Indonesias crypto industry is facing a growing paradox: while the number of crypto users has surged past 20 million, most licensed domestic exchanges remain unprofitable. According to data from Indonesias Financial Services Authority (OJK), around 72% of licensed crypto exchanges were still losing money as of the end of 2025, highlighting deep structural challenges in the market. OJK figures show that total crypto transaction value in Indonesia fell to IDR 482.23 trillion (around $30 billion) in 2025, down sharply from IDR 650 trillion in 2024. Regulators attribute this decline not to falling...

SWIFT has announced a new global payments scheme aimed at making cross-border transfers for consumers and small businesses as fast, transparent, and predictable as domestic payments. Revealed on January 29, the initiative is scheduled to roll out in phases starting in 2026, with a minimum viable product expected in the first half of the year. More than 40 banks are already participating in shaping the framework, signaling strong early industry support. At first glance, the announcement may seem like a routine upgrade to payments infrastructure. In reality, it represents a strategic shift by...

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he will reveal his choice for the next Federal Reserve chair as early as next week, intensifying pressure on current chair Jerome Powell and reigniting debates over interest rate policy. The announcement came during a recent cabinet meeting and was echoed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who confirmed that a decision on Powells successor is imminent. Trump once again criticized Powell for refusing to cut interest rates, arguing that the Federal Reserve should lower rates by two to three percentage points immediately. According to the...

The CLARITY Act reached a significant milestone after the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee approved its portion of the broader crypto market structure legislation during a markup session held today. The committee passed the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act, a key component of the CLARITY Act, by a narrow party-line vote of 12 to 11. All Republican members voted in favor, while Democrats opposed the bill, highlighting ongoing partisan divisions over cryptocurrency regulation in the United States. This development marks the first formal step in the Senates effort to advance comprehensive...

El Salvador has once again made headlines in global finance after its central bank confirmed the purchase of $50 million worth of gold, reinforcing the countrys unconventional yet closely watched economic strategy. The announcement, shared Thursday via an official post on X, revealed that the Central American nation acquired 9,298 troy ounces of gold, increasing its total gold reserves to 67,403 ounces. At current market prices, El Salvadors gold holdings are now valued at approximately $360 million. The move underscores El Salvadors efforts to diversify its national reserves at a time of...

Circle (CRCL), the stablecoin issuer behind USDC, received its second Wall Street analyst upgrade in a single week, signaling a notable shift in sentiment toward the stock. This time, the upgrade came from Compass Point analyst Ed Engel, previously Circles most bearish voice. Engel raised his rating from Sell to Neutral, just one day after Mizuho analyst Dan Dolev also softened his negative stance on the stock. Despite the upgrade, Engel maintained the lowest price target among analysts covering Circle, lowering it to $60 from $75. He cited Circles premium valuation and ongoing exposure to...

Crypto markets sharply underperformed traditional assets on Thursday, extending losses even as equities and gold staged partial recoveries. What began as modest overnight declines accelerated into a major selloff during U.S. trading hours, highlighting ongoing weakness across digital assets. Bitcoin fell nearly 6% over the past 24 hours and was trading just above $84,000 at press time, hovering dangerously close to the lower end of its two-month trading range. A breakdown below this level could signal a deeper correction for the worlds largest cryptocurrency. The broader market backdrop was...

Tokenization firm Securitize has taken a major step toward becoming a publicly traded company after filing a public registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing advances Securitizes plan to go public through a merger with Cantor Equity Partners II (CEPT), a special purpose acquisition company backed by financial services giant Cantor Fitzgerald. According to the filing submitted Wednesday, Securitize reported strong financial growth, highlighting rising demand for blockchain-based financial infrastructure. The company generated $55.6 million in revenue...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the two federal agencies most influential in shaping the future of crypto regulation in the United States, are signaling a renewed effort to work together on defining digital asset jurisdictions. At a joint public event held Thursday, leaders from both agencies emphasized collaboration as Congress continues to move slowly on comprehensive crypto legislation. Despite ongoing delays on Capitol Hill, regulators are taking steps to provide greater clarity and regulatory certainty for the crypto...

Stocks tied to the cryptocurrency sector extended their sharp January losses on Thursday as bitcoin dropped nearly 6%, slipping below the $84,000 level. The decline in bitcoin price has weighed heavily on publicly traded crypto companies, reinforcing a cautious tone across digital asset markets amid broader macroeconomic uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions. Coinbase (COIN), the largest publicly traded crypto exchange by market capitalization, fell another 7% in Thursdays session. The stock is now down 17% year-to-date and is on pace for its longest losing streak since September 2024,...