Ledger Cuts 12% of Staff Amid Prolonged Crypto Winter

Ledger, a Paris-based cryptocurrency hardware wallet manufacturer, has announced a 12% reduction in its workforce due to macroeconomic headwinds and a prolonged bear market. The company had previously raised $109 million in a funding round to reach a valuation of around $1.4 billion. Ledger Chairman and CEO Paul Gauthier made the announcement in a letter […]

Kraken Acquires Dutch Crypto Broker to Expand European Presence

Kraken, one of the world’s oldest crypto exchanges, is expanding its presence in Europe by acquiring Coin Meester B.V. (BCM), a Dutch crypto broker. The purchase will give Kraken a “sizable position in the Dutch market” and benefit the broker’s clients. BCM supports over 170 digital assets and is one of the oldest brokers in […]

Dutch Crypto Companies Win Battle Against $2.3 Million Fee Levied by Regulators

Crypto companies in the Netherlands, including Bitvavo and Coinmerce, have won a legal battle against the Dutch central bank (DNB) over a $2.3 million fee imposed for anti-money laundering registration. The Rotterdam court ruled that the DNB had overstepped its legal authority in assessing the registration requests. The court also highlighted that it is not […]

Kraken Acquires Dutch Crypto Exchange BCM for European Expansion

Kraken, a United States-based cryptocurrency exchange, has announced a pending deal to acquire Coin Meester B.V. (BCM), a Netherlands-based cryptocurrency exchange. The financial details of the deal have not been disclosed, but the acquisition is likely due to the European Union’s (EU) establishment of its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework. Kraken plans to expand […]

Project Atlas: Central Banks Collaborate to Monitor Cryptocurrency Flows

The Bank of International Settlements (BIS) has announced a collaboration with major European central banks to launch Project Atlas, a groundbreaking tracking system for the burgeoning world of cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance (DeFi). The initiative will aggregate off-chain data sourced from cryptocurrency exchanges with on-chain data obtained from public blockchains via nodes. This will enable […]

Wirex Launches Zero-Knowledge Proofs-Based Crypto Debit Card Service

Wirex, a crypto payment service provider, has launched W-Pay, a zero-knowledge proofs-based non-custodial crypto debit card service. W-Pay is built on Polygon’s Chain Development Kit (CDK) and promises increased scalability and security. The zero-knowledge protocol allows one party to prove something is true without disclosing any information other than the fact that the claim is […]

Project Atlas: Exploring the Economic Implications of Cryptocurrency and DeFi

Project Atlas is a collaborative initiative between the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) and central banks within the Eurosystem, aimed at researching and developing crypto and blockchain technology. The project seeks to streamline the collection of data from diverse cryptocurrency exchanges and public blockchains, providing policymakers and central banks with a comprehensive overview of the […]

SEC Delays BlackRock’s Spot Bitcoin ETF, But Approval Could Come Within 3-6 Months

The world’s largest asset manager BlackRock created a stir in the crypto market when it filed for a spot Bitcoin ETF in June 2023. However, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently delayed the approval of the ETF. Former BlackRock managing director Steven Schoenfield believes that the SEC could approve the ETF within the […]

London Cocoa Beans Trader Testifies Against FTX Founder SBF at Trial

Marc-Antoine Julliard, a London-based cocoa beans trader, was the first witness to testify against Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the founder and former CEO of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Julliard had invested $100,000 in the platform in 2021 and was left in limbo when it filed for bankruptcy in November 2022. During his testimony, Julliard said […]

Eurozone Central Banks Move Forward with Wholesale CBDC Plans Despite Privacy Coin Surge

Central Banks in the Eurozone are planning to launch a wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in the near future. This CBDC is designed for financial institutions and businesses, and is intended to streamline financial operations and enhance efficiency in settling transactions. The Central Bank is exploring various protocols, blockchains, and even a proprietary Distributed […]