[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerPopular Bitcoin Proponent Gabor Gurbacs Praises Satoshi Nakamoto’s Disappearance 
Due to the anonymity of the Bitcoin creator, many people have come forward to claim his fame. However, no one has successfully proved beyond reasonable doubt that they are Nakamoto. 
Popular Bitcoin Proponent Gabor Gurbacs Praises Satoshi Nakamoto’s Disappearance

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerDeFi Protocol Pendle Finance Inches Closer to $1B Total Value Locked
With its innovative approach to yield generation, Pendle has emerged as a beacon of innovation within the DeFi landscape.
DeFi Protocol Pendle Finance Inches Closer to $1B Total Value Locked

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerADGM Teams Up with Solana to Boost DLT Projects in Abu Dhabi
Hamad Al Mazrouei, CEO of the ADGM registration authority, described the collaboration as a "key milestone" in strengthening ADGM’s position in the blockchain sector.
ADGM Teams Up with Solana to Boost DLT Projects in Abu Dhabi

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerThai SEC Files Legal Charges against Former Zipmex CEO for Alleged Fraud
Earlier this month, financial authorities ordered Zipmex Thailand to cease digital asset trading and brokerage services on the platform.
Thai SEC Files Legal Charges against Former Zipmex CEO for Alleged Fraud

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerCoinbase Estimates Blockchain Could Have Saved Americans $74B in Credit Card Fees
The exchange thinks that the current financial system in the US is expensive for an average American.
Coinbase Estimates Blockchain Could Have Saved Americans $74B in Credit Card Fees

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerCrypto Liquidity Provider B2C2 Secures VASP License in Luxembourg
B2C2 said in the press release that the registration will pave the way for the company to engage in collaborations with local VASPs, traditional financial institutions, and other stakeholders in the Luxembourg market. 
Crypto Liquidity Provider B2C2 Secures VASP License in Luxembourg

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerAI-Generated IDs for $15 Threaten Crypto Exchange KYC Standards
The emergence of OnlyFake poses significant concerns for the crypto ecosystem, particularly in combating fraudulent activities.
AI-Generated IDs for $15 Threaten Crypto Exchange KYC Standards

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerTrust Wallet Makes History as First Web3 Company to Secure Global Privacy Certifications 
Trust Wallet said it was fully audited by A-LIGN, a technology-enabled security and compliance partner trusted by over 4,000 global organizations.
Trust Wallet Makes History as First Web3 Company to Secure Global Privacy Certifications

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerElon Musk-Inspired Meme Coin TROLL Plummets 58% in 24 Hours
Meanwhile, the decline in TROLL is not an isolated incident among Musk-inspired meme coins that experienced a significant drop following a price surge.
Elon Musk-Inspired Meme Coin TROLL Plummets 58% in 24 Hours

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerVisa Partners Transak to Simplify Crypto-to-Cash Transactions in 145 Countries
Users can swap the digital assets directly from their self-custodial wallets, such as MetaMask, onto their Visa debit cards. 
Visa Partners Transak to Simplify Crypto-to-Cash Transactions in 145 Countries

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerUS Bitcoin ETFs Attract $255 Million in Investments
While Grayscale’s GBTC saw outflows running in millions on Monday, companies like BlackRock and Fidelity received a combined net inflow of $406 million on the same day.
US Bitcoin ETFs Attract $255 Million in Investments

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerAmazon MGM Is Reportedly Making Film Documentary of $4B Bitfinex Bitcoin Heist
The plot centers around Morgan and Lichtenstein, the masterminds behind the 2016 hack of Bitfinex, which led to their arrest in February 2022. 
Amazon MGM Is Reportedly Making Film Documentary of $4B Bitfinex Bitcoin Heist

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerInvestors Encourage Reddit to Aspire for $5B Valuation in Upcoming IPO
As part of the planned IPO Reddit intends to sell approximately 10% of its shares. And it is a decision that will significantly influence the final IPO valuation.
Investors Encourage Reddit to Aspire for $5B Valuation in Upcoming IPO

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerElon Musk’s xAI Aims for $6B Funding to Challenge OpenAI
Financial Times said the upcoming investment round is anticipated to be led by Morgan Stanley.
Elon Musk’s xAI Aims for $6B Funding to Challenge OpenAI

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CoinspeakerCanaan Secures $50M in Preferred Shares Sale to Bolster Expansion Efforts
Canaan disclosed in the SEC’s Form 6-K filing that the new funding round would enhance its research and development capabilities, support innovation in its crypto mining rigs, and expand its production scale.
Canaan Secures $50M in Preferred Shares Sale to Bolster Expansion Efforts

Since the launch of the BTC ETFs last week, the industry has recorded a significant inflow of BTC products compared to other ETFs in the market.

Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit said on Tuesday that the recent approval of the first spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States represents a “watershed moment” for retail investors.
On January 10, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) granted approval to 11 prominent financial companies, including Grayscale Investments, Ark Invest, and BlackRock, enabling them to introduce spot-BTC ETFs to their customers.

This move marked a historic integration of crypto-related products with the traditional finance industry in America.
Bybit said in a blog post on January 16 that the introduction of such investment

Google Cloud also said Flare has become part of the Google for Startups Program, which aims to accelerate the growth of Web3 startups.

Google Cloud, the cloud computing and data storage unit of the technology giant Google, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Flare blockchain to join the network as a validator.
The cloud unit has become the latest corporate institution to join the growing list of validators on Flare, verifying blocks, confirming transactions, and proposing new updates to the protocol. These efforts contribute to bolstering security and fostering the overall growth of the Flare blockchain ecosystem.

Google Cloud to Provide Infrastructure Solutions to Flare
According to a Monday press release, Google Cloud will also serve as a key infrastructure provider

The Binance report revealed that on-chain metrics indicated a remarkable resurgence in gaming activity in 2023.

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has released its yearly report on the digital assets industry for 2023 and a possible outlook for the new year.
In a blog post published on January 15, 2024, the company revealed that the industry witnessed a significant comeback with a 109% increase in total market capitalization after the year-long turbulence in 2022.

Market Resilience amidst Turbulence
The report, authored by the Binance research team, JieXuan Chua, CFA, Moulik Nagesh, Shivam Sharma, and Brian Chen, revealed that the market uptick was driven by substantial gains in the first (Q1) and fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023.
Binance attributed

Despite the increasing involvement of the USDT stablecoin in criminal activities, the UN has reported that law enforcement authorities have successfully dismantled various money laundering organizations responsible for transferring illegal funds using USDT.

The United Nations (UN) has warned that Tether’s USDT stablecoin has become the preferred cryptocurrency for money laundering schemes and other illicit activities in Asia.
The Financial Times reported Monday, citing a report published by the UN’s Office of Drug and Crime Unit, that nefarious actors in Southeast Asia are using the digital assets to engage in fraudulent activities, including the infamous romance scam known as pig butchering.

Rising Criminal Activities Involving Tether
The UN’s Office of Drug and Crime Unit

While Warren has expressed her dissatisfaction with the approval of the 11 BTC ETFs, some lawmakers in the US support the SEC’s decision.

In a recent development, US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a key Democratic figure from Massachusetts and a Senate Banking Committee member, has strongly criticized the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its recent approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
On January 10, 2024, the SEC authorized 11 asset managers in the US to offer Bitcoin (BTC) spot ETFs for customers in the region. The move marked the first introduction of such investment products in the nation.

Now, Senator Warren is criticizing the financial regulator for approving the products despite the absence of a clear regulatory framework to oversee the industry.

In terms of regional search, Google Trends revealed that countries such as Spain and the Philippines took the lead. People in these nations recorded more users searching for the term Solana than Ethereum. 

In 2023, searches on Google for “Solana” surpassed those for “Ethereum” for the first time since the launch of both cryptocurrencies in 2020 and 2015, respectively.
The move comes after the digital asset flipped XRP as the fifth largest crypto in the world, according to market capitalization on December 21.

The Proof-of-Stake (PoS) protocol continued its upward movement, overtaking BNB with a market capitalization of $41.9 billion the following day. SOL briefly claimed the fourth position among the top five digital assets before retracing its steps to the fifth spot, previously

For the planned investments in selected meme projects on the Avalanche network, the non-profit has outlined specific requirements for eligibility in the program. 

Avalanche Foundation, the non-profit group overseeing the development of the Avalanche blockchain, has announced its intention to allocate a portion of the Culture Catalyst Funds to support meme coins.
According to a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the move is aimed at acknowledging the cultural and entertaining aspects symbolized by meme coins, with the foundation planning to acquire select Avalanche-based meme coins to build a curated collection.

From NFTs to Meme Coins
The non-profit organization initially rolled out the Culture Catalyst initiative in March 2022 with $100 million funding to propel the adoption of the

The sale of the newly launched Xiaomi EV will officially kick start next year at an undisclosed date.

Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Xiaomi has made a foray into electric vehicle (EV) technology with the launch of its Xiaomi SU7, aiming to compete with global brands like Tesla and Porsche.
The company’s billionaire co-founder Lei Jun initially teased the inaugural vehicle on Tuesday, noting that the car will be officially unveiled at the XiaomiEVTechnologyLaunch today on December 28.

The event is anticipated to last for three hours and Jin plans to provide a comprehensive overview of the newly launched Xiaomi SU7.
Speed Ultra
During the event today, the company said the name Xiaomi SU7 stands for “Speed Ultra,” noting that the electric car is going to be a performance beast.
“Our

The new 10x’s research extends beyond MicroStrategy, highlighting that several crypto-related stocks are trading close to fair value based on BTC price.

In a recent report released by 10x Research, the company has raised concerns about the overvaluation of MicroStrategy Inc (NASDAQ: MSTR) shares. The research was led by Markus Thielen, the analyst who accurately predicted this year’s Bitcoin (BTC) rally.
According to him, despite MSTR’s impressive 343% surge this year, the business intelligence company is currently overvalued by 26%. This prediction was based on the 10x Research regression model, which analyzes the relationship between MSTR and Bitcoin’s spot price.

Analysts Warns Investors to Take Profit
The regression model used by 10x indicates that MicroStrategy is currently

The amended ETF application came after a series of meetings between Grayscale and the SEC in December.

Leading asset manager Grayscale Investments has filed an amended S-3 application seeking to convert its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) to a spot Bitcoin ETF.
Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart confirmed the reapplication with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday, just a few hours after the CEO of the firm’s parent company, Barry Silbert, resigned.

Grayscale Finally Yields to SEC’s Pressure
The amended application came after a series of meetings between Grayscale and the SEC in December, as the next date for a decision by the Wall Street top regulator edges closer. A notable addition to the latest filing was the agreement of Grayscale to a cash-only creation model,

Aside from Hong Kong, another country that has contributed significantly to the growth of the Asian crypto economy is Singapore. 

As the curtain draws nearer towards the end of 2023, Hong Kong has emerged as a significant player in shaping the regulatory landscape for crypto assets in Asia, the Block reported on Tuesday.
Despite the many challenges faced in other jurisdictions around the world, there has been notable progress in the regulatory environment for the digital asset industry this year in the Asia-Pacific region, with Hong Kong leading the way.

Hong Kong Opens Its Borders for Crypto Licensing
The country opened its borders in June to start its crypto licensing regime. The move allowed crypto exchanges authorized to legally operate in the nation to offer retail products and

Gensler disclosed that the SEC is actively reviewing rules that could potentially hurt the crypto industry.

In a recent interview with CoinDesk, Gary Gensler, chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), voiced his concerns regarding the crypto industry, noting that the space is rife with fraud and bankruptcies.
The SEC chair said while he respects investors’ decision to explore the crypto market, he does not believe they receive adequate disclosures regarding the projects they invest in.

Gary Gensler Shares Deep Concern Regarding Crypto
Gensler also questioned the genuineness of the value proposition of some of the digital assets categorized as securities.
“If there’s a good or service, we can understand that, but what’s the value proposition of actually

Regarding custody arrangements, the SFC emphasizes that the fund’s trustee or custodian can delegate its crypto custody function solely to an SFC-licensed VATP or entities meeting the crypto custody standards set forth by the HKMA.

Hong Kong has announced its readiness to receive applications from traditional financial companies interested in exploring the emerging economy by creating exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking spot-based cryptocurrencies.
The country already allows futures-based crypto ETFs and has approved listing ETFs such as the Samsung Bitcoin Futures Active, CSOP Bitcoin Futures, and CSOP Ether Futures.

The crypto-friendly nation is now prepared to open its borders to welcome spot ETFs for retail investors.
Hong Kong Ready for Crypto Spot ETFs
The country’s

Revolut anticipates that its revenue for 2023 will continue its growth trajectory.

British online banking company Revolut has finally published its delayed 2022 annual financial earnings report on Friday, December 22.
The company reported a significant 45% increase in revenue for the year, reaching £922.5 million worth appropriately $1.2 billion. The pre-tax loss, in turn, dropped to £25.4 million ($32.2 million), a notable shift from the restated profit of £39.8 million in 2021.

Revolut’s 2022 Financials
The 2022 earnings results came after the firm received approval in September from the government agency Companies House to extend its 2023 financials till December. With the December deadline just a few days away, Revolut has successfully delayed its earnings call twice.
In an

In addition to the expected surge in crypto-related probes, the survey uncovered a noteworthy trend in the adoption of blockchain analytics tools. 

According to a survey conducted by TRM Labs, 93% of law enforcement agencies worldwide are currently engaged in crypto training programs, with an overwhelming 99% expressing the urgent need to enhance their education to combat illegal activities within the industry effectively.
The study titled “Tackling Crypto Crime” was carried out by an external polling company between October and November 2023 to delve into the complexities of crimes involving digital assets and assess the readiness of law enforcement agencies for the evolving economy.

The survey, which included around 300 respondents from United States law enforcement and global