Section
Markets
Equity and rates coverage: positioning, earnings catalysts and the mechanics behind price moves.
Covered by Elena Cortés
Company SpotlightHL Hunt's HLX Trading pairs a free AI-signal tier with $29 monthly options and forex access
The platform markets basic signals at no monthly cost, a $29 Pro tier with full AI trade signals and advanced charting, and volume-based institutional access to APIs and algorithmic trading tools.
Robinhood and T. Rowe Price explore tokenized access to an actively managed ETF
The early-stage project would use Robinhood Chain to represent economic exposure to a T. Rowe Price fund, but the companies have not announced a fund, ticker, launch date or pricing structure.
Cboe Clear Europe extends securities lending clearing to US equities for the first time
The clearinghouse will clear securities financing transactions in Russell 3000 names and the 500 largest US-listed ETFs starting in mid-October, a market first for a European CCP.
AI-native insurer Ledgebrook raises $200 million Series D co-led by Allianz X and Rockefeller Capital Management
The specialty insurer will use the primary equity round to scale its proprietary underwriting platform, Blackbird, alongside a separate multi-year reinsurance agreement with Allianz Re.
Capitolis agrees to acquire eSecLending for $200 million in its fourth deal in five years
The all-cash acquisition folds eSecLending’s securities lending and collateral management business into Capitolis’s financial resource optimization platform, with seller Parthenon Capital also investing in Capitolis as part of the transaction.
tZERO lands new backing from Cohodes brothers and Intercontinental Exchange for tokenized-market infrastructure
The funding, tied in part to a future strategic transaction, is earmarked for tZERO’s regulated infrastructure connecting tokenization, trading, custody and asset servicing.
SoFi begins settling its entire Mastercard card program on a proprietary stablecoin
The bank is migrating debit and credit card transactions representing more than $25 billion in projected annualized volume onto blockchain-based settlement using SoFiUSD, with merchants receiving funds directly into SoFi Bank accounts rather than holding the stablecoin themselves.
Singapore stablecoin payments firm dtcpay closes $25 million Series A with SBI Group as strategic investor
The round, which started with a $10 million tranche from Vertex Ventures earlier this year, will fund merchant-network expansion and a new enterprise portal and app.
S&P Global agrees to acquire OpenZeppelin, the security firm behind most stablecoin smart contracts
The deal adds onchain smart-contract risk assessment to S&P Global’s ratings business as capital markets increasingly move digital assets onchain; financial terms were not disclosed.
First Abu Dhabi Bank and Citi complete live tokenized-deposit settlement on Swift’s Ledger
The bilateral USD transaction is the first of its kind for a Middle East or Africa bank, using distributed ledger technology to coordinate payments while deposits stay on each bank’s own balance sheet.
Deutsche Bank to launch regulated digital-asset custody for institutional clients in Europe
The service will let corporate and institutional clients hold and transfer Bitcoin, Ether and select stablecoins while the bank manages the underlying wallets and private keys.
Kaiko extends Series B to $110 million, backed by S&P Global and a bench of market infrastructure names
The strategic round brings in BNP Paribas, Broadridge, Nasdaq Ventures, RBC, Coinbase Ventures and Stellar to back data infrastructure for tokenized markets.
U.S. Bank completes live pilot of its own dollar stablecoin on the Stellar blockchain
The internal transaction tested minting, redemption, freezing and clawback of USBDC tokens between the bank’s North American and European entities, with no client-facing launch date announced.
Orion180 targets $1.7 billion valuation in Nasdaq IPO for its flood and homeowners insurance business
The specialty insurer is offering 20 million shares at $15 to $17 apiece under the ticker OIG, seeking to raise up to $340 million as coastal-property insurers face persistent climate-driven underwriting pressure.
Coinbase and Moov partner to bring stablecoin infrastructure to more than 1,000 community banks
The deal pairs Coinbase’s regulated custody and payments tools with Moov��s existing rails at smaller banks and credit unions, letting them offer stablecoin services without building blockchain infrastructure themselves.
Circle to acquire Singapore payments firm Tazapay for $400 million in stock
The all-stock deal would give the USDC issuer a network of banking and fintech partners across more than 100 markets, aimed at extending stablecoin use in cross-border commerce.
Gemini secures Major Payment Institution license from Singapore regulator
The Monetary Authority of Singapore license lets Gemini’s local entity offer digital payment token and cross-border transfer services without standard transaction-volume caps.
Vanguard agrees to acquire Altruist, pushing deeper into advisor technology and custody
The deal for the AI-forward wealth platform is Vanguard’s move into the technology layer serving independent financial advisors; terms were not disclosed.
London Stock Exchange partners with Kraken’s parent to tokenize the UK’s 100 largest stocks
LSEG and Payward plan to bring blockchain-based tokens of FTSE-listed companies to Kraken’s xStocks platform, with an eye toward a 24-hour trading venue launching in 2027.
Stocks close higher as Nvidia beats, inflation cools and Warsh avoids a September signal
The S&P 500 gained roughly 1.1% on the week’s final trading day after data cleared the three catalysts investors had been positioning around since Monday.
Stocks slip as investors wait on Nvidia earnings and July inflation data
The S&P 500 eased about 0.3% at the start of a week carrying a chipmaker’s results, a PCE reading and the Fed chair’s Jackson Hole address.