ECB Flags Stablecoins as a Growing Risk to Bank Lending

The European Central Bank said rising stablecoin use can pull money out of bank deposits and weaken the way monetary policy flows through to lending, according to a new ECB working paper published Tuesday. Growing adoption of stablecoins, which are digital assets often pegged to currencies such as the US dollar or euro, is expected … Read more

BOJ Tests Blockchain for Bank Reserve Settlement

The Bank of Japan will conduct technical experiments using blockchain technology to settle deposits held at the central bank by financial institutions, according to BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda.  In a speech posted Tuesday titled “The New Financial Ecosystem and the Role of Central Banks,” Ueda said a sandbox project is underway to test settlement using … Read more

Crypto Professionals in the Firing Line as ClickFix Scam Spreads

Crypto hackers attempting to use “ClickFix” attacks to steal crypto have now turned to impersonating venture capital firms and hijacking browser extensions in their two most recent attacks.  According to a report by cybersecurity firm Moonlock Lab on Monday, scammers are using fake venture capital firms such as SolidBit, MegaBit and Lumax Capital. The hackers … Read more

Iran Crypto Outflows Rose 700% After US-Israel Attack

Iran’s top crypto exchange saw a significant spike in crypto withdrawals within minutes of the US and Israel launching strikes in Tehran on Saturday. However, a widespread internet outage curbed additional outflows. In a post on Monday, Elliptic said crypto outflows from the Nobitex exchange surged by more than 700% to over $500,000 within minutes … Read more

Fold retires $66M debt, frees 521 BTC collateral

Fold, a publicly traded Bitcoin financial services company, has eliminated $66.3 million in convertible debt, removing a potential source of share dilution and simplifying its balance sheet as it prepares to expand its product lineup. In a recent disclosure, Fold said it retired two outstanding convertible notes, which are debt instruments that can be converted … Read more

Bitcoin Shrugs Off Iran as Wall Street Return Sparks $70,000 Run

Bitcoin (BTC) surged toward $70,000 after Monday’s Wall Street open as crypto markets diverged from US stocks. Key points: Bitcoin reacts to positive US manufacturing data as bulls manage to sideline geopolitical tensions. BTC price action leaves stocks wrestling with macro uncertainty to retarget $70,000. Traders stay highly skeptical that the market will begin a … Read more

Why Nexo Is Reentering the US After the 2023 Crypto Lending Crackdown

Key takeaways After paying a $45-million settlement in 2023 and exiting the market, Nexo has reentered the US with a redesigned product model focused on regulatory alignment rather than direct yield issuance. The 2023 crackdown centered on unregistered securities concerns. The SEC alleged that Nexo’s Earn Interest Product functioned as an unregistered security, raising questions … Read more

AI Could Be Turbulent but Also Boost Bitcoin, NYDIG

Bitcoin could benefit if artificial intelligence disrupts labor markets or creates volatility that prompts central banks to ease monetary policy, according to Greg Cipolaro, research lead at crypto services firm NYDIG. Cipolaro said in a research note on Friday that AI may prove to be a “general-purpose technology” such as electricity, and the macroeconomic effects … Read more