Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has obtained a payment institution (PI) license in Malta, aligning with European Union regulatory requirements that take effect in March. The license allows OKX to continue offering stablecoin-related payment services across the EU in full compliance with the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation and the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), the company…
Crypto markets are deep red on Monday, with industry leader bitcoin sliding lower before a packed week of economic data. At press time, bitcoin BTC$68,470.69 traded near $68,200, down nearly 3% over 24 hours, with XRP XRP$1.4745, ether ETH$1,967.90, DOGE$0.1025 registering much bigger losses. Losses hit 85 of the top 100 tokens by market cap,…
Businessman and TV personality Kevin O’Leary has won a multi-million-dollar defamation lawsuit against crypto influencer Ben Armstrong, also known as “Bitboy.” Miami federal judge Beth Bloom on Friday ordered Armstrong to pay almost $2.83 million in damages to O’Leary over a series of social media posts accusing the Shark Tank star of being a murderer….
Strategy founder Michael Saylor has revealed the firm plans to convert its $6 billion in bond debt into equity — a move that reduces debt on the balance sheet. “Strategy can withstand a drawdown in BTC price to $8,000 and still have sufficient assets to fully cover our debt,” stated the firm on X on…
Crypto asset manager Grayscale filed for regulatory approval to convert its trust tracking the token of the decentralized lending protocol Aave into an exchange-traded fund. The company filed a Form S-1 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, saying it intends to convert the trust and rename it the Grayscale Aave Trust…
Traditional finance giant Apollo Global Management Inc. has signed a partnership agreement with decentralized lending platform Morpho to take a significant stake in the project and help support its blockchain lending infrastructure. The move was announced on Friday by the Morpho Association, the nonprofit organization behind the decentralized finance (DeFi) platform. The partnership, or “cooperation…
The lack of privacy for onchain transactions is one of the biggest hurdles to the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies for payments and a medium of exchange, according to Changpeng Zhao, co-founder of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange. The executive commonly known as “CZ” said the lack of privacy prevents businesses and institutions from paying expenses in…
Apollo Global Management (APO) is moving deeper into crypto, striking a deal that could make the $938 billion asset manager a major token holder in a decentralized lending platform. The firm signed a cooperation agreement with the Morpho Association, the French non-profit organization behind the Morpho protocol, that allows Apollo and its affiliates to buy…
Michael Saylor, the co-founder of Bitcoin (BTC) treasury company Strategy, signaled that the company is acquiring more BTC amid the ongoing market dip, marking week 12 of a consecutive buying streak. Saylor posted the Strategy BTC accumulation chart via the X social media platform on Sunday. The chart has become synonymous with BTC purchases made…
Consensus Hong Kong wrapped up with a bang as policymakers announced new initiatives to grow the digital assets sector. You’re reading State of Crypto, a CoinDesk newsletter looking at the intersection of cryptocurrency and government. Click here to sign up for future editions. The narrative Policymakers at Consensus Hong Kong announced a slew of initiatives…
