Bitcoin ETF

According to South Korea's KIPRIS, Tether has filed seven trademark applications, including for the "tether" logo and "tether gold." The Digital Asset Basic Act may require overseas stablecoin issuers to set up Korean subsidiaries, with Tether seen as leading ahead of Circle. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire has stated that South Korea is one of the world's most dynamic virtual asset markets. (chosun)

BlockBeats news, May 19, Tether is accelerating its push into the South Korean market. According to the crypto industry, as the company applies for trademark rights in South Korea including the company name and logo, there are speculations about the possibility of establishing a Korean branch in the future. Recently, Tether has submitted a total of 7 trademark applications in South Korea, including the “Tether” brand logo and its gold-pegged stablecoin “Tether Gold.” In the past, the company mainly registered trademarks in South Korea related only to stablecoin product names, but this time it has expanded to cover the brand and logo. Industry insiders believe this could mean Tether is laying the groundwork for business operations in the Korean market. Analysts have pointed out that as South Korea’s Digital Asset Basic Act (the second phase of the virtual asset law) is progressively implemented, overseas stablecoin issuers may need to establish local branches if they wish to operate in the country. Thus, Tether’s move is seen as a preemptive step, acting faster than rival Circle. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire visited South Korea this April, meeting with financial holding companies and crypto exchanges to discuss possible collaborations. He said at the time: “South Korea is one of the world’s most vibrant crypto markets and one of the countries most likely to develop a mature stablecoin market in the future.”

Odaily reported that the publicly listed company Hut 8 announced it has reached an agreement with West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, to invest approximately $16 million to expand the local water system capacity in support of its River Bend AI data center campus development. The investment includes the construction of new wells and a main water pipeline about 8 miles long, which is expected to be transferred to the parish free of charge after completion in the second half of 2026. The first phase of the River Bend campus involves a capital investment of several billion dollars, and once fully operational, is expected to support a total of 268 jobs. The campus will adopt a closed-loop cooling system to reduce demand on local water resources. (prnewswire)