# Licensing Related Articles

HTX News Center provides the latest articles and in-depth analysis on "Licensing", covering market trends, project updates, tech developments, and regulatory policies in the crypto industry.

Crypto Market Makers Are Collectively Seeking Change as Money Becomes Harder to Earn

**Summary: Crypto Market Makers Adapt as Margins Shrink** Leading crypto market maker GSR exemplifies a broader industry shift, moving beyond traditional market-making to become a full-service "Web3 investment bank." Its recent strategic acquisitions—including an SEC-registered broker-dealer, rebranded as GSR Securities—and purchases of token advisory firms aim to create an integrated platform covering token design, fundraising, listing, liquidity provision, and asset management. This includes launching an ETF and investing in tokenization platforms like Libeara, backed by a strategic investment from Standard Chartered's SC Ventures. This transformation is not unique to GSR. Other major players like Keyrock, B2C2, Wintermute, and DWF Labs are also expanding geographically, pursuing regulatory licenses (especially under frameworks like MiCA in the EU), and diversifying into over-the-counter (OTC) trading, asset management, and real-world asset tokenization. The driving force behind this collective pivot is a rapidly changing market. Profits from traditional altcoin market-making are declining due to fewer viable projects, reduced client budgets, increased competition, and smarter, more demanding clients. Simultaneously, regulatory pressures are mounting, making compliance a baseline cost. Extreme market events further expose teams lacking robust risk controls. Consequently, the crypto market-making business model is evolving from one reliant on information asymmetry and volatility to a more institutionalized, regulated, and service-diverse industry. Survival now depends on building systemic capabilities beyond mere liquidity provision.

marsbit06/12 05:56

Crypto Market Makers Are Collectively Seeking Change as Money Becomes Harder to Earn

marsbit06/12 05:56

When Doing Cryptocurrency Payment, the First Thing is Licenses, What is the Second?

When launching a crypto payment business, obtaining the necessary licenses is the crucial first step. However, the second, and arguably more critical, step is designing a comprehensive operational framework that forms a coherent business loop. This loop must be clearly understood and executable by all stakeholders: banks, payment partners, exchanges, on-chain analytics providers, regulators, and your internal team. Many projects mistakenly believe a single license permits all operations. Licenses merely grant entry; they don't define how the specific business functions. The real challenge lies in detailing every aspect of the workflow. This involves clarifying the customer base, the flow of fiat and crypto assets, the settlement process, and establishing clear lines of responsibility for risks like AML compliance, sanctions screening, chargebacks, and regulatory inquiries. A robust framework must answer seven core questions: Who are the clients and merchants? Who collects fiat and crypto? Who handles conversion and custody? And who is ultimately accountable for compliance and risk management? Projects often fail not from a lack of licensing, but during due diligence when they cannot convincingly explain these operational details. Therefore, beyond securing licenses, the priority must be constructing a closed-loop system. This system ensures the business model is transparent, risks are managed, responsibilities are delineated, contracts are aligned, and the entire process is comprehensible to partners and regulators. The true competitive edge in crypto payments lies not in acquiring a license quickly, but in integrating licensing, banking, compliance, and operations into a sustainable and executable whole.

marsbit06/09 06:31

When Doing Cryptocurrency Payment, the First Thing is Licenses, What is the Second?

marsbit06/09 06:31

Global Crypto Regulation "Closing the Net": Hong Kong, EU, US Simultaneously Take Action, Is the Compliance Window Closing?

Global Crypto Regulation Tightens: Hong Kong, EU, and US Simultaneously Enforce Rules, Closing the Compliance Window? The global virtual asset regulatory landscape is shifting from rule-making to enforcement. Recent moves by Hong Kong, the EU, and the US signal a coordinated push towards market restructuring based on licensing, product classification, custody, and client segmentation. **Hong Kong**'s SFC issued a circular on "Relevant Stablecoins" on May 27, formally establishing a two-tier regulatory architecture where the HKMA oversees issuance and the SFC oversees trading and distribution. This creates differentiated, often lighter-touch, rules for compliant, licensed stablecoins compared to other virtual assets, fitting into a broader strategy to develop stablecoins as settlement infrastructure, tokenized securities as investment products, and licensed VATP platforms as distribution channels. The **European Union** is approaching a critical deadline, with the MiCA transition period ending on July 1. After this date, unlicensed Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) must cease serving EU clients. With only about 210 authorized CASPs across 23 member states so far, a significant market consolidation is expected, as the application process now takes 6-9 months. In the **United States**, the CLARITY Act passed a key Senate committee vote on May 14. This landmark bill aims to clarify jurisdiction between the SEC and CFTC, establish registration rules for trading platforms and custodians, and create a federal framework for stablecoin regulation. A key compromise prohibits "passive yield" on stablecoin balances but allows "activity rewards" tied to specific functions like payments. The convergence of these regulatory actions highlights a fundamental shift: stablecoins, with a payment volume rivaling major card networks, are being treated as critical financial infrastructure rather than unregulated digital assets. The core message is clear: compliance is transitioning from an operational cost to a mandatory license for market access, determining which players will participate in the next phase of the digital asset economy.

marsbit06/03 13:51

Global Crypto Regulation "Closing the Net": Hong Kong, EU, US Simultaneously Take Action, Is the Compliance Window Closing?

marsbit06/03 13:51

Conquering is easy, governing is hard: Polymarket must bow to regulations to plant its flag globally

Polymarket, a decentralized prediction market platform, faces significant regulatory hurdles in its global expansion. Its "permissionless" model, which bypasses traditional identity and financial controls, has led to widespread crackdowns. India recently blocked the site, categorizing it as illegal online gambling under new 2025 laws. Brazil also banned it and similar platforms, though it simultaneously authorized a regulated, investor-only version on its national exchange. Across Europe, countries like France, Portugal, and the Netherlands are enforcing bans based on existing gambling and financial regulations. To enter key markets, Polymarket is adopting a pragmatic, compliant approach. In the U.S., it paid a $1.12 million fine, acquired a CFTC-licensed exchange, and now operates a regulated, KYC-mandatory platform for American users. It also secured a major investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which will distribute its prediction data to institutional investors. In Japan, where gambling laws are strict, Polymarket has begun a long-term lobbying effort, aiming for legalization by 2030 through building institutional partnerships and community presence. Despite these challenges, the prediction market industry is booming, with global volume projected to surge from $51 billion to potentially $1 trillion by 2030. Polymarket's core dilemma remains: adapting its decentralized, anonymous model to fit within sovereign regulatory frameworks focused on licensing, consumer protection, and anti-money laundering rules. Its survival in each market depends on navigating this complex political and legal landscape.

marsbit05/26 10:06

Conquering is easy, governing is hard: Polymarket must bow to regulations to plant its flag globally

marsbit05/26 10:06

It's Easier to Conquer than to Govern: Polymarket Must Bend to Every Rule to Plant Its Flag Globally

Polymarket, a decentralized prediction market platform, is facing significant regulatory hurdles as it expands globally, illustrating the tension between permissionless, crypto-native platforms and national legal frameworks. The platform, which allows users to bet on event outcomes, was recently blocked in India under new online gambling laws and faces similar outright bans in Brazil and Ukraine, the latter citing moral objections to wagering on active war events. In Europe, countries like France, the Netherlands, and the UK are restricting access by enforcing existing gambling and financial derivatives regulations, forcing Polymarket to geo-block users or operate in view-only modes. To navigate this complex landscape, Polymarket is adopting a market-by-market, compliant strategy. In the U.S., it paid a $1.4 million CFTC fine, acquired a licensed exchange (QCEX) for $112 million, and now operates a regulated U.S. entity with strict KYC, abandoning anonymity. It also secured a major investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which will distribute its prediction data to institutional investors. In Japan, a high-potential market, it has begun a long-term lobbying effort aiming for legalization by 2030, acknowledging the country's strict anti-gambling laws and slow regulatory processes. The article concludes that while the global prediction market is growing rapidly—projected to reach $2.4 trillion by 2030—Polymarket's core challenge is transforming its decentralized model to fit sovereign regulatory systems built on licensing, consumer protection, and anti-money laundering rules. Its survival depends on proving its legitimacy in each jurisdiction.

链捕手05/26 10:01

It's Easier to Conquer than to Govern: Polymarket Must Bend to Every Rule to Plant Its Flag Globally

链捕手05/26 10:01

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