Coinbase CEO Urges Congress to Pass Clear Crypto Legislation — Warns America Risks Losing Financial Hub Status

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has called on Congress to pass clear crypto legislation, warning that the U.S. risks losing its status as a financial hub. “Crypto is open to everyone in the world and others are leading,” the executive stressed. Coinbase’s…

NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce Charged by SEC for Touting EMAX Tokens

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce for touting EMAX tokens and making misleading comments about unregistered crypto securities. The former Boston Celtics small forward agreed to settle the charges and pay the…

House Republicans Demand Answers From SEC Over FTX Co-Founder’s Arrest

On Feb. 10, 2023, Republicans Patrick McHenry of North Carolina and Bill Huizenga of Michigan, both members of the U.S. House of Representatives, sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Gary Gensler seeking answers about the arrest of…

Kraken CEO Calls on Congress to Protect US Crypto Industry Following Settlement With SEC Over Staking Program

The CEO of crypto exchange Kraken, Jesse Powell, has called on Congress to pass a law to protect the U.S. crypto industry after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) took action against his trading platform over its crypto staking service. Kraken’s…

Ethereum Liquid Staking Trend Continues to Swell; 5 Platforms Control 97% of Market

As of Feb. 7, 2023, the value locked in 11 Ethereum-based liquid staking protocols has risen above $11 billion, with Lido, Coinbase, and Rocket Pool recording 4-10% gains over the past month. Lido holds more than 73% of the total value…

Lido Protocol Reveals Plans for Withdrawal Feature Ahead of Ethereum’s Shanghai Hard Fork

While the Ethereum community prepares for the upcoming Shanghai hard fork in March, the development team for the liquid staking project Lido revealed plans to create an in-protocol withdrawal feature. Lido’s team is seeking community feedback on the proposal that would…

Smart Contract Tokens, Defi Economy See Strong Growth, Market Capitalization Swells by $78 Billion in 30 Days

Smart contract tokens and the decentralized finance economy have been on a tear during the last month, gaining against the U.S. dollar. The market capitalization of the smart contract platform token economy has swelled by $78 billion over the last 30…

Buenos Aires to Tax Cryptocurrency Mining in 2023

The province of Buenos Aires in Argentina will begin taxing cryptocurrency mining and possibly staking, in 2023. A new proposal modifies the tax law to introduce cryptocurrency mining as a taxable activity that will levy 4% on the income calculated via…

Report: Crypto Financial Services Firm Matrixport Seeks $100 Million in Funding

Crypto firm Matrixport Technologies is reportedly seeking $100 million in funding, according to people familiar with the matter. Sources detailed that the company already secured commitments from investors for roughly $50 million, which would give Matrixport a post-valuation of $1.5 billion….