The world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund, which would be launched in partnership with Securitize, a firm specializing in asset tokenization and incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.

Nasdaq-listed business intelligence firm MicroStrategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, has added an additional 9,245 BTC to its portfolio, bringing its total holdings above 1% of the cryptocurrency’s supply.

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced plans to bolster its ability to detect and deter market abuse in the cryptocurrency space as it prioritizes establishing a “proportionate market abuse regime” for crypto assets over the next 12 months.

Top stories in the Crypto Roundup today:

• BlackRock Unveils New Digital Liquidity Fund, Hinting at Tokenization Push
• MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin Treasury Surpasses 1% of Total Supply
• UK's FCA Sets Sights on Crypto Market Integrity with Measures Against Abuse
• Chart of the Week: Bitcoin Drops to $8,900 on BitMEX Following Flash Crash

BlackRock Unveils New Digital Liquidity Fund, Hinting at Tokenization Push

The world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund, which would be launched in partnership with Securitize, a firm specializing in asset tokenization and incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.

While the specific assets the fund will hold remain undisclosed, Securitize's involvement suggests a potential connection to real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. Real-world asset tokenization refers to the representation of ownership of assets through a token on a blockchain.

Speculation arose from blockchain data indicating a $100 million transfer of Circle's USDC stablecoin to an address linked to a Securitize deployer, which could potentially be a seed investment in the fund, though confirmation is lacking.

In January, BlackRock launched a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) that has seen its assets under management surpass the $15 billion mark. The firm has also filed with the SEC to launch a spot Ether ETF.

MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin Treasury Surpasses 1% of Total Supply

Nasdaq-listed business intelligence firm MicroStrategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, has added an additional 9,245 BTC to its portfolio, bringing its total holdings above 1% of the cryptocurrency’s supply.

According to a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, MicroStrategy has made a second multi-million dollar Bitcoin purchase in just over a week, bringing its total Bitcoin stash to 214,246 BTC, worth over $14 billion.

The latest purchase was financed through the sale of convertible notes, similar to a previous acquisition of $821.7 million worth of Bitcoin last week. The company’s Bitcoin was acquired at an average price of $35,160 per coin, meaning around $7.53 billion was invested.

Bitcoin’s capped supply of 21 million coins adds another layer of intrigue to MicroStrategy’s holdings. With around 19.7 million BTC already issued, the company’s holdings represent a significant portion of the total supply that will ever be available, estimated to be reached by the year 2140.

UK's FCA Sets Sights on Crypto Market Integrity with Measures Against Abuse

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced plans to bolster its ability to detect and deter market abuse in the cryptocurrency space as it prioritizes establishing a “proportionate market abuse regime” for crypto assets over the next 12 months.

The initiative involves enhancing monitoring and intervention systems to safeguard market integrity, with the regulator planning to develop advanced analytics capabilities, including network analysis and tools that visualize trends across different asset classes.

Beyond market surveillance, the FCA also signaled its intention to develop a specific framework for tackling crypto-related market abuse. The regulator said that the framework will be designed to “support innovation to lower industry costs,” while emphasizing continued oversight of financial promotions from cryptocurrency firms.

The regulator plans to invest in technological resources for identifying potentially misleading promotional material that could harm investors while developing consumer awareness campaigns to educate investors.

Chart of the Week: Bitcoin Drops to $8,900 on BitMEX Following Flash Crash

BitMEX's XBT-USDT pair dropped to $8.900 as 500 BTC were sold for under $60,000 each, leading to significant losses.

The downturn was likely intensified by a reduction in liquidity, underscoring the critical role of index pricing like CCIX in maintaining stable Bitcoin prices and protecting derivative products, as evidenced by the stability of BitMEX’s futures contracts despite these conditions.

State of the Crypto by Top Tier Exchange Volume

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