OKX receives pre-authorization for MiCA compliance via Malta hub  

DeFi Development Corp (formerly Janover) aims to raise over $1 billion worth of capital to invest in Solana, the industry’s sixth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.The Nasdaq-listed firm, previously a real estate financing platform connecting commercial property lenders and buyers, announced its plans in a Form S-3 registration statement filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on April 25.The filing states that the funds will be used for general corporate purposes, including Solana (SOL) token acquisitions.DeFi Development Corp S-3 filing. Source: SECAccording to the filing, the company may use proceeds from the offering to purchase more Solana, noting:“Solana does not pay interest, but staking rewards can be earned on Solana. The ability to generate a return on investment from the net proceeds from this offering will depend on whether there is appreciation in the value of Solana following our purchases of Solana with the net proceeds from this offering.”The company also warned that fluctuations in Solana’s price could lead to it converting the tokens into cash at a value “substantially below” the net proceeds raised.Related: Deloitte predicts $4T tokenized real estate on blockchain by 2035Janover was a real estate financing company connecting lenders and buyers of commercial properties before a team of former Kraken exchange executives bought 728,632 shares of its common stock on April 7. Joseph Onorati, former chief strategy officer at Kraken, has since been appointed as chairman and CEO.The announcement comes shortly after the leadership of DeFi Development Corp adopted a Solana treasury reserve, “by applying a proven public-market treasury model to an asset that’s earlier in its lifecycle, structurally reflexive, and vastly underexposed as compared to Bitcoins.”The firm’s new Solana investment treasury has drawn comparisons to Michael Saylor’s Strategy, which has amassed over 538,200 Bitcoin (BTC) as of April 20 — the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder.The firm’s board of directors approved the company’s Solana-focused treasury policy on April 4, authorizing long-term accumulation and the launch of Solana validators to enable the staking of its treasury asset.Parker White, the firm’s chief investment officer, who previously served as an engineering director at Kraken exchange, already runs a Solana validator with $75 million in delegated stake.Related: US banks are ‘free to begin supporting Bitcoin’ — Michael SaylorRegulatory concerns remain for Solana investmentWhile the Solana-focused treasury implementation marks a significant step for altcoin adoption, the firm remains concerned by the potential effects of opaque crypto regulations, according to the filing:“We may be subject to regulatory developments related to crypto assets and crypto asset markets, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.”The firm cites unclear regulations around digital assets, which may “adversely affect the price of Solana” and, in turn, impact “the market price of our common stock.”The firm noted that Solana’s potential “reclassifying” as a security remains a particular concern, which may lead to the firm being classified as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940.However, the firm’s share price has been benefiting from its Solana acquisitions. Its shares rose by over 12% when DeFi Development Corp added $11.5 million worth of Solana tokens to its treasury on April 22, Cointelegraph reported.“The decision by commercial property platform Janover to add SOL to its treasury is truly groundbreaking,” Chris Chung, founder of Solana-based swap platform Titan, told Cointelegraph. “I’m confident we will see many other businesses follow suit before long as crypto becomes increasingly adopted by traditional finance.” Magazine: Ripple says SEC lawsuit ‘over,’ Trump at DAS, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 16 – 22

Over $4 trillion worth of real estate could be tokenized on blockchain networks during the next decade, potentially offering investors greater access to property ownership opportunities, according to a new report.The Deloitte Center for Financial Services predicts that over $4 trillion worth of real estate may be tokenized by 2035, up from less than $300 billion in 2024. The report, published April 24, estimates a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 27%.The $4 trillion of tokenized property is predicted to stem from the benefits of blockchain-based assets, as well as a structural shift across real estate and property ownership.Global tokenized real estate value, growth predictions. Source: Deloitte“Real estate itself is undergoing transformation. Post-pandemic work-from-home trends, climate risk, and digitization have reshaped property fundamentals,” according to Chris Yin, co-founder of Plume Network, a blockchain built for real-world assets (RWAs).“Office buildings are being repurposed into AI data centers, logistics hubs and energy-efficient residential communities,” Yin told Cointelegraph.“Investors want targeted access to these modern use cases, and tokenization enables programmable, customizable exposure to such evolving asset profiles,” he said.Related: Blockchain needs regulation, scalability to close AI hiring gapThe uncertainty triggered by US President Donald Trump’s import tariffs has boosted investor interest in the RWA tokenization sector, which involves minting financial products and tangible assets on a blockchain.Both stablecoins and RWAs have attracted significant capital as safe-haven assets amid the global trade concerns, Juan Pellicer, senior research analyst at IntoTheBlock, told Cointelegraph.The tariff concerns also led tokenized gold volume to surpass $1 billion in trading volume on April 10, its highest level since March 2023 when a US banking crisis saw the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the voluntary liquidation of Silvergate BankRelated: US banks are ‘free to begin supporting Bitcoin’ — Michael SaylorBlockchain innovation could drive regulatory clarityGrowing RWA adoption may inspire a more welcoming stance from global regulators, Yin said.“While regulation is a hurdle, regulation follows usage,” he explained, likening tokenization to Uber’s growth before widespread regulatory acceptance:“Tokenization is similar — as demand increases, regulatory clarity will follow.”He added that making tokenized products compliant with a wide range of international regulations is key to unlocking broader market access. However, some industry watchers are skeptical about the benefits introduced by tokenized real estate.The Truth Behind Tokenization and RWA panel. Source: Paris Blockchain Week“I don’t think tokenization should have its eyes directly set on real estate,” said Securitize chief operating officer Michael Sonnenshein at Paris Blockchain Week 2025.“I’m sure there are all kinds of efficiencies that can be unlocked using blockchain technology to eliminate middlemen, escrow, and all kinds of things in real estate. But I think today, what the onchain economy is demanding are more liquid assets,” he added. Magazine: Ripple says SEC lawsuit ‘over,’ Trump at DAS, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 16 – 22

United States Senator Cynthia Lummis says the crypto industry may be celebrating too soon over the US Federal Reserve softening its crypto guidance for banks.“The Fed withdrawing crypto guidance is just noise, not real progress,” Lummis said in an April 25 X post. Lummis called the Fed’s April 24 announcement — withdrawing its 2022 supervisory letter that had discouraged banks from engaging with crypto and stablecoin activities — “just lip service.”Lummis’ tone was different from the rest of the crypto industryLummis, a pro-crypto advocate known for introducing the Bitcoin (BTC) Strategic Reserve Bill in July 2024, pointed out several flaws in the Fed’s announcement, even as Strategy founder Michael Saylor and crypto entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano suggested it was a step forward for banks and crypto.Source: Anthony PomplianoShe argued that the Fed continues to “illegally flout the law on master accounts” and still relies on reputational risk in its bank supervision practices. It comes as the Federal Insurance Deposit Corporation (FDIC) is working on a rule to stop examiners from considering reputational risk when reviewing a bank’s operations, according to a recent Bloomberg report.Lummis also highlighted the Fed’s policy statement in Section 9(13), which hasn’t been withdrawn, stating that Bitcoin and digital assets are considered “unsafe and unsound.”She also reiterated many of the same staff behind Operation Chokepoint 2.0 are still involved in crypto policy today.“We are NOT fooled. The Fed assassinated companies within the industry and hurt American interests by stifling innovation and shuttering businesses. This fight is far from over.”“I will continue to hold the Fed accountable until the digital asset industry gets more than a life jacket, Chair Powell — they need a fair shake,” Lummis said.Related: If Trump fired Powell, what would happen to crypto?Custodia Bank founder and CEO Caitlin Long seemed to share a similar view to Lummis.“THANK YOU for seeing this for what it is,” Long said.Source: David SacksHowever, many crypto executives praised the Fed’s announcement as a positive development for the industry. Saylor said in an April 25 X post that the Fed’s move means that “banks are now free to begin supporting Bitcoin.”Anastasija Plotnikova, co-founder and CEO of blockchain regulatory firm Fideum, said the Fed’s decision “is a significant development, as it will simplify the path to institutional adoption.”Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race