Bitcoin plummets toward $60,000 as investors dump risky bets
Bitcoin is undergoing a substantial correction hitting a 16-month low and eyeing the $60,000 support on Friday. This marks a staggering 50% decline from all-time high, as a global selloff in technology stocks deepened and washed out risky bets across asset classes.
The world’s largest cryptocurrency finished up 1.64% at $64,153.24 in erratic trading, swinging between gains and losses after hitting a low of $60,008.52 earlier today.
The head of research at brokerage Pepperstone in Melbourne, Chris Weston said, “Bitcoin’s been going down since October (2025), maybe you could ask if it was the canary in the coalmine or a coincidence.”
The global crypto market has lost some $2 trillion in value hitting a peak of $4.379 trillion in early October, with more than $1 trillion obliterated over the past month. Meanwhile, Bitcoin was on track to lose 16% for the week, bringing its losses for the year so far to 27%. It has been observed that Bitcoin’s fortune has been linked to the broader tech sector for some time.
According to Joshua Chu, co-chair of the Hong Kong Web3 Association, Bitcoin drifting back toward $60,000 necessarily means the bill is coming due for Treasuries and funds that treated bitcoin as a one-way bet without real risk controls. We have also seen sharp corrections in self-proclaimed safe-heaven assets like gold and silver.
Furthermore, analysts from Deutsche Bank noted that US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw outflows of more than $3 billion in January, following inflows of $2 billion and $7 billion in December and November.
Bitcoin crashing concerns are growing after the world’s largest cryptocurrency fell to about $63,000 on Thursday, marking its lowest level in more than a year and nearly half of its all time high of $126,000 reached in October 2025, according to market data reported by Coinbase and CoinGecko.
The sharp drop comes after months of declining crypto prices that have shaken investor confidence and triggered losses across companies heavily invested in digital assets.
CoinGecko data shows the global cryptocurrency market has lost roughly $2trillion in value since early October, adding pressure to stocks tied to the industry.
Bitcoin surged during 2024 and 2025 as industry friendly policy moves helped drive enthusiasm, even crossing the $100,000 milestone for the first time in December 2024.
However, the rally has slowed significantly, with heavy losses recorded through January and early February.
The sell off has also dragged down other major cryptocurrencies. Ether the second largest digital asset, has dropped more than 30 percent this year after failing to match bitcoin’s earlier boom.
Regulatory concerns are also adding uncertainty.
According to The Guardian, US representative Ro Khanna said he plans to investigate reported investments tied to a Trump family crypto venture, warning the deal “may have contributed to changes to US policy”, according to a statement.
Analysts say ongoing volatility and political scrutiny could continue to shape the crypto market outlook in the months ahead.
Kim Kardashian shares where she stands with Kanye West years after split
Kim Kardashian has finally revealed where she stands with her ex-husband, Kanye West, now.
In a new interview with Complex on Thursday, the 45-year-old reality star shared how her relationship with the Gold Digger rapper has evolved since their divorce.
“We’ll always be family,” Kim said, who shares four kids with Kanye – North, 12, Saint,10, Chicago, 8, and Psalm, 6.
“We both know that,” she added. “We will be okay, and there’s so much love for our family. We want what’s best for our kids.”
Kim’s comments about their family dynamic came after she opened up about her struggles with the rapper.
“I was pretty tested, I will say. Very tested,” the SKIMS founder said on an October 2025 episode of The Kardashians. “I mean, I have psoriasis again. I felt it. I mean, I felt more stressed, probably just because I had to super, super protect what I had to protect. My kids are involved now.”
“Everyone around can handle it, but like…protect my babies,” she continued. “They’re gonna know things. They’re gonna grow up. They’re gonna see.”
“So my job as a mom is to just make sure that at a time when that behavior is happening, is just to make sure that they are protected,” added the reality star.
For those unversed, Kim finalized her divorce with Kanye in 2022 after seven years of marriage.
NASA maps how Earth’s glaciers speed up and slow down through the year
Glaciers have never been still. They move again and again often in step with the seasons. Scientists have known this for a long time, mostly by watching individual glaciers or small regions. What has been harder to see is how this behaviour plays out across the whole planet. A study published in Science in November 2025 offers that wider view. Using more than 36 million pairs of satellite images, researchers have assembled the first global record of how glacier speeds rise and fall through the year. Much of the data comes from the long-running Landsat programme. The picture that emerges is uneven but clear enough. As the climate warms, seasonal swings in glacier motion are becoming more pronounced, especially where yearly temperatures now pass the freezing point.
A NASA study tracks global glacier flow through the seasons for the first time
The analysis builds on the ITS_LIVE ice velocity dataset developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It draws together imagery from Landsat missions stretching back decades, alongside data from Europe’s Sentinel satellites. This long view matters. Landsat’s stable orbits and consistent geometry mean the same places can be revisited again and again, often under similar conditions. Subtle shifts on glacier surfaces, barely visible in a single image, become measurable when stacked over time. Older data does not fade into the background. It still carries weight next to newer, sharper observations.
A NASA study tracks global glacier flow through the seasons for the first time (Image Source – NASA)
Warmer conditions bring stronger seasonal changes
When the researchers stepped back and looked across regions, a simple relationship appeared. Seasonal changes in glacier speed tend to show up once annual maximum temperatures climb above zero degrees Celsius. From there, the signal grows stronger with each degree of warming. Many glaciers now speed up more clearly in summer and slow more noticeably in winter. This pattern stands out in temperate and coastal areas. In colder polar regions, the seasonal rhythm is often weaker, sometimes barely visible.
Fine surface details make movement measurable
Tracking glacier flow depends on following surface features from one image to the next. This feature tracking works best when the imagery is sharp. For recent Landsat missions, the 15 metre panchromatic band provides enough detail to lock onto crevasses and surface texture. For older Landsat 4 and 5 images, the visible red band offered the best contrast over bright ice. The movements involved can be small, but over weeks and months, they add up.
Radar fills gaps left by optical imagery
Optical satellites need daylight and clear skies. Radar does not. Radar images can be taken through clouds and during the polar night, filling gaps in winter records. Yet radar has limits of its own. When snow and ice become wet during melt seasons, surface features blur. By combining radar and optical data, the team pieced together more continuous records. Radar also helped estimate uncertainty by checking for false motion over solid ground that should not move at all.
Local landscapes still matter
Despite the global scale, the study does not flatten everything into one story. Glaciers respond to their surroundings. Bedrock type, meltwater pathways and fjord shape all influence how ice moves. A glacier flowing into the sea behaves differently from one ending on land. This is why results from one place rarely transfer neatly to another. The strength of this dataset lies in showing broad patterns while leaving room for local detail.The researchers see the work as a beginning rather than an endpoint. Landsat 9 data is already being added, and more questions sit within the record than answers. Much of what glaciers are doing season by season is now visible but not yet fully understood. The motion is there, quietly traced across the ice.
Never underestimate the simple, restorative power of a curry. There’s something about a bowl of warmly spiced vegetables, rich sauce and steamed rice that soothes like little else. Especially when it comes together as quickly and with as much ease as this one. This cauliflower and potato coconut curry sings with freshness and zing, but still brings all the comfort you want from something spooned into a deep bowl and eaten slowly.
It begins with a fragrant base as most curries do, shallots, garlic, lime zest, ginger and chillies blitzed together with spices and oil until smooth. That paste is cooked low and slow for 20 minutes with a cinnamon stick until it smells sweet, rich, and deeply inviting. From there, it’s a simple layering up. Add the coconut milk and water first, then the potato, leave to soften gently before the cauliflower joins the pot.
Ten minutes more and everything is tender. A spoonful of peanut butter is stirred through right at the end, it’s not enough to overwhelm, but just enough to give the sauce a velvety depth. Coriander adds freshness, lime wedges bring brightness, and a scattering of red chilli on top gives optional heat.
It’s familiar but fresh, nourishing but lively. A dish to lift the spirits on tired days. Don’t you feel like we’re having more of those lately? It’s a reminder that a good curry doesn’t have to simmer for hours in order to taste like it did. Serve it with jasmine rice and a naan bread, a big spoon, and not a single apology.
Serves 2
4 shallots, finely diced
5 garlic cloves
1 lime, zested and quartered
2cm piece of ginger root, peeled
1 long red (Thai) chilli, destemmed, plus optional extra slivers to serve
1 long green (Thai) chilli, destemmed
1½ tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoon medium curry powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick (about 10cm long)
1 × 400g tin of full-fat coconut milk
1 large potato (I like Maris Piper), peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
1 cauliflower, florets separated
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
100g coriander, finely chopped
salt
boiled jasmine rice, to serve
Put the shallots, garlic, lime zest, ginger, both chillies, garam masala, curry powder, oil, ground coriander and a sprinkle of salt into a food processor and blitz until completely smooth.
Place the mixture into a large saucepan and add the cinnamon stick. Give everything a stir to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and then place the pan over a low heat for about 20 minutes, until the mixture smells sweet and aromatic.
Remove the cinnamon stick and then add the coconut milk and about 100ml of water and stir to combine. Add the potato, simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, then add the cauliflower. Stir well and simmer for another 10 minutes. Finally, stir in the peanut butter and mix well until the sauce is combined. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir half the chopped coriander through the curry, then ladle it into bowls and sprinkle with the remaining coriander to serve. Serve with boiled jasmine rice, the lime wedges for squeezing over, and sprinkled with slivers of extra red chilli, if you wish.
Everything that happens in sports has additional context when viewed from a sports betting perspective. From season-changing injuries to record-setting moments and so much more, the sports news cycle will constantly and significantly affect the sports betting industry.
Our Super Bowl betting buzz file, with contributions from David Purdum, Doug Greenberg and others, aims to provide fans a look at the sports betting stories that are driving the conversation leading up to the big game.
Feb. 5: Bettor places $1,000 MVP wagers on Super Bowl kickers
By David Purdum
The Super Bowl can make bettors do strange things, such as wagering big bucks on a kicker to win MVP.
On Feb. 1, a bettor in New Jersey with sportsbook BetRivers placed a pair of $1,000 MVP bets on each of the starting kickers in Sunday’s game:
A spokesperson for BetRivers said the sportsbook had taken only a handful of MVP bets on the kickers, “although several of them are relatively large.” No kicker has ever been named MVP of the Super Bowl.
DraftKings also reported taking a $1,000 MVP bet on Myers at 100-1 and a $500 bet on Borregales at 200-1.
Joey Feazel, head of football trading for Caesars Sportsbook, said there has been interest on Borregales at his shop.
“Longer odds, that’s really what a lot of bettors are trying to find during the Super Bowl, something that’s not the greatest probability, but it has a decent price,” Feazel said.
Quarterbacks have been named MVP in 34 of 59 Super Bowls, including five of the last six. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold is the MVP favorite in Super Bowl LX, listed at +115 on Thursday at DraftKings Sportsbook, followed by Patriots quarterback Drake Maye at +240.
Wide receivers have won eight MVPs, followed by running backs with seven. Ten defensive players have won the award: four linebackers, two defensive ends, two safeties, one safety and one defensive tackle.
In other long-shot MVP wagers, Hard Rock Bet reports taking a $1,000 bet on Seattle cornerback Devon Witherspoon to win Super Bowl MVP at 150-1, and $100 bets on three Seahawks defenders: defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (150-1), safety Julian Love (500-1) and defensive tackle Leonard Williams (100-1).
Feb. 4: Super Bowl odds and ends
More bets on coin flip than any Super Bowl player prop
Among the thousands of Super Bowl props on the board, the most popular one with bettors will be determined by a flick of the thumb before the game even kicks off. At BetMGM sportsbooks, more bets have been placed on the result of the pregame coin flip than on any individual player prop on the board.
Overall, “heads or tails” is eighth overall in Super Bowl wagering, behind the staples such as the point spread, outright winner (money line) and MVP. Bettors annually flock to place a bet on the Super Bowl coin flip. Most of the bets are small in stature, but there have been reports of six-figure wagers on the coin flip in the past. The Super Bowl has landed on tails in 31 out of the 59 past Super Bowls. As of Wednesday, 63% of the money wagered on the coin flip was on heads at BetMGM. — David Purdum
A super hedge
Before the season, a retail bettor at BetMGM in Nevada placed three $50,000 futures wagers on the Seahawks, two of which — to make the playoffs (+185) and to win the NFC (+2800) — have already cashed to the tune of approximately $1.5 million combined.
With the last $50,000 riding on Seattle to win the Super Bowl at 60-1, the same bettor has placed a $725,000 bet on the Patriots to win Sunday’s game at +190 money line odds, BetMGM confirmed to ESPN. Should the Seahawks win, the bettor will net $2,275,000, but if the Pats win, the bettor will net “only” $1,327,500 on the wagers with BetMGM.
The same bettor also placed large bets on the Seahawks in the preseason at sportsbook Circa, according to a source. — Doug Greenberg
Holding the line
The consensus Super Bowl point spread is holding steady at Seattle -4.5 at all but a few sportsbooks, with the Seahawks attracting the majority of the action on the spread. As of Wednesday at DraftKings, approximately 64% of the bets — and 70% of all money that had been wagered — was on Seattle.
“Early action was mostly on Seattle,” Tom Gable, sportsbook director at the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, told ESPN. “We opened [Seahawks] -4, touched -5, but settled in at -4.5 and haven’t moved since. If New England keeps it within the number, as of now, that would be a good outcome. New England winning outright even better. But a lot of handle still to come.” — Purdum
Feb. 4: Tracking the largest bets on Super Bowl LX so far
By Doug Greenberg
The matchup for Super Bowl LX is set with the Seattle Seahawks favored over the New England Patriots to take home the Lombardi Trophy. The biggest single event in American sports always brings out the big bets.
Since the summer, bettors have been speculating on the result of this game, and the wagers will finally settle on Feb. 8. Here are some of the largest bets — by odds, stakes and potential winnings — tracked thus far:
On Wednesday, Florida attorney Dan Newlin placed a $1 million wager on the Seattle Seahawks moneyline at -230 odds to net $434,782.61, all of which will be donated to pediatric cancer research at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando. A release from Newlin said he will continue donating to Nemours “regardless of the outcome of this wager.”
In August, a retail bettor at BetMGM in Nevada placed three separate $50,000 futures on the Seahawks, as first reported by Yahoo Sports and confirmed to ESPN by the sportsbook. Seahawks to make the playoffs at +185 cashed for $92,500 and Seahawks to win the NFC at +2800 cashed for $1.4 million. The bettor still has a Seattle Super Bowl ticket at +6000 odds that will net $3 million if successful.
On Monday, Circa Sports director of operations Jeffrey Benson announced that the sportsbook took a $1.1 million wager on the Patriots money line at +188 that would net nearly $2.1 million if New England wins outright.
DraftKings took a $10,000 futures bet on the Patriots to win the Super Bowl at +8000 that would pay winnings of $800,000.
In November, BetMGM accepted a $30,000 wager on New England to win the Super Bowl at +2200, a net of $660,000 if successful.
In late August, Circa took a $100 bet on the exact result of the Super Bowl being Seahawks over Patriots at an astonishing 3100-1. The bettor would win $310,000 if the exacta comes to fruition.
On Jan. 14, Caesars Sportsbook took a $32,000 wager on the Seahawks at +275 odds for winnings of $88,000; less than two weeks later, it took a $40,000 bet on the Patriots at +260 for a potential net win of $104,000.
DraftKings accepted a $500 bet on the Seahawks at +65000 to win $32,500.
At Caesars, a bettor in Nevada placed a $55,000 wager on Patriots +4.5 (-108) for an approximate $51,000 win, while a bettor in New Jersey put in a $36,000 bet on Seahawks -4.5 (-109) for an approximate $33,000 win, according to the sportsbook’s head of football Joey Feazel, who said the wagers came in “within seconds” of the odds going up following the NFC championship.
Feb. 3: Blue, orange the favorites in Gatorade dump markets
By Doug Greenberg
Of the thousands of prop bets offered on the Super Bowl each year, the color of Gatorade poured on the winning head coach is one of the big game’s most enduring novelties.
At DraftKings, blue and orange are the current odds leaders at +250, with yellow/lime or green close behind at +260. Purple (+700), red/pink (+950) and water/clear (+1100) round out the available options.
A representative from BetMGM told ESPN that the Gatorade prop is currently the 23rd-most-bet market for the Super Bowl thus far but that they “expect it will continue to grow,” given it has not been available as long as many of the other prop markets.
In the early betting, yellow/lime or green has been the clear public preference; both BetMGM and DraftKings report their largest shares of bets and handle backing the flavor, maxing out with 28.1% of the money at the former. Blue has also been a popular choice, with a leading 29% of tickets at theScore Bet, as well as the second-most bets and handle at BetMGM. Purple and orange have also seen their fair share of action across the sportsbook marketplace.
The three most recent Super Bowls saw the Philadelphia Eagles use yellow on Nick Sirianni, while the Kansas City Chiefs dumped purple on Andy Reid for both of their Super Bowl wins.
When the Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII, they used orange Gatorade. The New England Patriots have varied between blue and clear throughout their six Super Bowl wins, with blue being the winning color for their victory in Super Bowl LIII. These were, of course, under different coaching regimes, if that matters.
Since 2001, orange has been the most frequently used color, getting the dump five times. All of the other colors are tied at four except for red/pink, which has never been used, according to data from BetMGM.
Feb. 2: Seahawks’ Shaheed the favorite to be fastest in Super Bowl
By ESPN Staff
Among more than 1,500 betting markets, DraftKings is offering odds on the top speed a ball carrier will reach during Super Bowl LX.
Seattle Seahawks receiver/kick returner Rashid Shaheed, at +200, is the betting favorite to reach the highest speed of any ball carrier in Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, a wager that will be determined by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is next at +270, followed by Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III at +400. New England quarterback Drake Maye has the shortest odds of any Patriot, at +450
DraftKings has the over/under on Shaheed’s top speed set at 19.5 mph. He reached a top speed of 21.72 mph this season, while he was with the New Orleans Saints, before his trade to the Seahawks. He has gone over 19.5 on carries in both of Seattle’s playoff games this season but has had only seven possible plays in both playoff games.
The over/under on Maye’s top speed is 18.5 mph. He has exceeded that speed in all three playoff games.
Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson was one of six ball carriers to reach 22 mph during a game this season. Henderson topped out at 22.01 mph during a Week 10 game. He is 10-1 to have the fastest carry in the Super Bowl, but the rookie running back’s touches have been limited in the playoffs.
Jan 31. Sportsbooks resist moving Super Bowl line despite heavy Seahawks action
By David Purdum
After a week of betting, the point spread on Super Bowl LX was holding steady Saturday, with the Seattle Seahawks remaining consensus 4.5-point favorites over the New England Patriots.
Sportsbooks have been reporting early lopsided action on the Seahawks to cover the spread. As of Saturday, 75% of the money that had been bet on the Super Bowl spread with DraftKings was on Seattle. In addition, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who is battling a sore shoulder, missed Friday’s practice with an illness.
Despite the early action on the Seahawks and Maye’s ailments, most sportsbooks were holding the line at 4.5.
“At this point, it would require significant additional action on Seattle -4.5, or a meaningful update to Drake Maye’s injury status, for us to consider a move,” Neil Walsh, senior vice president for Hard Rock Bet, told ESPN. “We do not anticipate either occurring for the next few days.”
Jamey Pileggi, head NFL oddsmaker for Circa Sports, said it would take a “six- or seven-figure” bet on the Seahawks at -4.5 to push the line up to -5.
Two Las Vegas sportsbooks — the South Point and the Westgate SuperBook — had bumped the line up to -5 in recent days.
Chris Andrews, the South Point’s veteran sportsbook director, made the adjustment to Seahawks -5 on Thursday, saying that he’d rather be the first sportsbook to make the move than the last. Since making the move to -5, Andrews said the action has been extremely balanced.
“Only $3 separates the teams at five,” Andrews said.
Bookmakers weren’t putting much stock in any impact Maye’s shoulder might have. Andrews said he was going to let the money wagered guide him. He estimated only around 5% of the total money that he expects will be wagered on the Super Bowl had been placed in the first week.
Jan. 29: Smith-Njigba most popular player in early Super Bowl betting
By Doug Greenberg
In early player prop and MVP wagering for Super Bowl LX, one name is rising above the rest: Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver is currently DraftKings Sportsbook’s most-bet first touchdown scorer (+550) with 15% of the handle, as well as its most-bet anytime touchdown scorer. BetMGM similarly reports Smith-Njigba attracting the most anytime touchdown and first touchdown wagers, making him a liability for the book.
“Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Seattle’s Defense/Special Teams finding paydirt have become bad results for the book right now,” BetMGM trading manager Christian Cipollini said in an email release.
Both books list the 23-year-old’s anytime touchdown prop at -110, which has already shortened from +100 likely due in part to the heavy action he has received. That said, Smith-Njigba’s implied odds to score a touchdown, defined as “the probability of an outcome projected by Mike Clay [converted] into a money line,” are +181.
Smith-Njigba has by far the highest receiving yards over/under of any player at 95.5, according to DraftKings lines. The sportsbook reports him receiving the most wagers in the most receiving yards market (-185), as well as the most receptions market (-158).
All the early betting fervor around Smith-Njigba extends to the Super Bowl MVP market, where he is also becoming a creeping liability. At +550, he has the shortest odds for a wide receiver to win Super Bowl MVP since Larry Fitzgerald in 2009 (+400), and seeks to be the longest winner overall since his current teammate, Cooper Kupp, won it at +600 with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, according to SportsOddsHistory.
DraftKings says Smith-Njigba is its second-most-bet MVP candidate by handle (19%), while BetMGM reports him receiving by far its most handle (24.9%), making him its largest liability in the market.
Jan. 28: Mattress Mack makes $2 million bet on Super Bowl LX winner
By David Purdum
The largest reported Super Bowl bet so far — $2 million on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl — belongs to a Houston furniture salesman.
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale placed the $2 million bet last week on the AFC to win the Super Bowl with Caesars Sportsbook. At 2-1, McIngvale would win a net $4 million if the Patriots upset the favored Seattle Seahawks. It’s the largest Super Bowl bet that Caesars has taken this year as of Wednesday.
Mattress Mack is hedging his bet with one of his go-to promotions at his Gallery Furniture store: Spend $4,000 on a mattress and gear with McIngvale’s Gallery Furniture, and if the Patriots beat the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, you get your money back on your purchase.
McIngvale, a beloved figure in Houston for decades, turns 75 in February. He has tied such giveaways to big sports wagers regularly for years. In 2022, he won approximately $75 million on bets he made on the Houston Astros to win the World Series, believed to be one of the largest sports betting payouts in U.S. history.
McIngvale has had mixed results on the Super Bowl, otherwise, winning big on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021, but suffering a multimillion-dollar loss on the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022. He also twice lost seven figures on bets on the Houston Cougars men’s basketball team to win the NCAA tournament.
McIngvale hedges his total exposure with any boost in mattress sales generated by the giveaways. He sat out last Super Bowl recovering from heart surgery, but he’s back this season and siding with the underdogs for multiple reasons. Getting plus odds on the underdog helps with the promotion, but he also respects the Patriots’ personnel.
“I really like their quarterback [Drake Maye], coach [Mike Vrabel] and offensive coordinator [Josh McDaniels], plus Robert Kraft is always there,” McIngvale told ESPN on Wednesday.
Last year, there were no disclosed $1 million Super Bowl bets reported by U.S. sportsbooks. This year, there have been at least two, both of which are on the underdog Patriots. On Monday, sportsbook Circa reported taking a $1.1 million wager on the Patriots to win the game outright at +188 odds.
New Delhi: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed to allow investors to set up standing instructions for systematic withdrawal plans (SWP) and systematic transfer plans (STP) for mutual fund units held in demat accounts, a facility currently available only for units held in the statement‑of‑account mode.
Under the proposal, demat investors would be able to do one time registration of SWP or STP mandates with depositories or stock Exchanges, which removes the need to submit separate instructions for each SWP or STP transaction, according to a statement.
Currently, investors holding MF units in demat form are required to place separate instructions for redemption of units (through Delivery Instruction Slip (DIS) for each withdrawal or transfer.
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Investors also give such instructions by way of two-factor authentication by the DP or through authorisation given by the investor to the stockbroker through Power of Attorney (PoA) or Demat Debit and Pledge Instructions (DDPI).
However, in case of PoA, this reduces the direct control of investors on their investments, the market regulator said in a statement.
Therefore, SEBI proposed to “extend the facility of standing instruction for SWP/STP may for the MF units held by investors in demat form, thereby facilitating EoDB to the various stakeholders of the MF industry”.
The regulator has outlined a two‑phase rollout. In the first phase, investors would register unit‑based SWP and STP mandates through depositories or stock‑exchanges, with transactions executed on order entry platform of stock exchanges, the statement said.
The second phase would move processing to registrars and transfer agents and could introduce more flexible options such as “amount‑based and other variants of SWPs and STPs,” like as appreciation‑based withdrawals and swing‑STPs.
SEBI has invited public comments on the proposal until February 26, after which the final framework may be notified.
Analysts said the change would remove a key operational difference between demat‑held mutual funds and traditional mutual fund accounts, and improve ease of long-term investing.
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the only former Epstein associate convicted in connection with his activities.— AFP
Jeffrey Epstein cultivated a global network of politicians, top business executives, academics and celebrities, many of whom have been severely tainted by association with the convicted sex offender.
While high-profile figures like Britain’s former prince Andrew have been very publicly disgraced, some powerful but lesser-known names have been sacked, forced to resign, placed under investigation or had their positions placed under review.
The mere mention of someone’s name in the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice does not, in itself, imply any wrongdoing by that person.
Epstein was convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor and died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking minors.
Borge Brende
The governing board of the World Economic Forum, which organises the Davos summit, has ordered an independent review of the interactions of WEF chief Borge Brende, 60, with Epstein.
Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, has acknowledged attending dinners with Epstein in New York in 2018 and 2019.
He has insisted he was “completely unaware” of Epstein’s criminal activities.
Thorbjorn Jagland
Former Norwegian prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland, 75, is under police investigation on “suspicion of aggravated corruption” over his links to Epstein, which include many email exchanges unearthed from the released files.
Jagland served as prime minister from 1996 to 1997 and later as secretary general of the Council of Europe. He also chaired the committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mona Juul
Mona Juul, 66, a Norwegian diplomat who played a key role in the secret Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which led to the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s, has been suspended pending an investigation into her alleged ties to Epstein.
Epstein left $10 million in his will to Juul’s two children with her husband, fellow diplomat and Oslo talks broker Terje Rod-Larsen.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Juul, currently the Norwegian envoy to Jordan, was being temporarily relieved while the investigation was underway.
Dean Kamen
American engineer Dean Kamen, 74, the inventor of the Segway, took a leave of absence from the board of directors of the robotics organisation he founded, FIRST.
The latest Epstein files release includes photos of Kamen with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking underage girls to the disgraced financier.
They also include an email in which Kamen thanks Epstein for a 2013 visit to his private Caribbean island.
Brad Karp
American attorney Brad Karp, 66, stepped down after 18 years as the chairman of Paul Weiss, one of the most powerful corporate law firms in the United States.
In emails, Karp thanked Epstein for inviting him to a 2015 dinner at his Manhattan mansion, calling it “an evening I’ll never forget.”
Karp, who has said he regrets socialising with Epstein, also asked Epstein in another email if he could help get his son a job on a Woody Allen film.
Miroslav Lajcak
Miroslav Lajcak, 62, the Slovakian government’s national security advisor, resigned after text messages included in the Epstein files showed the two men discussing women.
Lajcak was the foreign minister at the time.
Caroline Lang
French film producer and former actor Caroline Lang, the daughter of former French culture minister Jack Lang, resigned as head of a film producers’ group following revelations of the family’s Epstein ties.
Caroline Lang told French investigative website Mediapart that she and Epstein had agreed to set up a company together to buy artworks, but she did not invest any money in it.
She described herself as being “incredibly naive.”
Her father, Jack Lang, 86, said he was introduced to Epstein by Woody Allen about 15 years ago and had no knowledge of his crimes.
George Mitchell
Former US senator George Mitchell, 92, brokered the negotiations which led to the 1998 peace agreement ending three decades of conflict over British rule in Northern Ireland.
Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland dropped Mitchell’s name this week from its Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice over his links with Epstein.
Mitchell has previously said he regrets having met and known Epstein and that he had no knowledge of his illegal activities.
Steve Tisch
Steve Tisch, 76, producer of “Forrest Gump” and co-owner of the New York Giants, was connected by Epstein to multiple women, according to email exchanges between the two.
Tisch acknowledged in a statement that he and Epstein had “a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments.”
National Football League chief Roger Goodell said the league, which has a strict personal conduct policy, would “look at all the facts” before deciding whether to take any action against Tisch.
Casey Wasserman
Casey Wasserman, 51, has faced calls to step down as chairman of the Los Angeles Organising Committee for the 2028 Olympic Games after flirtatious email exchanges between him and Maxwell emerged.
Wasserman has said he “deeply regrets” the exchanges he had with Maxwell in 2003, well before Epstein’s and Maxwell’s crimes were public knowledge.
Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday saw a sharp decline in share prices on the last day of the trading week amid profit-taking by investors.
After a brief period of gains at the market’s opening, the KSE-100 experienced a sharp decline.
It lost over 1467.24 points or -0.74 percent, falling to 186,364.84, losing three key psychological levels during the trading session.
Investors are closely watching the market amid the ongoing volatility.
Out of 564 active companies in the ready market, 163 advanced, 267 declined, while 134 remained unchanged.
On Wednesday, the benchmark KSE-100 Index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)witnessed a bullish trend, gaining 931.34 points, a positive change of 0.50 percent, to close at 187,832.08 points.
During the session, the ready market recorded a trading volume of 1,195.264 million shares with a traded value of Rs 44.102 billion, against 848.559 million shares valuing Rs 50.026 billion in the previous session.
Out of 483 active companies in the ready market, 246 advanced, 188 declined, while 49 remained unchanged.
K-Electric Limited topped the volume chart with 590.867 million shares, followed by Waves Home Appliances with 36.307 million shares and First National Equities with 32.938 million shares.
The top gainers included Nestle Pakistan Limited, which rose by Rs 75.39 to close at Rs 7,906.13, and Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited, which gained Rs 68.36 to settle at Rs 27,208.17.
On the losing side, Blessed Textiles Limited declined by Rs 67.48 to close at Rs 607.29, while Sazgar Engineering Works Limited fell by Rs 30.58 to close at Rs 2,271.47.
