CITIGROUP $C JUST LAUNCHED A BLOCKCHAIN PLATFORM TO LET CLIENTS TRADE SHARES IN PRIVATE COMPANIES The goal: put private company shares "right next to their Apple stock." Here's how it works: Citi issues tokenized depositary receipts for private companies, acts as custodian, and lets wealthy and institutional clients trade them on a blockchain operated by Switzerland-based SIX. The infrastructure is built so other banks can use it too. It is currently open to foreign investors only, with U.S. investors coming later. (Source WSJ)

💫 XRP, XLM, and LINK Get Featured in Brand New Nasdaq CME Crypto Index, Alongside Bitcoin Major global derivatives exchange CME Group has officially announced the launch of trading in futures contracts on the new Nasdaq CME Crypto Index. ❗️The main feature of the new benchmark is the inclusion of XRP, Stellar (XLM), and Chainlink (LINK) in a single regulated basket alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, and Bitcoin Cash. ⤴️This comprehensive approach is designed to give institutional investors easy access to a broader spectrum of crypto assets through one targeted product. The new contracts operate with cash settlement, referencing the Nasdaq CME Crypto Settlement Price Index. This structure enables funds to gain diversified exposure to the crypto market without directly buying or managing the underlying tokens. 📚 Cash-settled futures allow parties to exchange the difference in the underlying asset’s value in cash, rather than delivering the actual asset at contract expiry. For institutional investors, this simplifies storage and operational procedures. "With trading now officially underway, our new Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures represent a major milestone in the expansion of our regulated digital asset marketplace. These contracts give clients a cost-efficient tool to hedge their risk or directly pursue broad-based crypto opportunities," — said Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at CME Group. Company officials say the move was driven by investor calls for clarity and rule-based frameworks. The futures contracts empower funds with robust tools to manage crypto risk within the familiar infrastructure of traditional finance. 🚀 #Stellar @MediaQSI

🛰 SpaceX launches 10,000th active Starlink satellite in low Earth orbit Almost seven years after starting to build out its broadband constellation in low Earth orbit, SpaceX now has more than 10,000 active Starlink satellites circling the planet. The company launched two new batches of the internet relay units on Tuesday, totaling 54 satellites. The Starlink megaconstellation now numbers 10,049 units. The first company to reach this scale 👏 @MediaQSI