Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has awarded a virtual asset service provider (VASP) license to Bahrain-headquartered cryptocurrency exchange CoinMENA to operate and offer services in and from the emirate. The license acquired by CoinMENA FZE, the Dubai subsidiary of CoinMENA B.S.C., permits the platform to offer virtual asset broker-dealer services, the Dec. 12 announcement shared with Cointelegraph said. It […]

Blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs says losses from cryptocurrency hacking in 2023 are down more than 50% compared with 2022, and credits the decline to improvements in industry security. TRM Labs’ report published on Dec. 13 cites its research into the key factors behind the significant drop in cyber theft. It reveals that losses from 160 hacks to crypto projects […]

Binance & CZ fight back against SEC lawsuit, challenging their authority. They argue they haven’t violated securities laws, dispute product classifications, and question the SEC’s evidence. Binance claims lack of personal jurisdiction against CZ, while Binance.US disputes the SEC’s notice and claims. In a bold and strategic move, Binance, the global cryptocurrency exchange heavyweight, along with its former CEO, Changpeng […]

Line Next, a venture dedicated to the growth of the nonfungible token (NFT) ecosystem, has raised $140 million as it prepares to launch a global NFT marketplace in January 2024. The Line Next venture branched out of the popular WhatsApp-like messaging app from South Korea, Line, which is dedicated to exploring Web3 initiatives. Peter Thiel-backed private equity firm Crescendo Equity Partners […]

The European Central Bank (ECB) has taken a look at the environmental impact of using banknotes and discovered 16 environmental impact categories. As with cryptocurrency, energy efficiency was a major issue. Banknotes continue to be the most common form of payment at points of sale in the eurozone. The use of cash requires an elaborate physical infrastructure for its production, […]

FTX creditors challenge a $24 billion IRS tax claim, saying no other funds exist beyond victim compensation. Filing disputes the IRS’s demand as having no legal basis. Creditors propose an estimation schedule for similar claims to speed the bankruptcy case, citing court precedent. In a recent court filing, FTX’s creditors disputed the U.S. government’s claim for $24 billion in unpaid […]

According to public trading data, Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam and ARK Invest have sold more than $14 million of Coinbase shares over the past 48 hours. Information shared by Insider Tracker, a service that shares trading information of high-profile company executives and politicians shows that Ehrsam sold 97.836 COIN shares for $13.2 million on Dec. 11. Meanwhile, ARK Invest’s daily […]

Gaming-focused blockchain Oasys collaborated with zero-knowledge rollup platform AltLayer to simplify the deployment of metaverses within the Oasys ecosystem.  Oasys announced Tuesday that the partnership will use AltLayer’s rollup-as-a-service feature to provide a simpler experience to builders who want to launch blockchain games and metaverses within the Oasys network.  In February 2022, Oasys launched its network to increase the mainstream […]

Goldman Sachs, a leader in global investment banking and securities solutions, predicts that the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) may begin reducing interest rates by the third quarter (Q3) of 2024. This forecast hinges on forthcoming inflation and job market data, signaling a potential shift from the Fed’s recent cautious stance on rate hikes. Fed’s Rate Reduction Timeline: While the exact […]