Breaking crypto news from the last week (Mar. 26 – Apr. 1, 2022):
Mar. 26: Starting in early April, crypto exchange Coinbase Global will require its customers in Canada, Japan and Singapore who send cryptocurrency to non-Coinbase wallets to provide the name, address and, in the case of Japan, the destination wallet of the recipient.
Mar. 27: Larry Fink, the chief executive of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager with around $10 trillion in assets under management, has said his company is “studying” digital currencies due to growing client demand. Meantime, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies continued to rise, while bank analysts suggest the Russian war in Ukraine could create a new world financial order, boosting the prices of crypto.
Mar. 28: Crypto exchange Bybit announced an opening of its global headquarters in Dubai, while crypto platform Crypto.com said it would establish a regional hub there. These moves drive the UAE drive to become a global center for the crypto sector.
Mar. 29: Ronin Network, an Ethereum-based sidechain created by Axie Infinity developer Sky Mavis to support its popular NFT-based game, was exploited by an unknown hacker and lost roughly $625 million worth of crypto. It may be the largest exploit in DeFi history.
Mar. 30: BitOasis, a Middle East-focused crypto exchange based in the UAE, has received provisional approval from Dubai’s new crypto regulator (VARA), while the UAE pushes to become a global hub for the virtual asset sector.
Mar. 31: European Union lawmakers voted in favor of controversial measures to outlaw anonymous crypto transactions, a move the industry said would stifle innovation and invade privacy. Coinbase, Gemini, and other companies denounced the EU’s anti-money-laundering requirements.
Apr. 1: The 19th millionth Bitcoin (BTC) was mined on April 1, a landmark occasion for the world’s first and biggest cryptocurrency. Yet 2 million Bitcoin to be mined until about the year 2140. Meanwhile, Bitcoin network difficulty reached a new all-time high.