NFT News Today Official TheBitTimes.com

Conversations with key speakers at the Blockchain Expo Europe in Amsterdam suggest that cryptocurrency exchanges and companies see the continent as a key region for growth. Europe remains fertile ground for the cryptocurrency ecosystem to flourish in comparison to harsher regulatory environments, according to prominent speakers at this year’s Blockchain Expo in Amsterdam. Cointelegraph attended the convention held at the RAI conference center for the second year running, with the Blockchain Expo forming part of the larger Tech Expo event being hosted in the Netherlands. The event has typically attracted prominent mainstream industry players from the financial world to showcase how blockchain technology is being leveraged to power innovative new products and solutions across a myriad of industries. From finance, logistics, healthcare and marketing, blockchain technology and Web3 functionality continues to be a key growth area for different industry players. MiCA bodes well for institut...

BlackRock has filed for regulatory approval of a bitcoin ETF. The SEC has never approved one, but investment giant has a nearly flawless track record when applying for ETFs: over 500 approvals per one denial. Unlike the over-the-counter traded Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), which Barry Silbert’s Grayscale would like to convert into an ETF, BlackRock could open the door for institutional short-selling of bitcoin via a NASDAQ-listed bitcoin ETF. BlackRock’s proposed bitcoin ETF will almost certainly be DTC eligible, whereas most over-the-counter securities are not. The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, serves as a securities repository with over $32 trillion worth of securities deposited within its system. It’s by far the largest source of US broker ‘borrows,’ also known as ‘locates.’ Put simply, BlackRock’s bitcoin ETF will allow short-sellers to easily locate shares to borrow from the world’s most voluminous trust company. DTC processes quadrillio...