Ian Allison

Ian Allison is a senior reporter at CoinDesk, focused on institutional and enterprise adoption of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Prior to that, he covered fintech for the International Business Times in London and Newsweek online. He won the State Street Data and Innovation journalist of the year award in 2017, and was runner up the following year. He also earned CoinDesk an honourable mention in the 2020 SABEW Best in Business awards. His November 2022 FTX scoop, which brought down the exchange and its boss Sam Bankman-Fried, won a Polk award, Loeb award and New York Press Club award. Ian graduated from the University of Edinburgh. He holds ETH.

Ian Allison

Latest from Ian Allison


Finance

First Abu Dhabi Bank Joins Tokenization Firm Libre for Collateralized Lending

An MoU signed in the UAE by First Abu Dhabi Bank and Libre Capital kickstarts a pilot credit line for approved lenders to use RWA tokens as collateral.

Libre CEO Avtar Sehra (Libre)

Finance

Bitget Mulls U.S. Entry While Awaiting Trump’s Pro-Crypto Administration

In an interview, Bitget CEO Gracy Chen surveys the geopolitics of the crypto exchange landscape, including contested territories like Nigeria, Russia and India.

Bitget CEO Gracy Chen (Bitget)

Tech

Blockchain for IoT Minima to Develop Ledger-Embedded Microchips With ARM

Minima is working with ARM’s Flexible Access Program, which gives startups access to the hardware giant’s IP portfolio and chip design system.

Headshot of Minima CEO Hugo Feiler

Finance

Tokenized Securities Exchange 21X Wins Approval from Germany’s BaFin

In the first quarter of 2025, Frankfurt-based 21X plans to start trading tokenized equity, debt securities and funds, as well as real estate or artworks.

Frankfurt, Germany

Finance

Point72-Backed Exchange D2X Debuts in Europe With Regulated Crypto Derivatives

D2X comes out the gate with 7-days-a-week trading in cash-settled futures, with options to follow early next year.

D2X co-founder Theodore Rozencwajg (right) and D2X CEO Frederic Colette (left)

Finance

BitGo Unveils Retail Crypto Custody Platform

BitGo said the retail offering provides the same institutional-grade security guarantees under the hood that the firm’s existing customers are familiar with.

BitGo

Finance

Mastercard and JPMorgan Link Up to Bring Cross-Border Payments on the Blockchain

Mastercard’s Multi-Token Network (MTN) is joining forces with the bank’s Kinexys Digital Payments unit, the recent rebranding of JPM Coin.

Raj Dhamodharan, Head of Crypto and Blockchain, Mastercard (Shutterstock/CoinDesk)

Finance

Frank McCourt's Decentralized Internet Project Enters Ethereum Ecosystem With Consensys Partnership

The partnership brings Project Liberty to Consensys' Linea layer-2 network and its popular MetaMask crypto wallet.

Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt (MIT Technology Review)

Finance

Digital Currency Group’s Barry Silbert Bets Big on AI Blockchain Bittensor

Barry Silbert will be the CEO of Yuma, a new DCG company focused on incubating and building new businesses within Bittensor’s decentralized AI ecosystem.

DCG chief Barry Silbert (DCG)

Finance

Crypto Exchange Woo X Adds AI-Powered Trader ‘George AI’ to Its Copy Trade App

Traders can copy “George AI” instead of the best humans on the copy trade leader board, or bet each week on who will win out of man versus machine.

Are human traders becoming obsolete? (Woo X)