Tag Archives: AA News

Bitcoin wallet service provider BlueWallet has decided to shut down Lndhub.io, a Lightning Network node on the Bitcoin Network used to store and trade satoshis (sats) – the smallest denomination of the primary cryptocurrency. The Lightning Network is a layer-2 protocol layered on the Bitcoin protocol, used to process micropayments among participating nodes to facilitate faster transactions. BlueWallet is one of the most popular Bitcoin Lightning-enabled wallets on the...

Following the most recent crackdown by the US Securities and Exchange Commission against several crypto companies, Jeremy Allaire opined that the agency is not the best fit to oversee stablecoins in particular. He believes these assets are part of the banking sector, thus, they need to be regulated by another watchdog in the States. The past several weeks saw the US securities regulator going after several locally based crypto firms, starting with Kraken and its staking...

Spotify is testing a new service – “token-enabled playlists” – with one of its partners to enable non-fungible token (NFT) holders to connect their wallets and access curated music. It is currently in the pilot phase. The new service was designed in partnership with the Web3 gaming ecosystem, Overlord, and involves a token-enabled community-curated playlist that can be accessed via Web3 wallets of those who hold the Creepz NFTS on Spotify. According to the official...

DZ Bank – the second-largest German bank by assets – is all set to offer digital asset custody services. The BaFin-regulated financial institution and custody provider has joined forces with Swiss firm Metaco and orchestration platform Harmonize for its upcoming digital currencies to its institutional clients offering. According to the official press release, Harmonize is designed to offer a versatile governance framework and has customizable risk and compliance controls...

America’s 3 federal bank regulators had a clarifying message for banking organizations on Thursday: servicing the crypto industry is neither illegal nor discouraged.  That said, the institutions – including the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) – named various risks to keep in mind when interacting with the crypto sector, and which risk management practices to follow as a result.  Crypto is...

The SEC and other U.S. regulators have, in recent weeks, turned on the heat in regard to crypto exchanges – an understandable, if a somewhat brusque, response to the series of crypto bankruptcies across 2022. The latest to come under their scope is CoinEx. Selling Securities Without a License According to a press release published by the AGs’ office, CoinEx – a Hong Kong-based crypto exchange also known as Vino Global Ltd – was found to be selling cryptocurrencies that U.S....

Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) is under yet another layer of legal pressure after a judge unsealed a superseding 12-count indictment against him on Thursday.  The filing adds 4 new charges to an 8-count indictment introduced in December, and includes new details regarding illegal political donations made by SBF. Straw Donor Scheme As the government alleges, Bankman-Fried “corrupted” the operations of both crypto exchange FTX and its sister trading firm Alameda...

Messari – a leading provider of blockchain research and data analysis based in South Korea – added its name to the long list of crypto-focused companies that axed their workforce due to the harsh macroeconomic environment. It laid off 15% of its staff, believing this was the right step for the long run. Ryan Selkis – Founder and CEO of Messari – announced the news on Twitter, asserting that the company will help departing employees with their transition to other...

Major Australian gaming firm Immutable slashed 11% of the company’s headcount, stating that the job cut happened in order to ensure cash reserves last for a long time. This is the second time Immutable is reducing its workers after the firm axed the number of its employees in July 2022. Immutable Incurred Losses Worth $56 Million According to the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday (Feb. 22, 2023), Immutable co-founder and CEO James Ferguson announced the layoffs in a note...

The cryptocurrency industry has long been a target of phishing attacks, and it seems that hackers are finding new and more clever ways to scam their victims. This time, it was the website of an anticipated event that was entirely faked in an attempt to trick victims out of their crypto. ETH Denver is advertised as the largest and longest-running ETH event in the world. This year, it will take place between February 24th and March 5th. Conferences are typically a place of...