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BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has launched its inaugural Bitcoin exchange-traded product in Europe, marking a significant expansion into the continent’s cryptocurrency investment landscape. The iShares Bitcoin ETP is now trading on Xetra and Euronext Paris under the ticker IB1T, and on Euronext Amsterdam as BTCN.

This strategic move follows the firm’s notable success in the United States, where its iShares Bitcoin Trust has amassed over $50 billion in net assets since its debut in January 2024. The European launch underscores BlackRock’s commitment to meeting the growing demand for cryptocurrency exposure among both institutional and retail investors across diverse markets.

To encourage adoption, BlackRock is offering a temporary fee waiver of 10 basis points, effectively reducing the expense ratio to 0.15% until the end of the year. This competitive pricing positions the iShares Bitcoin ETP as one of the most cost-effective options for European investors seeking direct exposure to Bitcoin’s price movements.

Manuela Sperandeo, BlackRock’s Head of iShares Product for Europe and the Middle East, highlighted the significance of this development, stating that the launch represents a “tipping point” for the industry as institutional and retail demand for crypto investment products continues to rise.

The European cryptocurrency ETP market, while smaller than its U.S. counterpart, has been steadily growing. Over 160 crypto ETPs are currently trading on European exchanges, collectively commanding over $13 billion in net assets. BlackRock’s entry is poised to significantly influence this market, potentially enhancing liquidity and attracting a broader investor base.

Coinbase, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, will serve as the custodian for the physical Bitcoin backing the ETP, ensuring institutional-grade security for investors. Bank of New York Mellon has been appointed as the administrator, further underscoring the product’s robust operational framework.

The introduction of the iShares Bitcoin ETP aligns with BlackRock’s broader strategy to expand its $1 trillion European market share and increase its customer base from 9 million to 19 million over the next three years. This initiative also reflects the firm’s responsiveness to evolving investor interests and its commitment to providing diverse investment solutions.

Airlines across the globe are tightening regulations concerning the use and carriage of power banks on flights, following a series of incidents involving lithium-ion batteries. These measures aim to enhance passenger safety by mitigating the risks associated with battery malfunctions.

In January, an Air Busan aircraft in South Korea was engulfed in flames while preparing for departure. Investigations suggest that a power bank was the likely cause of the fire. In response, Air Busan revised its policies, now requiring passengers to carry power banks on their person rather than storing them in overhead compartments. By March 1, South Korean authorities mandated all national airlines to enforce stricter regulations, including prohibiting the charging of devices onboard.

Singapore Airlines and its budget subsidiary, Scoot, announced that from April 1, passengers would be prohibited from charging portable power banks via onboard USB ports or using them to charge personal devices during flights. The airline emphasized that safety remains its top priority and that in-flight procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure passenger well-being.

Kazakhstan’s Air Astana implemented similar measures on March 13, banning the charging or use of power banks during flights. The airline specified that lithium batteries, external batteries, and e-cigarettes must be kept in hand luggage and placed in the overhead bins.

Taiwanese carriers EVA Air and China Airlines introduced prohibitions starting March 1, disallowing the charging and use of power banks and spare lithium batteries during flights. Both airlines advised passengers to utilize the USB power outlets available at most seats for charging other devices.

Thai Airways followed suit on March 15, banning the use and charging of power banks and portable batteries during flights. The airline’s decision aligns with a broader industry trend aimed at reducing in-flight fire hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries.

Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department expressed significant concern over safety incidents involving passengers using lithium power banks during flights. Consequently, from April 7, passengers on Hong Kong-based airlines will be prohibited from using or charging power banks during flights and from storing them in overhead compartments. Instead, power banks should be kept under the seat or in the seat pocket in front of passengers.

These regulatory changes are in response to a rising number of incidents involving lithium-ion batteries. In 2024, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration recorded three incidents of overheating lithium batteries on planes every two weeks, up from just under one per week in 2018. Such statistics underscore the growing concern within the aviation industry regarding the safety of these devices.

The Dogecoin Foundation’s corporate arm, House of Doge, has initiated the “Official Dogecoin Reserve” with an initial acquisition of 10 million Dogecoin , valued at approximately $1.8 million. This strategic move aims to bolster DOGE’s liquidity and facilitate its adoption as a mainstream payment currency.

House of Doge was established in February through a five-year partnership with the Dogecoin Foundation, designating it as the official commercialization partner for DOGE. The organization’s primary objective is to transition Dogecoin from its origins as a meme coin to a widely accepted medium for everyday transactions. By maintaining a substantial reserve, House of Doge intends to bridge the gap between transaction processing times and real-world usability, thereby enhancing the practicality of Dogecoin for daily purchases.

Michael Galloro, a member of the Board-Elect of House of Doge, emphasized the significance of this initiative, stating that by maintaining a reserve, they can bridge the gap between transaction processing times and real-world usability, making Dogecoin extremely practical for everyday purchases. This approach seeks to address one of the longstanding challenges in the cryptocurrency space: ensuring sufficient liquidity to support seamless transactions.

In addition to establishing the reserve, House of Doge plans to announce partnerships with various payment processors in the coming months. These collaborations are expected to further integrate Dogecoin into existing payment systems, making it more accessible for merchants and consumers alike. The organization’s efforts align with Dogecoin’s inflationary model, which ensures ongoing liquidity and supports its use as a true medium of exchange.

DE-CIX, a prominent global operator of Internet Exchanges , has inaugurated two new IXs in Brazil—DE-CIX São Paulo and DE-CIX Rio de Janeiro—marking a significant enhancement to the country’s digital connectivity landscape.

The launch event took place at Villaggio JK in São Paulo, attended by industry representatives and organizations from Brazil and beyond. These IXs, operated by DE-CIX Brazil, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the DE-CIX Group, are both carrier and data center neutral, ensuring broad accessibility for various network operators.

Strategically distributed across multiple data centers, DE-CIX São Paulo is housed in Elea Data Centers SPO1, Ascenty SP4, and Equinix SP4, while DE-CIX Rio de Janeiro operates from Elea Data Centers RJO1 and Equinix RJ2. This multi-location approach enhances redundancy and resilience for Brazilian network operators, addressing a critical need in the nation’s digital infrastructure.

A notable feature of these IXs is their interconnection from the outset, a first for Brazil. This setup facilitates both local and remote peering, allowing seamless data exchange within and between the two cities. Furthermore, DE-CIX Brazil integrates into the company’s global IX ecosystem, connecting with exchanges in New York, Lisbon, Madrid, Frankfurt, and beyond. This integration leverages both north-south and south-south Atlantic connectivity corridors, providing Brazilian customers with direct access to thousands of networks worldwide.

Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX, emphasized the importance of this development: “With DE-CIX São Paulo and DE-CIX Rio de Janeiro open for business, customers can now benefit from a more resilient and globally integrated digital interconnection ecosystem in Brazil.” He highlighted the company’s commitment to enhancing local interconnection, attracting international participants, and strengthening the country’s digital infrastructure by offering high-performance, secure, and scalable interconnection services.

Brazil, as the second-largest market globally by network count, stands to gain significantly from these advancements. The growing digital economy demands state-of-the-art connectivity to ensure efficient local data exchange. The presence of DE-CIX in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro is poised to play a crucial role in driving efficiency, performance, and innovation within the country’s digital economy.

The establishment of these IXs is expected to attract international players to the Brazilian market, fostering a more vibrant and competitive digital ecosystem. By providing SLA-backed, enterprise-grade interconnection solutions, DE-CIX addresses the increasing demand for reliable, high-speed connectivity essential for cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and content localization.

DE-CIX’s expansion into Brazil aligns with its broader strategy of enhancing global interconnection services. With operations in nearly 60 locations across Europe, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia, DE-CIX connects thousands of network operators, Internet service providers, content providers, and enterprise networks from over 100 countries. The company’s Frankfurt exchange is among the largest globally, handling almost 45 exabytes of data annually as of 2024, with close to 1,100 connected networks.

The collaboration with local data centers underscores DE-CIX’s commitment to strengthening Brazil’s digital backbone. By integrating into DE-CIX’s global ecosystem, Brazilian businesses gain direct access to a vast array of networks, enhancing their connectivity strategies and supporting digital transformation initiatives.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has lifted sanctions against Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer previously accused of facilitating extensive money laundering activities, including transactions linked to North Korean cybercriminals. This decision follows a series of legal challenges questioning the Treasury’s authority to impose such sanctions on decentralized software protocols.

In August 2022, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Tornado Cash, alleging its involvement in laundering over $7 billion since its inception in 2019. Notably, OFAC claimed that the North Korean hacking group Lazarus utilized the platform to launder more than $455 million. The sanctions marked a significant move by the U.S. government to regulate the use of cryptocurrency mixers, which are designed to obfuscate transaction trails on blockchain networks.

The sanctions faced immediate opposition from various quarters of the cryptocurrency community. Six users of Tornado Cash, with financial backing from the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, filed a lawsuit challenging OFAC’s action. They argued that sanctioning open-source, self-executing software exceeded the agency’s statutory authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act . The plaintiffs contended that the immutable smart contracts constituting Tornado Cash could not be considered property subject to sanctions.

In November 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, stating that OFAC had overstepped its authority. The court held that the smart contracts underlying Tornado Cash were not property and, therefore, not subject to sanctions under IEEPA. This ruling underscored the challenges regulators face when applying traditional legal frameworks to decentralized technologies.

Following the court’s decision, the Treasury conducted a review of the legal and policy issues surrounding the use of sanctions in the context of evolving technologies. On March 21, 2025, the Treasury announced the removal of Tornado Cash and associated Ethereum wallet addresses from the Specially Designated Nationals list. In a statement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the department’s commitment to combating illicit activities in the digital asset space while acknowledging the need to adapt regulatory approaches to technological advancements.

Despite the delisting, the Treasury reiterated its concerns about North Korea’s state-sponsored hacking and money laundering campaigns. The department stressed the importance of securing the digital asset industry from abuse by illicit actors to maintain U.S. leadership in financial innovation and inclusion. The Treasury also indicated that it would continue to monitor transactions that could benefit malicious cyber actors or the North Korean regime.

The legal proceedings against individuals associated with Tornado Cash have also been noteworthy. In 2023, two co-founders of Tornado Cash were charged with facilitating over $1 billion in money laundering, including transactions linked to the Lazarus Group. One of the co-founders, Roman Storm, is awaiting trial and has denied any criminal activity. Additionally, in May 2024, developer Alexey Pertsev was sentenced to five years and four months in prison in the Netherlands for money laundering related to his involvement with Tornado Cash.

The removal of sanctions against Tornado Cash has elicited varied reactions from the cryptocurrency community and regulatory observers. Proponents of decentralized technologies view the court’s decision and subsequent delisting as a victory for open-source software development and financial privacy. They argue that sanctioning code rather than individuals or entities sets a concerning precedent for technological innovation.

Conversely, critics express apprehension that the delisting could embolden malicious actors to exploit similar platforms for illicit purposes. They emphasize the necessity for regulatory frameworks that effectively address the misuse of privacy-enhancing technologies without stifling innovation. The case of Tornado Cash highlights the complexities regulators face in balancing the promotion of technological advancement with the imperative to prevent criminal exploitation of emerging technologies.

The Treasury’s decision to lift sanctions against Tornado Cash underscores the dynamic nature of regulatory approaches to decentralized technologies. As the digital asset landscape continues to evolve, regulatory bodies worldwide are grappling with the challenge of applying existing legal frameworks to novel technological constructs. The outcome of the Tornado Cash case may serve as a reference point for future policy discussions on regulating decentralized platforms and the broader implications for financial privacy and security.

In the wake of the delisting, stakeholders in the cryptocurrency industry are closely monitoring potential regulatory responses and the development of new guidelines tailored to address the unique attributes of decentralized technologies. The balance between fostering innovation and ensuring robust safeguards against illicit activities remains a central theme in the ongoing discourse on cryptocurrency regulation.

The Open Network Foundation has addressed circulating reports suggesting it raised $400 million in a funding round. Contrary to these claims, the Foundation clarified that prominent venture capital firms have collectively acquired over $400 million worth of Toncoin, the native cryptocurrency of the TON blockchain, through purchases from early investors.

Among the investors are notable firms such as Sequoia Capital, Ribbit, Benchmark, and Kingsway. Additional participants include Vy Capital, Draper Associates, Libertus Capital, CoinFund, Hypersphere, SkyBridge, and Karatage. These investments were made directly in Toncoin, rather than through traditional equity or cash transactions. A spokesperson for the TON Foundation emphasized that this is not a fundraising round but rather a strategic move by these venture capitalists, reflecting their confidence in the future success and utility of the TON blockchain and its expanding ecosystem.

The TON blockchain, originally developed by the founders of the messaging app Telegram, operates as a decentralized network supporting the development of Mini Apps within the Telegram ecosystem. In January, the Foundation strengthened its partnership with Telegram, designating TON as the exclusive blockchain for Telegram’s Mini Apps Ecosystem. This collaboration aims to provide Telegram’s extensive user base, which significantly exceeds 1 billion monthly active users, with seamless access to financial applications, including efficient payment solutions for goods and services.

Over the past year, the TON blockchain has experienced substantial growth. The number of active accounts surged from 4 million to 41 million, and Toncoin holders surpassed 121 million, exceeding the number of wallets holding Bitcoin. This remarkable expansion has attracted institutional investors globally, underscoring the network’s robust capabilities and potential.

Looking ahead, the TON Foundation aims to onboard 30% of active Telegram users to the TON blockchain by 2028. This ambitious goal will be driven by four key verticals:

1. Attracting users through Telegram’s native intellectual property, such as stickers, gifts, and on-chain collectibles.

2. Introducing engaging and rewarding multiplayer mini-games.

3. Providing decentralized finance solutions that offer user-friendly savings options with sustainable returns.

4. Creating practical payment applications that deliver real-world utility for crypto holdings.

Shaun Maguire, Partner at Sequoia Capital, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “The TON team is the best in the world at the intersection of consumer product thinking and crypto infrastructure. When you combine this with the global distribution of Telegram, we’re very excited to see where they go.”