Standard Chartered expanded Bitcoin and Ether trading services to professional investors in the UAE, reflecting Gulf traditional financial institutions’ response to institutional crypto asset allocation demand.
The Block reports that spot Bitcoin ETFs logged approximately $2.7 billion in cumulative net inflows in September, with institutional investors maintaining allocation demand through crypto market volatility and showing long-term holding conviction unaffected by short-term price swings.
Strive announced on August 24, 2026, the acquisition of 1,110 bitcoin for $81.5 million, increasing total holdings to 21,356 BTC and ranking as the seventh-largest public company bitcoin holder. This move continues the institutional accumulation strategy during bitcoin price pullbacks, reflecting strong conviction in bitcoin’s long-term value.
Core Summary Citibank announced on August 18 that it plans to launch bitcoin custody services under its newly upgraded “Custody+” platform later in 2026, targeting institutional clients. This move marks a new milestone in Wall Street traditional financial giants’ acceptance of crypto assets and is expected to drive more institutional capital into the digital asset market. Event Details According to CoinDesk and The Block, Citibank plans to offer bitcoin custody services under its new Custody+ platform. This platform will integrate Citibank’s existing custody business capabilities, providing institutional clients with secure, compliant digital asset storage solutions. ...
Tom Lee’s Bitmine continues massive ETH accumulation, purchasing 9,926 more tokens bringing total holdings to approximately $11 billion, representing 4.8% of Ethereum’s total supply.
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund has reached an all-time high in indirect Bitcoin exposure, with Strategy accounting for 86% of its crypto holdings. The fund also disclosed an $88 million stake in Ethereum treasury firm Bitmine, marking a new phase in traditional financial institutions’ allocation to crypto assets.
Core Summary According to CoinShares’ latest report, deposits of tokenized real-world assets (RWA) grew from $2.3 billion in Q2 2025 to $7.4 billion in Q2 2026, more than tripling. However, the broader DeFi market contracted 15% during the same period, indicating capital is shifting from speculative crypto assets toward tokenized assets backed by real value. Event Details CoinShares’ quarterly report shows RWA tokenization is becoming the crypto market’s primary growth engine. Deposits of tokenized RWA into lending platforms and decentralized exchanges (DEXs) increased from $2.3 billion in Q2 2025 to $7.4 billion in Q2 2026. ...
Core Summary T. Rowe Price, a U.S. asset management giant with $1.9 trillion in assets under management, has officially launched its first actively managed multi-token crypto ETF — the TKNZ Active Crypto ETF. The product began trading Thursday after the firm filed for it in October. This move marks a new phase in traditional asset management industry’s strategic deployment into digital assets. Event Details According to The Block, T. Rowe Price’s TKNZ Active Crypto ETF officially began trading on Thursday. The company filed for the product last October, and after regulatory approval, it has now come to market. This is the company’s first actively managed crypto ETF and one of the few multi-token crypto fund products issued by a traditional asset management giant. ...
Bitcoin spot ETFs have returned to net outflows while ether-related funds continue their streak of net inflows, indicating diverging institutional sentiment toward the two largest crypto assets.
Core Summary Japan’s National Business Corporate Pension Fund plans to allocate approximately 1% of its assets to cryptocurrency, according to Coinpost. This marks the first time a major Japanese institutional investor has explicitly committed to including digital assets in its portfolio, signaling a significant shift in Asian institutional attitudes toward crypto. Event Details The Block, citing Coinpost, reports that the pension fund’s crypto allocation plan has entered substantive stages. While 1% may appear conservative, given the massive scale of Japan’s pension system, this decision carries milestone significance. ...