Category: Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is digital money that works online. It lets people send and receive payments directly without banks. It runs on secure networks called blockchains, making it fast and global.

Court Sides with Coinbase in SEC Crypto Regulation Dispute

Coinbase scored a major legal victory yesterday in its ongoing fight with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over crypto regulations. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit sided with Coinbase, rebuking the SEC’s denial of Coinbase’s request for clear digital asset rules as “arbitrary and capricious.”.

It was a part of the increasing list of court losses that the agency has faced regarding crypto-related cases, ordering the SEC to give a more detailed explanation for its denial. Coinbase initially sought guidance from the regulator in 2022, requesting clarification on when digital assets were considered securities—a fundamental question for the crypto industry.

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In 2023, the SEC rejected Coinbase’s petition on the basis of no need for specific rules. However, the court disagreed, labeling the SEC’s reasoning as insufficient and lacking detail. Judge Thomas Ambro called the SEC’s response “conclusory,” while SEC Judge Stephanos Bibas warned that the agency’s approach of strict enforcement without clear guidelines could harm the entire crypto sector.

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Although the ruling does not force the SEC to write new rules, it does force the agency to be more specific. Coinbase’s Chief Legal Officer, Paul Grewal, hailed the decision as a move toward ending the regulatory uncertainty that has dogged the crypto industry.

BlackRock Unveils Bitcoin ETF for Canadian Investors

BlackRock has introduced the iShares Bitcoin ETF in Canada and is now available to trade on Cboe Canada. The fund will be listed under the ticker IBIT for CAD and IBIT.U for USD, which provides an easy and regulated manner in which Canadians can invest in Bitcoin.

The fund employs a “fund-of-funds” approach by holding shares of the U.S.-listed iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, which physically holds Bitcoin. Coinbase Prime, a trusted digital asset custodian, provides the ETF with secure and cutting-edge technology to manage Bitcoin holdings safely.

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As such, Helen Hayes, Head of iShares Canada at BlackRock, said, “The iShares Bitcoin ETF provides a cost-effective way for Canadian investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin without the complexities of direct ownership.”

Trading on Cboe Canada, which handles about 15% of securities traded on Canadian exchanges, is also in keeping with the exchange’s reputation for introducing innovative financial products.

As of January 10, 2025, the ETF has net assets of approximately $701,338 with 25,000 outstanding units. The management fee is 0.32%.

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In short, by offering the Bitcoin ETF, BlackRock commits itself to make it easier and more convenient for resident Canadians to invest in Bitcoin, thus further fortifying its commitment to leading financial innovation.

North Korean Hackers Stole $659 Million in Crypto Last Year

In a rare joint statement, South Korea, the U.S., and Japan blamed North Korean hackers for stealing a record $659 million in cryptocurrency previous year. The stolen funds are believed to be going toward North Korea’s illegal weapons programs.

This marks the first time any three nations have blamed North Korea and that also directly for such insane large scale crypto robbery. Among the major targets were India’s WazirX exchange, losing $235 million, and Radiant Capital, which suffered a $50 million hack. An additional $374 million was stolen from platforms like DMM Bitcoin, Upbit, and Rain Management, according to industry reports.

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Hacking groups like Lazarus, linked to North Korea, are behind these thefts. They executed sophisticated cyberattacks, often employing malware to breach systems. “The DPRK’s cyber program poses a serious threat to global financial stability,” the statement warned.

The statement urged blockchain firms and crypto exchanges to bolster their defenses and avoid unknowingly hiring North Korean IT workers. “Our governments are committed to preventing thefts by the DPRK and recovering stolen funds,” it added.

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North Korea has a long history of using cybercrime to fund its missile and weapons programs. As these attacks grow in frequency and scale, the three nations pledged to work together to counter these rising cyber threats.

JP Morgan predicts XRP ETF could draw $8 billion in investments

JPMorgan predicts XRP ETFs could pull $3-8B. Ripple’s CEO sees approval soon, especially with SEC shakeups and crypto buzz.

JPMorgan’s dropping some serious predictions—XRP could bring in anywhere between $3 billion and $8 billion if it gets its own spot ETF. This is based on how well Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs did last year, with Bitcoin’s ETFs already owning around 8% of its market value and Ethereum ETFs taking a smaller chunk at 3%. The big question? Could XRP join that lineup soon?

Monica Long from Ripple is betting on it. She thinks once Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs are fully approved, XRP will be next. And it’s not just Ripple that’s pushing for this—big players like Bitwise and WisdomTree are already trying to get their own XRP ETFs out there.

Top ETF analyst Nate Geraci is also calling it—XRP’s spot ETF might get approved this year. In fact, users on Polymarket give it a 59% chance of happening by 2025. And the buzz is real, with some saying there’s even a 50% chance it gets approved by July 31.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse is all in on XRP ETFs, though he thinks the SEC might approve Litecoin ETFs first. But with a new pro-crypto administration on the horizon and SEC chair Gary Gensler stepping down, it’s looking promising for XRP.

Ethereum Dips Under $3000: What’s Driving the Slide?

ETH tanked to $2991 amid rising U.S. bond yields, inflation fears, and whale dominance, leaving traders worried about recovery vibes.



Ethereum (ETH) just got absolutely wrecked. It somehow managed to drop by 8% to $2991 before clawing back to $3017. Traders are trolling, “Is recovery even a thing now?”

The chaos started last Friday when unexpected U.S. interest rate data hit, sparking inflation fears. The Fed might not cut rates anytime soon, so crypto investors are feeling the squeeze. Plus, the U.S. job market added 256K jobs instead of the expected 160K, signaling a strong economy. While that’s great for traditional markets, it sent U.S. bond yields soaring, making risky investments like crypto way less attractive.

Ethereum’s been in a slump, falling from $3332 to $3196, and hasn’t stopped sliding. Analysts like Ali Martinez say resistance is heavy between $3360-$3450, with support hanging at $3066-$3160. Fun fact: three whale wallets control 43% of ETH’s supply, so they’re probably low-key steering the ship.

Meanwhile, whales are still stacking ETH. One just pulled 10K ETH (around $30.7M) from Binance, while large transactions spiked 70%. But with ETH supply creeping back to pre-merge levels and tight liquidity everywhere, ETH’s struggles are real.

TL;DR: Bond yields and whale games got ETH on thin ice. Will it bounce back, or is this the start of another dip?

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Singapore Blocks Polymarket: A Tough Stand on Crypto Betting

Singapore has banned Polymarket, a decentralized crypto prediction platform, due to strict gambling laws. Allowing users to create and bet on real-world events using cryptocurrency, it failed to obtain a license from the government to legally operate in the city-state.

Singapore’s Remote Gambling Act, since 2014, has only permitted certain state-approved betting activities: things like lotteries and sports gambling. Sites like Polymarket, operating outside the ambit of such regulation, are banned without hesitation. The government has now officially blocked access to the site, effective January 11.

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This is not the first time such regulatory hurdles have had to be faced by Polymarket. Recently, it settled with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in the United States that had been clamping down on several unregulated DeFi platforms. CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam said that they were very much focused on digital asset platforms falling within the legal ambit.

Its struggles are not singular, however. China, along with several European and Asian countries, has come down hard on online gambling or crypto gaming platforms. Without centralized regulation, such sites sometimes find it tough to call the legal line in jurisdictions where strict controls are in place.

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As governments around the world continue to turn the screws on DeFi, sites like Polymarket are increasingly finding it tough to expand.

Bitcoin Crash Wipes $138B, $520M Liquidated in 24 Hours

It came with huge selling, along with liquidations, when Bitcoin-the king of cryptocurrencies-plunged about 3% within four hours on the second day in a row. The result is being witnessed in the falling price of Bitcoin to $91,644.04, washing away about $138 billion of valuation from the market within a few hours.

Combined liquidations over the last 24 hours have reached an eye-watering $520 million, with long positions taking the brunt of this at $450 million and shorts at $66.06 million. In the last 12 hours alone, total liquidation amounts to $420 million. The single biggest loss occurred on Binance, where a BTC/USDT position worth $8.21 million was liquidated.

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This drop follows Bitcoin’s recent gains and reflects a sharp market correction, catching many traders off guard. With nearly 197,007 traders across exchanges liquidated, the turbulence serves as a stark reminder of the crypto market’s notorious volatility, where fortunes can evaporate in the blink of an eye.

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While the market struggles to stabilize, most investors are now stepping back, trying to figure out whether this is just a temporary correction or the start of a greater decline. All eyes, for the time being, rest on the next move of Bitcoin, as the entire market holds its breath.

Solana’s Gas Fees Overtake Ethereum’s in the Past Week

Solana’s gas fees hit $32.2M, surpassing Ethereum, driven by rising transactions, memecoin trading, and DEX usage.

Solana has been making big moves lately. Just recently it surpassed Ethereum in gas fees. Nansen CEO Alex Svanevik recently shared that Solana brought in around $32.2 million in fees, while Ethereum made $25.5 million. This shows Solana’s growing popularity and potential to compete with Ethereum.

So, what’s behind this spike? Well, Solana’s been processing more transactions than ever before. It’s becoming pretty much the go-to platform for smart contracts, and more people are using it daily. Memecoins have also created a lot of buzz on platforms like Pump.fun, driving up transaction volume.

Additionally, decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Raydium are seeing more activity, contributing to the rise in fees. With Solana handling about 718.65 million transactions in just seven days—around 87 times more than Ethereum—it’s clear that Solana is becoming a major player in the blockchain space.

These higher transaction counts are causing more network congestion, leading to occasional transaction failures and higher gas fees. If this trend continues, Solana could challenge Ethereum’s dominance in the blockchain world.

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Twin Protocol Debuts $TWIN Token on BitMart Exchange

Twin Protocol drops $TWIN on BitMart! Trade globally, create AI Twins, monetize skills, and keep data secure with blockchain.

Twin Protocol is taking its mission to the next level by launching its native token, $TWIN, on the global crypto exchange BitMart. Starting January 13, 2025, users worldwide will be able to trade $TWIN, gaining access to the platform’s unique AI tools designed to create digital replicas of users, known as AI Twins.

In other words, AI Twins are a whole new, innovative way of knowledge sharing, customer service improvement, and monetizing expertise. Special digital versions of users can even model their very own personality traits, skills, and knowledge. It is a very powerful tool for mentoring, customer support, and beyond. One can train an AI Twin as easily as just uploading documents, recordings, or other data. When trained, the AI Twins can be shared publicly or via the soon-to-launch Twin Marketplace, where users can monetize their expertise in the form of $TWIN tokens.

Twin Protocol’s partnership with SingularityNET, a leading decentralized AI platform, ensures that data security and personalization are at the forefront. By leveraging blockchain technology, Twin Protocol gives users full control over their AI identities, making the platform secure and empowering.

This BitMart listing follows $TWIN’s launch on Uniswap in 2024 and marks another step toward making Twin Protocol’s tools widely accessible. With AI expected to drive massive economic changes in the coming years, Twin Protocol is giving individuals and businesses the tools to stay ahead while keeping their data safe.

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MicroStrategy Adds 2,530 BTC, Reaches 450,000 Bitcoin Milestone

MicroStrategy boss Michael Saylor flexed with 2,530 new Bitcoin buys, now holding 450K BTC worth $40.8B, up $12B profit!



Michael Saylor, the Bitcoin boss, just dropped some major crypto news! His company, MicroStrategy, snagged 2,530 more BTC worth $243M between January 6 and 12. That’s a massive boost to their stash, which now stands at a jaw-dropping 450,000 Bitcoin.

Here’s the tea: MicroStrategy scored these coins at an average of $95,972 each. With Bitcoin sitting around $92K now, their total holding is valued at $40.8B, giving them a solid $12B profit on their $28.2B investment.

This move cements MicroStrategy as the biggest Bitcoin whale in the corporate world, afterall it owns about 2.1% of all BTC. They’ve been on a 10-week buying streak, all part of their “21/21 Plan,” aiming to raise $42B through shares and bonds to stack even more BTC.

Oh, and they’re still hustling! They sold 710K shares in January for $243M and have $6.5B worth of shares ready to fund future buys.

While Bitcoin’s price dipped 9% recently to $90.5K, Saylor’s faith hasn’t wavered. People think upcoming events, like Trump’s inauguration, might give crypto the boost it needs.

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