The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) have advanced the digital yuan (e-CNY) pilot for payments, aiming to increase e-CNY wallet usage in Hong Kong. Residents can now set up and top up wallets via the Faster Payment System (FPS), marking the first global linkage of a faster payment…
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The Hashgraph Association, a Swiss non-profit organization, has partnered with the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) to launch a $50 million digital assets venture studio. The venture studio aims to support companies in developing regulatory-compliant decentralized finance (defi) solutions. Supporting Web3 Startups With Bankable Defi Solutions The Hashgraph Association, a non-profit organization based in Switzerland, has…
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Juno Finance acknowledges the disruption in banking services and is collaborating with its brokerage and banking service providers, Synapse and Evolve Bank & Trust, to restore full service as soon as possible. Juno is a financial platform that integrates checking and savings accounts with cryptocurrency trading. “Currently, Evolve Bank & Trust has frozen all card…
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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted two brothers for wire fraud and money laundering. They allegedly exploited the Ethereum blockchain to steal $25 million in cryptocurrency within 12 seconds. Using sophisticated techniques, they manipulated transactions and concealed their identities. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison for each count. DOJ…
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Two U.S. senators have criticized the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s new interpretation of “money transmission,” which extends requirements to non-custodial software, citing concerns over its impact on crypto networks and financial innovation. “I’m concerned the DOJ’s interpretation would treat software developers as criminals for merely writing and publishing code used by others,” one of the…
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The U.S. Senate has voted to overturn the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s controversial SAB 121, which imposes regulatory burdens on digital asset custodians. The resolution also passed in the House and now faces a veto threat from President Joe Biden. Last week, the White House issued a statement: “If the President were presented with…
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U.S. Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI), along with Congressmen Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen regarding the Moscow-based cryptocurrency exchange Garantex. They expressed concerns that Garantex is reportedly facilitating sanctions evasion and funding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The letter cited reports indicating that $20 billion…
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MSCI Inc. has announced the May 2024 Index Review, which includes adding the bitcoin-focused Microstrategy to the MSCI World Index. This decision follows the Nasdaq-listed software intelligence firm’s stock outperforming bitcoin and other major investments. Microstrategy currently holds over 214K bitcoins. MSCI World Index Adds Microstrategy MSCI Inc. (NYSE: MSCI), a premier operator of global…
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On Monday, the cryptocurrency market maintained steady growth, with its valuation reaching $2.3 trillion—an increase of 1.72% over the last 24 hours. Over the past week, six cryptocurrencies have posted double-digit gains, while around two dozen have experienced significant losses. Crypto Asset Market Sees Varied Performance This week saw a mixed performance within the crypto…
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In a recent motion to dismiss a case brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), cryptocurrency exchange Kraken argued that the SEC’s legal theory misinterprets crucial aspects of the case. The court document, dated May 9, 2024, claims the SEC fails to identify legitimate investment contracts involved in the transactions on Kraken’s platform. Kraken…
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