Author: John Smith
Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news’ editorial. Latin America has no shortage of potential. It’s rich in resources, talent, and geography, but lacks the infrastructure to connect them all. Overregulation, fragmented FX markets, and political shifts have built walls where there should be bridges, and the result is a collection of economies that move slowly, even when opportunity is within reach. Summary Latin America’s bottleneck is cross-border infrastructure: Trade and payments move slowly due to fragmented FX markets, capital controls, and dollar dependence, despite…
Bitcoin price hovered near the $89,000 mark on Monday, as demand for its spot exchange-traded funds continued to fade. Summary Bitcoin ETFs recorded nearly 4500 million in outflows over the past week. BTC price chart hints at a prolonged bearish trend ahead. According to data from SoSoValue, the 12 spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $497.05 million in net outflows over the past week, between Dec. 15 and Dec. 19. BlackRock’s IBIT saw the strongest outflows with $240.3 million exiting the fund. Bitwise’s BITB and ARK 21Shares’ ARKB followed with net outflows of $115.1 million and $100.7 million, respectively. VanEck’s HODL and…
Leaked files show Binance let $1.7b move through 13 suspicious accounts — including $144m after its $4.3b U.S. plea deal — despite terror‑finance red flags and odd logins. Summary Internal data reviewed by the FT shows 13 suspicious Binance accounts handled $1.7b in crypto, with around $144m in volume after the 2023 U.S. criminal settlement. One Venezuelan slum account moved about $93m, and another tied to a 25‑year‑old woman received $177m while cycling through 647 bank detail changes and 496 accounts. Several wallets received USDT from addresses later frozen by Israel over alleged links to Hizbollah and Iran‑backed Houthis, even…
Gold and silver have reached record highs, but Bitcoin’s history shows crypto often reacts weeks later rather than immediately. Summary Gold and silver have surged to new all-time highs, while Bitcoin remains under pressure near the $86,000–$88,000 range. Past cycles show crypto market often lags gold rallies by several weeks before making stronger moves. If rate cuts effects and liquidity easing continue, crypto could follow metals higher once risk appetite returns. Gold and silver surged to fresh record highs on Monday, Dec. 22, raising questions about how cryptocurrencies may respond as investors shift toward traditional safe-haven assets. According to market…
Ethereum price appears to be consolidating after months of leverage exited the market, easing pressure without yet pointing to a clear direction. Summary Ethereum open interest has fallen about 50% since August, showing widespread position closures by large traders. Binance taker sell volume has dropped to its lowest level since May, pointing to softer sell-side urgency. The chart shows sideways movement below key resistance, with buyers cautious and sellers less aggressive. Ethereum is trading in a calmer market environment after a sharp reduction in leverage, with data showing that open interest across major exchanges has fallen since August. According to…
Aave price slid on Dec. 22 after a large holder moved a sizable block of tokens into the market, setting off a sharp sell-off over a short period. Summary A whale sold 230,350 AAVE worth about $37.6M, pushing price down near $162. On-chain data shows mixed whale behavior, with some large holders still adding positions. The chart shows pressure near the $160–165 zone, with resistance stacked overhead. The move pushed the token down to around $161.70 at press time, with the price slipping back toward levels that have tested buyers several times this month. According to on-chain data, a single…
Ireland fined Coinbase Europe €21.5m after data issues left €173b in transactions unmonitored, with failures undisclosed during its VASP registration and now forcing an exit to Luxembourg. Summary The Central Bank of Ireland fined Coinbase Europe €21.5m after data configuration failures in an outsourced TMS left about 30m transactions, worth roughly €173b, unmonitored between 2021 and 2022. Coinbase Europe did not detect or disclose the issues during its 2022 VASP application, with management only fully briefed in 2023, leading the regulator to brand its oversight of Coinbase Inc. as ineffective. The VASP registration will lapse at end‑2025 as Coinbase Europe relocates…
In this week’s edition of the weekly recap, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed settlement agreements for Sam Bankman-Fried’s former associates whose testimony secured his conviction. Summary SEC proposed settlements for former FTX executives who testified against Sam Bankman-Fried. South Korean police busted a fake currency ring targeting crypto traders in in-person deals. Poland’s parliament revived comprehensive crypto legislation after an earlier rejection. Additionally, law enforcement in South Korea dismantled a criminal operation using counterfeit currency to defraud cryptocurrency traders and Poland’s parliament revived comprehensive industry legislation. SEC offers settlements to FTX cooperating witnesses The Securities and Exchange Commission…
The UNI price token jumped for the third consecutive day, reaching its highest level since Nov. 20 as the Unification vote started. Summary UNI token price rose for three consecutive days, reaching its highest level since Nov. 20. Most members of the community are voting in favor of the Unification proposal. The vote will see over 100 million UNI tokens incinerated. Uniswap (UNI) token jumped to a high of $6.35, up by 32% above its lowest level this month, bringing its market capitalization to over $5.7 billion. The UNI token jumped as the unification vote started, with most users voting…
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin called prediction markets a healthier alternative to traditional investing and social media discourse on emotionally charged topics. Summary Vitalik Buterin says prediction markets force accountability by attaching money to beliefs. Bounded prices between 0 and 1 reduce hype, reflexivity, and pump-and-dump behavior. Buterin argues prediction markets are calmer and more truth-seeking than social media. Writing on Farcaster, Buterin argued that prediction markets tie opinions to financial consequences. This creates an accountability absent from platforms where users gain clout without repercussions for incorrect predictions. Buterin dismissed concerns that prediction markets incentivize harmful behavior. He noted that “small-scale…