What happened this week in the world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies? The most relevant local and international events as well as appealing background reports in a concise and compact weekly review.
Selected articles of the week:
At the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), more than 90 applications for crypto ETFs are piling up. They aim to make cryptocurrencies such as Solana, XRP, and others accessible to a broader audience – in some cases with staking options. However, this week the authority once again postponed its decision on three funds, this time until mid-November. Officially, more time is needed. Behind the scenes, however, the SEC is likely working on unified listing standards to avoid future case-by-case decisions. Such a process would allow multiple products to be approved simultaneously and speed up their market launch. Analysts therefore expect a wave of approvals within the next month. The SEC cannot wait much longer: the final deadline for the Grayscale Solana ETF expires on October 10, at which point the authority must decide. Given the new US strategy, a rejection is considered unlikely.
SEC delays decisions on BlackRock Ethereum staking and Franklin’s Solana and XRP ETF applications – new deadlines set for November.
Digital assets remain a priority
The new White House crypto adviser, Patrick Witt, gave his first interview in the new role this week. The three priorities: the Market Structure Bill, the implementation of the GENIUS Stablecoin Act, and the creation of a strategic crypto reserve. “We’re keeping the pedal to the metal,” said Witt. While some projects are delayed, the government remains persistent and closely connected with the relevant committees. In the coming weeks, another vote in the House of Representatives on the Market Structure Bill is expected. This bill is intended to legally distinguish cryptocurrencies from securities and assign oversight to the CFTC. The Senate has already passed a draft.
White House adviser Patrick Witt makes the Market Structure Bill a top priority for clear US crypto rules.
Traditional exchanges push for tokenization
The US exchange Nasdaq has submitted a request to the SEC for a rule change to allow the listing and trading of tokenized securities – including stocks and exchange-traded products – on its main market. This would be a milestone: for the first time, tokenized financial instruments could officially be available on a traditional US exchange. The plan is for a flexible model in which investors can purchase and trade securities either in classic digital form or as blockchain tokens, all through the same order book and under the same market rules. Key rights such as voting and dividends remain fully intact. According to Nasdaq, the first tokenized securities transactions could begin in the third quarter of 2026, once the Depository Trust Company’s infrastructure is ready.
Nasdaq plans to trade tokenized securities from 2026 – a milestone for the fusion of Wall Street and blockchain.
Crypto exchanges stay one step ahead
The crypto exchange Kraken is positioning itself as a pioneer in stock tokenization. Back in June, the platform launched trading with tokenized US stocks (“xStocks”) in more than 140 countries, including Switzerland. Now the offering is being expanded to customers in the EU. Technologically, the system is based on the Swiss fintech platform Backed Finance and maps the prices of real US stocks via tokenized certificates. The advantage: the tokens can be traded around the clock and can also be used as collateral in DeFi protocols. Trading volume has so far reached around 3.5 billion US dollars.
Kraken brings tokenized US stocks to Europe. After the launch in Switzerland, the expansion now extends to the entire EU.
Attack on the Dogecoin network
In addition: Qubic, an AI-focused blockchain project with “Useful Proof-of-Work,” recently made headlines with a 51%-like attack on Monero and is now turning its attention to Dogecoin. In Monero, Qubic attracted miners with higher rewards – classic block rewards plus QUBIC token burns – and was able to temporarily reorganize six blocks. This vampire mining tactic does not directly overpower the network but shifts computing power through economic incentives. While this temporarily weighed on Monero’s price, Dogecoin is better protected: record-high hashrate, ASIC-based hardware, diversified mining pools, institutional investments, and a loyal community make a successful attack virtually impossible.
Qubic targets Dogecoin after Monero demo, but DOGE’s massive hashrate and ASIC mining make a 51% attack unlikely.
