 

Metaplanet’s stock is currently trading at 499 JPY, up 2.5% over the past day and roughly 18% over the last five days. Its mNAV has also recovered to 1.03 as of the time of writing.

The buyback program will cover up to 150 million common shares, representing about 13.13% of its total outstanding shares, excluding treasury shares. It will run from October 29, 2025, to October 28, 2026 and buybacks will be conducted through purchases on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under a discretionary trading agreement.

$500M Credit Line Announced

In order to give the company more flexibility in carrying out the repurchase program, the board has also approved a credit facility with a borrowing limit of up to USD 500 million (around JPY 76.4 billion).

This allows the company to secure funds using its Bitcoin holdings as collateral whenever needed. The funds raised could be used for additional Bitcoin purchases, investments in its Bitcoin Income business, or share buybacks. 

The credit line also plays a major role in the Company’s financial strategy and is expected to serve as bridge financing ahead of its planned issuance of preference shares. 

Metaplanet’s Capital Allocation Policy

Metaplanet has also created a new Capital Allocation Policy designed to maximize sustainable value creation. It will be guided by three fundamental principles.

Metaplanet plans to actively utilize preferred shares, to strengthen BTC yield and enhance long-term shareholder value. It will avoid new issuances when mNAV is below 1.0x, and pursue them only when mNAV exceeds 1.0x and valuations and strategic conditions clearly support long-term shareholder value.

And if mNAV falls below 1.0x, the Company will actively consider share buybacks to enhance BTC yield and shareholder value.

It also noted that the funding sources for share repurchases may include cash reserves, funds raised from preferred share issuances, credit facilities, or income generated by its Bitcoin-related business operations.

Since April 2025, the company has expanded its Bitcoin Treasury Strategy, now holding 30,823 BTC, making it the fourth-largest public Bitcoin holder globally and the largest in Asia. 

The company is also committed to its long-term goal of acquiring 210,000 BTC by the end of 2027.

Despite what appears to have been a setback, Metaplanet continues to show strong conviction in Bitcoin’s long-term potential.

The post ClearBank to Join Circle’s Payments Network and Expand Stablecoin Access appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

ClearBank, a technology-enabled clearing bank, is making a major push into digital finance to expand stablecoin use and improve cross-border payments across Europe.

Strategic Alliance Between ClearBank and Circle

ClearBank has announced a strategic framework agreement with a subsidiary of Circle Internet Group, the stablecoin giant behind USDC and EURC. 

Through this partnership, the two companies will work together on a range of initiatives in the European market.

Initially, the focus will be on expanding access to USDC and EURC, Circle’s MiCA-compliant, fully reserved stablecoins, through Circle Mint in Europe. This move places ClearBank as a core infrastructure partner for banks and fintechs, that are looking for trusted, multi-currency stablecoin solutions for payments, treasury, and liquidity use cases. 

ClearBank to Join Circle’s Payments Network

ClearBank is taking another big step by planning to join Circle’s Payments Network (CPN), making it one of the first European banks to do so. This will let clients move money around the world at internet speed, with the transparency of blockchain technology.

By linking its cloud-based banking system with Circle’s infrastructure, including Circle Mint and the Circle Payments Network, ClearBank is bridging traditional and digital finance to make cross-border payments faster and cheaper.

Mark Fairless, CEO of ClearBank, said this move marks a major step in ClearBank’s growth as a cross-border payments innovator.

Sanja Kon, VP of Partnerships & Business Development, EMEA at Circle, said that this partnership will expand access to USDC and EURC, helping drive faster, more transparent payments and unlock new financial services built on “open, programmable money.”

Expanding Opportunities Beyond Payments

ClearBank and Circle are also exploring additional strategic use cases, including stablecoin-based treasury solutions and future tokenized asset settlement integrations.

Circle launched the CPN in April, to connect banks, fintechs, and payment providers to settle cross-border payments in real time using regulated stablecoins like USDC and EURC. CPN supports a wide range of cross-border use cases, from payments and remittances to treasury and onchain finance. 

Circle also became the first global stablecoin issuer to meet MiCA requirements in July 2024, well ahead of the regulation coming fully into effect later that year.

Clearbank’s move highlights the growing confidence among financial institutions in using stablecoins for global payments.

The post China’s Central Bank Governor Warns Stablecoins Pose Risks to Global Financial System appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Stablecoins have been attracting increasing attention lately as banks and institutions explore its growing role in digital finance. However, despite its rapid innovation and increased adoption, some officials believe that it is in its early stages and the risks remain. 

PBOC Governor Urges Caution

Pan Gongsheng, Governor of the People’s Bank of China, recently noted that virtual currencies, especially stablecoins issued by institutions, have seen a surge in growth over the past few years. However, he pointed out that the industry is still in its early stages. 

Moreover, global financial bodies regulators are also growing increasingly cautious about the development of stablecoins.

Global Regulators Sound the Alarm

Just ten days ago, at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., finance ministers and central bank governors discussed stablecoin and their potential risks as one of the main topics. They noted that while stablecoins are growing popular, they still fall short of basic financial standards like the customer identification and anti-money laundering measures. 

Officials warn that these very gaps could make it easier for money-laundering, illegal cross-border transfers and even terrorist financing to occur. This has led to increased market speculation, adding pressure to the global financial system and concerns that it could even threaten the monetary sovereignty of smaller, less-developed economies.

These issues highlight the need for stronger oversight measures, before stablecoins can safely play a larger role in the financial system. 

• Also Read :
•   Canada Fast-Tracks Stablecoin Rules Ahead of November 4 Budget
•   ,

China’s Crackdown and Continued Oversight

The governor has stressed that since 2017, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), together with other departments, has introduced several policies in an effort to prevent and address the risks of domestic virtual currency trading speculation. He also noted that these measures are still in effect.

Looking ahead, the PBOC will keep working with the law enforcement agencies to continue cracking down on the operation and speculation of virtual currencies in China. At the same time, it will also closely monitor the growth of overseas stablecoins. 

Ant Group’s Push into Digital Assets

This comes as Ant Group, Alibaba’s fintech arm, filed a trademark for “AntCoin” in Hong Kong, hinting at its growing interest in Web3 and digital assets. The trademark covers a wide range of financial operations from banking, lending, foreign exchange to blockchain settlement, digital-asset custody, stablecoin issuance, and even loyalty rewards.

It has previously faced pushback as the Chinese authorities ordered the company to halt its plans due to concerns over privately controlled digital assets.

However, its latest move shows that it is moving forward despite China maintaining a tight grip on crypto activity.

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