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VivoPower International (VVPR), a Nasdaq-listed energy company, said on Wednesday it has secured $121 million in a private share placement to fund its pivot to digital asset treasury focusing on XRP XRP, the fourth largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.The raise was led by Saudi Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Abdulaziz Al Saud, investing $100 million, a spokesperson to the company told CoinDesk. The company sold 20 million ordinary shares priced at $6.05 per share.Adam Traidman, a former Ripple executive who led the SBI Ripple Asia, is joining the company as chairman of the board of advisors, according to the press release. Ripple is an enterprise-focused blockchain service provider closely related to the XRP Ledger.VivoPower shares surged as much as 26% on...

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Establishing a clear and pro-innovation regulatory framework for the crypto industry via a market structure bill is a priority for U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, Vice President J.D. Vance said Wednesday.Speaking to a massive crowd at Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas, Vance said that a regulatory framework is necessary to fully incorporate cryptocurrency into the mainstream U.S. economy, as well as to prevent future governments from rolling back the Trump administration’s crypto-friendly policies.“I hope that our party is in charge for a long time, but nothing is ever guaranteed in politics. So the best way to ensure that crypto is part of the mainstream economy is through a market structure bill that champions and doesn't restrict the...

BlackRock Inc. is considering acquiring roughly 10% of the shares offered in Circle’s upcoming initial public offering (IPO), Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.The IPO filing, made public on Tuesday, lays out plans to offer 24 million Class A shares — 9.6 million from Circle and 14.4 million from existing stakeholders.According to the filing, Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment Management has expressed interest in buying up to $150 million worth of the IPO shares. The shares are expected to be priced between $24 and $26, and will be trading under the ticker 'CRCL'.BlackRock’s potential involvement, though significant, is still up in the air. Bloomberg reported that it remains unclear whether BlackRock would invest directly or via an affiliated...

The crypto industry is on the precipice of mainstream adoption. But, like many exciting innovations from previous eras, this technology brings new risks. And these new risks must be mitigated before crypto can achieve its full potential.During the Industrial Revolution, steam power drove immense progress but carried deadly risks. Steam boilers exploded with alarming regularity — at one point nearly once every four days, wreaking havoc on lives and property. Early insurers stepped in to make this technology safer to scale. By providing financial guarantees against catastrophe, insurance turned what many saw as “acts of God” into manageable risks. Investors’ increased confidence allowed them to commit capital into steam-powered ventures, helping that breakthrough technology of the time further evolve to...

Wednesday morning U.S. hours saw a modest acceleration in crypto's pullback from the recent big move higher, with bitcoin BTC stumbling nearly 2% to just above the $107,000 level.Altcoins fared worse, with XRP XRP, solana SOL and dogecoin DOGE among those sporting declines in the 3%-5% range.Among crypto-related stocks, the bitcoin miners were hardest hit, with MARA Holdings (MARA), Riot Platforms (RIOT) and Hut 8 (HUT) each lower by nearly 10%.Bitcoin treasury companies were also showing sizable losses, led by GameStop (GME), down 11% after announcing the purchase of just over 4,710 bitcoin (or about $500 million at the current price) — to some a rather underwhelming amount considering the company raised $1.3 billion for bitcoin acquisition several weeks ago.Cycle...