Author: NBTC
The U.K. needs to work harder at becoming a global center for the crypto industry to avoid falling behind countries like the U.S., industry executives told CNBC. The country has been saying it wants to be a crypto hub since 2022, before the current Labour government was elected, yet only this week did it start seeking comments on draft legislation for the industry. The European Union, meanwhile, has already implemented its Markets in Crypto Assets legislation (MiCA), which provides a uniform regime across the bloc, and the new U.S. administration of President Donald Trump is promoting the industry and relaxing…
Bithumb, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea, has announced that it will be adding Haedal Protocol (HAEDAL) to its Korean Won (KRW) trading marketplace, expanding trading opportunities for local investors. Bithumb Adds Haedal Protocol (HAEDAL) to KRW Market Important Listing Details: Market: KRW Network: Sui (deposits made via other networks will not be supported) Deposit/Withdrawal Start: Within 3 hours from this announcement Trading Start: May 2, 2025 (Friday) at 18:00 Initial Listing Price: ₩178 Deposit Confirmation Requirement: 20 network confirmations What is Haedal Protocol (HAEDAL)? Haedal Protocol is a liquid staking platform built on the Sui blockchain.…
Aztec, a layer-2 rollup focused on privacy, shared Thursday that its testnet has finally gone live. The announcement comes as a wave of new privacy-focused solutions begins to capture the interests of large institutions that need confidentiality with large transaction batches. The team behind Aztec said that they have been working on the product for over 8 years, bringing the cutting-edge technology one step closer to the mainnet. Aztec differs from other zero-knowledge rollups because it is focused on helping applications and users preserve their private details by incorporating encryption on the protocol level. “All of the secret information that…
Pi Network’s Know Your Customer (KYC) verification process has come under intense scrutiny (again) as numerous users report persistent difficulties, delays, and, in some cases, complete loss of their Pi tokens. This isn’t the first time this has happened, as many X users have reported issues in the last several days or so. These problems have raised concerns about the platform’s transparency and user trustworthiness, with similar problems occurring a few years ago as well. For instance, in a Reddit discussion from 2023, people have been complaining about their submissions taking years to finish. What Happened With Pi Network’s Mainnet…
Singapore Gulf Bank, a digital bank licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain, launched a real-time currency clearing network designed to support digital asset firms. On May 1, the bank launched SGB Net, a multi-currency clearing network. SGB Net enables zero-fee transfers at any time of day and aims to bypass many of the constraints associated with legacy financial infrastructure — such as the SWIFT network. Network participants can also access API-powered instant fiat-to-crypto on-and-off-ramp services. “SGB Net is onboarding all participants in the global digital economy, including crypto exchanges, stablecoin issuers, market makers, OTC desks, and prime brokers,” Singapore…
Mass delisting news from South Korean stock exchanges caused the altcoin WEMIX to drop by 50 percent. Mass Delist from South Korea! South Korean Web3 game developer Wemade’s cryptocurrency Wemix (WEMIX) has seen a major drop following the country’s local exchanges’ announcements to delist WEMIX for the second time, local news agency Yonhap reported. Accordingly, South Korea’s five major cryptocurrency exchanges Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit and Gopax announced that they plan to delist WEMIX from the exchange on June 2, and token withdrawals are expected to be finalized on July 2. The decision to delist the WEMIX token was reportedly…
This is a segment from the Empire newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. It’s been a busy week for VC raises, and some of the projects have caught heat around social media for being infra plays. Like Unto Labs, for example. “We definitely got bucketed into the whole ‘another L1, oh no’ [discourse]. We felt a little sad about that, but we’ll just have to prove it. Because, in some ways, it’s true,” cofounder Will Yoo told me. But both Yoo and cofounder Liam Heeger said they’re up to the challenge because they’ve both “done this before,” whereas other teams…
Fortnite maker Epic Games’ antitrust case against Apple benefited the crypto industry on Thursday, when the iPhone maker loosened restrictions on developers’ ability to offer apps in the U.S. that direct users to non-standard purchasing methods or digital collectibles. Apple updated its iOS App Store review guidelines after a U.S. District Judge found this week that the tech titan “willfully” violated a court injunction issued in 2021. Moving forward, the federal court prohibited Apple from collecting fees on purchases made outside of its iOS apps (currently 27%) or limiting developers’ ability to direct users to third-party websites. In an email…
Prospects of winning a VIP dinner by TRUMP meme coin holders, and potentially meeting the US President Donald Trump, ignited a surge in TRUMP on-chain transfers to the tune of $2.5 billion, according to Kaiko, a blockchain research firm. This follows an announcement made on April 23, which detailed the plans for an exclusive dinner for the top 220 holders of the meme coin. Top 25 TRUMP holders promised more than just dinner According to the Kaiko report, part of the plans included a meet-and-greet session with the President for the top 25 holders. “On Wednesday, April 23, the team…
A Texas congressman is asking the federal government to consider installing cryptocurrency ATMs in federal buildings as a way to help foster the pro-digital assets stance pushed by President Donald Trump. Representative Lance Gooden asked the chief of the General Services Administration — the agency that maintains the government’s buildings and real estate — to look into putting the automated teller machines into those facilities as a “signal to the public that the government is embracing innovation in a secure and responsible manner,” according to a Thursday letter reviewed by CoinDesk. “Expanding accessibility to crypto ATMs within federal buildings aligns…