Crypto Market Update: SEC Delays Tokenized Stock Exemption

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$77,352.26, trading flat over the past 24 hours.

The rebound came after Bitcoin fell below the US$75,000 threshold for the first time in over a month during the weekend, hitting a low of US$74,344. The sudden drop in price for the flagship cryptocurrency triggered a wave of crypto futures liquidations, erasing nearly US$917 million in positions over a 24 hour period.

While there is no single obvious catalyst for the selloff, the decline coincides with a six day streak of outflows from spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, which shed over US$1.25 billion in total investments.

Ether (ETH) was priced at US$2,114.51, down by 0.5 percent over the last 24 hours.

Altcoin price update

• XRP (XRP) was priced at US$1.36, down by 0.5 percent in 24 hours.

• Solana (SOL) was trading at US$85.94, 0.8 percent lower over the past 24 hours.

Today's crypto news to know

Nasdaq secures conditional SEC approval for Bitcoin index options

On May 22, Nasdaq (NASDAQ:NDAQ) reported that it has secured conditional approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to list cash-settled Bitcoin index options.

Trading under the ticker QBTC, the European-style derivatives will track the CME CF Bitcoin Real Time Index. They will settle entirely in US dollars without requiring physical cryptocurrency delivery.

Pending final authorization from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the new financial products will trade on the standard Nasdaq platform alongside major technology stocks.

This integration will allow market participants to execute complex hedging strategies directly through their existing conventional brokerage accounts rather than navigating specialized derivatives setups.

The Nasdaq product also introduces a highly accessible contract size, representing exactly 1 BTC of exposure through a 1/100th index scaling factor and a standard US$100 multiplier. By contrast, existing CME Bitcoin options demand a dedicated derivatives account and represent a commitment of 5 BTC per contract.

SEC pauses tokenized stock exemption

The SEC has abruptly delayed a planned "innovation exemption" that would have permitted domestic cryptocurrency firms to trade tokenized stocks, according to a Bloomberg report.

The regulatory agency had originally aimed to release the highly anticipated framework this week, but hit the brakes to absorb incoming feedback from stock exchange executives and market participants. A major point of friction involves a controversial provision that would allow the trading of third-party tokens, which are digital representations of corporate shares created without the explicit knowledge or approval of the underlying company.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins had previously championed the proposal as a regulatory sandbox intended to integrate blockchain technology into mainstream equities. However, market experts and former regulators warn that proliferating unauthorized tokens across decentralized networks could create severe logistical headaches for public companies attempting to administer dividends or accurately tally shareholder votes.

Tencent’s TenPay Global expands Central Asia payment network

Tencent Holdings' (OTC Pink:TCEHY,HKEX:0700) cross-border payment platform, called TenPay Global, is expanding its payment network across Central Asia following a newly signed memorandum of understanding with the Kyrgyz Republic’s Eldik Bank. Unveiled at the 10th Silk Road International Expo in Xi’an, China, the agreement builds upon a recent strategic partnership with Uzbekistan’s HUMO Pay.

The initiative aims to connect regional Central Asian payment networks directly to the Weixin Pay merchant network by utilizing China’s central bank-backed Cross-Border Interconnection Payment Gateway. This integration allows international travelers and business visitors to seamlessly conduct transactions in China by scanning Weixin Pay QR codes with their existing domestic digital wallets, eliminating the need to download new applications.

Tencent has now successfully connected 36 e-wallets across 13 distinct countries and regions.