Weekly Crypto News Recap - Dec 30, 2022

December 30, 2022



TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK

China to launch its first regulated NFT marketplace, China Digital Asset Trading Platform, on January 1

CryptoSlate
China will launch a regulated platform for trading non-fungible tokens (NFTs) known as China Digital Asset Trading Platform on January 1, 2023. The platform was created to facilitate the exchange of NFTs in the secondary market, and will also provide institutions and individuals with rights protection monitoring and copyright protection services concerning digital assets.

MicroStrategy sold bitcoin worth $11.8 million for tax benefits

The Block
MicroStrategy sold bitcoin for the first time since it began to hold the asset on its corporate balance sheet, liquidating 704 bitcoin worth $11.8 million at the time of sale. The bitcoin were sold for tax purposes, and the company subsequently acquired more bitcoin than it sold, adding 2,501 bitcoin for $45m on net since November 1.

Mike Novogratz's Galaxy Saves Bitcoin Miner Argo from Bankruptcy

CryptoCurrency – Finance Magnates
Bitcoin miner Argo Blockchain announced that it will sell its Helios mining facility to Galaxy Digital for $65m and refinance debt to avoid bankruptcy. Argo had previously warned that it may need to cease operations due to negative cash flow, though the announced actions will allow the company to continue operations. Helios is located in Dickens County, Texas and can support up to 800 MW of mining capacity.

Mango Markets Attacker Avraham Eisenberg Arrested, Charged With 'Market-Manipulation Offenses'

Decrypt
The Department of Justice arrested Avraham Eisenberg, charging him with commodities fraud and commodities manipulation related to his attack on the Mango Markets crypto exchange. Mango Markets, a Solana-based decentralized exchange, was drained of $110m after a hacker manipulated the platform's price oracle.

Japan to lift ban on foreign-issued stablecoins in 2023

CryptoSlate

BITCOIN

MicroStrategy to offer Bitcoin Lightning solutions in 2023
MicroStrategy Added 2,500 Bitcoins for $45M in Last 2 Months
Bitcoin cumulative transfer volume exceeds $100 trillion milestone
ProtonMail creator unsure whether his firm will continue to hold Bitcoin
Bitcoin closes year with 26th largest market cap globally

ETHEREUM

Ethereum’s 2022 in Review: The Merge, MEV and Mayhem
Ethereum L2 language Cairo’s TVL surpasses Solana’s Rust
The Surge Comes Next for Ethereum… Eventually

ALTCOINS

Dogecoin devs deny rumor of immediate PoS switch following community concern
BITDAO’s bit token rises 20% ahead of $100 million buyback
Solana Token Rebounds off Thursday Lows as Buterin Tweets Support
Uniswap V3 was the most used Ethereum contract in 2022
Solana Sinks Below $10 for First Time in Nearly Two Years
DEX Trader Joe is live on Arbitrum amid trend to move to multiple chains
TRON DAO Joins The Enterprise Ethereum Alliance
Stablecoin DEX Mercurial rebrands to distance itself from FTX
NEAR Protocol Project Octopus Network Lays Off 40% of Team
Andre Cronje says Fantom will focus on DApp ecosystem expansion in 2023
1inch launches Fusion upgrade to improve swap security and profitability

STABLECOINS

Vader will shut down stablecoin USDV, cannot find a ‘breakthrough’
Brazilians are turning to stablecoins to protect savings from inflation
Palau reportedly partners with Ripple to launch national stablecoin
USDN to become WINDX – a multi-collateralized soft-pegged asset

CRYPTO ECOSYSTEM

Alameda-Linked Funds on the Move Again via Coin Mixers
Celsius case ‘administrative expenses’ add up to $53M
Midas Shuts Down as Another Victim of FTX Collapse
Nexo Says Takeover of Crypto Lender Vauld Still On As Deadline Approaches: Report
Crypto OTC trading to get traction due to FTX fiasco, exec says
Deso Blockchain Crosses 2 Million Accounts Amid Elon Musk’s Twitter Revamp

NFTS / GAMING / METAVERSE

Donald Trump’s NFT’s floor price drops 80% in 10 days
Nouns Ethereum NFTs Will Appear in 2023 Rose Parade
Manchester United accused of copying work of NFT artist DesLucrece
Pudgy Penguins NFTs Break All-Time Highs With Holiday Rally
DeGods and Y00ts NFTs are bridging off Solana: Here’s why
North Korea-linked NFT Phishing Campaign Targets OpenSea, X2Y2, Rarible Users
Chess to make headway into Web 3.0 as FIDE partners with Avalanche
Over $30B of NFT Trading Volume on Ethereum Is Wash Trading, Research Suggests
NFT Marketplace OpenSea Confirms Ban on Cuban Artists
US election agency approves use of NFTs as campaign fundraising incentive

MINING

Chinese Communist Party official pleads guilty to helping Bitcoin miners
Bitcoin Mining farm Bitfarms co-founder and CEO Emiliano Grodzki resigns
Binance's cloud mining affected by extreme weather conditions in North America
Canaan expects minor revenue drop in 2022 despite crypto mining crisis
100%: Public Bitcoin miners sold almost everything they mined in 2022
Argo Blockchain Suspends Trading in US Shares for 24 Hours
Bitcoin ASIC miner prices hovering at lows not seen in years
Bitcoin hashrate recovers after big freeze shuts down miners
Amid the arctic blast, Texas miners voluntarily shut down or curtail operations
Blockware sued over alleged misrepresentation of miners’ performance
Bitcoin mining companies close out year $4 billion in debt: Report

EXCHANGES

FTX creditor committee hires Paul Hastings LLP for bankruptcy proceedings: Report
Sam Bankman-Fried Will Face Judge Who Presided Over Trump, Kevin Spacey
FTX customers file class-action lawsuit to get priority reparations
Crypto investors sue Winklevoss twins over interest accounts on Gemini
70% of unregulated exchange transactions are wash trading: NBER study
Sam Bankman-Fried to Enter Plea in Case Alleging Fraud and Embezzlement at FTX Cryptocurrency Exchange
Ellison and Wang guilty pleas unsealed as Bankman-Fried granted bail
Prosecutors unlikely to offer Sam Bankman-Fried a favorable plea deal, says lawyer
Non-US FTX customers want private info redacted from bankruptcy filings
FTX Japan to Refund Customers Starting February 2023
Bahamas regulator is temporarily holding $3.5B FTX assets
FTX founder reportedly cashes out $684K after being released on bail
Coinbase Customers Block Attempts to Move Lawsuit to Arbitration
Celsius, FTX, Voyager users sell bankruptcy claims for pennies on the dollar
Binance secures 14 licenses, grows headcount to 7,500 in 2022
Coinbase Stock Hits New Lows, Plummets 6% in Five Days
Kraken To Shut Operations in Japan by Citing 'Weak Crypto Market'
SBF borrowed $546M from Alameda to fund Robinhood share purchase
Crypto.com promotes COO to president as exchanges face scrutiny
OKX Broadens DApps Offering, Partners with DappRadar
FTX paid $12M retainer to a New York law firm before bankruptcy filing
2 executives of crypto exchange AAX arrested in Hong Kong: Report
Binance trading volume falls to its lowest since October 2020
Crypto exchange OKX releases second proof of reserves

TRADFI / TECH

Russia's largest bank issued gold-backed digital financial assets
BMW taps Coinweb and BNB chain for blockchain loyalty program
Robinhood shares claimed by BlockFi and FTX may move to a neutral broker
Fidelity Wants to Give Investment Advice in the Metaverse Say Trademark Filings
JPMorgan Strategist Says Crypto Is ‘Non-Existent’ in Portfolios of Institutional Investors: Report
400M Twitter users’ data is reportedly on sale in the black market
Armanino defends its past FTX.US audits

CBDC

Former Chinese central banker says digital yuan ‘usage has been low’
Central Bank Digital Currency: Turkey's Central Bank Conducts First Transactions of Digital Lira – Will Other Countries Follow Suit?
China’s CBDC wallet resorts to ages-old tradition to boost adoption
Less than 0.5% Nigerians have used the country’s CBDC e-Naira a year after its launch

REGULATORY / COUNTRIES

FBI Is Reportedly Investigating 3Commas' API Leak
Bank of India report calls for regulatory coordination on crypto market challenges
California regulator issues barrage of crypto scam warnings
Fiji elects pro-Bitcoin prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka
Justice Department Launches Criminal Probe Into $400M FTX Hack: Bloomberg
IRS Delays $600 Crypto Tax Threshold, Citing Need To Clarify Conditions Before Rollout
SEC general counsel announces departure from public service

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, GOVERNANCE

Pega Pool Aims to Make Bitcoin Mining Eco-Friendly With Carbon Offsets
2023 Will Be the Death of Bitcoin Energy FUD

SURVEYS, HACKS, MISC

South Korean Hacker Stole $6.7m from Dead CEO’s Crypto Wallets
3Commas Admits It Was Source of API Leak That Led to Hacks
SBF wants ‘Big Short’ FTX movie, Peter Schiff already calls it fiction
North Korea-Linked Lazarus Group Poses as VC Firms to Spread Malware
BTC.com parent BIT Mining hacked, $3 million in assets taken
BitKeep crypto wallets hacked after thieves create ‘unofficial’ Android app
Defrost Finance Hacked in Attack Some Say May Have Been a Rug Pull






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