Coinbold Crypto News

The ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO), the first-ever Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States, has broken records, now securing almost $1.5 billion in Bitcoin futures contracts. This returns it to its highest exactly two years ago on December 21 - two months after its launch. SEE: BITO's AUM history since initiation, credit to YCharts This milestone underscores the escalating interest among institutional investors seeking exposure to Bitcoin, particularly with the anticipation of a potential approval for a bitcoin spot ETF by January. BITO's current achievement follows its earlier record of $1.44 billion on November 10, 2021, a mere three weeks post its launch. The landmark coincided with Bitcoin reaching an all-time high of $69,000. The recent record of $1.47 billion was set on Tuesday, aligning with Bitcoin's surge to a new yearly high of $38,300. Since its inception, BITO has maintained an average daily trading volume of $160 million, placing it a...

In a recent trial at the People's Court in Minhang District, Shanghai, a case involving digital collectibles surfaced, shedding light on a deceptive fundraising scheme. Unaware bidders, lured into impulsive investments, found themselves unwitting participants in a pyramid scheme. Investigations revealed that the platform in question absorbed over 1.34 million yuan from thousands of users, resulting in a total loss of more than 410,000 yuan for the victims. The saga began in June 2022 when Zhang and Liu established the "Tonggu Platform," packaging low-cost or freely downloadable images as digital collectibles using blockchain technology for sale. Using channels such as WeChat public accounts and groups, they promoted these digital collectibles, falsely guaranteeing regular repurchases at twice the price, platform dividends, and exclusive membership rights like priority land acquisition in the metaverse. The platform introduced peculiar rules—buying specific digital colle...

An accusatory finger has been pointed at the decentralised Bitcoin mining venture OCEAN, linked to former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. An unnamed developer, identified only as Leonidas, has publicly accused OCEAN of engaging in the censorship of transactions related to Bitcoin Ordinals. Leonidas, chose the X (formerly known as Twitter) as the platform to air grievances against OCEAN, raising concerns over the purported interference with Ordinals transactions. OCEAN, which aspires to revolutionise Bitcoin mining with a commitment to transparency and fairness, now finds its principles challenged by allegations of transaction censorship. Despite these allegations, neither OCEAN nor Jack Dorsey has issued an official response. Leonidas' post has also been met with some level of cynicism: Mummolin, the parent company steering the ship for decentralised Bitcoin mining pool OCEAN, previously concluded a $6.2 million seed funding round. Led by Jack Dorsey, the funding also saw participation ...

In a recent statement posted on Circle's blog on 30 November , the USD Coin stablecoin issuer refuted claims of illicit financing and connections to Tron founder Justin Sun. The denial comes in response to allegations from the nonprofit watchdog group, Campaign for Accountability, accusing Circle of having ties to Sun. The open letter, addressed to U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown, and signed by Circle's chief strategy officer Dante Disparte , disputes recent claims made by the Campaign for Accountability. Disputing Allegations and Unverified Claims Disparte clarifies that Circle neither facilitates nor finances illicit activities, including any association with Hamas. As written on Circle's blog: "First, Circle has long made combating illicit finance activities – including the use of currency in any form to fund terrorism – a guiding principle of our business. Moreover, Circle has always been an active partner of regulators and law enforcement in th...

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has voiced frustration over SEC charges, expressing how his company has provided clarity but faces difficulty with the commission. Despite over 30 meetings in the past 18 months to gain regulatory clarity, Coinbase was charged in June for operating an unregistered securities exchange. Armstrong, in an interview, highlighted the extensive efforts made by Coinbase to defend its stance, seeking guidance on crypto assets' classification. The ongoing tension is described as a "turf war" between the SEC and CFTC, causing regulatory confusion. When comparing with the United States, Armstrong finds the United Kingdom more crypto-friendly. He said: "Everybody has really said that they want the UK to be a crypto and Web3 hub." Armstrong once called out the U.S. government to establish a clearer regulatory framework for crypto in an interview with CNBC: Regulatory Turf War Challenges Compliance A regulatory dispute between the SEC and Coinba...

The decentralised oracle network Chainlink ($LINK) recently witnessed a record surge in whale transactions, with over 2,600 transactions exceeding $100,000 each. This spike, the largest observed this year, aligns with the impending release of Chainlink Staking v0.2. Cryptocurrency analyst Ali Martinez noted the significant uptick in substantial transactions on Chainlink. IntoTheBlock's data corroborates this, indicating that these spikes often signal an upcoming increase in LINK's value. $LINK witnessed its largest spike in whale transactions for the year, with over 2,600 transactions exceeding $100,000 each! Chainlink's native token has experienced a 30% rise over the past month and a notable 160% increase this year. This growth parallels a broader recovery in the cryptocurrency market, highlighted by Bitcoin's impressive 130% year-to-date ascent. Alongside these whale transactions, Chainlink's daily transactions have soared by 430% from their monthly low. Major...

In a trailblazing move, Binance, the largest global cryptocurrency exchange, has successfully executed the first-ever cryptocurrency triparty arrangement, collaborating with a third-party banking entity. This groundbreaking solution offers institutional investors a secure, off-exchange storage option for their trading collateral through a reputed bank. This novel arrangement launches a series of pilot projects by Binance, making it unique in providing such an offering in the crypto exchange domain. It replicates a familiar framework from traditional finance, addressing institutional investors' concerns about counter-party risk. Investors can now judiciously distribute their crypto assets, balancing risk with the option of holding fiat equivalents like Treasury Bills as collateral, which also serve as yielding assets. Catherine Chen, Binance's Head of VIP and Institutional, highlighted the industry's ongoing institutional concerns regarding counterparty risk. Chen elaborat...

Sequence has today introduced Sequence Builder , a no-code platform aimed at simplifying and enhancing web3 game development. The platform offers a no-code solution, purportedly without compromising on the quality of game development. Web3 game creation has historically presented difficulties, including suboptimal player experiences, fragmented tools, and intricate implementations. Sequence Builder is built to address a particular pain point - eliminating the need for developers to make trade-offs between integrating web3 elements and focusing on game design. Sequence Builder will provide developers with a unified interface for integrating various web3 components into their games. This includes features such as invisible web3 wallets, smart contract management, digital collection launches, in-game marketplaces, transaction batching, gas sponsorship, blockchain data, node services, and player analytics. The goal is for a seamless experience for the user, without them having the need ...

Animoca Brands Japan and Quidd have teamed up, promising a groundbreaking fusion of anime and manga with Web3. This collaboration signifies a leap towards merging Japanese intellectual properties (IPs) with the digital collectible market, offering a distinctive mix of culture, technology, and fan involvement. In a move to resonate with anime and manga enthusiasts globally, Animoca Brands Japan partners with Quidd, a leading digital collectibles and NFT marketplace. This initiative seeks to bridge Japanese IPs with the Western market, enabling fans to possess digital collectibles of their beloved anime and manga characters. Quidd's CEO, Michael Bramlage, underscores the surging global demand for anime and manga content. This partnership aims to redefine how fans collect, providing a range of digital art, decor, and memorabilia, including NFTs, to cater to the diverse preferences of fans worldwide. Animoca Brands Japan introduces collectible content on Quidd’s platform, reaching ei...

The Phillippines has initiated the block of Binance in the country. The ban will take in effect within three months, and the Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reported a request towards Google and Meta to block any Binance advertising within the country. This comes after the Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) previously warned citizens about Binance's unauthorised operations. Binance, currently under global scrutiny, lacks necessary licenses in the Philippines, which places sixth in the Global Crypto Adoption Index this year. The advisory cautions against unregistered entities such as Binance, and emphasises on potential criminal liabilities for promoting Binance. In addition, those who act as salesmen, brokers, dealers or agents, representatives, promoters, recruiters, influencers, endorsers, and enablers of the BINANCE platform in selling or convincing people to invest in this platform within the Philippines, even through online means,...

Stability.ai, a pioneering open-source AI company established in 2019, has recently announced its latest breakthrough – the Stable Video Diffusion AI model. This innovation marks a significant leap in AI capabilities, enabling the transformation of still images into captivating animations. Similar to its predecessor, the Stable Diffusion image model, this new offering has been made available through Stability.ai’s Github repository for research preview. The crux of Stable Video Diffusion lies in its ability to generate animated sequences based on uploaded still images. Leveraging the image's content, the AI model crafts a video by creating 25 frames, culminating in a brief animation. Moreover, users have the flexibility to produce 14-frame videos. However, the resultant animation's resolution, maxing out at 576x1024, hinges upon the uploaded image's size. Stability.ai claims superiority for Stable Video Diffusion over rival AI models, citing a study accompanying its relea...

Wormhole, a trailblazing messaging protocol facilitating blockchain cross-communication, has hit a new high in the crypto sphere, amassing $225 million in its latest fundraising. This financial feat skyrockets the project's valuation to a staggering $2.5 billion. The fund, collected from an array of top-tier backers like Brevan Howard and Coinbase Ventures, marks 2023's most substantial raise for a crypto project. Wormhole's journey, initially nurtured under Jump Crypto's wing, now takes a pivotal turn with the unveiling of Wormhole Labs. Wormhole's funding venture, unique in its approach, involves giving its investors token warrants instead of traditional equity. These warrants grant rights to Wormhole's future cryptocurrency, details of which remain under wraps. The establishment of Wormhole Labs heralds a new chapter, focusing on the protocol's growth and distancing from Jump Crypto. This shift comes as Jump Crypto reevaluates its scale of operations am...

Pizza Hut and Spark Foundry have clinched the esteemed title of Best Brand Experience of the Year at The Drum Awards for Metaverse. This recognition stems from their exceptional collaboration with End of the World Pizza (EOWP), delving into the Metaverse with an innovative approach. Pizza Hut ventured into the Metaverse and Web3 domain through an inventive collaboration with EOWP. The core objective? Creating a meaningful presence while leveraging existing Web3 culture, all while engaging Web3 enthusiasts. Rather than merely establishing a virtual Pizza Hut, the brand chose to extend its Web2 strategy into the Metaverse. Their approach focused on participating in cultural moments, enriching user experiences, and delivering practical value. The alliance with EOWP, known for an active Discord server, engaged Twitter following, and a compelling storyline, formed the cornerstone of Pizza Hut's strategy. Together, they embarked on developing a limited-edition NFT collection. The colla...

A clandestine operation in Malaysia exposed a fraudulent investment syndicate that operated under the guise of an independent bungalow, once a foreign consulate, employing armed guards to obfuscate its true intentions. However, despite their efforts to evade detection, law enforcement agencies thwarted their activities, apprehending 28 individuals, comprising both locals and foreigners, aiding in the investigation. Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, the Director of Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), disclosed that this syndicate orchestrated a monetary game as bait, promoting seven online cryptocurrency investment packages promising returns of 1% to 2% within 155 days. "Investors simply needed to log onto http://mgc.game/ to engage in cryptocurrency transactions, with investments ranging from a minimum of 155 USDT to a maximum of 31,000 USDT." Addressing the press, Ramli detailed how authorities conducted a raid on a standalone bungalow in Kuala Lump...

AI company OpenAI is undergoing a leadership transformation, unveiling a new board led by Bret Taylor in the role of Chairman. Sam Altman is back as CEO, Mira Murati as CTO and Greg Brockman as President. OpenAI has a new initial board. Messages from @sama and board chair @btaylor https://t.co/sP0kAQIeKg — OpenAI (@OpenAI) November 30, 2023 The renewed leadership aims to bring diverse perspectives to the forefront, ensuring effective governance and oversight for the future endeavors of OpenAI. Who's New? Larry Summers , the President Emeritus at Harvard University, and Adam D'Angelo , renowned as the co-founder and CEO of Quora, step in as independent directors. I am excited and honored to have just been named as an independent director of @OpenAI . I look forward to working with board colleagues and the OpenAI team to advance OpenAI’s extraordinarily important mission. First steps, as outlined by Bret and Sam in their messages, include… https://t.co/oKLxtmeeaD — Lawrence...

Amazon recently announced Amazon Titan, a comprehensive suite of multimodal foundation models, as part of its Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform. This suite signifies a significant step in generative AI, including an innovative image generator. Amazon Titan models epitomise two and a half decades of Amazon's expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). AI and ML educator Antje Bartha highlights in a blog post that these models, pre-trained on extensive datasets, are versatile for various applications while promoting responsible AI use. The standout feature of Amazon Titan is its Image Generator, enabling content creators to produce high-quality, realistic images through simple English prompts or image references. This tool is particularly beneficial for industries like advertising, e-commerce, and media, offering a competitive edge against Adobe's generative AI features. Unique to Amazon's AI strategy is the ability for businesses to fine-tune thes...

A wallet linked to Su Zhu, co-founder of Three Arrows Capital (3AC), recently saw movement for the first time following months of dormancy since his arrest. Etherscan records unveiled multiple transactions involving ERC-20 tokens to and from an address labelled suzhu.eth on Nov. 29. One notable outgoing transaction involved 3.75 million Gearbox (GEAR) tokens valued at under $30,000. This transfer occurred to the CoW Protocol, shortly after the tokens arrived in suzhu.eth's possession. In a separate move, suzhu.eth transferred 1 billion SUZHU tokens to Uniswap V2. Although the SUZHU token holds no value per Etherscan, Uniswap data reported a trading volume of $6,274 for the ETH-SUZHU pair within a 24-hour period ending at 11:00 PM UTC on Nov. 29. Before this recent activity, Su Zhu's wallet had remained inactive since Sept. 21, just days before his arrest in Singapore on Sept. 29. Su Zhu received a four-month prison sentence, and while there's no record of conviction, a ...

Bitcoin's value has maintained a steady rise above $37,000, recently crossing the $38,000 mark. This upward trend, as per CoinMarketCap, saw a 4.5% increase over the past week, with a significant 3.3% rise in just the last 24 hours. This bullish momentum in Bitcoin's value aligns with the strong confidence exhibited by its holders, despite the market's volatility. A key development, highlighted by Santiment, is the continued movement of Bitcoin’s Supply from exchanges to self-custody, indicating a growing preference for personal wallet storage over centralised exchanges (CEXes). This shift not only marks an increase in buying pressure but also reflects a certain wariness towards the trustworthiness of CEXes. Simultaneously, a surge in holdings within the 10 largest Tether (USDT) exchange wallets was observed, totalling an impressive $15.23 billion. This accumulation signals the highest exchange buying power witnessed in 17 months. An increase in stablecoin supply, such as...

Zhu Su, co-founder of the now-defunct Three Arrows Capital, has rekindled crypto market interest. Reports indicate a notable transaction involving millions of GEAR tokens linked to Zhu's Ethereum address, which had remained inactive for months. This development follows Zhu's arrest in Singapore over two months ago on charges of fraud and money laundering. The Ethereum address in question, suzhu.eth (0xc5…09ee), associated with Zhu's Twitter account, executed a move today. The address requested 3.75 million Gearbox Protocol (GEAR) tokens and swiftly exchanged them for 14.5 ETH (approximately $29,500) via the decentralised exchange CoW. The GEAR tokens involved in the transaction were part of an October airdrop, distributing 10% of the total supply to eligible Ethereum addresses. The suzhu.eth address, verified by the Arkham service, is linked to Zhu's Twitter account, which has been inactive since September 21. Zhu's arrest is part of a turbulent history that inclu...

The Philippines' Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has commenced the process of restricting access to Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange. The move follows Binance's chief stepping down last week, having pleaded guilty to violating U.S. anti-money laundering laws. The SEC asserts that Binance's operator lacks registration as a corporation in the Philippines, highlighting an absence of the required licence and authority for the sale or offering of securities. The regulatory action aims to curtail Binance's access within the Philippines. In a statement released on Nov. 28, the SEC outlined that the restriction on access will be effective within three months from the advisory issuance. This timeframe allows Filipino users an opportunity to withdraw their investments from the crypto exchange. The SEC has not only targeted user access but has also urged major tech players, including Alphabet's Google and Facebook parent Meta, to prohibit online adve...

Football icon Cristiano Ronaldo is facing a potential class-action lawsuit following allegations that his endorsement of Binance, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, led to significant investor losses. Filed in a Florida District Court on Nov. 27, 2023, by plaintiffs Michael Sizemore, Mikey Vongdara, and Gordon Lewis, the lawsuit claims Ronaldo's association with Binance resulted in financial losses for investors. Ronaldo's collaboration with Binance, initiated in 2022 to promote his non-fungible tokens (NFTs), forms the crux of the legal action. The complaint alleges that Ronaldo's promotion of these tokens inadvertently encouraged users to engage with Binance for investment purposes, including purchasing unregistered securities like the BNB token and the exchange's yield programs. The lawsuit contends that Ronaldo's vast social media influence, with over 850 million followers across various platforms, significantly bolstered Binance's visibility and attracted...

When searching for the renowned singer "Israel Kamakawiwoʻole" on Google, what surfaces isn't an iconic album cover or a live performance image but an AI-generated depiction. It's an intriguing, albeit fake, portrayal of the artist, redirecting users to the Midjourney subreddit upon click. Screenshot of the directed subreddit page. Examining the image closely, the hallmarks of AI intervention become apparent: inconsistent depth of field, distorted textures on clothing, and even a missing finger on the left hand. Despite advancements, distinguishing AI-generated images remains relatively feasible upon scrutiny. Ethan Mollick, a Wharton professor delving into AI studies, initially flagged this on X. The lack of any indication of AI origin on these images raises concerns, particularly when they become primary search results for a well-known figure like Iz. The instance is intriguing, as Iz passed away in 1997, prompting algorithms to prioritise fresh content for users...

Meta disclosed further details regarding its stance on political ads, now demanding advertisers to disclose when they employ artificial intelligence to manipulate images or videos in certain political adverts. Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, outlined the updated ad policies, claiming they align with the platform's previous advertising rules during election cycles. However, a pivotal change for the upcoming elections involves the surging application of AI technologies by advertisers to craft computer-generated content. Building on an earlier announcement, Clegg stated that starting next year, Meta will mandate advertisers to reveal their use of AI or related digital editing methods "in creating or modifying political or social issue ads in specific cases." Clegg clarified the criteria for disclosure, indicating that it applies to ads featuring photorealistic visuals or realistic audio, digitally created or altered to depict individuals saying or doing th...

Nikki SeMin Han, former CEO of SM Entertainment and a pivotal figure in the global expansion of K-POP and K-CULTURE, has introduced Titan Contents (TITAN), a multinational K-pop powerhouse. TITAN, led by Han and an array of industry luminaries, aims to redefine the global K-POP industry and innovate through a fusion of traditional models with cutting-edge technologies. Left to right: Titan Content’s founding members – Nikki SeMin Han, chief performance officer Lia Kim, CEO Katie Kang (Kang Jeong-ah), and Content chief visual officer Lee Gyeom. (Image Source: Maekyung.com) TITAN, established in the United States in late April of the previous year, consists of four founding members who have played a pivotal role in elevating K-POP to a global cultural phenomenon. Nikki SeMin Han Also known as Han Se-min, he formerly served as the CEO of SM Entertainment, the renowned K-pop talent agency founded by the father of K-pop, Lee Soo-man. SM Entertainment represented notable acts such as BoA, ...

Singapore’s central bank head, Ravi Menon, foresees the eventual departure of private cryptocurrencies from the monetary landscape due to their failure to meet fundamental financial standards. At a Hong Kong event hosted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Bank for International Settlements, Menon asserted that private digital coins have floundered as a reliable store of value, emphasising their inadequacy as a medium for safeguarding life savings. Menon outlined a future monetary framework anchored by three pivotal elements: central bank digital currencies, tokenised bank liabilities, and well-regulated stablecoins. He highlighted the resilience and potential of stablecoins backed by high-quality government securities or cash, positioning them as a viable form of 'narrow money' for various innovative applications. In contrast to private cryptocurrencies, Menon anticipates the ascension of these regulated stablecoins alongside central bank digital currencies. In a paralle...

Non-fungible tokens, popularly known as NFTs, have been the talk of the town in the realm of digital assets. The journey of NFT trading volume from 2021 to 2023 paints an intriguing picture, encompassưing significant growth, fluctuations, and recovery. Let’s unpack this thrilling ride. Breaking New Ground: NFT Market in 2021 In 2021, non-fungible tokens burst onto the scene, solidifying their place in the mainstream. Capturing the world’s attention, the NFT trading volume reached an impressive total of  $25.1 billion , marking a critical milestone in the digital asset space. Notably, the first half of the year alone witnessed a surge in NFT sales volume to a staggering $2.5 billion. The digital collectibles market, a specific subcategory of NFTs, emerged as the quickest growing segment, further fueling the NFT explosion. TOP NFT projects in 2021 Axie Infinity  Axie Infinity was one of the biggest NFT success stories of 2021. It is a Pokémon-inspired unive...

MetaMask is a popular web browser extension and mobile app that serves as a wallet for Ethereum and other tokens. It allows users to manage their Ethereum private keys and interact with decentralized applications, also known as dapps. With over 30 million users, MetaMask has become one of the most widely used cryptocurrency wallets today. In this article, we'll take a more in-depth look at of Metamask. What is Metamask Wallet MetaMask is a software cryptocurrency wallet that allows users to interact with the Ethereum blockchain. It provides a convenient way to access and manage Ethereum-based assets, such as Ether (ETH) and other tokens, through a browser extension or mobile app. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVgfHZMFFFQ Features of Metamask Wallet MetaMask is a popular cryptocurrency wallet that offers a range of features for managing and interacting with Ethereum-based tokens and decentralized applications (dApps). Here are some key features of MetaMask...