Michael Saylor Says Bitcoin ETFs Aren’t a Threat to MicroStrategy + More News

Get your daily, bite-sized digest of crypto and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s news.

In this edition:

• Michael Saylor Says Bitcoin ETFs Aren’t a Threat to MicroStrategy
• WisdomTree Announces Launch of Bianco Total Return Fund
• Cardano Foundation Announces Education Partnership with Petrobras
• Bybit Reveals Suite of Free AI Trading Tools

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Michael Saylor Says Bitcoin ETFs Aren’t a Threat to MicroStrategy

MicroStrategy

executive chair and co-founder Michael Saylor argues the company will remain an attractive option to investors seeking exposure to bitcoin (BTC) even if the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approves an exchange-traded fund (ETF), according to Bloomberg.

“The ETFs are unlevered and they charge a fee,” Saylor said. “We provide you leverage, but we don’t charge a fee. We offer a high-performance vehicle for people that are Bitcoin long investors.”

“We can take advantage of intelligent leverage,” he added. “We can borrow money at zero percent interest for many many years, and we did that with the convert, and we can use that to buy Bitcoin.”

Analysts argue the SEC may authorize Bitcoin spot ETFs by mid-January.

MicroStrategy held about $6.5 billion in BTC as of November 30.

WisdomTree Announces Launch of Bianco Total Return Fund

Asset manager WisdomTree announced the launch of the WisdomTree Bianco Total Return Fund (WTBN) on the NASDAQ. WTBN seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Bianco Research Fixed Income Total Return Index, created by investment and financial analytics firm Bianco Research LLC.

Per the press release, the Bianco Research Fixed Income Total Return Index employs a multi-step rules-based process that strives to outperform a market-cap-weighted universe of USD-denominated debt by tilting exposures to select factors historically recognized to drive fixed income performance.

As a passively managed fund of funds, WTBN utilizes a market-efficient strategy based on macro and fundamental factors: screening a universe of the US-domiciled passively managed ETFs ensuring proper liquidity, using factor-based analysis to determine portfolio structure, and implementing potentially profitable deviations from the benchmark.

Cardano Foundation Announces Education Partnership with Petrobras

The Cardano Foundation announced that its blockchain education program will be made available to Brazil’s state-owned energy company Petrobras as it looks to expand understanding and adoption of blockchain technologies.

According to the press release, the Foundation will lead blockchain education workshops for over 40,000 Petrobras employees. Participants will receive a certificate upon completing the course.

The Cardano Academy content will be delivered via the Petrobras University. The latter will tailor the content for use in its employee training programs.

Participants will discuss blockchain’s potential, learn about the use cases and applications, and complete interactive quizzes. The Foundation conducted two workshops in the metaverse, one of which delved into regulatory matters globally and in the Brazilian context.

The first 500 Petrobras participants will receive an NFT minted in partnership with the Petrobras Education Board. The NFTs will evolve with participants’ progress to track and highlight their achievements.

Bybit Reveals Suite of Free AI Trading Tools

Crypto exchange Bybit announced a suite of free AI trading tools, “introducing cutting-edge solutions designed to revolutionize crypto trading.”

The press release said that, in a move to democratize strategy trading for all levels of investors, Bybit is collecting its suite of AI products under a new Trading Tools category to provide an easy onboarding experience. This makes the new technology more easily accessible, it argued.

Bybit will also offer an intelligent news classification feature, with real-time information from social media and expert opinions.

The exchange also announced that it expanded its proof-of-reserves audit to encompass 32 cryptocurrencies. “This rigorous audit affirms that all assets are fully backed, ranging from 100-124%, by Bybit’s meticulously managed wallets,” it said.