Editor's Choice
Tether moves its headquarters to El Salvador 🇸🇻: the company receives a license for digital assets, the founders move to the country, and there are plans to hire 100 local employees 👥
Tether moves its headquarters to El Salvador, receiving a license for digital asset services. The CEO and co-founders of Tether will move to the country, where a physical presence is planned. In the coming years, the company plans to hire 100 employees from El Salvador. The president of the country, Nayib Bukele, welcomed the decision and encouraged other companies, including the video platform Rumble, to consider moving their headquarters to El Salvador, which aims to become a hub for cryptocurrency businesses.
Biden has restricted the export of AI processors to adversary countries, including China, and set quotas on supplies. Nvidia and the AI-token market are experiencing a downturn, losing up to 55 percent 📉
The Biden administration has updated export rules, restricting the supply of AI processors (GPUs) to "adversary" countries like China to 50,000 units without special permission. For 18 US allies, including the UK and Japan, these restrictions do not apply. Nvidia, the leading manufacturer of such chips, has been affected by the new regulations, stating that they could weaken global innovation competition. At the same time, the AI-token and cryptocurrency market is experiencing a downturn, with losses of up to 55 percent for most AI-coins.
Donald Trump Jr. became a strategic advisor for Kalshi, a predictive market company, after successfully using the platform to predict the Republican victory in the elections 📊
Donald Trump Jr. became a strategic advisor for Kalshi, a predictive market company. He noted that he used the platform to gather information on the Republican victory in the elections, ahead of traditional media. Kalshi, which gained popularity after the legalization of betting on elections, assures that it is not a political company, but focuses on creating an accurate predictive market. Since the legalization of betting, the number of users has significantly increased.
The US Supreme Court rejected the appeal of Binance and Changpeng Zhao, allowing the continuation of the lawsuit by investors accusing the exchange of illegally selling ELF, EOS, FUN, and other tokens, which lost their value ⚖️
On January 13, 2025, the US Supreme Court rejected the appeal of Binance and Changpeng Zhao, attempting to avoid litigation with investors. The exchange was accused of illegally selling unregistered tokens that lost their value. The Court ruled that American securities laws can apply despite Binance not being an American company. Investors who bought ELF, EOS, FUN, and other tokens through Binance since 2017 are demanding their money back.
Cboe Canada announces the launch of the iShares Bitcoin ETF from BlackRock: the new fund allows investors to easily access Bitcoin through brokerage accounts without the need to manage cryptocurrency directly 🚀
Indian Railways will implement NFT tickets on the Polygon blockchain for participants of the MahaKumbh Mela festival, ensuring digital authenticity and eliminating intermediaries 🎫
Since January 11, 2025, new rules have come into force in Russia: mandatory registration of contracts for external trade in cryptocurrencies and tokenized securities with authorized banks 📑
Kenya is developing a bill to legalize cryptocurrencies with the aim of creating a stable market and regulating risks associated with money laundering, fraud, and terrorism financing ⚖️
Singapore has blocked access to Polymarket, urging users to take responsibility for participating in unlicensed online betting, with fines of up to $10,000 and prison terms of up to 6 months ⏳
The Litecoin account on X was hacked to promote a fake token on Solana: hackers used a compromised delegated account, Litecoin regained control 🔒
FTX disclosed the payout schedule for creditors amounting to $16 billion: the first payments for creditors with claims up to $50,000 will begin in February, continuing until March 4, with preliminary formalities to be completed by January 20 📅
Mango Markets is shutting down after settling with the SEC: a $700,000 fine, destruction of MNGO tokens, and the consequences of a $100 million hack in 2022, which led to financial troubles 🚫
CFPB proposed a new law requiring crypto service providers to reimburse funds to users in case of theft or fraud, extending protection to cryptocurrency accounts 🔒
CFPB proposed a new law that will require crypto service providers to reimburse users in case of theft or fraud. The bill extends existing protection standards to cryptocurrency accounts, equating them with traditional bank accounts. Critics are concerned that the broad wording and the lack of consultations with the crypto industry will complicate the implementation of the rules. The proposal is aimed at combating the growing crypto fraud, with $3 billion lost in 2024.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority launches a support program for banks to implement distributed ledger technology with a focus on tokenized deposits and secure testing 🔗
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has launched a program to help banks implement distributed ledger technology (DLT). The initiative will focus on tokenized deposits, providing banks with support for secure testing and risk management system verification. The program is also aimed at developing the industry through the dissemination of best practices and conducting research. In the future, the use of DLT will enable the creation of innovative financial products, such as smart contracts for tokenized assets.
New Hampshire proposed a bill to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve, allowing the investment of up to ten percent of state funds in digital assets and stablecoins 💰
New Hampshire proposed a bill that allows the state to invest up to 10 percent of the state budget in digital assets such as Bitcoin and stablecoins, with the goal of diversification and generating passive income. Bitcoin is the only cryptocurrency that meets the market capitalization requirements. The bill also suggests storing assets in secure vaults and using registered products for investments. Additionally, it provides for the possibility of investing in precious metals, as well as participation in staking and borrowing of digital assets in the future.
A federal grand jury in Georgia indicted three Russians for involvement in cryptocurrency mixers Blender.io and Sinbad.io, which were used for laundering stolen funds through Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies 🔒
On January 7, a federal grand jury in Georgia indicted three Russians for their involvement in cryptocurrency mixers Blender.io and Sinbad.io, which were used for laundering funds obtained through criminal activities, including extortion and theft. Roman Ostapenko and Alexander Oleynik were arrested in December 2024, while the third defendant, Anton Tarasov, is wanted. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison for money laundering and 5 years for operating an unlicensed business.
Best news of the last 10 days
Bybit suspends all services in India from January 12, 2025, due to regulatory issues, including the blocking of deposits, trading positions, and P2P advertising, while maintaining the withdrawal function 🛑
WazirX presents a restructuring plan after the hacker attack of $235 million in July 2024: compensation to users via recovery tokens and the Settlement Scheme in Singapore ⚖️
Co-founder of Wolf Capital Travis Ford confessed to fraud, luring 2,800 investors into a financial pyramid worth $9.4 million with a promise of 547 percent annual returns 💰
Standard Chartered has opened a division in Luxembourg for cryptocurrency and digital asset custody, following the MiCA regulation, and plans to expand services with the acquisition of a CASP license 💼
Ripple Labs donated $50,000 to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation to support the fight against wildfires that have impacted Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena, and Calabasas 🚒
Ripple Labs donated $50,000 to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation in response to the devastating wildfires that began on January 7. The fires affected the Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena, and Calabasas areas, leading to the evacuation of over 150,000 people and resulting in at least 10 casualties. The donation was made through the stablecoin RLUSD. The Los Angeles Fire Department expressed gratitude for the company’s support during this challenging time, highlighting the importance of such aid.
Thailand launches a pilot program in Phuket allowing tourists to use Bitcoin to pay for goods and services with mandatory identification and conversion to Thai baht 🌴
Thailand launches a pilot program in Phuket that will allow tourists to use Bitcoin to pay for goods and services. Foreign guests will be able to register on cryptocurrency exchanges, undergo the identification process, and pay for purchases using cryptocurrency. All transactions will be automatically converted into Thai baht. This initiative aims to simplify digital payments and attract foreign tourists. Additionally, it may help refugees use Bitcoin to purchase real estate, bypassing the difficulties with currency exchange.
Philippine banks are launching a multi-bank stablecoin PHPX on the Hedera DLT platform for cross-border payments and stable currency exchange with the ability for instant transfers 🚀
In 2025, several Philippine banks, including UnionBank, will launch a multi-bank stablecoin PHPX, which will operate on the Hedera DLT network. It will provide fast and secure cross-border payments, especially for migrants sending money home. The stablecoin will not only allow sending money but also paying bills and investing in financial products. A stablecoin exchange for different currencies will also be created, and the reserves of PHPX will be secured through bank trust accounts. The launch is scheduled for May-July 2025.
The United Kingdom excludes cryptocurrency staking from collective investment schemes, clarifying its status in the updated Financial Services and Markets Act, which will come into force on January 31 📅
In the United Kingdom, cryptocurrency staking will no longer be considered a collective investment scheme. The Treasury clarified that cryptocurrency staking does not fall under the definition of a collective investment scheme, unlike mutual and exchange-traded funds, which are regulated by financial oversight. Staking is the process of locking tokens to validate transactions on the blockchain, for which users receive rewards. The new changes will take effect on January 31 and will apply to all parts of the United Kingdom.