2025-09-23 15:43

Sept 23 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley (MS.N) , opens new tab will offer cryptocurrency trading on its platform E*Trade from the first half of 2026 through a partnership with Zerohash, an infrastructure provider for the digital assets. At launch, E*Trade clients will be able to trade bitcoin , the world's largest crypto token, as well as ether and solana , a spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said on Tuesday. Sign up here. Once a niche asset class dismissed as speculative, cryptocurrencies have grown into a market worth trillions of dollars over the past decade, drawing in Wall Street banks, asset managers and retail investors alike. The Trump administration's supportive stance on regulations has also helped crypto assets, with Wall Street brokerages now expanding their offerings in the space to tap into the lucrative business. E*Trade rival Robinhood(HOOD.O) , opens new tab offers trading in a wide range of crypto tokens, while Charles Schwab (SCHW.N) , opens new tab provides investors access to exchange-traded funds tied to bitcoin and ether. The digital assets market is currently valued at roughly $3.9 trillion, with bitcoin accounting for about $2.25 trillion and ether around $506 billion of the total, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Bloomberg News had first reported about the partnership. Separately, Zerohash said on Tuesday it had reached unicorn status after raising $104 million in a funding round led by Interactive Brokers (IBKR.O) , opens new tab, with Morgan Stanley, SoFi and others participating. https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/morgan-stanley-offer-crypto-trading-etrade-platform-through-zerohash-tie-up-2025-09-23/

2025-09-23 15:11

FRANKFURT, Sept 23 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank eyes 2029 as a realistic timeline for launching a digital euro, essentially an online payment wallet backed by the central bank, ECB board member Piero Cipollone said on Tuesday. Cipollone said the European Parliament, the European Council and the executive European Commission may have their respective positions ready by May, after which they will start joint work on legislation. Once that is in place, the ECB will need between 2-1/2 and three years to launch the currency. Sign up here. He was speaking at Bloomberg's Future of Finance event. https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/ecbs-cipollone-eyes-2029-digital-euro-launch-2025-09-23/

2025-09-23 12:52

SAO PAULO, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank said on Tuesday that it has entered a "new stage" in which policymakers opt to keep interest rates unchanged while evaluating whether the current level is enough to ensure inflation converges to its 3% target. In the minutes from its latest meeting, where it held the benchmark Selic rate at a near two-decade high of 15% for the second consecutive time, the bank said that policymakers would not hesitate to resume a hiking cycle if deemed appropriate. Sign up here. The rate-setting committee, nonetheless, acknowledged that the economic scenario is consistent with its current monetary policy stance, with the activity outlook pointing to a gradual moderation in growth. "Now that the scenario has unfolded as expected, the committee begins a new stage in which it opts to keep the rate unchanged and to continue evaluating if... such strategy will be enough to ensure the convergence of inflation to the target," it said. The central bank had halted in July an aggressive tightening cycle that added 450 basis points to the Selic rate since September 2024. Policymakers vowed to remain vigilant and monitor the pace of activity, and particularly services inflation. They noted that recent inflation readings showed a more favorable dynamic compared to what was expected earlier this year, but emphasized that deanchored inflation expectations remain a factor of discomfort shared by all committee members. "Inflationary vectors remain adverse," the bank noted. "This scenario prescribes a significantly contractionary monetary policy for a very prolonged period to ensure the convergence of inflation to the target." Brazil's 12-month inflation hit 5.13% in August, according to statistics agency IBGE. The central bank targets inflation at 3%, plus or minus 1.5 percentage points. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad criticized the bank's monetary policy following the release of the minutes, saying in an interview with local outlet ICL that he saw "no justification" for the elevated borrowing costs. "I believe there is room for interest rates to fall," he said. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-central-bank-signals-new-stage-steady-interest-rates-2025-09-23/

2025-09-23 12:37

Sept 23 (Reuters) - U.S. utility Sempra (SRE.N) , opens new tab said on Tuesday it would sell a stake in its infrastructure unit for $10 billion in cash, as well as greenlit a $14 billion expansion of its Port Arthur LNG project in Texas. The company will sell a 45% equity interest in Sempra Infrastructure Partners, which has liquefied natural gas assets and related pipeline and storage infrastructure, to KKR (KKR.N) , opens new tab and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Sign up here. Private equity firms are racing to bulk up on power infrastructure assets as electricity consumption surges to record levels, driven primarily by data centers dedicated to AI operations and rising domestic use. After the deal closes, a KKR-led consortium will become the majority owner of the unit with a 65% stake, while Sempra will retain a 25% interest alongside Abu Dhabi Investment Authority's existing 10% stake. The deal, implying an equity value of $22.2 billion for Sempra's unit, is expected to close between the second and third quarters of 2026. Sempra expects the deal to add about 20 cents to annual earnings per share from 2027. Shares of the company rose 3.2% to $85 in premarket trading. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/utility-sempra-sell-stake-infrastructure-platforms-10-billion-2025-09-23/

2025-09-23 12:11

Holding of base rate at 6.5% marks a year without rate cuts Inflation remains high at 4.2%, outside NBH's tolerance band Forint strengthens, potentially aiding in controlling inflation Governor opposes devaluation strategy BUDAPEST, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Hungary's central bank left its base rate on hold at the European Union's joint-highest 6.5% level on Tuesday, as widely expected, marking a year-long pause in rate easing amid higher inflation and price risks looming in 2026. All 20 economists surveyed between September 15 and 18 said the bank would leave its main rate steady, on a par with that of neighbouring Romania, where government tax hikes to curb the EU's highest budget deficit have triggered a surge in prices. Sign up here. Hungary's inflation ran unchanged at an annual 4.2% in August based on Eurostat figures, central Europe's second-highest rate behind that of Romania, and above the National Bank of Hungary's (NBH) 2-4% tolerance band. "Markets widely expect (NBH) to maintain unchanged rates for some quarters to come," Commerzbank economist Tatha Ghose said. FORINT GAINS ON FED RATE CUT, VARGA'S COMMENTS The forint scaled a 15-month high last week as it benefited from a higher interest rate differential after the U.S. Federal Reserve cut the cost of borrowing for the first time this year. It has also benefited from central bank Governor Mihaly Varga saying this month that Hungary should not build an economic strategy on devaluing its currency, which has weakened sharply since Prime Minister Viktor Orban took power in 2010. The forint's gains could help curb inflation, but with Orban capping food prices and some service sector companies postponing price hikes until after an election due next April, there is a risk of inflation resurging after the vote. "Under Varga, (NBH) has jettisoned monetary easing far more conclusively than the previous MPC had done. Low GDP growth and political pressure does not seem to be significant considerations either, for now," Commerzbank's Ghose said. "This sober monetary stance will continue to support the forint exchange rate." https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/hungary-keeps-eus-highest-base-rate-steady-inflation-risks-loom-2025-09-23/

2025-09-23 12:08

Samples show arsenic and mercury levels above global guidelines President Mahama is trying to regulate artisanal mining Protesters have demanded more action to clean up sector DAKAR, Sept 22 (Reuters) - A boom in artisanal gold mining in Ghana has driven mercury contamination to dangerous levels in host communities, with soil readings in some areas reaching 134 times amounts deemed to be safe, a government-backed study has found. The report by the New York-based environmental group Pure Earth and Ghana's Environmental Protection Authority is based on a year of samples taken from soil, water, crops and fish in six of Ghana's 13 mining regions. Sign up here. Surging bullion prices have contributed to rapid growth in the poorly regulated artisanal sector comprising small-scale gold miners, raising concerns about potential health consequences. The sector exported 66.7 metric tons in the first eight months of this year, worth $6.3 billion, compared with about 53.8 tons for the whole of 2024. Despite Ghana's efforts to separate fully regulated mining from illegal activity, gold flows often overlap, blurring the lines and complicating enforcement. Researchers recorded mercury levels in soil at Konongo Zongo averaging 56.4 parts per million (ppm), far above the 10 ppm safety threshold set by the World Health Organization. Peak readings in the locality hit 1,342 ppm during the research period. 'CUMULATIVE EXPOSURE A SERIOUS HEALTH HAZARD' In addition to mercury contamination, arsenic levels reached 10,060 ppm, more than 4,000% above WHO guidelines, the report said. The WHO says that high arsenic exposure can cause skin damage and kidney failure and increase the risk of lung, bladder and skin cancers through contaminated water and food. "The cumulative exposure to this cocktail of toxic metals through multiple pathways - ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact - is a serious health hazard requiring immediate intervention," said the report released to environmentalists and government officials at a meeting in Accra on September 18 and made available to Reuters over the weekend. The consequences may already be apparent in some communities, said Anthony Enimil, a member of Ghana's Pediatric Society, a child health lobby group. "We're seeing more children from mining areas with kidney disorders - some are now on dialysis," Enimil said on Monday. "X-rays show mercury pellets in their bodies after accidental ingestion." A Ghana government spokesperson did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Godwin Armah, General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, said that mercury pollution from artisanal mining will take time to address. "We have banned the use of mercury in gold amalgamation and now use the Gold Kacha (concentrator) as a safer alternative. We are also stepping up sensitisation," he said, referring to a simple device used by artisanal miners to separate gold. Toxic pollution, largely from unregulated and small-scale gold mining, is prevalent across all 13 mining regions, according to environmentalists including Accra-based lobby group A Rocha Ghana. Ghana President John Dramani Mahama has promised a crackdown on unregulated mining and established the Ghana Gold Board to oversee the sector, though critics say progress is slow and Ghanaians have staged protests demanding action against illegal mining. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ghana-study-warns-hazardous-toxin-levels-linked-mining-artisanal-gold-output-2025-09-23/