Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Germany’s Sparkassen savings banks began rolling out cryptocurrency trading inside their mobile banking apps on Oct. 19, initially supporting BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL and POL, with stablecoins and meme coins excluded. DekaBank executes trades and Stuttgart Stock Exchange provides custody, at a fee of €0.99 per order. The DSGV expects 30-40 savings banks to onboard monthly, with about 230 expressing interest and most due to connect by the first half of 2027, potentially reaching some 50 million customers.

TREE NEWS update: Visa and Mesh have partnered to connect crypto and stablecoin wallets to Visa’s global payment network, enabling users to spend digital assets at 175 million merchant locations without a separate card. The integration lets wallet holders transact directly through Visa’s network, the companies said.

TREE NEWS update: Mastercard unveiled an API-based tool at Money20/20 that combines payment and blockchain intelligence to flag fraud, scams and sanctions exposure before funds move on-chain. The product extends the card network’s fraud-fighting capabilities to stablecoin payments. No launch date or pricing was disclosed.

TREE NEWS update: French deputies approved an amendment ending tax deferral for conversions into single-currency e-money tokens, by a one-vote margin. The measure now faces a budget vote on Oct. 20. If enacted, the change would take effect from January 2027.

TREE NEWS update: Mastercard introduced a new service that combines payment data with blockchain analytics to help banks and payment providers detect suspicious stablecoin transactions before settlement. The tool is aimed at screening stablecoin flows for risk prior to final settlement, the company said. No pricing or launch date was disclosed.

TREE NEWS update: Reflex Aerospace plans to expand its European satellite production capacity, supported by a proposed investment from Nvidia. The company did not disclose the size or structure of the planned investment. No timeline for the production expansion was given.

TREE NEWS update: Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company has frozen sanctioned addresses an average of four weeks before OFAC and Israel’s NBCTF formally designated them since 2023, and in 99% of cases before Chainalysis flagged them. In a post on X responding to Senator Richard Blumenthal’s report on Tether’s sanctions compliance, Ardoino said Tether’s actions cut Iran-related stablecoin transaction volume by 94%.

TREE NEWS update: Western Union’s Stablecard, a USDPT-backed Visa card issued with Rain, is now live in 37 markets, Rain said. The card is being promoted at Money20/20 with up to $40 in purchase-only credits, subject to in-person signup and approval.

TREE NEWS update: CME Group began trading Uniswap (UNI) futures on October 20, offering two contract sizes with 24/7 trading. Uniswap said UNI is the first DeFi protocol token to have futures listed on CME. The exchange also launched Bitcoin Cash (BCH) futures on October 19 at 22:00 UTC+8.

TREE NEWS update: Revolut has obtained a crypto license in Gibraltar, the UK-based fintech announced, enabling it to offer crypto services in additional international markets. The company did not disclose which countries it plans to enter or when those launches would occur. The authorization supports Revolut’s broader global expansion strategy.

TREE NEWS update: Lighter has launched BTC and ETH binary options on its Core platform, offering Up/Down contracts that pay winning shares 1 USDC. The contracts require full funding and carry no leverage or liquidations, the platform said. The product lets traders take a directional position on bitcoin and ether without margin risk.

TREE NEWS update: Bitcoin Japan has signed an exclusive agreement to introduce UBTech’s humanoid robots into the Japanese market. The deal makes Bitcoin Japan the exclusive partner for bringing the Chinese robotics firm’s humanoid robots to Japan. No financial terms or timeline were disclosed.

TREE NEWS reports: Starknet’s STRK token has dropped 38% over the past week, reversing an earlier rally, while the network’s DeFi total value locked slipped a smaller 5.3%. Voting remains open until Oct. 22 on research into an independent Layer 1.

TREE NEWS update: Google will begin allowing cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets, contracts for difference and forex advertisers to run ads in the UAE from October 21, provided they obtain Google certification. The policy change opens paid search and display inventory to licensed crypto and trading firms targeting Emirati users.

TREE NEWS update: Ahold Delhaize reported a cybersecurity incident to Dutch police after discovering suspicious activity in its infrastructure, the European retailer said. The company took some systems offline in early October as a precaution. The incident was reported to police only on Monday and roughly coincided with a cyberattack in France that saw refrigerators and freezers in hundreds of stores warm to 50°C (122°F) overnight, sparking fires and spoiling food.

TREE NEWS reports: A Bitcoin address dormant since 2013 moved 411.45 BTC, worth about $33.4 million, Galaxy Research reported. The wallet is among those named in the “Noah Doe” lawsuit. The transfer marks the first movement of funds from the address in over a decade.