“Asia Morning Briefing: GENIUS Act Sets Stage for ETH to Dominate Tokenized Financial Markets, Says Finance Veteran”

Ethereum Rises in Institutional Spotlight as GENIUS Act Passes Senate

“Every single transaction ultimately runs on ether,” says Etherealize founder Vivek Raman, as Wall Street begins to embrace Ethereum’s expanding role in finance.

As Asia’s markets stir to life, Ethereum (ETH) is trading firmly above $2,500, buoyed by news that the U.S. Senate has passed the GENIUS Act with solid bipartisan support—a legislative step seen as pivotal for crypto’s regulatory clarity.

While lawmakers debated the bill in Washington, Vivek Raman, the founder of Ethereum-focused firm Etherealize, was busy moving between New York’s financial institutions, evangelizing ETH’s growing place at the heart of modern finance.

“Ethereum has been around for nearly ten years,” Raman told CoinDesk from the lobby of Brookfield Place. “But only now are the banks and the big funds really hungry to understand it.”

Raman’s mission is to explain how Ethereum underpins tokenization, Layer 2 networks, and why ether is the settlement fuel behind these digital systems.

“Every single transaction ultimately runs on ether,” he said. “It’s only a matter of time before ETH is recognized as pristine collateral, like bitcoin. It’s going to be the neutral asset that ties this entire ecosystem together.”

He attributes the recent surge in institutional interest to regulatory developments.

“Ethereum has been in regulatory limbo for years. No one was certain if it was a security or a commodity,” he said. “The GENIUS Act and other signals from U.S. policy have been the turning point. The ETH ETF helped, but it didn’t fully resolve the question. Now the market structure is clearer, and that unlocks Ethereum’s true utility.”

According to Raman, the real impact of regulatory clarity isn’t just in headlines but in how it enables Ethereum to serve as the plumbing for stablecoins, tokenized assets, and Layer 2 transactions.

“Circle might be grabbing attention with its IPO,” he added, “but it’s Ethereum that carries the flows. ETH is the only neutral, censorship-resistant collateral that connects all of these tokenized markets.”

VanEck’s Solana ETF Moves Closer with DTCC Registration

VanEck’s proposed Solana ETF has been officially listed on the DTCC’s website under the ticker VSOL—a critical step that paves the way for clearing and settlement if the product receives regulatory approval.

The move reflects the growing institutional appetite for Solana (SOL), following strong investor demand for bitcoin and ether ETFs. Still, Canada has managed to beat the U.S. to market yet again, with issuers like Purpose, Evolve, CI, and 3iQ launching Solana ETFs earlier this year under Ontario regulators’ approval.

OKX Expands in Europe with New Regulated Platforms

Crypto exchange OKX has launched regulated operations in Germany and Poland, extending its footprint into two of Europe’s most dynamic crypto hubs.

OKX now provides spot trading, staking, automated trading tools, and over 60 crypto-Euro pairs, supported by Euro-specific onramps and tailored local services.

“Germany and Poland are pivotal growth markets for our European operations,” said Erald Ghoos, CEO of OKX Europe. “With proper licensing, we can offer safer, better-suited products for users in these countries.”

OKX underscored its commitment to compliance, highlighting MiCA adherence and a 31-month record of publishing Proof of Reserves reports for added user confidence.

Market Snapshot

• BTC: Bitcoin briefly slipped to $103,396 amid concerns over the Israel-Iran conflict, before recovering thanks to sustained ETF-related institutional buying. The price remains range-bound between $103,405 and $107,780.
• ETH: Ethereum has traded widely in the past 24 hours, bouncing from support at $2,460 despite geopolitical stress, though facing resistance near $2,800.
• Gold: Gold is stuck below $3,400 as traders wait for clarity from the Federal Reserve, with geopolitical risks and U.S. debt concerns supporting its longer-term outlook.
• Nikkei 225: Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.15% on Wednesday, as fears of a potential U.S. military strike on Iran added caution to Asia-Pacific markets.
• S&P 500: U.S. equities slipped Tuesday amid the Israel-Iran crisis, with the S&P 500 ending the session down 0.84% at 5,982.72.