The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will likely still go ahead with a decision on spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds this week despite opening an investigation into a recent hack of its social media account. The SEC’s X account was “compromised” on Jan. 9, leading to an unknown party using the account to post that spot…

Developers of Binance’s BNB Smart Chain want to merge the dual BNB Beacon Chain (BEP-2) and BNB Smart Chain (BEP-20) chain structures into a single blockchain. According to the Jan. 8 announcement, users are “strongly recommended” to transfer their BEP-2 and BEP-8 (mini BEP-2 tokens) to the BEP-20 chain, which will preserve assets on a 1:1…

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has begun accepting filings by exchanges in a step toward approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETF). 19b-4 amendments were filed for spot BTC ETF applications from asset managers BlackRock, Valkyrie, Grayscale, Bitwise, Hashdex, ARK 21Shares, Invesco Galaxy, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, VanEck and WisdomTree. Most companies have now also filed…

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is moving closer to its Bitcoin ETF decision deadline on Jan. 10, with the market hopeful about approval. This pivotal event could have wide-ranging implications on the crypto market, including the second-largest cryptocurrency, Ethereum. Ethereum ETF hopes Approving a Bitcoin ETF could set a regulatory precedent to ease the…

Mainnet basics A mainnet, short for “main network,” is the primary blockchain network where actual transactions occur, and the native cryptocurrency is used. It is not the same as testnets or experimental environments; instead, it is the product of development activities. The mainnet is distinguished by the use of its own cryptocurrency, a digital asset essential…

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reissued a warning about FOMO crypto investing — just days ahead of the anticipated approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds. In a Jan. 6 post to X (formerly Twitter), the SEC’s Office of Investor Education again warned retail investors of the risks associated with digital assets, including meme stocks,…

Asset manager Grayscale has rebalanced weights for three of its crypto funds, removing tokens such as Polygon while adding Avalanche and XRP, according to an announcement on Jan. 5. The new allocations are part of Grayscale quarterly review and impact its Digital Large Cap Fund (GDLC), DeFi Fund (DEFG), and Smart Contract Platform Ex-Ethereum Fund (GSCPxE Fund). According to…

The price of one whole Bitcoin can deter potential investors who are hesitant to buy only a fraction of the cryptocurrency due to unit bias psychology, which favors owning complete units, according to VanEck advisor Gabor Gurbacs. He suggests that Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETF) are a solution to this challenge. In a series of posts on…

Spain’s central bank, Banco de España, has chosen its collaborators a year after publishing an open call for partners to participate in central bank digital currency (CBDC) tests. On Jan. 3, the central bank published a resolution announcing its partnership with Cecabank, Abanca, and Adhara Blockchain. The pilot of the wholesale CBDC will take place in the…

Dennis M. Kelleher, CEO of nonprofit organization Better Markets, has urged the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to not approve a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). He argued that it goes against the core principles of the regulatory body. In a letter addressed to SEC secretary Vanessa Countryman on Jan. 5, Kelleher emphasized that if…