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Market infrastructure explained
Plain-language guides to the products, rules and technology where markets, AI and digital assets meet. Written by the BlockWest editorial desk and backed by our interview archive.
Markets & ETFs · IntermediateHow the Federal Reserve moves crypto and risk assetsHow the policy rate, balance sheet, real yields and the dollar shape crypto markets, and where Fed policy stands in October 2026.Markets & ETFs · IntermediateDigital asset treasury companies explained: Strategy, its imitators and mNAVHow Strategy and its ETH and SOL imitators fund crypto purchases, what mNAV means, why premiums compressed in 2026, and the index and accounting questions.Regulation · IntermediateStablecoins and the GENIUS Act: how regulated dollar tokens workHow US payment stablecoins work under the GENIUS Act: reserves, issuers, supervisors, rulemaking status and the market as of October 2026.AI & finance · IntermediateAI agents and payments: how machines pay for thingsAI agents need ways to pay without a person at checkout. Here is how card-based and stablecoin-based protocols differ, and what is still unresolved.Tokenization & RWA · IntermediateTokenized stocks explained: models, rights and US rulesHow tokenized stocks work, what holders actually own under each model, and where US rules and market data stand as of October 2026.Regulation · IntermediateWhat the Clarity Act would have changed, and what happens after the Senate voteThe Clarity Act failed a Senate vote 49 to 50 in September. Here is what the bill would do, why it stalled, and what regulators are doing instead.Tokenization & RWA · IntermediateTokenized Treasuries and money-market funds, explained for allocatorsHow tokenized Treasuries work, who issues them, how big the market is, and the risks allocators should understand before using them.Regulation · IntermediateMiCA explained: the EU’s crypto rulebookHow the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation licenses crypto firms and stablecoins, and how it compares with the US approach.Markets & ETFs · IntermediateSpot crypto ETFs explained: how bitcoin, ether and altcoin funds workHow spot bitcoin, ether and newer altcoin ETFs work, how big they are, how to read flows, and what staking and ETF risks mean for allocators.Market infrastructure · IntermediateInstitutional crypto custody: charters, keys and bankruptcy protectionHow institutions hold digital assets: qualified custodians, SAB 122, OCC trust charters, key security and the lessons of FTX and Celsius.AI & finance · IntermediateAI infrastructure buildout explained: capex, chips, power and financingHow hyperscaler capex, Nvidia GPUs, power limits and new financing structures fit together in the AI buildout, with dated 2026 figures.