Market Digest

Binance and OKX Launch Prediction Market Contracts

CW 15 Binance and OKX introduced event contracts, entering prediction markets. Hong Kong granted its first stablecoin licenses to HSBC and a Standard Chartered-led JV. Meanwhile, Bhutan reduced its Bitcoin holdings significantly, signaling a shift in its digital asset strategy.

Top CEX launch prediction markets

Binance and OKX, the two largest CEXs, both announced Event Contracts in the same week, becoming the first major centralized exchanges to enter Polymarket’s category. Product concepts are broadly similar across the two platforms. As of April 10, 2026, users can trade on event outcomes such as single-market events like “Will BTC be higher at 16:15 than at 16:00?” or multi-market events like “Which price will BTC exceed by December — $80K, $90K, or $100K?”

See announcement: https://www.okx.com/help/okx-will-officially-launch-event-contracts and https://www.binance.com/en/support/announcement/detail/4989a793bf58434980967848a0f16d77

StandChart-JV and HSBC granted first stablecoin licenses

Hong Kong's central bank has awarded its first two stablecoin issuance licenses to HSBC and Anchorpoint Financial, a joint venture led by Standard Chartered with Animoca Brands as a partner. The approval marks the first implementation of Hong Kong's Stablecoin Ordinance, which took effect in August 2025.

HKMA evaluated 36 applications and indicated the first round would be limited, prioritizing risk management, reserve quality, and anti-money laundering controls. The decision to license note-issuing banks appears deliberate—HSBC and Standard Chartered are among only three banks authorized to issue Hong Kong dollar banknotes, a system dating back to 1846.

The licenses come with one of the strictest KYC frameworks for digital currency globally. Under HKMA's anti-money laundering guidelines, licensed stablecoins can only be transferred to authenticated wallet holders, with travel rules applying to transfers exceeding HKD 8,000. This structural difference sets them apart from freely transferable tokens like USDT or USDC.

See announcement: https://www.hkma.gov.hk/eng/news-and-media/insight/2026/04/20260410/

Bhutan has sold 70% of its bitcoin in 18 months

The Kingdom of Bhutan has significantly reduced its bitcoin holdings, dropping from approximately 13,000 BTC to 3,954 BTC since October 2024, according to on-chain data. The nation moved $215.7 million worth of bitcoin out of its reserves this year alone.The data also suggests Bhutan may have ceased its bitcoin mining operations.

The last mining inflow exceeding $100,000 was recorded more than a year ago. Bhutan had been one of the few nations actively mining bitcoin using its abundant hydropower resources, making this a notable shift in sovereign digital asset strategy.

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