Author: Emma Davis

Article written by Emma Davis

Donald Trump appoints David Sacks as the US crypto czar

December 31, 2024 2 mins read

Donald Trump has recently appointed David Sacks as the US cryptocurrency czar, sparking talks about possible changes in regulations for digital assets. Sacks, a well-known tech entrepreneur who was PayPal’s first COO and started Yammer, is expected to help clarify and guide US cryptocurrency policies. Experts in the crypto industry, like Ryan Chow from Solv Protocol, are hopeful about his appointment. They believe Sacks will push for clearer rules that

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin donate $300K to support viral Hippo Moo Deng

December 29, 2024 1 min read

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has made headlines with his generous donation of 10 million Thai baht (approximately $300,000) to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. This contribution aims to enhance the zoo’s operations and establish a dedicated habitat for Moo Deng, a five-month-old pygmy hippo who has captured the hearts of many. Buterin’s announcement, shared on X, highlights his commitment to supporting Moo Deng as her “adoptive father”

BlackRock holds 430,770 shares of its spot Bitcoin ETF IBIT

December 29, 2024 1 min read

BlackRock has raised its stake in its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), IBIT, owning 430,770 shares worth more than $17 million as of October 31. This figure shows a big increase of 117% from the 198,874 shares reported on July 31 and is over ten times the 43,000 shares noted in the first quarter of the year. The IBIT is included in BlackRock’s Global Allocation Fund, which spreads investments across

Japan’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) cracks down on unregistered crypto exchanges

December 29, 2024 1 min read

Japan’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) will improve internal audit processes at financial institutions, especially for cryptocurrency exchanges. This plan seeks to close gaps in the industry and bring Japan’s rules in line with global standards. The FSA will hold a roundtable discussion with important stakeholders, including members from the Japan Cryptocurrency Exchange Association and other financial groups, to find ways to enhance internal audits in the financial sector. The action

Vitalik Buterin donates 88 ETH to adopt viral pygmy hippo Moo Deng

December 27, 2024 1 min read

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has gained attention for donating 88 ETH, worth about $292,000, to help Moo Deng, a pygmy hippo at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. Moo Deng became popular after her cute photos spread on social media, boosting the zoo’s visitor count and driving sales of merchandise with her image. Buterin expressed his excitement about the donation on X (formerly Twitter), showing pride in helping with

Montenegro’s court rejects Do Kwon’s extradition appeal

December 27, 2024 1 min read

Montenegro’s Constitutional Court has turned down Do Kwon’s appeal against extradition, a key moment in his legal fight. The court agreed to dismiss Kwon’s arguments, pointing out legal issues and supporting an earlier decision that allowed his extradition. Montenegro’s justice minister will decide if Kwon goes to the United States or South Korea, and it seems likely he will be sent to the US. Kwon is facing serious accusations related

Rumors of a presidential pardon for FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried spark outrage

December 24, 2024 1 min read

Sam Bankman-Fried, the ex-CEO of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is being talked about in relation to a possible presidential pardon after receiving a 25-year sentence for fraud and embezzlement. SBF was convicted in November 2023 on several charges. His case has sparked talks about how political ties can affect court decisions, especially because he donated a lot to the Democratic Party, including $5.2 million to pro-Biden super PACs during

Mantle Network announces its architectural transition to a zero-knowledge (ZK) validity rollup

December 23, 2024 1 min read

Mantle Network, an Ethereum Layer 2 solution, is making a big change to a zero-knowledge (ZK) validity rollup with help from Succinct, setting a new milestone in the blockchain world. This change in architecture seeks to improve the network’s ability to handle institutional-grade asset settlements, using its modular design and EigenLayer’s EigenDA for data availability. Since its mainnet launch on July 7, 2023, Mantle has rapidly ascended to become a

Injective partners with Sonic to create an AI agents hub

December 23, 2024 1 min read

Injective and Sonic, a game platform using the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), have teamed up to create the first cross-chain artificial intelligence (AI) agent platform. This new project will use Sonic’s HyperGrid technology to connect the Injective and Solana ecosystems, creating a Smart Agent Hub for developers. The Smart Agent Hub will use the Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol (IBC) to enable different blockchain networks to work together easily. Injective Labs highlights

German regulators have ordered Worldcoin to delete biometric user data over GDPR violations

December 21, 2024 2 mins read

The Bavarian State Office for Data Protection (BayLDA) has ordered World, formerly known as Worldcoin, to delete biometric data it gathered from users due to violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This order has sparked a legal battle, as World is appealing the decision. BayLDA claims that the World’s practices, especially its iris scans, did not have a strong legal basis and violated GDPR rules. The regulator has

MicroStrategy may halt Bitcoin purchases in January due to rumored blackout restrictions

December 20, 2024 1 min read

There are increasing thoughts that MicroStrategy might stop buying Bitcoin (BTC) in January because of a possible blackout period linked to issuing shares or convertible debt. Blackout periods are usually set by publicly traded companies to follow rules and keep ethical practices. Reports say that Executive Chairman Michael Saylor might have limits that could make it hard for him to issue convertible debt for Bitcoin purchases right now. Investors are

Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek meets Donald Trump to discuss pro-crypto policies

December 19, 2024 1 min read

Kris Marszalek, the CEO of Crypto.com, recently talked with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort about ways to support pro-cryptocurrency policies. The meeting highlighted the need to choose crypto-friendly people for important government roles and to change the current rules for the cryptocurrency industry. Crypto.com has dropped its lawsuit against the SEC, which it filed after receiving a Wells notice about possible enforcement action. This decision, made on