Welcome to Kaupr Today

Good morning and welcome to Kaupr Today!

This spring we have been part of two major regional events — Nordic Crypto Adoption Week and Baltic Crypto Adoption Week. The Baltic event wrapped up yesterday, and in today’s newsletter you’ll find links to two fresh articles, as well as links to the adoption hubs for both regions.

Together, the two events gathered close to 3,000 views — and engaged even more people. Perhaps most importantly: they connected individuals and businesses across the Nordics and Baltics in a meaningful way.

In today’s edition we also cover:

🔷 Bitcoin optimism - sluggish US economy
🔷 Traditional banks & brokers moving into digigal
🔷 Implementing and investing in AI
🔷 Nordic & Baltic build news

Have a good read!
Morten

Bitcoin optimism - sluggish US economy

Bitcoin shoots above $72,000 as optimism grows over Middle East ceasefire

Bitcoin spiked above 72,000 dollars and outperformed other major cryptocurrencies after reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed his cabinet to pursue negotiations with Lebanon, reinforcing hopes that the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Middle East could hold and easing near-term macro and energy-market fears.

Why it matters: The move underlines how Bitcoin is trading as a macro‑sensitive risk asset whose short‑term direction is tightly linked to war headlines, oil prices and broader risk sentiment, rather than purely crypto‑native catalysts.

Source: Bitcoin shoots above $72,000 as optimism grows over Middle East ceasefire – CoinDesk

US economy grew a sluggish 0.5% in fourth quarter, government says

The U.S. economy expanded at an annual rate of just 0.5% in Q4 2025, sharply down from 4.4% and 3.8% in the prior two quarters, as a 43‑day federal government shutdown dragged public spending 16.6% lower and knocked more than a full percentage point off GDP growth while consumer spending and core private‑sector activity also cooled.

Why it matters: The loss of momentum, combined with a whipsawing jobs market and uncertainty from the U.S.–Iran conflict and higher energy prices, leaves the 2026 outlook fragile even before any further policy or geopolitical shocks hit.

Source: US economy grew a sluggish 0.5% in fourth quarter, government says – AP News

Traditional Banks & Brokers moving into digital

Charles Schwab rolls out direct crypto trading for 39 million customers

Charles Schwab is launching direct trading of Bitcoin and Ether for its roughly 39 million customers on its Schwab Crypto platform, ending its previous reliance on a third‑party vendor and giving its brokerages and banking customers native on‑platform access to core crypto assets.

Why it matters: When a massive U.S. wealth manager with 39 million clients integrates direct crypto trading, it signals that digital assets have moved from the periphery of mainstream finance into core wealth management, expanding the addressable investor base and pressuring fee‑based incumbents to modernize.

Source: Charles Schwab rolls out direct crypto trading for 39 million customers – Kaupr

Six Swiss banks to test Swiss franc stablecoin

Six Swiss banks will collaborate in a pilot to test a Swiss franc‑backed stablecoin, exploring how a regulated, bank‑issued digital franc can be used for tokenized asset settlements, programmable payments and cross‑border transfers within Switzerland’s existing banking infrastructure.

Why it matters: A coordinated multi‑bank stablecoin trial signals that mainstream Swiss banks are moving from isolated experiments to joint infrastructure building for tokenized assets and digital currencies, which could accelerate broader adoption of onchain settlement in Europe’s most crypto‑friendly banking hub.

Source: Six Swiss banks to test Swiss franc stablecoin – Kaupr News

Stablecoin issuers get closer to U.S. federal rules with FDIC’s new proposal

The FDIC has proposed a rule under the GENIUS Act that would set capital, liquidity, reserve and custody standards for FDIC‑supervised banks issuing payment stablecoins through subsidiaries, clarify that these tokens are not covered by traditional deposit insurance, and bar issuers from marketing “yield” simply for holding stablecoins, with a 60‑day public comment period now open.

Why it matters: This moves U.S. stablecoin oversight from abstract legislation to concrete prudential rules, signaling that bank‑issued stablecoins will be regulated much like other core banking activities and shaping how compliant dollar‑tokens are structured, marketed and integrated into the financial system.

Source: Stablecoin issuers get closer to U.S. federal rules with FDIC’s new proposal – CoinDesk

Standard Chartered’s Zodia crypto custody merger signals deeper bank integration of digital assets

Standard Chartered plans to fold the core crypto custody operations of majority‑owned Zodia Custody into its corporate and investment bank’s digital assets unit, while keeping Zodia running as a standalone software‑as‑a‑service platform for institutional crypto custody.

Why it matters: Moving custody in‑house suggests large banks are shifting from experimental ventures to embedding digital asset infrastructure directly into core regulated businesses, tightening control over risk, capital and client relationships as institutional demand for onchain safekeeping grows.

Source: Standard Chartered’s Zodia crypto custody merger – Crypto Briefing

Implementing and investing in AI

Sundar Pichai sees Google Search evolving into an ‘agent manager’

Google CEO Sundar Pichai says Search is shifting from returning links and snippets toward acting as an “agent manager” that coordinates multi‑step, long‑running tasks across tools and services, with AI handling many concurrent threads on a user’s behalf instead of responding to isolated queries.

Why it matters: An agentic version of Search could pull more user journeys inside Google’s orchestration layer, changing how people discover sites, interact with brands, and complete transactions, with big implications for SEO, ads, and publishers that have relied on traditional query‑result click patterns.

Source: Sundar Pichai sees Google Search evolving into an ‘agent manager’ – Search Engine Land

‘Forget Nvidia,’ says top investor as AMD stock’s AI moment is near

Top-rated investor Victor Dergunov argues that AMD may be on the cusp of its own “Nvidia moment,” pointing to the rapid ramp of MI300 data center AI accelerators, a still‑underappreciated share of a multi‑trillion‑dollar AI market, and the potential for stronger revenue and EPS guidance once AI demand fully shows up in AMD’s financials.

Why it matters: If AMD successfully converts its AI product pipeline into sustained data center market share gains, the stock could see a second‑leg re‑rating similar to Nvidia’s earlier AI rerun, offering late AI‑theme investors upside without paying Nvidia’s current premium multiples.

Source: ‘Forget Nvidia,’ Says Top Investor as AMD Stock’s AI Moment Is Near – TipRanks

Nordic & Baltic building & adoptions

Northstake secures MiCA licence — Danish crypto firm approved for regulated staking across EU

Northstake, Denmark’s leading regulated proof‑of‑stake staking provider, has won the first ever MiCA licence in Denmark, becoming the first digital asset service provider to be fully approved under the EU’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets framework and clearing the way for regulated staking services across the European Union.

Why it matters: A first‑in‑EU MiCA licence for a staking原生 provider sets a concrete regulatory precedent for PoS staking as a regulated financial service, giving institutional and retail clients legal clarity and reducing the compliance risk that has held back broader staking adoption in Europe.

Source: Northstake secures MiCA licence — Danish crypto firm approved for regulated staking across EU – Kaupr

Sats Inc. becomes the first Bitcoin treasury company in the Baltics — raises pre‑seed capital

Sats Inc., a Lithuania‑based startup, has become the first Bitcoin treasury company in the Baltics after closing its pre‑seed round, following MicroStrategy’s balance‑sheet model by raising capital specifically to buy and hold Bitcoin as its primary corporate asset while also exploring Bitcoin mining in Poland.

Why it matters: A Baltic Bitcoin treasury company signals that BTC‑as‑treasury strategy is spreading beyond U.S. public corporations into smaller European markets, potentially unlocking a new wave of regional companies and investment funds adopting Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset.

Source: Sats Inc. becomes the first Bitcoin treasury company in the Baltics — raises pre‑seed capital – Kaupr

Over 3 million own cryptocurrency in the Baltics and Nordics – adoption remains strong

More than 3 million people own cryptocurrency across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, across all age groups and national currencies, with steady growth across generations and both genders showing that ownership is not just an early‑adopter niche but a normalized part of modern savings in the region.

Why it matters: A three‑million‑strong, demographically broad investor base in a small region signals that the Baltics have built a solid foundation for Web3 products and policies, while Finland’s more conservative approach leaves it behind key neighbors in both ownership and understanding.

Source: Over 3 million own cryptocurrency in the Baltics and Nordics – adoption remains strong – Kaupr

Latvia tops the Baltics and Nordics in female crypto adoption – broad-based growth continues

Latvia has the highest female crypto ownership rate in both the Baltics and Nordics at 24 percent, surpassing Estonia’s 21 percent and Finland’s 17 percent, while overall adoption in the region remains strongly distributed across age groups and cycles despite broader market cooling.

Why it matters: Higher and more balanced adoption by women and younger cohorts suggests more resilient, long-term demand for crypto in the Baltics than in markets where participation remains skewed toward older, male-dominated early adopters.

Source: Latvia tops the Baltics and Nordics in female crypto adoption – broad-based growth continues – Kaupr

Evergreen Hub: Baltic Crypto Adoption Week

Baltic Crypto Adoption Week wraps, turning content into an evergreen hub

Baltic Crypto Adoption Week 2026 (7 - 9 April) has ended, but all content will now be available on an evergreen hub for Baltic Crypto Adoption, with news, session recordings, key findings and survey reports for Estonia, Ltihuania and Latvia plus a joint Baltic overview. The week featured four live events, presentations and discussion with a local panel, now available as full video recordings. You can also find four key news articles highlight the most important regional and country findings. Articles and navigation are in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and English; videos and reports are in English.

Why it matters: The hub gives investors, professionals and builders a single, multilingual source for Baltic crypto adoption data and forward-looking use cases, turning a one-week event into a recurring reference point for the region.

Source: Baltic Crypto Adoption Week, Kaupr

Evergreen hub: Nordic Crypto Adoption Week

Nordic Crypto Adoption Week wraps, turning content into an evergreen hub

Nordic Crypto Adoption Week 2026 (23–26 March) has ended, but all content is now live in an evergreen hub for Nordic Crypto Adoption, with news, session recordings, key findings and survey reports for Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway plus a joint Nordic overview. The week featured five live events, 10 panels and 40 speakers; all panels and events are available as full video recordings, and five key news articles highlight the most important regional and country findings. Articles and navigation are in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and English; videos and reports are in English.

Why it matters: The hub gives investors, professionals and builders a single, multilingual source for Nordic crypto adoption data and forward-looking use cases, turning a one-week event into a recurring reference point for the region.

Source: Nordic Crypto Adoption Week is a wrap – evergreen hub now live — Kaupr

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Best regards
Morten Myrstad
Founder & Editor