NewsBriefs - ECB releases second progress report on digital euro project

Dec 2, 2:59 PM The Block

ECB releases second progress report on digital euro project

The European Central Bank (ECB) has published its second progress report on the digital euro, detailing advances in the development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) framework and a unified digital payment system in the euro area. The report discusses updates to the digital euro scheme rulebook, efforts to harmonize CBDC payments, and the selection of potential providers for digital euro components. The ECB is also conducting user research and forming innovation partnerships to explore conditional digital euro payments, with key findings expected by mid-2025.

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• Dec 2, 2:59 PM The Block

  ECB releases second progress report on digital euro project

  The European Central Bank (ECB) has published its second progress report on the digital euro, detailing advances in the development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) framework and a unified digital payment system in the euro area. The report discusses updates to the digital euro scheme rulebook, efforts to harmonize CBDC payments, and the selection of potential providers for digital euro components. The ECB is also conducting user research and forming innovation partnerships to explore conditional digital euro payments, with key findings expected by mid-2025.

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• Dec 2, 1:46 PM The Block

  MARA Holdings announces $700 million note offering to buy more Bitcoin

  MARA Holdings plans to issue $700 million in zero coupon convertible senior notes due in 2031, primarily aimed at qualified institutional investors. The funds raised will be used to repurchase existing convertible notes and acquire additional Bitcoin. With this offering, the company may also give initial purchasers an option for up to $105 million more in notes. Up to $50 million of the net proceeds will be used for repurchasing part of its current notes, with the rest earmarked for expanding Bitcoin holdings and general corporate purposes.

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• Dec 2, 3:49 AM Cointelegraph

  Japan exchange DMM Bitcoin set to liquidate following $320 million hack

  Japanese crypto exchange DMM Bitcoin plans to liquidate due to a $320 million loss from a private key hack in May. The exchange will cease operations and transfer customer assets to SBI VC Trade by March following the incident that led to the theft of over 4,500 Bitcoin. Attempts to recover the lost funds have been unsuccessful, prompting the shutdown of the exchange.

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• Dec 1, 8:30 AM Publications Office of the European Union

  European Commission sees potential in public permissionless blockchains—report

  A report by the European Union examines the potential integration of permissionless blockchains into traditional finance. Authored by Fabian Schär, the paper advocates for considering permissionless systems within financial market infrastructures while proposing a cautious adoption approach. The report details the benefits such as enhanced neutrality and competition, the possibility of improved interoperability through smart contracts, and addresses challenges including scalability and governance issues. It also suggests that initial experimentation with financial services on public permissionless blockchains could start with layer 2 networks, which offer more scalability and control.

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• Nov 29, 5:50 AM Cointelegraph

  Coinbase ends USDC yield program in Europe amid MiCA compliance crackdown

  Coinbase is ending its yield program for the dollar-pegged stablecoin USDC in the European Economic Area by December 1, due to the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations, which prohibit offering interest on stablecoins. This regulatory change impacts crypto firms operating within the EU, requiring strict compliance by December 30, 2024. This development follows broader changes in the European stablecoin market, with Tether recently dropping its euro-pegged token due to regulatory challenges, while new entrants like Schuman Financial are launching euro-pegged stablecoins to fill the gap.

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• Nov 29, 4:39 AM The Block

  Taiwan to implement new anti-money laundering rules for crypto providers on Nov. 30

  Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is set to introduce new anti-money laundering (AML) regulations for crypto service providers on November 30, advancing the original schedule by one month. The rules mandate AML compliance registration for both local and overseas virtual asset service providers (VASPs), with penalties for non-compliance including imprisonment and substantial fines. The move forms part of a broader initiative to enhance fraud prevention and regulatory oversight in the crypto sector.

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• Nov 28, 9:17 PM Cointelegraph

  SecondLane lists Pump.fun's $15 million equity stake at $1.5 billion FDV

  SecondLane has listed a 1% equity stake in the memecoin platform Pump.fun for $15 million, valuing the company at $1.5 billion on its trading platform. Pump.fun, which primarily operates on the Solana blockchain, has not yet released a native token but has revealed future plans for one, alongside an upgraded trading terminal named 'Pump Advance.' Despite the lack of a native token, Pump.fun serves as a significant memecoin exchange, boasting $86 million in fee revenue over the past month.

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• Nov 28, 12:02 PM Cryptoslate

  XT Exchange suspends coin withdrawals following $1.7 million theft

  XT Exchange has halted all coin withdrawals after confirming an abnormal transfer of assets worth approximately $1 million across 12 currencies from its platform, reportedly exchanged by an attacker for 461.58 ETH valued at $1.66 million. The Seychelles-based exchange, which manages substantial reserves and maintains high trading volumes, reassured users that their assets are secure and announced plans to implement the Merkel Tree Asset Proof System for enhanced security by mid-December.

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• Nov 28, 6:33 AM The Block

  Hyperliquid to launch its HYPE token in genesis event on Nov. 29

  Hyperliquid, a decentralized trading platform, will launch its native token, HYPE, during a genesis event on Nov. 29 at 07:30 UTC. The introduction of HYPE will enable key functionalities within its platform, which includes staking and securing the HyperBFT consensus mechanism. HYPE will also be used as the primary asset in Hyperliquid's decentralized exchange and as the native gas token for the HyperEVM. This event marks a significant development as the platform, one of the largest in trading volume, operated without a native token previously.

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• Nov 28, 6:17 AM The Block

  Russia's Federation Council approves crypto taxation bill, awaits Putin's signature

  Russia's Federation Council has passed a bill for taxing crypto transactions and mining, exempting crypto transactions from value-added tax and aligning tax rates for crypto income with those for securities transactions. The bill, which considers digital currency as property, now requires President Vladimir Putin's signature to become law. It mandates crypto miners to report client data to tax authorities and taxes mining income based on market value at receipt.

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• Nov 27, 5:53 PM Cointelegraph

  Ether surpasses $3,500 mark amid record futures interest surge

  Ether (ETH) saw a significant 15% price increase from November 20 to November 27, reaching nearly $3,500, coinciding with a surge in Ether futures open interest to a record $22 billion. This growth is attributed not only to bullish sentiment but also to various trading strategies, including hedging and neutral positioning by institutional investors. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) now holds $2.5 billion of the ETH futures open interest, indicating heightened institutional participation. Despite the increase in open interest and price, the demand for leveraged long positions among retail investors remains low, as evidenced by the neutral perpetual futures funding rate.

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• Nov 27, 3:31 PM The Block

  Ethereum, Cardano, and Solana see gains as capital shifts from Bitcoin, QCP Capital reports

  Capital is shifting from Bitcoin to alternative crypto tokens, notably Ethereum, Cardano, and Solana, according to QCP Capital analysts. This shift is reflected in a 13% increase in the ETH/BTC ratio and corresponding gains of 5%, 9%, and 4% in these tokens respectively over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Bitcoin saw a smaller rise of 1.5%. The move highlights a changing market sentiment where funds are rotating into altcoins from Bitcoin.

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• Nov 26, 5:55 PM The Block

  Kraken to shut down its NFT marketplace to focus on new projects

  Kraken, a major crypto exchange, is closing its NFT marketplace to reallocate resources to new and undeveloped projects. The marketplace will stop operations on Feb. 27, 2025, after ceasing all listing, bidding, and selling activities on Nov. 27, 2024. Users have been instructed to transfer their NFTs to their Kraken Wallet or another preferred self-custodial wallet.

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• Nov 26, 2:00 PM Saturn

  Saturn rolls out first Bitcoin-based AMM on testnet

  Saturn, a peer-to-peer order book built on the Bitcoin network, has introduced the first Bitcoin-based automated market maker (AMM) on testnet, allowing users to experience swaps and liquidity positions directly on Bitcoin's base layer at high speeds. Users must use the Unisat wallet and switch settings to Testnet4 and Taproot (P2TR) address type to participate. The launch promises the same functionalities and speeds as the upcoming mainnet release.

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• Nov 26, 10:57 AM Cointelegraph

  Telegram's crypto holdings exceed $1.3 billion in first half of 2024

  Telegram's crypto holdings have increased significantly from $400 million at the end of 2023 to $1.3 billion in the first half of 2024. This increase is attributed to profits from selling TON tokens and a specific business deal. The instant messaging platform also saw a substantial revenue increase, with $525 million generated in the same period, indicating a 190% increase relative to the previous year. The company's financial stability is also bolstered through extensive holdings of TON tokens amid market fluctuations.

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