Helene Braun

Helene is a New York-based markets reporter at CoinDesk, covering the latest news from Wall Street, the rise of the spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds and updates on crypto markets. She is a graduate of New York University's business and economic reporting program and has appeared on CBS News, YahooFinance and Nasdaq TradeTalks. She holds BTC and ETH.

Helene Braun

Latest from Helene Braun


Policy

Howard Lutnick, Tether's Wall Street Banker, Is Trump's Pick for Commerce Chief, Not Treasury Secretary

Lutnick, whose Cantor Fitzgerald has been a custodian for Tether since 2021, has been a vocal proponent of bitcoin and USDT for years.

Howard Lutnick is a fan of bitcoin and Tether's USDT. (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Markets

Spot Bitcoin ETF Options Could Start Trading as Early as Tomorrow

The availability of options is thought to possibly bring further institutional interest to the bitcoin ETFs.

Nasdaq (Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress via Getty)

Finance

Bank Clients Just Dipped Their Toes Into Bitcoin ETFs, but Q4 Could See a FOMO Spike

The most recent batch of 13F reports filed by institutional investors was uneventful alongside bitcoin's price action during the third quarter.

An ETF promising 100% downside protection for volatility in the price of bitcoin hit the market on Wednesday. (Charlie Harris/Unsplash)

Markets

Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Has Precedent in Other Big U.S. Government Purchases: Michael Saylor

“The Trump administration understands it, I think Senator Lummis understands it … that’s why it will happen,” Saylor said during a presentation at an event in Miami Thursday.

MicroStrategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor (Credit: CoinDesk/Danny Nelson)

Finance

Franklin Templeton Expands $410M Money Market Fund to Ethereum Blockchain

Ethereum is by far the most popular blockchain for issuers of tokenized traditional assets with a current market cap of $1.6 billion.

Jenny Johnson, Franklin Templeton president and CEO, speaks at Consensus 2024. (Shutterstock/CoinDesk)

Policy

Senior Federal Reserve Official Who Blasted Bitcoin Now Says He'll Have an Open Mind

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari, who previously called the cryptocurrency industry "worthless" and "nonsense," still isn't an uber-bull, though.

Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari, who continues to have doubts about the real-life use cases of crypto, said he will keep an open mind. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Finance

Robinhood Adds SOL, PEPE, ADA, XRP Following Trump Victory

Crypto-friendly Donald Trump’s win in the U.S. presidential race will likely result in a change in leadership at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Trading app Robinhood has added Solana, Pepe, Cardano and XRP to the list of cryptocurrencies available to trade on its platform. (Unsplash)

Finance

Revolut Expands Crypto Exchange Across EU After Successful Launch in UK

Tens of thousands of traders have been using the bank’s crypto exchange in the UK, a spokesperson said.

CoinDesk at CES 2023

Policy

Former Alameda Co-CEO Sam Trabucco Agrees to Forfeit $70M, Yacht, Apartments to FTX Creditors

Trabucco agreed to forfeit apartments worth $8.7 million and a 53-foot yacht as well as the rights to claims filed against FTX for about $70 million, a filing shows.

Former Alameda Research co-CEO, Sam Trabucco (Alameda Research)

Policy

Here's How Quickly Gary Gensler Could Lose His SEC Chair Gig Under Trump

With the crypto-friendly Donald Trump being elected president, industry leaders are now awaiting his first big move, which could be appointing a new chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Gary Gensler, Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, testifies during the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Oversight of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on September 14, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Bill Clark-Pool/Getty Images)