Bahamian regulator says it is holding $3.5 billion of FTX customer assets for ‘safekeeping’

    The Securities Commission of the Bahamas has been holding on to more than $3.5 billion worth of FTX customer assets since Nov. 12, according to a statement from the regulator released late on Dec. 29. Customer assets were drained from FTX due to a security breach after the crypto exchange filed for bankruptcy protection on…

    NFT marketplace OpenSea delisting Cuban artists over the US sanctions

    Leading NFT marketplace OpenSea is actively delisting Cuban artists and users to comply with US sanctions, Artnet News reported. While most blockchain technology is decentralized, large centralized platforms comply with international sanctions. The news came after the Twitter account of NFTcuba.ART shared a screenshot of an email explaining that an account had been “disabled due…

    FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in the Bahamas on the eve of congressional testify

    The Royal Bahamas Police Force arrested FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, following the US authorities filed criminal charges against him. The Bahamas intends to extradite Bankman-Fried after US officials request it. Meanwhile, the “surprising” arrest comes just a day before a scheduled hearing before the US House Financial Services Committee hearing on the FTX collapse, “disappointing”…

    POLITICO: The Middle East’s crypto paradox

    The Middle East, where crypto use is growing fastest, offers the starkest contrasts between cryptocurrency’s origins as anti-government money and the growing desire of governments to use the technology to modernize markets and monitor financial activity – writes Ben Schreckinger on POLITICO. At high-powered business gatherings this week, government officials and executives here highlighted their…

    FTX files for bankruptcy protection, and its CEO Bankman-Fried steps down

    On Nov. 11, the crypto exchange FTX filed for bankruptcy protection in the US, the Bahamas-based company said. Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing attributed to Alameda Research estimates the company has $10 billion to $50 billion in liabilities. Also, FTX CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried resigned from his role. FTX Group, which includes FTX.com and FTX…

    Central Bank of Russia promotes crypto as means to ease the sanctioned economy

    According to a new report on its priorities, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) is working on integrating crypto assets into the local financial system. The CBR is also working on the digital ruble, a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The CBR released a report on digital assets and crypto regulation, focusing on integrating them…