Cantor Equity Partners Acquires $458.7M in Bitcoin for Merger with Twenty One Capital Robinhood Enters Canadian Crypto Market with $178.98M WonderFi Acquisition VanEck Launches Blockchain-Based U.S. Treasury Fund with $100,000 Minimum Buy-In

Cantor Equity Partners (CEP) has acquired $458.7 million worth of bitcoin as part of a planned merger with Twenty One Capital, a new BTC investment firm backed by crypto heavyweights Tether, Bitfinex, and SoftBank. The purchase, disclosed in a regulatory filing, amounts to 4,812 BTC at an average price of $95,319. The bitcoin was initially bought by Tether Investments and later moved into an escrow wallet controlled by the merged company. Blockchain data shows the wallet now holds bitcoin worth about $500 million at current market prices. The new firm Twenty One Capital is being formed through a SPAC structure orchestrated by Brandon Lutnick, son of U.S. Commerce Secretary and Cantor Fitzgerald chairman Howard Lutnick. Twenty One Capital plans to launch with over 42,000 BTC in its reserves.

Robinhood Markets is entering the Canadian crypto market by acquiring WonderFi for $178.98 million in cash. The purchase gives Robinhood control of Bitbuy and Coinsquare, two of Canada's best-known digital asset trading platforms. The deal values WonderFi shares at 36 Canadian cents apiece—a 41% premium over their previous close. Robinhood executives say the move strengthens their push into international markets, especially as global interest in digital assets continues to grow. WonderFi reported a 28% jump in trading volume last year, with C$3.57 billion flowing through its platforms.

Asset manager VanEck has entered the tokenization market with the launch of a blockchain-based U.S. Treasury fund. The VanEck Treasury Fund (VBILL) offers exposure to short-term U.S. government debt through blockchain-based tokens. Developed in partnership with Securitize, the fund is available on Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, and BNB Chain. VBILL targets qualified investors, with a minimum buy-in of $100,000—except on Ethereum, where the threshold is $1 million. VanEck said the fund enables faster, cheaper settlement and around-the-clock access using Circle’s USDC. The VBILL token can also be redeemed directly for AUSD, a stablecoin created by Agora, a startup led by Nick van Eck, grandson of VanEck’s founder. That redemption happens through a single smart contract transaction, known as atomic liquidity. VBILL’s assets are held by State Street and priced daily using oracle data from RedStone.