The Official Journal of the European Union published on Friday the European Union’s landmark Markets in Crypto Assets law (MiCA), stating that the regulation would enter into force in 20 days from the date of publication.

Binance.US, a cryptocurrency trading platform set up by Binance chief Changpeng Zhao to serve U.S. clients, said on Friday that it has suspended U.S. dollar deposits to protect customers amid intensifying regulatory pressure.

AliExpress, the global online platform of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, will launch NFTs on June 25 working with NFT project “the Moment3!”.

Pudgy Penguins CEO Luca Netz says he aims to revolutionize the NFT marketplace, shifting focus from creating virtual assets out of “thin air” to generating real-world revenue via licensing.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler allegedly offered to serve as an advisor to Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, in 2019, according to a CNBC report on Wednesday that cited documents filed by the regulator. 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has submitted a new court filing to support its lawsuit against the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been ordered on Tuesday by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to respond to cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase’s pending petition for rulemaking within seven days. 

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift) and blockchain data provider Chainlink will work with more than 12 major banks across the world to test the use of existing Swift infrastructure to transfer tokenized assets across public and private blockchain networks, Swift said on Tuesday.  See related article: SWIFT, Chainlink announce cross-chain interoperability partnership […]

CCTV, China’s largest national TV broadcaster, ran about a minute-long segment on Tuesday flagging SEC’s lawsuit against Binance and its founder Changpeng Zhao.

Circle Singapore said Wednesday it has received a Major Payment Institution license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

The U.S. SEC sued Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., for allegedly breaching securities rules, less than 24 hours after the regulator sued Binance on similar charges. 

MUFG, Japan’s leading bank, is pioneering the crypto industry by supporting stablecoin issuance on the Progmat Coin platform, offering an alternative route for entry and exit in the volatile cryptocurrency market.

The U.S. SEC has extended the list of cryptocurrencies it considers unregistered securities to cover US$115 billion worth of tokens following its Monday lawsuit against crypto exchange Binance, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

The U.S. regulator alleges Binance and its leader of unregistered offers, sale of tokens, defrauding investors and manipulating trade volumes.

JPMorgan has reportedly launched a pilot project with top private lenders in India for interbank dollar transaction settlements through its blockchain platform, Onyx. 

A court in Montenegro approved a second bail request for Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon, who faces allegations of using fake passports.

Bitcoin gained 1.08% on Friday afternoon and Ether strengthened 1.78%.

Japan’s All Nippon Airways, or ANA Group, has launched a non-fungible token platform known as “ANA GranWhale NFT MarketPlace” to trade art and photograph collectibles through its metaverse subsidiary ANA NEO, the company tweeted on Thursday.

Bitcoin’s mining difficulty level rose 3.4% on Thursday to an all-time high, as the network’s hashrate also increased to a record high.

Tether, the issuer of the world’s most traded stablecoin, will invest in power generation and Bitcoin mining in Uruguay to tap the country’s renewable energy resources, the company said on Tuesday.

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority have agreed to strengthen cooperation in regulating virtual assets.

Dubai-headquartered Bybit said it will exit the Canadian crypto market and stop accepting new accounts from Wednesday, citing a “recent regulatory development.”

Ordinals’ BRC-721E token standard is set to introduce NFT transfers from Ethereum to Bitcoin through a burn and claim process.

A proposed tax on electricity used by cryptocurrency miners in the U.S. has been scrapped in the deal to raise the country’s debt ceiling, according to Republican congressman Warren Davidson.

Leaders in Hong Kong’s Web3 industry announced the formation of two new associations, Hong Kong Licensed Virtual Assets Association (HKLVAA) and Web3 Harbour, on Monday.

Temasek, Singapore’s state-owned investment firm, said on Monday that it has cut the pay of senior management and the investment team involved in the decision to invest in the now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange.

Beijing’s local government on Saturday released a white paper outlining plans and challenges for development of the city’s Web 3.0 industry.

Banco Central do Brasil, the central bank of Brazil, has selected 14 institutions to participate in the pilot run of the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) named Real Digital.

China’s Zhengzhou city issued a set of policy proposals Wednesday to support metaverse companies, including a 10 billion yuan (US$1.42 billion) metaverse fund.

Binance Marketplace, Binance’s NFT trading platform, is launching a new service Friday where users can loan Ether by using NFTs as collateral.

A former executive at Coinone pleaded guilty on Thursday to accepting bribes in exchange for listing certain cryptocurrencies on the platform.

The stock price boost for tech giant Nvidia on the back of an AI chip boom has sent AI-related cryptocurrencies on a surge.

Hong Kong is the most crypto-ready jurisdiction in the world, based on the number of blockchain startups per 100,000 people and the number of crypto ATMs proportional to the population, according to a new study by forex education platform Forex Suggest. 

South Korean lawmakers unanimously approved a new bill requiring public officials to disclose their crypto holdings to be implemented in December.

Analysts say the move could signal a bull run in cryptocurrencies.

The high court of Montenegro’s capital city Podgorica has revoked its decision to grant bail to Terraform Labs chief executive officer Do Kwon.

Japan will introduce strict anti-money laundering rules on cryptocurrency transactions from June 1, the Southeast Asian nation’s cabinet decided on Tuesday.

OCBC Bank will offer tokenized equity-linked structured notes to accredited investors, in a partnership with private market exchange ADDX.

China’s Nanjing City launched a state-backed organization on Monday to promote and enhance metaverse studies throughout the nation.

Only 4.2% of South Korean citizens have said that they regularly use metaverse services, a recent survey results show.

Seychelles-headquartered cryptocurrency exchange Bitget announced on Tuesday that it successfully registered as a virtual asset service provider in Poland.

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has been accused of blending client funds with its own corporate revenue in violation of U.S. financial regulations, according to three unnamed sources cited by Reuters.

Hong Kong will allow licensed cryptocurrency trading platforms to offer services to retail investors and will implement a slew of measures to protect individual traders, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) said on Tuesday.

Cryptocurrency wallet Ledger’s new update allows governments to access users’ seed phrases via subpoena, said Pascal Gauthier, the chief executive officer of Ledger. 

The Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission warned the public last week not to use crypto exchange Gemini’s derivatives platform.

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), the capital markets regulator, has charged cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global and its chief executive officer Leon Li for operating a digital asset exchange (DAX) without registration.

Bitcoin traded below US$27,000 in Monday afternoon trade in Asia.

A South Korean ruling party lawmaker proposed all public officials and candidates disclose their crypto holdings in a new bill unveiled last Friday.

Ripple Labs has launched a new payment platform for a central bank digital currency in Hong Kong.

World’s largest cryptocurrency exchange halts Australian dollar services after payment provider cuts off service.

Smart Communications, one of the Philippines’ largest telcos, is entering the Web3 space through a partnership with Web3 community enabler in Southeast Asia, BlockchainSpace.

Bitcoin’s mining difficulty level rose 3.22% on Thursday, hitting an all-time high, as the network’s hashrate also increased to a record high.

Montenegro prosecutors have filed an appeal against a local court decision to approve bail for the detained Terraform Labs CEO Do Kwon.

Conflux Network and China Telecom on Tuesday unveiled their first blockchain-based SIM card, which will be piloted in Hong Kong.

Bitget is looking to hire 300 more people across operations, compliance, research and development, and customer support, the cryptocurrency exchange said.

San Francisco-based Ripple Labs, a technology and financial services firm built around the XRP cryptocurrency, said it will acquire Metaco, a Swiss-based tokenization and digital asset custody provider, for US$250 million. 

In a new report, U.K. lawmakers suggest treating Bitcoin and Ether like gambling due to significant consumer financial risks.

China’s top legal authority issued a commentary on Monday about the risks and potential in NFTs, highlighting the need for legislation.

A U.S. federal judge has denied a motion by the SEC to seal internal documents related to a speech given by the SEC’s former director on whether cryptocurrencies are securities.

European Union finance ministers unanimously approved MiCA, a set of cryptocurrency rules aiming to reshape the digital asset industry across the EU bloc.

As part of the ongoing legal dispute between the two, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it would not be hurried into a response to Coinbase demands.

South Korean prosecutors have raided Upbit, Bithumb and the crypto wallet unit of Kakao, as part of their investigation into lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk.

The U.S. Department of Justice is aiming to crack down on cryptocurrency exchanges that help criminals facilitate money laundering

China’s Jiangsu Province plans to expand the use of digital yuan to its public education system, as the province seeks to spearhead the country’s CBDC pilot.

China’s Fuzhou City on Friday unveiled a raft of policies to attract investment by blockchain-related companies, including rent subsidies and cash awards.

Regulatory hurdles have once again hit Binance in North America, with the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange announcing on Friday that it would cease operations in Canada due to tightened crypto rules.

Binance.US is reportedly exploring ways to cut founder Changpeng Zhao’s ownership stake in the company, The Information reported on Thursday, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

Terraform Labs chief Do Kwon denied charges of attempting to travel with fake travel documents during a court hearing Thursday in Montenegro.

Animoca Brands revealed US$2.7 billion in off-balance sheet token reserves in its latest unaudited financial update.

China’s national blockchain research center was launched in Beijing on Wednesday and plans to train over 500,000 blockchain professionals for the country.

The issuer of the world’s most traded stablecoin raked in US$1.48 billion in net profit for the first quarter of this year, more than double the previous quarter, according to the company’s reserves report on Wednesday.

Terraform Labs co-founder Shin Hyun-seung and seven others will face trial on May 26 on charges of fraud related to the Terra-Luna crypto collapse.