Webull is now listed on Nasdaq after merging with SK Growth. R.J. O’Brien will merge with StoneX, while CySEC fined Itrade’s director €50K. ASIC is launching a new licensing portal in May, and IBKR reports a 47% rise in stock trading. Hidden Road gains broker-dealer status, 24 Exchange hits a $7.5B record, and MoneyGram partners with Plaid.
Webull Listed on Nasdaq Following SPAC Merger
Discount broker Webull and SPAC company SK Growth have closed their previously announced business combination, approved by SK Growth shareholders on March 30, 2025. Read More
R.J. O’Brien to Merge with StoneX Group in Major US Brokerage Industry Deal
R.J. O’Brien & Associates (RJO), the oldest futures brokerage and clearing firm in the United States, has announced a definitive agreement to merge with StoneX Group Inc., a Fortune 100 company and global financial services firm. Read More
CySEC Hits Itrade Director with €50K Fine and Three-Year Ban
The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) has slapped Lee Ron More, the Executive Director, President, and Shareholder of Itrade Global (Cy) Ltd, with a €50,000 fine and banned him from management roles for three years due to “significant governance lapses.” Read More
ASIC to Launch New Licensing Portal for AFS Licensees on 5 May 2025
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will launch a new digital portal on 5 May 2025 for managing Australian financial services (AFS) licences. Read More
IBKR Reports 47% Rise in Stock Trading in Q1’25, Announces Stock Split
Interactive Brokers Group, also known as IBKR, has reported first quarter 2025 earnings, with GAAP diluted earnings per share of $1.94 and adjusted EPS of $1.88. Read More
Hidden Road Wins Broker-Dealer Status Ahead of Ripple Takeover
Hidden Road, a global credit network for institutions, said on Thursday that its U.S. subsidiary, Hidden Road Partners CIV US LLC, has received broker-dealer registration from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), enabling it to expand its fixed income prime brokerage operations. Read More
24 Exchange Hits Record $7.5 Billion in Daily NDF Trading Volume
24 Exchange reported a record daily volume of $7.5 billion in foreign exchange non-deliverable forward (NDF) trades on April 11, the platform’s highest single-day total since launch. Read More
MoneyGram Partners with Plaid to Power Pay-by-Bank Payments in the U.S.
MoneyGram has selected Plaid as its pay-by-bank provider in the United States, integrating Plaid’s account authentication technology into the MoneyGram Online platform to streamline domestic and international transfers for its U.S. customer base. Read More
Recent crypto news sees Binance eyeing Trump’s stablecoin, Polymarket fined $243K, and Ethena exiting Germany after BaFin scrutiny. Ripple’s XRP leads the BIS Payments Task Force, while Kraken cuts jobs ahead of a potential U.S. listing. Other highlights include WhiteBIT’s new offerings, Bitget’s affiliate program, and DWF Labs’ $25M investment in World Liberty Financial.
Binance Mulls Listing Trump’s Stablecoin as CZ Seeks Pardon
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao “CZ” has publicly dismissed a Wall Street Journal report claiming he provided evidence against TRON founder Justin Sun as part of his plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. Read More
Polymarket Fined $243k over Offering Binary Options to Ontario Residents
The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) has reached a detailed settlement with Blockratize Inc. and Adventure One QSS Inc., the operators of Polymarket, over their unregistered offering of binary options to Ontario residents. Read More
Ethena Exits Germany After BaFin Scrutiny Over USDe Stablecoin
Synthetic stablecoin issuer Ethena Labs is shutting down its operations in Germany, less than a month after the country’s top financial regulator, BaFin, flagged compliance issues with its USDe stablecoin. Read More
Ripple (XRP) Takes Lead Over SWIFT In BIS Cross-Border Payments Task Force
Over SWIFT in the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) Cross-Border Payments Task Force, Ripple’s XRP has taken the front stage in a revolutionary development for the crypto sector and the world economy. Read More
China Quietly Offloads 15,000 Bitcoin Worth $1.4 Billion
Chinese authorities are facing mounting pressure to establish clear rules for handling seized cryptocurrencies, as local governments struggle with growing stockpiles of bitcoin and other tokens confiscated during criminal investigations. Read More
WhiteBIT Debuts New Institutional Offerings at Liquidity 2025
Leading bitcoin exchange WhiteBIT made news at the just finished Liquidity 2025 conference with the introduction of its newest set of institutional products. Read More
Kraken Cuts Hundreds of Jobs as It Prepares for U.S. Public Listing
Crypto exchange Kraken has reportedly laid off hundreds of employees across multiple departments in recent months, as part of ongoing efforts to streamline operations ahead of a potential U.S. public listing. Read More
Bitget Unveils On-Chain Affiliate Program Offering 40% Rebates for Content Creators
Crypto exchange Bitget has announced its creative on-chain affiliate network meant to empower content creators with improved income possibilities through blockchain transparency. Read More
Quantum Could Force Satoshi Nakamoto to Move His Bitcoins — If He’s Still Alive
Cypherpunk pioneer Adam Back, one of the earliest contributors to Bitcoin and cited in its original white paper, believes advances in quantum computing may eventually reveal whether Satoshi Nakamoto is still alive. Read More
DWF Labs Invests $25M in Trump-Backed World Liberty Financial
DWF Labs, a leading digital asset market maker and Web3 investment firm, has made a strategic $25 million investment in World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a decentralized finance protocol notably backed by members of the Trump family. Read More
Metaplanet Raises $10M to Expand Bitcoin Holdings, Aiming for 21,000 BTC by 2026
Tokyo-based investment firm Metaplanet Inc. has announced a $10 million capital raise through the issuance of zero-coupon, U.S. dollar-denominated bonds, marking a significant evolution in its Bitcoin acquisition strategy. Read More
OM Token (Mantra) Crashes Over 90% Amid Liquidation Frenzy and Insider Trading Allegations
The OM token, native to the MANTRA blockchain ecosystem, suffered a catastrophic collapse on Sunday, April 13, 2025, plunging over 90% in a matter of hours. Read More
