• Kraken has announced that it will deregister from the Financial Services Agency of Japan and will cease operating in Japan as of January 31. • Users in Japan have until the end of the month to withdraw their holdings, either transferring crypto to another wallet or wiring Japanese yen to a local bank. •…
• Argo Blockchain (ARBK) has avoided filing for bankruptcy protection after agreeing to sell its Helios mining facility in Dickens Country, Texas, to Galaxy Digital for $65 million. • The miner will also get a new $35 million loan from investor Michael Novogratz’s crypto-focused financial-services firm, which will be secured by Argo’s mining equipment. •…
• According to a report by blockchain intelligence firm Crystal Blockchain, cryptocurrency payments to ransomware hackers only totaled $16 million in 2021, compared to nearly $74 million the year before. • Analysis of on-chain activity shows that crypto services with a high money laundering risk score—meaning they receive funds from scams and cybercrime more often…
• FTX sought a U.S. bankruptcy court’s help amid a battle over ownership of about $450 million worth of stock in Robinhood Markets (HOOD). • At issue are about 56 million shares of the brokerage owned by Emergent Fidelity Technologies Ltd., a corporate entity organized in Antigua and Barbuda and 90% controlled by former FTX…
• According to blockchain intelligence firm Crystal Blockchain, cryptocurrency payments to ransomware hackers only totaled $16 million in 2021, compared to nearly $74 million in 2021. • Analysis of on-chain activity shows that crypto services with a high money laundering risk score are seeing a drop in popularity, and crypto exchanges and services have been…
• Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried appeared in U.S. federal court in New York on Thursday on charges of fraud, money laundering, and campaign-finance violations. • The judge set bail at $250 million and Bankman-Fried was released after agreeing to a list of conditions including not making financial transactions for more than $1,000 and going…
• The report “Developers of Bitcoin” found that there are only 40 to 60 active developers of the cryptocurrency. • Bitcoin’s success is due to its passionate but small group of developers scattered around the globe. • Compared to traditional payment firms such as Visa and Mastercard, Bitcoin is run by a “ultra lean” group…
• Bullish, a crypto exchange, has called off its planned deal to go public. • The deal would have seen Bullish merge with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Far Peak Acquisition (FPAC). • Investors in Bullish include Peter Thiel and hedge fund giants Alan Howard and Louis Bacon. Crypto exchange Bullish recently announced that it…
• 2021 was the “Year of the Cryptocurrency,” but 2022 saw its collapse. • 2023 will see the natural selection of the crypto ecosystem, regulation across the world, the metaverse and NFTs coming back from the dead, and institutional investments in the digital economy skyrocketing. • In the US, no meaningful regulatory movements will occur…
• Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist, has been trying to prove he is the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto. • Wright has filed various lawsuits and attempted to present evidence to back up his claim, but so far he has not been successful. • On Wednesday, Wright seemed to suggest he was putting…