Author: Coindesk

Over the weekend, well-followed X crypto analyst Tyler Durden accused Coinbase of allowing BlackRock – the issuer behind the largest spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund – to borrow bitcoin without providing collateral, which would allow manipulation of the market and profit from the resulting price swings. Read the full article here

The DePIN sector, which stands for decentralized physical infrastructure, could help existing networks scale and innovate, but several risks including unclear regulations could stifle growth, said the Wall Street credit ratings agency Moody’s Ratings on Tuesday in its inaugural report about the sector. Read the full article here

Stablecoin market cap recently hit $175 billion, as demand for crypto’s greatest product grows. The utility and significance of USD-pegged stablecoins is often lost on crypto natives in Western countries. However, stablecoins have proven to be crucial products for people in emerging markets, whether they are avoiding hyperinflation of their native currency, or avoiding predatory remittance fees. Read the full article here

“Relationship investment scams, including those involving crypto asset investments, pose a risk of catastrophic harm to retail investors, and the threat is increasing rapidly as these scams become more popular with fraudsters,” said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement in a press statement. “In these two cases, we allege that fraudsters created fake crypto ecosystems that displayed false information to investors. Our allegations serve as a reminder to the public to be on heightened alert about potential scams involving investment opportunities promoted by strangers on social media.” Read the full article here

“Because Prager’s audits of FTX were conducted without due care, for example, FTX investors lacked crucial protections when making their investment decisions. Ultimately, they were defrauded out of billions of dollars by FTX and bore the consequences when FTX collapsed,” said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, in a press statement. Read the full article here

“Because many sanctions authorities authorize the imposition of sanctions on non-US persons – not ordinarily subject to US jurisdiction – for engaging in material transactions with an SDN, many non-US persons will now refuse to transact with Ly, irrespective of jurisdictional considerations,” said Brendan Hanifin, a Chicago-based partner at law firm Ropes & Gray. “Given the primacy of the U.S. dollar in international financial transactions, the practical effect of the SDN designation will be to cut off Ly’s access to most of the global financial system.” Read the full article here

Two of the leading U.S. lawmakers seeking crypto oversight legislation, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) and Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), are maintaining their position that a chance remains for a bill to clear Congress before the year is out. Read the full article here

After the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s court defeat last week in the agency’s pursuit of Kalshi’s election contracts, the regulator’s chairman, Rostin Behnam, said it will still keep pursuing the case against what it continues to contend is illegal activity. Read the full article here

Stablecoins, cryptocurrencies whose price is meant to be pegged to a real-world asset such as a national currency or gold, are key pieces of plumbing for the crypto market, serving as a bridge between fiat money and digital assets. They are increasingly popular for non-crypto activities in emerging regions like Latin America and Southeast Asia, with uses ranging from saving in dollars, payments and cross-border transactions, a fresh report by venture capital firm Castle Island and hedge fund Brevan Howard Digital said. Read the full article here

The survey consisted of a range of market participants and “92% believe that financial markets will experience a substantial degree of tokenization at some point, although all said that it is at least three years away”. OMFIF surveyed 26 institutions including treasuries, banks and asset managers across Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Read the full article here