TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK
Tether Reveals Bitcoin Mining Expansion With $500 Million Investment
Tether, the company behind the largest stablecoin USDT, plans to invest around $500 million over the next six months in building mining facilities and acquiring stakes in other mining companies. Tether is currently building Bitcoin mining sites in Uruguay, Paraguay, and El Salvador with the goal of controlling 1% of the Bitcoin network's hashrate.
Crypto exchange OKX joins L2 frenzy with own Polygon-based blockchain
Singapore-based crypto exchange OKX launched a beta version of a new, in-house layer 2 (L2) blockchain dubbed X1, becoming the latest exchange to try to smooth its users’ transition to the onchain Ethereum ecosystem. The trend began in August, when Coinbase launched its Ethereum L2 Base leveraging Optimism's OP Stack, and there are reports that Kraken is searching for an L2 infrastructure partner for its own L2 as well. OKX partnered with Polygon and is leveraging Polygon's Chain Development Kit.
JPMorgan, WisdomTree team up with Avalanche, Axelar, LayerZero on blockchain interoperability
JPMorgan’s Onyx teamed up with asset and wealth managers WisdomTree and Apollo, blockchain technology providers Avalanche, Oasis Pro, Provenance Blockchain and Biconomy, plus interoperability solutions LayerZero Labs and Axelar on a blockchain interoperability proof-of-concept for investment-portfolio management. The JPMorgan-led project aims to demonstrate how blockchain technology can manage large-scale client portfolios, execute trades, and enable automated portfolio management of tokenized financial assets, including alternatives such as private equity, private credit, real estate, and infrastructure alongside liquid assets in discretionary portfolios, according to a statement. The collaboration comes under the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Project Guardian initiative.
Coinbase rolls out on-chain credential verification using the Ethereum Attestation Service
Coinbase announced a new feature that allows users to attest their account and country credentials onchain. These verifications are non-transferrable and can be tied to any self-custodial Ethereum wallet address and are meant to serve as a "trusted badge" that grants access to onchain apps and benefits. However, critics have raised concerns that the feature may be used as a gating factor to inhibit US persons from participating in airdrops and other opportunities.
BITCOIN
Bitcoin Ordinals Token Ecosystem Emerges as Latest Crypto Play, Led by ORDI Hype
Expect some crypto companies to fail in the wake of Bitcoin's halving
Crypto liquidation breakdown – 77,548 traders hit by $307M liquidation, Bitcoin and Ethereum lead losses
Swan Bitcoin to terminate customer accounts that use crypto-mixing services
Bitcoin Researcher Behind 'BitVM' Ignites Fresh Buzz With New Paper on File Hosting
Bitcoin BRC-20 tokens near $1.5 billion market cap amid inscription frenzy
Bitcoin options open interest soars to unprecedented $18 billion
ETHEREUM
Layer 2 networks hit $13B TVL, but challenges still remain
Comparing Layer 2 Launches: An On-chain Analysis of Liquidity Providers
Ethereum’s rollups are ‘gold standard’ but Plasma needs a revisit — Buterin
Former Polygon Labs President Joins Rival Solution Optimism as Growth Chief
Ethereum research explores zk-based privacy for mainnet
ALTCOINS
Polygon gas fees spike 1,000% amid Ordinals-inspired token craze
255M Pyth Tokens to Be Airdropped to 90K Wallets Next Week
Solana protocol Jupiter will airdrop tokens to nearly 1 million wallets — and it’s just the beginning
Spark Protocol TVL Breaches $1B
Solana Game 'Aurory' Expands With 'Seekers of Tokane' and Epic Games Store Launch
GROK Meme Coin Plummets as Crypto Sleuth Exposes Scam Links
Celestia's TIA Token Rises 200% Since Debut Despite Muted On-Chain Activity
Aave cooperates with forks following vulnerability
Tornado Cash Users Appeal Court Ruling Backing Treasury Department’s Sanctions
GROK Meme Coin Craters, Holders Blame Crypto Sleuth Who Blew the Whistle
DEX Platform Uniswap Rolls Out Android App With Swap Feature
OMG Token Surges 16% as Vitalik Buterin Hails the 'Return of Plasma'
MATIC outperforms market as Polygon ID release 5 enhances security and expands ecosystem capabilities
Opyn co-founders to step down citing recent CFTC action
Polygon Network Records Robust User Activity Amid Broader Crypto Market Weakness in Q3 2023: Report
dYdX Chain trading goes live, enters beta mainnet stage following governance vote
GROK Token, Inspired by Elon Musk’s Grok AI, Hits $160M Capitalization in Latest Frenzy
Aave lending markets resume normal operations after security scare
Uniswap’s cumulative front-end fees exceed $1 million within a month
THORChain’s 7-Day Trading Volume Hits $1.32 Billion, Third to Uniswap and PancakeSwap
Near Foundation partners with Eigen Labs for more efficient Ethereum rollup transactions
“Sam Coins” Rally Ahead of Potential March Trial, FTX Reboot
Kujira Surges 400% As Token Emissions End
Solana's SOL Rallies 20% in a Day, Erasing Woes of Past 18 Months
Gearbox V3 wants to be the next go-to on-chain credit layer
Polygon Labs Launches $90 Million Fund to Fuel Ecosystem Growth
Wallet crypto bot rolls out on Telegram in Colombia, SA and Kenya
How MakerDAO may parlay its profitable real-world assets strategy into the $1.5 trillion private credit market
STABLECOINS
Stablecoins See Positive Supply Growth For First Time in More Than a Year: Glassnode Data
Circle Introduces Zero-Fee USDC Minting with Circle Mint in Singapore
Circle to Enable Cross-Chain USDC Transfers With Cosmos's Noble Later This Month
New Stablecoin Issuers Embrace On-Chain U.S. Treasuries As Collateral
Ondo unveils bridge to move treasuries-backed USDY stablecoin across chains
Stablecoin firm Tether minted 4B USDT in 4 weeks: Data
Meet Midas: A New Yield-Bearing Stablecoin Investing in U.S. Treasuries
CRYPTO ECOSYSTEM
ENS lead developer calls out Unstoppable Domain patents on social media
DeFi Market Concentration: Gauntlet Data Reveals Few Major Projects Dominate the Industry
Aave Companies is rebranding to Avara
zkLink’s Nexus wants to solve liquidity fragmentation between ZK ecosystems
Celsius Moves $10 Million in Ethereum to Exchange Following Bankruptcy Plan Approval
Ethereum Platform Infura's Step Toward Decentralization Includes Microsoft, Tencent
Futures Funding Rates Normalize After Crypto Surge Forced Traders to Pay High Fees to Maintain Long Positions
BGX Invests $90 Million in BC Technology Group, Operator of Hong Kong’s OSL Exchange
FTX Foundation Member Denies Involvement In SBF Fraud, Insists on Unpaid Bonus
FTX Can Start Mediation, File Counterclaims in BlockFi Bankruptcy Case, Judge Rules
Ondo and Axelar Join Forces for Ondo Bridge
Terraform Labs Acquires Data Company Pulsar Finance
Terraform Labs acquires cross-chain data provider as it pursues post-Kwon plans
Crypto News Site The Block Bought by Foresight Ventures in $70M Deal
Genesis, Three Arrows Capital Reach Agreement on $1B of Claims
Distressed crypto lender Hodlnaut starts liquidation in Singapore
Flashbots co-founder unveils Telegram trading bot ‘Alfred’
Singapore startup dtcpay launches retail crypto payments system with Chinese partners
NFTS / GAMING / METAVERSE
Bitcoin-Focused Ordinals Project Taproot Wizards Raises $7.5M in Seed Round
PancakeSwap Targets GameFi With Release of Gaming Marketplace
NHL hockey gives the term ‘NFT’ the cold shoulder with launch of digital collectibles
New York MoMA now has tokenized artworks in its permanent collection
Play-to-Earn Mobile Dog Training Game 'Dogami Academy' Launched
OpenSea NFT users report massive email phishing campaign
Square Enix-Backed Atlas Uses AI to Turn Text and Images Into Game Worlds
Mad Lads NFTs Hit All-Time High as Backpack Taps FTX Lawyer for Exchange Launch
Animoca Partners With Chiliz To Boost SportFi
Roblox CEO teases allowing NFTs, offers Elton John capes as example
The Sandbox hopes to spur LAND sales using ‘Black Mirror’ and ‘Walking Dead’ as bait
Six-Figure Prices for Bitcoin Rock Ordinals and EtherRock NFTs Reignite Hopes for Return of NFT Mania
Ethereum Gaming Tokens Skyrocket: Illuvium, Ronin, and Immutable Up 50% or More
MINING
Hut 8’s Revenue Tumbles 46% amid Bitcoin’s Rising Challenges
Bitcoin miners earned $44M in a day to record annual all-time high
Iris Energy is betting on greening the grid with Bitcoin mining
EXCHANGES
South Korean Traders Drive Recent Crypto Surge as Exchanges’ Market Share Jumps to 13%
WonderFi Subsidiary Bitbuy Acquires Bitvo, Owns Nearly Half of All Exchanges in Canada
Binance Japan to list 13 tokens new tokens in one of the world’s strictest crypto markets
OKX joins forces with Komainu, CoinShares to boost security for segregated institutional crypto trading
Poloniex crypto exchange resumes withdrawals after $100M hack
Coinbase’s global expansion lead Nana Murugesan departs
Binance and SEC negotiate confidentiality in landmark legal battle
Crypto.com's Middle-East Presence Solidifies with Dubai Crypto Licence
Crypto Exchange Bitget to Cease Operations in Hong Kong – What’s Going On?
Russian Court Fines Coinbase for Violating Data Rules
Taiwanese crypto exchange and VASP member Bitgin under investigation for money laundering
FTX Sues Bybit to Claw Back $953M in 'Misappropriated Funds'
Bitvavo Secures Austrian Approval, Defying Regulatory Challenges in Europe
Bitget Drops Crypto License Bid in Hong Kong
South Korean Crypto Exchange Bithumb Aims to Go Public by 2025
Coinbase to Launch Futures Support for Solana and Avalanche Altcoins – Here’s the Latest
Former FTX general counsel to launch new crypto exchange
CME, Where Institutions Trade Bitcoin Futures, Flipped Binance. Is That as Bullish as It Sounds?
Binance to halt ruble deposits effective Nov. 15
CAPITAL RAISES
Binance Labs joins web3 social platform Sleek’s seed token round at $50 million valuation
Union Labs raises $4 million to develop cross-chain bridge enabled by ZK proofs
Bazooka Tango Raises $5 Million to Revive 'Shardbound' as NFT Game
CFX Labs Secures $9.5 Million Seed Round To Expand Solana-based Payment Network
Circle Ventures invests in Sei to expand USDC ecosystem
CoinFund co-leads $14 million Series A round for asset manager Superstate
Blockchain.com Closes $110M Raise: Bloomberg
Sora Ventures invests in Fhenix, fuels first confidential blockchain using homomorphic encryption
Goldman, BNP Paribas lead Fnality’s $95M round
Top Crypto Casino Presale $TGC Cracks $2M Raised as Traders Flock to TG Casino on Telegram
Hong Kong-Listed Boyaa Interactive Seeks Shareholder Approval for $100 Million Crypto Investment
Owner of Hong Kong crypto exchange OSL secures $90M investment
First Mover Americas: Goldman Leads Blockchain Firm Fnality Raise of $95M
Tokenized Cash Fintech Fnality Raises $95M Led by Goldman and BNP Paribas
South Korean web3 K-pop agency Modhaus raises $8 million in Series A round
Crypto analytics firm Block Scholes raises $3.3 million to boost growth
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
CoinShares Gets Greenlight to Buy Valkyrie ETF Arm as It Expands Into North America
South Korea national pension fund nets 40% gain on Coinbase stock investment
BlackRock files S-1 form for spot Ether ETF with SEC
Ethereum Fund Inflows Hit 2022 High on ETF Listing Request
First deadline window looms for SEC to approve Bitcoin ETFs: Law Decoded
Purpose Bitcoin ETF holdings soar past 30k, topping $1 billion amid signs of rising institutional interest
BlackRock denies plans for XRP ETF after false filing sparks rumors
BlackRock argues SEC has no grounds to treat crypto futures and spot ETFs differently
Ark Invest, 21Shares slated to intro crypto ETF suite next week
Grayscale trust discounts keep shrinking — here’s why
Bitcoin, Ethereum Demand Pushes 2023 Crypto Fund Investment Over $1 Billion
Maven 11 Targets $100 Million in Funding for Third Crypto Venture Fund
Crypto-Focused VC Lightspeed Faction Announces $285 Million Fund for Startups
TRADFI / TECH
Bakkt Shifts Focus Back to Digital Asset Custody, Adds Support for Six New Coins
Commerzbank Receives Crypto Custody License From German Regulators
iPhone Sideloading Could Increase Crypto Phishing Attacks, Experts Warn
JPMorgan Expects JPM Coin to Hit $10 Billion in Daily Transactions in Coming Year
GPT-5 Is Officially on the OpenAI Roadmap Despite Prior Hesitation
NFT Trading Volume Hits 4-Month High
Standard Chartered unit launches tokenization platform Libeara
Nvidia Created an AI to Better Understand COVID-19 and Accelerate Medical Discoveries
Reddit Moons Price Soars 160% as Community Takes Steps Towards Decentralization
Cboe Digital to offer margin futures trading for Bitcoin and Ethereum in 2024
CBDC
CBDCs can ‘replace cash,’ IMF says
Kazakhstan officially launches digital tenge
REGULATORY / COUNTRIES
Vivek Ramaswamy unveils crypto policy platform criticizing mixer sanctions
US Congress Kicks Against SEC’s SAB 121 Rules in Latest Memo
Philippines to Sell Tokenized Treasury Bond Next Week
US Lawmakers Write to Treasury Department Seeking Amendment On Proposed Crypto Tax Rules
NYDFS Rolls Out Stricter Guidelines for Cryptocurrency Listings, De-listings
SEC Delays Decision on HashDex Bitcoin Spot ETF Application, Grayscale Ether Futures Filing
Delaware State DOJ Might Investigate the BlackRock Hoax XRP ETF Filing
Judge denies Binance and SEC request for protective order to avoid filings under seal
SEC had ‘another highly productive’ year in crypto-related charges in 2023
Australia Introduces Capital Gains Tax For Wrapped Tokens
Democratic Party of South Korea mandates parliamentary candidates disclose crypto holdings
UK Cabinet Reshuffle Gives Bim Afolami Responsibility for Crypto, CBDC, Replacing Griffith
Australia Updates Its Capital Gains Tax Guidance to Include Wrapped Tokens and DeFi
Crypto industry protests against Treasury’s proposed tax reporting regulation
APEC finance ministers to share perspectives on crypto at meeting in San Francisco
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse Criticizes SEC for Losing Focus on Investor Protection
Bitcoin Argentina Presents Draft Legislation to Regulate Cryptocurrency
Ethics watchdog rats out Circle for links to Tron in letter to Senators Warren, Brown
Institute of Crypto-Assets Launches in Paris to Advance Research and Education in Blockchain Technology
PayPal Gains FCA Crypto Approval as BoE Pushes Stablecoin Regulation
SURVEYS, HACKS, MISC
Three Arrows Capital Co-founder Kyle Davies Seen in Bali: Report
A Physical Dogecoin Could Reach the Moon in December
Do Kwon loses bid to overturn guilty verdict on fake passport charge
Fentanyl sales are slowing down following US crackdown, says TRM Labs
Chainlink VRF vulnerability thwarted by white hat hackers with $300K reward
Joe Bankman’s Legal Troubles: Fallout from Son’s FTX Conviction
GROK Dumps 50% as Links to Failed Projects Halts AI-Inspired Token's Rally
9.4% of French Population Holds Crypto as the Asset Class Ranks Second in Investment Options
Hackers Loot $60 Million From Ethereum Wallets With Create2 Code
Binance clients targeted in $27M theft and unsuccessful $13M extortion attempt
Crypto wallet loses $27 million in stablecoins in apparent hack: ZachXBT
DeFi Platform Raft Hacked for $3.3 Million, Attacker Burns Most of Stolen ETH – Here’s What Happened
Jump Crypto Pocketed over $1 Billion in Secret Do Kwon Deal, Dodges Questions from SEC
$32M vulnerability in Perpetual Protocol uncovered by Chainlight nets $10k in white hat rewards
Poloniex hit by $100 million theft, hacker boosts Tron’s TRX
