Sanctions aimed at decentralized crypto mixer Tornado Cash weren’t able to completely cut off its usage, though it has hamstrung the service, a blockchain analytics firm has shared. On Aug. 8, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against the crypto mixer for its role in the laundering of crime proceeds. In a
Hong Kong has reaffirmed its commitment to become a regional crypto hub in following the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. “As certain crypto exchanges collapsed one after another, Hong Kong became a quality standing point for digital asset corporates,” said a top government official. Hong Kong Aims to Become Regional Crypto Hub Hong Kong Financial
Flare, a new layer-1 Ethereum Virtual Machine blockchain platform, has gone live with the launch of two core protocols aimed at powering decentralized interoperability applications. The platform serves as an oracle network that allows developers to build applications that are aimed at being interoperable with different blockchains and internet platforms and services. Flare features two
According to a report from South Korea, the Korean subsidiary of Huobi Global is planning to cut ties with the parent company. The management of the trading platform stated that they plan to “strengthen its position” as a domestic cryptocurrency exchange and change its name. Huobi Experiences Significant Withdrawals as Subsidiary Huobi Korea Looks to
Traders might rejoice now that Bitcoin price ventured above $17,400, but 27 long days have passed since Bitcoin (BTC) last breached the $17,250 resistance. On December 13, after a two-week-long lateral movement, Bitcoin posted a 6.5% rally toward $18,000 and even though the current movement still lacks strength, traders believe that a retest of the
The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed suit against self-described digital artist Avraham Eisenberg on Jan. 9, charging him with two counts of market manipulation in connection with an exploit of decentralized finance platform Mango Markets. Eisenberg was arrested on related charges on Dec. 27 and is currently in custody. The CFTC claimed
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has pled not guilty to all criminal charges he’s facing, including wire fraud, securities fraud and violations of campaign finance laws. In total, the entrepreneur faces eight criminal counts, which could result in 115 years in prison should he be convicted. Meanwhile, Daniel Friedberg, the controversial lawyer who served as
Decentralized finance (defi) and smart contract platform tokens rallied on Monday morning (ET) and the total value locked in defi jumped above the $40 billion zone for the first time since mid-December 2022. The top smart contract platform coins by market capitalization increased 7.1% on January 9, 2023, and most have seen double-digit gains over
Xiao Yi, the former Chinese Communist Party secretary of Fuzhou, has confessed to “acting recklessly” in support of crypto mining during a state-run television broadcast. In an interview released by state-run media on Jan. 8, Xiao seemed to speak with a very subdued voice from what appeared to be prison, apologizing for being a “sinner”
Investors across asset classes have been keeping a close watch on the United States Federal Reserve’s monetary policy because that sets the stage for a risk-on or a risk-off environment. The strong rally in the U.S. stock markets on Jan. 6 and in cryptocurrencies over the weekend suggests that market observers anticipate the Fed to
There is no excuse for not putting a few hours of research into how to properly custody your crypto, according to lead on-chain analyst James Check. Joining the latest debate around self-custody, the analyst pushed back against the notion that managing private keys is too complicated and risky for the average crypto user. “If you have
Following the court filing that shows FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) wants access to FTX’s $460 million in Robinhood shares, Delaware bankruptcy court documents show tens of millions were spent by the FTX team in 2022 on living accommodations, hotels, food, and flights. Moreover, SBF’s quantitative trading firm allegedly owes more than $55,000 to Jimmy
Bitcoin (BTC) has finally pushed above the $17,000 mark after rallying to $17,375 on Jan. 12. with both the bulls and the bears eyeing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) due on Jan. 12. If the print shows that inflation is cooling off, risk assets may rally, but a negative surprise could attract strong selling. While
Ethereum’s native token, Ether (ETH), rose to three-week highs, rallying in lockstep with the broader cryptocurrency market, as well as stocks. ETH price rises to three-week highs On Jan. 9, ETH’s price rose 2.85% to cross above $1,325 for the first time in three weeks, a key level that could pave the token’s path toward $1,350
Solana surged by as much as 22% on Monday, as bullish sentiment returned to cryptocurrency markets. The move saw the token climb to its highest point since November, when it was embroiled in the FTX collapse. Cardano also moved higher to start the week, climbing by nearly 13%. Solana (SOL) Solana (SOL) was one of
At the end of January 2022, member of the Belgian parliament Christophe De Beukelaer became the first European politician to convert his salary to Bitcoin (BTC). Celebrating the anniversary of this experiment, Cointelegraph reached out to a lawmaker to know more about his experience. Back in 2022, Beukelaer, who represents Humanist Democratic Centre (CDH) party,
The U.S. Federal Reserve has raised the benchmark bank rate seven times during the course of 2022, leading many to question when the central bank will cease or change course. The Fed has stated that it aims to bring inflation down to the 2% target, and the increases to the federal funds rate are intended
On-chain data shows that Ethereum realized volatility has now declined to rare levels observed only three times before in history. Ethereum 1-Month Realized Volatility Has Plummeted To Just 39.8% As per data from the on-chain analytics firm Glassnode, the month of December 2022 was historically quiet for both Ethereum and Bitcoin. The “realized volatility” is
The United States Department of Justice has officially notified the court handling the bankruptcy of BlockFi that it has seized assets as part of the criminal cases against crypto exchange FTX and its executives. In a Jan. 6 court filing, the Justice Department said it had seized 55,273,469 shares of Robinhood to which former FTX
The last year proved to be another turbulent year for the crypto industry. From a lasting market downturn and exploits in decentralized finance (DeFi) to the FTX scandal, no area was left unscathed. For some, the happenings in the space proved unsustainable for business. The Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp, the holding company for New York-based