US Treasury Report Warns of Defi’s Threat to National Security, Authors Conclude Fiat Is Used in Illicit Finance More Than Crypto

The U.S. Treasury has released a 42-page report assessing the risks of decentralized finance (defi). The report states that specific nation-state adversaries, cybercriminals, ransomware attackers, thieves, and scammers are using defi to “transfer and launder their illicit proceeds.” The Treasury’s report…

South African Professor Accuses US Regulators of Attempting to ‘Assassinate Crypto’

The United States’ attempts to “assassinate crypto” are illegal and unlikely to succeed because “crypto is global,” Steven Boykey Sidley, a South African professor and author, has argued. According to Sidley, many formerly U.S.-based companies and innovators have fled the country…

Indian Government Answers Questions About Crypto Legalization, Fraud Prevention

The Indian government has responded to parliamentary questions about the legalization of cryptocurrency and the steps it has taken to prevent crypto-related fraud. “Crypto assets are currently unregulated in India. Frauds relating to crypto are dealt with under extant laws against…

Rogue Validator Exploits MEV Bots on Ethereum, Resulting in $25.3M in Crypto Losses

On April 3, 2023, at Ethereum block height 16,964,664, a group of MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) bots were exploited for $25.3 million. An analysis of the exploit revealed that a renegade validator switched the MEV bots’ transactions and seized various crypto…

US Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Affirm Blockchain Developers and Non-Custodial Services Are Not Money Transmitters

A U.S. lawmaker has introduced the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act to ensure that developers and non-custodial service providers in the crypto space are not considered money transmitters and are not subject to the same level of regulation as custodial cryptocurrency exchanges….

Coinbase Tries AI Assistant Chatgpt for Pre-Listing Risk Assessment of Tokens

Crypto exchange Coinbase has tested Openai’s Chatgpt as a token verification tool comparing it with its standard security procedure. In over half of the cases, the AI platform produced the same results as the manual review, but it also failed to…

US Lawmaker Urges Government to Guarantee All Deposits to Avoid Runs on Smaller Banks

A U.S. congressman has urged the federal government to temporarily insure every bank deposit in the country. Following the collapses of several major banks, he stressed that if the government does not do this, there will be a run on smaller…

Analysts Suspect Banking Crisis Triggered ‘Resting Bull Market’ in Gold, Silver Could Print Much Higher Gains

At the start of the week, a troy ounce of .999 fine gold was trading at $1,813 per unit. Seven days later, gold rose 9.65% against the U.S. dollar to the current spot price of $1,988 per ounce. Gold’s rise comes…

Digital Assets Worth 2 Billion Rubles Issued in Russia in Less Than a Year

Digital financial assets (DFAs) for a total exceeding $26 million have been issued in Russia in the past year. This new market has been developing since it was regulated in 2021 and the country’s monetary authority started licensing issuers in the…

Goldman Sachs Now Expects No Rate Hike in March Due to Stress in US Banking System

Goldman Sachs has revised its U.S. interest rate forecast due to “stress in the banking system.” The global investment bank no longer expects the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates at its Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in March after…