Author: NBTC

Binance is having a weird moment, perhaps most clearly illustrated by the fact that a national government detained two of its executives for a month now – and one is only free because he seemingly escaped custody. You’re reading State of Crypto, a CoinDesk newsletter looking at the intersection of cryptocurrency and government. Click here to sign up for future editions. Tax evasion The narrative Nigeria and the Philippines have recently cracked down on Binance in extremely different ways, while what used to be Binance in Russia is shutting down. Why it matters Binance has been the poster child as…

HSBC’s recent launch of retail gold tokens underscores the growing adoption of financial asset tokenization, a practice that’s transitioning from early adoption to mainstream use. However, challenges remain in ensuring standardization and broader integration. Asset tokenization leverages blockchain technology to represent ownership of real-world assets (real estate, art, shares, etc.) as tradable digital tokens. These tokens function as digital ownership certificates, enabling fractional ownership. As a result, it broadens the investor base and increases trading activity, thereby enhancing liquidity in these markets. A critical limitation of many current tokenization platforms is their narrow scope, according to Ralf Kubli, board member…

Bitcoin’s (BTC) recent price action hints at a renewed strength in fighting for higher grounds and whale activity corroborates that. In particular, Bitcoin whales have accumulated over 100,000 BTC in the past week. This activity draws a spike on the chart, as shown by the expert trader and on-chain analyst Ali Martinez. Martinez reported the increase in Bitcoins held by addresses between 1,000 and 10,000 BTC, worth over $7 billion. Interestingly, the spike resembles what the market previously saw in early February, before the bull run to above $70,000. At that time, these whale addresses started accumulating larger amounts of…

According to the most recent CoinShares report, major cryptocurrencies Polkadot (DOT), Cardano (ADA) and Litecoin (LTC) have collectively attracted a whopping $6.3 million in inflows amid an epic market boom, signaling renewed investor interest in these digital assets. Litecoin attracted $2.3 million in inflows; Cardano and Polkadot drew $1.2 million and $3.1 million, respectively. The influx of funds into Polkadot, Cardano and Litecoin follows a broader rally in the cryptocurrency market in the past week, with many digital assets recently setting new highs before retreating. The positive inflows highlight the growing appeal of these cryptocurrencies as investors seek exposure to…

A South Korean court has released the son of software giant Hancom Group’s Chairman on bail as prosecutors continue to probe an alleged “crypto slush fund.” Officials have been investigating allegations since 2021, when reports began surfacing surrounding the Hancom Group Chairman Kim Sang-cheol. Kim Sang-cheol, prosecutors think, may be the “secret owner” of an altcoin named Arowana (ARW). The coin is supposedly the brainchild of a firm named Arowana Tech. It was listed on the Bithumb exchange in mid-2021, but has since been delisted. Arowana (ARW) prices since 2022. (Source: CoinMarketCap) Hancom Investigation Continues Hancom is best known in…

The Ethereum layer-2 network, Base, has witnessed a remarkable surge in assets locked, soaring by approximately 200% over the last month to over $3 billion, according to L2beat data. Key contributor Jesse Pollak disclosed that Base hit the $3 billion milestone five days after crossing the $2 billion threshold. Notably, the network took 203 days to reach its first billion mark and just 23 days to touch $2 billion. Furthermore, on-chain data shows that the increased TVL is matched with an ever-expanding user base. According to the Dune analytics dashboard curated by Watermeloncrypto, Base’s daily active users have surpassed 5…

Wintermute, a global algorithmic market maker, has withdrawn an astonishing 158 billion PEPE tokens from Binance. This transaction, valued at approximately $1.19 million, signifies a remarkable shift in the meme coin’s liquidity. Billions of PEPE Tokens on the Move Wintermute’s recent transaction reflects its strategic positioning within the crypto market. Especially when understanding that the firm embodies high-frequency market-making in the industry. Its algorithms and business models, distinct from traditional OTC or dark pool market makers, aim to enhance market efficiency and liquidity. The substantial withdrawal of PEPE tokens by Wintermute from Binance has triggered discussions among investors about how…

XRP community divided over SEC’s $2 billion settlement demand. Debate: Revenge-driven or strategic move by SEC’s Gary Gensler. Ripple’s inability to pay shifts the burden to the broader crypto market. In the ongoing saga between Ripple and the SEC, the XRP community finds itself divided over Gary Gensler’s latest move, interpreting it as either a vengeful act or a strategic maneuver. Firstly, some XRP enthusiasts view Gensler’s demand for a $2 billion settlement as a vendetta against Ripple for its legal victories. Despite the SEC’s losses on major arguments, it aims to impose hefty penalties, sparking accusations of revenge rather…

In a move set to transform the landscape of cross-chain trading, deBridge has announced the integration of Jito Bundles into its platform. This innovative step promises to revolutionize the efficiency of bridging to exotic assets on the blockchain. Moreover, it will offer traders unprecedented opportunities and flexibility. 1/ Get to anything on @Solana in seconds at the best ratesThanks to our new integration with @jito_labs, better pricing on exotic assets like memecoins means you can now skip a step and bridge directly to anything on Solana 🧵 pic.twitter.com/bwYkJLswcr — deBridge (@deBridgeFinance) March 29, 2024 Jito Empowers Market Makers with Seamless…

It’s well known that the Bitcoin network experiences a halving of supply approximately every four years. Less appreciated is that these are set to continue for over a century into the future. Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto programmed the year 2140 — 30 halvings from now — as the year that the block rewards (the subsidy paid to miners for processing transactions into blocks) would drop to less than one satoshi, the smallest unit of bitcoin. The use of the term “satoshi” — equivalent to 100 millionth of a bitcoin (or 0.00000001 BTC) — emerged organically among early Bitcoin users…