NewsBriefs - Starkware tests op_cat possibilities on bitcoin's signet network

Jul 17, 5:00 PM Coindesk

Starkware tests op_cat possibilities on bitcoin's signet network

StarkWare demonstrated potential OP_CAT capabilities on Bitcoin's Signet testing environment. The project showcased zero-knowledge proofs on Bitcoin, hinting at Ethereum-like smart contract functionality. OP_CAT, a proposed Bitcoin upgrade, aims to enhance programmability but still requires consensus for adoption. StarkWare supports OP_CAT for its potential benefits to the Bitcoin and broader blockchain ecosystem.

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• Dec 26, 5:01 PM The Block

  Wintermute analyst predicts increased corporate investment in crypto by 2025

  Wintermute analyst Jake Ostrovskis forecasts a significant rise in corporates, including SMEs, incorporating Bitcoin into their balance sheets by 2025, following the example set by MicroStrategy. Companies like Mara and Riot are also engaging in similar finance strategies, leveraging assets to expand their Bitcoin holdings. This trend, termed the MicroStrategy strategy, aims to enhance balance sheets and boost stock values, and may extend to other cryptos like Ether.

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• Dec 26, 5:15 AM Cointelegraph

  Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu's X account hacked to promote fake token

  Yat Siu, co-founder of Animoca Brands, had his X account hacked, promoting a non-existent token linked to a phishing scheme likely by the same threat actor responsible for similar recent hacks. The fraudulent token named MOCA mimicked the company's name and affiliated NFT collection. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT linked this incident to other recent crypto-focused X account hacks, indicating ongoing social engineering and phishing tactics to compromise these accounts.

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• Dec 25, 5:35 AM Cointelegraph

  BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF records historic $188M single-day outflow

  BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF experienced a record outflow of $188.7 million on December 24, marking the largest single-day withdrawal in its history and surpassing previous records. Concurrently, all US-based spot Bitcoin ETFs reported cumulative outflows of $338.4 million on the same day, reaching a total outflow of $1.52 billion over four days. In contrast, US spot Ether ETFs saw rising inflows, adding $53.6 million on December 24, following a $130.8 million input the previous day.

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• Dec 25, 4:22 AM Cointelegraph

  CoinGecko reports memecoins dominate crypto investor interest in 2024

  In 2024, memecoins emerged as the most prevailing narrative in the crypto space, capturing about 31% of investor interest, according to a CoinGecko study. This marked a significant shift toward speculative investments in the crypto market. The study noted a particular increase in traffic for memecoin categories on CoinGecko’s platform, with top tokens like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu leading the market caps among these tokens.

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• Dec 24, 6:29 PM The Block

  US Bitcoin ETFs experience $1.2 billion outflow over three days, largest since Trump's election

  US-based spot Bitcoin ETFs have experienced significant outflows, totaling nearly $1.2 billion over three days, marking the longest outflow streak since the re-election period of former President Donald Trump. This streak resulted in a $10.7 billion decrease in the total value of these funds. Despite these outflows, the overall value of the funds ended slightly higher than at the beginning of December. While most funds saw continuous outflows, some like BlackRock's IBIT reported less significant losses. Concurrently, Ethereum ETFs saw minor net outflows but remained relatively stable in value.

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• Dec 24, 12:09 PM CoinDesk

  SOL exhibits bullish throwback pattern, offers new entry points for traders

  Solana's SOL token has demonstrated a bullish throwback pattern, providing a second chance for breakout traders. After surging over 7% to $193 and breaking out of a descending channel established from March to October, SOL retested the breakout point at $260, retracing briefly before climbing again. This pattern, recognized for offering low-risk entry points following a price breakout and retracement, is popular with traders aiming to capitalize on the ongoing upward trend.

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• Dec 24, 3:34 AM The Block

  MicroStrategy proposes massive share increase to fund future Bitcoin purchases

  MicroStrategy has proposed increasing its Class A common stock from 330 million to 10.33 billion shares and preferred stock from 5 million to 1.005 billion to fund its '21/21' plan. This plan aims to leverage $42 billion in equity and fixed-income instruments to support further bitcoin acquisitions. This move aligns with their ongoing strategy to enhance bitcoin holdings as a primary treasury asset. Additionally, the company recently expanded its board and announced a new equity incentive plan.

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• Dec 23, 8:22 PM The Block

  Robinhood CEO states no plans to hold Bitcoin as investment

  Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev clarified that while the topic of holding Bitcoin surfaces periodically, there are no plans for the trading platform to hold BTC for investment purposes. Despite a growing interest in crypto, Robinhood will continue holding coins only to facilitate client trades, not as part of an investment strategy. Tenev expressed concerns that holding bitcoin might complicate investor perceptions, potentially categorizing Robinhood as a bitcoin-centric company.

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• Dec 23, 3:29 PM Cointelegraph

  La Rosa Holdings introduces Bitcoin payments for real estate commissions

  La Rosa Holdings (LRHC), a Nasdaq-listed company, announced that its network of over 3,000 real estate agents across the US can now receive commissions in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. This move caters to the growing demand for digital asset payment options. The company, experiencing a notable revenue increase, will charge a 2% fee for crypto payments and believes this service could open new revenue streams.

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• Dec 23, 9:45 AM CoinDesk

  HyperLiquid experiences record $60M USDC outflow amid North Korean hacking fears

  HyperLiquid, a leading layer-1 blockchain and decentralized exchange for perpetual futures, reported a record $60 million in USDC outflows following concerns of potential North Korean hacking activity. USDC, crucial for collateral on the platform, saw significant movement as addresses linked to the North Korean hackers implied a possible reconnaissance effort to understand the platform better and prepare for a potential attack. HyperLiquid remains a dominant force in on-chain perpetual futures trading and recently introduced its token HYPE, which has seen substantial growth.

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• Dec 23, 5:05 AM Cointelegraph

  Metaplanet makes largest Bitcoin purchase of 620 BTC amid market dip

  Japanese investment firm Metaplanet has made a record purchase of 619.7 Bitcoin (BTC), valued at approximately $60 million, as the crypto trades below its peak. This acquisition is Metaplanet's largest single transaction, nearly four times the value of its previous high, and marks the company as a significant player in the crypto space, akin to Asia's version of MicroStrategy. With this purchase, Metaplanet's total Bitcoin holdings now stand at 1,762 BTC, worth around $168 million, positioning it as the twelfth largest among public companies holding Bitcoin.

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• Dec 22, 11:59 PM Cointelegraph

  Donald Trump appoints Bo Hines as executive director of his crypto council

  Donald Trump has named Bo Hines, a former US House Republican candidate, as the executive director of his Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets, also known as the Crypto Council. Hines will collaborate with David Sacks, the council's appointed leader, to promote growth and innovation in the crypto sector, ensuring resources are available for industry leaders.

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• Dec 22, 12:31 AM The Block

  Interpol issues Red Notice for Hex founder Richard Heart on charges of tax evasion and assault

  Interpol has issued a Red Notice for Hex and PulseChain founder Richard Heart, legally known as Richard James Schueler, on behalf of Finland. Heart faces charges of gross tax evasion worth hundreds of millions of euros and a violent assault on a 16-year-old. Additionally, Europol lists him among its most wanted criminals, detailing the allegations. Meanwhile, Heart has publicly responded to the Red Notice, expressing indifference and focusing on his ongoing crypto projects.

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• Dec 21, 9:34 PM The Block

  Microstrategy expands board with former Binance.US CEO Brian Brooks and two others

  Microstrategy has appointed three new members to its board of directors, including Brian Brooks, former CEO of Binance.US, Jane Dietze, chief investment officer at Brown University, and Gregg Winiarski, chief legal officer at Fanatics. The appointments come as Microstrategy prepares to join the Nasdaq 100 and follows its recent acquisition of $1.5 billion in bitcoin, increasing its holdings to 439,000 BTC.

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• Dec 21, 12:16 PM Cointelegraph

  Trust Wallet resolves issue causing fluctuating token balances

  Trust Wallet addressed a glitch that resulted in users' token balances intermittently disappearing, leading to alarm among its users. Although the problem impacted balances, including BNB and TWT tokens, Trust Wallet ensured users their funds were secure and successfully fixed the issue by the morning of the same day.

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