*CANTOR NEARS 3B CRYPTO VENTURE WITH SOFTBANK AND TETHER: FT Brandon Lutnick is partnering with SoftBank, Tether, and Bitfinex to create a multibillion-dollar bitcoin acquisition vehicle, according to three people briefed on the matter. The vehicle raised 200M in January and will use the cash to create a new firm, called 21 Capital, which will receive 3B in bitcoin from the other investors and firms. Tether would contribute 1.5B of bitcoin, while SoftBank and Bitfinex would contribute 900M and 600M, respectively.