#cryptocurrency

The recent debut of PayPal's stablecoin, PYUSD, has drawn concern from Congresswoman Maxine Waters. She criticized PayPal's entry into the cryptocurrency market without a defined federal regulatory structure. Highlighting PayPal's vast clientele, which outnumbers the combined accounts of major banks, Waters stressed the pivotal role of federal oversight in crypto dealings: "As I’ve said for more than a year, without legislation on the books that establishes clear and strong consumer protections at the Federal level, consumers are at greater risk of harm at the hands of bad actors."

Arkham Intel Exchange has launched a new search, offering 100,000 ARKM to anyone who can provide crucial details about the culprit behind the last year’s exploit. The FTX hack occurred in November 2022, resulting in an approximate loss of $415 million in cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency exchange FTX is making a court appeal to have FTX Dubai removed from bankruptcy proceedings, asserting that this division had not been in active operation before the official declaration of insolvency was lodged. The legal plea also indicates that the division possesses assets totalling about $4.5 million, spread across multiple accounts. Notably, a substantial portion of these funds is held as collateral for the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority of Dubai.

"Simply put, no. Bitcoin raises concerns among both local and European regulators. Our primary business demands our focus, and it wouldn't be rational to jeopardize it by engaging with a high-risk asset like Bitcoin," says Mykhailo Rohalskyi. He believes that cryptocurrency lacks advantages over fiat money, apart from the potential to sidestep local currency regulations. Speaking on Ukraine's crypto landscape, the Monobank co-founder added: "I'm skeptical about the widespread acceptance of cryptocurrencies in our country. The approach of the National Bank of Ukraine to crypto regulation remains uncertain."

The purpose of this program is to impose restrictions on certain cryptocurrency-related activities and create a more level playing field for banks involved in serving the digital asset industry. It which aims to ensure consistency in crypto-related regulations for all banks under Federal Reserve supervision. The activities that fall under the purview include custody, lending, trading, issuance, and distribution of crypto, including stablecoins.

The cryptocurrency exchange OPNX has tabled an offer to take over crypto lender Hodlnaut, which is undergoing a restructuring plan under the supervision of a Singapore court. OPNX offered $30 million in FLEX to partially offset the creditors’ losses and cover their claims. If the bid is approved by the court and accepted by creditors, OPNX will own a 75% stake in Hodlnaut.

The decision is driven by the challenging regulatory situation. American clients will be able to purchase cryptocurrency until September 2nd, with a selling prohibition coming into force from October 2nd. Following this, the crypto platform will become completely inaccessible to American users, putting a stop to all digital asset operations, including holding.

Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, a husband and wife duo of crypto hackers, have pleaded guilty to federal money laundering conspiracy charges related to the 2016 hack of the cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex. Their guilty plea comes after a year and a half since their arrest and charges in February 2022 and seven years after the initial hack. According to the government’s allegations, Lichtenstein hacked into Bitfinex and stole 119,754 bitcoins, which were valued at $72 million at the time and are now worth approximately $3.5 billion, for his personal benefit.

Representing Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate, she's forcefully advocating for immediate steps to plug the gaps in cryptocurrency tax provisions, gaps that are believed to be worth roughly $50 billion. Warren's argument rests on the Infrastructure Investment Act, which is set to take effect on January 1, 2024. Still, disappointingly, no preliminary guidance has been put forth by the Department of Treasury on this concern.