#crypto
#crypto

DeFi Shouldn't Have to Worry About the SEC's Expanded Broker Rule

The SEC has adopted a rule that expands the definition of a broker-dealer and requires more firms to register as dealers and submit to stricter oversight.

The new rule includes institutions that capture bid-ask spreads, such as quant funds and high-frequency traders. [ more ]

time.com

SEC Says Its X Account Was Compromised to Falsely Say Bitcoin ETFs Approved

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has not yet approved spot-Bitcoin exchange traded funds (ETFs), despite a fake post on Twitter briefly raising hopes of approval.

About a dozen companies have applied to list ETFs backed by Bitcoin in the US, and the SEC has until January 10 to take action on at least one of those applications. [ more ]

Entrepreneur

Is Crypto Back? What to Know the Industry's State of Affairs | Entrepreneur

ChatGPT revolutionized AI and natural language processing, gaining 57 million users in its first month.

Blockchain and crypto industry faces challenges amidst AI advancements and new technologies. [ more ]

TechCrunch

Tether had 'record-breaking' net profits in Q4, Polygon Labs does layoffs and hackers steal $112M of XRP | TechCrunch

Hackers steal $112 million worth of XRP

Tether reports record profit in Q4 2023 [ more ]

Coindesk

Sui Becomes a Top 10 DeFi Blockchain in Less Than a Year

Layer 1 blockchain Sui has climbed into the top 10 decentralized finance (DeFi) rankings less than a year after its inception.

The total value locked (TVL) on Sui has jumped by more than 1,000% in four months, making it the 10th-largest blockchain by TVL. [ more ]

Coindesk

Vitalik Buterin Says Developers Should 'Tread Carefully' Mixing Crypto and AI

AI and blockchain have intersected in various ways, but many AI-flavored crypto projects lack substance.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin believes there is promise in the collision of crypto and AI, but acknowledges potential challenges. [ more ]

TechCrunch

Web design

How web3 can have a 2024 comeback | TechCrunch

Web3 funding has seen a significant decline, with second-quarter funding in 2023 down 76% from the previous year.

Investors are hesitant to fund crypto and blockchain-inflected businesses due to market challenges and regulatory actions. [ more ]

Coindesk

Cuy Sheffield: The Reason Visa Is 'Everywhere' in Crypto

Visa's head of crypto, Cuy Sheffield, has been leading various crypto experiments and pilots throughout the year.

Visa is expanding its stablecoin pilot using Solana and is focused on blockchain technology for the payments industry. [ more ]

www.eastbaytimes.com

7 Best Bitcoin Casino Sites Reviewed: Compare Crypto Casinos Of 2024

Bitcoin casinos offer unique advantages like huge payouts in crypto.

Seven best Bitcoin casinos include Ignition, Bitstarz, mBit, Cafe Casino, 7bit, Wild.io, Bovada. [ more ]

Coindesk

We Have to Make It Easier For People to Own Crypto Directly (Not Just With ETFs)

Approval of Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. marks a significant development for Bitcoin and crypto.

Industry must focus on reducing user-friction for mass adoption. [ more ]

WIRED

Bitcoin Royalty Descends on Satoshi Nakamoto Trial

Satoshi Nakamoto's enigmatic identity remains a mystery in Bitcoin's history.

Craig Wright's claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto are contested, with potential implications on Bitcoin's future development. [ more ]

TechCrunch

Reddit's upcoming IPO could reward its power users | TechCrunch

Equity podcast covers startup and venture capital news every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 a.m. PT.

TechCrunch has a show focused on crypto that interviews founders. [ more ]

TechCrunch

This gaming startup tries to show 'AI + crypto' is not a fad | TechCrunch

Venture capital firms are switching their focus between AI and crypto, causing controversy

Ultiverse, a Singapore startup, is using AI in its crypto game production and publishing platform [ more ]

TechCrunch

Startup companies

Meet the startup taking on Nvidia | TechCrunch

The podcast is focused on startups and venture capital news

Listeners can find episode transcripts and subscribe to the podcast on various platforms [ more ]

TechCrunch

Is India done with crypto? | TechCrunch

Indian venture capitalists were once excited about investing in crypto, but have since shifted their focus to other sectors.

Cryptocurrency prices plummeted and enthusiasm for crypto in India waned, leading to a decline in interest and investment. [ more ]

moreventure-capital

bitcoin

London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Bitcoin slump drags down Crypto stocks, but opportunity lies ahead

Bitcoin remains in a long-term uptrend despite recent volatility, presenting a buying opportunity for investors.

Crypto adoption is accelerating, with major financial institutions embracing crypto, which will support prices over time. [ more ]

Coindesk

First Mover Americas: Traders Are Turning to Ether

Derivatives market metrics suggest that traders are shifting their focus from bitcoin to ether, potentially indicating a future outperformance of Ethereum's native token.

IBM has released the IBM Hyper Protect Offline Signing Orchestrator (OSO), a cryptographic signing technology that enhances security for digital assets in cold storage. [ more ]

Coindesk

First Mover Americas: Standard Chartered Bank Thinks BTC Will Reach $100K by End of 2024

Standard Chartered Bank predicts bitcoin will reach $100,000 by end of 2024, citing approval of spot bitcoin ETFs and the upcoming Bitcoin halving as catalysts.

Digital Currency Group and Genesis Global have reached a repayment plan to settle their lawsuit, with DCG agreeing to pay another $275 million to Genesis in installments.

The Philippines SEC warns that it may block access to Binance in the country for operating without a license and promoting crypto trading to Filipinos. [ more ]

Coindesk

NFT Prices Are Still Lagging Behind Ether's Gains

Ether has gained over 10% since the start of the year, while NFT prices have not followed the same upward trend.

Utility and technological development are necessary for growth in the NFT market. [ more ]

Coindesk

BlackRock Files Application for Spot Ether ETF

BlackRock has filed a form to issue a spot ether (ETH) exchange-traded fund.

The price of ether jumped nearly 2% on the news.

BlackRock is also seeking to list a bitcoin ETF.

BlackRock's CEO, Larry Fink, has expressed support for the crypto sector. [ more ]

Coindesk

What Are the Tax Implications of the Alleged Binance Wallet Hack (or Any Crypto Exploit)?

A crypto hacker drained $27 million worth of tether (USDT) from a cryptocurrency wallet linked to Binance.

The stolen stablecoins were quickly converted to ether (ETH) and then to bitcoin (BTC) using the THORChain bridge.

The hacker may have inside knowledge of Binance's operations and is speculated to use a mixer to launder the funds. [ more ]

moreether

Coindesk

3 days ago

WisdomTree's Crypto Business Goes Live in New York Against Big Shareholder's Wishes

WisdomTree Prime, the firm's digital asset app, went live in New York, enabling saving, spending, and investing in digital assets on-chain. [ more ]

ReadWrite

1 month ago

Solana Crypto Presale 'Slothana' Raises $6 Million - SLOTH Meme Coin Review

1. Slothana raised $6M in a week post-launch.

2. Slothana aims to be a popular meme coin on Solana, using a simplified presale model and sloth character for crypto trading symbolism. [ more ]

App Developer Magazine

1 month ago

NFT momentum continues downward per AltIndex| App Developer Magazine

Global NFT sales have been falling since September 2021.

NFT marketplaces are still expected to show revenue growth, although the growth rate is decreasing significantly over the years. [ more ]

Coindesk

Starknet Token STRK Begins Trading at $5 After Mammoth Airdrop

Starknet conducted the largest airdrop of 728 million tokens to 1.3 million addresses.

Starknet's STRK token had a volatile trading debut with prices ranging from $1.80 to $5, settling at $3.50. [ more ]

Coindesk

Whales Grab $50M in Chainlink's LINK as Price Climbs 40% in a Month

Tokenization of real-world assets is driving the price of Chainlink's token, LINK, up by 40% in the past month.

A large investor withdrew 2.7 million LINK tokens from Binance using multiple wallets, while the price and market cap reached new highs. [ more ]

news.bitcoin.com

Crypto, AI and Data Centers Could Double Energy Consumption in 2026 Mining Bitcoin News

The demand for energy from crypto, AI, and data centers could double in 2026. [ more ]

Coindesk

1 day ago

Left-wing politics

Trump's Pro-Crypto Bluster at NFT Gala Lacked Policy Substance

Donald Trump, previously critical, now positioning himself as a crypto advocate during his campaign events. [ more ]

Coindesk

Crypto AI Startup Sahara Raises $6M to Reward AI Trainers

Start-up Sahara aims to reward users and AI trainers for their contributions to AI development.

Sahara's model differs from current practices by focusing on compensating those who help AI tools improve. [ more ]

www.coindesk.com

How AI-Crypto Will Lead to a Hyper-Financialized Future

Hyper-financialization era at AI and crypto intersection

Crypto paves way for autonomous financial markets and increased asset compatibility with markets. [ more ]

Coindesk

Sam Altman: The World That Sam Made

Sam Altman's recent drama and multiple changes in positions have caused speculation and uncertainty.

Altman's influence in the Web3/crypto space, particularly through ChatGPT, has been significant and transformative. [ more ]

Cointelegraph Magazine

Real AI use cases in crypto, No. 3: Smart contract audits & cybersecurity

Using AI for smart contract auditing and cybersecurity in the crypto industry has potential but is currently limited.

OpenAI may have intentionally limited the capabilities of their AI bot to avoid being held responsible for vulnerabilities in smart contracts.

While AI can assist in creating smart contracts, it is prone to logical code bugs and potential exploits. [ more ]

time.com

New Study Estimates as Much as $75 Billion in Global Victims' Losses to Pig-Butchering Scam

Scammers stole over $75 billion through pig-butchering scam

Crypto addresses of over 4,000 victims tracked to Southeast Asia scammers [ more ]

Coindesk

What Prediction Markets Are Forecasting for Crypto in 2024

Prediction markets allow participants to bet on the outcome of real-world events and provide insights into what people really think.

Crypto is taking prediction markets to the next level by making them borderless, permissionless, and automating functions. [ more ]

Coindesk

EU data protection

Upcoming High-Level EU Financial Policy Talks Could Steer Crypto Oversight: Source

EU officials will discuss digital finance, including crypto, at an upcoming meeting in April.

The talks could shape future policy and regulations for crypto and a potential digital euro. [ more ]

TechCrunch

Startup companies

Taking the long view on crypto | TechCrunch

Crypto companies are a good investment despite market volatility.

There is a shortage of AI talent in academia and demand for AI professionals is high. [ more ]

Medium

Is humanizing Crypto even possible?

Crypto can be highly complex and difficult for the average user to understand and navigate.

Effective marketing and influential figures have helped fuel the popularity of crypto, but it may not be accessible to everyone. [ more ]

TechCrunch

Staking technology provider Kiln raises $17 million in rare crypto funding round | TechCrunch

VC investments in crypto companies are down 68% in 2023 compared to 2022.

Kiln, a French crypto startup, raised $17 million in funding and provides infrastructure-focused products for staking in the crypto space. [ more ]

Coindesk

What Are Crypto OTC Desks And How Do They Work?

Crypto OTC desks facilitate large cryptocurrency transactions without revealing information to the public.

There are two types of OTC desks: principal and agency, each with different roles and risks. [ more ]

Coindesk

Argentina's Milei Proposes Incentives for Declaring Domestic, Foreign Crypto Holdings in Draft Bill

Argentines who declare their crypto holdings can receive a favorable tax rate and legalize the use of those assets in the country, according to a controversial draft bill by President Javier Milei.

The proposed bill includes reduced penalties for early declaration, with a tax rate of only 5% for crypto holdings declared before March 31.

The bill aims to target cash and assets held abroad by citizens through an asset regularization program. [ more ]

Coindesk

Crypto Had Reputational Issues This Year. 2024 Will Change That

This time of year brims with intergenerational dialogue and forward-looking optimism.

www.fastcompany.com

Digital life

My 2024 tech resolutions: picking a Twitter replacement, holding out on EVs, and more

After all of the chaos that befell the tech sector in 2023from Elon Musk's militantly ignorant stewardship of the site formerly known as Twitter to the ongoing debate over whether AI poses a grave threat to humanity or just to humans' jobs2024 seems set to pick up right where we left off.

Coindesk

Major NFT Indicies Stable After NFT Trader Hack

The Nansen NFT-500 and Blue Chip-10 indexes remained stable after a $3 million NFT theft.

A community effort led to the recovery of most of the stolen NFTs. [ more ]

Coindesk

What We Know About the Massive Ledger Hack

Several Ethereum-based applications were compromised due to a Ledger security breach.

The breach has affected the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, with reports suggesting losses of over $150,000 in crypto. [ more ]

Cointelegraph Magazine

Terrorism & Israel-Gaza war weaponized to destroy crypto

The Israel-Gaza war has renewed concerns about crypto being used to finance terrorism.

Politicians in the US are using exaggerated reports to introduce harsh legislation that could potentially crush the crypto industry. [ more ]

App Developer Magazine

Everlodge integrates AI into its blockchain real estate marketplace| App Developer Magazine

Bitcoin surges past $40,000 and aims for $44,000 after the Fed hints at a potential interest rate drop.

Polygon (MATIC) gains momentum and a top analyst predicts a potential price surge.

Everlodge gains popularity for its adoption of real AI in the crypto space. [ more ]

Coindesk

Donald Trump Unveils New 'Mugshot' NFTs, Stirring Up Prices for His Previous NFTs

Donald Trump announced a new NFT collection called the "Mugshot Edition" that is stirring up prices for his previously issued NFTs.

Buyers who purchase 47 or more Trump cards will get to have dinner with Trump and receive a piece of the suit he wore for his mugshot. [ more ]

Coindesk

Cathie Wood's ARK Invest Sells $33M of Coinbase Shares, $5.9M of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust

ARK Invest sold $33 million worth of Coinbase stock and $5.9 million worth of Grayscale's Bitcoin Trust shares.

ARK frequently accumulates crypto-related shares at low prices and sells them when they show bullish momentum. [ more ]

Coindesk

Elon Musk-Inspired 'Go F--K Yourself,' Cybertruck Tokens Surge Among Microcap Punters

The latest trend in crypto is the creation of meme-inspired tokens, with Elon Musk being a popular source of inspiration.

These tokens, including GFY and TRUCK, have market capitalizations ranging from under $15,000 to over $25 million. [ more ]

Coindesk

Over $200M in Crypto Futures Bets Liquidated as Bitcoin Slumped Under $36K on Binance Settlement

Exchanges have liquidated $227 million in crypto perpetual futures positions in the past 24 hours.

BNB saw $6 million in liquidations, while Binance traders took on $100 million in liquidations, the most among counterparties. [ more ]

London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Coincover and Utila partner to enhance crypto asset management

Coincover and Utila have partnered to provide enhanced protection and security for crypto assets.

Utila customers will have access to Coincover's third-party recovery technology, simplifying the backup of digital assets.

The partnership aims to stimulate institutional involvement in crypto by streamlining the setup process and removing entry barriers. [ more ]

WSJ

Business intelligence

Celsius to Curtail Scope of New Company to Mining Assets

Celsius Network plans to reduce the scope of its business following discussions with the SEC.

The company will create a new company focused on its bitcoin-mining business.

Celsius is waiting for SEC approval before executing its plan. [ more ]

Cointelegraph Magazine

Michael Saylor's a fan, but Frisby says bull run needs a new guru: X Hall of Flame

MicroStrategy's Michael Saylor and Dominic Frisby have a mutual admiration for each other in the crypto space.

Frisby is a Bitcoiner, comedian, author, and TV host with a growing following.

Frisby was invited to dinner at Saylor's house and is often featured in Saylor's Bitcoin discussions. [ more ]

Coindesk

Santander Private Bank Introduces Bitcoin, Ethereum Trading for Swiss Clients

Santander Private Banking International is offering high-net-worth clients in Switzerland trading and investing in bitcoin and ether.

The service is provided only upon client request and the assets are held in a regulated custody model.

Santander's move is bold compared to most big banks who tend to avoid exposure to cryptocurrencies. [ more ]

Cointelegraph Magazine