Bitcoin (BTC) and select altcoins are threatening to deepen their correction after reports emerged that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a Wells Notice to Paxos, alleging that the dollar-pegged Binance USD (BUSD) stablecoin is an unregistered security. Separately, Paxos has been ordered by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS)
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Bitcoin’s average block size has hit all-time highs above 2.5MB for the first time since its inception in 2009, driven by the launch of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) protocol Ordinals in January 2023. Block size data from Blockchain.com reflects a jump in Bitcoin block size from the beginning of February 2023, increasing over 2MB in the
The percentage of Ethereum blocks complying with orders set by the United States Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) has now fallen to 47% — the lowest level since Oct. 11. The latest milestone in reversing censorship comes nearly three months after the percentage of OFAC-compliant blocks peaked at 79% on Nov. 21. OFAC-compliant blocks
For readers looking for unique, meaningful gifts for their valentine this Valentine’s Day, consider giving a cryptocurrency-related gift. Here are nine options: A cryptocurrency gift card Give your significant other the gift of choice by giving them a cryptocurrency gift card. They can use it to buy food or any digital asset they want, whether
Crypto financial services Matrixport’s head of research believes the recent scrutiny of Paxos and its Binance USD (BUSD) token is not a direct attack on stablecoins themselves. In a Feb. 14 analysis, Matrixport’s Markus Thielen suggested that BUSD issuer Paxos Trust Company may not have been stringent enough with its oversight of the token. He added that
Indian authorities once again demonstrated their tough stance on cryptocurrencies with a preemptive ban on crypto advertising and sponsorships in the local women’s cricket league. As reported by Planet Sport on Feb. 14, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sent a 68-page advisory to the Women’s Premier League teams, specifying the activities
On Feb. 12, 2023, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) announced the launch of a new initiative called the “Financial Infrastructure Transformation Program,” which has nine key objectives. One of these objectives is the research and development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) designed to address both cross-border payments and domestic
The launch of Bitcoin nonfungible tokens (NFTs) — known as Ordinals — has tipped the number of non-zero Bitcoin addresses to a new all-time high of 44 million, according to crypto analytics platform Glassnode. In a Feb. 13 report from Glassnode, the firm explained that for the first time in Bitcoin’s 14-year history, a portion
The ill-gotten crypto from one of the industry’s largest exploits is on the move again, with on-chain data showing another $46 million of stolen funds has just shifted from the hacker’s wallet. The Wormhole attack was the third-largest crypto hack in 2022, resulting from an exploit of Wormhole’s token bridge in February 2022. Around $321 million
A New York judge has granted a request from prosecutors to defer civil proceedings from the Commodities Futures Trading Commision (CFTC) and the Securities Exchange Commision (SEC) until after Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial in October. U.S. District Judge of Manhattan Kevin Castel on Feb. 13 granted the motions to stay the civil proceedings “without prejudice,”
Authorities in the Russian region of Irkutsk have so far filed 1,000 lawsuits against what they call “gray” miners, or people minting coins in their homes. In over half of these cases, courts have ordered the defendants to compensate the operators of the distribution networks. Hundreds of Crypto Miners Sued in Irkutsk for Extracting Digital
Bitcoin (BTC) drifted toward major liquidity around the Feb. 13 Wall Street open as the dust settled on United States regulatory news. BTC traders spread bids lower Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD $21,476 on Bitstamp, almost matching the weekend’s three-week lows. As analysts expected a “choppy” day prior to key U.S.
Paxos Trust Company has released a statement noting that it “categorically disagrees” with the United States securities regulator which has painted Binance USD (BUSD) as a security. In the Feb. 13 statement, the BUSD issuer confirmed recent reports that it had received a Wells notice from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over
2023 is off to a great start, with Bitcoin (BTC) rocketing up 40% in January. The good news is not relegated to just Bitcoin, however, as this price increase has sent ripple effects across the cryptoverse. Mining revenue jumped $22.66 million in January, and crypto-related stocks doubled on average. Despite this good news, venture capital
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has now made at least two substantial contributions to help the victims of last week’s devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck on Feb. 6. Its death toll has now risen to 33,000 — one of the world’s worst in decades. Over the week, the Ethereum co-founder
Recently reported planned enforcement action against the Paxos Trust Company by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over Binance USD (BUSD) has many in the community questioning how the regulator could see a stablecoin as a security. Blockchain lawyers told Cointelegraph that while the answer isn’t black and white, there exists an argument for it
The European Parliament has released a report on a draft bill proposing that banks holding cryptocurrencies set aside a large amount of capital in an effort to address potential risk. In a Feb. 9 notice, European Union lawmakers said any framework applied to crypto assets should “adequately mitigate the risks of these instruments for the
Polygon fell by over 10% on Feb. 13, as a red wave swept through cryptocurrency markets during Monday’s session. Volatility was high ahead of Tuesday’s U.S. consumer price index release, and with the depegging of BUSD. Cosmos also traded lower to start the week, hitting a 14-day low. Polygon (MATIC) Polygon (MATIC) dropped by as
The New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) has reportedly ordered blockchain company Paxos Trust to stop the issuance of dollar-pegged Binance USD (BUSD) stablecoin. The New York regulator’s actions come shortly after the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a wells notice to Paxos — a letter the regulator uses to tell companies of
Bitcoin (BTC) starts a new week just under $22,000 as bulls fail to reclaim lost ground in February. After modest volatility toward the weekly close, BTC/USD is still near three-week lows as a new status quo enters with $22,000 as resistance. However, the largest cryptocurrency stands at the beginning of an important week of macroeconomic