Cryptocurrency News Today TheBitTimes.com

The Securities and Exchange Commission's prolonged deliberation over a spot Bitcoin ETF is stoking expectations of a joint decision for all applications. The Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) delay in deciding whether to approve a spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States is fueling expectations that a final verdict will come in a batch that includes key players on Wall Street, including BlackRock and Fidelity.  "There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on the SEC to approve a number of these ETFs, particularly because the approved Futures backed products are lagging spot performance substantially, harming investors,” markets veteran and co-founder of CoinRoutes Dave Weisberger told Cointelegraph, adding that all pending applications will likely be included in a final decision . The SEC is analyzing a total of eight applications for a spot Bitcoin ETF, following past delays and denials of the crypto product in recent years. Companies up ...

Saudi Arabia's central bank stressed that no decision has been made to launch a CBDC in the Kingdom, but it will continue to research use cases. The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) is ramping up its research into Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) but is yet to announce a deployment . In a Jan. 23 bulletin, the bank stated it was working on a phase of a project that “focuses on domestic wholesale CBDC use cases in collaboration with local banks and fintechs.” However, it confirmed there had been no final decision to launch such a digital currency in the Middle Eastern nation. “SAMA stresses that although no decision has been made regarding the introduction of CBDC in the Kingdom, it continues to focus on exploring the benefits and potential risks of implementing CBDC.” SAMA is researching several aspects of a state-issued digital currency including economic impact, market readiness, and the applications of a CBDC-based payment solution. It also intends to review policy, legal, and...