CBOE Global Markets announced plans to launch Bitcoin and Ethereum continuous futures contracts on Nov. 10, pending regulatory review.

According to a Sept. 9 announcement, the new product suite debuts on CBOE Futures Exchange with contracts structured as single, long-dated instruments featuring 10-year expirations.

This design eliminates periodic rolling requirements that characterize traditional futures contracts, simplifying position management for traders seeking long-term digital asset exposure.

The continuous futures will be cash-settled and aligned to real-time spot market prices through daily cash adjustments using a transparent funding rate methodology.

CBOE Clear US, a derivatives clearing organization regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), will clear the contracts within the exchange’s regulated framework.

Global head of derivatives at CBOE, Catherine Clay, said the launch brings perpetual-style utility that gained adoption in offshore markets to US traders.

She noted that the products target institutional participants, existing Cboe Futures Exchange (CFE) customers, and retail traders seeking access to crypto derivatives.

Regulatory opening

The announcement coincides with increased regulatory coordination between the SEC and CFTC, which will hold a joint roundtable on Sept. 29 to advance digital asset oversight harmonization.

The agencies acknowledged in a Sept. 5 statement that fragmented regulation had discouraged innovation and driven crypto activity overseas.

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SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Acting Chairman Caroline Pham emphasized that coordination failures created uncertainty, hindering economic activity even for legally permissible products.

The regulators stressed that harmonization can lower barriers, improve efficiency, and reaffirm US leadership in financial markets.

The Sept. 29 roundtable will examine measures to align US markets with the global economy, including expanded trading hours, frameworks for perpetual contracts, and portfolio margining coordination.

The agencies plan to review exemptions providing safe harbors for decentralized finance projects while maintaining investor protection standards.

CBOE’s continuous futures launch builds on the exchange’s expanding CFE product suite, which includes VIX futures and products based on equity volatility, crypto, and global fixed income.

The introduction represents a step toward onshoring compliant perpetual swap trading that currently operates primarily on offshore platforms.

CBOE’s Options Institute will host public educational courses on continuous futures on Oct. 30 and Nov. 20 to prepare market participants for the new contracts.

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08 September Bitfinex Securities approaches $250 million tokenized securities milestone and sets up plans to acquire a full Astana International Finance Center license

Astana, Kazakhstan – September 8, 2025 – Bitfinex Securities, a regulated platform that allows entities to raise capital through a list of tokenized securities, has submitted an application to migrate from the Astana International Finance Center (AIFC) Fintechlab to confirm that it will be an accredited investment exchange.

Bitfinex Securities joined AIFC’s Fintech Lab in September 2021, a regulatory sandbox that supports the development of the local financial industry. Since then, it has issued $206 million worth of tokenization securities at AIFC Fintechlab, which includes Mikro Kapital’s regular tokenization bond program. Bitfinex Securities has been licensed separately from El Salvador since April 2023.

The Bitfinex Securities licensing expansion plan in Astana is of course, as the platform has shown significant momentum to assert Bitfinex Securities’ growth, as it confirms that it reaches $250 million tokenized assets across the platform. This year we have already seen many highlights, including:

• The direct list of Titan1 and Titan2, the first tokenized share issuance of Bitfinex Securities, amounts to a total of 143 million Gbp.
• Full redemption of Mikro Kapital’s first tokenized bond paid USDT 630,000.
• The direct list of Blockstream Mining Note 2 (BMN2) allows for secondary market trading opportunities of just under $9, based on fair value.

“We’re looking forward to seeing you in the process of doing things,” said Paolo Ardoino, CTO at Bitfinex Securities. “We continue to thank the support we have received from AIFC, a proven innovator in regulating digital assets. We confirm that we apply the upgrade to a full license in Astana after a successful initial license period. A regulatory environment to attract and nurture companies such as Bitfinex Securities.”

“We’ve seen the best of our customers,” said Jesse Knutson, operations manager of Bitfinex Securities. “To approach $250 million with tokenized assets on the platform is a significant milestone and a marker of trust we built together with the issuer. Given that all listings are supported by the liquid network, the Bitcoin ecosystem emphasizes that it plays a significant financial role. It continues to grow. We look forward to expanding our listings to make Bitfinex securities an outstanding platform for the full range of tokenized assets.”

Bitfinex securities are also regulated in El Salvador and were the world’s first international digital asset platform licensed under the country’s digital asset issuance law.

About Bitfinex Securities

Founded in 2021, Bitfinex Securities is looking to transform global capital markets by leveraging technological advances in the digital asset industry. With real-time payments, 24/7 trading capabilities, access to global liquidity and self-support, Bitfinex Securities aims to create more efficient, cost-effective, and seamless interactions between investors and issuers. Bitfinex Securities is licensed and regulated at the Astana International Financial Centre in Kazakhstan and El Salvador.

Bitfinex Securities Media Contact Information

(Email protection)

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/bitfinex-securities-approaches-250-million-tokenized-securities-milestone-and-sets-up-plans-to-acquire-a-full-astana-international-finance-center-license/feed/ 0 57514 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/the-ether-machine-bags-654-million-in-eth-as-ipo-plans-heat-up/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/the-ether-machine-bags-654-million-in-eth-as-ipo-plans-heat-up/#respond Mon, 08 Sep 2025 00:54:08 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/the-ether-machine-bags-654-million-in-eth-as-ipo-plans-heat-up/

The Ether Machine has secured an investment ahead of its anticipated initial public offering (IPO), according to a September 2 report by Reuters.

The company received 150,000 Ethereum, worth around $654 million, from Jeffrey Berns, a supporter of Ethereum projects.

According to Reuters, the funds will be transferred to the firm’s wallet within days, and Berns is also joining the company’s board.

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The funding supports The Ether Machine’s plan to go public with a strong Ethereum reserve. The company aims to hold over 495,000 ETH
ETH


$4,260.16

by the time of its Nasdaq listing, along with $367 million more to buy additional ETH in the future.

Formed through the merger of Ether Reserve and the shell company Dynamix Corporation, The Ether Machine originally sought more than $1.5 billion from investors, including Kraken

$172.36M

, Blockchain.com, and Pantera Capital.

The Ether Machine relies on flexible funding tools such as convertible debt and preferred shares. These methods allow the firm to raise money while keeping the share value steady.

Co-founder Andrew Keys noted that the company expects to outperform traditional crypto investment products by also generating on-chain returns through yield-focused methods. He explained to Reuters that the combination of borrowing and income generation could help the firm keep its market price above its net asset value over time.

Recently, Rain and M0 secured nearly $100 million in venture funding as interest in programmable money grows. What did the two companies say about it? Read the full story.

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Japanese investment firm Metaplanet today announced plans to raise another 130 billion yen ($880 million) through an international share sale. Of that amount, the firm intends to allocate roughly $835 million toward purchasing additional Bitcoin (BTC).

Metaplanet Eyes More Bitcoin Purchases

According to a regulatory filing, Tokyo-based Metaplanet has approved a plan to raise as much as $880 million, with nearly $837 million set aside for fresh BTC acquisitions.

To generate the funds, the company will issue 555 million new shares. This issuance could increase the number of Metaplanet’s outstanding shares from 722 million to approximately 1.27 billion.

Often referred to as “Japan’s MicroStrategy,” Metaplanet has emerged as one of Asia’s most prominent corporate Bitcoin holders. Data from CoinGecko shows the firm currently ranks as the world’s 8th largest public company by BTC reserves, holding 18,991 BTC on its balance sheet.

The firm noted that proceeds from the offering will be used between September and October 2025 to accumulate Bitcoin. In addition, around $43.9 million will be reserved for other Bitcoin-related financial operations.

It is important to highlight that the share sale will take place exclusively on international markets. In the US, sales will be restricted to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A of the US Securities Act.

Metaplanet’s latest BTC purchase came earlier this week when the firm announced it had bought 103 BTC worth more than $11 million. At present, Metaplanet’s total BTC holdings are valued around $2 billion. The firm plans to hold 210,000 BTC by the end of 2027.

The firm’s strategy reflects a broader trend of corporations integrating Bitcoin into their treasuries. Healthcare company KindlyMD, recently announced a $5 billion stock sale to expand its BTC reserves.

Commenting on the development, David Bailey, CEO, KindlyMD, said that the move to raise $5 billion is a natural next step following the firm’s initial purchase of 5,744 BTC earlier this month. On the CoinGecko list, KindlyMD currently ranks 16th in terms of total BTC held.

Is BTC On The Verge Of Supply Crunch?

BTC’s fixed supply of 21 million coins remains one of its most defining features. However, a significant portion of these coins has been lost in unrecoverable wallets, further reducing the effective circulating supply.

As a result, a quiet race has begun among corporations, institutional investors, and even nation-states to accumulate as much Bitcoin as possible before prices climb further. Recently, a congressman in the Philippines introduced a bill proposing the creation of a strategic Bitcoin reserve for the nation.

Meanwhile, Dutch crypto services company Amdax announced plans last week to launch a public Bitcoin treasury firm, while Nasdaq-listed Top Win International disclosed a $10 million raise for BTC purchases.

In similar news, Turkish mobility app Marti Technologies stated last month that it will hold 20% of its cash reserves in Bitcoin. At press time, BTC trades at $112,013, up 1.9% in the past 24 hours.

Featured image from Unsplash.com, chart from and TradingView.com

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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced the Department of Commerce will begin issuing GDP and other economic statistics on blockchain during a White House cabinet meeting on Aug. 26.

Positioning the technology as a government-wide data distribution tool, Lutnick told President Donald Trump:

“The Department of Commerce is going to start issuing its statistics on the blockchain, cause you [Trump] are the crypto president, and we are going to put the GDP on the blockchain so people can use the blockchain for data distribution.”

Lutnick said the Commerce Department plans to make blockchain-based statistics “available for the entire government” while working through implementation details.

The announcement represents the most prominent federal blockchain deployment under the Trump administration’s crypto-friendly policies.

Existing federal programs

The Commerce initiative builds on existing blockchain pilots across federal agencies.

Treasury tested a grant distribution system using blockchain to track drawdowns with automatic reconciliation and audit trails, though it never launched publicly.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission operates a pilot program evaluating tokenized collateral and stablecoin-based financial transactions in regulated markets.

At the same time, the Small Business Administration has evaluated blockchain for monitoring fraud and performance metrics in loan programs, according to Government Accountability Office reports.

The Department of Defense and Homeland Security are exploring the use of blockchain for parts tracking, supply chain authentication, and digital documentation.

The Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency collaborate with SIMBA Chain to track high-value parts through blockchain ledgers, thereby reducing manual data entry in defense supply chains.

Customs and Border Protection previously ran blockchain trials to verify intellectual property data on imports and spot counterfeit goods.

Congressional support

The blockchain push aligns with pending congressional legislation. The “Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2025,” sponsored by Rep. Kat Cammack and passed by the House on June 23, moved to the Senate on June 24.

The bill directs the Secretary of Commerce to promote US competitiveness in blockchain deployment and applications.

The legislation would establish a Commerce Department Blockchain Deployment Program and create advisory committees that include federal agencies, private sector representatives, and blockchain infrastructure operators.

The program would examine how federal agencies can benefit from distributed ledger technology while addressing concerns related to cybersecurity and regulatory compliance.

The Commerce Department’s GDP blockchain initiative represents the latest federal commitment to distributed ledger technology for core government functions.

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Thailand is reportedly planning a nationwide regulatory sandbox allowing foreign visitors to convert crypto into local currency for electronic payments in a bid to boost tourism.

Known as TouristDigiPay, the scheme is expected to go live on Monday and allow users to exchange cryptocurrencies for Thai baht and make electronic payments through e-money service providers, according to a report on Saturday from local newspaper The Nation.

Only tourists in Thailand will be eligible to use the service after undergoing Know Your Customer due diligence checks and opening an account with a digital asset business and an e-money provider regulated by the Bank of Thailand and the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission.

There will also be safeguards such as monthly spending limits and a block on direct cash withdrawals. However, full details on the TouristDigiPay initiative will reportedly be released on Monday by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira.

Officials hope crypto can boost tourism

The TouristDigiPay scheme is an attempt to breathe new life into Thailand’s tourism industry, and a direct response to the slowdown in foreign visitors, especially from China, which has long been considered a cornerstone of the industry, The Nation reported.

Thailand welcomed around 16.8 million tourists in the first half of 2025, down from 17.7 million the same time last year, with a 24% drop in tourists from East Asia and a 34% fall in visitor numbers from China, think tank The World Tourism Institute said in a July 10 report. 

The report said tourists are eyeing other countries in the region, such as Japan with its weaker Japanese yen making it more affordable, and the comparatively cheaper Vietnam.

“Thailand’s 5% tourism decline in 2025 underlines the urgent need for diversification, market repositioning, and enhanced visitor experiences to compete in a changing regional landscape,” the report said.

Thailand still experimenting with crypto

Using crypto to stimulate tourism has been under review by the Thai government, with the country’s SEC completing a public consultation on the use of financial innovation and digital assets to support economic and tourism growth on Aug. 13.

Chunhavajira first announced the TouristDigiPay initiative during an investment seminar in Bangkok on May 26.

Related: Thailand to block Bybit, OKX and other crypto exchanges on June 28

It followed an announcement in January about a trial to allow foreign visitors to pay for goods and services using cryptocurrencies in Phuket, one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations. The trial is still in the works. 

Countries and businesses adopting crypto to attract tourists

The Kingdom of Bhutan in South Asia has also taken steps to integrate crypto payments into its tourism infrastructure, such as the partnership between Binance Pay and local bank DK Bank to let users pay for their expenses using crypto.

Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin inked a deal with Shift4 Payments on Aug. 11, offering customers the option to pay for outer space trips in Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL) and Stablecoins such as USDT (USDT) and USDC (USDC).

Meanwhile, in July, the United Arab Emirates signed an agreement with Crypto.com to allow passengers to pay for flights and in-flight purchases using crypto. 

Magazine: Coinbase calls for ‘full-scale’ alt season, Ether eyes $6K: Hodler’s Digest, Aug. 10 – 16

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Elon Musk has said his artificial intelligence (AI) company, xAI, plans to take Apple to court over how its App Store promotes AI apps.

He claimed that Apple’s system prioritizes OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which makes it harder for other AI services, including his chatbot Grok and the X app, to be seen.

Musk argued in an August 12 post on X that the App Store’s setup prevents any AI tool other than ChatGPT from reaching the top position. He described this as a violation of competition rules and said his company would take legal action.

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At the time of his comments, Grok was listed in sixth place on the “Top Free Apps” chart for iPhone users in the US, while ChatGPT was in first place. Musk pointed out that being high on these lists can greatly affect how many people try an app.

He also questioned why Apple’s “Must Have” section leaves out both Grok and X. In one pinned post, he wrote:

Hey Apple App Store, why do you refuse to put either X or Grok in your ‘Must Have’ section when X is the #1 news app in the world. Are you playing politics? What gives?

The Grok account also posted about the situation. It said Apple’s curation favors AI tools like ChatGPT over new ones.

Recently, Musk announced that Tesla has officially ended work on its Dojo AI training computer. What did he say? Read the full story.

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