Bitget Receives Polish Regulatory Licence as Fifth-Largest Exchange Moves Further into EU

​​Following a successful registration in Lithuania and six other EU countries, Bitget registers in Poland for cryptocurrency-related services. Key Takeaways Bitget received regulatory approval in Poland as a virtual asset service provider to operate in and from Poland. This makes Poland the seventh EU country for which Bitget has received regulatory approval. Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget confirmed its registration as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Poland on May 23,

Do Kwon’s Bail Revoked; Terra Execs to Stay in Jail in Montenegro: Bloomberg

The higher courts of Montenegro revoked the two Terra executive's bail after an appeal from the prosecution. Key Takeaways The higher courts of Montenegro annulled the decision of the basic court's decision to release Kwon and Chang-joon on bail. The two Terra executives are to remain in Montenegrin prison while awaiting their passport fraud trial. 12 days ago, Do Kwon and Han Chang-joon’s bail was accepted. Now, it has been revoked by the higher courts of Montenegro. A high court i

Genesis’ Parent Company DCG Missed a $650M Payment to Gemini, 232,000 Earn Users in Limbo

Upon not receiving the $650 million, Gemini will file a claim on May 22 for the return of over $1.1 billion of digital assets for its Earn members. Key Takeaways Genesis's parent company Digital Currency Group (DCG) failed to make the $650 million in debt repayment to Gemini. Today, May 22, Gemini will file a Gemini Master Claim to look to return over $1 billion in digital assets for its Earn Users. The Digital Currency Group (DCG), a leading crypto conglomerate and parent company of Ge

Binance Australia Suspends Cash Withdrawals, Loses Banking Partner Due to Compliance Shortcomings

Binance Australia reduces fiat usage as third-party platform halts Australian dollar deposit and withdrawals, citing Binance's lack of compliance requirements Key Takeaways Binance Australia suspended PayID and bank deposit deposits and withdrawals for Australian dollars due to third-party peyment provider. The third-party platform, Cuscal, stated that Binance failed to meet the platform's compliance regulations. Binance Australia still operates debit or credit on its peer-to-peer marketpl

The right to use digital assets to be added to Texas Bill of Rights

Alongside gun rights and right to a quick and fair trial, using digital asets will become the “God given right” of Texans. Key Takeaways Texas legislature voted positively to add the right to use digital assets as "a mutually agreed upon medium of exchange" to Texas' Bill of Rights. If contested by the federal government, this could spark a nation-wide precedent to add the use of digital assets to the United States Bill of Rights. The state of Texas has made a historic move by vot

Zimbabwe Sold $39M Worth of Gold-Backed Crypto Amid IMF Warning

While the IMF stated that gold-back crypto could be dangerous to its economy, Zimbabwe took a $39 million chance. Key Takeaways Despite warnings from the IMF, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe received 135 applications for gold-backed crypto tokens. The applications amassed 14.07 billion Zimbabwean dollars in gold-backed tokens in hopes of reviving the Zimbabwean economy. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has sold $39 million worth of gold-backed crypto, around 14 billion Zimbabwean dolla

Ripple Scores Win in XRP Securities Lawsuit: Hinman Speech Stands

During trial, a judge denied the motion to seal the Bill Hinman speech on cryptocurrency, giving Ripple a win in the SEC’s securities lawsuit. Key Takeaways Judge Analisa Torres denies the motion to seal the Bill Hinman speech in the SEC vs Ripple trial. The speech has the former SEC commissioner stating that he doesn't see Bitcoin or Ether as securities. Judge Analisa Torres denied the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) motion to seal documents related to a controversial sp

EU Council Approves Comprehensive Crypto Regulatory Framework

In a unanimous vote, the European Union’s finance ministers approved MiCA to roll out in 2024. Key Takeaways The European Council has approved Markets in Crypto-Asset (MiCA), the comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto usage in the EU. MiCA's main focus is consumer protection, requiring crypto-asset service providers to register in the countries of operation and ensuring stablecoin reserves. The European Union Council — the financial arm of the EU — approved the Markets in Cry

Bitcoin Cash Network Enables Developers to Create Tokens

Key Takeaways Bitcoin Cash upgraded its network to include CashTokens, a token that allows developers to customize tokens for various use cases. Amid the tepid popularity of BCH, this upgrade is expected to lower transaction fees and improve scalability on a secure platform. At block height 792,772, CashTokens was officially implemented on the Bitcoin Cash network on May 15, 2023. This new upgrade allows developers to create tokens, CashTokens, with the same properties as Bitcoin Cash (BC

Lawyers of Kwon, Chang-joon Request $400K+ Bail and House Arrest

Do Kwon and Han Chang-joon’s lawyers request a 400,000 euro bail each to keep them out of Montenegrin prison in preparation for the June 16 trial. Key Takeaways Lawyer's of Kwon and Han Chang-joon asked for a $436,000 bail for each and house arrest in Montenegro. This trial is one in many, with South Korea and the United States charging Kwon for multiple criminal charges each. The attorneys representing co-founder of Terra Do Kwon and Terra executive Han Chang-joon proposed that they

Will AI Elevate Crypto Technology? Crypto.com Next to Leverage AI

Key Takeaways Crypto.com launches new user assistant Amy powered by ChatGPT for real-time industry updates. Other companies such as Binance, Solana Labs, and OKX have been testing and using AI models to improve their UX. On May 2, Crypto.com announced the release of a personal crypto named Amy, an artificial-intelligence powered companion intended to “serve as a crypto expert resource for the average user, anchored in deep learning and data to help capture opportunities in the fast-movin

Do Kwon’s Luxury Cars, Apartments Seized as Courts Freeze $2B of His Assets

Assets tied to Kwon worth 2.33 trillion won were frozen while he awaits trial in Montenegro and faces eight criminal charges in the United States. Key Takeaways Korean courts have frozen $2 billion of Do Kwon's assets, seizing luxury cars and apartments. Awaiting Kwon is a passport fraud trial in Montenegro and eight criminal fraud charges in the United States. South Korean authorities have frozen around $2 billion worth of assets tied to Do Kwon, the CEO of blockchain firm Terraform L

EU to Crack Down on Crypto Tax Evasion with Greater Surveillance: Impending Legislation

A formal agreement to share crypto holdings data among EU member states has been confirmed and will be presented to EU Parliament later in May. Key Takeaways All EU member states are now in support of the Directive on Administrative Cooperation (DAC8), a crypto-tax framework to decrease tax evasion. The proposed framework would increase surveillance of crypto exchanges, marketplaces, and other crypto-related services. DAC8 will be consistent with other EU crypto legislation, as well as OECD

SEC Reluctant to Define Digital Assets, Crypto Regulatory Uncertainty Continues

Despite proposing a definition for digital assets less than one year ago, the SEC needs some extra time for deliberation. Key Takeaways The SEC does not want to define "digital assets" in relation to hedge funds and private equity funds. This is not the first time the SEC is undecided on defining notable crypto terms, referring back to the Ether as a security speculation. Despite proposing a definition for digital assets less than one year ago, the SEC needs some extra time for deliberat

Sam Bankman-Fried Wants 10 Charges Dropped, Not Guilty on All Counts

SBF is looking to drop 10 of the 13 criminal charges due to a “classic rush to judgment.” Key Takeaways Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX wants 10 counts of criminal charges dropped due redundant and improperly made charges. This comes after SBF pleated not guilty on all counts Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the former CEO and founder of collapsed crypto exchange FTX and research group Alamada Research, seeks to have 10 criminal charges dropped because “rather than wait for traditional civil and

Coinbase to Potentially Launch an Offshore Derivatives Platform

The leading crypto exchange may end up offering perpetual swaps from a Bermuda-based platform. Key Takeaways Coinbase has acquired a regulatory license to operate in Bermuda. The company reportedly plans on using the license to launch a derivatives platform. CEO Brian Armstrong has indicated that Coinbase may end up relocating due to the hostile regulatory climate in the United States. Coinbase may be planning to use its newly acquired regulatory license to operate in Bermuda to launch a

Binance Sued by the CFTC

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is suing Binance for offering commodities trading services to U.S. customers. Key Takeaways The CFTC is suing Binance. The regulator claims Binance is offering commodities trading services to U.S. customers. It also believes that Binance helped its clients circumvent U.S. compliance controls. The CFTC filed a 74-page complaint against Binance today at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. It claims the company is engaging

Ethereum’s Shanghai Upgrade is Live

Staked ETH withdrawals are now enabled on Ethereum. Shutterstock covers by Wirestock Creators and Borys Zaitsev (edited by Mariia Kozyr) Key Takeaways Ethereum underwent the Shanghai upgrade late last night. The network has now enabled validators to withdraw their staked ETH. About 17.4 million ETH is currently staked. The long-awaited Shanghai upgrade is now live on Ethereum, meaning that validators can now withdraw their staked ETH from the network at their leisure.  A Historic Mome

Terra Classic Isn’t a Security, Says South Korean Court

A South Korean court has ruled that LUNC (formerly LUNA) could not be classified as a security. Key Takeaways LUNA (now LUNC) should not be considered a security, according to the Seoul Southern District Court. “It is difficult to view Luna Coin as a financial investment product regulated by the Capital Markets Act,” the court stated. Previous courts had used cautious terminology when discussing LUNA’s regulatory status. Terra’s native cryptocurrency, LUNC, was deemed not a secur

Sam Bankman-Fried Is Using Alameda Funds to Pay for His Legal Bills: Report

The former FTX CEO reportedly borrowed over $10 million from Alameda and gifted the funds to his father in 2021. That’s the money he’s using to finance his defense. Key Takeaways Sam Bankman-Fried is reportedly paying for his legal fees with $11.7 million he gave to his father, Joseph Bankman. He made the gift in 2021 by using his lifetime estate and gift tax exemption. The money originally came from an Alameda loan. Sam Bankman-Fried claimed to have only $100,000 to his name in the

Federal Reserve Hikes Rates Up by 25 Basis Points Despite Banking Turmoil

The Federal Reserve decided to raise interest rates again, bringing them to the 4.75% to 5% range. Key Takeaways The Federal Reserve has raised rates up by 0.25% Federal interest rates now sit in a range between 4.75% to 5%. The Fed’s decision comes shortly after the second biggest banking failure in U.S. history. Despite Silicon Valley Bank’s implosion, the Federal Reserve has elected to keep tightening monetary conditions in the United States. 4.75% to 5% range The Federal Rese

Crypto Friendly Bank Silvergate Shuts Down

Silvergate Bank announced yesterday that it would be winding down its operations in an orderly manner. Key Takeaways Silvergate Bank announced yesterday it would be voluntarily undergoing liquidation. The bank assured that all customer deposits would be fully repaid. Silvergate had previously informed the SEC that it was “less than well-capitalized”. Silvergate Bank is winding down operations, but it assured that all customer deposits would be fully repaid. Traditional Banking Risk

SushiSwap to Make Exploit Victims Whole

The SushiSwap team is helping the victims of its April 9 exploit recover their funds. Key Takeaways SushiSwap was hacked on April 9. Attackers were able to siphon funds directly from the wallets of recent users of the protocol. SushiSwap is planning on helping victims recover their funds. Victims of the SushiSwap exploit have a chance of getting their funds back, whether they were preemptively taken by white hat hackers, or stolen by malicious actors. Returning User Funds SushiSwap h

Governor Ron DeSantis Wants to Outlaw CBDCs in Florida

DeSantis announced he was working on legislation designed to protect Floridians from central bank digital currencies. Key Takeaways Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wants to prevent CBDCs from being forced onto Florida residents. He announced yesterday his intention to pass anti-CBDC legislation. DeSantis claimed that the U.S. government’s efforts to create a CBDC were about “surveillance and control.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is looking to take steps to prevent residents of the

FBI Raids the Home of FTX Executive Ryan Salame

The former co-CEO of FTX Digital Trading saw his $4 million home searched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Key Takeaways The FBI raided former FTX executive Ryan Salame’s home yesterday. Salame made $24 million in campaign contributions to U.S. politicians during the midterm elections. Sam Bankman-Fried has already been accused of violating campaign finance laws. Former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame is being investigated for the role he played in Sam Bankman-Fried’s e

Coinbase Sued by California for Mishandling Biometric Data

Coinbase is alleged to have mishandled the collection, storage, and destruction of KYC data. Key Takeaways Coinbase has allegedly violated of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) and is being sued by the state of California The suit alleges that Coinbase did not receive written consent from its customers regarding the storage and destruction of its users' biometric data Coinbase has been sued by the state of California in violation of Illinois’ Biometric Information Pri

Binance Sued by the CFTC

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is suing Binance for offering commodities trading services to U.S. customers. Key Takeaways The CFTC is suing Binance. The regulator claims Binance is offering commodities trading services to U.S. customers. It also believes that Binance helped its clients circumvent U.S. compliance controls. The CFTC filed a 74-page complaint against Binance today at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. It claims the company is engaging

Hundreds of Bitcoin Wallets Controlled by Russian Intelligence Agencies Exposed: Report

New evidence of Russian government crypto use has been revealed. Key Takeaways Hackers found a way to mark 986 BTC wallets allegedly connected to Russian state intelligence agencies The vigilante gained control of some of the private keys of these wallets and donated those funds to Ukrainian aid organizations Three wallets of the 986 are confirmed to be linked to the Russian Foreign Military Intelligence Agency (GRU) and Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Hackers revealed that 986 unique

The SEC Sues Bittrex for Operating Unregulated Securities Exchange

Bittrex is being accused of offering securities without being registered to do so. Key Takeaways The SEC is suing Bittrex and its former CEO, William Shihara. The agency is accusing Bittrex of operating an unregulated securities exchange, broker, and clearing agency. The SEC also claimed that Bittrex instructed crypto projects seeking enlistment to scrub public statements they'd previously made which could bring the attention of regulatory agencies. The SEC’s war on crypto rages on. Th

With BTC above $30K, MicroStrategy Is Back in the Green

Key Takeaways Bitcoin is trading above $30,000. MicroStrategy has an average purchase price of $29,803 per bitcoin The company currently holds 140,000 BTC, a sum worth over $4.2 billion at the time of writing. MicroStrategy co-founder Michael Saylor’s bitcoin position is no longer underwater. With Bitcoin trading for roughly $30,200, and an average purchase price of $29,803 per bitcoin, Saylor is now officially in the green. $4.2 Billion in BTC Bitcoin’s recent price performance

Arbitrum Airdrop Finally Announced

The Ethereum Layer 2 solution announced today it would be airdropping its long-awaited token, ARB, to early network users. Key Takeaways Arbitrum is airdropping a native token. Airdrop eligibility is based on numerous factors, including multi-month usage of Arbitrum One or Arbitrum Nova. The airdrop will be claimable on March 23. After months of feverish anticipation, Arbitrum is finally ready to airdrop a native token—ARB. Here’s what you need to know. Airdrop Claimable by March 2

VC Firm Andreessen Horowitz Releases New Optimism Rollup Client

a16z is helping diversify Optimism’s rollup client list. Key Takeaways Andreessen Horowitz is releasing a new OP Stack rollup client called Magi. Magi is written in Rust, contrarily to OP Labs’ existing client, op-node, which is written in Go. The firm acknowledged that Magi is still months away from being a viable alternative to op-node. Venture Capital firm a16z is aiming to diversify Optimism’s rollup clients with a client of its own.  Magi and op-node Andreessen Horowitz i

Circle’s USDC Regains $1 Peg After Tumultuous Weekend

Circle’s stablecoin plunged from $1 to $0.87 over the last couple of days due to concerns about the firm’s exposure to Silicon Valley Bank. Key Takeaways Circle’s USDC is trading for $1 again. The stablecoin broke its peg late on Friday after Circle revealed it was exposed to Silicon Valley Bank. The U.S. government stepped in to assure all SVB depositors would be made whole. After breaking its peg over the weekend and trading as low as $0.87, Circle’s USDC stablecoin is now at $

U.S. Treasury Misunderstands DeFi AML Compliance Requirements: Coin Center

The crypto advocacy center published its response to the Treasury’s “DeFi Illicit Finance Risk Assessment” Key Takeaways Coin Center has responded to the U.S. Treasury’s “DeFi Illicit Finance Risk Assessment” report. The crypto advocacy group criticized the Treasury for assuming that all DeFi protocols failed to comply with AML regulations. However, it praised the report for acknowledging that DeFi presented little risk of illicit activity compared to the traditional banking sec

Binance to Shut Down its Australian Derivatives Services

Australian residents will no longer be able to open derivatives positions on Binance. Key Takeaways Binance is terminating its Australian financial services license. Australian residents will have until April 21 to wind down open positions. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao indicated that only 104 clients would be affected by the change. Binance’s Australian financial services license is being terminated, meaning that Australian residents will no longer be able to open derivatives positions o

Binance US Terminates $1B Voyager Acquisition Deal

A spokesperson for the exchange claimed the decision was prompted by regulatory uncertainty in the United States. Key Takeaways Binance.US is pulling out of the Voyager acquisition deal. The company blamed the “hostile and uncertain regulatory climate in the U.S.” for the decision. Voyager will distribute cash and crypto to its customers through its own platform. Binance.US has decided to pull out of its $1 billion acquisition deal for Voyager, citing a “hostile and uncertain” re

Silicon Valley Bank Closed Down, Regional Bank Stocks Trading Halted

Regulators closed Silicon Valley Bank after it experienced massive withdrawals. Police keep order during a run on the Adolf Mandel Bank in New York City, Feb. 16, 1912 (Shutterstock cover by Everett Collection). Key Takeaways Silicon Valley Bank was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection. Trading for several regional banks—including crypto-friendly Signature Bank—was halted after their stocks experienced severe volatility. Silicon Valley Bank announced on Wednesday

MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin Stack Reaches 140,000 BTC

The company recently bought another 1,045 BTC for roughly $29 million. Key Takeaways MicroStrategy acquired 1,045 BTC over the past week. The company now holds 140,000 BTC. It recently paid off its $205 million loan to Silvergate Bank at a 22% discount. MicroStrategy grew its bitcoin stack yet again. The company now holds 140,000 BTC, worth $3.9 billion at today’s prices. An Extra 1,045 BTC Michael Saylor keeps adding to his Bitcoin bet. The MicroStrategy co-founder announced

SEC and CFTC Charge FTX’s Nishad Singh

Singh pleaded guilty to six criminal charges yesterday. Key Takeaways Former FTX head of engineering Nishad Singh pleaded guilty to six criminal charges yesterday. The CFTC and SEC have filed civil lawsuits against him. The regulatory bodies are seeking civil monetary penalties, and to ban Singh from ever trading commodities and securities again. FTX’s chief engineer, Nishad Singh, was hit with lawsuits from both the SEC and the CFTC shortly after pleading guilty to six criminal charge

The DOJ Is Liquidating its Seized Silk Road Bitcoin Stash

The U.S. government sold 9,861 BTC on March 14. Shutterstock photo by Christopher E. Zimmer Key Takeaways The U.S. government has begun liquidating the bitcoin it seized from Silk Road exploiter James Zhong. The DOJ already sold 9,861 BTC on March 14, netting $215.5 million. It plans on selling the remaining 41,490 BTC in four installments over the course of the year. On-chain analysts noticed at the beginning of the month that the U.S. government was moving funds it had seized from Silk

Terra’s Do Kwon Arrested in Montenegro

After living on the run for six months, the Terraform Labs CEO was finally apprehended in Montenegro. Key Takeaways Montenegrin police apprehended a person believed to be Do Kwon. South Korean authorities have provided visual confirmation but are awaiting fingerprint information. Kwon was arrested at Podgorica airport with forged documents. Terra frontman Do Kwon was apprehended at Podgorica airport by Montenegrin police. He was previously believed to be hiding in Serbia. Six Months on

Chinese Government Approves of Hong Kong’s Crypto Plans: Bloomberg

Hong Kong’s recent pivot to becoming a crypto hub is reportedly being made with Beijing’s subtle blessing. Key Takeaways Hong Kong is gearing up to become a crypto hub. The Chinese government is giving subtle hints of approval towards the plan. Yesterday a Hong Kong regulatory body outlined conditions under which retail investors would be allowed to purchase cryptocurrencies. China is dipping its toes back into the crypto world by allowing Hong Kong to open up to the market. One Co

NFT Decentralized Exchange Collection.xyz Launches on Ethereum

Collection.xyz aims to become an essential building block of the NFT market ecosystem. Key Takeaways A new NFT decentralized exchange, Collection.xyz, is launching on Ethereum. Contrary to first generation NFT marketplaces, Collection.xyz features an AMM mechanism. The protocol aims to make the purchase and sale of NFTs more efficient. Collection.xyz is looking to make NFT trading a smoother experience thanks to its innovative automated market mechanism. An Essential Building Block

Lido Registers Biggest Daily ETH Stake Inflow in History

A crypto whale—possibly Justin Sun—staked over 150,000 ETH through the protocol on Saturday. Key Takeaways Lido Finance saw its biggest daily ETH stake inflow in history on Saturday. A wallet reportedly belonging to Justin Sun staked 150,100 ETH through the protocol. Ethereum is set to enable staked ETH withdrawals sometime in March. Last week Ethereum saw its third largest staked ETH inflows in history, suggesting that investors are anticipating withdrawals to be enabled soon. Ove

U.S. Government Moves $1B of Seized Silk Road BTC, Prompting Liquidation Fears

On-chain analytics firms caught the U.S. government shuffling funds around. Key Takeaways A wallet associated with seized Silk Road funds moved $1.08 billion in BTC. The address moved 39,174 BTC to two new wallets, and 9,825 BTC to a wallet reportedly belonging to Coinbase. The funds were originally seized from Silk Road exploiter James Zhong in November 2021. The DOJ may have sent some of the seized Silk Road funds to Coinbase, but that doesn’t mean they’re about to liquidate. $1.

Do Kwon Faces New Charges in U.S. and Montenegro

U.S. prosecutors are charging Kwon with eight different counts of fraud. Key Takeaways Do Kwon is facing new charges in the United States and Montenegro. U.S. prosecutors are charging him with eight counts of fraud, while Montenegrin police are charging him with document forgery. Kwon was arrested yesterday in Montenegro, at Podgorica airport. Do Kwon is being accused by U.S. prosecutors of committing commodities fraud, securities fraud, wire fraud, and engaging in market manipulation.

House Majority Whip Questions FDIC Over Crypto Banking “Purge”

Tom Emmer has heard about Operation Choke Point 2.0, and he doesn’t like the sound of it at all. Key Takeaways House Majority Whip Tom Emmer questioned FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg over Operation Choke Point 2.0. Emmer cited in his letter multiple instances in which federal regulators had pressured banks to stop providing their services to crypto companies. Emmer called the regulatory strategy “lazy and destructive.” Rep. Tom Emmer sent a letter sharply questioning FDIC Chairman

Bankman-Fried Accused of Bribing Chinese Government Officials

Prosecutors claim that Sam Bankman-Fried sent $40 million to Chinese authorities to unfreeze Alameda funds stuck on Chinese exchanges. Key Takeaways Sam Bankman-Fried allegedly bribed Chinese officials to unfreeze Alameda funds on Chinese crypto exchanges. Prosecutors claim he transferred at least $40 million to unblock funds. Bankman-Fried is now facing 13 criminal charges. U.S. prosecutors believe that Sam Bankman-Fried resorted to bribery in order to unfreeze over $1 billion worth of

Flagstar Acquires Signature Bank—Except for its Crypto Business

Crypto companies will have to find another bank to use. Key Takeaways The FDIC announced yesterday that New York Community Bancorp would purchase Signature Bank through its subsidiary, Flagstar. However, Flagstar’s bid excludes Signature Bank’s crypto clients. Signature Bank board member Barney Frank believes regulators shut down the institution to “send the message that crypto is toxic”. Flagstar is taking over Signature Bank’s operations, but crypto companies may no longer be

Powell Warns Fed Could Get Aggressive With Rates Hikes Again

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is turning hawkish again. Key Takeaways Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced today the central bank was likely to raise interest rates higher than initially expected. He also indicated that rate hikes may come at a faster pace. The U.S. economy is showing signs of persistent inflation. Persistent signs of inflation are forcing the Federal Reserve to contemplate more aggressive rate hikes. Higher and Faster The Fed may not have tamed inflat

Binance Halts GBP Deposits and Withdrawals

Binance is suspending British pound transfers due to banking complications. Key Takeaways Binance is suspending all British pound deposits and withdrawals. The exchange already halted U.S. dollar transfers last month. Binance claims that only 1% of its users will be impacted by the change. Only a month after halting U.S. dollar bank transfers, Binance is now being forced to cease processing British pound deposits and withdrawals as well.  Only 1% of Users Impacted Crypto companies k

“Paternalistic and Lazy”: SEC Commissioner Blasts Agency Crackdown on Kraken

Commissioner Hester Peirce said the SEC had failed to issue proper guidance on staking products. Photo: Greg Kahn. Shutterstock image by DCStockPhotography Key Takeaways The SEC is forcing Kraken to shut down its staking services in the United States, claiming the platform failed to properly register the program. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce disagrees with the decision. She argued that Kraken wouldn’t have been able to register its products with the SEC even if it had wanted to. SEC

Coinbase Beats Earnings Expectations

The company reported $604 million in revenue for Q4 of 2022, up 5% from the $590 million it made in Q3. Key Takeaways Coinbase reported higher earnings than expected yesterday. The company made $604 million in revenue in the final quarter of 2022, beating the $590 million it had earned in the third quarter. Coinbase’s performance was partially due to a growth in its interest income. Coinbase claimed in its latest earnings report that it had proven itself to be “largely resilient desp

Yuga Labs to Launch Art Collection on Bitcoin

The studio behind Bored Ape Yacht Club wants to take advantage of the Bitcoin Ordinals frenzy. Key Takeaways Yuga Labs is launching a new collection on Bitcoin. The 300-piece generative art collection, named Twelvehold, will leverage Bitcoin’s Ordinal protocol to turn individual satoshis into de-facto non-fungible tokens. Twelvefold is set to launch this week. Ordinals hype is spreading—and NFT giant Yuga Labs wants in on the action. The studio is now looking to launch a generative

Former Coinbase Employee Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading

Ishan Wahi now faces up to 40 years in jail for taking advantage of Coinbase’s listing process. Key Takeaways Former Coinbase product manager Ishan Wahi pleaded guilty to the insider trading charges laid against him. Wahi admitted to taking advantage of Coinbase’s crypto listing process for monetary gains. He faces up to 40 years in prison. Ishan Wahi, Coinbase’s former product manager, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in the “first ever” crypto insider trading case.  

SEC Charges Do Kwon With Offering Unregistered Securities

The regulator claims Kwon fraudulently misled investors on the question of UST’s stability. Key Takeaways The SEC filed a lawsuit against Terraform Labs and Do Kwon. It claims that Kwon sold unregistered securities and violated anti-fraud provisions of federal securities laws. The agency wants civil money penalties, disgorgement, and to ban Kwon from buying or selling crypto assets. Nine months after Terra’s spectacular meltdown, the SEC has finally decided to charge Do Kwon. Banne

Crypto Hedge Fund Galois Capital to Shut Down due to FTX Losses

Galois Capital lost almost half of its funds in the FTX debacle. Key Takeaways Crypto hedge fund Galois Capital is closing down. The firm claims that almost half of its assets were still on FTX when the exchange collapsed. It has already sold its FTX claims for 16 cents on the dollar. Crypto hedge fund Galois Capital is winding down its operations after having lost roughly half of its assets to FTX. 16 Cents on the Dollar The crypto industry is still dealing with the fallout from the

Russia’s Largest Bank to Launch Ethereum-Compatible DeFi Platform

Key Takeaways Sberbank is set to launch an Ethereum-compatible DeFi platform. Launch will happen on multiple steps, with commercial transactions enabled by the end of April. Sberbank is the largest bank in Russia and the third largest in Europe. Russia’s various financial institutions and banking entities don’t always see eye-to-eye on the subject of cryptocurrencies. Sberbank, the nation’s largest bank, is one of the biggest proponents of the technology, and is now aiming to launch

Ethereum’s MEV-Boost Censorship Issues Are Getting Better

“OFAC compliant” block builders only built 49% of all Ethereum blocks produced today. Key Takeaways The number of Ethereum blocks produced by OFAC compliant MEV-Boost relays fell below the 50% threshold yesterday. The metric peaked at 79% on November 21, and has been steadily decreasing since. Non-censorious relays such as BloXRoute Max Profit and Ultra Sound Money have been taking market share from OFAC compliant relay Flashbots. Censorship risks over Ethereum’s block producing in

Celsius Creditors Sue Mashinsky, Other Executives

Celsius creditors are seeking to recuperate the millions that former CEO Alex Mashinsky cashed out while the company was going under. Key Takeaways Celsius creditors have filed a lawsuit against Alex Mashinsky and other Celsius executives. They seek to recover the millions that executives allegedly cashed out before the company went bankrupt. The lawsuit comes on the heels of a report that claimed that Celsius was operated in a ponzi-like manner. Former Celsius executives (and their wive

The U.S. Government Wants to Cut Off Crypto’s Access to Banks: Nic Carter

Key Takeaways Bitcoin advocate Nic Carter believes the U.S. government is trying to cut off crypto from the banking sector. Carter claimed the Biden administration was reviving the Obama-era Operation Choke Point. Carter pointed to 14 different events in the last 10 weeks which hinted at a coordinated strategy to deprive the crypto industry of its off-ramps in the United States. Crypto companies may soon find themselves deprived of banking services in the United States, just like online p

Mango Markets Sues Avraham Eisenberg

Eisenberg is now facing charges and lawsuits from four different entities, including the DOJ. Key Takeaways Mango Labs, the company behind decentralized perp exchange Mango Markets, has filed a lawsuit against Avraham Eisenberg. The company seeks restitution of the $47 million Eisenberg allegedly siphoned from it, plus interest. Eisenberg confessed to the exploit in October on Twitter. Applied game theorist Avraham Eisenberg is getting sued by Mango Labs for exploiting their protocol in

3AC Founders Want to Launch a New Crypto Exchange

Key Takeaways 3AC co-founders Su Zhu and Kyle Davies want to launch their own crypto exchange. They are seeking $25 million from investors. GTX, as the project is called, aims to be a public marketplace for crypto claims. Su Zhu and Kyle Davies want to tap into the ballooning crypto claims market by launching their own exchange. The crypto community is not impressed. GTX Three Arrows Capital is planning a comeback of sorts. 3AC co-founders Su Zhu and Kyle Davies are seeking to r

Gemini’s Cameron Winklevoss Calls for Barry Silbert’s Ousting as DCG CEO

Winklevoss claims Silbert defrauded Gemini Earn users by making false statements about Genesis’ financial health. Key Takeaways Gemini co-founder Cameron Winklevoss published an open letter addressed to the Digital Currency Group board today. Winklevoss called on the board to oust Barry Silbert as DCG CEO. He claimed Silbert “carefully crafted a campaign of lies” around Genesis’ financial health to trick lenders into providing more funds to the company. Gemini made a new move aga

Federal Reserve Raises Rates by 25 Basis Points

The Federal Reserve is cooling the aggressivity of its rate hikes. Key Takeaways The Federal Reserve raised rates by another 25 basis points. This brings federal interest rates to the 4.50% to 4.75% range. The move indicated a softening of the central bank’s hawkish monetary policy. Today the U.S. Federal Reserve announced that it was bringing interest rates to the 4.50% to 4.75% range, a 0.25% increase from last month. Rates were still at 0% less than a year ago. Rates Between 4.50%

Sam Bankman-Fried May Have Tried to Influence Witness Testimony: Prosecutors

Prosecutors are looking to tighten Sam Bankman-Fried’s bail conditions after he reached out to the FTX US general counsel. Cover artwork: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg/Getty Images, Relight Motion (edited by Mariia Kozyr) Key Takeaways Sam Bankman-Fried may have tried to influence or intimidate a potential witness in the case against him. On January 15 he reached out to FTX US general counsel Ryne Miller by Signal, asking to “reconnect” and “vet things with each other.” Prosecutors think

Coinbase Settles for $100M With Regulators Over Compliance System

Coinbase will pay a $50 million fine, and invest another $50 million into improving its compliance program. Key Takeaways Coinbase has reached a $100 million settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services over its compliance program. The exchange has been fined $50 million, and has agreed to invest an extra $50 million into updating its compliance system. The NYDFS mainly blamed a weak compliance structure and a surge in the platform’s adoption for the exchange’s failures

Alameda’s Caroline Ellison Enters Plea Agreement with DOJ

Caroline Ellison is being granted $250,000 bail in exchange for pleading guilty to seven criminal charges. Key Takeaways Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison is entering a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. The Southern District of New York is promising $250,000 bail and no further FTX-related prosecution (except for potential tax violations) if she pleads guilty to seven criminal charges. Ellison faces up to 110 years in prison for these counts alone. Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX Wants to Subpoena Bankman-Fried’s Inner Circle

The exchange is seeking information from seven of Sam Bankman-Fried’s closest advisors. Key Takeaways FTX wants Sam Bankman-Fried’s inner circle to provide more information about their own personal assets. According to the filing, Bankman-Fried’s father, mother, and brother were all involved in the exchange’s operations in various ways. Former FTX chief operating officer Constance Wang has also been added to the list of FTX insiders. FTX under John Ray is seeking court approval t

Auto-Payments on Ethereum? Visa Says it’s Possible

What if you could set up recurring payments from your self-custodial wallet? Key Takeaways Visa believes automatic payments on Ethereum are possible. The company shared a technical paper arguing that account abstraction would enable self-custodial wallets to set up auto-payments in a convenient fashion. Account abstraction could also allow for new forms of multi-owner accounts and public accounts. Visa is trying to get auto-payments on Ethereum by creating a new type of wallet—a proce

“Bitcoin Jesus” Roger Ver Owes Genesis $20M

Genesis claims that Roger Ver has failed to settle over $20 million in crypto options. Key Takeaways Genesis has issued a summons to Roger Ver for failing to settle over $20 million in crypto options. Ver was accused by CoinFLEX of defaulting on a $47 million obligation last June. Genesis filed for bankruptcy last week. Roger Ver apparently owes Genesis $20 million. He was previously accused by crypto exchange CoinFLEX of defaulting on a $47 million obligation. Bitcoin Jesus Loves Leve

Flashbots Seeks to Raise $50M at $1B Valuation: Report

It appears that the MEV organization wants to change its business model. Key Takeaways Flashbots is seeking to raise between $30 million and $50 million. The MEV company is being valued at $1 billion. Flashbots has recently come under fire for its role in censoring Tornado Cash transactions on Ethereum. Lead MEV organization Flashbots is conducting a reverse-pitching process to raise between $30 million and $50 million. The company has recently come under fire for its role in censoring E

BAYC Staking Goes Live With Bananas Yields

Key Takeaways ApeStake has enabled rewards on BAYC, MAYC, APE, and BAKC staking. The platform currently offers yields ranging from 201% to 358% on these assets. Contrary to Ethereum and other crypto projects, the Bored Apes staking service does not help secure any Proof-of-Stake blockchains. The Otherside metaverse now has its very own staking platform, ApeStake, which offers high yields to any BAYC, MAYC, BAKC, and APE holder willing to lock in their assets.  BAYC Staking Is Live It

Bankman-Fried Wanted Crypto Prices to Go Up to Plug FTX Hole

Top FTX executives came to him with concerns about Alameda’s liabilities on multiple occasions. Cover artwork: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg/Getty Images, Relight Motion (edited by Mariia Kozyr) Key Takeaways Top FTX executives worried about Alameda using FTX customer money back in 2020, the New York Times has revealed. Sam Bankman-Fried reportedly dismissed the concerns, saying that Alameda’s liabilities were backed by FTT. Pressed on the matter again in September 2022, Bankman-Fried said that

Crypto Lender Genesis Files for Bankruptcy

The crypto lending company finally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after months of uncertainty over its solvency. Key Takeaways Genesis has filed for bankruptcy. The crypto lender owes over $3.5 billion to its top 50 creditors. Gemini co-founder Cameron Winklevoss is threatening to sue DCG CEO Barry Silbert. Digital Currency Group subsidiary Genesis Global Capital has filed for bankruptcy protection. It owes over $3.5 billion to its top 50 creditors $3.5 Billion in Liabilit

Vote on Crucial European Crypto Legislation Delayed Again

This is the second time the MiCA vote is delayed over translation issues. Key Takeaways The European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation vote is being pushed back to April. The 400-page text reportedly needs to be translated into 24 languages, which is presenting issues. MiCA aims to combat money laundering in the crypto industry and ensure that stablecoin issuers have sufficient reserves. The European Union is having trouble quickly translating its proposed 400-page cry

Celsius’ Mashinsky Finally Sued by NY Attorney General

Key Takeaways New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil suit against former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky today. James claims Mashinsky defrauded investors by making false statements about the company’s financials. She is seeking restitution, damages, and to bar Mashinsky from ever doing business in New York again. Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky is being sued by the New York Attorney General for defrauding investors and making false statements about the company’s financial

DOJ Seizes Another $490M from Sam Bankman-Fried

Bankman-Fried’s Robinhood shares constitute property involved in money laundering and wire fraud, says the DOJ. Key Takeaways The DOJ has seized over 55 million Robinhood shares and $20.7 million belonging to Emergent Fidelity Technologies. While the holding company isn’t part of the FTX estate, the DOJ believes it was funded by Bankman-Fried with misappropriated customer money. Bankman-Fried had previously fought to keep the shares in his control in order to pay for his legal fees.

Did Sam Bankman-Fried Secretly Cash Out $1.5M?

Key Takeaways Sam Bankman-Fried may have sent over $1.48 million worth of crypto to various exchanges to cash out the funds. One of his publicly-known wallets, along with numerous known Alameda wallets, consolidated funds together and then proceeded to ramp them off through three centralized exchanges, as well as Ren. It seems unlikely for law enforcement to be in control of these wallets. Sam Bankman-Fried insisted he only had $100,000 left in his bank account, but he never mentioned his

Chinese Government to Launch an NFT Marketplace

China is planning to launch its first state-sponsored NFT marketplace on January 1. Key Takeaways China is setting up an NFT marketplace. The platform was built by the state-sponsored China Technology Exchange. Interoperability between the Chinese NFT marketplace and decentralized blockchains currently looks unlikely. China is following up on its CBDC efforts with a state-sponsored NFT marketplace, which would enable the trading of digital copyrights and digital collections on a blockcha

Auto-Payments on Ethereum? Visa Says it’s Possible

What if you could set up recurring payments from your self-custodial wallet? Key Takeaways Visa believes automatic payments on Ethereum are possible. The company shared a technical paper arguing that account abstraction would enable self-custodial wallets to set up auto-payments in a convenient fashion. Account abstraction could also allow for new forms of multi-owner accounts and public accounts. Visa is trying to get auto-payments on Ethereum by creating a new type of wallet—a proce

Avraham Eisenberg Charged with Fraud, Market Manipulation

The DOJ uses other words to describe Eisenberg's "highly profitable trading strategy." Key Takeaways Avraham Eisenberg was arrested in Puerto Rico yesterday. He is accused of commodities fraud and market manipulation. Eisenberg and his team were behind the $100 million Mango Markets exploit. Avi Eisenberg may have been too clever for his own good when he publicly revealed he was responsible for the Mango Markets exploit in October. It turns out the FBI was listening. “A Highly Profit

Pudgy Penguins Fly Off to New All-Time Highs

A year after touching their all-time low, Pudgy Penguins are soaring to new highs. Key Takeaways Pudgy Penguins have broken their all-time high and are now trading for 6.4 ETH. The collection had previously been stuck in a range between 0.59 ETH and 4.09 ETH. While the NFTs are reaching new ATHs in ETH terms, they have yet to make new highs in dollar value. After spending over a year trading within the same range, Pudgy Penguins price floor has finally broken upwards and is now making ne

Stripe Touches Down on Solana With Orca DEX Integration 

Key Takeaways Solana-based DEX Orca has integrated Stripe for its new fiat-to-crypto onramp. Orca users can now buy Solana SPL tokens on the exchange directly with fiat currencies. The Orca integration is yet another instance of Stripe venturing into the digital assets space. The Orca onramp marks the first time Stripe has integrated with a decentralized exchange across any blockchain.  Orca Integrates Stripe Stripe has come to Solana. Orca, a leading Solana-based decentralized

BAYC Staking Goes Live With Bananas Yields

Key Takeaways ApeStake has enabled rewards on BAYC, MAYC, APE, and BAKC staking. The platform currently offers yields ranging from 201% to 358% on these assets. Contrary to Ethereum and other crypto projects, the Bored Apes staking service does not help secure any Proof-of-Stake blockchains. The Otherside metaverse now has its very own staking platform, ApeStake, which offers high yields to any BAYC, MAYC, BAKC, and APE holder willing to lock in their assets.  BAYC Staking Is Live It

Sam Bankman-Fried Enjoying Comfortable Jail Experience: Bloomberg

Despite the prison’s sinister reputation, Sam Bankman-Fried appears to have a relatively sheltered stay at Fox Hill. Key Takeaways Sam Bankman-Fried enjoys rare perks in Nassau's prison. His privileges include a television set, local newspapers, vegan food, and an air-conditioned cell. The FTX founder formally agreed to extradition earlier today and is expected to be flown back to the United States shortly. Sam Bankman-Fried’s sojourn in prison includes vegan food, bidaily medical c

No, Wrapped Ethereum Isn’t In Trouble. Here’s Why

Key Takeaways Crypto Twitter has been sharing jokes about wETH being exploited or losing its peg. At least one media publication—Bloomberg—took the jokes at face value. Wrapped Ethereum does not have a sole custodian and does not pose a systemic threat to the Ethereum ecosystem. Over the weekend, fears circulated in the crypto community stemming from claims that Wrapped Ethereum tokens could be at risk of losing their 1:1 value against ETH. However, the claims are no more than elabora

Democrats Plan on Returning at Least $9.85M in FTX Donations

At least five organizations have signaled their intention of returning FTX political contributions. Photo credit: Melissa Alcena/Bloomberg; Shutterstock background by cowardlion. Key Takeaways Various political organizations belonging to the Democratic Party have announced they would return Sam Bankman-Fried’s donations. At least $9.85 million will be sent back by the Senate Majority PAC, the House Majority PAC, the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committ

Fed Hikes Rates by Only 50 Basis Points, but Remains Hawkish

The Federal Reserve announced today that it would be slowing down the pace of its rate hikes, and only increase them by 0.50%. Key Takeaways The U.S. central bank announced today that it was increasing the federal interest rates by 50 basis points. The decision brings rates to a range between 4.25% and 4.50%. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he expected to keep raising rates higher over a longer period of time. The Fed will only be raising interest rates by 50 basis points, instead of 75 bas

Raydium Exploiter Drains Millions from Liquidity Pools

An exploiter siphoned funds from Raydium liquidity pools and immediately sent over $2.5 million through Tornado Cash. Key Takeaways Raydium liquidity pools were exploited today for millions of dollars. While the exact amount taken is still uncertain, the exploiter currently has over $1.4 million in their Solana wallet. They also laundered $2.5 million in ETH through Tornado Cash. Leading Solana decentralized exchange Raydium saw some of its liquidity pools drained of their funds today af

Worldwide Webb Review: Not a Perfect Metaverse, but Better Than Meta’s

Key Takeaways Worldwide Webb is a pixel art metaverse game that enables users to customize their avatars into NFTs they own. The platform supports over 40 different Ethereum NFT collections; enthusiasts can also buy land plots and in-game items. While Worldwide Webb’s quests and mini-games quickly become repetitive, players may enjoy the platform’s social aspect. Worldwide Webb leans heavily into crypto lore and integrations to offer Web3 enthusiasts a metaverse experience that feels

Trump Launches his Own NFT Collection

Key Takeaways Trump is launching his own NFT collection. The collection counts 45,000 NFTs, which are minted on Polygon and available for $99. Directly purchasing the trading cards on the website automatically enlists collectors into a sweepstakes game with thousands of prizes. Donald Trump is launching his own NFT digital card collection on Polygon. Each card is available for purchase for $99 on the official website. Trump on the Blockchain Donald Trump has released his own NFT colle

Who Is the FTX Hacker? On-Chain Clues Shed Light on the Situation 

Key Takeaways FTX was hacked on November 12 following the exchange's bankruptcy filing. The Securities Commission of The Bahamas claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it ordered the transfer of the funds to an external wallet. On-chain data suggests that the bulk of the haul was seized by a nefarious actor rather than a government authority. The address that transferred approximately $372 million from FTX likely belongs to a black hat hacker.  Who Hacked FTX? Debate is r

Digital Currency Group Reveals $2B in Liabilities, Including Debt to Its Own Subsidiary

Digital Currency Group CEO Barry Silbert also admitted to intercompany loans among subsidiaries, including $575 million borrowed from Genesis. Key Takeaways In a shareholder letter, Digital Currency Group revealed that it has borrowed $575 million from Genesis Global Capital, its own subsidiary. Silbert also revealed the existence of a $1.1 billion promissory note connected to the collapse of Three Arrows Capital. DCG also has a $350 million credit facility from a group of lenders led by El

Sam Bankman-Fried to New York Times: “I Wasn’t Running Alameda”

Key Takeaways Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and former CEO of FTX, took part in a New York Times interview today. There, he discussed the events that led to his company's collapse and his relationship with other employees. He also discussed the possibility of customers being made whole and FTX.US reopening withdrawals. Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried took part in an interview today with the New York Times today during the publication’s DealBook Summit. On FTX’s Ties to Alameda During the co

Markets Climb As Inflation Keeps Cooling Off

BTC and ETH reacted positively to a lower than expected CPI print. Key Takeaways The CPI print for November came in today at 7.1%. The print is 0.6% lower than October’s, and 0.2% lower than expected. The crypto market reacted positively to the news, with BTC and ETH soaring by 4.65% and 6% each before falling back slightly. The year-to-year inflation rate came in at 7.1% today, strengthening the market’s belief that inflation may indeed have peaked and that the Federal Reserve might

SBF’s Parents Joined FTX $121M Bahamas Property Splurge: Reuters

Key Takeaways FTX, several of the exchange's senior executives, and Sam Bankman-Fried's parents collectively spent $121 million on properties in The Bahamas from 2021 through 2022, according to property records seen by Reuters. FTX bought a $30 million luxury penthouse and other properties for the exchange's "key personnel," while Bankman-Fried's parents purchased a "vacation home" on the island. Bankman-Fried was last seen in The Bahamas as the global scandal surrounding his exchange's st

JPMorgan Chase Crypto Wallet Trademark Is Approved

Key Takeaways JP Morgan has registered a trademark for a digital wallet and related cryptocurrency processing services. The trademark does not exclusively apply to crypto but can also be applied to other financial services. Currently, the company is using the trademark with a service that provides business subledgers. Banking giant JPMorgan Chase’s application for a trademark for a digital wallet with crypto features has been awarded by the U.S. Patent Office after more than two years i

Curve Whipsaws 75% as DeFi Degens Squeeze Avraham Eisenberg 

CRV has experienced a 75% swing after self-described “applied game theorist” Avraham Eisenberg launched a plan to short the token that appears to have backfired.  Curve Whale Games One of crypto’s most infamous whales is waging war on Curve.  Avraham Eisenberg, the self-described “applied game theorist” responsible for last month’s $100 million Mango Markets exploit, has started shorting Curve DAO’s CRV token. On-chain sleuths noticed Tuesday morning that Eisenberg had

FTX Roundup: SBF Gives Interview, Missing Funds Move, and Politicians Return Donations

Collapsed exchange FTX was the subject of various developments today. Key Takeaways In a conversation published today, FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried discussed his actions during FTX's collapse. 255 BTC ($4.2 million) of funds taken from FTX were appear to have been deposited on crypto exchange OKX. BlockFi's bankruptcy proceedings revealed that the firm has $355 million frozen on FTX. Weeks after its collapse, FTX remains a focal point of the crypto news cycle. SBF Interview Leaked FTX CEO B

Binance Commits $1B to Crypto Industry Recovery Fund

The company is launching an Industry Recovery Initiative with help from other firms. Key Takeaways Binance has announced its Industry Recovery Initiative, a $1 billion fund to help crypto companies in need. Other companies including Polygon Ventures and Animoca Brands have also contributed $50 million. Binance's plan comes after the collapse of FTX and that event's detrimental effect on the crypto industry. Binance said today that it is committing $1 billion to help companies in the cryp

Senators Demand Investigation Into FTX

Senators Warren and Whitehouse have asked the DOJ to take action. Key Takeaways Senators Elizabeth Warren and Sheldon Whitehouse asked the Department of Justice to investigate FTX today. In a letter, they outlined FTX's failures and highlighted the effects of its collapse on retail investors. Warren has made various other statements concerning FTX this month in the aftermath of its collapse. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Sheldon Whitehouse have demanded an investigation into FTX’s failu

How Edward Snowden Became a Crypto Star 

Key Takeaways Edward Snowden is America's most famous whistleblower. Crypto fans, however, have come to see the ex-intelligence consultant as one of them. Increasingly active on Crypto Twitter, Snowden's comments hint at deep familiarity with the space and its culture. Edward Snowden has been active on Crypto Twitter over the past few months, possibly indicating a deep involvement in the space. Edward Snowden and Crypto  When Edward Snowden leaked classified documents from the Nation

2022 in Review: the Top 10 Crypto Villains of the Year

Key Takeaways Several ego-driven crypto personalities suffered huge falls from grace in 2022. Terra's failure exposed some of the crypto ecosystem's biggest villains. Policymakers and scammers also harmed the space this year. SBF, Kwon, 3AC, and more: 2022 was a packed year for crypto villains.  The Crypto Villains of the Year  The Crypto Briefing editorial team puts a lot of thought into our end-of-year lists. There are often disagreements on who should feature and we end up sp

Proof of Reserves: A Trust Standard for Centralized Exchanges

Key Takeaways The recent FTX liquidity crisis highlighted the need for the industry to mature, and find solutions to improve transparency. Many exchanges have adopted Proof-of-Reserves, a method that uses cryptography to confirm possession of sufficient assets to cover liabilities. Phemex, one of the leading exchanges in the crypto industry, recently released its Proof-of-Reserves, liabilities and solvency. The recent collapse of FTX , one of the industry’s largest and most trusted c

BlockFi Files for Bankruptcy

The decision comes just two weeks after BlockFi's suspension of user withdrawals. Key Takeaways BlockFi has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and will attempt to restructure its operations. The firm owes money to more than 100,000 creditors and has liabilities between $1 billion and $10 billion. BlockFi initially suspended user withdrawals on November 11 in response to FTX's collapse. Crypto lending firm BlockFi has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after suspending user payouts ea

2022 in Review: the Top 10 Crypto Memes of the Year

Key Takeaways Despite the bear market, it was another big year for memes in crypto. Some of the most enduring memes of the year were born out of the biggest catastrophes in the space. Crypto Twitter served as an entertaining hub for memes to go viral within the community. It turns out that crypto bear markets provide fertile ground for memes to flourish. The Crypto Memes of the Year 2022 has been a brutal year. It started on a downward trend as markets corrected from their astronomical

2022 in Review: the Top Five NFT Drops of the Year

Cover artwork: Moonbirds, goblintown.wtf, Memories of Qilin (edited by Mariia Kozyr) Key Takeaways The NFT market experienced a slump with the rest of crypto in 2022, but some collections stood out from the pack. Yuga Labs' Otherside mint raised a record-breaking $310 million in April. Generative artists like Emily Xie and Tyler Hobbs helped push the scene forward. Several NFT collections stood out from the pack against adverse conditions as the market returned to earth this year. 

2022 in Review: the Top 10 Heroes of the Year

Key Takeaways Several members of the crypto community emerged as heroes even as the market suffered a sharp decline in 2022. Key industry figures took action against the Treasury Department’s move to sanction Tornado Cash. Ethereum's core developers made a major contribution to the ecosystem in shipping “the Merge.” While villains dominated crypto throughout this year, the industry benefited from the efforts of a few heroes.  The Crypto Heroes of 2022  Where do we start? After

FTX, Bankman-Fried Will Face Congressional Hearing in December

The U.S. House Financial Services Committee will hear testimony from FTX, Alameda Research, Binance, and others. Key Takeaways The U.S. House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on the collapse of FTX in December. It will seek testimony from former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, Alameda Research, Binance, and FTX itself. With over one million victims and counting, the FTX scandal is the largest crypto-related fraud in history. Lawmakers in the United States have announced that t

Genesis Probed by Alabama State Regulator

The Alabama Securities Commission and other regulators have begun an investigation into Genesis Global Capital, which suspended redemptions in the wake of the FTX crisis. Key Takeaways The Alabama Securities Commission and other state regulators are investigating Genesis Global Capital. The investigation focuses on Genesis' relation to retail investors and connections between crypto firms. Genesis Global Capital suspended redemptions on November 16, leaving customers unable to access their

U.S. Regulators May Face Scrutiny Over FTX Links

Photo credit: Melissa Alcena/Bloomberg; Shutterstock background by cowardlion. Key Takeaways FTX's collapse has raised suspicions about why regulators could not see the fraud coming. FTX filled key positions with former regulators with ties to both the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Critical momentum is gathering against Sam Bankman-Fried and those caught in his orbit. FTX’s ties to political and regulatory figures—especial

MetaMask Could Soon Launch Its Token Airdrop. Here’s How to Prepare

Key Takeaways MetaMask seems to be moving toward decentralization, which could suggest that an airdrop is on the horizon. Using MetaMask in different ways and interacting with ConsenSys-linked projects could help increase your chances of qualifying for the airdrop. Swapping tokens on MetaMask and using the wallet's new bridge are two activities that could lead to an airdrop in the future. Crypto Briefing looks at the various steps MetaMask users can take to boost their chances of qualif

Binance Mulls FTX White Knight Role—What Comes Next?

Key Takeaways Binance has reportedly shown interest in acquisitions of both Voyager Digital and Genesis' loan assets as the FTX crisis continues. FTX made efforts to play white knight for the industry over the summer but went bankrupt thanks in large part to a bank run that Binance CEO Changpeng "CZ" Zhao kickstarted last week. While the FTX saga has claimed thousands of victims who may never recoup their funds, CZ has said that he thinks the industry can move forward from the incident.

Edward Snowden, Elon Musk Optimistic About Bitcoin Despite FTX Collapse

Two of Bitcoin’s most famous advocates, Elon Musk and Edward Snowden, took to Twitter today to express their faith in the cryptocurrency’s future. Key Takeaways Edward Snowden stated on Twitter today that he wanted to increase his exposure to Bitcoin. Elon Musk similarly expressed optimism towards the top cryptocurrency’s fate. Their comments come as the financial industry as a whole reels from the impact of FTX’s implosion. Edward Snowden and Elon Musk believe Bitcoin will be fi

Bahamas Government Says It Ordered SBF to Hack FTX

The Securities Commission of The Bahamas has confirmed it ordered Sam Bankman-Fried to transfer the exchange's assets to the government. Key Takeaways Sam Bankman-Fried conducted last week’s nine-figure FTX hack under the instruction of the Securities Commission of The Bahamas. FTX has filed a motion with the court claiming the Commission’s actions were “unauthorized.” The Bahamian government is now one of the world’s biggest Ethereum holders after converting FTX’s assets.

FTX Contagion is Spreading. Here’s How to Keep Your Crypto Safe

Key Takeaways FTX collapsed last week, shaking the crypto community’s faith in centralized custodians. Holding crypto in self-custody helps users reduce exposure to risky third parties and mitigate the risk of losing funds in a collapse. Cold storage wallets are widely regarded as the safest way to store crypto assets. Crypto investors have been reiterating the importance of storing coins in self-custodial wallets since the collapse of FTX. But self-custody can be intimidating, which is

FTX Contagion: Genesis and Gemini Hit in Crypto Chaos

The market turmoil created by FTX’s monumental meltdown is spreading throughout the crypto industry.  Key Takeaways Genesis has paused its crypto lending business, citing “extreme market dislocation” caused by FTX's collapse. Crypto exchange Gemini has also halted withdrawals from its Earn program. The news of the FTX contagion has weighed on the crypto market. Genesis Global Capital has temporarily suspended redemptions and new loan originations following the spectacular collap

Vitalik Buterin Will Help Binance Prove Its Reserves, CZ Says

Key Takeaways Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has reiterated the importance of transparency in the cryptocurrency industry following FTX's collapse. He has confirmed that Vitalik Buterin will create a “proof-of-reserves” protocol that will initially be tested by Binance. Zhao explained that Binance operates in a different way to FTX but admitted that crypto exchanges are “inherently quite risky businesses.”  CZ shared his reflections on the FTX collapse on a Twitter Spaces

Genesis Sought $1B Loan Before Halting Redemptions

The company failed to obtain emergency funds before suspending withdrawals. Key Takeaways Genesis reportedly sought a $1 billion emergency loan before it suspended withdrawals this week. The Wall Street Journal obtained an internal document to that effect and reported the news today. Genesis has denied the document's relevance and stated that it is in positive discussions with investors. Early this week, crypto lending firm Genesis sought a $1 billion emergency loan from investors without

Is Justin Sun About to Bail Out FTX? TRON Boss Swoops in as SBF Faces Ruin

Cover artwork: Steven Ferdman/Getty Images, Bloomberg, Shutterstock cover by Yurchanka Siarhei (edited by Mariia Kozyr) Key Takeaways TRON founder Justin Sun is reportedly looking at ways to help FTX. The news comes less than 24 hours after leading crypto exchange Binance backed out of a potential FTX bailout. FTX is also allegedly planning to raise money to plug the hole in its balance sheet per a leaked Slack post from CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. It comes after a new report has alleged tha

BlockFi Halts Withdrawals Due to FTX Collapse

The popular lending company is restricting user access to funds. Key Takeaways BlockFi has announced that it will halt withdrawals following uncertainty around FTX's financial standing. The company said that it will post updates on the situation, but that these updates will be infrequent. FTX and its various international counterparts have also limited user access to funds in recent days. Crypto lending service BlockFi has announced that it will suspend services due to FTX’s ongoing col

FTX Fraud: Who Are Sam Bankman-Fried’s Biggest Victims?

Key Takeaways The collapse of FTX is already going down as one of the most severe crypto-related frauds in history. Over the course of a week, Sam Bankman-Fried's carefully-curated empire was shattered along with his reputation. While it's not know how many have been hurt by the scam, we do know who some of the biggest victims are so far. FTX and its affiliated trading firm Alameda Research have been exposed. A November 2  CoinDesk  article revealing Alameda’s troubled finances put

Crypto’s Volatile Week Continues as Inflation Softens to 7.7%

Inflation has come in lower than expected at 7.7%. Key Takeaways Inflation has registered a 7.7% year-on-year increase in October. The figure is 0.2% less than the analyst expectation of a 7.9% increase. The crypto market has bounced on the news, but it still down significantly this week due to the ongoing FTX insolvency crisis. The Consumer Price Index declined by 40 basis points in October.  Inflation Cools to 7.7% U.S. inflation has declined for the fourth consecutive month. 

LBRY Token Ruled a Security in Case Brought by SEC

The video platform failed to defend itself against the regulator's allegations. Key Takeaways The crypto-powered video sharing platform LBRY lost its case against the U.S. SEC today. The court ruled in favor of the SEC's claim that LBRY offered its LBC token as an unregistered security. Along with Kik and Ripple, LBRY is one of just a few crypto projects to fight the SEC over such charges. The crypto-powered video platform LBRY has lost a case against the SEC, making its native asset a se

Aptos Airdrop Season Is Coming. Here’s How You Can Profit

Key Takeaways Hundreds of projects have launched or announced their release on Aptos, and many are rumored to be planning airdrops. The best way to capitalize on Aptos airdrop season safely is to use as many applications on the network as possible. We've created a short step-by-step guide to help readers get in on airdrops from Aptos projects that are rumored to launch them. In crypto, new network launches are typically followed by airdrop seasons. These “seasons” are periods when all

Sam Bankman-Fried “Set Off My Bullshit Detector”: Elon Musk

Elon Musk joined a Twitter Spaces call with the crypto community to share his thoughts on disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried early Saturday. Key Takeaways Elon Musk has revealed that he thought there was "something wrong" with Sam Bankman-Fried when he was first introduced to him ahead of his Twitter buyout. Musk urged crypto users to take custody of their assets in the wake of FTX's blowup. The FTX saga has evolved quickly over the past few days, with a major hack hitting the excha

Binance’s FTX.com Acquisition Plunges Market Into Chaos

Key Takeaways Binance's planned acquisition of FTX has sent markets into turmoil. Tokens backed by FTX and Alameda Research and suffering acutely from the news, especially FTT, which is down about 80% at the time of writing. The news has sparked fears of contagion, the potential extent of which is still unknown. The crypto market is coming to grips with the prospect that FTX being acquired by Binance could mean that Sam Bankman-Fried’s exchange and its close collaborator, Alameda Resear

Solana News Can’t Help SOL Soar. What’s Next for the High-Speed Layer 1?

Key Takeaways Solana made a number of big announcements at Breakpoint this weekend, but SOL failed to react. Solana has faced many challenges over crypto winter, including ongoing outages and a decline in DeFi activity. While Solana has issues to overcome and competition to face, it remains one of crypto's strongest and most promising ecosystems. Solana is one of several Layer 1 networks to have suffered in the enduring crypto winter. But sunny skies could return, Chris Williams writes. 

Binance to Acquire FTX.com

A series of rumors and public spats has culminated in a takeover of the world's second-largest crypto exchange. Key Takeaways Binance is set to acquire FTX.com after rumors of financial troubles sparked a bank run on the world's second-largest exchange. The deal has been struck after days of public sparring between the two CEOs. Bankman-Fried's firms, FTX and Alameda Research, were rumored to be facing financial crises since Friday, when an Alameda balance sheet was leaked showing much of i

FTT Tanks 28% as FTX Exchange Struggles to Process Withdrawals

Rumors that the FTX-affiliated trading firm Alameda Research is facing insolvency have caused users to withdraw funds from the FTX exchange en masse.  Key Takeaways FTX's FTT token has broken critical support at $21. The downward move was spurred by a loss of confidence in the FTX exchange. FTX users have been withdrawing funds from the exchange en masse due to fears that the could be insolvent. FTX’s FTT exchange token has fallen to its lowest level since early 2021.  FTT Token B

SBF Scrambles to Cover Tracks After FTX Blowup 

Key Takeaways Sam Bankman-Fried has deleted multiple tweets since he agreed to sell FTX.com to Binance yesterday. Several posts maintaining that the FTX exchange was in good financial standing have been removed. If FTX users cannot be made whole, these tweets could serve as evidence against the FTX CEO if a case is brought against him. Before agreeing to sell FTX.com to Binance, Sam Bankman-Fried assured his Twitter followers that the exchange was in good financial standing in several s

Dogecoin Is Up 134% This Week. Can the Top Meme Coin Head Higher?

Key Takeaways Dogecoin has more than doubled over the past seven days. The meme coin received a significant boost from Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter. Many speculators are hoping Musk will integrate Dogecoin with Twitter, pushing its price even higher. Dogecoin has become the top-performing major crypto asset after jumping 134% over the past seven days.  Dogecoin Leads the Market Dogecoin mania is back.  Crypto’s original meme coin has outpaced the market over the past se

Is Crypto Whale Alameda Research in Financial Trouble?

Key Takeaways Alameda Research, the quantitative trading firm co-founded by Sam Bankman-Fried, reportedly had $14.6 billion in assets and $7.4 billion in liabilities last June. A close look at the numbers, however, suggests most of the firm’s assets were made up of illiquid Solana-based tokens. Alameda’s financial situation may have been one of the reasons Bankman-Fried stepped up to stop contagion across the crypto market during the summer. According to new reporting, Alameda Researc

Crypto Briefing Goes Web3 With Tokenized Paywall 

Crypto Briefing is integrating Access Protocol to give subscribers a Web3-friendly way to access premium content.  Key Takeaways Crypto Briefing is joining Access Protocol as one of its founding members. The protocol, which is set to launch next month, offers publications a way to use Web3 to monetize premium content while rewarding readers. Crypto Briefing will use Access Protocol to launch a new product via SIMETRI, the publication’s industry-leading research arm. Crypto Briefing�

Taiwan central bank governor considers interest-free CBDC design to prevent fiat deposit flight

"Neither of the current CBDCs in circulation, such as the Sand Dollar and the digital yuan, accrue interest on deposits," said Yang. 1566 Total views 36 Total shares As reported by local news outlet bnext.com on Wednesday, Chin-long Yang, governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan), recommended a no-interest design for the country's central bank digital currency, or CBDC, pilot. In explaining the decision, Yang said that a CBD

Price analysis 5/30: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, SOL, DOGE, DOT, AVAX, SHIB

The elusive relief rally that BTC and ETH traders expected has arrived, but will the market sustain enough bullish momentum to catalyze a trend change? 14299 Total views 35 Total shares After creating the dubious record of nine successive red weekly closes, Bitcoin (BTC) is attempting to make amends by starting a price recovery to end the losing streak. Analysts have repeatedly said that investors should not fear a bear market because it is one

Web5 vs. Web3: The future is a process, not a destination

What is Web5, where is Web4 and what would be the recently announced initiative by Block subsidiary TBD to create a new layer of decentralization on top of the Web. 4522 Total views 25 Total shares On June 10, many were surprised by the news that TBD, a subsidiary of Block, Twitter’s co-founder Jack Dorsey, announced the launch of the Web5 platform. Web 1, 2, 3 and now Web 5? But where is Web 4? Those who don’t care about number sequences ca

Basel Committee wants to limit banks' digital asset exposure to just 1% of equity

Volatile cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin would also be subjected to a 1,250% risk premium. 2077 Total views 14 Total shares On Thursday, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision suggested during its second consultation on the prudential treatment of crypto-asset exposures that banks limit their exposure to so-called Group 2 crypto assets to just 1% of their Tier 1 capital.  Group 1 digital assets consist of tokenized traditional assets, suc

Thailand’s Crypto Utopia — ‘90% of a cult, without all the weird stuff’

The story of how a Bitcoin OG set up a Libertarian crypto community and commune for digital nomads on beautiful islands in Thailand three times — and why he hasn’t yet given up on the dream. It’s a wild tale involving “unchecked merrymaking,” crypto-influencers, police grillings, seasteading, a reported $20,000-a-month burn rate, rumors about shamans and drugs — and a major collision between idealism and reality. It was also, by all accounts, a whole lot of fun. Cryptopia beca

Contagion: Genesis faces huge losses, BlockFi’s $1B loan, Celsius’s risky model

Why longevity matters to everyone: Living longer lives in the world of Web3

Physicians and founders are rallying behind longevity medicine, and here is what a longer and healthier human lifespan means for the crypto community. 891 Total views 5 Total shares Expected to reach a market size of $128 billion by 2028, the longevity sector is no longer something that those outside the medical world can ignore. In the next few years, life-extending technologies and treatments for aging-related diseases will reach human trials.

Cardano’s Vasil hard fork proposal submitted: Countdown commences

From July 3, the four-week window for application developers and exchanges to test the upcoming Cardano upgrade begins before it’s launched onto the mainnet. 8056 Total views 54 Total shares Cardano Blockchain developer Input Output Hong Kong (IOHK) has submitted an updated proposal to hard fork the Cardano testnet, kicking off the countdown for the network’s Vasil mainnet upgrade. The Vasil upgrade is slated to bring “significant perform

VTB sealed the first deal with digital financial assets in Russia

VTB Factoring acquires a tokenized debt pool of industrial companies via the Lighthouse blockchain. 953 Total views 12 Total shares VTB Factoring, a subsidiary of Russia’s state-owned bank, reported the first major deal with digital finance assets. As part of the deal, the bank subsidiary acquired a tokenized debt pool of the engineering company Metrowagonmash, issued via the fintech platform Lighthouse. On Wednesday, June 29, VTB reported the

NFT pics are the funhouse mirror high-end art deserves

Traditional art is an asset class the wealthy have mastered. NFT art’s long-term prospects may depend on whether they can offer them more. 1470 Total views 28 Total shares The funny thing about many of the absolutely insane things happening in the world today is that from a certain perspective, they actually make perfect sense. Take the famous brands buying metaverse real estate, for example. At first glance, it makes no sense at all. At secon

OpenSea data breach causes massive leak of users’ email addresses

The NFT marketplace noted that it has reported the incident to law enforcement officials and that an inquiry is underway. 774 Total views 5 Total shares OpenSea, the world’s largest nonfungible tokens (NFT) marketplace, has issued a warning to customers after it was discovered that an employee of Customer.io, a platform for managing email newsletters and campaigns, leaked the list of OpenSea customers’ emails to an outside party. The breach

How blockchain can open up energy markets: EU DLT expert explains

The main barrier to the wide adoption of DLT solutions by the energy system stakeholders is how energy markets are structured. 3012 Total views 18 Total shares Aside from the buzzing neologism of Web3, there is a bit less catchy but hardly less important concept of Industry 4.0, which includes the new and revolutionary drivers of the next generation’s industrial landscape. And, especially when it comes to the energy sector, blockchain lies at

CoinFLEX recovery plan includes tokenized bad debt and more yields

The crypto lender issued a no-liquidation account to an unnamed whale on the condition that the account would never go negative, but that plan has backfired. 1675 Total views 29 Total shares Crypto investment platform CoinFLEX aims to rectify its liquidity shortage and restart user withdrawals by selling off bad debt through a new $47 million token offering. The new token is known as Recovery Value USD (rvUSD) and will be worth $1.00 each. It is

Better than Axie Infinity: Kieran Warwick’s 2032 plan for Illuvium

Sam Bankman-Fried provides bailouts, ‘Bitcoin dead’ searches soar, and debate over hidden themes behind BAYC continues: Hodlers Digest, June 19–25

Coming every Saturday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link. Top Stories This Week SBF and Alameda step in to prevent crypto collapse contagion Sam Bankman-Fried stated on June 20 that his firms Alameda Research and FTX would be “stepping in” to help companies with liqu

Harmony hacker sends stolen funds to Tornado Cash mixer

The exploiter seems to have rejected the Harmony team’s bounty offer of $1 million to return the $100 million stolen from the Horizon Bridge token bridge. 6133 Total views 9 Total shares The funds from Harmony’s Horizon Bridge have begun to move into the Tornado Cash Ethererum mixer, signaling that the attacker has no intention of accepting the $1 million bounty offered. The decision to obfuscate the ill-gotten gains answers questions about

CoinFLEX recovery plan includes tokenized bad debt and more yields

The crypto lender issued a no-liquidation account to an unnamed whale on the condition that the account would never go negative, but that plan has backfired. 1322 Total views 41 Total shares Crypto investment platform CoinFLEX aims to rectify its liquidity shortage and restart user withdrawals by selling off bad debt through a new $47 million token offering. The new token is known as Recovery Value USD (rvUSD) and will be worth $1.00 each. It is

Crypto’s uses and misuses: Binance–Reuters quarrel raises questions

Does the struggle between Binance and Reuters, both heavyweights in their respective industries, have broader implications for the crypto sector? 2910 Total views 6 Total shares Crypto exchange Binance has courted controversy almost since its 2017 beginnings, and five years later, the dustups continue. On June 6, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission was reported to be investigating whether Binance Holdings broke United States sec

Thailand’s crypto islands: Working in paradise, Part 1

Uniswap acquires NFT marketplace aggregator Genie to further its goals

Decentralized exchange Uniswap to add additional NFT functionality to its platform following the acquisition. 1830 Total views 31 Total shares Decentralized exchange (DEX) Uniswap announced the acquisition of the nonfungible token (NFT) marketplace aggregator Genie on Tuesday. Uniswap said this move is part of its mission to unlock universal ownership and exchange on its platform. Uniswap is now integrating NFTs into its product line, beginning

'Crypto is just like the end of the 90s with the internet bubble,' says Hodl CEO Maurice Mureau

Mureau remains bullish on crypto's outlook despite a severe bear market in recent months. 1800 Total views 23 Total shares For Maurice Mureau, CEO of crypto investment fund operator Hodl, there's "not a lot left" to invest in anymore. With soaring inflation, bonds are no go, real estate is getting more difficult but there is one asset class that's (unsurprisingly) catching the fund manager's attention — cryptocurrencies. During the European Bl

Price analysis 6/6: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, SOL, DOGE, DOT, AVAX, SHIB

BTC and altcoins flashed green at the weekly open, but overhead resistance levels will continue to pose a challenge in the short-term. 10465 Total views 31 Total shares After nine successive weeks of red weekly candles, Bitcoin (BTC) printed a green weekly candle on June 5. Leading into this week, buyers kept up their momentum with a strong weekly open that boosted BTC price to $31,800. Going forward, traders might keep a close eye on the Consu

Bifrost releases upgraded SALP 2.0 after protocol helped secure $450M via parachain auctions

The move comes after 18 Polkadot parachain auctions were secured on the original SALP protocol. 2703 Total views 6 Total shares On Friday, Bifrost, a Web 3.0 derivatives protocol that provides decentralized cross-chain liquidity for staked assets, launched the updated Slot Liquidity Auction Protocol dubbed "SALP 2.0." Projects such as Moonbeam, Unique network, OAK network, Polkadex, etc., held their parachain crowdloans on Kusama and Polkadot vi

It seems NFT-themed Bored & Hungry restaurant no longer accepts crypto

The alleged removal is a bit strange considering Bored Hungry only opened its doors back in April. 8738 Total views 158 Total shares The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that recently opened nonfungible token- (NFT)-themed burger joint Bored Hungry no longer accepts cryptocurrency as a form of payment for its food. When questioned, one Bored Hungry employee told the Los Angeles Times “Not today — I don’t know.” The individual didn�

Axie Infinity to compensate Ronin exploit victims and relaunch bridge

Once the bridge reopens on Tuesday, users will be able to withdraw one ETH for each one they possessed before the attack. 3970 Total views 13 Total shares Sky Mavis, the creator of the play-to-earn game Axie Infinity (AXS), announced that it will reimburse victims of the Ronin bridge hack and reopen the bridge next week. In March, hackers stole more than $620 million in the heist, which included roughly 17,600 Ether (ETH) and 25.5 million USD Co

Risky business: Celsius crisis and the hated accredited investor laws

What is MetaPay, and how does it work?

University of Cincinnati turning crypto craze into educational curriculum

The programs, which are funded by a longtime supporter of the university, will teach students about Bitcoin and other digital assets. 1648 Total views 48 Total shares Cryptocurrencies are attracting a lot of attention from academic institutions as they become increasingly accepted as an alternative to conventional assets. The University of Cincinnati (UC) in Ohio, United States, has even established courses around cryptocurrency as part of its c

BIS: 90% of Central Banks are researching the utility of CBDCs

The institution's future monetary vision includes exploring innovations grounded in trust in central banks' stable sovereign currencies and safe payment systems. 2272 Total views 60 Total shares In a new annual economic report published by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), the financial institution revealed that approximately 90% of central banks worldwide are investigating the feasibility of adopting central bank digital currencies

Breaking: Harmony’s Horizon Bridge hacked for $100M

Price analysis 5/16: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, SOL, DOGE, DOT, AVAX, SHIB

BTC and most altcoins are facing strong selling at the top of each rally, but the short-term downside could be limited since Bitcoin bulls keep buying each dip. 13657 Total views 36 Total shares The selling in Bitcoin (BTC) is showing no sign of abating and Bitcoin has fallen for seven straight weeks for the first time ever. This indicates that the momentum remains strongly in favor of the bears.  While the short-term sentiment remains bearish,

Risky business: Celsius crisis and the hated accredited investor laws

Accredited investor laws are the bane of many in the crypto industry, who see them as preventing small investors from accessing big opportunities. When Celsius was recently forced to cut off access to U.S. citizens who were not accredited investors, many cried foul. Did it help some users avoid the current crisis? Or do accredited investor laws go too far in saving users from themselves — and from profits, too? Two weeks ago, as speculation about Celsius’ solvency began to mount, use

Roxe Holding in talks for listing on Nasdaq via $3.6B SPAC deal

The firm has entered an agreement with special purpose acquisition company Goldenstone Acquisition Ltd, through which it will pursue the listing. 1215 Total views 8 Total shares Goldenstone Acquisition Ltd, a special-purpose acquisition firm (SPAC), has announced plans to go public with blockchain-based payments firm Roxe Holding Inc. As per the Wednesday announcement, the SPAC has agreed to a $3.6 billion merger with the global blockchain payme

Old-school photographers grapple with NFTs: New world, new rules

Photography often has to weather disruptive changes — from film to digital, for example — and photographers find themselves needing to master new technologies or face losing out to more tech-savvy competitors. NFTs are just another transformation in how we consume images. Can photographers adapt and benefit from them? Coming to grips with the NFT market can give a whole new lease of life to a photographer’s work. Back in the dark ages I go back a long time in photography. To the dar

Price analysis 6/13: BTC, ETH, BNB, ADA, XRP, SOL, DOGE, DOT, LEO, AVAX

Bitcoin and altcoins are seeing heavy selling as June 13’s massive unwinding could be the final capitulation-level event before the market finally hits a bottom. 14055 Total views 40 Total shares The United States equities markets extended their decline to start the week on June 13. The SP 500 hit a new year-to-date low and dipped into bear market territory, falling more than 20% from its all-time high made on Jan. 4.  The cryptocurrency ma

Blockchain isn’t as decentralized as you think: Defense agency report

The report published Tuesday highlights several scenarios in which various actors can garner excessive, centralized control of a blockchain system. 3837 Total views 37 Total shares Distributed ledger technology (DLT) and blockchains including Bitcoin and Ethereum may be more vulnerable to centralization risks than initially thought, according to Trail of Bits.  The security firm on Tuesday released its report titled “Are Blockchains Decentral

dYdX moves to Cosmos-based blockchain for v4 to optimize decentralization and trading flow

The protocol chose Cosmos as the best fit as it would not only need decentralization but also the ability to handle and scale 1,000 orders per second. 930 Total views 9 Total shares On Thursday, crypto derivatives platform dYdX, which is currently built on Ethereum layer 2, announced that it would be moving to a standalone blockchain based on the Cosmos SDK and Tendermint proof-of-stake consensus for its v4 update. The firm cites the Cosmos bloc

Solana NFT marketplace Magic Eden closes $130M Series B round at $1.6B valuation

Magic Eden accounts for over 90% of NFT trading volume on Solana. 1754 Total views 12 Total shares On Tuesday, Magic Eden, a popular nonfungible tokens (NFTs) platform on the Solana (SOL) blockchain with 112,927 SOL ($4 million) in 24-hour trading volume, announced that it had closed a Series B round for $130 million. The funding round was led by investors such as Electric Capital, Greylock, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Paradigm and Sequoia Capi

6 Questions for Annabelle Huang of Amber Group

We ask the buidlers in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector for their thoughts on the industry… and throw in a few random zingers to keep them on their toes! This week, our 6 Questions go to Annabelle Huang, the managing partner at Amber Group, a global leading digital asset platform. Prior to Amber Group, I served as the Asia lead at AirSwap, a decentralized trading platform that enables peer-to-peer trading on the Ethereum blockchain. Before transitioning into digital assets,

Cloudflare outage affects multiple crypto exchanges

Users attempting to visit certain websites were met with a “500 Internal Server Error” notice due to a Cloudflare outage. 2338 Total views 38 Total shares Cloudflare, a significant infrastructure provider for the internet, recently experienced widespread problems, leaving many crypto exchanges down. The content delivery network (CDN) confirmed via an update posted on Tuesday that it is experiencing issues with its services and network, and a

What is MetaPay, and how does it work?

MetaPay, metaverse-based payment system, requires customers to have the MPay token to invest in the Metaxion universe. 1917 Total views 28 Total shares When people began communicating with one another over a wired communication system, the internet, not long ago, it ushered in a revolution in the rate of user acceptance of the technology involved.  Users could converse more readily anywhere and anytime when wired technology gave way to mobile t

Cloudflare outage affects multiple crypto exchanges

Users attempting to visit certain websites were met with a “500 Internal Server Error” notice due to a Cloudflare outage. 2062 Total views 28 Total shares Cloudflare, a significant infrastructure provider for the internet, recently experienced widespread problems, leaving many crypto exchanges down. The content delivery network (CDN) confirmed via an update posted on Tuesday that it is experiencing issues with its services and network, and a

Consensus 2022: Web3, unpacking regulations, and optimism for crypto’s future

Despite the crypto winter, the conference drew in 17,000 people to discuss the crypto regulatory landscape, Web3 development and the future of digital assets. 5223 Total views 20 Total shares “Everything is bigger in Texas” proved to be true during Consensus 2022. The crypto conference took place June 9–12 in Austin, Texas, this year, attracting over 20,000 people from across the globe, despite the 100-degree plus weather. According to the

South Korean prosecutors ban Terraform Labs employees from exiting the country: Report

Terraform Labs employees have reportedly been prohibited from exiting South Korea as investigations by prosecutors continue. 3626 Total views 51 Total shares Terraform Labs employees are reportedly unable to leave South Korea due to the country’s prosecutors imposing a departure ban on key developers of the project. On Monday, Korean media outlet JTBC reported that an investigation team from the Seoul Southern District Prosecutor’s Office

Price analysis 6/1: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, SOL, DOGE, DOT, AVAX, SHIB

BTC and altcoins met resistance at a key moving average, leading traders to wonder whether the current pullback is a lower support test, or proof that bears are still in control. 16248 Total views 23 Total shares Bitcoin (BTC) has made a tentative start to the month of June, suggesting that bears have not gone into hibernation just yet. Although Bitcoin is trading nearly 55% off its all-time high of $69,000, whales and institutions remain cautio

Solend invalidates Solana whale wallet takeover plan with second governance vote

If Solend is unable to take over the account, some believe that it could cause a meltdown, driving Solana’s price to zero. 4357 Total views 71 Total shares Solana-based decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol Solend has created another governance vote to invalidate the recently-approved proposal that gives Solend Labs “emergency powers” to access a whale’s wallet to avoid liquidation.  On Sunday, the crypto lending platform launch

High-profile BAYC collector denies allegations of wrongdoing brought by DeFi detective

At the time of publication, it is not clear how the DeFi detective allegedly connected wallets with questionable activities to Jeff Huang. 6718 Total views 59 Total shares On Thursday, ZachXBT, a cyber detective in the decentralized finance, or DeFi, realm, accused prominent Taiwanese musician and blockchain personality Jeff Huang, also known as Machi Big Brother, of misconduct in 10 different cryptocurrency projects. Machi Big Brother is known

6 Questions for Alex Wilson of The Giving Block

We ask the buidlers in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector for their thoughts on the industry… and throw in a few random zingers to keep them on their toes! This week, our 6 Questions go to Alex Wilson, co-founder of The Giving Block — a crypto donation solution that provides an ecosystem for nonprofits and charities to fundraise Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Alex is a co-founder of The Giving Block, a Shift4 company. The Giving Block is a leading crypto philanthropy pla

Vitalik Buterin shares his thoughts on non-financial use-cases for blockchain

Essential goals like “trust and censorship resistance” can be aided by distributed ledger technology, said Buterin. 5838 Total views 23 Total shares Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of both Ethereum Bitcoin Magazine, took to Twitter to share his thoughts on non-financial use cases for blockchain technology. In a paper titled “Where to use a blockchain in non-financial applications?” Buterin expressed a growing interest in using blockchain tec

This oracle data provider platform has surpassed 4 million nodes since inception

The protocol has weathered multiple bear markets and has nearly 250 million data payloads and counting. 2074 Total views 23 Total shares Can a fully-functional oracle network ecosystem that anonymously collects and validates geospatial (location-specific) data exist? One blockchain firm seems to have gotten the gist of the idea. Founded in 2012, XY Labs and its namesake protocol XYO, which is built on the Ethereum blockchain, seek to reward part

Sweeping layoffs, hiring and firing as crypto prices take a massive downturn

This oracle data provider platform has surpassed 4 million nodes since inception

The protocol has weathered multiple bear markets and has nearly 250 million data payloads and counting. 2015 Total views 23 Total shares Can a fully-functional oracle network ecosystem that anonymously collects and validates geospatial (location-specific) data exist? One blockchain firm seems to have gotten the gist of the idea. Founded in 2012, XY Labs and its namesake protocol XYO, which is built on the Ethereum blockchain, seek to reward part

Finblox withdrawal restrictions trigger concerns from the community

Twitter user Gofortim2 called out to lending platforms to become more transparent and honest on where assets are deployed. 1660 Total views 25 Total shares Finblox, a crypto-staking platform backed by Three Arrows Capital (3AC) has paused reward distributions and tightened its withdrawal limits. Following this, community members expressed concerns over their assets, with some calling for transparency and bringing up decentralization. In a tweet,

Employee quits after red flags at first crypto job, stays in blockchain for the tech

Roland Guirdonan came to believe that cryptocurrencies are the "future of money" despite an unpleasant experience at his first job in the industry. 4877 Total views 13 Total shares Crypto startups have a significant role to play in the development of the entire blockchain industry. However, while many business owners have big ideas that aim to change the world, some fail to invest to develop the most critical aspects of a business, resulting in

MimbleWimble adds new features for Litecoin, but some exchanges balk

Litecoin may have recently activated its long-awaited privacy-based upgrade, but not without creating some regulatory compliance issues. 4630 Total views 37 Total shares Litecoin is one of the earliest alternative coins (altcoins) that came to light after Bitcoin (BTC). Created in October 2011, it is now the 20th most valuable cryptocurrency, boasting a market capitalization of over $4 billion, according to CoinMarketCap data. The MimbleWimble u

Price analysis 6/17: BTC, ETH, BNB, ADA, XRP, SOL, DOGE, DOT, LEO, AVAX

Bitcoin price struggles to hold support at $20,000, and the outcome of this battle between bulls and bears will determine the next directional move. 7379 Total views 40 Total shares The sharp fall in cryptocurrencies has pulled the total crypto market capitalization below $900 billion. According to CoinGoLive, 72 out of the top 100 tokens have declined in excess of 90% from their all-time highs. In comparison, the top-10 coins have outperformed

Finblox withdrawal restrictions trigger concerns from the community

Twitter user Gofortim2 called out to lending platforms to become more transparent and honest on where assets are deployed. 1453 Total views 15 Total shares Finblox, a crypto-staking platform backed by Three Arrows Capital (3AC) has paused reward distributions and tightened its withdrawal limits. Following this, community members expressed concerns over their assets, with some calling for transparency and bringing up decentralization. In a tweet,

US SEC investigates Binance’s ICO, metaverse crypto assets up 400% YoY, and STEPN faces DDoS attacks: Hodler’s Digest, June 5-11

Coming every Saturday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link. Top Stories This Week Anonymous hacker served with restraining order via NFT In what’s perhaps an industry first, an anonymous defendant in an exchange-hacking legal case has received a temporary restraining ord

Yahoo launching Metaverse events for Hong Kong residents under restrictions

Yahoo has announced its intention to launch a series of Metaverse projects in Hong Kong, apparently creating a brief rally for Decentraland’s native token, MANA. 3156 Total views 35 Total shares Yahoo has announced a series of Metaverse and nonfungible token- (NFT)-related activities in Hong Kong, a day after Meta Platforms outlined its own metaverse plans for the region. Yahoo, a United States-based internet media company, revealed that it wi

Consensus 2022: Web3, unpacking regulations, and optimism for crypto’s future

Despite the crypto winter, the conference drew in 17,000 people to discuss the crypto regulatory landscape, Web3 development and the future of digital assets. 4588 Total views 20 Total shares “Everything is bigger in Texas” proved to be true during Consensus 2022. The crypto conference took place June 9–12 in Austin, Texas, this year, attracting 17,000 people from across the globe, despite the 100-degree plus weather. According to the even

Chain.com tokens lose 96% of value in 24 hours due to flash crash before recovery

Prices quickly recovered after developers determined that a technical API issue, not a security breach, catalyzed the heavy sell-off. 3000 Total views 55 Total shares On Tuesday, tokens of cloud blockchain infrastructure provider Chain.com (XCN) suddenly lost over 90% of their value before recovering most of their losses later in the day. In a post-mortem analysis published by Chain.com, the firm said that a market maker and API error at 1:00 pm

Former president of the New York Stock Exchange joins Uniswap Labs as an adviser

Uniswap said it is betting on her experience with TradFi translating over to DeFi to further help them evolve their place in Web3. 1722 Total views 23 Total shares On Wednesday, Uniswap announced that former New York Stock Exchange president Stacey Cunningham will join the company as an adviser. Cunningham served as the first female president of the New York Stock Exchange after beginning her career as a trader on its floor. She said in a statem

The crypto industry must do more to promote encryption, says Meltem Demirors

Bitcoin hash rate marks all-time high as BTC price drops below $25K

Complimenting the new hash rate ATH of 231.428 exahash per second, Bitcoin’s network difficulty stands at a strong position of 30.283 trillion. 11809 Total views 58 Total shares Bitcoin (BTC) hash rate, a network security measure based on computing power for mining, achieved a new all-time high (ATH) of 231.428 exahash per second (EH/s) amid an ongoing bear market that witnesses BTC price plunging below the critical $25,000 mark. Hash rate is

How to buy NFTs on Solana?

With the introduction of platforms like Solana, buyers may now purchase NFTs for a low transaction charge and with minimal congestion. 2587 Total views 103 Total shares The burgeoning popularity of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) has led to issues like exorbitant transaction fees and congestion in the prevalent Ethereum-based ecosystem. The fee factor serves as a major deterrent to anyone wanting to execute transactions on the blockchain. A report pub

Illicit crypto usage as a percent of total usage has fallen: Report

A rapidly growing crypto market means that hacks and scams are accounting for less overall activity, and their percentage of total usage continues to decline. 1958 Total views 29 Total shares Illicit cryptocurrency activity in 2021 and the first quarter of 2022 has declined as a percentage of overall crypto activity, according to blockchain forensics firm CipherTrace. The cryptocurrency industry has long held a reputation in some jurisdictions a

‘The metaverse will empower human beings,’ declares Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways plans to launch NFTs and enable metaverse ticket purchases for physical flights. 3947 Total views 78 Total shares Qatar Airways announced Tuesday that it had launched its first metaverse experience, QVerse. This virtual reality platform allows interested parties can virtually visit and navigate the Premium Check-in area at the International Airport of Hamad (HIA). According to the company’s statements to Cointelegraph, however,

Bitcoin ecosystem makes a U-turn recovery in global ATM installations

Halfway through 2022, the BTC ATM installation numbers dropped 89.75% by May, followed by a swift recovery in June. 9118 Total views 59 Total shares Bitcoin (BTC) ATM installations have marked a new comeback as June 2022 saw the reversal of the five-month-long downward trajectory for the first time this year.  The global ATM installations worldwide fell consistently throughout the year, with May reporting the lowest number of 205 ATM installati

Price analysis 5/23: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, SOL, DOGE, DOT, AVAX, SHIB

Bitcoin and the major altcoins have bounced off their immediate support levels, paving the way for a possible relief rally in the short term. 11925 Total views 65 Total shares The United States equity markets are attempting a recovery after weeks of relentless selling. Along similar lines, on-chain monitoring resource Material Indicators expects the crypto market to recover, but they anticipate Bitcoin (BTC) to spend some time in a range before

Nexo offers to buy out Celsius’ loans amid withdrawal suspension

Nexo platform could rescue Celsius' customers after “what appears to be the insolvency of the Celsius Network.” 5857 Total views 7 Total shares There’s a glimmer of hope for the bear market’s most recent victim. Following reports that Celsius is insolvent, Nexo is offering a buy-out. A Nexo representative told Cointelegraph that Nexo is trying to do the “right thing” as they are “mindful of the repercussions for retail investors t

Central authorities have demonized privacy — Crypto projects must fight back

While a core tenet and source of pride among crypto projects, privacy has been demonized by those in power, including lawmakers, regulators, banks and academics. 5006 Total views 52 Total shares Zcash (ZEC), a privacy coin that launched in 2016, unveiled an upgrade to its system on May 31 that will allow users to more easily make private, trustless digital cash payments on mobile phones. Not everyone would view this as a good development. The un

Price analysis 6/1: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, SOL, DOGE, DOT, AVAX, SHIB

BTC and altcoins met resistance at a key moving average, leading traders to wonder whether the current pullback is a lower support test, or proof that bears are still in control. 16128 Total views 23 Total shares Bitcoin (BTC) has made a tentative start to the month of June, suggesting that bears have not gone into hibernation just yet. Although Bitcoin is trading nearly 55% off its all-time high of $69,000, whales and institutions remain cautio

Ocean Protocol, Helium and Chainlink post monthly gains while Bitcoin price consolidates

Roadmap and protocol upgrades are a few of the factors behind the month-long rally in LINK, OCEAN and HNT. 2716 Total views 7 Total shares Positive price movements during bear markets are noteworthy primarily because they can help identify projects that have a good chance of surviving until the next bull cycle .  Generally, price action in June has been stagnant for a majority of the crypto market because traders are nervous about Bitcoin’s (

US Fed begins quantitative tightening, Japan restricts stablecoin issuance and LUNA 2.0 rides a price roller coaster: Hodler’s Digest, May 29-June 4

Coming every Saturday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link. Top Stories This Week Fed money printer goes into reverse: What does it mean for crypto? Over the last two years or so, the United States Federal Reserve has flooded the financial system with excess liquidity —

Anchor dev claims he warned Do Kwon over unsustainable 20% interest rate

Mr. B alleges that the platform was designed only to offer an interest rate of 3.6%, but that changed at the last minute. 4491 Total views 243 Total shares Anchor Protocol was originally designed to offer an interest rate of 3.6%, but this was dialed up to 20% just a week before release to attract more investors, a core developer alleged in an interview with Korean media outlet JTBC.  “I did not know that this would go out with such a high-in

Bitcoin's real energy use questioned as Ethereum founder criticizes BTC

A founding member of Ethereum has claimed that Bitcoin uses nearly 1% of the world’s electricity, but different sources put it substantially lower. 4136 Total views 42 Total shares The ever-raging debate around Bitcoin’s energy consumption has been re-ignited, with founding member of Ethereum Anthony Donofrio claiming that Bitcoin is using “way too much” energy.  According to figures from Digiconomist, Bitcoin (BTC) currently uses 0.82%

Is education the key to curbing the rise of scammy, high APY projects?

As DeFi projects offering insane returns continue to infiltrate the market, experts believe that investors need to better equip themselves to avoid such scams. 3784 Total views 28 Total shares Most people who have dealt with cryptocurrencies in any capacity over the last couple of years are well aware that there are many projects out there offering eye-popping annual percentage yields (APY) these days.  In fact, many decentralized finance (DeFi

Bear market: Some crypto firms cut jobs while others aim for sustainable growth

While crypto companies have been faced with major layoffs, things are nowhere as bad as the tech industry or other traditional sectors. 1876 Total views 28 Total shares To put things into perspective, since November 2021, the total market capitalization of the digital asset industry has plummeted from it’s all-time high of $3 trillion to its current levels of approx. $1.27 trillion, thus showcasing a loss ratio of over 55%. While this massive

Binance Staking completes initial phase of Terra 2.0 airdrop as ecosystem issues persist

About 70% of tokens are held in escrow and will be vested starting later this year. 4544 Total views 31 Total shares On Tuesday, cryptocurrency exchange Binance said it completed the first stage of airdropping new Terra Luna (LUNA) tokens to holders of Terra Luna Classic (LUNC), TerraUSD (USTC) and AnchorUST (aUST).  The distribution was based on "pre-attack" and "post-attack" snapshots of token holders taken at LUNC block height 7,544,910 at 1

Price analysis 6/6: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, SOL, DOGE, DOT, AVAX, SHIB

BTC and altcoins flashed green at the weekly open, but overhead resistance levels will continue to pose a challenge in the short-term. 10125 Total views 31 Total shares After nine successive weeks of red weekly candles, Bitcoin (BTC) printed a green weekly candle on June 5. Leading into this week, buyers kept up their momentum with a strong weekly open that boosted BTC price to $31,800. Going forward, traders might keep a close eye on the Consu

Bear market: Some crypto firms cut jobs while others aim for sustainable growth

While crypto companies have been faced with major layoffs, things are nowhere as bad as the tech industry or other traditional sectors. 1452 Total views 44 Total shares To put things into perspective, since November 2021, the total market capitalization of the digital asset industry has plummeted from it’s all-time high of $3 trillion to its current levels of approx. $1.27 trillion, thus showcasing a loss ratio of over 55%. While this massive

‘Father’ of the Metaverse Neal Stephenson launching metaverse blockchain

At LAMINA1, Neal Stephenson will focus on “helping get artists and other value creators paid properly for their work, helping the environment [...] and seeing a truly open Metaverse get built,” noted co-founder Peter Vessenes. 3915 Total views 40 Total shares Neal Stephenson, the author who coined the term “Metaverse” 30 years ago, is launching a metaverse-focused blockchain project called LAMINA1. He has also revised his vision for the

Thailand’s crypto islands: Working in paradise, Part 1

Walking into Remote and Digital’s La Casa co-working space on the tropical island of Koh Pha-ngan, you wonder how anybody gets any work done. I sip a cocktail and wait for my burrito as James Brown plays in the background. There’s a real palm tree growing at the edge of the cafe, and behind it sits shallow crystal blue water stretching off for miles, with Koh Samui’s jungle-covered mountains jutting up in the distance. Adding to the ambiance, kite surfers are getting massive air off

Crypto 401(k): Sound financial planning or gambling with the future?

Cryptocurrencies may be coming to Americans’ retirement plans. Some see it as a sound financial strategy, while others remain skeptical. 1894 Total views 26 Total shares In April, United States-based retirement plan provider Fidelity Investments moved to allow 401(k) retirement savings account holders to invest directly in Bitcoin (BTC), the flagship cryptocurrency, making crypto a potential part of one’s savings for the future. A 401(k) is

Metaverse sneak peek: Project aims to build a creator-focused economy through blockchain

Cointelegraph explored Web3 creator economy protocol DEIP’s metaverse in an online event last week. 2225 Total views 39 Total shares A metaverse project that would provide a digital hub for creators gave the community an opportunity to travel within its metaverse city and explore an early version of the vision that it aims to achieve. Last week, Web3 creator economy protocol DEIP launched an event within its metaverse. With DEIP CEO and co-fou

Apple's upcoming developer conference sparks rumors of NFT trading cards

The Worldwide Developer Conference 2022, hosted by Apple, will be held online between June 6–10, and feature some of the leading experts and advocates within the tech field. 9972 Total views 36 Total shares In the lead-up to the 33rd edition of the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) set to commence on June 6, tech giant Apple has unveiled plans to showcase the developments of four new devices and software models: iOS 15, iPadOS 15,

Crypto exchange Binance seeks critical licenses in Philippines, CEO says

The exchange platform is looking to get virtual assets service provider and e-money issuer licenses from the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas. 1797 Total views 29 Total shares Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of crypto trading platform Binance, shared plans to acquire two licenses that are critical for the firm's operations within the Philippines. In a press briefing in Manila, the Binance CEO mentioned that the exchange is looking to obtain the virtual assets

Price analysis 6/6: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, SOL, DOGE, DOT, AVAX, SHIB

BTC and altcoins flashed green at the weekly open, but overhead resistance levels will continue to pose a challenge in the short-term. 9950 Total views 31 Total shares After nine successive weeks of red weekly candles, Bitcoin (BTC) printed a green weekly candle on June 5. Leading into this week, buyers kept up their momentum with a strong weekly open that boosted BTC price to $31,800. Going forward, traders might keep a close eye on the Consum

Terra 2.0: A crypto project built on the ruins of $40 billion in investors' money

Terra 2.0 launced with the promise of helping to retrieve lost funds, but early indicators suggest launching a new token to compensate for the failure of another is a bad idea. 14289 Total views 68 Total shares Terra remained the focus of the majority of headlines throughout May for its spiral collapse leading to a loss of over $40 billion in investors’ money. Despite some early resistance from the community and heavy backlash from the likes o

Gillibrand and Lummis state that most altcoins are securities

“Most cryptocurrencies go to the SEC [...] Bitcoin and Ether would be certainly commodities, and that’s agreed upon,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. 2245 Total views 8 Total shares United States Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Cyntia Lummis believe that most altcoins would likely be considered securities under their proposed new legislation, but they confirmed that Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) will be classified as commodities. 

Solana Ventures sets up $100M fund for GameFi and DeFi in South Korea

The new fund is intended to support the growth of NFT, gaming and DeFi projects on Solana and to help keep former Terra developers on their feet following Terra’s fall. 3190 Total views 29 Total shares Solana Ventures and the Solana Foundation have formed a $100-million fund to help support the growth of nonfungible token (NFT), blockchain gaming and decentralized finance (DeFi) projects in South Korea. In addition to supporting projects built

Australian mayor downplays crypto volatility, recommends it for rates payments

"The volatility is not that bad” — the mayor of the Gold Coast, Australia, suggests crypto could be used to pay local taxes in the future. 2223 Total views 47 Total shares Tom Tate, the mayor of the Gold Coast, Australia, has suggested that cryptocurrency could be used by residents to pay local taxes in future years, though critics have flagged volatility and the recent market crash as a cause for concern.  "Why can't we pay rates on crypto

NFT 2.0: The next generation of NFTs will be streamlined and trustworthy

NFTs are moving into the mainstream, but this requires a streamlined and trustworthy experience for the general public’s mass adoption. 13554 Total views 36 Total shares Nonfungible tokens (NFTs) have been in the headlines for the past few years. While swaths of the population have tried to get their head around why NFTs exist, demand has soared, institutions have been built, and the lingo has entered our collective consciousness. There

Crypto.com's Cronos launches $100M accelerator for DeFi and Web3

The Cronos Accelerator Program is backed by $100 million to help crypto projects seeking mentorship, funding and growth in the seed and pre-seed stages. 2659 Total views 21 Total shares Cronos, a blockchain ecosystem built by major crypto exchange Crypto.com, announced the launch of an accelerator program to fast-track advancements across the decentralized finance (DeFi), Web3 and Metaverse space, among others.  Driving the initiative, the Cron

Solana developers tackle bugs hoping to prevent further outages

Global Web3 metaverse and tax initiatives continue in the face of a market meltdown

Web3 developers, institutional investors and regulators preparing to tax metaverse profits remain stable despite all the turbulence in the digital assets market. 4194 Total views 32 Total shares In her monthly Expert Take column, Selva Ozelli, an international tax attorney and CPA, covers the intersection between emerging technologies and sustainability, and provides the latest developments around taxes, AML/CFT regulations and legal issues aff

6 Questions for Nikki Farb of Headline

We ask the buidlers in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector for their thoughts on the industry… and throw in a few random zingers to keep them on their toes! This week, our 6 Questions go to Nikki Farb — an active investor and advisor to technology companies who is currently a venture partner at Headline, a venture capital firm. I invest in consumer tech (with a real love for marketplaces) and Web3. I’ve invested in Consensys (MetaMask), AfterParty, Fractal, Aloft, Wander, Mar

Pride in the Metaverse: Blockchain tech creates new opportunities for LGBTQ+ people

The Metaverse and NFTs are allowing people across the world to celebrate Pride Month in various ways. 1556 Total views 19 Total shares A number of social gatherings have started to take place in the Metaverse as companies across the globe begin to understand the value that virtual interactive environments can have for consumers. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that Pride Month — a month-long celebration held in June to commemorate the 1

WEF 2022: Miami mayor says that Bitcoin can be a global currency

Francis Suarez, the Mayor of Miami, said that he played an “evangelist role” at Davos where he’s teaching people about Bitcoin. 2835 Total views 34 Total shares Kristina Cornèr, Cointelegraph's editor-in-chief, sat down with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez at the recent World Economic Forum held at Davos, Switzerland, to discuss topics like the role the mayor played at the WEF, Bitcoin being a global currency and what the mayor does with his BTC. According to

Global Web3 metaverse and tax initiatives continue in the face of a market meltdown

Web3 developers, institutional investors and regulators preparing to tax metaverse profits remain stable despite all the turbulence in the digital assets market. 2137 Total views 5 Total shares In her monthly Expert Take column, Selva Ozelli, an international tax attorney and CPA, covers the intersection between emerging technologies and sustainability, and provides the latest developments around taxes, AML/CFT regulations and legal issues affe

Smart contracts can redesign legal agreements, but businesses beware

Smart contracts provide plenty of benefits, but find out why those benefits can be just one side of a double-edged sword. 2100 Total views 17 Total shares When was the last time you got a late payment? Chased an invoice? Waited for your monthly paycheck only to realize it’s late yet again? You might relate to these headaches as an investor, employee or client. But the tension that affects each of these unique parties is often caused by one unw

Fail better: Scott Melker on defying the odds with crypto trading

Scott Melker, better known as The Wolf of All Streets, is a trader and crypto advocate who is far more approachable than his online handle might suggest. A former DJ, Melker operates a small crypto advocacy empire spanning YouTube videos, podcasts and a popular newsletter. Scott Melker is open about his initial intentions in the crypto industry. “I simply came to trade and make money,” he admits, getting involved after hearing friends go on about the gold-paved streets of the blockchain

Smart contracts can redesign legal agreements, but businesses beware

Smart contracts provide plenty of benefits, but find out why those benefits can be just one side of a double-edged sword. 1703 Total views 17 Total shares When was the last time you got a late payment? Chased an invoice? Waited for your monthly paycheck only to realize it’s late yet again? You might relate to these headaches as an investor, employee or client. But the tension that affects each of these unique parties is often caused by one unw

South Korea ramps up crypto investigations and regulations

South Korea announced Digital Assets Committee, launched an investigation and met with Asia-Pacific financial authorities. 1328 Total views 17 Total shares On Friday, June 3, South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) began an investigation into payment gateway services that work with digital assets. The FSS is South Korea’s financial regulator that operates under the Financial Services Commission (FSC), both of which are government i

Terra 2.0: A crypto project built on the ruins of $40 billion in investors' money

Terra 2.0 launced with the promise of helping to retrieve lost funds, but early indicators suggest launching a new token to compensate for the failure of another is a bad idea. 2461 Total views 40 Total shares Terra remained the focus of the majority of headlines throughout May for its spiral collapse leading to a loss of over $40 billion in investors’ money. Despite some early resistance from the community and heavy backlash from the likes of

Binance Staking completes initial phase of Terra 2.0 airdrop as ecosystem issues persist

About 70% of tokens are held in escrow and will be vested starting later this year. 3942 Total views 31 Total shares On Tuesday, cryptocurrency exchange Binance said it completed the first stage of airdropping new Terra Luna (LUNA) tokens to holders of Terra Luna Classic (LUNC), TerraUSD (USTC) and AnchorUST (aUST).  The distribution was based on "pre-attack" and "post-attack" snapshots of token holders taken at LUNC block height 7,544,910 at 1

Price analysis 5/23: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, SOL, DOGE, DOT, AVAX, SHIB

Bitcoin and the major altcoins have bounced off their immediate support levels, paving the way for a possible relief rally in the short term. 11786 Total views 65 Total shares The United States equity markets are attempting a recovery after weeks of relentless selling. Along similar lines, on-chain monitoring resource Material Indicators expects the crypto market to recover, but they anticipate Bitcoin (BTC) to spend some time in a range before

Anonymous culture in crypto may be losing its relevance

Although anonymous teams have built some of the leading infrastructure in crypto, many new participants in the ecosystem are using their real identities. 1882 Total views 15 Total shares Crypto has inherited many values that were popularized in the early days of the internet.  Many participants in the crypto space have been anonymous since the beginning of Bitcoin (BTC), since using this digital money offers a certain degree of anonymity so lon

Singapore to explore digital asset tokenization on public chains

The project will see MAS explore DeFi applications in wholesale funding markets by establishing a liquidity pool of tokenized bonds and deposits. 1766 Total views 26 Total shares The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has launched Project Guardian, a blockchain-based digital assets trial that will use tokenization. The project will include regulated financial institutions serving as "trust anchors," with a pilot involving JP Morgan, DBS Bank

NFT 2.0: The next generation of NFTs will be streamlined and trustworthy

NFTs are moving into the mainstream, but this requires a streamlined and trustworthy experience for the general public’s mass adoption. 10095 Total views 36 Total shares Nonfungible tokens (NFTs) have been in the headlines for the past few years. While swaths of the population have tried to get their head around why NFTs exist, demand has soared, institutions have been built, and the lingo has entered our collective consciousness. There

How to get a job in the Metaverse and Web3

To land a job in the Metaverse and Web3, possess the right skills, interact and network with people, build your brand, create content, and increase your exposure in the crypto market. 1842 Total views 49 Total shares Can you work in the Metaverse? The Metaverse is the next big career path on which to land an ideal job with firms like Meta, Roblox, Microsoft, OpenSea, The Sandbox (SAND), and the many others constructing it. So, if you want to kn

Identity is the antidote for DEXs’ regulation problem

Regulations are coming, and DEXs need to step it up to survive, requiring KYC to weather the upcoming regulatory storm. 2357 Total views 33 Total shares Regulators from Europe, the United States and elsewhere are busily hammering out details on how to designate decentralized exchanges (DEXs) as “brokers,” transaction agents or similar entities that affect a transfer and cooperate with each other. The U.S. called for multinational cooperation

JPMorgan sees higher BTC price potential, a16z unveils $4.5 billion crypto fund and PayPal hints at more crypto involvement: Hodler’s Digest, May 22-28

Coming every Saturday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link. Top Stories This Week Andreessen Horowitz closes $4.5 billion crypto fund amid market turmoil Venture capital player Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, has unveiled a new $4.5 billion cryptocurrency fund. The a16

Market-cleansing bear cycles are healthy, say industry experts

Analysts say the crypto bear market should not be feared because it offers potentially greater opportunities for growth and profits than a bull market, so traders should be taking note. 5254 Total views 84 Total shares Crypto markets are undeniably bearish, but some industry insiders believe these conditions will shake out the bad actors and create greater opportunities for future participants. Traders tend to lament the negative price action an

6 Questions for Andrew Levine of Koinos Group

We ask the buidlers in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector for their thoughts on the industry… and throw in a few random zingers to keep them on their toes! This week, our 6 Questions go to Andrew Levine, CEO of Koinos Group, which is focused on accelerating the transition to a more decentralized future by helping entrepreneurial developers, entrepreneurs and enterprises build disruptive blockchain-based solutions. Andrew leads a team of industry veterans accelerating decentraliz

Terra 2.0 relaunches according to Do Kwon's revival plan

The Terra 2.0 mainnet (Phoenix-1) went live today as per the original timeline set by Terra developers and started producing blocks. 23420 Total views 54 Total shares Do Kwon, the co-founder and CEO of Terraform Labs, confirmed the relaunch of Terra’s new chain, Terra 2.0, which aims to revive the fallen Terra (LUNA) and TerraUSD (UST) ecosystem.  Kwon’s revival plan for Terra involves hard forking the existing blockchain and reissuing LUN

The increasingly acute need for crypto-native insurance

Traditional insurance isn’t going to step up and protect our crypto assets, so we need to do it ourselves, in a decentralized manner. 2867 Total views 38 Total shares The insurance industry has a long history of providing vital support for major leaps in innovation. It’s no coincidence that the modern insurance industry and the industrial revolution arose in parallel. Indeed, it has been convincingly argued that the invention of fire and pro

The increasingly acute need for crypto-native insurance

Traditional insurance isn’t going to step up and protect our crypto assets, so we need to do it ourselves, in a decentralized manner. 2827 Total views 38 Total shares The insurance industry has a long history of providing vital support for major leaps in innovation. It’s no coincidence that the modern insurance industry and the industrial revolution arose in parallel. Indeed, it has been convincingly argued that the invention of fire and pro

Genomics company explores NFTs in hopes of advancing precision medicine

Tether launches stablecoin pegged to pesos on Ethereum, Tron and Polygon

The announcement highlighted that this may spark the launch of more peso-backed stablecoins within the region. 7754 Total views 87 Total shares Amid market issues surrounding stablecoins, Tether (USDT) launched a new digital asset that will be pegged to the Mexican peso on Ethereum (ETH), Tron (TRX) and Polygon (MATIC) networks.  In an announcement sent to Cointelegraph on Thursday, Tether mentioned that the token will have the MXNT ticker and

Identity and the Metaverse: Decentralized control

What will our identity look like in the Metaverse? A decentralized Web3 suggests it’ll be completely in our control, but growing amounts of information stored online suggest otherwise. 2043 Total views 42 Total shares “The Metaverse” and “Web3” are the buzzwords of the moment, with their concepts permeating across the worlds of fintech, blockchain, and now even mainstream media. With decentralization thought to be at the core of the We

Cryptopedia: Learn the concepts behind stablecoins and how they work

Cointelegraph breaks down stablecoins and how they give users a way to safely store their assets without worrying about depreciation. 2372 Total views 10 Total shares Cointelegraph’s director of video production Jackson DuMont dissected stablecoins in the latest episode of Cryptopedia. DuMont also explored and explained algorithmic stablecoins and the recent incident involving the TerraUSD (UST) and why it was unable to maintain its dollar peg.  DuMont defined

The Brazilian Stock Exchange will launch Bitcoin and Ethereum futures

Chief financial officer André Milanez said that the product will launch within the next si months. 2552 Total views 86 Total shares B3, the Brazilian Stock Exchange, confirmed that within six months it intends to launch its first official product aimed at the cryptocurrency market — Bitcoin (BTC) futures trading. The group's chief financial officer, André Milanez, made the announcement during a conference call on Monday. Milanez did not prov

WEMIX gains 200%+ after stablecoin and boosted staking rewards announcement

New partnerships, a mainnet upgrade and plans to launch a stablecoin appear to have triggered a 200% rally in WEMIX price. 1213 Total views 9 Total shares Blockchain-based gaming, also known as GameFi, is an up-and-coming sector that could potentially be one of the primary catalysts for kickstarting the mass adoption of blockchain technology. WEMIX, a gaming protocol that operates on the Klaytn network, aims to get in on the GameFi revolution an

Polkadot parachains spike after the launch of a $250M aUSD stablecoin fund

Polkadot parachains posted double-digit gains after partnership announcements, protocol integrations and a stablecoin development fund caught the attention of the crypto investors. 9027 Total views 31 Total shares Crypto prices have been exploring new lows for weeks and currently it's unclear what it will take to reverse the trend. Despite the downtrend, cryptocurrencies within the Polkadot (DOT) ecosystem began to rally on May 24 and have manag

Powers On… When will we learn from recent history to protect our crypto and ourselves?

Stablecoins provide a false sense of security. They give the impression to the uninitiated and/or uncaring that a particular coin is pegged to the U.S. dollar, or an equivalent of the dollar in terms of value and stability, and that if you want to convert your stablecoin to dollars, you can do so easily and instantaneously. Yet, they do no such thing, as demonstrated by the recent collapse of Terra and its TerraUSD stablecoin and LUNA token and also made clear in September 2008 by the col

Mercado Bitcoin partners with Stellar to create MVP for Brazilian CBDC

Cryptocurrency companies unite to create use cases for Brazil’s CBDC with central bank approval. 3170 Total views 19 Total shares Brazilian exchange Mercado Bitcoin announced its partnership with the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) on Tuesday. The company said it intends to develop one of the nine projects selected for the LIFT Challenge Real Digital, promoted by the Central Bank of Brazil. The LIFT Challenge Real Digital is a collaborati

Needed: A massive education project to fight hacks and scams

Scams are shattering mainstream confidence in crypto, perhaps irreparably. A large-scale, coordinated education initiative can help ensure that they don’t. 1918 Total views 11 Total shares The common narrative around the prevailing threats to mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies is that regulators will put the kibosh on their legality, it has to get much easier for “ordinary” people to use, and the magnitude of its volatility has to be

Injective partners with Wormhole to bring 10 new blockchains to the platform

“Users will soon find Wormhole integrated into the backend of the Injective Bridge whereby transferring assets from distinct EVM chains or Solana can be done with the click of a button,” Injective Labs stated. 1170 Total views 29 Total shares Decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Injective (INJ) has partnered with Wormhole to integrate “10 new blockchains” to its network. Injective is a Cosmos layer-2 decentralized exchange (DEX) that o

Price analysis 5/23: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, SOL, DOGE, DOT, AVAX, SHIB

Bitcoin and the major altcoins have bounced off their immediate support levels, paving the way for a possible relief rally in the short term. 11220 Total views 65 Total shares The United States equity markets are attempting a recovery after weeks of relentless selling. Along similar lines, on-chain monitoring resource Material Indicators expects the crypto market to recover, but they anticipate Bitcoin (BTC) to spend some time in a range before

Crypto is changing how humanitarian agencies deliver aid and services

The primary use case for cryptocurrency in most wealthy countries is acquiring it and holding it, trading it, or using it in various other ways to make more money. In the developing world, where access to financial and banking systems is limited or nonexistent, innovative humanitarian organizations are piloting micro-blockchain ecosystems. In the summer of 2021, Hope for Haiti was ready to launch a cryptocurrency pilot program to provide 150 mothers with cellphones, digital wallets and paym

WeWork founder reinvents himself with $70M crypto carbon credit platform

Coworking space founder and billionaire Adam Neumann is trying his hand in the crypto space, raising $70 million for his blockchain-powered climate tech platform Flowcarbon. 2873 Total views 33 Total shares Three years after being ousted as CEO of WeWork, Adam Neumann has jumped on the crypto bandwagon, raising $70 million in the first major funding round for his climate tech venture Flowcarbon. The project aims to make carbon trading more acces

GameStop unveils beta cryptocurrency wallet and upcoming NFT platform

GameStop launches an Ethereum-powered self-custodial wallet that is set to integrate with an upcoming NFT marketplace. 2479 Total views 95 Total shares American electronics retail firm GameStop has taken a step into the world of cryptocurrencies, unveiling a proprietary blockchain wallet that will feature nonfungible token functionality. The GameStop Wallet will allow gamers to acquire, send and store Ether (ETH), ERC-20 tokens and NFTs through

UST aftermath: Is there any future for algorithmic stablecoins?

Price analysis 4/22: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, ADA, LUNA, AVAX, DOGE, DOT

Bitcoin and altcoins continue to bounce off underlying support areas, raising the chance that a sharp down-side move could occur. 23088 Total views 44 Total shares Bitcoin (BTC) turned down sharply on April 21, maintaining its tight correlation with the U.S. equity markets, which reversed direction after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted that a 50 basis point rate hike was “on the table” in May. The selling has continued on Apr

The meaningful shift from Bitcoin maximalism to Bitcoin realism

Signs pointing to Bitcoin’s steady maturity and growth in the crypto space and beyond are undeniable, making a case for the cryptocurrency being the ultimate digital reserve asset. 8461 Total views 51 Total shares There was a time when all cryptocurrencies traded against Bitcoin (BTC). Speculators ventured into other coins when they saw assuring tokenomics or promising hype, but Bitcoin was their settlement coin of choice. Things have changed.

Terra’s meltdown highlights benefits of CEX risk-management systems

The Terra collapse demonstrates why crypto exchanges need advanced risk management systems — especially when providing access to DeFi protocols offering favorable yields. 4567 Total views 73 Total shares The collapse of Terra’s ecosystem — namely, native coin LUNA and algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD (UST) — rocked the wider blockchain and cryptocurrency ecosystem. Not only did Terra-ecosystem tokens (such as Anchor’s ANC) collapse in v

The Moon ‘created’ his lavish reality… and says you can, too

In the space of a few short years, former high-school dropout cashier from Sweden Carl “The Moon” Runefelt has been transformed into a top crypto influencer who shares videos of his life of private jets, supercars and million-dollar watches that inspire his followers and annoy his critics.   Drawing from quantum physics, he has an explanation for his unlikely success — the universe isn’t real but is merely a construction of our minds in which we are able to rearrange reality to matc

Stake or DApp? With liquid staking, you don’t have to choose

Implementation of liquid staking addresses worrisome price fluctuations and helps users to generate higher rewards by combining staking payouts and DApp yield. 4930 Total views 33 Total shares Last summer, Polkadot made its own little bit of history after confirming the first five projects to occupy parachain slots on its canary network Kusama. Disparate blockchains that bolt onto Polkadot’s main Relay Chain for security, yet are otherwise ind

Terra’s meltdown highlights benefits of CEX risk-management systems

The Terra collapse demonstrates why crypto exchanges need advanced risk management systems — especially when providing access to DeFi protocols offering favorable yields. 4101 Total views 73 Total shares The collapse of Terra’s ecosystem — namely, native coin LUNA and algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD (UST) — rocked the wider blockchain and cryptocurrency ecosystem. Not only did Terra-ecosystem tokens (such as Anchor’s ANC) collapse in v

What really goes on at a crypto OTC desk?

Over-the-counter, or OTC, trading refers to any trading that is not done via an automated exchange. What exactly is OTC trading? Who does it, and why? To learn more about what an OTC desk is and how these “under the radar” exchanges operate, Magazine spoke to a few insiders to get the scoop. The most popular conception of OTC trading revolves around massive off-market deals, like when companies such as MicroStrategy make multimillion-dollar purchases using OTC desks run by the likes of C

Needed: A massive education project to fight hacks and scams

Scams are shattering mainstream confidence in crypto, perhaps irreparably. A large-scale, coordinated education initiative can help ensure that they don’t. 1520 Total views 11 Total shares The common narrative around the prevailing threats to mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies is that regulators will put the kibosh on their legality, it has to get much easier for “ordinary” people to use, and the magnitude of its volatility has to be

6 Questions for Dominik Schiener of the Iota Foundation

MSP Recovery joins forces with Tokenology to release tokenized healthcare initiative

Launching on the Polygon network, the LifeChain platform is intended to vastly reduce occurrences of fraud within the U.S healthcare system. 1955 Total views 29 Total shares MSP Recovery LLC, a healthcare recovery firm based in Miami, United States and valued in the region of $32.6 billion, has announced a collaborative partnership with Web3 solution Tokenology to launch a fraud-prevention blockchain platform, titled Lifechain. Lifechain will se

Hyperledger Foundation deploy new versions of three blockchain tools to enhance ecosystem

Two of the releases are in their primary iteration, while the latter titled Iroha is a preview version of its second release. 1073 Total views 43 Total shares Enterprise blockchain firm Hyperledger Foundation has announced the development and release of three roadmap projects: Cactus 1.0, FireFly 1.0 and a preview version of Iroha 2.0's long-term support (LTS). Operating under the umbrella of the Linux Foundation, Hyperledger supports an ecosyst

Price analysis 4/27: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, LUNA, ADA, AVAX, DOGE, DOT

BTC and select altcoins could be gearing up for an oversold move, but traders beware, it's likely to be a dead cat bounce. 10450 Total views 36 Total shares The U.S. dollar index (DXY) has risen above the highs created in March 2020 and may next challenge the multi-year highs set in January 2017. Bitcoin’s (BTC) price action is generally inversely connected to DXY. Therefore, unless the dollar reverses its sharp uptrend, a strong recovery in B

Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp tokenizes million-euro classic masterpiece

Tokeny claims the tokens are complaint with both the Ethereum and Polygon blockchains. 2068 Total views 50 Total shares According to blockchain digitization provider Tokeny, on Monday, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) became the first European museum to tokenize investment in fine art, starting with Belgian painter James Ensor's (1860–1949) painting, "Carnaval de Binche." Investors can obtain fractional ownership of the work sta

Needed: A massive education project to fight hacks and scams

Scams are shattering mainstream confidence in crypto, perhaps irreparably. A large-scale, coordinated education initiative can help ensure that they don’t. 870 Total views 30 Total shares The common narrative around the prevailing threats to mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies is that regulators will put the kibosh on their legality, it has to get much easier for “ordinary” people to use, and the magnitude of its volatility has to be t

The meaningful shift from Bitcoin maximalism to Bitcoin realism

How NFTs are making real estate investments more attainable

Although real estate is often considered a safer investment over stocks, it isn’t for everyone, a reality leading many to look to the digital realm as an alternative. 2270 Total views 58 Total shares Analysts continue to view real estate as a secure and lucrative investment based on its history of higher returns, especially when compared to traditional stocks.  In many ways, stability can be likened to the scarcity principle driving dem

The United States turns its attention to stablecoin regulation

The U.S. continues to be a global leader in regulating and embracing the cryptocurrency industry, but the Stablecoin TRUST Act may set up some barriers for newcomers. 15821 Total views 105 Total shares The United States continues to be a global leader in embracing the cryptocurrency industry thanks to the work of Sen. Patrick Toomey, with the White House being at the forefront of crypto regulation. Last year, President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 tr

SWIFT, Capgemini team up to test using the international network for CBDC transfers

The bank messaging service, which dates back to the 1970s, is looking to connect CBDCs to each other and to traditional currencies as it tries to stay up to date. 3348 Total views 44 Total shares The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or SWIFT, the Belgian financial messaging network used by banks in international money transfers, announced Thursday that it is teaming up with French IT company Capgemini to conduct exper

Crypto giants co-launch Chainabuse platform to water down rising scams

Chainabuse allows crypto users, victims of financial crimes and crypto businesses to report, discuss and actively issue warnings to reduce the effectiveness of scams. 3590 Total views 71 Total shares Seven major crypto companies — Binance.US, Circle, Solana Foundation, The Aave Companies, Hedera, TRM Labs and Civic — joined hands to launch a community-driven scam reporting tool. Named Chainabuse, the tool aims to enable crypto users to issue

The Brazilian Stock Exchange will launch Bitcoin and Ethereum futures

Chief financial officer André Milanez said that the product will launch within the next si months. 2357 Total views 86 Total shares B3, the Brazilian Stock Exchange, confirmed that within six months it intends to launch its first official product aimed at the cryptocurrency market — Bitcoin (BTC) futures trading. The group's chief financial officer, André Milanez, made the announcement during a conference call on Monday. Milanez did not prov

Exploiting sports fans through NFTs won’t lead to a W

Sports-related NFTs need to provide some tangible benefits or else sports fans will just view them as another ploy to exploit their fan loyalty. 1192 Total views 72 Total shares In his monthly crypto tech column, Israeli serial entrepreneur Ariel Shapira covers emerging technologies within the crypto, decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain space, as well as their roles in shaping the economy of the 21st century. Die-hard sports fans first

Metaverse-as-a-service will be the basis of the next internet era of Web3

The success and mass adoption of the Metaverse relies on the ability of users to build their own — in other words, utilizing metaverse-as-a-service technology. 15341 Total views 77 Total shares The concept of the Metaverse has been around since the 1980s, but it has only been in recent years that we’ve seen hundreds of projects popping up on the scene. What we are currently experiencing are gamified worlds with limited integration and engage

Ethereum analytics firm Nansen acquires DeFi tracker Ape Board

Blockchain analytics firm Nansen to launch a new portfolio tracker integrated with the rest of its features with the new acquisition. 2182 Total views 67 Total shares Major Ethereum blockchain analytics platform Nansen continues scaling its operations by acquiring a cross-chain decentralized finance (DeFi) tracker. Nansen has acquired the multi-chain portfolio tracker Ape Board in an eight-figure deal, the firm announced to Cointelegraph on Tues

Price analysis 5/13: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, ADA, SOL, DOGE, DOT, AVAX, SHIB

Traders are hopeful that Bitcoin can stage a relief rally within the $30,000 to $35,000 range, but selling at resistance could still keep BTC and altcoins in a strong bear trend. 16769 Total views 41 Total shares Bitcoin (BTC) rebounded sharply after dropping near its realized price of $24,000 on May 12, suggesting some bulls went against the herd and bought the dip. According to on-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant, the exchange balances dec

Theta Labs to help Sony launch 3D NFTs compatible with Spatial Reality Display

The Spatial Reality Display lets people view the nonfungible tokens in 3D without the need for 3D glasses. 7272 Total views 63 Total shares Japanese conglomerate Sony Electronics collaborates with blockchain video delivery network Theta Labs to launch nonfungible tokens (NFTs) that can be viewed in mixed reality through Sony's Spatial Reality Display, a monitor that lets people perceive things in 3D without using traditional 3D accessories.  Th

Tally Labs strives to expand decentralized content ecosystem with $12M funding

The announcement of the firm's inaugural capital raise from prominent investors is set to propel the vision for the construction of decentralized content representing communities from across the NFT space. 1338 Total views 36 Total shares Tally Labs, a Web3 media company that oversees the business operations and infrastructural software development of Jenkins the Valet — a fictional nonfungible token (NFT) project orientated around the life of

NFT prices take a gut punch as the crypto bear market deepens

NFT sell volume declines sharply after Terra’s blow up led to stablecoins dropping their peg and Bitcoin’s dip below $30,000 raises fear of a prolonged bear market. 2492 Total views 52 Total shares Without fail, crypto has a way of humbling even the most self-assured and this market is definitely not for the faint of heart. Nonfungible token (NFT) investors have entered what appears to be a bear market and the recent chaos is also impactin

DOT rallies 12% in a day as Polkadot gears up to solve a major blockchain hacking problem

But the token still risks falling by more than 30% based on a classic bearish continuation setup. 6550 Total views 31 Total shares Polkadot (DOT) price ticked higher in the past 24 hours on anticipations that its new cross-chain communications protocol would solve a long-standing problem in the blockchain sector. DOT price gains 12% on XCM launch Bulls pushed DOT's price to $16.44 on May 5 from $14.72 a day before, gaining a little over 12% as

Binance CEO CZ to support Terra community but expects more transparency

Pointing out the potential issues with forking Terra, CZ said that “Minting, forking, don’t create value.” 39644 Total views 182 Total shares Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the CEO of crypto exchange Binance, recently questioned the idea of hard forking the Terra blockchain as a means to revive the once-thriving Terra (LUNA) and TerraUSD (UST) ecosystems. Following up on the same, CZ revealed his perspective on the appropriate course of action

CBDC activity heats up, but few projects move beyond pilot stage

Does government-issued digital money pose an existential threat to cryptocurrencies? Probably not, but stablecoin usage could narrow. 2366 Total views 50 Total shares Government-issued electronic currency seems to be an idea whose time has come.  “More than half of the world’s central banks are now developing digital currencies or running concrete experiments on them,” reported the Bank for International Settlements, or BIS, in early May

DeFi transforming lending routes on the blockchain

Decentralized routes of lending and borrowing through smart contracts are allowing DeFi finally to overthrow the traditional finance sector. 4266 Total views 38 Total shares The world of decentralized finance (DeFi) is gradually expanding to encompass a significant share of the global financial lending space by virtue of the inherently trustless manner of operation and the ease of accessing capital. As the crypto ecosystem has grown to a $2-tril

Price analysis 4/20: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, ADA, LUNA, AVAX, DOGE, DOT

BTC and altcoins remain stuck within a tight range, suggesting that the sideways trading could continue in the short-term. 9060 Total views 48 Total shares The U.S. dollar currency index (DXY) turned down sharply after rising above 101 on April 20 but this weakness in the dollar has not helped Bitcoin (BTC), possibly because the SP 500 is struggling to build upon its strong rally on April 19. This indicates that Bitcoin remains tightly correlat

Welcome to Mars: I own everything, have total privacy, and life has never been better

While people on Earth are still expecting decentralized tech mass adoption, decentralization is the only way for people on Mars to organize their, well, everything. 7343 Total views 29 Total shares This is a parody of the article published by the World Economic Forum titled “Welcome to 2030. I Own Nothing, Have No Privacy And Life Has Never Been Better.” Welcome to Mars. Welcome to my city, or should I say “our city” because I, lik

How to avoid front runners on decentralized crypto exchanges

Splitting the transaction into multiple smaller transactions, periodic auction matching, and adjusting the low slippage are various ways to avoid front-running. 5089 Total views 74 Total shares Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) nip in the bud several issues concerning their centralized counterparts such as concentration of liquidity in the hands of a few players, compromise of funds in case of a security breach, closed control structure and more.

DAOs, DEXs and whales? How Web3 organizations became the new crypto beasts

The upcoming whale migration is heading to cold DAO-infested waters. What can the industry do to accommodate the growing needs of this new breed of crypto investors? 3699 Total views 6 Total shares Web3 has brought a lot of excitement into the industry, as evidenced by the nearly $50 billion market capitalization Web3 tokens have grown in recent years. The very ethos of Web3 is one of its most attractive traits. It is an ecosystem free from barr

Madonna’s nude NFT launch triggers a mix of emotions from the community

From being inspired to bashing the artwork’s “flaws,” the community responded to Madonna and Beeple’s latest NFT drop. 9008 Total views 54 Total shares The queen of pop has collaborated with record-setting artist Beeple to create a series called Mother of Creation, which includes three nonfungible tokens (NFTs) titled Mother of Technology, Mother of Nature and Mother of Evolution. The NFTs show a 3D likeness of Madonna giving birth to ro

Metaverse-as-a-service will be the basis of the next internet era of Web3

The success and mass adoption of the Metaverse relies on the ability of users to build their own. In other words, utilizing metaverse-as-a-service technology. 12537 Total views 77 Total shares The concept of the Metaverse has been around since the 1980s, but it has only been in recent years that we’ve seen hundreds of projects popping up on the scene. What we are currently experiencing are gamified worlds with limited integration and engagemen

Aurora launches $90M fund to finance DeFi apps on Near Protocol

Aurora, an EVM scaling mechanism on the Near protocol, has launched a $90 million token fund in partnership with Proximity Labs to attract new developers. 3013 Total views 43 Total shares Aurora, an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) designed to scale decentralized applications (DApps) built on the Near protocol, has launched a token fund worth $90 million.  The fund was launched today in partnership with Proximity Labs and will be focused on finan

How to protect yourself from the recent spate of ‘crypto muggings’

Cointelegraph spoke with security experts who shared tips on how to keep crypto safe after a slew of robberies in the U.K. successfully stole thousands worth of crypto from everyday holders. 6242 Total views 48 Total shares There has been a spate of “crypto muggings” in London recently, with thieves threatening crypto holders with violence unless they transfer over their digital currencies held in mobile phone wallets or on crypto exchanges.

Bitcoin gains superior to stocks in the long term, economist says

Crypto is more volatile than stocks and thus is associated with higher risks, but it also offers better return opportunities, industry executives agree. 2718 Total views 47 Total shares The recent crashes in stock and cryptocurrency markets have provided yet another chance to observe the better return opportunities of crypto versus stocks, according to several industry executives. This week, the crypto market saw one of its biggest sell-offs eve

Breaking: Binance suspends LUNA and UST trading amid issues on Terra blockchain

Binance suspended LUNA/BUSD and UST/BUSD on its spot trading platform following the halting of the Terra blockchain. 15409 Total views 92 Total shares Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance has suspended trading pairs with Terra (LUNA) ecosystem's cryptocurrencies, LUNA and TerraUSD (UST), on its platform following the major crash of the algorithmic stablecoin. Binance confirmed the move on May 13, with spot trading for LUNA/BUSD and UST/BUSD t

Ether whales get busy as transactions hit highest point since January

Ether whales have been transacting a huge volume of ETH, marking the highest one-day whale activity since January. 18888 Total views 53 Total shares Despite widespread losses being posted throughout the crypto market, Ether whales have been busy buying and selling Ether (ETH) at a rate not seen since January this year. According to data from Santiment, Ether whales made a total of 2,956 transactions, each valued at over $1 million on Wednesday,

Price analysis 4/22: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, ADA, LUNA, AVAX, DOGE, DOT

Bitcoin and altcoins continue to bounce off underlying support areas, raising the chance that a sharp down-side move could occur. 23006 Total views 44 Total shares Bitcoin (BTC) turned down sharply on April 21, maintaining its tight correlation with the U.S. equity markets, which reversed direction after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted that a 50 basis point rate hike was “on the table” in May. The selling has continued on Apr

There’s more to NFTs than just PFPs — 5 ways nonfungible tokens will transform society

NFT art continues to grow in popularity, but what other industries could the technology disrupt in the next few years? 10621 Total views 66 Total shares The nonfungible token (NFT) sector has undergone a surge in popularity over the past year and a half as projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks captured the attention of the general public.  While the idea of fetching a six-figure payday for the latest trending digital art piece has

What happened? Terra debacle exposes flaws plaguing the crypto industry

The downfall of Terra calls into question the real-world utility as well as the long-term viability of algorithmic stablecoins. 5108 Total views 50 Total shares The past week has been a dark period in the history of crypto, with the total market capitalization of this industry dipping as low as $1.2 trillion for the first time since July 2021. The turmoil, in large part, has been due to the real-time disintegration of Terra, a Cosmos-based proto

PancakeSwap governance proposal set to cap CAKE supply at 750M

A snapshot motion issued by the PancakeSwap team received over 11 million CAKE votes since commencement, with the majority of participants favoring the v2 evolution. 4364 Total views 15 Total shares PancakeSwap, the decentralized finance (DeFi) application built on Binance Smart Chain, synonymous with its automated market maker (AMM) service and its quirky branding style, has released a governance proposal for the second iteration of its tokenom

Madonna’s nude NFT launch triggers a mix of emotions from the community

From being inspired to bashing the artwork’s “flaws,” the community responded to Madonna and Beeple’s latest NFT drop. 6417 Total views 78 Total shares The queen of pop has collaborated with record-setting artist Beeple to create a series called Mother of Creation, which includes three nonfungible tokens (NFTs) titled Mother of Technology, Mother of Nature and Mother of Evolution. The NFTs show a 3D likeness of Madonna giving birth to ro

Nouriel Roubini oversees the development of tokenized dollar replacement

Nouriel Roubini is helping develop a tokenized financial instrument aiming to act as an alternative to the USD for major investors. 2542 Total views 29 Total shares Economist and cryptocurrency critic Nouriel Roubini is heading up the development of a tokenized asset to combat fears of rampant economic stagnation and inflation. Roubini has long been a skeptic of the cryptocurrency space, which makes his own foray into the world of digitized fina

Minecraft-linked developers draw up pledge for NFT and digital asset engagement

The group did not appear to be entirely satisfied with the current direction of GameFi. 2313 Total views 50 Total shares Over the weekend, Climate Replay, which comprises developers from the Mojang Group, the maker of the popular Minecraft series, posted a pledge regarding the responsible integration of nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, and digital currencies into gaming. "Games give us hope in a world that is increasingly uncertain. They help us unl

Tether to move over 1B USDT from Tron to Ethereum and Avalanche

One billion USDT will be transferred to the Ethereum blockchain, while another 20 million USDT will go to Avalanche. 2317 Total views 33 Total shares Following recent developments in the sphere of stablecoins, Tether (USDT) has announced that it’s coordinating a chain swap to transfer USDT assets from Tron’s TRC-20 to Ethereum and Avalanche’s blockchain.  In a tweet, Tether said that 1 billion USDT will be moved from Tron’s blockchain t

What are the top 3 trending altcoins to buy in 2022? | Find out now on The Market Report

On this week’s episode of “The Market Report,” Cointelegraph’s resident experts discuss the top three trending altcoins to buy in 2022 8254 Total views 76 Total shares The Market Report with Cointelegraph is live right now. On this week’s show, Cointelegraph’s resident experts discuss the top three trending altcoins you might want to consider looking at in 2022. But first, market expert Marcel Pechman carefully examines the Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ET

More than a third of AMC online payments are crypto or digital — CEO

“Taken together, these various new payment options, impressively, recently represented about 35% of our total online payments,” said AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron. 3345 Total views 51 Total shares AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron stated that crypto along with several other digital payment methods recently accounted for 35% of its online payments. The popular cinema chain has gradually been working on various crypto adoption plays after first rolling