U.S. crypto delays hand digital asset advantage to Asia and Middle East, says Apex Group CEO
Apex Group CEO Peter Hughes warned that delays to U.S. crypto legislation could push digital-asset businesses toward faster-moving jurisdictions, including Asia, the Middle East and Bermuda. He criticized Europe’s MiCA rules as restrictive and slow to adapt. The U.S. Senate’s Clarity Act stalled amid disagreements over ethics, stablecoin rewards and regulatory safeguards, leaving firms uncertain despite proposed SEC and CFTC rules. Hughes highlighted tokenized money market funds as a potential institutional growth driver, citing higher yields and use as collateral, and expects regulated yield-bearing stablecoins to appeal to corporate treasuries. Apex is also partnering on tokenized real-world assets in Saudi Arabia, where regulatory changes have enabled real-estate tokenization.
