Deutsche Bank to Exit Russia, Says There Will Be No New Business There

Germany’s Deutsche Bank has become the latest financial services giant to confirm it’s leaving Russia over Moscow’s military assault on Ukraine. The bank has been reducing its Russian exposure since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine…

Crypto Settlement Startup Zebec Gets $15 Million to Craft Programmable Cash Stream Payments

The multi-signature treasury management and settlement startup Zebec has revealed the company has raised $15 million in order to bolster a continuous and programmable cash stream protocol on the Solana blockchain. Zebec says the company aims to be the “payment solution…

Crypto Exchange Binance Joins Expert Center at Russian Banks Association

Digital asset exchange Binance has become the first crypto company to support the Association of Banks of Russia in efforts devoted to regulating the country’s growing cryptocurrency market. The coin trading platform will also work with authorities in Moscow as they…

Bank of Russia Reports First Successful Digital Ruble Transfers Between Users

Testing of the digital ruble has started in Russia with the country’s central bank announcing the first complete transactions between individual wallets. The monetary authority, a staunch opponent of cryptocurrencies, says its digital currency will create new opportunities for citizens, businesses,…

European Commission to Launch Digital Euro Consultations in March, Propose Bill Early Next Year

The executive arm of the EU is gearing up to start public consultations on the digital euro project next month. The European Commission will also prepare new legislation to establish the legal basis for the digital version of the common European…

Fitch Ratings Downgrades El Salvador Deeper Into Junk Status Citing Bitcoin Risks

One of the largest rating agencies in the U.S., Fitch Ratings, has downgraded El Salvador’s long-term default rating deeper into junk status, citing risks from adopting bitcoin as legal tender as a key reason. “The adoption of bitcoin as legal tender…

Web3 Data Platform Dune Analytics Propels to Unicorn Status After $69.4 Million Fundraise

The Web3 analytics platform Dune Analytics has announced it has closed a $69.4 million Series B fundraise led by Coatue. The firm’s latest fundraise follows the company’s Series A last August when Dune Analytics raised $8 million. With the Series A…

FTX US Raises $400 Million in Series A, Trading Platform’s Valuation Now $8 Billion

On January 26, the crypto asset exchange FTX US revealed it raised $400 million in a Series A financing round stemming from investors like Softbank, Paradigm, and Multicoin Capital. The Series A investment in FTX US brings the U.S.-based trading platform’s…

Iran to Pilot ‘National Cryptocurrency,’ Considers Blockchain Tech for Stock Market

The Central Bank of Iran soon plans to launch the pilot phase of its digital currency project, an official unveiled. The Islamic Republic hopes to a join a growing club of nations that want to take advantage of having a sovereign…

Blockchain Firm Animoca Brands Raises $358 Million to Enhance Web3 and the Metaverse

Animoca Brands has announced the blockchain and cryptocurrency-focused firm has raised $358.8 million to bolster the non-fungible token (NFT) industry and “build the open metaverse.” The capital raise follows the firm’s previous $65 million and $138.88 million raises last year and…