Hong Kong poised to benefit from Singapore’s ‘crypto crackdown’: report

Author: Fairy, ChainCatcher Editor: TB, ChainCatcher SharpLink Gaming, a star small-cap stock hailed by the market as the "Ethereum version of MicroStrategy", was originally riding on the cusp of the

Japanese Metaplanet, which ranks 5 among the top corporate Bitcoin holders, has purchased a fresh round of BTC on Monday. CEO Simon Gerovich said that the company has purchased an additional 797 Bitcoin for approximately $93.6 million for an average price of around $117,451. “As of 14 July, we hold 16,352 BTC acquired for $1.64 billion at $100,191 per Bitcoin,” he wrote on X. Metaplanet has acquired 797 BTC for ~$93.6 million at ~$117,451 per bitcoin and has achieved BTC Yield of 435.9% YTD 2025. As of 7/14/2025, we hold 16,352 $BTC acquired for ~$1.64 billion at ~$100,191 per bitcoin. $MTPLF pic.twitter.com/zFSH0WIima — Simon Gerovich (@gerovich) July 14, 2025 The Japanese listed investment firm has achieved BTC Yield of 435.9% from the start of the year to now, he added. Metaplanet uses BTC Yield to assess the performance of its Bitcoin acquisition strategy, which is intended to be accretive to shareholders, the Monday announcement read. Starting December 2024, Bitcoin treasury operations has become Metaplanet’s official business line. The company has strategically increased its total Bitcoin holdings through acquisitions funded by capital market activities and operating income. Metaplanet’s Sole Focus on BTC Accumulation – Is 210,000 BTC by 2027 Possible? As the Bitcoin treasury space grows and matures, it’s worth paying attention to possible divergences between Michael Saylor’s Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) and its imitators. Metaplanet’s Bitcoin holdings do not produce cash flow, and as a result, it needs to take loans out on it. The more interest rates on BTC-backed loans drop over time, the better it is for Metaplanet. Further, the firm is aiming for a stash of 210,000 BTC by the end of 2027: in other words, Metaplanet wants to multiply its current holdings by more than 13. Though this might seem like a tall order, it is less than half of Strategy’s current 597,325 BTC stash . Seamus Rocca, CEO of Xapo Bank, told Cryptonews that corporate treasury allocations to Bitcoin “shouldn’t be about chasing trends or building oversized positions.” “It is vital to remember that firms like Strategy and Metaplanet represent high-conviction outliers, headline grabbers with bold strategies that align with their unique business aims,” he said over email. “For most, a more measured approach will be better suited. One grounded in long-term belief, not short-term reliance on volatility.” Last week, Metaplanet purchased 2,205 more Bitcoins , adding to its aggressive Bitcoin buying spree. It has expanded its holdings from under 4,000 Bitcoin in March to over 15,500 BTC in July, quadrupling its position in just four months.

The Bank of England (BOE) governor, Andrew Bailey, has expressed concerns over the rise of banks issuing their own stablecoins. He emphasized the significant systemic risks that these stablecoins pose to the financial system. In an interview with The Sunday Times , Bailey said he “would much rather” prefer tokenized bank deposits over private stablecoins. He said that stablecoins would take “money out of the banking system” and the “credit creation world”. By advocating for tokenized bank deposits, Bailey is promoting a more integrated and regulated digital financial system, aligning with existing banking practices. “I would much rather [banks] go down the tokenized deposit streets and say, how do we digitize our money, particularly in payments,” he noted. His comments come at a time when stablecoin markets have grown from $125 billion less than two years ago to around $255 billion today, according to a latest BIS report . UK Would Not Adopt CBDC, Bailey Disagrees With the US and ECB’s Crypto Take Furthermore, the British central banker stated that England should not adopt a central bank digital currency ( CBDC ), also known as a ‘digital pound.’ He said that it would be “sensible” for the UK to rather work towards digitizing deposits. Andrew Bailey was recently appointed as the new chairman of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), an international financial regulator. Additionally, he openly disagreed with the Trump administration’s backing of stablecoins. “I would say that the US is going towards stablecoins. The European Central Bank is going towards central bank digital currency. Neither of them is going towards tokenising deposits.” Trump Poised for Quick Stablecoin Win The US House Financial Services Committee announced ‘Crypto Week,’ starting Monday, to consider three key crypto bills, including the GENIUS Act for stablecoins. 🏦 The US lawmakers noted that mid-July will be 'Crypto Week' to create a clear regulatory framework for digital assets and protect financial privacy. #USLawmakers #CryptoWeek #CryptoRegulations https://t.co/yhbiz4tMwr — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) July 4, 2025 In June, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a speech at the White House Digital Asset Summit that stablecoins would “reinforce dollar supremacy.” Fed Chair Jerome Powell has also emphasized the need for stablecoin regulation , noting the importance of protecting consumers. However, according to BOE’s governor Bailey, stablecoins need to be looked at closely through lens. “Stablecoins are proposed to have the characteristics of money. That money is a medium of exchange. Therefore, they really do have to have the characteristics of money and they have to maintain their nominal value.” He also expressed concerns that the spread of stablecoins would undermine their sovereign control over money. Besides stablecoins, Bailey noted that the extreme volatility of Bitcoin shows that it is “unbacked asset.” “It’s not money, it doesn’t have the function of money, and if you’re going to buy it, please buy it with your eyes open,” he advised users.