Weekly Crypto News Recap – September 29, 2023

September 29, 2023



TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK

Coinbase Secures Approval To Offer Perpetual Futures Crypto Trading to Non-US Customers

The Daily Hodl
Crypto exchange Coinbase has been given the green light to offer perpetual futures to non-US retail investors via Coinbase International Exchange. The announcement followed an earlier approval that enabled perpetual futures trading for non-US institutions.

Ethereum’s Holesky Testnet Goes Live After Initial Failed Attempt

Crypto Briefing

Microsoft Considers Crypto Wallet Integration for Xbox

Crypto Briefing
Microsoft is considering ways to integrate crypto wallet support into its Xbox gaming suite, according to documents leaked earlier this month. The leaked documents are from a deposition that is part of the FTC’s lawsuit against Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard⁠.

Mixin Platform Suspends Deposits, Withdrawals After $200M Security Breach

Decrypt

BITCOIN

Bitcoin's Narrative Is Shifting Towards Layer-2 Solutions
Bitcoin Censorship? BlackRock and Big Institutions Could Take Over BTC Mining Ecosystem, Warns Bloomberg Analyst
Bitcoin Ordinals haven’t wrestled blockspace from money TXs: Glassnode
Bitcoin's Implied Volatility Gauge Tops Ether for Record 20 Straight Days
Bitcoin Ordinals Creator Announces New Fungible Token Protocol 'Runes'
Inscription Craze Leaves Thousands of Bitcoin Transactions Unconfirmed

ETHEREUM

Blocknative to Suspend MEV-Boost Relay After Economics Fail to ‘Materialize’
Ethereum Staking Surges to 7.4M ETH and Counting
Ethereum Developers Appear Successful in Second Attempt at Holesky Test Network Launch
Ethereum Hits $10 Billion in Revenue Faster Than Facebook & Microsoft
Vitalik Buterin has transferred over 1.8k ETH to exchanges this year, still holds over 250k ETH
Ether Turns Inflationary as Network Revenue Plunges to 9-Month Low
Ethereum’s ‘Dencun’ upgrade likely delayed into 2024

ALTCOINS

Radix Babylon Upgrade Marks New Era for Web 3.0 User and Developer Experience
IOTA Network to Debut ShimmerEVM’s Smart Contracts and Tokens
Uniswap Foundation targets $62M in additional funding
Jade Protocol Faces Calls to Liquidate $31M Token Treasury
Arbitrum Reboots Odyssey Campaign As Rival Layer 2s Gain Ground
Trader Joe Sends Grant Proposal to Arbitrum
Binance’s Liquid Staked Ether Jumps to $1.2B in TVL After Sudden $500M Inflow
Former White House official will lead Ripple’s policy and government arm
Celestia Unveils Airdrop and Launch Plans
Mixin Network Proposes $20 Million Bug Bounty to Hacker in $200 Million Security Breach
Chainlink Extends Cross-Chain Protocol to Coinbase’s Base
Curve Founder Michael Egorov Deposits $35M CRV to Settle Debt on Aave
Solana Friend.tech Fork Friendzy Volume Edges Towards $1M After Just One Week
Optimism Slumps Most Among Crypto Majors Ahead of $30M Token Unlock
Chainlink Addresses Concerns as Users Spot Subtle Alterations to Multisig
Arbitrum DAO takes $56M of unclaimed ARB as airdrop deadline ends

STABLECOINS

Circle weighs in on SEC vs. Binance case, argues stablecoins are not securities
Circle launches native euro stablecoin on Stellar
Binance Japan and Mitsubishi join forces for stablecoin development
Tether reportedly shuts USDT redemption for some Singapore customers
DeFi Platform Linear Finance In Crisis As LUSD Stablecoin Tanks To Zero After Exploit
Tether Reneges on Loan Promise: Lends $5.5 Billion in Stablecoins Despite Earlier Pledge
Terra Classic community elects to cease USTC minting

CRYPTO ECOSYSTEM

Fireblocks' $10 Million Acquisition to Enhance Tokenization Services
Ripple pulls back from Fortress acquisition 20 days after announcement
Bitcoin lender Ledn to roll out ETH, USDT interest accounts
Crypto Platform Fireblocks Expands Institutional Access to Tezos
Celsius valuation advisor approves value of debtors’ assets and liabilities
Immunefi launches on-chain bug bounties through ‘Vaults’ system
Thailand’s SCBX and Korean Web3 Firm Hashed Ink R&D Partnership
Bankrupt Crypto Firm BlockFi Gets Court Approval for Restructure Plan
Market Maker KeyRock Secures Swiss Anti-Money Laundering Clearance
MetaMask ‘glitch’ caused opBNB recommended fees to be too high: Report
Celsius creditors vote in favor of reorganization plan
Portofino Founders File Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit by Citadel Securities, Claim it was Meant to "Intimidate Other Employees"
Risk aversion in markets as Bitcoin futures trading sees a significant decline
TechCrunch founder Arrington steps down from new Celsius board over constitution disagreement
Architect fintech receives NFA approval to operate as introducing broker

NFTS / GAMING / METAVERSE

Tottenham Hotspur Joins Premier League Wave in Issuing Fan Tokens via Chiliz Blockchain
Musée d’Orsay Embraces NFTs in Push to Reach New Audiences
The Metaverse is real: Zuck’s ‘incredible’ photorealistic tech wows crypto Twitter
Epic Games Is Jacking Up the Price of Fortnite V-Bucks
Cricket World Cup to feature Web3 fan app as ICC taps into Near blockchain
Pudgy Penguins NFT Launches Toys in 2,000 Walmart Stores, Trading Volume Surges by 530%
Bored Ape Yacht Club Reveals BAPE Streetwear Collab
The Island Onboards Museums to On-Chain Art: ‘There is Something to Gain for Both Worlds’
Web3 Adventure Game Big Time Poised to Kickoff Its ‘Player-Owned Economy’
Gucci's Milan Fashion Week Show Debuts on Roblox and Zepeto
Unity Apologizes, Walks Back Fee Changes After Game Developer Backlash
South Korean Entertainment Giant Dreamus Embraces NFTs for K-Pop Tickets
ApeCoin Community To Acquire Top NFTs Through New DAO
OpenSea’s third-party security breach leaves API users vulnerable
Minecraft Server Will End Bitcoin Earnings After Mojang Demand: Report

MINING

Public miners contribute only 28% to Bitcoin’s global hash rate, fueling decentralization debate
Brazilian Military, Police, Civil Servants Face ‘Crypto Mining Ban’
Malaysian State Identifies Illegal Crypto Mining Operations as Reason for Recurrent Power Disruption
You Can Now Trade Bitcoin Mining Hashpower on Arbitrum
NiceHash becomes latest crypto firm to leave U.K.
Texas State Dominates in Bitcoin Mining, Hosts 28.5% of US’s Hashrate: Report
Bitcoin Miner Marathon Reportedly Mines Invalid BTC Block
Core Scientific's Multi-Million Dollar Deal: 27,000 BTC Miners from Bitmain
Bitcoin miners double down on efficiency and renewable energy at the World Digital Mining Summit

EXCHANGES

Gemini to halt operations in the Netherlands by mid-November
FTX Bankruptcy Claims Skyrocket as Company Recovers $7.3 Billion in Assets
U.S. House Bill Seeks Centralized Record of Off-Chain Crypto Transactions
Exchanges federation touts crypto trading regulation, integration with TradFi
Coinbase To Offer Perpetual Futures To Retail Traders Outside the US
Gemini Reportedly Withdrew $280 Million From Genesis Before Crypto Lender Filed for Bankruptcy
Police Make 12 Arrests, Seize $1 Million in Cash and $9.8 Million in Assets in JPEX Case
Binance Urges Euro Users to Convert to Tether After Bank Partnership Ends
Crypto.com Partners with PayPal and Paxos: Preferred for PYUSD Trading
Bitfinex teams up with Zodia Custody in boost to institutional trading
Binance Market Share Continues to Fall As Crypto Giant Loses Ground to Rivals
Kraken Explores Stock and ETF Trading, A First for Crypto Exchanges
Hong Kong police recover $11M worth of assets in JPEX case: Report
Paysafe Partnership Ends: Binance France Urges Fiat-to-Crypto Conversion
Gemini to Halt Crypto Services in the Netherlands Due to Regulatory Pressure – Here's What You Need to Know
S Korean Crypto Exchange Exec Jailed for Coin Price Manipulation
Binance gets court-approved extension in SEC lawsuit response
Kraken Bolsters EU Presence: Gains Approvals in Ireland and Spain
OKX Reserve Assets Increase by $800 Million since August
Binance still struggling to find banking partner in France: Report
Binance Announces Exit from Russia, Sells Business to CommEX
CZ appoints Binance security team to track Huobi HTX stolen funds
Crypto Exchange Gemini Unveils $24 Million Investment Plan to Expand Presence in India
Crypto exchange claiming $1.4B trading volume uses reportedly fake license data
HTX launches SAFU fund following $7.9 million Ethereum loss
Justin Sun May Be $2.4 Billion Short on Huobi’s User Funds, VC Says
SEC objects to Coinbase’s proposed role in Celsius bankruptcy plan
HTX Loses $7.9 Million To Hacker, Asks For Money Back
Crypto exchange Binance reopens exchange services in Belgium
South Korea to screen major shareholders of crypto exchanges over eligibility concerns
Coinbase Has Recently Held Talks to Buy FTX Europe: Fortune
Australian Financial Regulator Sues Kraken Subsidiary for Allegedly Violating Margin Trading Regulations
FTX’s former external legal team disputes involvement in fraud allegations
Couple mistakenly sent $10.5M by Crypto.com to face October plea hearing
Coinbase Becomes Registered Crypto Exchange in Spain
South Korea’s UpBit Temporarily Freezes Withdrawals Following Scam Token Airdrop

CAPITAL RAISES

A16z Crypto Adds IYK to Portfolio After $16.8 Million Investment in Web3 Startup
a16z Bets On ‘Phygital’ Sector With IYK
Onchain leverage trading platform Avantis Labs raises $4M seed round led by Pantera Capital
IYK Raises $16.8 Million to Power Token-Enabled Fashion With NFTs
Privacy-Focused Blockchain Raises $7 Million Led By Multicoin Capital

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

SEC Delays Decision on Four Spot Bitcoin ETF Filings Ahead of Government Shutdown
SEC delays spot Bitcoin ETF decision for BlackRock, Invesco and Bitwise
SEC launches proceedings to determine fate of spot Bitcoin ETFs, invites public comment
Enter the Ether: VanEck releases two ETF ads ahead of possible Monday launch
VanEck To Launch Ether Futures ETF
Major TradFi Player VanEck Readies Ethereum Futures ETF
Ethereum futures ETFs could start trading next week — Bloomberg analyst
SEC Extends Ark, Global X ETF Deadlines as Government Shutdown Looms
Lawmakers Urge SEC to Approve Bitcoin ETFs Following Court Decision
Crypto Fund Management Opportunity Could Be Worth as Much as $50B, Bernstein Says
Indian Crypto Investment Platform Mudrex Expands to Italy
Bitwise Draws Close to Spot Bitcoin Fund Approval With Latest Academic Record
Major European Crypto Asset Manager CoinShares to Launch US Division

TRADFI / TECH

Banking Giants Abuzz About Tokenization of Real-World Assets as DeFi Craves Collateral
PayPal applies for NFT marketplace patent for on- or off-chain asset trading
Coinbase CEO Criticizes Chase UK's Crypto Ban
Mark Zuckerberg reveals Meta AI chatbot, his answer to ChatGPT
Local US Bank Shut Down after CEO Lost Millions in Crypto Scam
IBM, Microsoft, others form post-quantum cryptography coalition
ChatGPT can now browse the internet, no longer limited to info from 2021
Bahrain’s Bank ABC using JPMorgan’s Onyx blockchain for cross-border payments
MoneyGram’s Foray into the Digital Frontier: Unveils Non-custodial Wallet
Nomura’s Laser Digital receives in-principal approval for operations in Abu Dhabi
JPMorgan's Chase UK Joins Growing List of UK Banks Banning Crypto
Leaked documents reveal Microsoft’s plans to bring crypto wallets to Xbox
Federal Reserve Releases Paper on Benefits of Tokenization of Real-World Assets
OpenAI announces ChatGPT will soon ‘see, hear, and speak’
NASA plans to prove its next Moon landing is real using blockchain
Getty Images Launches 'Safe' Generative AI Image Tool
Amazon invests $4B in Anthropic AI startup
MicroStrategy Buys Another $147 Million Worth of Bitcoin
Trading Giant eToro Receives Green Light To Operate Crypto Services in Cyprus, Opening the Door to the EU
Google Cloud Enhances Access to Blockchain Data, Adds 11 Networks
Billion-Dollar Bank Terminating Cash Transactions in All Branches in Abrupt Shift to Digital-Only Era

CBDC

China Uses Digital Yuan to Recycle Gold, Pay Land Registry Fees
BIS and Central Banks of France, Singapore and Switzerland Successfully Test Cross-Border CBDC Using DeFi
Central Banks Successfully Test Cross Border Trading of Wholesale CBDC Using DeFi
Chinese Tech Giant Tencent Joins CBDC Interoperability Pilot
BIS chief claims ‘outdated legal frameworks’ could ‘hinder’ CBDC development
Digital Euro at Least 2 Years Away, ECB’s Lagarde Says
mBridge CBDC project preparing for new members, launch of minimum viable product
Digital yuan app adds prepaid Mastercard, Visa top-ups for tourists

REGULATORY / COUNTRIES

New US bill to require firms to report off-chain transactions to CFTC
Bitcoin gains legal recognition as digital currency in Shanghai, China
Coinbase campaign for sensible crypto policies hits coffee cans to ‘wake up’ regulators
SEC’s Gensler Throws More Crypto Punches in Congressional Hearing
Buenos Aires Releases Blockchain Digital Identity Solution Powered by zkSync's ZK Proofs
Brazil’s Central Bank Tightens Rules as Crypto Adoption Rises
OFAC Blacklists ETH Wallet Operated By Cartel for Illicit Drug Trafficking
‘Similar to a Bank Account’: Aussie Fintech Fined for Misrepresentation of Crypto Product
Gensler testimony — Crypto enforcement actions driven by “wide-ranging noncompliance”
Taiwan Issues Crypto Guidance as It Steps Up Regulation
Venezuela extends reorganization shutdown of crypto agency to March 2024
Taiwan bans unregistered foreign crypto exchanges from operating
Crypto bills could be delayed as many prepare for US gov’t shutdown
Kirsten Gillibrand Trying To Convince Other Democrats of Better Crypto Regulation: Report
India Struggles to Curb Rising Crypto Frauds, Victims Left in a Legal Abyss Amid Regulatory Ambiguity
Hong Kong to Disclose All Crypto License Applicants After JPEX Probe
Hong Kong Financial Watchdog to Bring JPEX 'Wrong-Doers to Justice'
European Parliament Calls for Tighter Oversight of Global Cryptocurrency Market

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, GOVERNANCE

NFT artist raises $140K for cancer support charity
European Commission Initiates €800,000 Study to Address Crypto's Environmental Impact
Biden administration rumored to be working on executive order requiring disclosure of outsized power consumption
Bitcoin mining takes the lead in sustainable energy use, outshining banking sector
Bitcoin mining can help reduce up to 8% of global emissions: Report

SURVEYS, HACKS, MISC

Sam Bankman-Fried Scoops Help CoinDesk Win Major Journalism Award
Court denies Sam Bankman-Fried’s motion for pre-trial release yet again
British Man Reveals $2,100,000 Loss From Downfall of Crypto Exchange FTX: Report
Former NBA Champion Matthew Dellavedova Joins Swan Bitcoin
Gemini’s Founders Face Scrutiny over $280M Crypto Withdrawal amid Genesis Crisis
SEC insists on U.S. deposition for detained Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon
Do Kwon says SEC’s extradition request is impossible
Crypto mining ‘Ponzi’ co-founder sentenced to 12 years in prison
Ben ‘Bitboy’ Armstrong Arrested After Livestream Rant
Russian ‘Crypto Queen’ Reportedly Arrested in Moscow
European Investors More Bullish on Crypto Than American, Says CoinShares Report
Data Shows North Korean Lazarus Group Has Accumulated Bitcoin Valued Over $40M
Appeals court denies Sam Bankman-Fried’s second attempt at bail
Miss Universe denies link with recently unveiled coin project






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