Author: NBTC
HONG KONG – Decentralized finance (DeFi) platform MANTRA said it secured a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). The license allows the platform to operate as a virtual asset exchange and offer broker-dealer and investment management services in the region. It positions MANTRA, which focuses on the Middle Eastern region, for global expansion while reinforcing its focus on tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs), the firm said. The firm’s Chief Executive Officer John Patrick Mullin described Dubai as a leader in crypto regulation, noting that the approval is a “crucial step” in the platform’s strategy…
Ethereum price has stalled this month as cryptocurrency investors remain on the sidelines, but some fundamental and technical catalysts may push it higher. Ethereum (ETH), the second-biggest cryptocurrency, was trading at $2,700 on Tuesday, a 35% drop from its highest level in November. This price is notable since it coincides with where it was trading on the same date in 2024. A few catalysts may help to push Ethereum price higher in the coming months. First, data shows that spot Ethereum ETFs have continued having inflows from Wall Street investors. They have had daily inflows in 7 out of 10…
At the moment, there’s no way to buy Circle stock as the stablecoin company is not publicly traded. Circle did file for a US IPO in early 2024, but we have no news beyond that. Circle is a digital currency company best known for its USD Coin stablecoin, which commands the 7th largest market capitalization of any cryptocurrency ($56.5 billion as of February 2025). Circle first announced its plans to go public in 2021 by merging with a special-purpose acquisition company called Concord Acquisition Corp, but the deal was later terminated in December 2022. Key takeaways: While Circle is not…
The crypto community keeps showing continuous engagement with the prominent altcoins on this Saturday. As per AltsDaddy, $SUI, $DOGE, $SOL, and $VRA are dominating the top ten altcoins based on Saturday posts. The altcoin tracking platform shared the list of these tokens on social media. 🎗️ Saturday’s Top Posted #Altcoins 🎗️1️⃣ $SUI2️⃣ $DOGE3️⃣ $SAI4️⃣ $SOL5️⃣ $VRA6️⃣ $CSIX7️⃣ $ASTRA8️⃣ $PROPS9️⃣ $ANYONE🔟 $LEOXRunner ups: $RIO, $PROPC, $LBM, $ENA, $NAKA#Altseason2025 #Altcoins $DDY pic.twitter.com/2VVjnpQrEi — AltsDaddy (@AltsDaddycom) January 4, 2025 $SUI Dominates Top Altcoin Projects in Saturday’s Discussions AltsDaddy’s list of top altcoins in line with posts this Saturday places $SUI in the lead…
Stuart Alderoty, chief legal officer at enterprise blockchain Ripple, has identified the SEC’s habit of filing “follow-on’ actions after the DOJ as a “major” source of waste at the agency. “These cases add little value, often result in uncollectible penalties, and are more about headlines than investor protection,” he said. It is rather common for the SEC’s civil complaints to parallel criminal charges filed by the DOJ. Alderoty himself mentioned the FTX debacle as an example of the SEC following DOJ prosecutions with its own enforcement actions. The SEC filed civil securities fraud charges against former FTX box Sam Bankman-Fried…
The FTX estate kicked off creditor repayments on Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, nearly three years after the crypto exchange collapsed. FTX began distributing funds to creditors this week, starting with “small claims” of less than $50,000, according to Sunil Kavara, a representative of the estate’s largest creditor group. In October 2024, a U.S. bankruptcy judge approved FTX’s reorganization plans following years of court proceedings. BitGo and Kraken were chosen as repayment partners, while the court ruled that creditors could receive payments in stablecoins if they wished. The first phase of reimbursements will pay out $800 million of…
Axelar, a well-known Web3 interoperability ecosystem, has announced its integration with Secured Finance, a DeFi protocol to borrow and lend digital assets, and Squid, a top cross-chain swap platform. As per Secured Finance, this integration is poised to substantially improve omnichain transactions. The platform revealed this integration on its official X account. Secured Finance integrates Axelar and @squidrouter! 🟠 🦾@Secured_Fi is a DeFi platform on @Filecoin with a vision of driving the adoption of USDFC and the FVM.With smooth omnichain transfers, users will have an enhanced experience, facilitating easy and fast fund movement… https://t.co/ev4T5iOn0F pic.twitter.com/iE9mYBFCoy — Axelar Network (@axelar) February…
A report has been making the rounds, claiming one of the biggest hedge funds in the world has a strategy of shorting Ethereum (ETH) with a $3.1B directional short position. The fund, allegedly Bridgewater, was seen as a potential target to attack that short position. Allegedly, the Bridgewater hedge fund has a strategy of shorting Ethereum (ETH) with a $3.1B directional short position. A page from the fund’s filings suggests that shorting ETH is one of the fund’s main material positions. Ever wanted to short squeeze the largest hedge fund in the world? Allegedly, this is Bridgewater’s portfolio composition going…
Blockaid, a cybersecurity firm specializing in blockchain security, said it raised $50 million in a Series B funding round to help expand research, engineering and product development. Ribbit Capital led the round, with backing from GV and existing investors including Variant and Cyberstarts, the company said. The funding comes as demand for blockchain security rises, with major financial institutions and fintech firms expanding their on-chain operations. Blockaid, which started operations in 2023 and raised $27 million in a Series A round, provides real-time threat detection for blockchain transactions. The company integrates directly with wallets and decentralized applications (dapps) to secure…
IOTA is ready to launch an enhanced mainnet protocol with EVM and MoveVM integrations. The IOTA Rebased protocol will boost the adoption and functionalities of RWAs and tokenizations. With the IOTA Rebased protocol, the network is reportedly set for its mainnet re-launch in early 2025. On social media platform X, Michael Atlan highlighted that the mainnet re-launch positions IOTA for real-world adoption. New IOTA Mainnet To Bridge DeFi and Institutional Needs Altan explained that IOTA is bridging the needs of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and institutions through MoveVM and EVM integration. As CNF reported, the IOTA Foundation recently introduced the Rebased…