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Bitcoin ETF fever sends BTC to heights not seen since May 2022
As Bitcoin breaks past $35,000, optimism brews in the crypto market. Is this the end of the prolonged ‘crypto winter’ investors have dreaded?

North America retains crypto crown even as US regulatory clouds loom: Chainalysis
The United States is the region’s top driver of crypto activity.

Astar, Startale Labs announce Web3 partnership with Japanese telecom giant, KDDI
Astar Network and Startale Labs partner with Japanese telecom giant KDDI to boost Web3 adoption.

China’s central bank to ‘resolutely curb’ crypto speculation; Hong Kong updates regulations
PBOC to crack down on crypto speculation, as Hong Kong restricts access to certain “complex” virtual asset products.

Philippines’ Coins.ph may have lost US$6 million worth of XRP in hack: The Block
Coins.ph, a cryptocurrency exchange based in the Philippines with millions of users, appeared to have lost 12.2 million XRP tokens, The Block reported on Friday.

Is TradFi’s entry into DeFi a turning point or a sign of greater battles ahead?
The pillars of Wall Street are muscling their way into crypto and decentralized finance. Who stands to benefit the most?

Bitcoin briefly rallies above US$30,000 following Grayscale’s new ETF application
Bitcoin gained over 10% this past week, boosted by Grayscale’s renewed spot Bitcoin ETF application.

Binance says it signed agreements with new euro banking partners
Binance announced it has secured new fiat partners for euro services after its former partner cut ties with the exchange last month.

LBRY shuts down operations
LBRY issued a final goodbye to the crypto community before winding down operations.

SEC drops all charges against Ripple’s CEO Garlinghouse and co-founder Larsen
The XRP token rose over 6% on the day after the SEC dismissed the charges against Ripple’s top executives.

Prosecution winds up case against Bankman-Fried ahead of six-day pause in trial
FTX’s former general counsel Can Sun testified he was “shocked” by $7 billion in missing customer funds as the prosecution’s case starts to draw to a close.

Grayscale files for new spot Bitcoin ETF on NYSE Arca
Grayscale said that its fund is ready to operate as an ETF upon regulatory approval.

Gemini, Genesis, DCG sued by New York Attorney General
The lawsuit alleges that the companies defrauded over 230,000 investors.

Wallet Wars’ raW Pass NFTs sells out in 5 minutes
Wallet Wars, a Space Invaders-inspired game with a Web3 twist: upgradeable NFT spaceships.”

Coinbase taps Ireland as European hub ahead of MiCA regime
Coinbase said that the regulatory clarity MiCA provides to the industry is “hugely welcome.”

Binance’s rollercoaster week: expansion, setbacks, and the ghost of FTX’s collapse
Top blockchain and crypto news: Is Japan a new frontier for Binance? AI art sweeps NFT sales. ETF buzz electrifies Bitcoin.

Lightning Labs to enable stablecoins on Bitcoin ecosystem with Taproot Assets
Taproot Assets will “accelerate the process of bringing Bitcoin to those billions of people,” according to Lightning Labs.

ECB to kick off digital euro preparation phase on Nov. 1
The central bank said that the preparation phase is not a decision on the issuance of a digital euro.

OFAC sanctions Gaza-based crypto exchange allegedly linked to Hamas
The U.S. takes action against 10 Hamas-linked entities, including Gaza-based money transfer business and crypto exchange Buy Cash.

UK emerges as world’s third-largest economy in terms of crypto transaction volume: Chainalysis
The U.K. is also listed as the 14th economy on Chainalysis’ Global Crypto Adoption Index.

Over 40% of Hong Kong investors shun digital assets post-JPEX Scandal, survey reveals
The survey aimed to measure the public attitude towards virtual asset investments, following the JPEX incident.

Trust Wallet’s TWT up 7%, leads top 100 cryptos in gains
TWT price rose over 15% during the past week, after Trust Wallet announced a major rebranding upgrade.

SUI Foundations denies supply manipulation allegations
SUI fell to a new all-time low on Wednesday following supply manipulation allegations, which the Sui Foundation denies.

EU adopts new crypto tax rules, mandate data sharing from crypto firms
The new data sharing rules will go into effect 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal.

Rampant scams highlight critical need for greater crypto literacy
The plight of the Philippines — which has a high rate of crypto adoption but is also plagued by fraud — offers a window into why the industry’s ‘do your own research’ mantra isn’t enough.

FTX top lieutenant Nishad Singh bought US$3.7 million house after learning about the exchange’s misuse of customer funds
Nishad Singh testified he bought a house a month before FTX’s collapse despite learning of the exchange’s misuse of customer funds weeks prior.

Traders split from Blur for fractionalized NFTs
As the NFT tide shifts, traders seek new horizons. While Blur and OpenSea grapple with change, SoFi and fractionalized assets emerge as the next big wave.

Binance freezes over 100 accounts on Israeli police request: Financial Times
Israeli police requested information on 200 additional crypto accounts.

Binance.US suspends USD withdrawals
Users can still withdraw cryptocurrencies, according to the exchange’s updated terms of use.

XRP support for Roblox “inaccurate”: Decrypt
Correction: This article originally stated that the XRP cryptocurrency is available for in-game payments in Roblox and Smite through the payment processor BitPay. Roblox has denied the report and BitPay has since deleted its announcement on X. Roblox, a popular online game with an average of 65.5 million daily active users, has denied claims that […]

Binance Japan — death knell or savior for the nation’s smaller crypto exchanges?
Few tokens and too many exchanges are a bad recipe for Japan’s smaller crypto trading houses. The experts say there’s room for up to five only. So what happens to the little guy now that the world’s largest exchange Binance has rolled back into town?

OSL exchange’s HK$1 billion sale is “factually inaccurate,” says BC Technology
OSL’s parent firm said investors should exercise caution due to the “unusual movement” in the company’s stock price.

Binance halts new user registration in the U.K.
The exchange added that it will also stop releasing new products and services in the country.

Fake BlackRock ETF news prompts US$57 mln in Bitcoin long liquidations
Bitcoin briefly spiked to US$29,388 after the fake post, before tracing back the gains.

FTX exec Nishad Singh testifies on Bankman-Fried’s ‘excessive’ and ‘flashy’ spending
FTX co-founder Nishad Singh testified on Bankman-Fried’s “excessive” spending including political donations coordinated in a group chat titled “Donations Processing.”

Tether freezes 32 addresses related to terrorism in Israel and Ukraine
Tether says it froze US$873,000 in USDT linked to terror activities in Israel and Ukraine. CEO Ardoino stresses crypto’s traceability.

Solana Foundation partners with DMCC Dubai
The SOL token rose over 5% in the 24-hour after the partnership was announced.

Binance: One year on from FTX’s downfall
Inside the world’s largest crypto exchange’s annus horribilis.

Ferrari starts accepting crypto payments in the US
The luxury car maker said it started accepting crypto payments due to popular demand from its crypto investor customers.

A Bitcoin ETF is coming to the US. Here’s what to expect when that happens
A spot Bitcoin ETF will allow BTC be easily tradeable without the headaches and pitfalls of self-custody. Its arrival — likely just around the corner — will mark the moment crypto goes mainstream.

Upbit Singapore receives in-principal license from MAS
Singapore’s major payment institution license will enable Upbit to continue offering regulated digital asset services while awaiting its full license.

Australian Treasury to release crypto draft legislation by 2024
The Australian Department of the Treasury said it will accept feedback on the draft bill by December.

Tether appoints Paolo Ardoino as new CEO
Ardoino takes Tether’s helm after serving as the USDT stablecoin issuer’s chief technical officer since 2017.

Mastercard’s Ciphetrace VP discusses decade-long maturation of cryptocurrency
Crypto is “part of the future,” said Melissa Wisner, vice president of crypto risk at Ciphertrace, during her panel discussion at D3 Bahamas.

Weekly Market Wrap: Bitcoin falls below US$27,000 following CPI and Israeli conflict
Bitcoin was subdued by the mounting geopolitical concerns around Israel’s war with Hamas and the ongoing FTX lawsuit.

Caroline Ellison told Alameda Research about FTX user deposits last November: Cointelegraph
Alameda Research reportedly did not know about the misuse of FTX user deposits until last November.

Russian hackers may be behind FTX hack: Elliptic
The research firm said that on-chain data point toward Russian hackers, instead of the previously-suspected North Korean Lazarus Group.

Bitcoin slightly dips following U.S. CPI report
With the U.S. CPI holding steady and predictions favoring unchanged Fed rates, Bitcoin remains resilient.

Israel-Palestine crisis: Navigating the intersection of conflict, aid and blockchain
Top blockchain and crypto news: Gaza tensions, digital tremors, NFTs are not dancing in September, Joe Lubin talks traditional system’s twilight.

Japanese yen-backed digital currency set to launch next July
The DCJPY could play a central role in the future’s currency system, according to DeCurret Holdings.

Coinbase Q3 trading volume drops 52% from last year
The current crypto bear market caused Coinbase’s trading volume to drop to levels not seen since 2020.

Digital assets are here to stay, Bahamas prime minister says
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis said the island nation will continue to be a pioneer in the digital asset space.

FTX collapse helped the evolution of crypto regulation, says Bahamas securities regulator
FTX’s collapse and the crypto winter helped regulators familiarize themselves with the rapidly evolving crypto industry, said Christina Rolle of the Bahamas Securities Commission.

Sam Bankman-Fried planned to raise money from Saudi crown prince, Ellison testifies
Caroline Ellison details how Sam Bankman-Fried planned to raise capital from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as FTX struggled to repay lenders.

ESMA says DeFi can bring greater financial inclusion, but warns of volatility risks
The regulator said that DeFi doesn’t pose a risk to financial stability, due to its small size, but said it needs to be monitored in the future.

Ethereum NFT production falls to all-time low in September
NFT production on Ethereum fell to an all-time low in September, as the floor prices of blue-chip NFT collections continued their decline.

BlackRock shares go digital on JPMorgan’s Onyx blockchain
JPMorgan’s Onyx blockchain showcased near-instant collateral transfer in BlockRock’s tokenized share transaction with Barclays.

Philippines Coins.ph partners with Circle for USDC remittances
Coins.ph joins forces with Circle to introduce USDC remittances, targeting a more efficient and affordable money transfer solution for millions of Filipinos abroad, supporting the UN’s goal of trimming remittance costs by 2023.

Malaysia grants Hata in-principle approval to operate digital asset exchange
The Malaysian Securities Commission has given crypto firm, Hata, a conditional approval to operate a “digital asset exchange” with a “digital broker” license.

Brazilian congressional committee calls for Binance CEO Zhao’s indictment
The congressional committee accused Changpeng Zhao and three other executives, along with 45 individuals, of running a financial pyramid scheme in the country.

UK committee calls for tighter NFT copyright and fan token measures
The committee said fraudulent non-fungible token advertising could harm both NFT artists and investors.

Pudgy Penguins were bred for the NFT Winter
As ‘Floptober’ rattles the NFT world, Pudgy Penguins emerge as unlikely victors, spotlighting the potential of IP-focused tactics.

NFTs are here to stay — just not as we once knew them
Once driven by speculation and vanity car plate-like profile images, NFTs are now becoming more useful — with value that is not captured by market prices.

Former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison testifies in ex-boyfriend Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial
Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend and former CEO of Alameda Research, details how the trading firm took around $14 billion from FTX customers to repay lenders.

Bitmain reportedly suspended employee salaries from September
Bitmain, one of the world’s largest Bitcoin application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) manufacturers, has suspended employee salary payments from September, according to a Tuesday report by China-based tech news outlet Leiphone. See related article: Hamas crypto donation accounts frozen by Israel police Fast Facts See related article: CMCC Global raises US$100 mln to launch Hong Kong […]

S.Korea’s crypto market rebounds in H1 but down 48.5% from 2021 close
South Korea’s cryptocurrency market has bounced back during the first half of this year but is still almost 50% below its value at the end of 2021, according to the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KOFIU), a government agency that oversees the nation’s anti-money laundering regime. See related article: Hamas crypto donation accounts frozen by Israel […]

Blockchain’s 2 billionth user could be an AI, says Joe Lubin
The CEO of blockchain services provider Consensys and co-founder of Ethereum spoke to Forkast at the Token 2049 crypto conference in Singapore. He discussed decentralization and what he sees as the crucial role to be played by blockchain in AI and vice-versa.

Binance users in Hong Kong hooked by US$450,000 phishing attacks
The Hong Kong police warned on Monday that 11 Hong Kong-based Binance users lost over US$446,000 (HK$3.5 million) in cryptocurrencies to phishing text messages in the last two weeks. See related article: Gitcoin error sends US$460,000 to digital void Fast Facts See related article: CMCC Global raises US$100 mln to launch Hong Kong Web3 fund

Hamas crypto donation accounts frozen by Israel police
Israel Police’s cyber unit, Lahav 443, halts Hamas’ cryptocurrency fundraising efforts following Israeli crypto firms’ aid initiatives for war-affected citizens.

Israel crypto firms launch emergency crypto fund
Crypto Aid Israel, a fund aiding war-impacted citizens, uses a multi-signature wallet for Bitcoin, Ether, and stablecoins donations.

Crypto investment products record highest inflows since July: CoinShares
Inflows in cryptocurrency investment products reached US$78 million last week, the highest volume since July, according to crypto asset manager CoinShares. See related article: Alameda had a US$65 bln line of credit, says FTX co-founder Gary Wang Fast Facts See related article: DOJ seeks to block Bankman-Fried from bringing up Anthropic fundraise in court

Clay Nation launches Cardano-Polygon NFT bridge in The Sandbox
Clay Nation, a project of 10,000 non-fungible tokens (NFTs), announced the launch of a new blockchain bridge for Cardano and Polygon networks in The Sandbox metaverse. See related article: DOJ seeks to block Bankman-Fried from bringing up Anthropic fundraise in court Fast Forkast See related article: NFT creators seek alternatives after OpenSea cuts royalties