Bank of China Sets Sights on Stablecoin Dominance
Markets buzzed as Bank of China shares in Hong Kong climbed nearly 7% after reports that its Hong Kong branch could apply for a stablecoin issuer license under the city’s new regulations.
A special team has been formed to study issuance and infrastructure, though the bank hasn’t officially commented. If successful, Bank of China would be the only state-owned bank to issue a stablecoin.
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) will roll out its framework on August 1, 2025, mandating reserve management, redemptions, AML controls, and transparency. Competitors like Standard Chartered and JD.com are also seeking licenses.
This signals nothing less than Beijing moving toward state-backed digital currencies, reshaping global cross-border payments.
Metaplanet Bets $3.7 Billion on Bitcoin
In Tokyo, Metaplanet received shareholder approval for a $3.7 billion plan to buy more Bitcoin. The company already holds 20,000 BTC (~$22B), ranking as the 6th largest corporate holder worldwide. Its target: 210,000 BTC by 2027.
To execute this, Metaplanet adopted a dual-class share structure:
- Class A shares → pay fixed dividends for conservative investors.
- Class B shares → convertible to common stock for higher upside.
Despite a 54% stock price drop and dilution concerns, Metaplanet is doubling down. Analysts say this could let it compete with sovereign-level accumulators.
👉 The message is clear: Metaplanet isn’t just betting on Bitcoin — it’s launching a corporate moonshot on digital gold.
U.S. Regulators Greenlight Spot Crypto Trading
The SEC and CFTC jointly announced that U.S. and foreign exchanges under their jurisdiction may now list spot crypto trading products.
Soon, exchanges like Nasdaq, NYSE, CME Group, and Cboe could offer spot Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more — with leverage and margin.
This aligns with recent U.S. legislative momentum: the GENIUS Act (stablecoins) and the pending CLARITY Act for crypto market structure.
For retail and institutional investors, this is a watershed moment — crypto is no longer fringe; it’s officially recognized as part of U.S. capital markets.
🏦 Federal Reserve Champions Tokenization & RWA Boom
The Federal Reserve capped the week by announcing a payments innovation conference in October, with tokenization, stablecoins, and TradFi–DeFi convergence as core themes.
The event comes as tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) hit an all-time high of $27.8B, a 223% YTD surge, per RWA.xyz. Much of this is in U.S. Treasuries and private credit, with Ethereum hosting 56% of tokenized assets (77% including L2s).
Meanwhile, Ondo Finance launched Ondo Global Markets, powered by Chainlink, to tokenize U.S. stocks and ETFs — branding it “Wall Street 2.0.”
👉 The Fed’s summit signals that tokenization isn’t the future — it’s happening now.
📊 The Bottom Line
This week saw a paradigm shift in crypto adoption across the globe:
- China eyes state-backed stablecoins.
- Metaplanet makes the largest corporate Bitcoin bet in history.
- U.S. regulators approve spot crypto trading.
- The Fed embraces tokenization as Wall Street’s next frontier.
The financial world is being reshaped in real-time, and those watching closely may be tomorrow’s biggest winners.
