As the global demand for gold remains strong and the asset’s price has reached all-time highs, investors face a difficult choice between various gold investment vehicles. Traditional methods for investing in gold come with a number of drawbacks. Physical gold incurs substantial buy and sell fees, gold futures require advanced financial literacy, while gold-backed cryptocurrencies often lack reliable reserve audits, or their sources of gold are opaque.

IPMB: bringing together gold and cryptocurrency

The International Precious Metals Bullion Group (IPMB) combines vast experience in the gold industry with opportunities provided by blockchain technology to offer a novel approach to gold investing that is reliable and cost-efficient. By controlling the crucial steps of the supply chain, IPMB offers favorable pricing and transparency for investors in its gold-backed GoldPro Token (GPRO) and GEM NFTs. 

A recent report published by Cointelegraph provides insight into this precious metals project. It gives an overview of the challenges gold tokenization solutions face, from physical gold issues to providing liquidity and backup guarantees for digital tokens. The report discusses an in-house solution developed by IPMB to track the gold supply chain, its GPRO token fully collateralized by gold, and the gold-backed GEM NFTs. The report concludes with an overview of the IPMB ecosystem and its future development plans.                       

Inefficiencies in the gold market

The supply chain for physical gold relies on multiple intermediaries, which results in price premiums that are ultimately borne by investors. Furthermore, physical gold investments incur premiums at purchase and come with substantial buy/sell spreads, as well as custody fees of up to 1% per year.

In addition to increased costs, complex gold supply chains make it easier to disguise the origin of gold ore and hide unethical mining. For instance, Ghana, a leading gold producer, has faced criticism for unregulated artisanal mining, which harms the environment and often infringes on human rights.

Streamlining the gold supply chain

In contrast to most existing gold tokenization solutions that rely on third-party supplies, IPMB co-owns gold mining facilities in Ghana and controls the entire gold ore delivery process. As a result, IPMB eliminates unnecessary intermediaries and achieves transparency and sustainability for the whole supply chain.  

The forthcoming launch of the Goldtrace360, an in-house tracking solution designed by IPMB, will automate the tracking process and significantly reduce latency. Goldtrace360 will utilize IoT technologies to record every step in the gold production process on the blockchain.

Introducing gold-backed GEM NFTs

GEM NFTs are digital promissory notes IPMB offers for investment grade 24-karat gold. GEM NFTs are ownership titles for gold bars on the Polygon blockchain. They range from 1 gram to 12,500 grams to cater to a wide range of potential investors.

GEM NFTs can be obtained by staking GPRO, the native token of the IPMB ecosystem on the Polygon blockchain. While GPRO tokens are 1:1 backed with gold, their price remains free-floating.

To obtain an NFT of a specific denomination with a discount, the user must stake a corresponding number of GPRO tokens for a period of between three and 12 months. Longer staking is rewarded with a higher discount. If 100 GPRO tokens are staked for 12 months, 89 GPRO will be converted into a GEM NFT and 11 GPRO will be returned to the user. A limited number of NFTs are allocated to staking each month.

If the user triggers GPRO to GEM NFT conversion at the end of the staking period, GPROs get burned. At the same time, the GEM NFT gets assigned a unique 24-karat gold coin or bar and a London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) serial number, which is also reflected in the NFT metadata.

GEM NFTs that are at least one year old can be redeemed for physical gold, and the redemption is free of charge for NFTs of over 100 grams of gold in denomination. If not redeemed, NFTs stay free of insurance, custody or management fees for the first five years following the mint date.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Cointelegraph does not endorse the content of this article nor any product mentioned herein. Readers should do their own research before taking any action related to any product or company mentioned and carry full responsibility for their decisions.

The US push to maintain the dollar’s global dominance through stablecoin adoption could have unintended benefits for Bitcoin as it emerges as a potential national reserve asset.

During the White House Crypto Summit on March 7, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the American government would use stablecoins to ensure the US dollar remains the world’s global reserve currency.

“We are going to put a lot of thought into the stablecoin regime, and as President Trump has directed, we are going to keep the US [dollar] the dominant reserve currency in the world,” Bessent said.

The treasury secretary also repeated the Trump administration’s promise to end the war on crypto and committed to rolling back previous Internal Revenue Service guidance and punitive regulatory measures.

President Trump delivers address to White House Crypto Summit. Source: The Associated Press

The comments came just before Trump signed an executive order establishing a Bitcoin (BTC) reserve using cryptocurrency forfeited in government criminal cases. While the order does not involve direct federal Bitcoin purchases, it represents a shift in how the government views the cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin may benefit from the growing stablecoin adoption and push for more regulatory clarity, according to Omri Hanover, general manager at the Gems Trade blockchain launchpad. 

“If Trump’s policy strengthens US financial dominance, Europe’s reluctance and ‘wait-and-see’ approach could weaken its economic leverage,” he told Cointelegraph, adding:

“This divide creates two market realities: US accelerates Bitcoin’s institutional adoption, drawing capital; and EU prioritizes compliance, risking a capital shift to US markets.”

Meanwhile, two major bills await congressional approval: the Stablecoin bill and the Market Structure bill, which aim to help lift the regulatory uncertainty around the US crypto industry.

Meanwhile, pro-crypto lawmakers have focused on two major legislative priorities — stablecoins and general market structure clarity — which would help lift the regulatory uncertainty around the US crypto industry. However, no related bills have yet been passed by Congress.

Related: US Bitcoin reserve marks ‘real step’ toward global financial integration

Growing stablecoin issuer profits may flow into Bitcoin investments

The growing profits of stablecoin issuers could contribute to Bitcoin investments, further strengthening its status as a store of value.

Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, USDt (USDT), said it would invest 15% of its net profit into Bitcoin to diversify its backing assets.

Tether’s Bitcoin holdings proved to be lucrative when the firm posted a record $4.5 billion profit for the first quarter of 2024.

Approximately $1 billion stemmed from operating profits derived from US Treasury holdings, while the remaining $3.52 billion comprised the market-to-market gains in the firm’s Bitcoin holdings and gold positions.

Tether’s financial reserves, Q1 2024. Source: Tether

Related: Paolo Ardoino: Competitors and politicians intend to ‘kill Tether’

Tether’s “bc1q” address currently holds over $6.8 billion worth of Bitcoin, making it the world’s sixth-largest holder, BitInfoCharts data shows.

Tether’s Bitcoin holdings earned the company $5 billion in profits during 2024, out of its total $13 billion yearly profit, Cointelegraph reported on Jan. 31.

Magazine: Bitcoin’s odds of June highs, SOL’s $485M outflows, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 2 – 8

The United States push to maintain the dollar’s global dominance through stablecoin adoption could have unintended benefits for Bitcoin, as the world’s largest cryptocurrency is emerging as a potential federal reserve asset.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US government will use stablecoins to ensure that the US dollar remains the world’s global reserve currency during the White House Crypto Summit on March 7.

“We are going to put a lot of thought into the stablecoin regime, and as President Trump has directed, we are going to keep the US [dollar] the dominant reserve currency in the world, […]” Bessent said.

Bessent also repeated the Trump administration’s promise to end the war on crypto and committed to rolling back previous Internal Revenue Service guidance and punitive regulatory measures.

President Trump delivers address to White House Crypto Summit. Source: The Associated Press

The comments came just before Trump signed an executive order establishing a Bitcoin (BTC) reserve using cryptocurrency forfeited in government criminal cases. While the order does not involve direct federal Bitcoin purchases, it represents a shift in how the government views BTC.

BTC may benefit from the growing stablecoin adoption and push for more regulatory clarity, according to Omri Hanover, the general manager at Gems Trade blockchain launchpad. 

“If Trump’s policy strengthens US financial dominance, Europe’s reluctance and ‘wait-and-see’ approach could weaken its economic leverage,” he told Cointelegraph, adding:

“This divide creates two market realities: US accelerates Bitcoin’s institutional adoption, drawing capital; and EU prioritizes compliance, risking a capital shift to US markets.”

Meanwhile, two major bills await congressional approval: the Stablecoin bill and the Market Structure bill, which aim to help lift the regulatory uncertainty around the US crypto industry.

Related: US Bitcoin reserve marks ‘real step’ toward global financial integration

Growing stablecoin issuer profits may flow into Bitcoin investments

The growing profits of stablecoin issuers could contribute to Bitcoin investments, further strengthening its status as a store of value.

Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, Tether USDt (USDT), said it would invest 15% of its net profit into Bitcoin to diversify its backing assets.

Tether’s Bitcoin holdings have proven to be lucrative when the firm posted a record $4.5 billion profit for the first quarter of 2024.

Approximately $1 billion stemmed from operating profits derived from US Treasury holdings, while the remainder of $3.52 billion comprised the market-to-market gains in the firm’s Bitcoin holdings and gold positions.

Tether financial reserves, Q1 2024. Source: Tether

Related: Paolo Ardoino: Competitors and politicians intend to ‘kill Tether’

Tether’s “bc1q” address currently holds over $6.8 billion worth of Bitcoin, making it the world’s sixth-largest Bitcoin holder, BitInfoCharts data shows.

Tether’s Bitcoin holdings earned the company $5 billion in profits during 2024, from its total $13 billion yearly profit, Cointelegraph reported on Jan. 31.

Magazine: Bitcoin’s odds of June highs, SOL’s $485M outflows, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 2 – 8

European lawmakers have remained silent on the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve order, a landmark policy shift favoring early adopters of Bitcoin due to its economic model.

US President Donald Trump’s March 7 executive order outlined a plan to create a Bitcoin reserve using cryptocurrency seized in criminal cases rather than purchasing Bitcoin (BTC) on the market.

Despite the significance of the move, European policymakers have yet to make any major public statements regarding Bitcoin reserves, raising questions about their stance on integrating BTC into national reserves.

This may signal a lack of European Bitcoin reserve-related efforts due to the lengthy process of adding new national reserve assets, according to Anastasija Plotnikova, co-founder and CEO of blockchain regulatory firm Fideum. She said:

“Usually there is a very clear legislative or executive process in adding different assets to the national treasuries, and in many cases, it is not an active voter or central bank support to push this through.”

“[The] ECB [European Central Bank] historically and currently is very critical of BTC as a reserve asset, so it effectively closes the doors to all EU member states,” Plotnikova added.

Meanwhile, European lawmakers are preparing to launch the digital euro, a central bank digital currency (CBDC).

Related: US Bitcoin reserve marks ‘real step’ toward global financial integration

Digital euro push presents payment infrastructure concerns

European lawmakers’ silence on Trump’s Bitcoin reserve order is likely due to its focus on the digital euro, according to James Wo, the founder and CEO of venture capital firm DFG.

“This stems from the ECB’s firm stance against holding Bitcoin in its reserves, as reiterated by ECB President Christine Lagarde,” Wo told Cointelegraph, adding:

“This highlights the EU’s greater emphasis on the digital euro, though the recent outage in the ECB’s Target 2 (T2) payment system, which caused significant transaction delays, raised concerns about its ability to oversee a digital currency when it struggles with daily operations.”

Related: Bitcoin reserve backlash signals unrealistic industry expectations

European lawmakers push ahead with digital euro launch for October 2025

Despite skepticism, ECB President Christine Lagarde is pushing ahead with the digital euro’s rollout, expected in October 2025. Lagarde has emphasized that the CBDC will coexist with cash and offer privacy protections to address concerns about government overreach.

“The European Union is looking to launch the digital euro, our central bank digital currency, by October this year,” Lagarde said during a news conference, adding:

“We are working to ensure that the digital euro coexists with cash, addressing privacy concerns by making it pseudonymous and cash-like in nature.”

Source: Cointelegraph

The United States and the European Union are taking opposite approaches to digital assets. While the EU is working to integrate a centralized digital currency, Trump has taken a firm stance against CBDCs.

While CBDCs have been praised for their potential to increase financial inclusion, critics have raised concerns about their surveillance capabilities and the potential for government overreach.

In July 2023, Brazil’s central bank published the source code for its CBDC pilot, and it took just four days for people to notice the surveillance and control mechanisms embedded within its code, allowing the central bank to freeze or reduce user funds within CBDC wallets.

Magazine: SCB tips $500K BTC, SEC delays Ether ETF options, and more: Hodler’s Digest, Feb. 23 –March. 1

Michael Saylor’s Strategy, the world’s largest public corporate Bitcoin holder, is looking to raise up to $21 billion in fresh capital to purchase more BTC.

On March 10, Strategy announced that it had entered into a new sales agreement that would allow the firm to issue and sell shares of its 8% Series A perpetual strike preferred stock to raise funds for general corporate purposes, including potential Bitcoin (BTC) acquisitions.

As part of the agreement deal, dubbed the “ATM Program,” Strategy expects to make sales “in a disciplined manner over an extended period,” taking into account the trading price and volumes of the perpetual strike preferred stock at the time of sale.

“Strategy intends to use the net proceeds from the ATM Program for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of Bitcoin and for working capital,” the firm said in the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The announcement comes amid Strategy holding 499,096 BTC ($41.2 billion), which it acquired for an aggregate amount of $33.1 billion at an average price of $66,423 per BTC.

The company previously disclosed plans to issue and sell shares of its class A common stock to raise up to $21 billion in equity and $21 billion in fixed-income securities over the next three years in order to accumulate more Bitcoin under its “21/21 plan.”

Strategy’s Bitcoin acquisitions in 2025 as of March 10. Source: Strategy

So far in 2025, Strategy has publicly announced six Bitcoin acquisitions, buying a total of 52,696 BTC since Jan. 13. The company’s current BTC yield amounts to 6.9% year-to-date, with Bitcoin trading at $82,972.

Strategy targets 15% yield in 2025

Strategy’s BTC yield — an indicator representing the percentage change of the ratio between its BTC holdings and assumed diluted shares — amounted to 74% in 2024.

In 2025, the company expects to reach a BTC yield target of 15%.

Strategy’s Bitcoin metrics. Source: Strategy

Formerly known as MicroStrategy, Strategy has emerged as one of the most prominent companies in the crypto industry after it announced its Bitcoin reserve strategy and purchased its first BTC in August 2020.

Strategy’s Bitcoin strategy laid the foundation for growing BTC adoption by many traditional finance (TradFi) companies, such as Elon Musk’s Tesla and Japanese Metaplanet.

Strategy’s co-founder, Michael Saylor, was among the attendees at the first White House Crypto Summit on March 7, 2025. Source: Michael Saylor

Saylor, Strategy’s co-founder and former CEO, is one of the key crypto industry leaders guiding the United States administration in becoming a major crypto economy.

A major Bitcoin advocate, Saylor is known for pushing the US government to boost its BTC holdings in its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve to acquire up to 25% of Bitcoin’s total supply or increase its current 200,000 BTC holdings to 525,000 BTC.

Magazine: Crypto has 4 years to grow so big ‘no one can shut it down’: Kain Warwick, Infinex

Singapore Exchange (SGX), the largest exchange group in Singapore, reportedly plans to debut Bitcoin perpetual futures in the second half of 2025.

SGX is working to introduce Bitcoin (BTC) perpetual futures for institutional and professional investors in an effort to “expand institutional market access,” Bloomberg reported on March 10.

A spokesperson at SGX reportedly said that the company expects to offer a trusted alternative for trading cryptocurrency futures, with its Aa2 rating by Moody’s.

Strictly restricting retail investors, SGX’s planned Bitcoin products are awaiting approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the report stated.

What are Bitcoin perpetual futures?

Bitcoin futures fall under the category of cryptocurrency derivatives, which offer investors the ability to trade on the value derived from the price of an underlying cryptocurrency and speculate on future price movements without holding the asset.

Crypto futures allow investors to speculate on the price by a certain date and time, while perpetual futures offer no expiration date.

The potential arrival of perpetual Bitcoin futures to SGX comes amid Singapore becoming a global leader in cryptocurrency and blockchain acceptance, with the MAS adopting crypto-friendly regulations and doubling the number of crypto licenses in 2024.

Futures emerge as a growing trend in crypto

According to Bloomberg, SGX is not the only exchange seeking the launch of Bitcoin futures trading in Singapore.

EDX Markets, a crypto asset firm backed by Citadel Securities, reportedly announced plans to offer crypto futures in the city-state in January 2025.

Related: Sygnum adds off-exchange crypto custody to Deribit with Fireblocks tech

On March 4, Bloomberg News also reported that Japan’s Osaka Dojima Exchange — a Japanese-listed derivatives exchange — was also looking for approval to list Bitcoin futures in Japan.

If approved, Dojima could become one of the first traditional exchanges in Asia to handle Bitcoin futures.

Cointelegraph approached SGX and the MAS for a comment regarding the potential introduction of Bitcoin perpetual futures on the exchange but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Magazine: Bitcoin’s odds of June highs, SOL’s $485M outflows, and more: Hodler’s Digest, March 2 – 8

Futures have emerged as a growing crypto trend, with major global groups, such as SGX and Japan’s Osaka Dojima, reportedly looking to introduce Bitcoin futures in 2025.

Futures have emerged as a growing crypto trend, with major global groups, such as SGX and Japan’s Osaka Dojima, reportedly looking to introduce Bitcoin futures in 2025.

Software intelligence firm turned Bitcoin investment behemoth Strategy remains $7.8 billion in profit on its Bitcoin holdings despite the cryptocurrency’s recent drop to $80,000.

On March 10, Bitcoin (BTC) recorded its largest weekly decline on record, shedding more value in the past seven days than at any other time in its trading history. Cointelegraph Markets Pro data shows that BTC went from $93,379 on March 3 to a low of $80,610 on March 10, a 13.6% drop in Bitcoin prices in one week. At the time of writing, Bitcoin had recovered slightly to trade at around $82,000. 

Despite the market downturn, Michael Saylor’s Strategy remained ahead on its BTC purchases. The company held 499,096 BTC, purchased at an average of $66,423 per token. In total, Strategy has spent $33.1 billion on Bitcoin purchases, while its holdings are now valued at $41.2 billion — a 24% unrealized gain even amid the correction.

Strategy’s Bitcoin investments highlight the importance of the dollar-cost averaging tactic in investing. Instead of buying at a lump sum, the company divided its BTC purchases at different times and continued to buy the tokens despite the prices. 

Not all companies investing in BTC are up

While Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings remain in the green, other companies that recently entered the Bitcoin market are seeing losses.

According to Bitcoin holdings tracker BitcoinTreasuries.NET, healthcare tech and software firm Semler Scientific, which started holding BTC on May 28, is down by 6.25% on its purchases.

The company holds 3,192 BTC bought at an average price of $87,850. This means that its BTC purchased with over $280 million is now only worth around $262 million. 

Related: Michael Saylor pushes US gov’t to purchase up to 25% of Bitcoin supply

Metaplanet, dubbed “Asia’s Strategy,” is slightly down on its Bitcoin holdings. The company started to add Bitcoin to its balance sheet in April 2023, copying Strategy’s playbook.

Metaplanet holds 2,888 bought at an average price of $83,049. It’s down by over $2 million, nearly 1%, on its Bitcoin investments. 

According to blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain, Strategy has spent $23 billion on Bitcoin purchases since November 2024. However, with the recent price drop, the BTC acquired during this period is now worth only about $20 billion, implying an unrealized loss of over $3 billion on these recent acquisitions.

Strategy’s Bitcoin purchases since November 2024. Source: Lookonchain

Magazine: Mystery celeb memecoin scam factory, HK firm dumps Bitcoin: Asia Express

Crypto mixers and crosschain bridges help criminals obscure stolen funds, making it harder for investigators to trace illicit transactions.