Blockchain
Web3, Blockchain & Crypto Weekly Report
This analysis report, backed by quality data, covers the major developments the Web3, Blockchain and Crypto sector has experienced this week.
1. Breaking News This Week
- Ethereum’s Eclipse CEO Steps Back Amid Misconduct Allegations
Neel Somani, CEO of Ethereum’s Eclipse project, reduces role following sexual misconduct allegation, asserting innocence while acknowledging gravity of situation.
- Kraken Questions SEC’s Case Amid Ongoing Dispute
Kraken challenges SEC’s lawsuit accuracy, three months after filing motion to dismiss, regarding charges of unregistered brokerage activities.
- Bitcoin Falls as Federal Reserve Mulls Inflation Combat Tactics
Bitcoin price drops to $60,934.11 as Federal Reserve evaluates strategies against persistent inflation in the United States.
- Nigerian Government Denies Binance Bribery Allegations
Nigerian government refutes Binance CEO’s claim of $150 million bribe demand to settle criminal charges, labelling allegations as baseless diversionary tactics.
- Canada Fines Binance Over Anti-Money Laundering Violations
Canada imposes fine on Binance for violating anti-money laundering regulations, citing non-compliance with rules related to operating as foreign money services business.
- Trump Plans Cryptocurrency Donations for Election Campaign
Former President Trump intends to accept cryptocurrency donations for his 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, signalling a shift in approach toward crypto compared to the Biden administration.
- White House Blocks Republican Effort on Crypto Custody Services
White House vows to veto House Resolution 109 aimed at freeing banks to offer crypto custody services, despite passing through the House of Representatives, halting hopes for U.S. crypto banking.
- Chainlink Integration Powers Hong Kong Dollar Stablecoin
RD Technologies integrates Chainlink CCIP and Proof of Reserve to support Hong Kong dollar stablecoin, enabling secure cross-chain transfers and on-chain verification of reserve backing.
- SEC Issues Wells Notice to Robinhood Amid Legal Threat
Robinhood receives Wells Notice from SEC, adding to list of crypto trading platforms facing legal action, asserts platform doesn’t list securities, deeming SEC’s case weak.
2. Blockchain Performance
In this section, we will analyse two factors primarily: the top-performing blockchains based solely on their 7-day change and the top performers among the top five blockchains with the highest TVL.
2.1. Top Blockchain Performers by 7-Day Change
This week’s top blockchain performers, based on their 7-day change, are opBNB, BNB Smart Chain, Ronin, Near Protocol, and Cosmos. Last week, the top performers were Core, ZetaChain, StarkNet, Scroll and Filecoin. None of these chains could enter the list this week.
Blockchain | 7-Day Change (in %) | TVL |
opBNB | +17.1% | $29,035,685 |
BNB Smart Chain | +12.1% | $6,029,605,772 |
Ronin | +5.1% | $187,485,507 |
Near Protocol | +5.0% | $317,732,963 |
Cosmos | +4.7% | $1,372,069 |
opBNB marks the highest 7-day change of +17.1%. BNB Smart Chain closely follows with +12.15%. Ronin, Near Protocol, and Cosmos register +5.1%, +5.0% and +4.1% respectively.
2.2. Top Performers: 7-Day Change in Top 5 Blockchains with Highest TVL
Ethereum, TRON, BNB Smart Chain, Solana, and Arbitrum One are the top five blockchains in the market on the basis of TVL and market dominance. Let’s see how the top five blockchains have performed this week, using 7-day TVL change.
Compared to the last week, this week, the dominance of Ethereum has slightly decreased from 63.26% to 61.52%. Similarly, BNB Smart Chain has seen an increase from 6.18% to 7.15%.
Blockchain | Dominance (in %) | 7d Change (in %) | TVL |
Ethereum | 61.52% | -5.7% | $51,847,288,647 |
TRON | 9.74% | -2.3% | $8,211,022,800 |
BNB Smart Chain | 7.15% | +12.1% | $6,029,605,772 |
Solana | 4.77% | +2.6% | $4,022,451,729 |
Arbitrum One | 3.01% | -3.4% | $2,540,928,822 |
Others | 13.80% |
Among the top five chains by TVL, BNB Smart Chain marks the highest 7-day change of +12.1%. Solana follows with +2.6%. The chain with the highest negative 7-day change is Ethereum, which records a change of -5.7%. Arbitrum One follows with a negative change of -3.4%
Also Read: Blockchain Report & Market Insights for April 2024: What You Should Know
3. Crypto Market Analysis
The crypto 7-day price change and dominance analysis and top gains and losers analysis are the two prime areas of the crypto market analysis.
3.1. Crypto 7-D Price Change and Dominance Analysis
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, BNB, and Solana are the top cryptocurrencies as per the market cap and dominance indices. Let’s analyse their seven-day price change.
Compared to the previous week, the dominance of Ethereum has slightly reduced from 15.23% to 14.78%. Others have experienced only minimal changes.
Cryptocurrency | 7-D Change (in %) | Dominance Percentage | Price | Market Cap |
Bitcoin | -3.9% | 50.71% | $60,934.11 | $1,200,268,706,365 |
Ethereum | -6.4% | 14.78% | $2,921.19 | $350,807,094,812 |
Tether | -0.0% | 4.68% | $1.00 | $110,844,032,187 |
BNB | +0.0% | 3.81% | $586.70 | $90,180,359,491 |
Solana | +0.4% | 2.77% | $145.83 | $65,235,323,274 |
Others | 23.25% |
Among the top five cryptocurrencies by market cap, only Solana marks a positive change; it records a change of +0.4%. The highest negative change is shown by Etherem, which registers a change of -6.4%.
Last week, Bitcoin and Tether showcased positive changes. This time, Bitcoin displays a negative change of -3.9%, and Tether shows a change of -0.0%
3.2. Top Gainers & Losers of the Week in Crypto Market
Here is the list of top gainers and top losers of the week in the cryptocurrency market. The analysis is made using the 7-day Gain and 7-day Lose indices.
3.2.1. Top Gainers of the Week in Crypto
Cryptocurrency | 7-Day Gain | Price |
Akash Network | +35.02% | $5.85 |
Render | +30.09% | $10.87 |
Toncoin | +20.60% | $6.97 |
Arweave | +16.59% | $41.24 |
Kaspa | +15.06% | $0.1283 |
Akash Network, with +35.02% gain, is the top gainer of the week. Render and Toncoin follow with +30.09 gain and +20.60% gain, respectively. Arweave and Kaspa show +16.59% gain and +15.06% gain, respectively.
In the previous week, Pepe was the top gainer. That time, a trend favourable towards memecoins was visible. This time, what we see is a trend favouring AI & Big Data tokens.
3.2.2. Top Losers of the Week in Crypto
Cryptocurrency | 7-Day Loss | Price |
Core | -21.20% | $1.62 |
Wormhole | -20.50% | $0.5974 |
Bonk | -19.25% | $0.00002309 |
Stacks | -17.34% | $2.01 |
Lido DAO | -14.40% | $1.78 |
Core, with a 7-day loss of -21.20%, is the top loser of the week. Wormhole follows with a 7-day loss of -20.50%. Bank registers a loss of -19.25%, and Stacks displays a loss of -17.34%. Lido DAO reports a loss of -14.40%.
Last week, the biggest losers were Helium, Sui, Ondo, Polkadot, and Beam. This time, we see none of them in the list, giving an impression that they have improved its performance.
3.3. Stablecoin Weekly Analysis
Tether, USDC, DAI, First Digital USD, and Ethena USDe are the top stablecoins in the market in terms of market capitalization. Let’s analyse their weekly performance using seven-day market capitalisation, market dominance and trading volume indices.
Stablecoins | Market Dominance (7d) [in %] | Market Capitalisation (7d) | Trading Volume (7d) | Market Capitalisation |
Tether | 70.63% | $110,774,390,760 | $43,232,517,723 | $110,839,699,373 |
USDC | 21.11% | $33,104,074,658 | $6,085,824,820 | $33,106,032,488 |
Dai | 3.48% | $5,459,263,317 | $591,430,715 | $5,465,103,817 |
First Digital USD | 2.43% | $3,813,866,678 | $6,017,294,988 | $3,818,135,796 |
Ethena USDe | 1.47% | $2,302,513,937 | $55,284,303 | $2,302,847,630 |
Others | 0.87% |
Tether dominates the stablecoin market with a dominance percentage of 70.63%. USDC follows with an impressive dominance percentage of 21.11%. Dai, First Digital USD and Ethena USDe show 3.48%, 2.43% and 1.47% dominance, respectively.
Compared to the previous week’s market dominance data, we see no significant changes in dominance of any of the top five stablecoins.
3.3.1. Stablecoin Weekly Price Analysis
Let’s analyse the weekly performance of the top stablecoins further using the seven-day price change index.
Stablecoins | 7-Day Price Change (in %) | Price |
Tether | -0.0% | $1.00 |
USDC | -0.2% | $1.00 |
Dai | +0.1% | $0.9982 |
First Digital USD | -0.0% | $1.00 |
Ethena USDe | +0.3% | $1.00 |
Among the top five stablecoins by dominance, this week, Ethena USDe and Dai display +0.3% and +0.1% change, respectively. USDC shows a negative change of -0.2%. Tether and First Digital USD showcase no change.
Last week, only Dai showed stability. The others showed positive changes, ranging from +0.1% to +0.4%
Also Check Out: Stablecoin April 2024 Report: An In-Depth Performance Analysis.
4. Bitcoin ETF Weekly Analysis
Bitcoin Futures ETFs and Bitcoin Spot ETFs should be analysed separately, in order to get the right picture of the Bitcoin ETF market, as they represent two different segments. Let’s start!
4.1. Bitcoin Futures ETF Weekly Analysis
ProShares (BITO), VanEck (XBTF), Valkyrie (BTF), Global X (BITS), and Ark/21 Shares (ARKA) are the top Bitcoin Future ETFs, as per the Asset Under Management index. Let’s use the price change percentage index to analyse these ETFs.
Bitcoin Futures ETFs | Price Change (Gain/Loss) [in %] | Asset Under Management (in Million) | Price |
Proshares (BITO) | -2.84% | $598.78M | $24.64 |
VanEck(XBTF) | +0.33% | $42.41M | $39.22 |
Valkyrie (BTF) | -3.38% | $38.20M | $17.44 |
Global X(BITS) | -3.71% | $26.10M | $59.63 |
Ark/21 Shares (ARKA) | -2.16% | $8.01M | $58.36 |
Among the top five Bitcoin Futures ETFs by Asset Under Management, this week, only VanEck shows a positive change of +0.33%. The others showcase negative changes. With -3.71% change, Global X records the highest negative change. Valkyrie, Proshares and Ark/21 Shares follow with -3.38%, -2.84% and -2.46%.
In the previous week, all of these ETFs expressed positive changes. The one with the highest change was Ark/21 Shares, which recorded a change of +4.72%.
4.2. Bitcoin Spot ETF Weekly Analysis
Grayscale (GBTC), Blackrock (IBIT), Fidelity (FBTC), Ark/21 Shares (ARKB), and Bitwise (BITB) are the top Bitcoin Spot ETFs, as per the Asset Under Management index. Let’s analyse them using the price change index.
Bitcoin Spot ETFs | Price Change (Gain/Loss) [in %] | Asset Under Management (in Billion) | Price |
Grayscale (GBTC) | -2.84% | $24.33B | $53.99 |
BlackRock(IBIT) | -2.81% | $17.24B | $34.58 |
Fidelity (FBTC) | -2.95% | $9.90B | $53.05 |
Ark/21 Shares (ARKB) | -2.98% | $2.85B | $60.64 |
Bitwise (BITB) | -2.85% | $2.16B | $33.07 |
Among the top five Bitcoin Spot ETFs by AUM, none of them show a positive change. Ark/21 Shares records the highest negative change of -2.98%. The others closely follow with changes ranging between -2.95% to -2.81%.
Last week, all of these ETFs displayed positive changes. None of them showed a change lower than 4%.
This Might Interest You: Should You Invest in Bitcoin ETFs? Detailed Monthly Review and Analysis for April 2024
5. DeFi Market Weekly Status Analysis
Lido, EigenLayer, AAVE, Maker, and JustLend are the five top DeFi protocols on the basis of TVL. Let’s analyse its weekly performance using the 7d Change index.
DeFi Protocols | 7d Change (in Total Value Locked) [in %] | TVL |
Lido | -6.16% | $27.448B |
EigenLayer | -7.60% | $14.368B |
AAVE | -3.02% | $10.297B |
Maker | -1.58% | $8.062B |
JustLend | -2.78% | $5.963B |
Among the top five DeFi protocols by TVL, this week, none of them registers positive changes. The highest negative change of -7.60% is recorded by EigenLayer. Lido closely follows with -6.16%. AAVE, Just Lend and Maker display -3.02%, -2.78%, and -1.58%, respectively.
Last week, all of these DeFi protocols experienced positive changes. EigenLayer recorded the highest positive change of +1.08%. Maker followed with a change of +0.95%.
6. NFT Marketplace: A Basic Weekly Analysis
Blur, Blur Aggregator, Cryptopunks, Gem and X2Y2 are the top NFT marketplaces on the basis of market share. Let’s analyse them using the Volume Change (change of last 7d volume over the previous 7d volume) index.
Compared to the previous week, this week the market share of Cryptopunks has witnessed a considerable increase from 2.99% to 14.98%. Conversely, Blur has experienced a notable reduction from 69.55% to 57.83%.
NFT Marketplaces | Volume Change [Last 7 Day over the Previous 7 Day Volume] | Market Share | 7-day Rolling Volume | 7-day Rolling Trades |
Blur | -29.12% | 57.83% | 11414.71 | 21540 |
Blur Aggregator | -30.39% | 23.19% | 5075.31 | 9015 |
Cryptopunks | +15.57% | 14.98% | 1520.48 | 31 |
Gem | -1.02% | 1.02% | 269.54 | 1457 |
X2Y2 | +32.90% | 0.81% | 300.36 | 158 |
Others | 2.17% |
Among the top five NFT marketplaces by market share, this week, X2Y2 records the highest volume change of +32.90%. Cryptopunks follows with +15.57%. Gem registers a change of -1.02%. Blur Aggregator and Blur show -30.39% and -29.12% change, respectively.
In the previous week, the only one market place which showcased a positive change was Blur. It marked a change of +17.82%. That week, Cryptopunks, with -73.99% change, was the one that showed the highest negative change.
6.1. Top NFT Collectible Sales this Week
CryptoPunks #3619, CryptoPunks #4926, Azuki #4357, CryptoPunks #2549, and BOOGLE #Hwh6Z4 are the top NFT collectable sales reported this week in the NFT market landscape.
NFT Collectibles | Price (in USD) |
CryptoPunks #3619 | $627,990.88 |
CryptoPunks #4926 | $329,252.84 |
Azuki #4357 | $273,445.56 |
CryptoPunks #2549 | $194,213.80 |
BOOGLE #Hwh6Z4 | $192,124.10 |
CryptoPunks #3619 is priced at $627,990.88, which is the highest recorded this week. CryptoPunks #4926, priced at $329,252.84, is the second best price. Azuki #4357 ($273,445.56) and CryptoPunks #2549 ($194,213.80) hold the third and fourth positions in terms of price, respectively. BOOGLE #Hwh6Z4 is priced at $192,124.10.
7. Web3 Weekly Funding Analysis
7.1. General Crypto Fundraising Trend Analysis
Between May 6th and 12th, 2024, the number of fundraising rounds reported is over 30. The total funds raised in this period is around $142.50M. Previous week, between April 29th and May 5th, 2024, the number of fundraising rounds reported was 30, the same as the one reported now. But, the total funds raised in that period was $143.96M, slightly higher than the one reported this week.
The two prime areas of the general crypto fundraising trend analysis are the crypto fundraising by category analysis and the top crypto investment locations analysis.
7.1.1. Crypto Fundraising by Category This Week
Blockchain Infrastructure, Blockchain Services, CeFi, Chain, DeFi, GameFi, NFT and Social are the categories, which witnessed activities this week. Let’s analyse them using the Number of Fundraising Rounds and Funds Raised in USD indices.
Category | Number of Fundraising Rounds May 6 – 12, 2024 | Funds Raised in USDMay 6 – 12, 2024 |
Blockchain Infrastructure | 7 | $41.90M |
Blockchain Services | 8 | $25.10M |
CeFi | 4 | $32.50M |
Chain | 3 | $9.50M |
DeFi | 2 | $7.00M |
GameFi | 3 | $13.50M |
NFT | 2 | $10.00M |
Social | 1 | $3.00M |
This week, Blockchain Infrastructure, raised the highest amount of $41.90M, receives the first position. CeFi, raised $32.50M, gets the second. Blockchain Services, with $25.10M, remains in the third position. GameFi, NFT and Chain raised $13.50M, $10.00M, and $9.50M, respectively. DeFi and Social secured $7.00M and $3.00M, respectively.
In the previous week, CeFi, raised $47.00M, was the category that attained the first position in terms of funds raised. DeFi and Social followed with $28.00M and $20.00M funds raised, respectively.
7.1.2. Top Crypto Investment Locations This Week
Apart from the undisclosed, Singapore, Switzerland, United States, Sweden, Hong Kong and United Kingdom are the top crypto investment locations this week.
Crypto Investment Locations | Funds Raised in (%) | Funds Raised in USD | Number of Fundraising Rounds |
Undisclosed | 84% | $120.76M | 23 |
Singapore | 5% | $7.00M | 1 |
Switzerland | 4% | $5.50M | 1 |
United States | 4% | $5.60M | 2 |
Sweden | 1% | $1.60M | 1 |
Hong Kong | 1% | $1.50M | 1 |
United Kingdom | 1% | $1.00M | 1 |
This week, Undisclosed raised the highest amount of $120.76M, which is almost 84% of the total funds raised. Singapore and Switzerland secured $7.00M and $5.50M, respectively, which are just 5% and 4% of the total funds raised. The United States raised $5.60M, which is also 4% of the total amount raised. Sweden, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom attained $1.60M, $1.50M, and $1.00M, respectively – each represents just 1% of the total funds raised.
Last week, the United States, which became the top performer by funds raised, amassed nearly $58.80M – which was around 45% of the total funds raised. This week, we see an unusual growth of Undisclosed – the amount of money it collected last week was under 43% of the total funds raised. What we see in undisclosed is a 41% gain in the share of the total funds raised; in the United States is a 41% loss.
7.2. ICO Landscape: A Weekly Overview
ICO | Fund Received | Token Price | Fundraising Goal | Total Tokens | Token (Available for Sale) |
Trailblaze | $1,430,000 | $0.015 | $730,000 | 420,000,000 | 30.3% |
Morpheus | N/A | N/A | N/A | 42,000,000 | N/A |
Trailblaze and Morpheus are the major ICOs that ended this week. Let’s analyse how much amount they received. Trailblaze raised an impressive sum of $1,430,000. Its token price is $0.015 and its token (available for sale) is 30.3%.
8. Weekly Blockchain Hack Analysis
As of May 11th, 2024, hackers have stolen a total of $7.82 billion, mostly from decentralised finance (DeFi) platforms and blockchain bridges. DeFi platforms suffered the most significant losses, about $5.9 billion, while bridges connecting different blockchains lost around $2.83 billion.
The two major hacks reported recently are Yield Protocol Hack and Pike Finance Hack. Both these hacks were reported on the last day of the previous month, 30th April, 2024. Yield Protocol lost about $181,000 due to a balance disparity exploit. Around $1.6 million was stolen from Pink Finance using a storage misalignment exploit.
In the month of May, so far, no major hacks have been reported.
Endnote
In this week’s comprehensive analysis of Web3, Blockchain and Crypto, we have brought out powerful insights, which can be used to stay-to-data about the market developments. As the landscape evolves, the strategic integration of technology and data-driven decision-making becomes paramount for stakeholders navigating the dynamic realms of decentralised technologies.
Blockchain
Bitcoin (BTC) Price Crashes as Donald Trump’s Win Odds Dip
Markets received nominally good news on Thursday morning, with the US ISM manufacturing PMI for July falling much more than economists expected, sending interest rates to multi-month lows across the board. Additionally, initial jobless claims in the US jumped to their highest level in about a year. Taken together, the data adds to the sentiment that the US is on the verge of a cycle of monetary easing by the Federal Reserve, which is typically seen as bullish for risk assets, including bitcoin.
Blockchain
Terra Blockchain Reboots After Reentry Attack Leads to $4M Exploit
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Blockchain
$6.8M Stolen, ASTRO Collapses 60%
In the latest news in the blockchain industry, there has been a turn of events that has severely affected Terra and its users and investors, with the company losing $6.8 million. The attack, which exploited a reentry vulnerability in the network’s IBC hooks, raises questions about the security measures of the once celebrated blockchain protocol.
A web3 security company, Cyvers Alerts reported that the exploit occurred on July 31st and caused the company to lose 60 million ASTRO, 3.5 million USDC500,000 USDTand 2. 7 BitcoinThe flaw was discovered in April and allows cybercriminals to make payments non-stop by withdrawing money from the network.
Earth’s response
Subsequently, to the hack employed on the Terra blockchain, its official X platform declared the Suspension network operations for a few hours to apply the emergency measure. Finally in its sendTerra’s official account agreed, sharing that its operations are back online: the core transactions that make up the platform are now possible again.
However, the overall value of the various assets lost in the event was unclear.
Market Impact: ASTRO Crashes!
The hack had an immediate impact on the price of ASTRO, which dropped nearly 60% to $0.0206 following the network shutdown. This sharp decline highlights the vulnerability of token prices to security breaches and the resulting market volatility.
This incident is not the first time Terra has faced serious challenges. Earlier this year, the blockchain encountered significant problems that called into question its long-term viability. These repeated incidents underscore the need for stronger security measures to protect users’ assets and maintain trust in the network.
The recent Terra hack serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing security challenges in the blockchain space. As the platform works to regain stability, the broader crypto community will be watching closely.
Read also: Record Cryptocurrency Theft: Over $1 Billion Stolen in 2024
This is a major setback for Terra. How do you think this will impact the blockchain industry?
Blockchain
Luxembourg proposes updates to blockchain laws | Insights and resources
On July 24, 2024, the Ministry of Finance proposed Blockchain Bill IVwhich will provide greater flexibility and legal certainty for issuers using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). The bill will update three of Luxembourg’s financial laws, the Law of 6 April 2013 on dematerialised securitiesTHE Law of 5 April 1993 on the financial sector and the Law of 23 December 1998 establishing a financial sector supervisory commissionThis bill includes the additional option of a supervisory agent role and the inclusion of equity securities in dematerialized form.
DLT and Luxembourg
DLT is increasingly used in the financial and fund management sector in Luxembourg, offering numerous benefits and transforming various aspects of the industry.
Here are some examples:
- Digital Bonds: Luxembourg has seen multiple digital bond issuances via DLT. For example, the European Investment Bank has issued bonds that are registered, transferred and stored via DLT processes. These bonds are governed by Luxembourg law and registered on proprietary DLT platforms.
- Fund Administration: DLT can streamline fund administration processes, offering new opportunities and efficiencies for intermediaries, and can do the following:
- Automate capital calls and distributions using smart contracts,
- Simplify audits and ensure reporting accuracy through transparent and immutable transaction records.
- Warranty Management: Luxembourg-based DLT platforms allow clients to swap ownership of baskets of securities between different collateral pools at precise times.
- Tokenization: DLT is used to tokenize various assets, including real estate and luxury goods, by representing them in a tokenized and fractionalized format on the blockchain. This process can improve the liquidity and accessibility of traditionally illiquid assets.
- Tokenization of investment funds: DLT is being explored for the tokenization of investment funds, which can streamline the supply chain, reduce costs, and enable faster transactions. DLT can automate various elements of the supply chain, reducing the need for reconciliations between entities such as custodians, administrators, and investment managers.
- Issuance, settlement and payment platforms:Market participants are developing trusted networks using DLT technology to serve as a single source of shared truth among participants in financial instrument investment ecosystems.
- Legal framework: Luxembourg has adapted its legal framework to accommodate DLT, recognising the validity and enforceability of DLT-based financial instruments. This includes the following:
- Allow the use of DLT for the issuance of dematerialized securities,
- Recognize DLT for the circulation of securities,
- Enabling financial collateral arrangements on DLT financial instruments.
- Regulatory compliance: DLT can improve transparency in fund share ownership and regulatory compliance, providing fund managers with new opportunities for liquidity management and operational efficiency.
- Financial inclusion: By leveraging DLT, Luxembourg aims to promote greater financial inclusion and participation, potentially creating a more diverse and resilient financial system.
- Governance and ethics:The implementation of DLT can promote higher standards of governance and ethics, contributing to a more sustainable and responsible financial sector.
Luxembourg’s approach to DLT in finance and fund management is characterised by a principle of technology neutrality, recognising that innovative processes and technologies can contribute to improving financial services. This is exemplified by its commitment to creating a compatible legal and regulatory framework.
Short story
Luxembourg has already enacted three major blockchain-related laws, often referred to as Blockchain I, II and III.
Blockchain Law I (2019): This law, passed on March 1, 2019, was one of the first in the EU to recognize blockchain as equivalent to traditional transactions. It allowed the use of DLT for account registration, transfer, and materialization of securities.
Blockchain Law II (2021): Enacted on 22 January 2021, this law strengthened the Luxembourg legal framework on dematerialised securities. It recognised the possibility of using secure electronic registration mechanisms to issue such securities and expanded access for all credit institutions and investment firms.
Blockchain Act III (2023): Also known as Bill 8055, this is the most recent law in the blockchain field and was passed on March 14, 2023. This law has integrated the Luxembourg DLT framework in the following way:
- Update of the Act of 5 August 2005 on provisions relating to financial collateral to enable the use of electronic DLT as collateral on financial instruments registered in securities accounts,
- Implementation of EU Regulation 2022/858 on a pilot scheme for DLT-based market infrastructures (DLT Pilot Regulation),
- Redefining the notion of financial instruments in Law of 5 April 1993 on the financial sector and the Law of 30 May 2018 on financial instruments markets to align with the corresponding European regulations, including MiFID.
The Blockchain III Act strengthened the collateral rules for digital assets and aimed to increase legal certainty by allowing securities accounts on DLT to be pledged, while maintaining the efficient system of the 2005 Act on Financial Collateral Arrangements.
With the Blockchain IV bill, Luxembourg will build on the foundations laid by previous Blockchain laws and aims to consolidate Luxembourg’s position as a leading hub for financial innovation in Europe.
Blockchain Bill IV
The key provisions of the Blockchain IV bill include the following:
- Expanded scope: The bill expands the Luxembourg DLT legal framework to include equity securities in addition to debt securities. This expansion will allow the fund industry and transfer agents to use DLT to manage registers of shares and units, as well as to process fund shares.
- New role of the control agent: The bill introduces the role of a control agent as an alternative to the central account custodian for the issuance of dematerialised securities via DLT. This control agent can be an EU investment firm or a credit institution chosen by the issuer. This new role does not replace the current central account custodian, but, like all other roles, it must be notified to the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), which is designated as the competent supervisory authority. The notification must be submitted two months after the control agent starts its activities.
- Responsibilities of the control agent: The control agent will manage the securities issuance account, verify the consistency between the securities issued and those registered on the DLT network, and supervise the chain of custody of the securities at the account holder and investor level.
- Simplified payment processesThe bill allows issuers to meet payment obligations under securities (such as interest, dividends or repayments) as soon as they have paid the relevant amounts to the paying agent, settlement agent or central account custodian.
- Simplified issuance and reconciliationThe bill simplifies the process of issuing, holding and reconciling dematerialized securities through DLT, eliminating the need for a central custodian to have a second level of custody and allowing securities to be credited directly to the accounts of investors or their delegates.
- Smart Contract Integration:The new processes can be executed using smart contracts with the assistance of the control agent, potentially increasing efficiency and reducing intermediation.
These changes are expected to bring several benefits to the Luxembourg financial sector, including:
- Fund Operations: Greater efficiency and reduced costs by leveraging DLT for the issuance and transfer of fund shares.
- Financial transactions: Greater transparency and security.
- Transparency of the regulatory environment: Increased attractiveness and competitiveness of the Luxembourg financial centre through greater legal clarity and flexibility for issuers and investors using DLT.
- Smart Contracts: Potential for automation of contractual terms, reduction of intermediaries and improvement of transaction traceability through smart contracts.
Blockchain Bill IV is part of Luxembourg’s ongoing strategy to develop a strong digital ecosystem as part of its economy and maintain its status as a leading hub for financial innovation. Luxembourg is positioning itself at the forefront of Europe’s growing digital financial landscape by constantly updating its regulatory framework.
Local regulations, such as Luxembourg law, complement European regulations by providing a more specific legal framework, adapted to local specificities. These local laws, together with European initiatives, aim to improve both the use and the security of projects involving new technologies. They help establish clear standards and promote consumer trust, while promoting innovation and ensuring better protection against potential risks associated with these emerging technologies. Check out our latest posts on these topics and, for more information on this law, blockchain technology and the tokenization mechanism, do not hesitate to contact us.
We are available to discuss any project related to digital finance, cryptocurrencies and disruptive technologies.
This informational piece, which may be considered advertising under the ethics rules of some jurisdictions, is provided with the understanding that it does not constitute the rendering of legal or other professional advice by Goodwin or its attorneys. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
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