Blockchain & Digital Assets

April 22, 2025 @ 12:33 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) disclosures show that major cryptocurrency companies and their executives poured significant funds into US President Donald Trump’s $239 million inauguration fund after his 2024 election win. Released on April 20 by the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, these filings underscore the crypto… Read More

April 22, 2025 @ 9:36 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On April 21, 2025, Paul Atkins was officially sworn in as the 34th Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), marking a pivotal moment for the agency and the cryptocurrency industry. Appointed by President Donald Trump and confirmed by a 52-44 Senate vote… Read More

April 22, 2025 @ 8:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On April 21, 2025, stablecoin issuer Circle announced the launch of its  Circle Payments Network (CPN). Unveiled from the company’s headquarters on the 87th floor of One World Trade Center in New York City, this initiative marks a step toward transforming the global payments and… Read More

April 22, 2025 @ 7:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Circle and BitGo are preparing to apply for U.S. bank charters, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The report also indicates that digital assets firms Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) and Paxos are exploring similar paths, driven by evolving stablecoin regulations and a shifting political landscape under… Read More

April 22, 2025 @ 7:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

One of South Korea’s largest digital assets exchanges, Bithumb, is reportedly making significant strides toward an initial public offering (IPO) slated for the second half of 2025. In a strategic move to streamline operations and potentially enhance its valuation prospects, the exchange announced plans to… Read More

April 22, 2025 @ 6:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Coinbase Derivatives, LLC, a subsidiary of Coinbase Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN), has launched XRP and nano XRP futures contracts, marking a significant expansion of its regulated crypto derivatives offerings. This move, approved by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), aims to provide both institutional and retail… Read More

April 22, 2025 @ 3:13 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

DeFi Technologies, its subsidiary, Valour, an issuer of exchange-traded products, and SovFi have entered into a strategic partnership with the Nairobi Securities Exchange to design and establish the Kenya Digital Exchange. The proposed Kenya Digital Exchange will be a fully regulated platform dedicated to tokenizing real-world… Read More

April 21, 2025 @ 1:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The rise of cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance (DeFi) has reshaped the financial landscape, offering alternatives to traditional finance (TradFi) while introducing unique risks. A report from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), titled Cryptocurrencies and Decentralized Finance: Functions and Financial Stability Implications, examines these developments,… Read More

April 21, 2025 @ 12:12 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tokyo-based Metaplanet has acquired an additional 330 Bitcoin (BTC), valued at $28.2 million, marking its third purchase this month. The acquisition, executed at an average price of 12.18 million Japanese yen ($85,605 per BTC), comes amid market volatility spurred by U.S. tariff measures. *Metaplanet Purchases… Read More

April 21, 2025 @ 11:11 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a recent update shared via X, Bybit CEO Ben Zhou revealed that approximately 27.59% of the $1.4 billion in cryptocurrency stolen from the exchange has become untraceable, marking a significant development in one of the largest hacks ever to hit a centralized crypto exchange…. Read More

April 21, 2025 @ 10:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Taxbit notes that the rise of stablecoins—digital assets pegged to stable values like the U.S. dollar—has transformed the financial landscape, offering efficiency, accessibility, and stability in transactions. However, this innovation comes with a complex regulatory environment, particularly in the United States. As governments and regulatory… Read More

April 21, 2025 @ 10:08 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Coinbase has (NASDAQ:COIN) has shared some comments after Oregon’s Attorney General, Dan Rayfield, filed a securities enforcement action against the company. This lawsuit basically revives arguments previously dismissed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), marking a contentious return to what Coinbase describes as… Read More

April 21, 2025 @ 9:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The digital assets and blockchain ecosystem in early 2025 has experienced considerable volatility and it has been impacted by global economic / political uncertainty as well, based on insights drawn from CoinGecko’s 2025 Q1 Crypto Industry Report and Sumsub’s Crypto Industry Report 2025. These research… Read More

April 21, 2025 @ 8:37 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The fintech sector continues to reshape global finance, with Royal Park Partners’ Fintech Report offering an analysis of its trajectory. The report highlights key trends, transactions, and challenges shaping the Fintech (financial technology) industry, emphasizing the resilience and adaptability of fintech firms in a dynamic… Read More

April 21, 2025 @ 8:10 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Circle Internet Group, Inc., a global financial technology company and stablecoin market participant, today announced Circle Payments Network to connect financial institutions – banks, neo-banks, payment service providers, virtual asset service providers and digital wallets – and enable real-time settlement of cross-border payments using regulated… Read More

April 20, 2025 @ 8:01 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Supreme Court of India dismissed a petition filed by 54 victims of the WazirX hack on April 16, 2025, seeking action against the crypto exchange and its associates. The decision underscores the persistent regulatory ambiguity surrounding cryptocurrencies in India, leaving victims of the $235… Read More

April 20, 2025 @ 7:19 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Another milestone for tokenized real-world assets, gold-backed assets surging, a Canadian Solana ETF approval, and increased acceptance of cryptocurrency payments are among the DeFi topics that caught the experts’ attention this week. Tokenized RWAs cross $20B threshold “The tokenized RWA market crossing $20 billion in… Read More

April 20, 2025 @ 6:27 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Charles Schwab Corp. is set to make a leap into the cryptocurrency market. During a recent earnings call, CEO Rick Wurster announced a plan to introduce spot crypto trading for the firm’s clients within the next 12 months. This move signals a step forward for… Read More

April 20, 2025 @ 6:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The cryptocurrency market has been rocked yet again by the dramatic crash of Mantra’s $OM token, which plummeted over 90% in a single hour on April 14, 2025, wiping out approximately $6 billion in market capitalization. This unprecedented event has understandably sparked widespread scrutiny, with… Read More

April 20, 2025 @ 3:09 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ethereum and Cosmos, two major blockchain networks, are inching closer to seamless integration, which is a development that could redefine decentralized ecosystems, according to an update from CertiK. According to a recent CertiK research report, efforts to merge these protocols—through EVM-compatible chains, consensus-layer swaps, and… Read More