Monat: September 2025

• Project Crypto offers clear, tailored rules for issuing, trading, and holding digital assets.
• Safe harbors and investor-friendly exemptions aim to encourage compliant blockchain innovation.
• SEC seeks to bring crypto activity onshore while balancing innovation with investor protection

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under Chairman Paul Atkins, is taking a noticeably different approach to crypto regulation in 2025.

Dropping the enforcement-heavy style of past administrations, Atkins rolled out a “crypto playbook” aimed at updating securities laws to better fit blockchain technology, while still keeping investor protections in place.

Branded as “Project Crypto,” the initiative lays out a proactive roadmap that could reshape the US crypto market and potentially influence global digital asset rules as well.

A rules-based framework centered on innovation

Atkins is pushing a new regulatory vision that aims for clearer, more practical rules around issuing, trading, and holding digital assets.

He’s criticized the SEC’s old approach as outdated disclosure rules that only saw four crypto offerings ever registered. His plan calls for tailored registration, investor-friendly exemptions, and safe harbors to encourage compliant innovation.

Expanding custody options, including self-custody, and updating broker-dealer and custodian rules are also key parts of the agenda.

The framework also backs the rise of “super-apps”, platforms that can handle crypto securities, non-security tokens, and traditional securities under a single regulated license.

Atkins has hinted he’s willing to use interpretive and exemptive powers creatively, aiming to remove regulatory roadblocks that could slow tech adoption.

The message is clear: rules should enable business, not block it.

Tough road ahead

The playbook is meant to pull crypto activity back onshore, tackling concerns that businesses have been moving offshore because of unclear rules.

Atkins has been clear: regulatory clarity is key to keeping US leadership in blockchain finance.

His plan lines up closely with the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, which calls for SEC, CFTC, and Treasury to coordinate more closely.

That said, the path isn’t easy. Congress is split on sweeping crypto legislation, so much of the rulemaking falls to the SEC.

The industry is waiting on concrete guidance, especially around custody, tokenized securities, and conditional registration exemptions.

Observers warn that encouraging innovation while protecting investors will be tricky, and it will likely take ongoing tweaks and dialogue to get it right.

At its core, Paul Atkins’ crypto playbook signals a big shift in how the US approaches digital assets as leaning toward collaboration, clearer rules, and innovation-friendly regulation.

This could end up shaping not just domestic markets but global crypto dynamics for years.

Traders and investors will want to keep a close eye on upcoming SEC moves, any new legislation, and guidance updates to stay ahead and spot opportunities in this evolving space.

The post SEC’s new crypto playbook: what Paul Atkins’ agenda means for digital assets in 2025 appeared first on CoinJournal.

• Mega Matrix files $2B shelf registration to buy Ethena’s ENA token, betting on stablecoin growth.
• USDe stablecoin climbs to $12.5B market cap, with $500M in revenue as adoption accelerates.
• Analysts warn of risks in yield-bearing digital assets, likening them to 2008-era CDO products.

Mega Matrix, a publicly traded holding company with roots in short-form streaming, is making a bold pivot toward digital asset treasury management.

The firm has filed a $2 billion shelf registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to support a strategy centered on Ethena’s stablecoin ecosystem, marking one of the largest such filings for a company of its size.

The initiative reflects a growing trend among smaller firms to diversify into digital assets as a balance-sheet strategy, even as the sector continues to face questions over stability and risk.

Building exposure to Ethena’s ENA governance token

Mega Matrix outlined that proceeds from the shelf registration will be used exclusively to accumulate ENA, the governance token of the Ethena protocol.

Ethena operates USDe, a synthetic stablecoin designed to maintain its dollar peg using collateral hedged with perpetual futures contracts.

Unlike fiat-backed stablecoins such as USD Coin (USDC) or Tether (USDT), USDe generates yield from derivatives market funding rates.

Once Ethena’s “fee-switch” mechanism is activated, ENA token holders are expected to receive a share of the protocol’s revenues, giving investors indirect access to yield generated by USDe.

By concentrating its exposure in ENA, Mega Matrix aims to capture both influence in Ethena’s governance and potential returns from the protocol’s revenue model.

The company cited the rapid rise of Circle, the issuer of USDC, and the expanding role of digital asset treasuries as drivers behind its decision.

The firm also pointed to the US GENIUS Act, which prohibits issuers from paying yield directly to stablecoin holders, as a regulatory factor accelerating demand for synthetic, yield-bearing alternatives like USDe.

Ethena’s rapid growth in the stablecoin market

Ethena Labs, the developer behind USDe, has seen its protocol expand quickly despite the relative novelty of its model.

In August, the company reported that cumulative gross interest revenue had surpassed $500 million.

According to CoinMarketCap data, USDe has grown to a market capitalization of $12.5 billion, making it the world’s third-largest stablecoin.

While still much smaller than fully collateralized competitors such as USDT and USDC, Ethena’s unique structure and ability to generate yield have positioned it as a rising player in the stablecoin market.

Its growth has been closely tracked by investors looking for stablecoin models that go beyond traditional fiat-backed structures.

Risks and industry context

Mega Matrix’s $2 billion shelf registration is notable given its relatively modest market capitalization of $113 million.

The firm reported first-quarter revenue of $7.74 million and a net loss of $2.48 million, with its core business still tied to FlexTV, its short-form streaming platform.

Earlier this year, Mega Matrix also purchased $1.27 million in Bitcoin as part of its gradual move toward digital assets.

The company is not alone in this shift. Other firms, such as ETHZilla, BitMine Immersion Technologies, SharpLink Gaming, and Bit Digital, have pursued similar treasury strategies focused on cryptocurrencies.

Still, analysts caution that such approaches carry significant risks.

Josip Rupena, CEO of lending firm Milo, compared the engineering of yield-bearing digital assets to collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), which played a pivotal role in the 2008 financial crisis.

He warned that investors may not always fully understand the exposure they are assuming.

As Mega Matrix embarks on its Ethena-focused plan, the strategy underscores both the appeal and the risks of digital asset treasuries.

Its success may hinge on the continued growth of USDe and the stability of the wider crypto ecosystem.

The post Mega Matrix files $2B shelf registration for Ethena stablecoin strategy appeared first on CoinJournal.

• Ethereum hovers above $4,400 amid a resilient display.
• Bitmine’s aggressive accumulation comes as institutional demand grows, fueling predictions of ETH price hitting a new all-time high.
• Traders are thus likely to closely monitor the $4,200–$4,500 range.

Ethereum signals resilience as its price gains to near $4,500, with institutional interest surging as the ETH “microstrategy” firm Bitmine Immersion Technologies bolstered its crypto treasury.

With whale accumulation and technical support levels pointing to potential upside, traders are eyeing a recovery above $4,500.

The top altcoin reached an all-time high near $5,000 in August. But what’s the outlook today?

Whales buy ETH and Bitmine drives treasury sentiment

Bitmine, dubbed the “Ethereum MicroStrategy,” continues to double down on ETH, and its move has helped keep the token’s price above $4k.

On Thursday, On-Chain data showed the company had added to its ETH haul, with an additional 80,325 ETH worth over $358 million.

The coins came from Galaxy Digital and FalconX and pushed Bitmine’s total holdings of the altcoin to a staggering 1,947,299 ETH.

Bitmine has accumulated over $8.69 billion worth of ETH, bringing its purchases to about 1.44% of Ethereum’s total supply.

It means the company surpasses the holdings of SharpLink Gaming, the second-largest corporate ETH holder, by more than double.

Ethereum price outlook: Bulls eye recovery $5000

Bets on Ethereum’s long-term value, including across staking opportunities and ETFs, have analysts predicting ETH price at $10k by end of year.

Ethereum’s price action in the past month has included swings to highs of $4,946 and lows of $4,200.

As well as the treasury asset trend and spot ETF inflows, bulls have shown resilience amid multiple tokenized stocks launches on Ethereum.

Among them is Trust Wallet, integrating tokenized US stocks and Ondo Finance, bringing over 100 tokenized US stocks and ETFs to investors.

On-chain data supports the bullish case, with whale accumulation and reduced exchange reserves signaling confidence in Ethereum’s fundamentals, despite seasonal volatility risks in September.

The Ethereum Validator Queue shows over 833,141 ETH is awaiting the staking queue, with this amount of fresh staking surpassing that exiting the queue.

Analysts at Glassnode have noted:

“In August, ETH’s biggest holders moved in opposite directions. Mega whales (10k+ $ETH) drove the rally with net inflows peaking at +2.2M $ETH (30d), but their accumulation has now paused. Meanwhile, large whales (1k–10k $ETH), after weeks of distribution, are back in accumulation at +411k $ETH (30d).”

These moves and the broader sentiment suggest buyers are not done yet.

A decisive daily close above $4,500 will allow bulls to retest its all-time high at $4,946.

However, profit taking and overall risk assets weakness could allow sellers a route to support at $4,200 and $4,000.

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