Malta Regulator Issues Virtual Assets 10827

The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has now published a Virtual Financial Assets (VFA) Rulebook specifically pertaining to the regulation of Issuers of VFAs under the Virtual Financial Assets Act (VFAA). However, it seems that the publication of this rulebook has not got down very well with financial services providers who spoke to CCN. Some have lamented that it is onerous and over-cautious in several aspects and makes business slightly more complicated where cryptocurrencies and blockchain are concerned.

Joseph Borg, Partner at WH Partners said that although the publication of the rulebook was a positive step, this needs to be polished to be actually effective.

“I strongly suggest to stakeholders to participate in this consultation in order to help the MFSA come up with a well-balanced regulatory framework that is robust and attractive at the same time. It is clear that some things published in the rule book need to be polished and, in some cases, toned down. However, if sensible responses with workable solutions to the consultation paper are received, I am sure that our regulators will take them on board and fine-tune the framework accordingly”, Borg said.

“The two consultation papers relative to the first two chapters of the ‘Virtual Financial Assets Rulebook’ provide a well-defined framework for what will constitute the eventual two chapters of the Rulebook,” he stated. “There are some issues which merit further discussion with the regulator, and in fact, as interested parties in this space, we have already provided our feedback for relative amendments and clarifications within the time frame of the conclusion of the first consultation period relative to the first chapter. We are currently reviewing the second consultation paper relative to the second chapter, issued just two days ago and we will provide with our feedback to the regulator in due course.”

Other stakeholders who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the rulebook needed to be drastically revised to be effective as in it’s current state, it was a ‘no go’.

Previous ArticleNext Article

BrandJet AI Launches Artemis MCP and Introduces Forward Deployed AE Role for AI-Driven GTM Teams 2974

BrandJet AI, a brand intelligence and outreach automation platform, today announced the launch of Artemis, a new Model Context Protocol (MCP) layer designed to help go-to-market (GTM) teams execute complex multi-step workflows using natural language prompts. The company also introduced a new commercial role, the Forward Deployed Account Executive (FDAE), created to support organizations adopting AI-native revenue operations.

The announcements reflect BrandJet AI’s continued focus on reducing fragmentation across sales, marketing, and revenue technology stacks by connecting intent detection and outreach execution within a single operating environment.

Addressing GTM Fragmentation

Revenue teams typically rely on multiple systems to monitor brand conversations, identify prospects, enrich contact data, sequence outreach, and track engagement. These processes often require manual coordination across platforms, creating delays between signal detection and commercial action.

Artemis is designed to streamline this workflow. Built on a Model Context Protocol architecture, it connects BrandJet AI’s monitoring, enrichment, sequencing, and performance-tracking capabilities into a unified prompt-driven layer.

Through Artemis, revenue operators can initiate structured workflows using natural language instructions. For example, a user may request the identification of professionals discussing specific topics across digital platforms within a defined timeframe, enrichment of those profiles, and the creation of an outreach sequence aligned to campaign goals. Artemis coordinates those tasks within the system, allowing teams to reduce operational handoffs.

According to BrandJet AI, the goal is not to replace strategic oversight but to simplify execution.

“Revenue teams spend too much time stitching together tools instead of acting on real buying signals,” said Nirav Shah, CEO of BrandJet AI. “Artemis helps unify intelligence and execution so teams can move from insight to outreach more efficiently.”

Prompt-Driven Workflow Orchestration

Artemis supports workflows that include:

  • Monitoring brand and competitor mentions across social platforms and the open web
  • Identifying potential prospects based on observable intent signals
  • Enriching lead data within the platform
  • Initiating multi-channel outreach across email and major social networks
  • Tracking engagement and campaign performance in real time

Rather than requiring operators to manually transfer data between systems, Artemis enables coordinated execution through a conversational interface layered on top of BrandJet AI’s infrastructure.

The system is designed to operate within compliance and governance standards established by customer organizations, maintaining human oversight over messaging and campaign parameters.

Introducing the Forward Deployed Account Executive

Alongside the Artemis launch, BrandJet AI announced the introduction of the Forward Deployed Account Executive (FDAE), a role intended to help enterprise customers integrate AI-driven workflows into their revenue operations.

As AI platforms become more advanced, organizations often encounter implementation gaps between technical capability and day-to-day usage. The FDAE model is structured to address that gap by embedding commercially accountable operators more deeply into customer environments.

Unlike traditional account executives who primarily focus on closing new business, or customer success managers who focus on support and retention, the FDAE combines revenue accountability with workflow strategy support. The role is designed to assist customers in mapping Artemis and broader BrandJet AI capabilities to their specific GTM structures.

“The technology layer is evolving quickly, but successful adoption depends on workflow design and operational alignment,” said Marsad Aurangzeb, Founder of BrandJet AI. “The Forward Deployed AE role is intended to help customers translate AI capabilities into measurable revenue outcomes.”

BrandJet AI plans to formalize the FDAE framework and publish additional details regarding the role’s structure and responsibilities in 2026.

Connecting Listening and Outreach

Historically, social listening and sales engagement technologies have evolved separately. Listening platforms track conversations, brand mentions, and sentiment across digital channels, while engagement platforms focus on outbound sequencing and pipeline development.

BrandJet AI’s platform integrates both functions, allowing teams to identify signals and initiate outreach within the same environment. With Artemis, those processes can now be coordinated through prompt-driven workflows.

For example, when a relevant public conversation surfaces online, such as a discussion about a specific technology category, hiring signals, or operational challenges, Artemis can help surface the signal, enrich the associated contact, and assist in preparing a tailored outreach campaign.

The objective is to reduce the time between observed intent and commercial response, while maintaining alignment with compliance and messaging standards.

Enterprise Implementation and Governance

BrandJet AI emphasizes that Artemis is built to operate within enterprise governance frameworks. Campaign parameters, messaging templates, and data usage policies remain configurable by customer teams.

As organizations expand AI adoption within revenue functions, governance considerations, including messaging accuracy, compliance adherence, and brand alignment, remain central. Artemis is positioned as an execution layer that operates within these controls rather than outside them.

The company states that ongoing enhancements are planned, including additional intent modeling refinements, deeper workflow customization, and validation loops that compare forecasted campaign outcomes with actual engagement performance over time.

Availability

Artemis MCP is available immediately to customers on BrandJet AI’s Growth and Enterprise plans. Availability for Starter plan users is expected in Q2 2026. Forward Deployed Account Executive engagements are currently offered on a limited basis for Enterprise customers.

Organizations interested in learning more may contact BrandJet AI directly for additional information.

About BrandJet AI

BrandJet AI is a brand intelligence and outreach automation platform designed for modern revenue teams. The platform enables organizations to monitor brand and competitor activity across digital channels, identify potential prospects based on social and behavioral signals, and execute multi-channel outreach campaigns within a unified interface. BrandJet AI serves growth-stage and enterprise organizations across SaaS, financial services, and professional services industries.

Taoshi Announces Vanta Trading, A New Decentralized Prop Trading Evaluation Platform 3208

Vanta Trading Offers Traders 100% Simulated Profit Payouts via the Blockchain, Greater Transparency and a Simplified Evaluation Challenge

Taoshi, a leader in decentralized finance on the Bittensor Network, today announced the launch of Vanta Trading, a prop trading firm powered by Bittensor Subnet 8, known as the Vanta Network.

Vanta Trading is a decentralized trader evaluation platform that identifies and scales top performers using transparent, rule-based blockchain infrastructure. All trading occurs in a simulated environment and does not involve customer funds or live market execution.

As of 2025, the proprietary trading industry is valued at $20 billion. However, some firms and models have been criticized for opaque rules, frequent rule changes, and economic structures that can disadvantage traders. Unlike most traditional firms, Vanta Trading utilizes decentralized infrastructure to offer transparency, with straightforward rules, verifiable payouts, and scaling opportunities.

“With many traditional prop trading firms, traders often cite limited visibility around rules, evaluations, and payouts. In some cases, firms may modify conditions or delay payouts in ways that are difficult for traders to independently verify, creating uncertainty and misaligned incentives,” said Arrash Yasavolian, founder and CEO of Vanta Trading. “Vanta Trading offers a more transparent alternative to traditional prop firm models for scaling serious traders, with verifiable performance records and payouts tracking through the blockchain, zero take fees, and a simple, one-step evaluation process.”

Vanta Trading offers traders:

  • 100% Profit Split: Eligible traders receive 100% of profits generated using their simulated funded account after passing the Vanta Evaluation, subject to program rules.
  • Simple Evaluation: One step challenge, 8% profit target, clear and transparent rules (many prop firms require two phases and have opaque rules, making it difficult to pass and receive a funded account).
  • Account Scaling Opportunities: Top performers are eligible for free, quarterly scaling opportunities where simulated account size can increase to up to $2.5 million.
  • Verifiable Payouts: By leveraging Vanta Network’s decentralized infrastructure, performance and payouts are verifiable and transparent through the blockchain.

Traders submit their signals through the Vanta Trading Desk, which are then scored and tracked on-chain through Vanta Network’s decentralized infrastructure. Payouts to traders are in USD via Stripe and verifiable through Vanta Network.

There are three tiers for traders:

  • Tier I – $25K account size for $199
  • Tier II – $50K account size for $349
  • Tier III – $100K account size for $549

Rules are consistent across all tiers. During the launch, pricing will be reduced to $149 / $249 / $349. Only funded traders with Tier III accounts will be eligible for scaling opportunities.

Qualified quantitative traders will be offered a free evaluation period, subject to their live trading track or backtesting records. The Vanta Network operates as the underlying engine for Vanta Trading, tracking and validating trader performance, with all records and payouts on the blockchain.

Vanta Trading is a technology platform designed to evaluate and scale trader performance in a simulated environment. It does not provide investment advice, does not execute trades on behalf of customers, and is not a registered broker, dealer, commodity trading advisor, or investment adviser.

About Taoshi

Founded in 2023, Taoshi, Inc. is a leading decentralized intelligence–driven trading technology company focused on expanding access to advanced systematic trading strategies through its transparent blockchain-based infrastructure and sophisticated quantitative research. Taoshi’s platform aggregates and evaluates investing strategies developed by a distributed network of finance-focused contributors, enabling adaptive portfolio construction based on real-time market conditions.

Taoshi’s team includes experienced machine learning thought leaders, data scientists, and quantitative trading professionals with backgrounds in building and operating large-scale trading systems. The company is developing an open, transparent trading ecosystem designed to serve both retail and institutional participants.

More information on Taoshi’s website at www.taoshi.io.

Mantle Unlocks Autonomous Economy with ERC-8004 Deployment 3734

Mantle, the high-performance distribution and liquidity layer for real-world assets, announced the official deployment of the ERC-8004 standard on mainnet. This milestone introduces a specialized trust and identity layer designed to transform AI agents from isolated scripts into sovereign economic participants capable of operating across RWAs, TradFi bridges, and DeFi.

The Trust Gap: Why AI Agents Were Problematic

Until now, on-chain AI agents have faced a “visibility crisis.” Despite their ability to execute code, agents remained invisible to the broader financial system. They lacked a way to build a reputation across different platforms, approve their historical performance, or be discovered outside of the specific ecosystem where they were created.

This gap has prevented autonomous agents from participating in high-stakes financial markets where verifiable records are non-negotiable.

ERC-8004: The Three Components of Agent Autonomy

By deploying ERC-8004, Mantle provides the foundational infrastructure for a trustless “Internet of Agents.” The standard introduces three critical on-chain registries:

  • Identity Registry: Provides a verifiable, NFT-based on-chain identity for every agent, making them discoverable and unique.
  • Reputation Registry: Establishes a portable track record. An agent’s “credit score” or performance history now follows it across platforms, ending the need to start from zero.
  • Validation Registry: Offers cryptographic proof of work completed, allowing agents to verify the accuracy of each other’s outputs through stake-secured or ZK-based mechanisms.

“At Mantle, we are building the liquid layer for the future of finance, where RWAs and DeFi converge.” said by Joshua Cheong, Head of Product at Mantle. “By bringing ERC-8004 to our ecosystem, we are providing AI agents with the ‘credentials’ they need to manage real capital. This isn’t just about automation; it’s about creating a verifiable workforce that can navigate compliance, liquidity, and settlement at scale.”

Bridging the Gap in TradFi and RWAs with ERC-8004

On Mantle, where institutional-grade assets flow seamlessly, these agents serve as the “connective tissue.” With ERC-8004, agents can now discover one another, verify credentials, and transact autonomously without being locked into a single platform. This enables three primary categories of autonomous building:

  1. Financial Strategy Agents: Executing complex yield or trading strategies with a performance history that anyone can audit.
  2. RWA Coordination Agents: Managing the heavy lifting of compliance, custody, and settlement for tokenized assets.
  3. Cross-Market Bridges: Bridging liquidity between traditional legacy systems and on-chain protocols by acting as verifiable intermediaries.

A Unified Ecosystem Is Now Powered by Mantle

ERC-8004 is designed to be backwards-compatible and works in tandem with the protocols agents already use, including the Model Context Protocol (MCP), Agent-to-Agent (A2A) communication, and the x402 payment standard.

By combining these communication and payment standards with Mantle’s massive distribution layer and $4B+ treasury, the network is uniquely positioned to lead the “DeFAI” (Decentralized AI Finance) revolution.

Ethereum is the settlement layer for AI, and with ERC-8004, the future of autonomous finance is officially live on Mantle.

About Mantle

Mantle positions itself as the premier distribution layer and gateway for institutions and TradFi to connect with on-chain liquidity and access real-world assets, powering how real-world finance flows.

With over $4B+ in community-owned assets, Mantle combines credibility, liquidity and scalability with institutional-grade infrastructure to support large-scale adoption. The ecosystem is anchored by $MNT within Bybit, and built out through core ecosystem projects like mETH, fBTC, MI4 and more. This is complemented by Mantle Network’s partnerships with leading issuers and protocols such as Ethena USDe, Ondo USDY, and OP-Succinct.

For more information about Mantle, please visit: mantle.xyz

Morph Integrates USDT0, Unlocking Access to the World’s Largest Stablecoin Liquidity Pool 4173

Ethereum-based payments settlement network Morph has integrated USDT0, the omnichain Tether liquidity network powered by LayerZero. The move gives Morph, which aims to become the settlement layer for everyday money, direct access to unified USDT liquidity across 18+ blockchains.

For developers building payment apps, merchant tools or even DeFi protocols on Morph, this means they can tap into a massive, ready-made liquidity pool from day one without the headache of managing a dozen different bridged token contracts.

No more bridges. No more wrapped tokens

Traditionally, using USDT on another blockchain requires a bridge. This process locks the original tokens and mints a new, “wrapped” version on the destination chain.

These wrapped variants are not the same asset. They are separate tokens backed by assets held in complex smart contracts, leading to liquidity fragmentation — where the same currency is trapped in isolated pools — and introducing counterparty risk if a bridge fails.

USDT0 proposes a different model. Instead of locking and minting, it uses a burn-and-mint mechanism. To move USDT from Chain A to Chain B, tokens are burned on Chain A and minted directly from Tether’s canonical supply on Chain B.
As a result, USDT0’s Omnichain Fungible Token (OFT) standard creates a single, consistent asset across all supported networks.

What USDT0 enables for builders on Morph

While many L2s compete for general DeFi activity, Morph is engineered for a specific vertical: payments. Its architecture — featuring sub-300ms block times and zero-fee stablecoin transfers — targets merchant settlement, remittances, crypto cards issuance, and treasury management.

For such use cases, deep and frictionless liquidity is non-negotiable. USDT, with a market cap exceeding $185 billion, represents the largest pool of stablecoin liquidity in crypto.

As the USDT0 integration is now live on Morph mainnet, developers on Morph can integrate what is effectively a universal USDT, slashing technical overhead and simplifying cross-chain user experience, which means:

  • Payment applications can process cross-border transactions with instant settlement and minimal overhead.
  • DeFi protocols can access deeper liquidity without managing multiple stablecoin variants.
  • Merchant platforms can accept stablecoin payments with seamless conversion and settlement.
  • Financial institutions can execute treasury operations with predictable behavior across chains.

The combination of USDT0’s unified liquidity and Morph’s payment-optimized infrastructure lays a powerful foundation for next-generation financial applications.

We’re excited to work alongside the USDT0 team in advancing the vision of unified, omnichain liquidity that makes stablecoins truly borderless.

Money at the speed of life.

About Morph

Morph is an Ethereum-based, payments-first settlement layer and the native onchain home of BGB, focused on building the foundation for global consumer finance onchain. Morph supports real-world financial activity across payments, savings, identity, and rewards, enabling scalable, onchain settlement for consumer and business use. Guided by the Morph Foundation, the network connects more than 120 million users through the Bitget and Bitget Wallet ecosystems.

ID-Bound Unveils “TRIO”: The World’s First Crypto Safe Against Ethereum Access Loss, Theft, and the Looming Quantum Threat 4745

As Ethereum’s market presence expands, so do the risks that keep investors awake at night. Today, ID-Bound officially announces the launch of TRIO, a Crypto Safe designed to eliminate the three greatest existential threats to digital wealth: user error, sophisticated theft, and the “Q-Day” quantum brute-force timeline.

The current crypto landscape is littered with “permanent” losses. As of mid-2025, data suggests that over $3 billion worth of Ethereum has been rendered inaccessible due to forgotten seed phrases or hardware failures. Unlike traditional finance, a lost key in crypto usually means the assets are gone forever. ID-Bound is ending this era of digital fragility.

The TRIO Solution: Solving the “Impossible Trinity” of Crypto Risk

The TRIO solution—comprised of a proprietary Identity layer, a self-custodial, “hot” Wallet, and utility Tokens—addresses the three primary vectors of asset loss:

  1. Immunity to User Error: For the first time, losing your private keys doesn’t mean losing your fortune. If a user loses access, the TRIO platform can replace the tokens via verified identity protocols. Your ETH is no longer a “use it or lose it” asset.
  2. Theft-Proof Architecture: Phishing scams and malware are becoming increasingly indistinguishable from legitimate services, as evidenced by massive platform breaches like the $1.2 billion ByBit hack. Even if a user’s hardware or software is compromised, TRIO tokens are protected by a guarantee against theft, ensuring that hackers cannot drain the “Identity-Bound” safe.
  3. Quantum-Resistant Brute-Force Protection: With Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin noting a non-trivial (20%) chance that quantum computers could break modern cryptography by 2030, the “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” threat is real. TRIO is designed to withstand brute-force attacks, ensuring assets remain intact even if the private key is compromised.

From Passive Security to Active Yield and Institutional DeFi.

ID-Bound believes that high security shouldn’t mean low utility. While traditional “cold storage” leaves assets unproductive, TRIO allows users to generate a solid yield through a unique collateralization model https://id-bound.com/investments . This setup maximizes the benefits of blockchain technology non-custodial holding and the traditional legal system’s enforceability.

Users can leverage their protected TRIO tokens as risk-free collateral in Fractional Real Estate & Real-World Asset (RWA) Acquisition . In the 2026 market landscape, “RWA Tokenization” has moved from a buzzword to the primary driver of institutional and retail crypto adoption. By combining this with ID-Bound’s unique “Unstealable” architecture, we solve the single biggest barrier to entry: the Trust Gap.

“We are moving past the ‘Seed Phrase Era,’ which was always a stopgap for secure digital ownership,” says Dr. Eli Talmor, Co-Founder of ID-Bound. “With TRIO, we’ve built a safety net that is both quantum-ready and human-error-proof. The use of risk-free TRIO token collateral will form the foundation of Institutional DeFi.”

About ID-Bound

ID-Bound is a blockchain security leader dedicated to making digital asset ownership as safe and intuitive as a traditional bank account, without sacrificing decentralization. Through the TRIO platform, ID-Bound provides the infrastructure for the next billion users to enter the Ethereum ecosystem with total confidence. Join TRIO Public Demonstrator now: https://www.id-bound.com/get-on-board

For more information, visit: www.id-bound.com/newsroom

LeveL Markets and 21X partner to offer tokenized capital markets trading 4582

LeveL Markets, which offers industry-leading connectivity to a diverse international trading ecosystem, today announced a strategic partnership with 21X, the world’s first fully regulated DLT-based trading and settlement system (TSS), to offer digital trading services by connecting traditional financial markets with next-generation, wallet-based trading rails.

The partnership brings together two leading and innovative trading companies, with LeveL Markets’ deep roots in institutional equity trading and 21X’s tokenized market infrastructure. Together, clients can extend established TradFi workflows into digital, wallet-native environments. By tightly integrating these capabilities, the two firms will remove operational and technical friction that has historically limited institutional participation in tokenized markets, enabling access without forcing firms to re-architect their existing trading stacks.

Through this collaboration, LeveL Markets institutional customers will be able to access tokenized financial instruments alongside their existing equity workflows. The partnership is intended to align emerging, wallet-based rails with the tools, protocols and operating models that institutional traders already rely on, creating a foundation for future interoperability. Over time, this approach aims to support a more unified trading environment, where traditional securities and tokenized assets can increasingly co-exist within familiar institutional frameworks.

Steve Miele, CEO at LeveL Markets, stated: “LeveL Markets has always focused on improving execution quality and reducing friction for institutional participants. This partnership with 21X extends that mission into the next generation of market infrastructure, giving our clients seamless access to tokenized instruments while preserving the experience, controls and performance they expect.”

“Institutions want the benefits of tokenization without re-engineering their entire trading stack,” added Max Heinzle, CEO at 21X. “By partnering with LeveL Markets, we will embed wallet-based rails directly into proven institutional workflows, making tokenized markets immediately usable for professional traders.”

The partnership provides a critical gateway for traditional financial (TradFi) institutions to engage with tokenized assets. By leveraging digital wallets, LeveL Markets’ institutional customers will be able to access the efficiencies of 21X’s blockchain-based infrastructure, including atomic settlement, the elimination of settlement failures and reduced intermediary costs without compromising the standards of today’s trading environment.

Together, 21X and LeveL Markets are delivering institutional-grade digital securities trading.

About LeveL Markets

LeveL Markets is a U.S. equities marketplace, trading solutions provider, and the broker-dealer owner and operator of the LeveL Alternative Trading Systems (ATS). With a focus on client service, efficient trade execution, and innovative trading technology, LeveL Markets offers a solutions-driven equities platform that connects institutional and sell-side communities through deep buy-side and sell-side liquidity. Founded and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, its unique ecosystem includes continuous crossing platforms, VWAP order types, and advanced low-latency trading solutions.

For more information on LeveL Markets, contact:
Web: https://https://www.levelmarkets.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level-markets-llc/
X: https://x.com/levelmarkets

About 21X

21X is a Frankfurt-based financial institution at the forefront of revolutionizing capital markets through the use of blockchain technology. On 8th September 2025, 21X opened the first ever fully regulated distributed ledger technology trading and settlement system (DLT TSS) in the EU, positioning the company as a leader in the transition from traditional to tokenized asset-based capital markets. 21X enables atomic trading without counterparty or credit risk through smart contract-based issuance, trading and settlement of tokenized stocks, bonds and funds.

For more information on 21X, contact:
Web: https://www.21x.eu/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/21x/