Kraken Secures $800 Million in Capital
Kraken has successfully closed an $800 million funding round, with a significant $200 million investment from Citadel Securities. This latest funding round values the cryptocurrency exchange at $20 billion, as announced by the company. The substantial capital infusion is intended to fuel Kraken's expansion and enhance its product offerings across trading, payments, and tokenized assets, reflecting a growing confidence from Wall Street in regulated cryptocurrency infrastructure.
The funding round attracted considerable interest from prominent institutional investors, including Jane Street, DRW Venture Capital, HSG, Oppenheimer Alternative Investment Management, and Tribe Capital, who led the primary tranche. Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Kraken, also participated through his family office. Following this, Citadel Securities made a strategic investment of $200 million, solidifying Kraken's valuation at $20 billion and bringing their expertise in liquidity provision, risk management, and market structure to bolster Kraken's market leadership and validate its regulated approach.
This funding strategy marks a significant departure from Kraken's historical approach. Since its inception in 2011, the company had only raised $27 million, highlighting a consistent pattern of efficient, self-sustained growth. The involvement of firms like Jane Street and DRW, which have already established a strong presence in cryptocurrency markets, further validates Kraken's commitment to building regulated, institutional-grade infrastructure. CoinShares research indicates that Jane Street provided $1.7 billion in Bitcoin ETF liquidity in Q4 2024, while DRW contributed $365 million.
Kraken reported a revenue of $1.5 billion in 2024, with a trading volume of $665 billion and client assets totaling $42.8 billion. The exchange has seen accelerating growth, exceeding its 2024 trading volume in just the first three quarters of 2025. Recent strategic moves have expanded Kraken's offerings beyond traditional crypto trading. The acquisition of Ninja Trade introduced US futures trading, and the platform now facilitates trading in equities and tokenized equities, bridging traditional and digital markets. Furthermore, the KRAK app extends Kraken's services globally, encompassing payments, savings, and investment solutions.
As of 2024, Kraken supports 2.5 million funded accounts, positioning it as one of the world's largest regulated cryptocurrency exchanges with a global operational presence and regulatory licenses in key markets. The newly acquired capital will be allocated to several key areas, including expansion into Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA. Kraken also plans to enhance regulatory integration in its existing markets and pursue new licenses. Product development will focus on advanced trading tools, expanded staking options, and enhanced institutional services.
This funding round coincides with a resurgence in institutional demand for cryptocurrencies, evidenced by the billions of dollars invested in Bitcoin ETFs by large institutional investors in 2024 and 2025. Citadel Securities' backing of Kraken further exemplifies the deepening connection between the digital asset sector and traditional finance.
Tether Eyes €1 Billion Robotics Deal
Tether is reportedly in advanced discussions to invest approximately €1 billion in the German humanoid robotics firm Neura Robotics. This potential investment would value Neura Robotics between €8 billion and €10 billion, according to recent reports. The scale of these negotiations highlights a broader strategic shift for Tether.
Over the past year, Tether has been actively diversifying its investments into areas such as AI infrastructure, robotics, and real-world technology. Earlier this year, the company secured access to a 20,000-GPU compute network to develop its AI research environment. Tether has also shown significant interest in Neura Robotics' cognitive robotics platform, which features humanoid systems designed for industrial and commercial applications.
Concurrently, Tether has expanded its presence in financial markets through strategic partnerships. Its "Hadron by Tether" platform has entered into agreements with KraneShares and Bitfinex Securities to accelerate the adoption of tokenized securities. The company has also deepened its engagement in public-sector digital infrastructure via a collaboration with the city of Da Nang in Vietnam. These developments occur as Tether's reserves continue to grow, with the company reporting over $135 billion in US Treasury exposure and anticipating record profits this year, providing substantial liquidity for private-market deals.
This financial capacity appears to be fueling Tether's expansion into AI, robotics, and digital governance technologies. However, uncertainties remain, as neither Tether nor Neura Robotics has confirmed the final size or structure of the investment. Analysts point out that the mass production of humanoid robots involves significant technical and supply-chain risks, and Neura Robotics' projected valuation is contingent on its ability to scale production rapidly.
Despite these considerations, Tether's strategic direction is evident. The company is transitioning from a stablecoin-focused business model to a broader technology investor, aligning its future with sectors that extend beyond digital assets.
Czech National Bank Makes First Crypto Purchase
In a significant development, the Czech National Bank (CNB) has made its first-ever cryptocurrency purchase, investing $1 million in a portfolio comprising Bitcoin (BTC), U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins, and a tokenized deposit. This purchase was made outside of the bank's official reserves.
This initiative is part of an experimental project aimed at gaining practical experience with blockchain technology and tokenized finance. Over the next two to three years, the CNB will evaluate the performance, risks, and technical challenges associated with this portfolio. This cautious yet notable step represents a shift for one of Europe's traditionally conservative central banks.
The CNB approved its plan to acquire digital assets on October 30, 2025, following an analysis titled "Possible Investment in Other Asset Classes." This review indicated a growing trend of global funds and corporations adopting cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets.
The bank has clarified that these digital assets will not be added to its official reserves at this time. The pilot project is purely for educational purposes, focusing on building internal expertise in managing digital assets and assessing their potential role in diversifying reserve holdings.
In addition to this digital asset purchase, the CNB has established the CNB Lab, an innovation hub dedicated to exploring emerging financial technologies. Governor Ales Michl stated that the CNB Lab will focus on testing blockchain, digital assets, artificial intelligence (AI), and instant payment systems. This initiative aims to provide the bank with hands-on experience in the rapidly evolving digital economy.
Within the CNB Lab, the bank will experiment with Bitcoin and other blockchain-based assets, concentrating on areas such as asset management, security protocols, anti-money laundering (AML) compliance, and auditing practices. The CNB is collaborating with the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to study Bitcoin, reiterating that these assets will be held internally for research and educational purposes, not for official reserves.
Through this endeavor, the CNB is actively developing in-house expertise and preparing for a future increasingly shaped by blockchain-driven financial systems.
Japan to Reduce Cryptocurrency Tax by 20%
Japan is planning to reduce its cryptocurrency tax rate from a maximum of 55% to 20%, with the proposed changes expected to take effect in early 2026, pending legislative approval. This potential reform could significantly reshape the dynamics of its crypto market.
Japan's initiative to lower cryptocurrency taxes is part of a broader effort to establish itself as a more attractive destination for digital asset investment. The Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA) is spearheading this proposal, which suggests classifying 105 "green-listed" digital currencies as financial products subject to the new, reduced tax rate. By aligning crypto tax rates with those applied to traditional assets, Japan aims to remove barriers that have deterred both retail and institutional investors, thereby boosting market liquidity and participation.
Market participants have generally responded positively to the announcement. Binance founder Zhao Changpeng commented that reducing taxes represents a move to "promote economic growth," underscoring the optimism that Japan could become a more competitive player in the global digital currency landscape.
Japan's reclassification of crypto aligns with its tax approach to the stock market, with the objective of stimulating domestic crypto trading, similar to how past reforms enhanced the equities market. Japanese Minister of Finance, Katsunobu Kato, has confirmed that regulators are nearing the finalization of this policy.
Reports suggest that this regulatory change could lead to an estimated 15% increase in market activity, fostering a more dynamic trading environment. By focusing on well-vetted assets, Japan aims to strike a balance between market safety and economic growth.
Harvard Triples Investment in BlackRock's IBIT
Harvard University has significantly increased its exposure to spot Bitcoin ETFs, tripling its investment. A filing submitted on November 14 details the U.S. holdings of the world's largest university endowment, revealing substantial changes in its portfolio.
According to official third-quarter data, Harvard reported holding 6,813,612 shares of iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), BlackRock's spot Bitcoin ETF. This represents a substantial 257% increase from the 1,906,000 shares held at the end of June.
As of September 30, IBIT has become Harvard's largest disclosed investment, surpassing holdings in major companies like Microsoft and Amazon, as well as the SPDR Gold Trust. The value of these shares was reported at $442.8 million at the time of the filing, though it later decreased to approximately $364.4 million due to Bitcoin's price fluctuations.
Despite the significant investment, these disclosed holdings constitute a relatively small portion of Harvard's total endowment, which is valued at approximately $57 billion, representing about 0.6% of its total assets.
The AI Warda Investments, a sovereign wealth fund based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, also reported holding BlackRock's IBIT shares worth $517.6 million as of September 30. This marks an estimated 230% increase from June, when the position was first disclosed.
Eric Balchunas, an ETF analyst at Bloomberg, commented on X, stating, "It’s super rare/difficult to get an endowment to bite on an ETF – esp a Harvard or Yale, it’s as good a validation as an ETF can get."
BlackRock's IBIT currently leads in assets under management (AUM) among spot Bitcoin ETFs. However, it has experienced net outflows totaling $532.4 million over the past week, according to data from SoSoValue.
Harvard is not alone in this investment strategy. Emory University, a private university in Georgia, has also increased its holdings in Bitcoin ETFs. As of September 30, Emory held over one million shares of the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF, marking a 91% increase from the 535,781 shares held at the end of June.
Paxos Labs Launches USDG0
Paxos Labs has introduced USDG0, an omnichain extension of its regulated USDG stablecoin. This launch brings fully backed dollar liquidity to Hyperliquid, Plume, and Aptos through LayerZero's OFT standard.
According to an X post from Paxos Labs on Tuesday, USDG0 extends USDG, a stablecoin issued by Paxos and backed 1:1 by U.S. dollars under the governance of the Global Dollar Network, to new blockchain networks without requiring separate wrapped versions. By utilizing LayerZero's OFT standard, USDG0 can be transferred across blockchains as a single native asset, maintaining the same regulatory protections and backing as USDG on Ethereum, Solana, Ink, and X Layer.
Paxos Labs indicated that this initial rollout demonstrates how various networks can integrate with the stablecoin's economic framework. On Hyperliquid, USDG0 will support yield-aligned trading and new lending markets. Plume and Aptos plan to leverage it to power modular DeFi, tokenized yield, and enterprise-grade stablecoin infrastructure.
The company stated that this initiative exemplifies "how regulated infrastructure meets the composability of DeFi and how trusted money becomes truly borderless." Since 2018, Paxos has facilitated over $180 billion in tokenization activity under the supervision of global regulators. The company currently oversees three regulated dollar-backed stablecoins: USDP, PYUSD, and USDG.
Regulatory clarity in the United States, with the introduction of the GENIUS Act, and in Europe, through the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, has contributed to a surge in stablecoin adoption. Data from DefiLlama shows the total stablecoin market capitalization at $303.44 billion, an increase of nearly $100 billion since the beginning of the year.
While Tether's USDT and Circle's USDC continue to dominate the stablecoin market, several other players have entered the market this year. In October, Western Union announced plans to launch USDPT, a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank on Solana, designed to integrate the company's digital and fiat payment rails. In the same month, JPYC, a Tokyo-based fintech company, launched Japan's first yen-backed stablecoin, a token pegged 1:1 to the yen and backed by bank deposits and government bonds.
In Europe, a consortium of nine banks announced in September their intention to launch a stablecoin pegged to the euro, positioning it as a competitor to the growing number of dollar-backed stablecoins. This European stablecoin is anticipated to launch in the second half of 2026.
Zypto Launches Full Suite of Travel and Lifestyle Perks for Premium Cardholders
Zypto has launched a comprehensive package of Visa Signature Credit benefits for its Premium VISA cardholders. This new suite offers high-tier lifestyle, travel, and protection perks without any monthly or annual fees.
The enhanced benefits include global travel health coverage, access to airport lounges, luxury hotel upgrades, auto rental insurance, protection for baggage delay and loss, and on-demand international mobile data through GigSky.
Cardholders will also receive extended warranty protection, purchase protection, and price protection on eligible purchases. Additionally, they gain access to 24/7 concierge services for assistance with travel bookings, dining, shopping, and local experiences.
This launch positions Zypto's crypto-linked cards as a competitive alternative to traditional premium credit cards, effectively merging on-chain funding capabilities with tangible real-world rewards.
Closing Remarks
The significant capital raise by Kraken highlights the increasing integration between digital asset platforms and major financial institutions. The potential robotics deal involving Tether signals a notable strategic pivot for the world's largest stablecoin issuer, moving beyond USDT to explore high-technology sectors.
Japan's proposed tax reform aims to align digital asset taxation with stock market rates, which could attract more investors and potentially drive substantial growth in the country's crypto sector. The investments made by Harvard and Emory University in BlackRock's IBIT further validate the growing acceptance and adoption of cryptocurrencies.
Across various blockchain ecosystems such as Ethereum and Solana, USDG0 is designed to empower applications to embed dollar liquidity, enable yield generation tied to Treasury benchmarks, and facilitate value transfer between chains without reliance on traditional bridging mechanisms.
Finally, Zypto Premium VISA cardholders can now enjoy a wide array of premium lifestyle benefits, including airport lounge access, global travel health coverage, purchase protection, and exclusive concierge services, all without incurring monthly or annual fees.
