Author: NBTC

Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) published detailed guidance on Thursday that clarifies how token issuers should structure, disclose and distribute virtual assets in the emirate, sharpening rules for stablecoins and real-world asset (RWA) tokens. The document, which interprets VARA’s existing Virtual Asset Issuance Rulebook rather than creating new law, sets out three distinct issuance pathways and spells out who is responsible for what in each. Rather than treating all tokens as if they pose the same risks, the framework draws clear lines between Category 1 issuances (including fiat-referenced virtual assets and asset-referenced virtual assets), Category 2 issuances that must…

Ethereum price moved slightly early Thursday as fresh scrutiny hit with the Ethereum Foundation (EF)’s move to convert a significant portion of its treasury from $ETH into stablecoins. While the announcement coincided with the volatile price action that followed the US-Iran ceasefire, the top altcoin’s value pared some of the gains to around the $2,180 level as on-chain data showed EF’s treasury had sold 3,750 $ETH for over $8.3 million. Ethereum Foundation sold $8.3 million $ETH On Wednesday, it was revealed that the Ethereum Foundation had initiated the conversion of 5,000 $ETH into stablecoins. The strategy has already seen the…

The European Central Bank (ECB) is seeking industry experts to contribute to workstreams focused on how the digital euro central bank digital currency would function across ATMs, payment terminals and acceptance infrastructure. In an announcement published Wednesday, the ECB opened applications for two workstreams under its Rulebook Development Group (RDG), covering implementation specifications for ATM and terminal providers, as well as certification and approval frameworks for payment solutions. The initiative revolves around defining how a potential digital euro would integrate with existing payment systems and hardware, including support for offline transactions and interoperability with standards used across Europe. The move…

A South Korean court has canceled the Financial Intelligence Unit’s (FIU) three-month partial business suspension of Dunamu, the operator of crypto exchange Upbit, according to local reports. Yonhap News Agency reported on Tuesday that the Seoul Administrative Court sided with Dunamu in its lawsuit against the FIU, overturning the sanction tied to alleged Anti-Money Laundering (AML) violations. The court said clear rules existed for transactions above 1 million won (about $675), but found that regulations for smaller transfers were not specific enough, weakening the basis for enforcement within the case. The ruling narrows the FIU’s ability to impose major AML…

Ethereum is trading below $2.2k as the second week of Q2 gets underway. The asset is caught between a slowly improving short-term structure and a daily chart that remains firmly in bearish territory. $ETH has managed to hold above the critical $1.8k support zone since the February lows, but the recovery has been choppy and unconvincing. Ethereum Price Analysis: The Daily Chart The macro picture on the daily chart has not materially changed over the past couple of weeks. $ETH continues to trade inside a well-defined descending channel, with the 100-day MA (~$2.4k) and 200-day MA (~$2.9k) both declining overhead…

On Thursday, the Bank of Japan decided not to raise interest rates, choosing to leave its monetary policy unchanged due to the war America and Israel started in the Middle East. Investors are always scared for the BOJ to hike interest rates, thanks to the fateful day of August 5, 2024. So them holding off and giving us a bit of a breather is very much appreciated. We’ve certainly got too much on our plate already. Anyway, at Japan’s Monetary Policy Meeting, where board members voted 8-1 to keep the guideline for money market operations unchanged for the period between…

In brief Ben Delo’s £4m donation was made prior to a new cap on overseas contributions. Reform UK has positioned itself as the most crypto-aligned party in Britain. The BitMEX co-founder was previously convicted in the U.S. over the exchange’s AML failures. BitMEX co-founder Ben Delo has revealed that he donated $5.4 million (£4 million) to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, saying he was motivated to become politically active for the first time by what he described as a failing UK political system. Delo, who is based in Hong Kong, wrote in a Daily Telegraph op-ed that he made the…

$ETH, the native cryptocurrency of smart contract giant, Ethereum, shows an insignificant loss of 0.54% during the opening bell of Thursday’s U.S. market hours. The shallow downtick follows geopolitical instability and the fragility of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire. Despite the sentiment pressure on Ethereum price, the on-chain data records a massive spike in Wrapped Ethereum (WETH) activity, creating community speculation on potential institutional inflows or unannounced protocol integrations. Will price recovery follow? WETH Adoption Jumps Despite Weak Market Sentiment On April 9th, the crypto market witnessed low volatility trading across the majority of major digital currencies. The uncertainty can be linked…

Samson Mow, CEO of Jan3, a Bitcoin-focused technology company, made statements that sparked debate in the cryptocurrency market. Mow argued that Ethereum is incapable of fulfilling the function of “money,” while Bitcoin successfully takes on this role. Commenting on the issue via the social media platform X, Mow pointed out that the Ethereum Foundation occasionally sells $ETH. Criticizing this practice, Mow argued that even individuals connected to the Ethereum ecosystem don’t receive their salaries in $ETH, suggesting that this indicates the asset’s limited use as a medium of exchange. In contrast, Mow stated that the situation is different in the…

In brief Joe Schiarizzi, an anti-Trump Ethereum developer, is running for Congress in Virginia as a Democrat. He argues crypto should focus on public-good use cases, and reject political profiteering. He also criticized pro-crypto lawmakers as opportunistic and lacking genuine interest in the technology. November’s hotly anticipated midterms are poised to bring a new wave of legislators to Washington for the first time—including, potentially, America’s first crypto developer-turned-congressman. Joe Schiarizzi, a longtime Ethereum developer, launched a campaign Thursday to run as a Democratic House candidate in D.C.’s Virginia suburbs. Schiarizzi plans to run in Virginia’s 7th congressional district, which, pending…