Last Week in Crypto – April 29 – May 5 – Top Crypto News You Might Have Missed

Last Week in Crypto – April 29 – May 5 – Top Crypto News You Might Have Missed

This text is a summary of the top crypto news stories from the previous week, covering developments in technology (Bitcoin-based ID solution), regulation (Samourai Wallet co-founder’s legal case), and markets (BlackRock’s BUIDL fund).


As another week comes to an end, there’s no shortage of noteworthy happenings in the cryptocurrency world. From impressive milestones to unexpected regulatory actions, new integrations, and more – these events have a significant impact on the crypto market, often leading to unexpected shifts. Join us as we delve into the latest news that could potentially reshape the industry.

Last week, Bitcoin processed an enormous volume of transactions, a court handed down a verdict for Changpeng Zhao, Tether made an unexpected financial move, and numerous other businesses unveiled exciting developments or announcements, leaving us all in awe.

Top Crypto News

As a market analyst, I’d like to share my perspective on the significant crypto developments from the previous week. The limelight was on Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, who made headlines with his announcement regarding user verification and regulatory compliance. Additionally, the crypto world saw some progress in the approval process for Bitcoin ETFs, which could potentially lead to increased institutional investment in digital assets. Each of these events carries substantial weight in shaping the crypto market dynamics.

Changpeng Zhao Was Sentenced to 4 Months in Prison 

Summary 

Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance, was given a four-month prison sentence for his role in money laundering incidents linked to the cryptocurrency exchange, owing to its inadequate anti-money laundering measures.

Details 

Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the globe’s biggest cryptocurrency platform, Binance, has received a four-month prison sentence due to the exchange’s involvement in money laundering transactions.

The verdict brings to light substantial regulatory concerns regarding Binance’s anti-money laundering procedures, enabling criminals to carry out illegal transactions on the platform.

In Seattle’s Federal Court, it was stressed that Binance neglected to establish adequate safeguards, resulting in unchecked transactions by malicious individuals.

Source: CNN 

Crypto ETFs Started Trading in Hong Kong 

Summary 

In Hong Kong, the debut of Asia’s initial Bitcoin and Ether Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) has piqued significant investor attention, reflecting burgeoning excitement towards cryptocurrency assets.

Details

Hong Kong reached a significant achievement in the realm of cryptocurrency investing with the launch of Asia’s inaugural Bitcoin and Ether Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) on its stock exchange. The six approved ETFs recorded impressive growth on their debut day, demonstrating robust investor interest despite ongoing regulatory scrutiny towards digital assets.

The rollout of these ETFs signifies a significant move for Hong Kong in establishing itself as a leading financial hub that embraces cryptocurrencies. If the ETFs thrive, there’s potential for surging interest in regulated and transparent investment options for digital currencies.

Source: Reuters 

Bitcoin Processed a Record of 1.6 million Payments in a Day 

Summary 

The number of daily verified Bitcoin transactions exceeded the previous high of 1.6 million.

Details 

Due to Bitcoin’s increasing popularity as a result of recent advancements and endorsements, the cryptocurrency’s network has set a new record with over 1.6 million daily confirmed transactions taking place between users. This surge in transactions serves as evidence of Bitcoin’s expanding role in decentralized financial exchanges, bringing it one significant step closer to being recognized as a global digital currency.

The surge in confirmed bitcoin transactions could be linked to recent developments like the new bitcoin halving and the regulatory approvals of bitcoin ETFs in the US and Hong Kong, facilitating broader usage of the cryptocurrency.

Source: Cointelegraph 

Top Crypto News – Technology

When it comes to technological advancements in the realm of crypto, there’s always something new and exciting being introduced or updated. Just last week, Tether, Avalanche, Stripe, MoonPay, Aave, and MicroStrategy were among the companies that made headlines with their significant announcements.

Tether Invested $200 Million in a Neurotech Company 

Summary

Tether revealed it would invest $200 million in Blackrock Neurotech, aiming to secure a significant ownership share in the Brain Computer Interface (BCI) firm.

Details

The leading stablecoin provider, Tether, has announced an investment of $200 million in Blackrock Neurotech. This surprising development signifies the convergence of the crypto and neurotech industries.

Blackrock Neurotech excels in the field of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) innovation. Through this advanced technology, there is a possibility for uninterrupted interaction between the human brain and external gadgets. This development could revolutionize several sectors including healthcare and robotics.

The alliance signifies a growing tendency among crypto firms to expand their offerings and delve into emerging technologies that may gain from blockchain adoption. Tether’s participation points to the increasing influence of cryptocurrencies in sectors beyond finance, such as neurotech, paving the way for fruitful collaborations between the crypto sphere and various industries.

Source: Forbes 

Stripe to Streamline Fiat-to-Crypto Exchanges through Avalanche Integration 

Summary 

Stripe, a prominent payments company, intends to broaden its cryptocurrency offerings by incorporating support for the Avalanche blockchain.

Details

Stripe, a prominent player in payment processing, expands its involvement in the cryptocurrency sector by integrating Avalanche, a swift blockchain system, into its offerings.

Businesses that utilize Stripe can now seamlessly accept stablecoins such as USDC through Avalanche’s functionalities, thereby enhancing the effectiveness and convenience of their payment procedures.

As a researcher studying the intersection of finance and technology, I’m excited to share that partnering with Avalanche brings significant advantages for us at Stripe. These benefits include faster transaction processing times and reduced fees. This strategic move brings us one step closer to delivering advanced financial services, further bolstering our commitment to innovation. Additionally, this collaboration underscores Stripe’s belief in the potential of blockchain technology. By association, it adds credibility to the crypto industry, increasing its overall visibility and acceptance within mainstream finance.

Source: Decrypt 

MoonPay Will Integrate PayPal 

Summary 

“MoonPay plans to expand its offerings by allowing users to purchase cryptocurrencies using PayPal as an option.”

Details

MoonPay, a widely-used crypto payment platform, revealed plans to incorporate PayPal into its system. As a result, customers can now buy cryptocurrencies using their PayPal accounts, streamlining the purchasing process. This integration expands and enhances accessibility for crypto enthusiasts around the world.

MoonPay’s collaboration with PayPal advances our goal of simplifying cryptocurrency transactions, aligning with PayPal’s increasing involvement in the burgeoning crypto market.

Source: Cointelegraph 

Aave Revealed V4 Protocol Overhaul 

Summary

As a crypto investor, I’m thrilled to share that Aave’s governance has given the green light to Version 4 (V4) of their protocol. This new update comes packed with intriguing and advanced features, such as enhanced support for GHO, making it more efficient for users. Additionally, V4 brings increased security measures to bolster the overall DeFi platform, ensuring peace of mind for all investors like myself.

Details

At Aave, the renowned decentralized finance (DeFi) solution, there has been a green light from the community for the rollout of their fourth protocol update, Version 4 (V4). This latest iteration brings about numerous enhancements, boosting the platform’s agility and versatility when it comes to creating or unearthing novel features.

As a researcher studying decentralized finance protocols, I’d like to highlight that Aave V4 prioritizes enhanced security features to protect users’ funds and optimize the platform for a better user experience.

V4’s distinctive attribute lies in its intention to automate the determination of interest rates for borrowing within the protocol, in addition to certain aspects of its Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) governance procedures. This enhancement is scheduled for release in 2025.

Source: The Block 

MicroStrategy Will Launch Bitcoin-Based ID Solution 

Summary

MicroStrategy intends to create a Bitcoin-centric decentralized identity system utilizing Ordinals. The objective is to provide a robust and dependable method for managing digital identities.

Details

MicroStrategy, the leading corporation holding Bitcoin, unveiled plans to develop a decentralized identity system relying on Ordinal inscriptions within the Bitcoin blockchain. By utilizing this forward-thinking method, they aim to offer a robust and unchangeable platform for verifying digital identities using the inherent security features of Bitcoin’s technology.

Through attaching ordinal inscriptions as metadata to each satoshi, MicroStrategy enables users to retain effective management of their data.

As a crypto investor, I’m excited about MicroStrategy’s latest move towards decentralized identity solutions. Recognizing the growing demand for privacy and security in the digital world, this step aims to tackle contemporary challenges like data breaches and identity theft. By leveraging the robustness and transparency of the Bitcoin network, MicroStrategy is positioning itself as a pioneer in this space.

Source: CoinDesk 

Top Crypto News – Regulation 

Recent news articles have centered around Samourai and its founders, who are currently embroiled in legal disputes.

Samourai Wallet Co-Founder Pleaded Not Guilty 

Summary 

Keonne Rodriguez, a co-founder of Samourai Wallet, entered a plea of not guilty in response to accusations involving money laundering conspiracies and running an unauthorized money transfer service.

Details 

I, Keonne Rodriguez, made a plea of not guilty in a New York courtroom in response to accusations that I conspired to launder money and operated an unlicensed money transmitting business.

After appearing before Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses in a hearing, Rodriguez was granted a $1 million bond. He is required to use his Pennsylvania property as collateral until the next court date on May 14, which will be presided over by District Judge Richard Berman.

Source: Yahoo Finance 

Top Crypto News – Markets 

Last week, BlackRock and one of its investment offerings drew attention for reaching an unexpected achievement.

BlackRock’s BUIDL Became World’s Largest Tokenized Treasury Fund 

Summary 

Within just six weeks, the BlackRock BUIDL fund has grown to become the world’s largest tokenized treasury fund, boasting a market capitalization of $375 million, surpassing Franklin Templeton’s BENJI fund in size.

Details 

In six weeks following its launch, BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUILDP) surpassed Franklin Templeton’s BENJI fund to claim the title of the world’s largest tokenized treasury fund with a market capitalization of $375 million.

As a crypto investor, I’ve witnessed an impressive surge in the value of this particular investment. The catalyst for this growth was a recent injection of $70 million into the project. Notably, half of that amount, or $50 million, came from Ondo Finance’s real-world asset tokenization using their OUSG token.

Source: Cointelegraph 

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2024-05-07 19:01