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Banks Must Disclose Crypto Exposures, Global Regulator Says

The guidance will ensure transparency and market discipline, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision said

Updated Apr 9, 2024, 11:01 p.m. Published Oct 17, 2023, 10:42 a.m.
The Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland (Fred Romero/Flickr)
The Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland (Fred Romero/Flickr)

Banks must disclose quantitative and qualitative information on their crypto activities, according to draft guidance published by international standard-setter the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision on Tuesday.

The plans add to the hefty capital requirements already imposed by the committee to discourage banks from holding unbacked crypto such as bitcoin and ether following turmoil affecting crypto-linked lenders such as Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank.

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Under the proposals, which would take effect in 2025, “banks would be required to disclose qualitative information on their activities related to cryptoassets and quantitative information on exposures to cryptoassets and the related capital and liquidity requirements,” said the committee, which is linked to the Bank for International Settlements, a network of central banks based in Basel, Switzerland.

“A common format for disclosures will support the exercise of market discipline and help to reduce information asymmetry between banks and market participants,” it added.

The plans were trailed two weeks ago by the committee, which sets norms for traditional-finance lenders designed to avoid a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis, and are open for consultation until January 2024.

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

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A few Republicans have crypto's destiny in their hands at the SEC, CFTC

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After holiday leadership shifts, the two U.S. markets regulators — the SEC and CFTC — are now run only by pro-crypto Republicans, with Congress still debating.

What to know:

  • The crypto industry finally has two permanent, crypto-friendly chairmen at the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and they have no Democratic pushback.
  • The lack of fully stocked commissions at the market regulators is a big problem in the eyes of Senate Democrats negotiating the crypto market structure bill.
  • The lone remaining Democrat, Caroline Crenshaw, left the SEC last week.