Nasdaq, CME Group join forces to launch Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index
The Nasdaq Stock Exchange and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group joined forces to unify their crypto indexes, rebranding the Nasdaq Crypto Index (NCI) as the Nasdaq CME Crypto Index.
The NCI benchmark index includes Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, Chainlink, Cardano, and Avalanche, spokespersons for Nasdaq confirmed to Cointelegraph.
Sean Wasserman, head of index product management at Nasdaq, said in Friday’s announcement:
“We see the index-based approach as the direction investors are heading, beyond just Bitcoin. That’s similar to what we’ve seen in other asset classes, where you have indexes that are representative of the broader market.”
Stablecoin flows could near $56T by 2030: Bloomberg
Stablecoin payment flows could tap $56.6 trillion by 2030, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, a rise that would make stablecoins one of the most important payment tools in global finance.
Flows totaled $2.9 trillion in 2025, Bloomberg data shows, implying growth of around 80% annually over the five years to 2030 if the projection is realized — a rise driven by increasing institutional adoption and growing use of stablecoins in economies facing inflation and financial instability.
Bloomberg noted that Tether continues to be the most-used stablecoin for everyday payments, business transactions, and as a savings vehicle, while Circle’s USDC stablecoin is the most preferred on decentralized finance platforms.
Stablecoin flows rose 81% year-on-year in 2025; however, the share of volume on decentralized crypto platforms fell, Bloomberg reported, citing data from crypto analytics platform Artemis.
Artemis co-founder Anthony Yim attributed this shift to the growth in US dollar stablecoin usage in emerging economies as they continue to navigate an “increasingly unstable geopolitical landscape.”
Trump rules out Sam Bankman-Fried pardon in NYT interview
US President Donald Trump reportedly will not grant a pardon to Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried, who is serving a 25-year sentence for his role in the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
According to a Thursday interview with Trump by The New York Times, the president said he had no intention of pardoning Bankman-Fried and others, including music producer Sean Combs and former New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez. Bankman-Fried has been behind bars since August 2023 when a federal judge revoked his bail before his criminal trial.
Ethereum is the Linux of blockchain, says co-founder Vitalik Buterin
The Ethereum network, a decentralized layer-1 (L1) blockchain that executes smart contracts, is analogous to the open-source operating system Linux, according to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.
Linux and Ethereum are both open source and feature custom-tailored implementations. Linux achieves this through developers building custom modifications of software, while Ethereum does it through its layer-2 scaling networks, Buterin said.
It has provided value to “billions” of individuals, enterprises and state governments “without compromising” on its open source ethos or decentralization, Buterin said, adding:
“We must make sure that Ethereum L1 works as the financial, and ultimately identity, social, and governance home for individuals and organizations who want a higher level of autonomy, and give them access to the full power of the network without dependence on intermediaries.”
BitMine buys $105M Ether to kick off 2026, still holds $915M in cash
BitMine Immersion Technologies, the largest-known corporate holder of Ether, resumed purchases of the cryptocurrency in the new year, signaling continued confidence in Ethereum even as some analysts expect near-term price weakness.
The company bought $105 million worth of Ether in its first reported acquisitions of the new year, according to a Wednesday X post from blockchain data platform Arkham.
The treasury company now holds 4.07 million Ether worth $12.6 billion, representing 3.36% of the ETH supply, according to data from the Strategic ETH Reserve.
BitMine still holds $915 million in total cash reserves, according to its latest update on Monday, which may be used to acquire more ETH as the company pushes towards its strategic goal of amassing 5% of the supply.
Winners and Losers
At the end of the week, Bitcoin (BTC) is at $90,595, Ether (ETH) at $3,088 and XRP at $2.09. The total market cap is at $3.09 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.
Among the biggest 100 cryptocurrencies, the top three altcoin gainers of the week are Render (RENDER) at 54.73%, JasmyCoin (JASMY) at 44.57% and Polygon (MATIC) at 37.88%.
The top three altcoin losers of the week are Midnight (NIGHT) at 24.15%, Canton (CC) at 14.68% and ZCash (ZEC) at 14.27%. For more info on crypto prices, make sure to read Cointelegraph’s market analysis.
Most Memorable…
cointelegraph.com