Starknet token distribution not yet finalized despite speculation over portal screenshots

    The Starknet Foundation has moved quickly to quash speculation around screenshots of early iterations of a distribution portal for the upcoming launch of its native STRK ecosystem token. Information shared with Cointelegraph ahead of an announcement on X (formerly Twitter) outlined that the foundation is still developing plans to distribute the token to certain users,…

    Bitcoin ETF will drive 165% BTC price gain in 2024 — Standard Chartered

    Bitcoin may hit $100,000 in one year’s time thanks to “earlier than expected” exchange-traded funds (ETF) launching, says Standard Chartered. In a research note issued on Nov. 28 quoted by sources including Business Insider, the banking giant doubled down on its bullish BTC price targets. Standard Chartered still expects six-figure BTC price Bitcoin is in line to trade…

    OPNX token spikes 50% after Su Zhu unexpectedly posts a ‘gm’ on Twitter

    Open Exchange Token (OX), the native token of the crypto bankruptcy claims platform OPNX, spiked 50% just 20 minutes after co-founder Su Zhu supposedly posted to X (Twitter) for the first time since his arrest. On Dec. 1, Su posted a simple “gm” — an abbreviation for “good morning” — marking his first X post…

    Australia’s confusing new crypto tax guidance is ‘toilet paper,’ says law firm

    Australia’s controversial new guidelines for cryptocurrency taxation should be ignored for being unclear and should probably be seen as “toilet paper,” according to an Australian law firm. On Nov. 9, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) released guidance that could impact how investors and traders involved in decentralized finance report their taxes. In a Nov. 27…

    Layer-2 network to launch a decentralized sequencer pool

    In their quest for scalability and cost-effectiveness, many layer-2 networks adopt a centralized approach to on-chain transaction processing, introducing a single point of failure vulnerability. The Metis blockchain, however, has pioneered a distributed sequencer pool to improve security and decentralization. The Ethereum blockchain introduced smart contracts to automate certain events on the network, laying the foundation of decentralized finance (DeFi)….

    Bitcoin ETF race gets 13th entrant, BlackRock revises ETF model

    Swiss asset manager Pando Asset has become an unexpected late entrant into the spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) race in the United States. On the same day, investment giant BlackRock met with the country’s securities regulator to pitch an updated ETF model based on the agency’s feedback. On Nov. 29, Pando submitted a Form S-1 to the Securities…

    Futures will be the best crypto game in town even after a Bitcoin spot ETF

    The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has long been the home of crypto for traditional finance investors, and this is unlikely to change — even with the approval of a Bitcoin spot ETF. Activity on the CME has expanded significantly over the past 12 months. The CME now sees more Bitcoin futures trading than the world’s biggest crypto exchange,…

    eToro, M2 win ADGM crypto licenses to operate in UAE financial center

    Crypto investment platforms eToro and M2 received various degrees of approval to offer their services in the United Arab Emirates from the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority, which oversees the UAE’s international financial center, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). EToro received approval for a Financial Services Permission (FSP) that allows a provider to operate as…

    Nic Carter, other pro-Bitcoiners fight climate impact narrative in new paper

    Bitcoin mining is a “critical tool” for clean energy and balancing the grid, according to a new working paper penned by Bitcoin advocates and the former president of ERCOT, the operator of Texas’ electrical grid. The Nov. 22 paper titled “Leveraging Bitcoin Miners as Flexible Load Resources for Power System Stability and Efficiency” argued that Bitcoin mining’s…

    Standard Chartered joins China’s CBDC pilot testing

    British multinational bank Standard Chartered will partake in trials of China’s digital yuan central bank digital currency (CBDC), the e-CNY, one of the first foreign banks to do so in the country. According to the Nov. 27 announcement, Standard Chartered, through its partner City Bank Clearing Services Co, will allow its clients to purchase, exchange and…