News Roundup — Canada sets up framework to regulate stablecoins and digital payments

Major news stories this week:‍‍

1. Canada sets up framework to regulate stablecoins and digital payments
2. IRS clears staking for crypto ETPs under new guidance
3. Luxembourg Sovereign Wealth Fund Chose Only Bitcoin
4. Harvard Endowment Takes Rare Leap Into Bitcoin With $443M Bet
5. Czech Central Bank Becomes First Central Bank to Buy Bitcoin

Story Summaries:

1. Canada’s 2025 budget introduces rules for fiat-backed stablecoins, requiring full reserves and strict security standards. The Bank of Canada gets C$10 million to oversee rollout, with ongoing costs charged to issuers. This marks a shift away from pursuing a CBDC and brings Canada in line with US-style regulated private stablecoins.
2. New IRS and Treasury rules allow crypto ETPs to stake assets and distribute rewards if they meet structural requirements such as custody and single-asset exposure. The safe harbor removes a major compliance overhang and makes staking-enabled ETFs far more viable for institutions. It also tightens alignment with SEC standards
3. Luxembourg’s sovereign wealth fund has allocated approximately 1% of its portfolio exclusively to Bitcoin via ETFs, avoiding broader crypto diversification. This marks one of Europe’s first sovereign-level crypto investments and underlines Bitcoin’s growing role in institutional portfolios.
4. Harvard’s endowment revealed a $443 million IBIT position, making it its largest publicly disclosed equity stake. The holding is over 20% of its US-listed equity book yet still under 1% of total AUM. The move shows that major allocators are becoming more comfortable using spot-bitcoin ETFs for exposure.
5. The Czech National Bank purchased about $1 million in Bitcoin and other digital assets for a sandbox portfolio separate from reserves. The goal is operational experience in custody, key management, and compliance. The bank still sees Bitcoin as too early for reserves even though exposure is legally possible through ETFs.

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And that’s all for last week’s news! Wishing you a great week ahead!

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