Crypto.com Complies with UK FCA’s New Digital Asset Rules

Philippines breaks new ground in first-ever tokenized bonds saleThe Philippines is set to offer the country’s first tokenized treasury bonds, a novel way of issuing debt securities using blockchain technology.Photo by Mara Rivera on Unsplash$179 million tokenized bond issuanceAccording to a report by Bloomberg on Thursday, the Bureau of the Treasury announced that it will issue 10 billion pesos ($179 million) of one-year tokenized bonds next Monday after canceling the conventional auction scheduled for the same day. The bonds will be issued by the Development Bank of the Philippines, a state-owned entity, together with the Land Bank of the Philippines.The tokenized bonds will be sold to institutional investors at a minimum denomination of 10 million pesos, with increments of 1 million pesos. The bonds will have a one-year validity, maturing in November 2024. The treasury bond interest rate has yet to be determined and will be confirmed on the date of issuance.Deputy Treasurer Erwin Sta said that the government is exploring the potential of tokenizing real-world assets and bonds and will “continue to study the technology and test how far we can take it.”Tokenization is the process of converting physical or digital assets into digital tokens that can be stored, transferred and traded on a blockchain network. Tokenization can offer several benefits, such as lower costs, faster transactions, greater transparency and enhanced security.Asian surge in tokenizationThe Philippines is not the only Asian country that is experimenting with tokenized bonds. This latest bond tokenization project follows hot on the heels of a similar move in Singapore. Earlier this week, British banking conglomerate Standard Chartered, through its Singapore-based fintech investment subsidiary SC Ventures, unveiled a new platform called Libeara. Libeara is gearing up to offer the first-ever tokenized Singapore-dollar government bond fund.In February, Hong Kong issued $100 million of tokenized green bonds under its Green Bond Programme, using Goldman Sachs’ tokenization protocol. The tokenized green bonds, a first-of-its-kind issuance, have a one-year validity and aim to support environmental projects in the region.Authorities in Singapore have also launched a series of pilots on tokenizing real-world assets in collaboration with JPMorgan, DBS Bank, BNY Mellon and Apollo, an investment firm. The pilots will test the feasibility and efficiency of tokenizing assets such as equities, bonds and funds. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) partnered with HSBC to conduct the tokenization of bonds as well.The tokenization of real-world assets is not limited to Asia. Israel’s Tel Aviv stock exchange completed a proof-of-concept for tokenizing fiat and government bonds, demonstrating the potential of blockchain technology to transform the capital markets.The tokenization of real-world assets using blockchain technology is a growing trend among governments and financial institutions. According to the Boston Consulting Group, tokenized assets could reach a market capitalization of $16 trillion by 2030. By issuing tokenized bonds, the Philippines is joining the ranks of the pioneers in this field, opening up new possibilities and opportunities for the crypto industry and the economy as a whole.

Anboto Labs Reveals $3M Funding and Platform LaunchHong Kong-based crypto trade execution specialist Anboto Labs has successfully secured $3 million in funding and unveiled an institutional-grade non-custodial trading platform.Investors who participated in the funding round included Kronos Ventures, Cherry Crypto, Mechanism Capital, XBTO, and Singaporean digital assets financial services platform Matrixport, contributing to this funding round during the third quarter of this year. Anboto Labs, known for its crypto trading execution tools, has been on a steady growth trajectory, having raised $1.9 million last year, elevating its valuation to $35 million, according to Guillaume Forcade, the company’s co-founder.Photo by Csaba Nagy on PixabayCrypto trade executionFrom its inception, Anboto Labs has consistently generated revenue, and now it’s ready to introduce its execution platform to a broader audience of experienced traders. The public launch of the platform will enable Anboto to scale up to support thousands of traders simultaneously.The newly released platform underwent an extensive 18-month closed beta phase, during which it processed $4 billion in trading volume across 20 exchanges and blockchain networks. Anboto Labs is attempting to distinguish itself in the market with its execution algorithms, including TWAP, VWAP, and iceberg, which are designed to optimize pricing and execution quality.TWAP, or time-weighted average price, can be incorporated into a trading algorithm with a view towards optimizing a trade’s average price while executing the trade over a predefined time period. In recent days, the project’s Head of Quantitative Research, Suren Markosov, took to blogging site Medium to outline how Anboto’s TWAP algorithm is geared up to save on trading costs. According to Markosov, the firm’s approach could lead to traders saving between two and eight basis points in costs.VWAP, or volume-weighted average price, can be used to filter out the “noise” in the market to determine the real buy/sell price that exists within the market within a given period. Meanwhile, an iceberg order is executed such that it is sliced up into smaller orders. In this way, the impact cost of overall trade execution is minimized.Focus on securityAnboto Labs also places a strong emphasis on security. It allows users to sign up without the need for a time-consuming Know Your Customer (KYC) process, offering a streamlined experience. Additionally, the platform provides multi-factor authentication and the option to whitelist IP addresses, further enhancing security measures.Brett Sun, an investor with Cherry Crypto, took to X (formerly Twitter) to recognize Anboto’s platform launch. Sun stated:“Big strides from @guiviaje and the team at @anboto_labs. They’ve come out of beta to democratize access to professional-grade trading tools for all traders.”WOO Network integrationEarlier this week, Anboto announced the integration of Taipei-based liquidity provider WOO Network into its platform. Forcade said that the integration will enable the firm to offer even more efficient trading tools to its users.In the coming months, Anboto Labs plans to expand its trading features with the aim of democratizing access to institutional-grade execution tools for all crypto traders. With a track record and fresh funding behind it, Anboto Labs is setting itself up to potentially make a significant impact in the cryptocurrency trading space, offering traders the tools they need for success in the crypto market.

Hana Bank to Establish Joint Digital Asset Custody Venture with BitGoSouth Korean commercial bank Hana Bank announced on Tuesday at Impact, the main event of Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) 2023, that it has signed an agreement with US-based digital asset trust company BitGo to undertake a joint venture for digital asset custody services in Korea.Photo by Chris Liverani on UnsplashBitGo’s Korean branch aims to kick off full-fledged operations for the venture in the second half of next year after obtaining Information Security Management System (ISMS) certification and completing registration as a virtual asset service provider (VASP).Fostering transparency and securityThe two entities will collaborate through multiple approaches, such as considering equity investments in the joint venture, working together on BitGo’s security solutions and digital asset custody technology, and leveraging Hana Bank’s expertise in financial services, security, and compliance. The scope of the partnership will expand as time goes on, they said.“By working with a global leader, we will contribute greatly to the enhancement of confidence in the Korean digital asset market as well as consumer protection,” Hana Bank said.BitGo’s ongoing global expansionBitGo has been offering digital asset custody services to institutional clients since 2013, serving over 1,500 institutions in more than 50 countries, including the US, Switzerland, and Germany. It also provides custodial services for over 700 different digital assets, including Bitcoin.“We aim to establish a long-term foundation in the Korean market, in line with the expected growth of the security token market there,” said Mike Belshe, CEO and Co-Founder of BitGo.