WAO ART #281

Wintermute Asia, the digital asset derivatives trading arm of the Wintermute Group, has executed its first options block trade through CME Group. The trade, brokered between Wintermute Asia and TP ICAP, was cleared by ABN AMRO Clearing Bank. Wintermute Asia offers vanilla options in BTC, ETH.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force has signed a purchase agreement for 40 Calidus B-250T turboprop warplanes from Brazil. The deal was struck at the Dubai Airshow, with the aircraft expected to be rolled out in early 2026. The B-250T has a P&WC PT6A-68 turboprop engine.

The New Zealand dollar has surged against the US dollar following China's announcement of stable economic policies and the People's Bank of China maintaining its rates. This rally is driven by optimism and market sentiments, as well as the Federal Reserve's suggestion of an end to US rate hikes.

Belgium plans to focus on developing a public sector European blockchain during its EU presidency in 2024. The country aims to create a transnational blockchain infrastructure for storing and managing official documents such as driving licenses and property titles.

Blur founder, Pacman, has raised $40 million in funding to enhance the presence of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Ethereum Layer 1. The funds will be used to promote NFTs on Ethereum Layer 1 and develop decentralized applications on Blast, a new Layer 2 network.

Kraken co-founder, Jesse Powell, has criticized the SEC following a lawsuit against his company, advising crypto businesses to consider leaving the US market due to regulatory challenges. The SEC filed a lawsuit against Kraken for alleged securities law violations, including improper funds mixing.

Crypto exchange Kucoin has launched its own payments card, called Kucard, allowing customers to spend their cryptocurrency anywhere in the world where traditional debit card payments are accepted. The card enables instant conversion of crypto into the local currency.