News Roundup — Dubai Starts Real Estate Tokenisation Pilot

Major news stories this week;

1. Tether’s US treasury holdings surpass Canada, Taiwan, ranks 7th globally
2. Dubai Starts Real Estate Tokenisation Pilot, Forecasts $16B Market by 2033
3. U.S. Treasury Removes Sanctions Against Tornado Cash Cryptocurrency Mixer
4. Pakistan eyes crypto legal framework to boost foreign investment
5. SEC 'Earnest' About Finding Workable Crypto Policy, Commissioners Say at Roundtable

Story Summaries;

1. Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, has become the seventh-largest holder of U.S. Treasury's globally, surpassing countries like Canada and Taiwan with over $33.1 billion in holdings. This massive investment reflects Tether’s strategy to back its stablecoin with safe, liquid assets such as short-term U.S. government debt. The move comes amid growing adoption of stablecoins by investors and regulators, which some analysts suggest indicates the current crypto bull market may still be in its mid-cycle phase.
2. The Dubai Land Department has launched a pilot program to tokenise real estate using blockchain technology for property title deeds, aiming to improve transparency and accessibility in the market. Developed in collaboration with the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority and Dubai Future Foundation, the initiative could see tokenised property transactions reach 60 billion dirhams ($16 billion) by 2033, accounting for 7% of the city's real estate market. By enabling fractional ownership and easier transfer of assets, tokenisation is expected to lower investment barriers, though operational challenges may slow adoption compared to other asset classes.
3. The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has removed Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer, from its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, effectively lifting the sanctions imposed in 2022. This action allows U.S. individuals to legally engage with the platform once again. Tornado Cash was previously sanctioned for allegedly facilitating the laundering of over $7 billion in cryptocurrencies since 2019, including funds stolen by North Korea's Lazarus Group. The platform enables users to obfuscate blockchain transactions, enhancing privacy but raising concerns over illicit uses.
4. Pakistan is developing a pro-business legal framework for cryptocurrency to attract international investment and position itself as a leader in blockchain finance, according to Pakistan Crypto Council CEO Bilal Bin Saqib. With a young, Web3-native population and up to 20 million crypto users, the country sees significant potential in the sector. Saqib, recently appointed as chief adviser to the finance minister on crypto, emphasised the need for regulatory clarity to support growth and innovation.
5. At its first crypto-focused roundtable, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) signalled a more collaborative approach toward creating workable crypto regulations, with Commissioner Hester Peirce emphasising the agency’s readiness to engage with the industry. Acting Chair Mark Uyeda acknowledged past reluctance to issue interpretive guidance and suggested that future definitions of crypto assets—such as NFTs—might come through broader rulemaking rather than enforcement alone. The panel featured diverse views, with legal experts discussing the challenges early-stage crypto projects face under current securities laws, while lawmakers raised concerns about transparency in the SEC’s approach to memecoins and informal policy statements.
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And that’s all for last week’s news! Wishing you a great week ahead!