Top stories

WSJ Said Tether Falsified Bank Records, Tether Denies Report

  Wall Street Journal reported Tether utilized fake documents and shell corporations to obtain banking access during a period when they were encountering obstacles in accessing the international banking system.  

Tether responded to the allegations in general by claiming "the Wall Street Journal’s report about stale allegations from long ago is wholly inaccurate and misleading"

Silvergate Delays SEC Financial Report, Growing List of Crypto Companies Cutting Silvergate Ties

Silvergate Bank has announced that it will delay the filing of its annual 10-K report, which has sent its stock price down over 30% after hours.

Various crypto businesses include Coinbase, Circle, Galaxy Digital, Gemini, Crypto.com, Bitstamp, MicroStrategy distance themselves from Silvergate. 

FTX Former Executive Nishad Singh Pleads Guilty to Criminal Charges

Nishad Singh, former engineering chief of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, pleaded guilty to fraud and several other criminal charges at a hearing on Tuesday related to the collapse of the company.

Coinbase to Delist Binance USD Stablecoin

Coinbase will suspend trading of Binance USD (BUSD) on March 13 at around noon EST. The crypto exchange said the decision was based on its most recent review of the stablecoin, which Paxos recently stopped issuing following an order from a New York regulator.

SEC Subpoenaed Robinhood Over Crypto Listings

Robinhood said it received an investigative subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) concerning various matters such as cryptocurrency listings, crypto custody practices, and platform operations.

Global regulations

SEC Chair Reasserts Every Crypto is a Security Aside From Bitcoin

Although crypto assets have yet to be officially classified, Gensler said “everything other than Bitcoin” is a security. In his opinion, the people behind all crypto projects and networks are furtively trying to lure investors into buying the tokens.

HSBC, Nationwide To Restrict Crypto Purchases With Credit Cards

HSBC Holdings and Nationwide Building Society in the United Kingdom have banned retail customers from purchasing cryptocurrency with credit cards. They are the latest in a growing line of banks in the UK to tighten restrictions on digital assets.

France Moves Ahead With Tighter Crypto Rules for New Entrants

French lawmakers have approved a set of stricter rules for crypto companies, which now only need the approval of President Emmanuel Macron to be signed into law.

EU Keeps Focus on NFTs in Latest Anti-Money Laundering Bill Draft

Policymakers in the European Parliament are negotiating changes to the text of an EU anti-money laundering bill to highlight that NFT platforms or other companies providing services related to NFTs are covered by the regulation.

Spanish Tax Agency Puts Crypto in Its Sights for Upcoming Tax Season

The Spanish tax agency has included crypto as part of its new guidelines for this year’s upcoming tax collection season. Apart from boosting the channels for voluntary tax applications, the agency will potentiate the investigation of cryptocurrency in digital payments, including potentially seizing cryptocurrency associated with tax debts and criminal activity. 

Crypto weekly price action

Research and technology

Runtime Environment and Smart Contract Security Modeling

We will explore how security changes based on different runtime models. In particular we will compare the runtime assumptions for EVM smart contracts and a similar set of assumptions for NEAR smart contracts. 

A Catalog of Technical Features in Popular ZKP Implementation Schemes

This article aims to provide an inventory of the technical features of various ZKP implementations to aid in your study, research, and engineering development.

Delving Into the Web3 Industry in Europe

This article aims to shed light on this mysterious veil by providing a brief overview of Web3’s growth in the Europe continent.

Protecting Yourself and Your Assets in the Metaverse

From choosing a secure platform to being aware of scams and using a secure wallet, there are several steps you can take to ensure your safety in the virtual world. By taking a proactive approach, you can enjoy the full potential of the metaverse with peace of mind.

Fundraising and investment

Republic Cancels $75 Million Metaverse Fund

In December of 2021, Republic launched a Test the Waters (TTW) Regulation A campaign to open it up to all investors. It was incredibly popular and maxed out the entire $75 million reservation max in a very short time. However, following SEC guidance and regulatory concerns, the TTW offering won’t be progressing.

Blockchain Founders Fund Raises $75M

Blockchain Founders Fund, a venture capital fund supporting the adoption of Web3 and blockchain technology, has announced the close of a $75 million fundraising round from companies such as Polygon, Ripple, Octava, NEO Global Capital, Appworks, GSR, LD Capital, Metavest Capital and others.

REALLY Announces $18 Million Seed Round

REALLY, an innovative platform bringing the sharing economy to mobile phone service founded by CEO Adam Lyons, announces its $18 million seed round led by Polychain, Floodgate founding partner Mike Maples Jr.–a repeat investor in Lyons' previous business ventures–and other strategic partners.  

Avalon Raises $13M To Build an Interoperable Digital Universe

The company is building a platform for games that could one day take advantage of the metaverse. It foresees an interoperable universe, tied together through technologies such as game engines and blockchain technology.

Few and Far Raises $10.5 Million in Funding

Few and Far, a leading Digital Collectibles web3 platform, has raised $10.5 million in a funding round led by Pantera Capital, the leading blockchain investment firm.The raise marks a significant milestone for Few and Far, which has been experiencing exponential growth since launch. 

Viral Quotes

"I used to be in crypto, but now I got interested in AI"

 — Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter

"Silvergate is a publicly traded crime scene and Alan Lane belongs in prison."

— Marc Cohodes, veteran short seller

"Since the beginning, I was saying that I don't trust in music NFTs, even if I'm a DJ, an artist, and a musician. We don’t want to make music NFTs mainstream, we want music NFTs to be rare, and the fact that we develop things that people desire or fight to get, excites me more."

— DJ Agoria, French electronic producer