Editor's Choice
The SEC transferred Jorge Tenreiro, the lead lawyer in cases against cryptocurrency exchanges, to the IT department after changes in leadership and the political situation in the U.S. 💻
The SEC has transferred Jorge Tenreiro, a well-known lawyer who handled lawsuits against cryptocurrency exchanges, to the IT department. This occurred after changes in the political situation in the U.S., when Donald Trump returned to power. Tenreiro was responsible for strengthening the SEC’s stance against cryptocurrencies, claiming that many tokens function as unregistered securities. Now, with new leaders, it is expected that the current lawsuits with crypto companies may either be concluded or dismissed.
Deribit is closing accounts of Russian users due to EU sanctions: access remains only for Russians from the European Economic Area and Switzerland 💼
Deribit is closing accounts of Russian users due to EU sanctions. From February 17, Russians will only be able to withdraw funds, and by March 29, all accounts will be closed. The service remains available for Russian citizens residing in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, but not for those in other countries. Earlier studies showed that about 15 percent of Deribit users are from Russia.
A U.S. court imposed a $130 million fine on the founders of EmpiresX for cryptocurrency fraud, the promise of fictitious high returns, and the wrongful use of funds ⚖️
An American court imposed a fine of over $130 million on the founders of EmpiresX from Brazil for cryptocurrency fraud. The platform deceived investors by promising high returns, but used the funds to buy cryptocurrency and for personal expenses. The founders, Emerson Pires and Flavio Gonçalves, were charged with fraud and misappropriation of funds. As a result, the court ordered them to pay fines and prohibited the accused from participating in trading on U.S. financial markets.
The hacker compromised the Jupiter account on X: the fake token MEOW led to a profit of 462 thousand dollars and a market capitalization of 30 million dollars, causing losses for traders 🚨
The account of the decentralized exchange Jupiter on X was compromised, as confirmed by JupiterDAO. The hacker posted fake tokens, including MEOW, which reached a market capitalization of 30 million dollars within a few hours before being "pumped." Users were warned not to click on links or copy contract addresses from this account. Some traders suffered losses, and crypto experts criticize the low security level of social networks through which such frauds are spread. The entire situation highlights the importance of securing social networks for crypto protocols.
Elon Musk gained access to the U.S. Department of the Treasury servers, proposing to transition the department to blockchain, which triggered a 15 percent drop in Dogecoin and lawsuits against him 📉
Empower Oversight has sued the SEC for refusing to disclose a report on ethical conflicts and selective enforcement of regulations concerning William Hinman and his connections to Ethereum ⚖️
BlackRock is launching a cryptocurrency ETP on Bitcoin in Europe, following in the footsteps of DWS, WisdomTree, and other major players, amidst reduced fees on cryptocurrency products and market volatility 💼
Russia is launching a mandatory registry for crypto mining equipment and introducing online income declaration, setting a 15 percent tax on profits from mining and trading 💰
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 💥
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 🚀
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 🏛️
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 💼💰
Petrobras launches blockchain technology research for Bitcoin mining and tokenization, and also plans to apply blockchain for reducing carbon footprint and sustainable supply ⚡
The Brazilian oil company Petrobras is launching a blockchain technology research, including Bitcoin mining and tokenization. The company plans to explore the use of blockchain to reduce its carbon footprint and implement smart contracts in energy trading. Petrobras will also investigate the potential of blockchain technologies for sustainable supply and optimizing smart grids. At the same time, regulation of digital assets is tightening in Brazil, and recently, an offer of digital assets in exchange for biometric data was stopped.
The SEC is cutting its cryptocurrency division amidst Trump's directive to reduce regulation of digital assets, reallocating employees to other departments 💼
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is cutting its special cryptocurrency division following President Trump's directive to reduce the regulation of digital assets. The SEC is reallocating some employees to other departments, which some have perceived as a downgrade. This decision follows Trump's appointment, who supports cryptocurrency, and his directive to create a light regulatory framework for digital assets. Under his leadership, investigations into crypto firms, including Coinbase, could be closed.
Cryptocurrency scam in Telangana: ₹600 crore lost, scam promised high returns and travel packages through WhatsApp. Main suspect is fleeing abroad 🚨
A major cryptocurrency scam has been uncovered in Telangana, in which investors lost around ₹600 crore (72 million dollars). The fraudsters lured victims by promising high returns and advertising travel packages to Singapore, Dubai, and Goa via WhatsApp. The main suspect, Ramesh Gaud, created a fake platform 'GBR Crypto' and collected ₹95 crore before fleeing abroad. The investigation is ongoing, and the police are looking for other participants in the scheme while also urging the victims to report their losses.
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 💼
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, gained access to confidential data from the Department of Treasury, including Social Security and Medicare payment systems. This raised concerns among rights advocates who filed a lawsuit, claiming that the data transfer was illegal. Musk and his team could use this data to interfere with federal payments. In response to this scandal, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury David Lebrik resigned.
Best news of the last 10 days
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.