Blockchain & Digital Assets

January 23, 2024 @ 1:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

FINRA, the organization that regulates all of the broker-dealers in the United States, says a recent review of crypto communications indicates potential violations at a whopping 70% of the information reviewed. FINRA has not identified any firms that may be providing information that is in… Read More

January 23, 2024 @ 7:03 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the crypto market experienced a surge in anticipation related to ETFs, “particularly with the growing optimism surrounding the potential approval of US spot Bitcoin ETFs,” the CoinGecko team noted. CoinGecko also mentioned that this optimism appears to have “contributed… Read More

January 23, 2024 @ 6:55 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto.com released its annual Crypto Market Sizing Report, showing that global cryptocurrency owners increased by 34% in 2023 – “rising from 432 million in January 2023 to 580 million in December 2023.” Similar to the previous year, this notable growth “continued despite several macro headwinds,… Read More

January 22, 2024 @ 6:01 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Alchemy Pay, a payment gateway that connects crypto with traditional fiat currencies for businesses, developers, and end users, notes that the approval of the Bitcoin Spot ETF signifies a significant step “towards the enhanced institutionalization of cryptocurrencies, paving the way for bitcoin to reach a… Read More

January 22, 2024 @ 5:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Worldcoin claims that it was created to help build a more human internet and a more inclusive digital economy. That ethos aligns with the founding principles of Friends With Benefits (FWB), a new kind of social network DAO working with creatives and builders “to platform… Read More

January 22, 2024 @ 5:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed a fifth round of sanctions on Hamas since the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel. According to OFAC, the sanctions have targeted Hamas-affiliated financial exchanges in Gaza, their owners and associates,… Read More

January 21, 2024 @ 8:11 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Aquanow, a digital assets infrastructure provider, and Gate.io, a global cryptocurrency exchange with reportedly over $6B in daily volume, announced that they’ve entered into a partnership in order “to build global liquidity for the next wave of blockchain projects.” Phil Sham, CEO of Aquanow, said:… Read More

January 21, 2024 @ 6:06 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

2023 was a year of “recovery” for cryptocurrency, as the industry “rebounded from the scandals, blowups, and price declines of 2022,” according to an extensive update shared by Chainalysis. With crypto assets rebounding and market activity growing over the course of 2023, many believe that… Read More

January 21, 2024 @ 5:44 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Philippine-based web3 gaming player Yield Guild Games (YGG) announced its collaboration with Iskra, a blockchain gaming hub and launchpad, to introduce innovative questing systems to its platform. Iskra, backed by industry giants such as LINE, Kakao, Wemade, and Netmarble, boasts over four million registered wallets… Read More

January 20, 2024 @ 3:56 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Valmar Capital, a digital assets multi-manager multi-strategy platform, notes that volumes, in particular, the 7-day ADV across spot and futures markets are all markedly “lower than the prior week as activity going into the BTC ETF event has waned.” Valmar Capital stated in an extensive… Read More

January 20, 2024 @ 12:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Dan Morehead, the Founder and Managing Partner of Pantera Capital, recently looked into whether altcoins can outperform Bitcoin during this bull cycle. Dan Morehead noted that this is a question they often hear from digital assets and blockchain industry participants. His colleagues Cosmo Jiang and… Read More

January 20, 2024 @ 12:56 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Michael Nadeau, the founder of The DeFi Report who also helps startups and asset managers, has pointed out that Ethereum (ETH), the world’s largest smart contract platform, reached $10 billion in revenue “faster than any other major software company besides Google.” Although this may be… Read More

January 19, 2024 @ 4:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

Donald Trump touched on the topic of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) recently, and he is no fan of the concept. A digital dollar is being discussed at the US Federal Reserve and on  Capitol Hill in general. The Fed has been partnering with MIT… Read More

January 19, 2024 @ 9:51 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Flowdesk, a full-service digital asset trading technology firm, announces its $50 million Series B, led by Cathay Innovation along with the participation of Cathay Ledger Fund, Eurazeo, ISAI, Speedinvest, BPI and Ripple.‍ Guilhem Chaumont, CEO and Co-Founder of Flowdesk, said: “This raise highlights the significance… Read More

January 19, 2024 @ 9:12 am By JD Alois  |  

While London remains the top European financial center, Brexit has put pressure on this status. This has created opportunities for other European financial centers, but the question remains: do they have the capacity and ability to act and gain traction? Today, the Autorité des Marchés… Read More

January 19, 2024 @ 8:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Kiln says that it is entering 2024 with confidence, thanks to a $17 million new funding round that was reportedly led by 1kx. Kiln’s management noted that they’re confirming the close of their latest $17 million funding round, which was led by 1kx, along “with… Read More

January 18, 2024 @ 10:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Chainlink, which claims to be the “industry-standard” decentralized computing platform, announced today that the Chainlink Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP)—the industry standard for secure cross-chain interoperability— has integrated Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) in order “to provide users with a secure and reliable way to transfer… Read More

January 18, 2024 @ 6:48 pm By JD Alois  |  

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has shared its guidance on money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF) for crypto asset service providers (CASPs). All banks must adhere to strict Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) rules, and crypto firms are no different. The… Read More

January 18, 2024 @ 6:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service have recently issued an announcement informing businesses that they do “not have to report the receipt of digital assets the same way as they must report the receipt of cash until Treasury and IRS issue regulations.” The Infrastructure… Read More

January 18, 2024 @ 11:36 am By JD Alois  |  

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) have issued a call for comment on proposed regulations for funds that invest in crypto. CSA Notice and Request for Comment – Proposed Amendments to National Instrument 81-102 Investment Funds Pertaining to Crypto Assets is available on all of the… Read More