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Bybit has registered with the Indian Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and expects to receive an operating license in the coming weeks after paying a fine of $1.06 million 💥
Bybit has registered with the Financial Intelligence Unit of India (FIU), which allows the company to move towards obtaining a full operating license in the coming weeks. This became possible after resolving issues related to compliance with local regulations, including a fine of $1.06 million for violations of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2005. The company has also applied for a VDASP license, which will allow it to operate fully on the Indian crypto market.
Tether launches open AI SDK for crypto applications: USDT trading growth to $154.7 billion, increased activity of AI tokens including AGIX by 5 percent, and a 17 percent rise in network addresses 🚀
Tether has launched an open AI SDK to improve crypto applications, including translators, voice assistants, and Bitcoin wallet helpers. The platform, built on Bare JavaScript runtime, will enhance the convenience of crypto transactions. After the announcement, the trading volume of USDT increased to $154.7 billion, and the activity of AI tokens such as AGIX surged by 5 percent. Tether's network also saw a rise in active addresses from 350 thousand to 410 thousand, confirming the growth of interest in AI within the crypto sphere.
Landon Zinda, former Director of Policy at Coin Center, has joined the SEC as a Senior Advisor and will work in the new cryptocurrency working group led by Hester Peirce 🏛️
Landon Zinda, the former Director of Policy at the crypto organization Coin Center, has joined the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a Senior Advisor. He will work in the new SEC cryptocurrency working group, led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. The group's goal is to develop clear regulatory standards for cryptocurrencies, improve the registration and disclosure processes. Zinda left Coin Center on February 4, as confirmed by representatives of the organization.
FTX will begin payments to small creditors on February 18: full reimbursement up to $50,000 with 9 percent annual interest to BitGo accounts, large creditors remain awaiting decisions 💼💰
FTX will begin payments to small creditors on February 18. Creditors with claims up to $50,000 will receive full reimbursement, along with an interest rate of 9 percent per year. The funds will be credited to verified BitGo accounts after creditors confirm their data through the FTX Digital portal. While small creditors will receive full reimbursement, large investors, including institutional clients, remain awaiting a decision on their claims, which depend on more complex legal and financial procedures.
Petrobras launches blockchain technology research for Bitcoin mining and tokenization, and also plans to apply blockchain for reducing carbon footprint and sustainable supply ⚡
The SEC is cutting its cryptocurrency division amidst Trump's directive to reduce regulation of digital assets, reallocating employees to other departments 💼
Cryptocurrency scam in Telangana: ₹600 crore lost, scam promised high returns and travel packages through WhatsApp. Main suspect is fleeing abroad 🚨
Elon Musk and his DOGE gained access to confidential data from the U.S. Department of Treasury, sparking a lawsuit against the government and the resignation of a high-ranking official 💼
Bybit warns about the fraudulent token "Bybit Dog": the company denied any connection to this token and expressed its readiness to protect its intellectual property 💥
The U.S. Department of Justice accuses Canadian Andrean Medjedovich of stealing 65 million dollars from the KyberSwap and Indexed Finance crypto protocols and attempting extortion through a fake agreement 💻
Charles Hoskinson talked about the possible implementation of RLUSD and negotiations with Ripple, as well as the role of Cardano in supporting decentralized finance for the U.S. government 💬
President Trump signed an order to create the Sovereign Wealth Fund of the United States for investments in national projects and boosting economic security 📈
Kraken has received the MiFID license in the EU to launch regulated derivatives trading, including futures and options, expanding its presence in the European cryptocurrency market 💼
Kraken has received the MiFID license in the EU, which will allow it to expand its offerings of regulated derivatives on European markets. The license was obtained through the acquisition of a Cypriot investment firm approved by CySEC. This will open access to regulated futures and options for advanced traders. Kraken continues to work on meeting regulatory requirements for launching products in the EU. The company also previously received a license for crypto futures in the UK and continues to strengthen its reputation in the regulatory space.
Trump suspends the introduction of 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days: in exchange, the countries strengthen border control to combat migration and fentanyl, Mexico will send troops to the northern border 🛂
President Donald Trump has suspended the introduction of 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days. In exchange, Canada is enhancing border security to combat migration and fentanyl. Mexico will also send troops to its northern border, and the United States will limit arms supplies to the country. At the same time, the United States has imposed 10 percent tariffs on Chinese goods, to which China has responded with similar measures. Trump warned that tariffs may be increased if agreements are not reached.
Coinbase has received approval from the FCA and has become the largest registered cryptocurrency exchange in the United Kingdom, expanding opportunities for cryptocurrency and fiat services 📊
Coinbase has received approval from the FCA and has become the largest registered cryptocurrency exchange in the United Kingdom. The company can now legally offer both cryptocurrency and fiat services, opening up new growth opportunities. This achievement is significant, as only fourteen percent of applicants receive such registration. Over the past year, the number of cryptocurrency owners in the UK has increased from ten to twelve percent, indicating growing interest in digital assets.
Taiwan has banned the use of the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek in government institutions and critical infrastructure sites due to national security threats and data leaks 🔒
Taiwan has banned the use of the Chinese product DeepSeek in government institutions and critical infrastructure due to data security threats. The country's Ministry of Digital Affairs stated that the product could lead to information leaks. The DeepSeek R1 chatbot, released last month, claims its capabilities are comparable to leading global AI at lower investments. Several countries, including South Korea and Italy, have started investigations into the data processing practices of this company.
Best news of the last 10 days
Binance Pay and xMoney launch a strategic partnership to expand cryptocurrency payments in Europe: growth of the network to 32,000 points of sale and a 36 percent increase year over year 💳
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand is launching a platform based on DLT technology for trading tokenized securities, supporting different blockchains and new electronic instruments 📊
OpenAI launches the "deep research" feature for ChatGPT Pro users: a new tool for accurate and detailed research in the fields of science, politics, and finance 📊
India will introduce a tax penalty of up to 70 percent on undisclosed cryptocurrency income: amendments to the Tax Code will come into effect on February 1, 2025, including cryptocurrencies as virtual digital assets 📊
Since February 2, in the European Union, fines of up to 35 million euros or 7 percent of annual revenue apply to companies using AI with unacceptable risk 🚫
Since February 2, the EU has implemented requirements for the use of artificial intelligence (AI). AI applications are divided into four categories based on risk. Applications with unacceptable risk, such as social scoring or behavior manipulation, are prohibited. Violations are subject to fines up to 35 million euros or 7 percent of annual revenue. There are exceptions for law enforcement and some medical applications. Companies must comply with the requirements by August 2025, considering the interaction with other laws, such as GDPR.
Trump imposes 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, 10 percent on Chinese goods — Canada introduces countermeasures worth 155 billion dollars, Mexico and China prepare countermeasures 💵
Trump signed an order to introduce tariffs: 25 percent on goods from Mexico and Canada, 10 percent on Chinese goods. Canada responded with mirror tariffs worth 155 billion dollars, affecting US products, including alcohol and household appliances. Mexico promised to take retaliatory measures, but did not specify the details. China will file a lawsuit with the WTO and will take countermeasures. The EU also stated that it would respond to possible tariffs on its goods. These measures may lead to economic consequences and even a trade war.
Swiss bank UBS is testing blockchain on ZKsync for digital gold investments, enhancing scalability and privacy for retail investors with Ethereum Layer 2 🚀
Swiss bank UBS is testing blockchain for digital gold investments using the ZKsync platform. The new product UBS Key4 Gold, built on Ethereum Layer 2, addresses scalability and privacy issues, providing retail investors with a safer and more accessible platform. Unlike the previous version on a private blockchain, ZKsync improves throughput and privacy by storing data off-chain. This move coincided with the launch of a tokenized fund on Ethereum in November 2024.
FIU-IND imposed a fine of $1.06 million (₹9.27 crore) on the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit for violating PMLA 2005, ignoring the mandatory registration, and failing to comply with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing requirements in India 🚫
FIU-IND imposed a fine of $1.06 million on the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit for violating the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2005. The company continued to provide its services in India without the mandatory registration, which is a violation of local laws. Bybit also failed to comply with record-keeping and anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) requirements. On January 31, 2025, it was announced that its websites were blocked and operations were ceased by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India.