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Bitfinex Derivatives has received the Digital Asset Service Provider license in El Salvador 🇸🇻, which will allow users to continue using the service through the new platform Bitfinex Derivatives El Salvador S.A. de C.V. 🚀
Bitfinex Derivatives has received a Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) license in El Salvador. This allows users to continue using the service through the new platform Bitfinex Derivatives El Salvador S.A. de C.V., while they need to accept the updated terms. The company emphasized that this step will strengthen its mission to provide innovative trading solutions for Latin America, as well as support the development of the digital economy in the region. El Salvador, the first country to make Bitcoin a legal tender, continues to attract crypto projects.

The Governor of the Czech National Bank, Aleš Michl, is considering acquiring Bitcoin to diversify currency reserves, but the bank is not planning to invest in the cryptocurrency at the moment 💰
The Governor of the Czech National Bank, Aleš Michl, stated that he is considering the possibility of acquiring Bitcoin to diversify currency reserves. However, the bank is not planning such investments at the moment. In the future, the CNB will focus on increasing the share of gold in its assets to 5 percent by 2028. Despite this, the 130 percent growth of Bitcoin in 2024 points to its potential as a reserve asset, although its volatility remains a risk to financial stability.

Michael Barr steps down as Vice Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve for supervision amid criticism from the crypto industry and lawmakers over limiting banks' operations with cryptocurrencies 💼
Michael Barr, Vice Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve for supervision, announced his resignation ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House. His departure has sparked criticism from lawmakers and the crypto industry, accusing him of restricting innovation in the cryptocurrency sector and limiting banks' operations with digital assets. Barr had promoted the idea that banks should not hold cryptocurrency on their balance sheets, which reduced their participation in the crypto market. Senator Cynthia Lummis stated that his actions had harmed the digital sector in Wyoming.

The 14th state of the United States is ready to introduce a bill for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve 🪙, following the global trend of using cryptocurrency as an asset to hedge against inflation 📉
The 14th state of the United States is ready to introduce a bill for a "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve," in line with global trends. BRICS countries, such as Russia and China, are already considering Bitcoin as a reserve asset to reduce dependence on the dollar. U.S. states see Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation, a diversification of reserves, and a potential strengthening of economic position. However, challenges to the adoption of reserves include regulatory issues, Bitcoin's volatility, and public debates.

Ripple has integrated the Chainlink standard to provide reliable price data for the Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin on the XRP Ledger and Ethereum blockchains for DeFi protocols 🔗

In Phuket, two Russians robbed their compatriot of 20,000 dollars due to a 120,000-dollar cryptocurrency debt: one fled to Dubai, the other remains in Thailand 💵

A Vietnamese criminal group defrauded 200 people of $157,300 through a fake cryptocurrency mining platform BitMiner and the promotion of the fictional cryptocurrency "Bincoin" 💻

HashKey Group receives registration from the Central Bank of Ireland as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP), compliant with the EU's Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive ✅

Backpack acquires FTX EU, gaining access to the MiFID II license from CySEC to offer regulated cryptocurrency derivatives in the EU and promises to return funds to affected FTX EU clients 💼

Gemini has agreed to pay $5 million to settle CFTC charges of providing false information and potential price manipulation during the launch of the Bitcoin futures contract in 2017 💸

Indonesia officially joined BRICS in 2025, becoming the tenth full member of the bloc, which represents 46 percent of the world's population and 35 percent of global GDP 📊

The cryptocurrency owner lost over $520,000 by transferring 22,415 LINK to a fake cross-chain bridge, becoming a victim of scammers who targeted Telegram group users 💸

Tether has announced the transfer of $1 billion USDT to the Tron blockchain to enhance liquidity and optimize the use of the stablecoin across multiple networks 🔗
Tether will transfer $1 billion USDT to the Tron blockchain to improve liquidity between networks without changing the overall supply of the coin. This move will ensure more efficient use of USDT across various platforms, including Ethereum, Solana, and Tron. The asset transfer will contribute to improved market efficiency and strengthen Tether's leadership in the stablecoin market with a capitalization of $137 billion and daily turnover of $107 billion.

Garanti BBVA is launching the cryptocurrency trading platform Garanti BBVA Kripto, allowing the bank's clients to legally buy and sell Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and other cryptocurrencies in Turkey 📈
Garanti BBVA, the fifth-largest bank in Turkey, is launching a cryptocurrency trading platform, Garanti BBVA Kripto, allowing its customers to legally buy and sell digital assets. To execute trades, the bank is collaborating with the Spanish crypto exchange Bit2me. This move reflects the growing interest in cryptocurrencies in Turkey, which ranks third in the world for cryptocurrency adoption. The launch comes amidst the enforcement of the new EU regulation MiCA, which provides a legal framework for a safe and regulated cryptocurrency market in Europe.

Hedera Hashgraph ($HBAR) integrates into the SpaceX satellite launch with post-quantum cryptography for IoT communications, ensuring global security and decentralized communication 🚀
Hedera Hashgraph ($HBAR) is integrating with the launch of SpaceX satellites, using post-quantum cryptography to secure IoT devices. The WISeSat satellites with SEALSQ chips will offer protection against quantum computing threats. This partnership strengthens Hedera's position in blockchain and IoT, ensuring global secure communication. With the launch on January 14, 2025, Hedera could become a leader in decentralized and secure communication for the future of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Strive Asset has applied to the SEC to create a Bitcoin Bond ETF to invest in convertible bonds of companies buying bitcoins, such as MicroStrategy 💼
Strive Asset, a company owned by entrepreneur and politician Vivek Ramaswamy, has filed an application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch a Bitcoin Bond ETF. This fund will invest in convertible bonds of companies like MicroStrategy, which are buying bitcoins. This event is a significant step in the development of the Bitcoin ETF market, which is gaining popularity just a year after the launch of the first such fund.
Best news of the last 10 days

Jeju Island in South Korea will launch NFT cards for tourists in 2025, offering discounts, subsidies, and privileges with integration into the Tamna Jeon cryptocurrency to support the region's economy 🏝️

A bill has been proposed in Switzerland requiring the Swiss National Bank to hold part of its reserves in Bitcoin and gold, the initiative calls for the collection of 100,000 signatures ✍️

WPME Technology (WadzPay) has obtained a license from the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulator (VARA) for broker-dealer services for virtual assets with mandatory localization requirements 💼

In 2024, MARA rented out 7,377 BTC, increased its reserves to 44,893 BTC, and achieved a hash rate of 53.2 EH/s, providing additional income to cover operational expenses 💰

South Korea is considering launching crypto-exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which could substantially alter the country's financial situation and affect global cryptocurrency markets 🌍
South Korea is considering launching a crypto-ETF, which could significantly change its financial markets. Inspired by the success of crypto-ETFs in the USA, the country's authorities are eager to revitalize the market despite existing regulatory barriers. In other countries, such as Canada and the EU, successful models of such funds have already been implemented. However, crypto-ETFs come with risks, such as cryptocurrency volatility and uncertainty in legislation. If South Korea takes this step, it will impact global financial markets.

A South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-Yeol over the martial law he attempted to impose in December, accusing him of a coup and ignoring subpoenas from investigators ⚖️
On December 31, 2024, a South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for ousted President Yoon Suk-Yeol in connection with his decision to impose martial law in December. This is the first case in the country's history where a sitting president faces arrest. Yoon is accused of organizing a coup, but his lawyers consider the warrant illegal. The arrest warrant was issued after Yoon failed to appear for questioning by investigators. This decision deepens the political crisis in South Korea, which has sparked protests from the president's supporters.

Russia attempted to expand BRICS by inviting Saudi Arabia and Turkey, but both countries rejected the offer, fearing consequences for their relations with the USA and strategic independence ❌
Russia attempted to expand BRICS by inviting Saudi Arabia and Turkey to strengthen the bloc's influence on the international stage and counter pressure from Western countries. However, both countries rejected the offer. Saudi Arabia feared worsening relations with the USA, while Turkey preferred to maintain strategic independence and avoid rigid alliances. This rejection highlighted the challenges Russia faces in expanding BRICS, where the diverse interests of potential members complicate the formation of a unified and strong coalition.

Facebook may face an increase in the number of accounts created by artificial intelligence, which will function like regular profiles with biographies and photos, generating content using AI 🤖
Meta plans that in the coming years, a large number of profiles created by artificial intelligence will appear on Facebook. These accounts will function like regular ones, with biographies, photos, and the ability to generate content using AI. The company is also developing new tools for creating videos with text, which will open new possibilities for content creators. However, experts are concerned about the potential spread of false information through such profiles, which could impact the quality of content on the platform.