Coinbase Suffers A Quarterly Loss As The Crypto Winter Reduces Trading Volume

Coinbase Global Inc, a large cryptocurrency exchange, posted a deficit in the fiscal fourth quarter. The firm was under pressure due to an industry-wide decline caused by a slew of high-profile bankruptcies. For the last year, the digital assets market has been plagued by a pessimistic attitude. The largest hit to the industry, though, was the November bankruptcy of Sam Bankman-main Frieds crypto exchange FTX.Coinbases Trade Volume Plummets in Q4 Amid Market Slump, CEO Expects Regulatory Benefits  Owing to the market slump, Coinbases trade volume declined dramatically in the fourth quarter, falling to $145 billion from $547 billion the previous year. Retail dealers also reduced their trading volume by roughly 89% to $20 billion. According to Chief Executive Brian Armstrong, in a call with analysts, this slump has resulted in heightened regulatory scrutiny, which would eventually benefit Coinbase.  There was one bright light for Coinbase. Subscription and services income increased by nearly 33% to $282.8 million in the fourth quarter, owing to significant interest rate increases. According to Refinitiv data, the business predicted subscription and services revenue in the first quarter of $300 million to $325 million, which is higher than Wall Street projections of $285.7 million.Stocks Surge After Strong Earnings Report

2023-02-22Deep Dive

Relocation And Exchange Launch: Huobi's Latest Move in Hong Kong

Justin Sun recently stated in an interview that Huobi, the worlds sixth-largest cryptocurrency exchange, has sought for a license that would enable it to provide cryptocurrency trading services in Hong Kong. The relocation is part of Hong Kongs plans to become a digital asset center, and Huobis Asia headquarters will be transferred from Singapore to Hong Kong as well. Sun, the creator of the blockchain network TRON, indicated that the initiative will entail the establishment of a new exchange in Hong Kong named Huobi Hong Kong, which would first serve high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors.Justins good prediction about cryptos future regulation  Sun expressed optimism about the future of crypto compliance in Asia, namely Hong Kong and maybe China, noting significant advancements in Hong Kongs regulatory structure over the last three years. He stressed that the action was a significant step for the major cryptocurrency exchange and demonstrated the companys ongoing commitment to operate in a legal and regulated way. Huobis new exchange would be completely compliant with local legislation, giving consumers a variety of trading pairs and services.  The Hong Kong government is attempting to recruit digital asset enterprises, which would provide regular investors with greater access to leading cryptocurrencies and crypto

2023-02-21Deep Dive

Binance US Repudiates Claims About Illegitimate Digital Currency Exchanges

Binance US, a cryptocurrency trading platform linked with global exchange Binance, has denied accusations that it is similar to fraudulent and insolvent cryptocurrency exchanges. Binance US stressed that the two are distinct organizations with independent management teams. The platforms leadership is made up of former US government personnel. The Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Federal Reserve Bank of New York have all pledged to operate a secure platform that complies with US laws and regulations.Binance access to unauthorized bank accounts  Binance US also addressed the claim that Binance had unauthorized access to its bank account. According to the allegation, more than $400 million was moved from Binance USs bank account to Merit Peak Ltd., a trading business run by Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, in the first three months of 2021. Binance US explained that, although a market-making business called Merit Peak functioned on the Binance.US platform, it ceased all operations in 2021. Binance US argued that only Binance US personnel had access to the exchanges bank accounts and that the exchange displays its competitive and transparent market maker program on its website, demonstrating that companies compete fairly for rebates.  Additionally, Binance US promised the crypto

2023-02-20Deep Dive

Tighter Controls Put in Place for Crypto Exchanges and Margin Trading in Canada

According to unidentified sources, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) will introduce a coordinated supervision framework for cryptocurrency transactions later this month. All bitcoin trading platforms seeking registration will be required to sign undertakings that agree to investor safeguards under the new guidelines. Also, crypto applicants would need to agree to stricter restrictions, such as a prohibition on margin and leverage trading, making it more difficult for regular investors to trade cryptocurrencies using leveraged bets and prohibiting crypto providers from taking credit card payments.  By proposing additional registration requirements, the CSA intends to tighten its regulation of cryptocurrency exchanges operating in the nation. This includes a suggestion that providers be required to store all Canadian customers assets with a suitable custodian and keep these assets separate from the platforms own company. Additionally, the plan mandates that cryptocurrency providers retain consumer assets separate from their own operating finances.Top crypto exchange in Canada  - Coinsquare - Coinsquare is a Toronto-based cryptocurrency exchange that supports the trading of several popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin.      - Kraken - Kraken is a popular cryptocurrency exchange that is based in the United States but also serves Canadian customers. It supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin,

2023-02-20Deep Dive

FTX Japan Restarts Withdrawals Of Client Funds

FTX Japan, the Japanese division of FTX.com, has begun the process of moving customer funds out of its collapsed platform. The move comes after the company launched beta testing for a balance transfer process for a randomly selected group of customer accounts. FTX Japan will use the feedback from the testing to make the process of confirming and transferring balances “as transparent as possible” for a wider group of FTX users. The company has apologized for causing inconvenience to its customers due to the long-term suspension of its services. FTX Japan laid out a timeline for the restoration of customer funds and resuming asset withdrawals as early as February.The development of FTX exchange Japan  The exchange has developed a recovery system that will enable affected users to retrieve their assets via Liquid Japan, which is the first exchange to be officially licensed by the Japan Financial Services Agency (JFSA). Under the process, FTX Japans customers will become clients of Liquid, which acquired the client book and then conducted balance checks. FTX completed the acquisition of Liquid Group a year ago to serve Japanese customers through its subsidiary. The FSA-regulated venue also operates a clearinghouse for fiat-backed stablecoins which facilitates swaps, FX

2023-02-20Deep Dive

North Korea's Stolen Crypto Worth $5.8 Million Seized By Norway

On Thursday, Norwegian police revealed the seizure of a record $5.8 million in bitcoin stolen by North Korean hackers last year. In March 2022, hackers stole $625 million from a blockchain project related to the crypto-based game Axie Infinity.  The robbery was one of the biggest of its sort in history, and it was traced to a North Korean hacker outfit known as “Lazarus” by the US.The biggest money seizures ever made in Norway  According to Marianne Bender, Norways chief public prosecutor, the confiscated cryptocurrency was part of the North Korean regimes finance for their nuclear weapons development. Okokrim, the countrys national economic crime unit, announced the seizure of 60 million Norwegian crowns ($5.84 million), calling it “one of the greatest seizures of money ever made in Norway” and a record amount for a cryptocurrency confiscation. To seize the assets, the team collaborated with the US Federal Bureau of Investigations crypto-tracking experts.  According to Chainalysis, a U.S.-based blockchain analytics business, last year was the worst year on record for cryptocurrency heists, with hackers taking up to $3.8 billion, driven by North Korean-linked attacks.  Aleksander Larsen, the Norwegian creator of Sky Mavis, the firm behind Axie Infinity, is located in Vietnam. Larsen would not comment

2023-02-17Deep Dive

Binance Anticipates Fines From US Regulators In Order To Settle Investigations

Binance, the worlds biggest cryptocurrency exchange, has said that it plans to pay monetary penalties to resolve investigations into its operations in the United States. Patrick Hillmann, the companys chief strategy officer, recently admitted that Binances leaders were inexperienced with bribery, corruption, and money laundering laws and regulations. As a consequence, the business is now “working with authorities to find out what remediations we have to go through now to make reparations for that,” according to Hillmann. He further said that the consequence might be “like a fine” or “much more.”  Binance has made a significant U-turn after earlier disputing allegations that it was under investigation and mocking media sites that claimed differently. According to Reuters, prosecutors at the US Department of Justice have been examining Binance since 2018 for possible violations of US anti-money laundering statutes and penalties. Binances founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao openly rejected the allegation, initiating a Twitter campaign stating that newsrooms were “still working for” FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.  Binances shift in strategy comes as it becomes clear that things are not going well for the company. The SEC has informed Paxos, which provides BUSD stablecoin for Binance, that it intends to take action against the company.

2023-02-16Deep Dive

SEC Rule Change May Put Pressure on Crypto Platforms

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed new rules to regulate the custody of cryptocurrencies by investment advisers such as hedge funds and pension funds. The proposal would require such advisers to use qualified custodians to hold assets, and it would also create new requirements for qualified custodians. The rule expands the qualified-custodian requirements to include virtually any assets that an adviser might hold in a clients name, including all cryptocurrencies, and some physical assets like artwork. The proposal would limit how asset managers can handle customers crypto assets, but it wouldnt impose new requirements on individual investors who manage their own portfolios. While traditional qualified custodians have typically been banks, trust companies, and broker-dealers, the idiosyncrasies of keeping assets like bitcoin safe from theft or hacks have led Coinbase Global and similar crypto platforms to start offering the service.  SEC Chair Gary Gensler has repeatedly expressed concerns that “crypto firms custody practices might not clear the legal hurdles necessary to keep their customers assets safe in the event of bankruptcy”. “The proposal would also limit how asset managers can handle customers crypto assets, citing features of cryptocurrencies that could make them difficult to safeguard in compliance with the

2023-02-16Deep Dive

BUSD Security Classification Could Deal a Major Blow to Crypto Industry, Binance CEO Cautions

The CEO of Binance, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), has cautioned that there could be “profound impacts” on the cryptocurrency industry if Binance USD (BUSD), a stablecoin issued by Paxos, is ruled to be a security by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The warning follows reports of a lawsuit by the SEC against Paxos, the issuer of BUSD, over its alleged failure to register the token as a security.Binance CEO weighs in on SECs legal action against Paxos and BUSD  CZ explained on Twitter that while BUSD is called Binance USD, it is not issued or redeemed by Binance, but instead wholly owned and managed by Paxos. Furthermore, he noted that when Paxos ceases to mint new BUSD tokens, the stablecoins market cap will only decrease over time.   BUSD currently has a market cap of nearly $16bn, making it the worlds seventh-largest cryptocurrency and the third-largest stablecoin. Despite the potential impact of the lawsuit, Binance will continue to support BUSD for the foreseeable future.   Paxos Under Fire for Alleged CZ-Related SEC Lawsuit  CZ also addressed the alleged SEC lawsuit against Paxos, stating that “he personally agreed with the assessment of crypto analyst Miles Deutscher that it was ”scary precedent“ that the SEC

2023-02-16Deep Dive

FCA Cracks Down On Unregistered Crypto ATM Operators In Leeds

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has taken action against unregistered cryptocurrency ATM operators in Leeds, utilizing its authority to access and examine multiple facilities suspected of housing unlawfully run cryptocurrency ATMs. The FCA obtained evidence from many locations around the city in collaboration with West Yorkshire Polices Digital Intelligence and Investigation Unit.  The FCAs Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight, Mark Steward, said that “unregistered crypto ATMs functioning in the UK do so unlawfully, and the FCA will continue to find and disrupt unregistered crypto firms operating in the UK.” For anti-money laundering reasons, crypto firms in the United Kingdom must be registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). However, crypto goods are still unregulated and high-risk, and investors can expect to lose their whole investment if they invest in them.  According to Det Sgt Lindsey Brants of West Yorkshire Polices Force Cyber Team, “after conducting intelligence collecting operations throughout West Yorkshire, they swiftly determined the locations of many operating crypto ATMs.” Warning letters were sent to the operators, urging that they stop using the devices, and any violations would result in an inquiry under money-laundering laws. Following that, the results were shared with the Financial Conduct Authority.  Customers may use crypto

2023-02-16Deep Dive
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