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Latam E-Commerce Giant Mercado Libre Holds $40 Million in Crypto
10.5.2024
Mercado Libre, one of the biggest e-commerce platforms in Latam, has disclosed it holds over $40 million in cryptocurrency, according to its Q1 2024 filings. The company disclosed that it held 412.7 bitcoin (BTC) and 3,041.6 ethereum (ETH), by March 31. However, Mercado Libre does not own these...
Woman Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Crypto-Funded Murder-for-Hire Scheme
10.5.2024
Michelle Murphy, 58, from Bedford, Texas, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for attempting to hire a hitman using bitcoin to kill her boyfriend’s lover. Charged in September 2023 and pleading guilty in December, Murphy used the dark web to orchestrate the crime, paying...
Binance Fined Over $4 Million in Canada for Money Laundering Violations
10.5.2024
Canada’s Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) has imposed a fine of C$6 million on crypto exchange Binance for failing to comply with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws. This penalty, equivalent to approximately $4.4 million, was levied after Binance...
Mastercard, Visa, JPMorgan, and Other Major Banks Explore Tokenized Asset Settlements
9.5.2024
Several major financial firms are collaborating to test the benefits of shared-ledger technology for jointly settling tokenized assets like commercial bank money and various securities. The initiative, known as the Regulated Settlement Network, is a proof-of-concept designed to expedite and secure...
EU Regulator Considers Crypto Inclusion in €12 Trillion UCITS Funds
9.5.2024
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has initiated a call for evidence to explore the potential inclusion of new assets, including cryptocurrencies, in UCITS funds, which represent a major share of EU retail investments. UCITS, an acronym for Undertakings for Collective Investment...
Bank of Thailand Tests Potential of a Retail CBDC, the Digital Baht
9.5.2024
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has released a report on its Retail Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot project, conducted using Giesecke+Devrient’s (G+D) technology solution. The project tested the digital version of the Baht and its potential for financial innovation, delivering key lessons...
Core Scientific Posts $210.7M Profit in Q1 2024, Boosted by Bitcoin Mining Surge
9.5.2024
Core Scientific announced a significant recovery in its financial performance for the first quarter of 2024, reporting a net income of $210.7 million, a stark contrast to the net loss of $0.4 million from the same period last year, driven by an increase in Bitcoin mining and hosting services....
Revolut Launches Stand-Alone Crypto Trading Platform in the UK
9.5.2024
Revolut, the London-based fintech firm, has announced the launch of a new product, Revolut X. This stand-alone crypto exchange is specifically designed for professional crypto traders and marks a major step in the company’s expansion into the crypto market. Revolut X allows trading of over...
Optimism Stack Update: OP to Support Layer Three With Funding, Features, and Revenue Sharing
9.5.2024
Ethereum scaling solution provider Optimism announced plans to enhance blockchain throughput by integrating Layer three applications on top of its OP Stack, aiming to foster a Superchain network where Layer threes can build and share revenue with the Optimism Collective. The OP Stack, an open...
Crypto Wallet Firm Exodus Faces Unexpected Setback in NYSE Uplisting Plan
9.5.2024
Exodus Movement, a crypto wallet company, announced that its planned listing on NYSE American will not proceed as scheduled due to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) still reviewing its registration statement, despite the statement being declared effective at the end of April....
Tokyo-Based Crypto Exchange Coincheck to List on Nasdaq Through Merger
9.5.2024
Coincheck, a Japanese cryptocurrency exchange, has made a public filing to list Coincheck Group B.V. on Nasdaq through a De-SPAC transaction with Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV Inc. This follows an earlier announcement from March 22, 2022, detailing plans by Monex Group Inc., Coincheck’s...
Vaneck Introduces Meme Coin Tracking With ‘MEMECOIN’ Index
8.5.2024
The investment management firm Vaneck has expanded into the meme coin sector with the launch of its new Marketvector meme coin index, “MEMECOIN.” This index, available through Marketvector Indexes—a company focused on digital assets and various other sectors—monitors the performance...
Most FTX Creditors to Receive Over 100% Repayment, Court Document Shows
8.5.2024
FTX is poised to repay nearly all its account holders fully, according to a reorganization plan presented in court. The bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange has raised about $15 billion mainly by selling investments from itself and its affiliate, Alameda Research. This fund will ensure payments of...
US Sanctions Lockbit Leader in Ransomware Crackdown
8.5.2024
On May 7, the U.S. announced sanctions against Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, a key figure in the Lockbit ransomware group. The U.S., alongside international allies including the UK and Australia, has taken coordinated measures to curb the activities of this prominent cybercriminal group. Khoroshev...
Bitcoin Lightning Network Infrastructure Provider Mash Is Shutting Down Its Current Version
8.5.2024
In a recent announcement, Mash, a provider of Bitcoin Lightning Network infrastructure, has decided to shut down its current version. This comes nearly two years after Mash successfully closed a $6 million seed round in June 2022 to build out its usage-based revenue model for content creators....
Elon Musk Meets President Milei, Reccomends to Invest in Argentina
8.5.2024
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and Spacex, called to invest in Argentina after meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei. Musk and Milei met for the second time in less than a month after Milei participated in the Milken Institute Forum, an event that gathers important...
P2P XMR Exchange Localmonero/Agoradesk Announces Closure After Seven Years of Operation
8.5.2024
In a recent announcement, Localmonero/Agoradesk, a popular platform for trading monero (XMR), has decided to wind down its operations after nearly seven years. The decision, influenced by a mix of internal and external factors, initiates a six-month winding-down process starting from May 7, 2024....
Aave Labs Unveils Ambitious Plans for Protocol V4: Enhancing GHO Stability and Cross-Chain Liquidity
2.5.2024
Aave Labs proposed a significant upgrade to its protocol, aimed at enhancing features like its stablecoin GHO, introducing a Unified Liquidity Layer for better integration, and improving the protocol’s architecture for cross-chain liquidity across both Ethereum and non-EVM layer-1 platforms....
Jack Dorsey’s Block Faces DOJ Probe Over Alleged Transactions With Sanctioned Nations and Terrorist Groups
2.5.2024
Department of Justice (DOJ) federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York are investigating fintech company Block, formerly known as Square, for significant compliance failures in its transaction monitoring systems after a former employee revealed lapses that included processing...
Defi’s TVL Declines by $10 Billion in April Despite Growth in Bitcoin and Newer Blockchains
2.5.2024
The total value locked (TVL) in decentralized applications (defi) experienced a 7% decrease, dropping $10 billion in April, with defi’s ecosystem ending the month at $138.6 billion despite a widespread outflow of funds from several blockchains, such as a significant drop in Avalance...