Today in Crypto: Crypto bank Anchorage Digital is reportedly exploring a capital raise of up to $400 million ahead of a potential IPO next year. Meanwhile, shares of Riot Platforms rose after the Bitcoin miner disclosed BTC sales to help fund an expansion in Texas, and Belgian lender KBC announced plans to roll out Bitcoin and Ether trading for retail clients in February.
Anchorage Digital weighs $400M raise, potential IPO: Report
Institutional crypto firm Anchorage Digital is seeking to raise several hundred million dollars in new funding as it prepares for a possible public listing.
According to a Bloomberg report published Friday, citing sources familiar with the discussions, the fundraising round is expected to range between $200 million and $400 million, with a potential IPO targeted for sometime next year.
Anchorage’s banking arm, Anchorage Digital Bank National Association, became the first federally chartered crypto bank in 2021. The company is now positioned to play a major role in stablecoin issuance and related services following the passage of the GENIUS Act in July.
In September, CEO Nathan McCauley said Anchorage plans to double the size of its stablecoin team over the next year to meet anticipated growth in demand for digital dollar products.
“2025 was a year of scaling for us. We completed a number of acquisitions, secured major partnerships, and rolled out new business lines, including stablecoin issuance, to reinforce our leadership in institutional crypto,” an Anchorage spokesperson told Bloomberg.
One of those partnerships involved Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, USDT. In September, the two firms announced plans to introduce a USAT token in the United States.
Riot Platforms shares surge 11% after Bitcoin sale backs Texas expansion
Shares of Riot Platforms climbed more than 11% after the Bitcoin miner revealed it sold BTC to help finance a major land purchase in Texas.
In a filing on Friday, Riot said it funded a $96 million acquisition of 200 acres in Rockdale, Texas entirely through the sale of roughly 1,080 Bitcoin. The company also entered into a data center lease and services agreement with chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), initially deploying 25 megawatts of critical IT load capacity.
“These results represent a pivotal milestone that solidifies Riot’s position as a leading data center developer, less than a year after launching our formal review of assets for AI and high-performance computing use,” CEO Jason Les said.
Riot noted the initial 10-year agreement could generate approximately $311 million in revenue, with the potential to reach $1 billion if three optional five-year extensions are exercised. Shares of RIOT rose to $18.80 in early Nasdaq trading following the announcement.
The Texas deal comes after Riot disclosed last week that it sold 1,818 BTC in December as part of a strategic shift toward leveraging its data center infrastructure for applications beyond Bitcoin mining, including artificial intelligence. As of Dec. 31, the company held 18,005 BTC, valued at more than $17 billion at the time of reporting.
KBC Bank to roll out Bitcoin and Ether trading in Belgium under MiCA
KBC, one of Belgium’s largest banks, plans to launch Bitcoin and Ether trading for retail customers next month through its own custodial solution and investment platform.
Starting Feb. 16, KBC clients will be able to buy and sell cryptocurrencies via the bank’s online investment platform, Bolero, the company announced Thursday.
“This will allow self-directed investors in Belgium to access cryptocurrencies within a secure and fully regulated environment, a first for the Belgian market,” KBC said.
The offering will operate in compliance with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and will use KBC’s proprietary custodial infrastructure. The bank said it expects to be the first in Belgium to fully meet MiCA requirements, having submitted a complete crypto-asset service provider notification to the National Bank of Belgium.
A KBC spokesperson confirmed the bank has received authorization from Belgian regulators to provide crypto services and will comply with all legal obligations, including mandatory reporting of crypto assets to the relevant authorities.
KBC first revealed plans in July 2025 to introduce Bitcoin and Ether trading on its Bolero platform, subject to regulatory approval that was anticipated by year’s end.
