XRP Left Behind? Western Union Picks Solana After 10-Year Trial

Stablecoin intermediaries in Australia have been allowed to distribute licensed stablecoins without having to hold a separate financial services license as per a “first-of-its-kind” special exemption granted by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). According to ASIC, the exemption…

The post Saudi Awwal Bank Adopts Chainlink Tools, LINK Near $23 appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. SAB adopts Chainlink’s CCIP and CRE to expand tokenization and cross-border finance tools. SAB and Wamid target $2.32T Saudi capital markets with blockchain-based tokenization plans. LINK price falls 2.43% to $22.99 despite higher trading volume and steady liquidity ratios. Saudi Awwal Bank has added Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and the Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE) to its digital strategy. CCIP links assets and data across multiple blockchains, while CRE provides banks with a controlled framework to test and deploy new financial applications. The lender, with more than $100 billion in assets, is applying the tools to tokenized assets, cross-border settlement, and automated credit platforms. The move signals that Chainlink’s infrastructure is being adopted at scale inside regulated finance. Related: Chainlink’s Deal with SBI Is a Major Win, But Chart Shows LINK’s Battle at $27 Resistance Wamid Partnership Aims at $2.32 Trillion Markets In parallel, SAB signed an agreement with Wamid, a subsidiary of the Saudi Tadawul Group, to pilot tokenization of the Saudi Exchange’s $2.32 trillion capital markets. The focus is on equities and debt products, opening the door for blockchain-based issuance and settlement. SAB has already executed the world’s first Islamic repo on distributed ledger technology, in collaboration with Oumla earlier this year. That transaction gave regulators a template for compliant on-chain contracts. The Wamid deal builds directly on that precedent, shifting from single-instrument pilots toward broader capital markets integration. Saudi Blockchain Buildout Gains Pace Saudi institutions are building multiple layers of digital infrastructure. Oumla is working with Avalanche to develop the Kingdom’s first domestically hosted Layer 1 blockchain. SAB’s Chainlink adoption adds an interoperability and execution layer on top. Together, these projects are shaping a domestic framework for tokenization, with global connectivity added only where liquidity requires it. LINK Price and Liquidity Snapshot While institutional adoption progresses, Chainlink’s…

BitcoinWorld Talos Appoints Former Cowen Digital Head Drew Forman as SVP, Head of Strategy Amid Surge in Institutional Adoption of Digital Assets Leadership team expansion coincides with recent onboarding of large asset managers representing $21 trillion in AUM NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Talos, the premier provider of institutional digital assets technology and data for trading and portfolio management, announced the appointment of Drew Forman as Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy. In this newly created executive role, Forman will lead firmwide initiatives spanning market expansion, product innovation and corporate development as Talos continues to strengthen its position at the center of the institutional digital assets ecosystem. As Head of Cowen Digital, Forman launched a full-service, institutional digital assets platform that offered trade execution, custody through partners, and aggregated liquidity solutions for traditional institutions entering the market. He brings to Talos deep experience in derivatives trading, having led Cowen’s equity derivatives desk, co-led the trading desk at Macro Risk Advisors, and held senior derivatives trading roles at Nomura and J.P. Morgan. Most recently, at Hudson Bay Capital, he focused on the portfolio management and trading of equity volatility strategies, further demonstrating his analytical rigor in traditional finance. “We’re very fortunate to welcome Drew Forman to Talos,” said Anton Katz, CEO and Co-Founder of Talos. “We’ve seen significant growth in traditional institutions entering digital assets, and with that comes a tremendous opportunity for Talos to support their sophisticated workflows. Drew’s proven leadership in building and scaling businesses across traditional and digital finance makes him uniquely positioned to help chart Talos’s next phase of growth.” Forman will report directly to CEO Anton Katz, overseeing business strategy, exploring inorganic growth and partnership opportunities, and helping to define the firm’s long-term positioning across both digital and traditional asset markets. His mandate includes driving alignment across the organization and ensuring that Talos’s platform continues to be the trusted infrastructure layer for financial institutions. Forman’s appointment reflects Talos’s ongoing momentum and the broader wave of institutional engagement in digital assets. Over the past year, Talos has onboarded as clients multiple leading asset managers representing approximately $21 trillion in assets under management (AUM), as well as hedge funds collectively managing over $100 billion in AUM. In addition, several retail brokers have adopted Talos’s technology, enabling over 100 million end users to trade digital assets. Recent growth milestones also include the integration of the Talos order and execution management system (OEMS) with BlackRock’s Aladdin® investment platform, and the acquisitions of four best-in-class digital assets firms: data provider Coin Metrics, risk management platform Cloudwall, institutional DeFi technology provider Skolem, and portfolio engineering platform D3X Systems. These strategic moves advance Talos’s commitment to delivering an institutional-grade platform that supports the full lifecycle of digital asset investment. “I’ve followed Talos’s evolution with admiration, from assembling the broadest connectivity network to building out the most comprehensive execution and portfolio management system for digital assets,” added Forman. “This is an inflection point not only for Talos, but for the convergence of digital and traditional finance. I’m honored to join the leadership team to help shape the firm’s strategic direction and accelerate the next phase of growth.” About Talos Talos provides institutional-grade technology and data that supports the full digital asset investment lifecycle, including liquidity sourcing, price discovery, trading, settlement and portfolio management. Engineered by a team with unmatched experience building institutional trading, portfolio and data systems, the Talos platform connects institutions to key providers in the digital asset ecosystem – exchanges, OTC desks, prime brokers, lenders, custodians, and more – through a single interface. For additional information, visit www.talos.com. Talos Disclaimer: Talos offers software-as-a-service products that provide connectivity tools for institutional clients. Talos does not provide clients with any pre-negotiated arrangements with liquidity providers or other parties. Clients are required to independently negotiate arrangements with liquidity providers and other parties bilaterally. Talos is not party to any of these arrangements. Services and venues may not be available in all jurisdictions. MEDIA CONTACT: media@talos.com   This post Talos Appoints Former Cowen Digital Head Drew Forman as SVP, Head of Strategy Amid Surge in Institutional Adoption of Digital Assets first appeared on BitcoinWorld.