Datasets:

AVMLegend

/

gemma-lance-block

like 0

Instruction: How blockchain-based voting can restore trust in the electoral process Response: Blockchain-based voting systems could foster more transparency and public trust in the election process, according to Brian Rose, an independent mayoral candidate in London and the host of the London Real podcast. So we want to put voting on the blockchain.”Beyond introducing an on-chain voting system, Rose also aims to make London more crypto innovation-friendly, to restore its status as a leading global financial center. Source: CointelegraphThe former Wall Street banker said that financial education is severely lacking in the country, which is why he aims to create a new London cryptocurrency and a financial education platform to empower citizens. “Financial education is king. Rose plans to offer day-to-day utilities for the London crypto, including staking, payment of public transport, taxes, and other public services.

Instruction: US SEC expected to deny spot Ether ETFs in May Response: The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will most likely deny spot Ether (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETF) in May, according to a new report. The sources compared the unsuccessful talks regarding Ether ETFs to detailed discussions between issuers and the agency in January, weeks before it approved spot Bitcoin ETFs. Before the historic approval, the SEC rejected spot BTC ETF filings for over a decade. Many analysts agree that the SEC is likely to further delay possible approval of Ether ETFs. On April 24, Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) officially approved the first batch of spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs, including three BTC and three ETH ETFs by China Asset Management, Harvest Global Investments and Bosera.

Instruction: BNB Chain will enable native liquid staking on BSC Response: BNB Chain said it will enable native liquid staking on its BNB Smart Chain (BSC) as part of its shift to migrate the BNB Beacon Chain’s functions to BSC as the former is wound down. In an announcement sent to Cointelegraph, BNB Chain noted that the BNB Beacon Chain will be completely shut down by June 2024. While the organization did not give a specific date for the rollout of the liquid staking feature, BNB Chain said it will happen in April or May. The BNB Chain core development team also told Cointelegraph in a statement that holders can delegate their BNB (BNB) to a liquidity pool or directly to the validator. They said:“Liquidity staking not only rewards BNB stakers but also enhances security for the BNB Chain network.

Instruction: Nigeria puts faith in new crypto-friendly regulator Response: Nigeria’s blockchain stakeholders have expressed hope and confidence in the newly appointed Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The new SEC Chair’s pro-crypto background is seen as an added advantage for the local crypto industry. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Emomotimi Agama, the former managing director of the Nigerian Capital Market Institute (NCMI), as the new chair of the SEC. In interviews with Cointelegraph, local crypto stakeholders shared their opinions about the new appointment. Given recent developments and uncertainties surrounding cryptocurrency regulations in the country, stakeholders are seeking a clear declaration from the leadership to confirm the legality of crypto activities.

Instruction: Tokenization’s next phase requires real-world data integration — Chainlink Response: Researchers from the blockchain oracle platform Chainlink believe asset managers have a “sizable” opportunity to jump into tokenization as financial asset infrastructures continue to go digital. In an industry report titled “Beyond Token Issuance,” blockchain oracle platform Chainlink explained where the opportunity lies and how interoperability and real-world data could unlock the value of tokenized assets. Source: ChainlinkThe report laid down the potential benefits of tokenization for asset managers. This is necessary to make tokenized assets composable and programmable across traditional systems and private and public chains. Meanwhile, the Chainlink executive believes that enhancing tokens with real-world data and letting them become interoperable across blockchains and traditional systems could unlock powerful applications.

Instruction: EU enacts crypto regulations to combat money laundering Response: The European Parliament approved new regulations that establish formal due diligence obligations for cryptocurrency companies with the goal of combating money laundering. The new laws are aimed at improving “due diligence measures and identity checks” for customers, extending to entities such as crypto asset managers. This new legislation, approved on April 24, will impact crypto-asset service providers (CASPs), like centralized crypto exchanges under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation and various other entities, including gambling services. Patrick Hansen, EU strategy and policy director at Circle, expressed anticipation for the vote’s outcome in a post on X. He noted that this requirement is not novel, as all crypto exchanges and custodial wallet providers in the EU are already obligated to comply with these regulations under existing legislation.

Instruction: 2 on-chain metrics suggest Bitcoin at its ‘best moment to buy’ Response: Bitcoin could be entering into an attractive buy zone according to two popular metrics used by cryptocurrency analysts to track on-chain trading activity. The market value to realized value (MVRV) and open interest (OI) weighted funding rate metrics could suggest Bitcoin (BTC) is at an attractive entry point for traders. The last time Bitcoin’s OI-weighted funding rate peaked significantly in early March, Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $69,200 on the same day. At the time of publication, Bitcoin’s MVRV score is 2.32, down 6.45% since the start of April, according to LookIntoBitcoin data. An MVRV score above 3.5 suggests that the market is almost at its peak, whereas a score below one indicates that it has bottomed out.

Instruction: ‘Buy Bitcoin’ sign that photobombed Janet Yellen sells for $1M Response: A yellow notepad with “Buy Bitcoin” written on it, which was flashed behind then-United States Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen during a 2017 congressional hearing, has sold at auction for 16 Bitcoin (BTC) — over $1 million. The buyer, identified as “Justin” — also known as “Squirrekkywrath” — was the winning bidder on the Bitcoin auction platform Scarce City. CNBC reported at the time that after the sign was flashed, Bitcoin traded 3.7% higher, reaching over $2,418. Source: Scarce CityIn 2019, Langalis created and sold 21 replicas of the sign, which sold for an average price of 0.8 BTC, worth about $51,300 today. Bloomberg reported that Langalis planned to use the money from the latest sale to help fund a Bitcoin software project.

Instruction: Runes make up 68% of all Bitcoin transactions since launch Response: Runes, a new token standard on the Bitcoin blockchain, has made up more than two-thirds of transactions on Bitcoin since it was launched following the network’s halving event on April 20. More than 2.38 million Runes transactions have been processed, accounting for 68% of all Bitcoin transactions made since it launched on April 20, according to a Dune Analytics dashboard shared by blockchain research firm Crypto Koryo. Ordinary peer-to-peer Bitcoin (BTC) transactions, BRC-20s, Ordinals and Runes were included in the total transaction count. Share of Bitcoin transactions among various token standards. As a result, Runes transactions contributed to nearly 70% of miner fees on the halving day.

Instruction: Biden’s 44.6% capital gains tax proposal likely a ‘nothing burger’ Response: United States President Joe Biden’s proposal to increase the capital gains tax rate to 44.6% for certain people — the highest rate in U.S. history — will likely be a “nothing burger” for the average crypto investor. Source: Department of Treasury“The proposal essentially says they want to raise the long-term capital gains tax rate for people earning over $1 million a year to 44.6%,” said Walrath. “Really high-income earners could potentially — if this budget proposal goes through — face a much higher long-term capital gains tax rate. Notably, Biden’s Federal Budget proposal also included a 25% tax on unrealized gains for ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Ultimately, Walrath said that Biden’s tax proposals could be seen as political “posturing” designed to curry favor with a lower-income voter base.

Instruction: BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF daily inflow hits $0 for the first time Response: Bitcoin ETF inflow and outflow data. Source: FarsideMost of the other Bitcoin ETF participants witnessed a dry spell as well. Additionally, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF (GBTC) continued to bleed. As a result, the spot Bitcoin ETFs realized a net outflow of $120.6 million on the day. To date, the Bitcoin ETF market in the U.S. has accumulated a net $12.3 billion in Bitcoin.

Instruction: Crypto market stumbles amid arrest of Samourai Wallet founders Response: Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and major altcoins briefly tumbled amid news of Samourai Wallet founders’ arrest by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) on the backdrop of ongoing Middle East tensions and post-halving volatility. On April 24, Cointelegraph reported that cryptocurrency wallet Samourai Wallet CEO Keonne Rodriguez and chief technology officer William Hill will each face one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The crypto market decline also comes in the backdrop of geopolitical tension further escalating in the Middle East. Related: Bitcoin analysts agree that BTC has ‘a lot further to run’The fluctuations came despite overall positive investor sentiment in the crypto market. According to the Fear & Greed Index, which measures crypto market sentiment, the “greed” score rose to 72 this week, a 15-point increase from last week.

Instruction: BlackRock has ‘no commercial relationship’ with Hedera, HBAR sinks 32% Response: BlackRock has confirmed it has “no commercial relationship” with Hedera and that it did not choose the Hedera Hashgraph to tokenize any BlackRock funds, including shares of its $22 billion money market fund. Hedera’s (HBAR) token rallied over 100% on Tuesday following the HBAR Foundation’s announcement on X stating that blockchain firms Archax and Ownera tokenized BlackRock’s ICS U.S. Treasury Fund on Hedera. “BlackRock has no commercial relationship with Hedera nor has BlackRock selected Hedera to tokenise any BlackRock funds.”As of the time of writing, HBAR has fallen 32.8% in the past 24 hours to $0.118 since it peaked at $0.176 at 5:00 am UTC on April 24, according to CoinGecko. “BLACKROCK JUST TOKENIZED ONE OF THEIR MONEY MARKET FUNDS ON HEDERA,” said Mason Versluis to his 189,000 X followers. “What we saw on Twitter was kind of pretty much close to the truth [...] Archax had clients that wanted to invest in the BlackRock money market fund.

Instruction: Banks could flood into stablecoins if new bill passes: S&P Global Response: A new stablecoin-focused bill introduced to the United States Senate could “encourage” U.S. banks to step into the stablecoin market, says global ratings firm S&P Global Ratings. In an April 23 research note, S&P shared that proposals outlined in the Payment Stablecoin Act — introduced to the Senate on April 17 — could encourage banks to get involved in issuing U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins and potentially spell trouble for large non-U.S entities that issue stablecoins such as Tether. Notably, the Lummis-Gillibrand Payment Stablecoin Act proposed introducing a $10 billion issuance limit on non-bank stablecoin firms, banning “unbacked” algorithmic stablecoins, as well as requiring stablecoin issuers to hold one-to-one cash or cash-equivalent reserves. Related: Crypto advocacy group claims stablecoin bill would ‘violate free speech rights’Tether, the largest stablecoin by outstanding volume, is issued by a non-U.S. entity and therefore not a permitted payment stablecoin under the proposed bill,” S&P Global said. Crypto advocacy organization Coin Center expressed concerns with the bill, saying it would be “bad policy” to ban algorithmic stablecoins, and described it as an unconstitutional act under protections of the First Amendment.

Instruction: 39% of Canada’s institutional investors have exposure to crypto: KPMG Response: Canada-based institutional investors significantly increased their crypto exposure last year compared to the last bull run, a survey from accounting firm KPMG has revealed. Nearly 40% of institutional investors reported having direct or indirect exposure to crypto assets in 2023 — up from 31% in KPMG’s 2021 study, the company according to an April 24 report. Source: KPMGKPMG received 65 responses, 31 of which identified as institutional investors with most managing more than $500 million in assets, while the remaining 34 were financial services organizations. The survey found that one-third of the institutional investors have allocated 10% or more of their portfolios to crypto assets — up from a fifth two years ago. More institutional investors are also receiving exposure through derivatives markets — now at 42% compared to 2021’s 14%.

Instruction: Meta drops 15% on weak outlook and high AI and metaverse spending Response: Meta (META) shares dropped 15% in after-hours trading after a weak outlook for Q2 revenue and plans to “aggressively” ramp up spending in artificial intelligence (AI) this year — while its metaverse division is expected to continue to run at a loss. Highlighted are Reality Labs’ operating losses, which saw a quarter-on-quarter drop of 17.2%. On April 18, Meta launched its Llama 3 AI model, which it rolled out in its Meta AI chatbot, available across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The Meta AI chatbot is reported to have posted bizarre interactions, telling a Facebook group for New York mothers that it has a child. Meta AI claiming it has a child.

Instruction: Samourai Wallet mixer co-founders arrested on AML, licensing charges Response: The co-founders of cryptocurrency mixer Samourai Wallet have been arrested on charges of money laundering brought by the United States Justice Department (DOJ) and other agencies. According to a statement released by the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, the United States will seek Hill’s extradition. Related: Arbitrum DAO votes on $1M fund for Tornado Cash devs’ legal defenseThe U.S. government has become increasingly aggressive toward crypto mixers. The three co-founders of Tornado Cash had all come under arrest by August 2023. Magazine: Tornado Cash 2.0: The race to build safe and legal coin mixers

Instruction: Changpeng Zhao could serve time in the same facility as ‘crypto-anarchist’ Jim Bell Response: Former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has requested that a federal judge sentence him to probation after pleading guilty to violating money laundering laws. His legal team has filed several declarations in support of his recommendation, including one suggesting he could serve time at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) SeaTac, Washington. Zhao’s lawyers filed several letters from friends, family members and business leaders supporting a lenient sentence for the former CEO. Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky, facing seven securities and commodities fraud charges, will go to trial in January 2025. The former Binance CEO is scheduled to return to court on April 30 for sentencing.

Instruction: Manchester City to release digital collectibles through multi-year partnership with Quidd Response: The Premier League’s Manchester City Football Club has entered into a multi-year partnership with Animoca Brands subsidiary Quidd to develop and launch digital collectibles alongside new promotions and fan experiences. Quidd will create and launch “special edition” digital collectibles including cards that will unlock real-world experiences. The first 10,000 “Cityzens” (the colloquial term for Man City fans) to purchase packs will receive two exclusive “For the Fans” packs. A limited number of Unseen City Shirts NFTs are tied to physical, limited-edition jerseys featuring hand painted artwork. The Winklevoss twins recently bought into Bitcoin podcaster Peter McCormack’s Real Bedford Football Club, investing $4.5 million towards the club’s Bitcoin treasury.

Instruction: Do Kwon appeals Montenegrin court decision, claiming ‘unfounded and illegal’ interpretation Response: Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon’s legal saga continues with reports of his lawyers filing an appeal against a high court decision that pthe question of his extradition to the United States or South Korea to Montenegro’s justice minister. That high court decision came in response to Montenegro’s Supreme Court approving a request for a protection of legality after a lower court ruled Kwon could be extradited to South Korea. Kwon’s lawyers reportedly called the high court decision “unfounded and illegal” and a “bizarre” interpretation of the law. It’s unclear if the appeal will stay the question of Kwon’s extradition, which has been bouncing between lower and higher courts for months as his legal team files motions and appeals regarding procedure. Authorities in Montenegro arrested Kwon in March 2023 for using falsified travel documents while attempting to leave the country.

Instruction: Magic Eden overtakes Blur, Yuga Labs offloads NFT games: Nifty Newsletter Response: In this week’s newsletter, nonfungible token (NFT) platform Magic Eden surpassed Blur in trading volume in March, and Yuga Labs is offloading two NFT games. Magic Eden passed Blur as leading NFT marketplace in March: CoinGeckoSolana-based NFT marketplace Magic Eden recorded a 194.4% increase in monthly trading volume, surpassing the leading platform Blur in March. The NFT trading platform recorded $756.5 million in trading volume last month, while Blur recorded $530.4 million. According to a CoinGecko report, Magic Eden’s rise was partly due to its newly implemented Diamond reward program and its continued partnership with NFT company Yuga Labs. Continue readingFormer Disney boss launches Web3 game publisher with Marvel, Star Wars talentA former Disney executive joined forces with a team of Hollywood and gaming professionals to launch a Web3 game publisher based in the United Arab Emirates.

Instruction: Here’s what happened in crypto today Response: According to crypto analytics firm CryptoQuant, miners’ hash price has declined from nearly 12 cents in early April to 7 cents post-halving. In Bitcoin mining, the hash price refers to mining revenues generated on a per tera-hash basis. Confusion occurred when the central bank denied the story on X but then deleted the denial. In December 2023, the central bank lifted a comprehensive ban on banks engaging with digital currencies allowing them to facilitate transactions for crypto exchanges. It disabled websites associated with crypto trading that had gained notoriety for setting informal valuations for the naira.

Instruction: Bitcoin miner profits get squeezed as hash price drops to lowest since October 2023 Response: After posting record-breaking earnings on the day of the Bitcoin halving, miners now face another reality: a high network hash rate and lower revenues pushing down profits. The average revenue a Bitcoin (BTC) miner earns per performed hash, known as the hash price, has reached its lowest level since October 2023. Bitcoin hash price. The total network hash rate held flat at 617 EH/s post-halving. Factors like Bitcoin price movements and changes in electricity costs are likely to play crucial roles in the mining business.

Instruction: Tarantino reportedly wanted to create a metaverse for ‘The Movie Critic’ Response: Director Quentin Tarantino wanted to create a metaverse for his 10th film featuring actors and characters from his catalog, including a 16-year-old version of himself. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, this Tarantino-verse would have been set within a fictional movie theatre. The metaverse would have functioned as a fiction within a fiction, complete with the entire concept appearing in The Movie Critic as a film within a film set inside a movie theater. Unfortunately, Tarantino has gone on the record stating that The Movie Critic isn’t happening. It’s unclear whether the metaverse planned for The Movie Critic will persist.

Instruction: Hong Kong Bitcoin, Ether ETF structures revealed ahead of April 30 launch Response: Hong Kong spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) will be remarkably different from their United States counterparts, with the city’s regulator having greenlit them for an April 30 launch. In addition, ChinaAMC’s crypto ETFs will be denominated in three currencies: the U.S. dollar, Hong Kong dollar and Chinese yuan. The aforementioned two firms will also custody spot Bitcoin and Ether ETF assets for issuer Harvest Global. The structure of Hong Kong spot crypto ETFs (Source: Bloomberg)All three ETF issuers will create and redeem ETF shares on Hong Kong's regulated crypto exchanges, OSL and HashKey. Related: Hong Kong approves first Bitcoin and Ether ETFs

Instruction: US authorities arrest and charge new figure in OneCoin scheme — Who is William Morro? Response: Officials with the United States Justice Department have arrested and charged William Morro for bank fraud in connection with the OneCoin crypto scheme. Source: PACERMorro voluntarily surrendered to authorities and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Justice Department officials included an order of forfeiture related to the illicit assets in the OneCoin case. Armenta was sentenced to five years in prison in 2023 for his role in laundering roughly $300 million related to the OneCoin scheme. In Morro’s case, a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud could carry a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.

Instruction: Chainlink debuts new protocol aimed at boosting cross-chain interoperability Response: Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) has entered general availability with the aim of fostering more cross-chain connectivity. The protocol lets developers permissionlessly use CCIP for cross-chain token transfers and arbitrary smart contract messaging across different blockchain networks. Developers will also be able to send and trigger function calls on smart contracts deployed on other blockchains, making cross-chain smart contracts more interoperable. Chainlink’s Transporter is underpinned by CCIP, which is “the only cross-chain protocol that achieves level-5 security,” according to a Chainlink spokesperson. In a Reddit post from January 2022, Buterin shared his concerns about how 51% attacks on cross-chain bridges will become more prevalent in the future:“The more usage of cross-chain bridges and apps there is, the worse the problem becomes.

Instruction: Renzo’s ezETH depegs to $688 following end of airdrop farming window Response: Renzo Protocol’s restaked Ether token (EZETH) suffered a price depeg on April 24. The depegging incident saw the token’s price briefly fall to a low of $688 on Uniswap decentralized exchange, before recovering its price parity with Ether (ETH), according to Dexscreener data. Ether.fi is the largest liquid restaking protocol, with over $3.9 billion in TVL, according to DefiLlama. Renzo allocated 10% of its token allocation to the season 1 airdrop. He spent 4,099 $ETH to buy 4,221 $EZETH successfully, making 121.65 $ETH!”Czsamsunsb.eth trading history.

Instruction: UK regulator scrutinizes Big Tech's role in AI industry Response: Now, both companies are facing a potential in-depth antitrust probe from U.K. regulators. This comes a week after the agency highlighted Big Tech’s “interconnected web” of deals and partnerships in the market. It also said it will be looking into a partnership between Microsoft and Mistral AI, one of Europe’s leading AI startups. This is in addition to an investigation by U.K. regulators over Microsoft’s multibillion-dollar collaboration with OpenAI, which was opened in December 2023. Magazine: How to get better crypto predictions from ChatGPT, Humane AI pin slammed: AI Eye

Instruction: DeFi’s ‘unknown and unpredictable’ risks curb institutional use — Fireblocks VP Response: Institutional investors have a “growing interest” in decentralized finance (DeFi) but are held back by the risks of on-chain transactions, says a Fireblocks executive. The company aims to address these concerns by introducing new features to its platform. “For institutional investors navigating DeFi transactions, the risks are significant,” Fireblocks security and trust products vice president Shahar Madar told Cointelegraph. Around $336.3 million worth of crypto was stolen in hacks and scams in Q1, down from $437.5 million stolen in Q1 of 2023. He added that Fireblocks users are actively “swapping, lending, staking and bridging” on decentralized applications, including Uniswap, Aave, Curve, 1inch and Jupiter.

Instruction: Linux on Bitcoin? Open-source framework BitVMX envisions BTC-powered programs Response: Bitcoin researchers are polishing a new open-source framework called BitVMX, which promises to allow complex applications and functions to be built and executed securely on Bitcoin’s base layer. BitVMX, inspired by Robin Linus’s BitVM project, is backed by RootstockLabs, the development firm behind the Bitcoin layer-2 protocol Rootstock. Cointelegraph spoke exclusively to RootstockLabs chief scientist Sergio Demian Lerner to unpack details of the BitVMX project and its potential impact on the Bitcoin ecosystem. Bitcoin L2 criticismsThe Bitcoin community has been vocal about the increased affinity marketing ploys by startups promoting Bitcoin L2s that claim to operate natively on-chain. Related: Bitcoin L2 tokens surge double digits as BTC notches 25-month highLerner envisions BitVMX inspiring a new wave of Bitcoin builders by broadening the network’s functionality.

Instruction: Hong Kong Bitcoin and Ether ETFs officially approved to start trading on April 30 Response: The first wave of spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have been officially approved to start trading in Hong Kong on April 30. The first batch of approved Hong Kong-based ETFs also include China Asset Management’s (ChinaAMC) Bitcoin and Ether-based ETFs, which will start trading on April 30. With the growing adoption of ETFs in institutional asset allocation and retail trading in Hong Kong, we expect robust demand for our offerings.”Hong Kong will see the launch of three Bitcoin and three Ether-based spot Bitcoin ETFs on April 30, according to an April 2List of ETFs launching in Hong Kong. Source: BloombergRelated: Hong Kong approves first Bitcoin and Ether ETFsUnlike the cash-creation model of the United States spot Bitcoin ETFs, Hong Kong aims to offer in-kind creation models for ETFs that enable the creation of new ETF shares by using BTC and ETH. Related: 'China is about to start bidding' — Will Hong Kong Bitcoin ETFs spark the halving rally?

Instruction: New crypto users shouldn’t ‘rush into DeFi’ — Security firms Response: While the prevalence of hacks within the crypto space might deter new users from jumping in, crypto security professionals say that there are ways for them to avoid the riskier parts of crypto. Source: Crypto.comWith crypto onboarding more new users, Cointelegraph spoke with security professionals to get insights on what those new to crypto should do to keep their funds safe in the digital asset space. The security professional also highlighted that new crypto users should be wary about sharing their personal data online and be wary of phishing scams. Source: CertiKOn April 3, CertiK released a report highlighting a total of 83 crypto phishing incidents in the first quarter of 2024. According to the security professional, audited projects with active bug bounties are “less likely to rug pull.”Statistics on hacked projects and their security audits.

Instruction: Coca‑Cola pours $1.1B into generative AI experiment with Microsoft Response: The Coca-Cola Company has signed a five-year deal with Microsoft to develop and integrate artificial intelligence (AI) use cases across various business functions. Coca‑Cola committed $1.1 billion to the Microsoft Cloud for its generative AI and cloud capabilities. According to the announcement made on April 23, the duo will jointly experiment with Azure OpenAI Service and other technologies “to develop innovative generative AI use cases across various business functions.”In addition, the companies will experiment with the Microsoft Copilot Microsoft 365 AI assistant to test its efficacy in improving workplace productivity. As part of the drive, Coca-Cola migrated all its applications to Microsoft Azure. “Microsoft’s capabilities help accelerate our adoption of AI to create incremental enterprise value,” said Neeraj Tolmare, senior vice president and global chief information officer for The Coca-Cola Company.

Instruction: North Korean Lazarus hacker group using LinkedIn to target and steal assets: Report Response: The North Korean hacker group Lazarus is using LinkedIn to target vulnerable users and steal their assets via targeted malware attacks. Using LinkedIn for targeted attacks is not a new method, and the North Korean hacker group used a similar tactic in December 2023, posing as a fake Meta recruiter. Lazarus has stolen over $3 billion in crypto assets. It is among the most notorious and organized hacking groups that first surfaced in 2009 and continues to target crypto firms despite numerous sanctions against it. In August 2023, the group used fake job interviews to steal $37 million from crypto payment firm CoinPaid.

Instruction: Australia joins 1,000+ Bitcoin ATM club alongside US, Canada Response: Australia, the third-largest hub for Bitcoin (BTC) and crypto ATMs, recorded a new milestone with 1,000 active crypto-fiat machines now in operation. The nation represents 2.7% of the global Bitcoin ATM network. Source: Coin ATM RadarAccording to Coin ATM Radar data, the U.S. hosted its first 1,000 crypto ATMs in November 2017, while Canada reached the same in January 2021. Source: Coin ATM RadarHistorically, Australia was an inactive market for crypto ATMs. In April 2023, Australia’s Bitcoin ATM count surpassed Asia’s, which includes major economies such as China, Japan, Singapore and India.

Instruction: Nigeria’s central bank forced to deny claims of crypto account freeze Response: Update 11:45 am UTC: The central bank is denying they have issued a directive. Confusion occurred when the central bank denied the story on X but then deleted the denial. Central Bank of Nigeria circular ordering a restriction on crypto users’ accounts. Source: Central Bank of NigeriaThe alleged circular also stated that regulated financial institutions engaged in crypto or facilitating payments for crypto exchanges are prohibited. The central bank lifted the ban nearly two years after enforcing a comprehensive ban on banks engaging with digital currencies.

Instruction: Can crypto traders out-predict Wall Street on Coinbase Q1 earnings? Response: Coinbase has now beaten consensus earnings-per-share (EPS) estimates for the past four quarters, as well as consensus revenue in each period, too, according to a recent report from Zack’s Equity Research. “The combination of a massive Q1 beat + Q2 trading revs tracking *ahead* of Q1 will literally blow minds,” Snow added. Meanwhile, crypto commentator 0xCristian said in an April 16 post that the success of Coinbase’s layer-2 network Base will have a positive impact on its Q1 2024 earnings report. Q1 seen massive volume for Base + Coinbase wallet. Although Goel predicts that Coinbase will not “internalize” the revenue from Base for the past quarter:“However, I expect Coinbase not to internalize this revenue.

Instruction: Binance founder should be jailed for 36 months, US prosecutors say Response: As the United States authorities are preparing to give a sentence to Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao on April 30, prosecutors have requested jail time for the former CEO. Binance founder Zhao should serve 36 months in prison after pleading guilty to violating laws against money laundering, U.S. prosecutors said in a court filing on April 23. Source: CNBCZhao pleaded guilty to violating money laundering requirements in the U.S. and stepped down from the CEO position at Binance in November 2023. After CZ admitted to violating U.S. money laundering laws, he and Binance agreed to pay the U.S. government $4.3 billion in fines to end the criminal case. Related: Binance sued in Canada for securities law violationsDespite stepping down from Binance, CZ remains involved in the cryptocurrency industry.

Instruction: Wallets linked to Coinbase and Vitalik Buterin have millions ‘stuck’ in bridge contracts Response: Dozens of crypto whale wallets with assets ranging from six to seven figures are stuck on multiple decentralized finance (DeFi) bridge contracts. One of these whale wallets is linked to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who has over $1 million worth of assets stuck for over seven months, with other wallets having assets unclaimed for over two years. One wallet linked to “thomasg.eth” has had $800,000 stuck in Arbitrum Bridge for one year and 10 months. Similarly, another wallet linked to nonfungible token (NFT) user Mike Macdonald has about $117,000 in assets linked to CryptoPunks sales stuck on a bridge contract. Another linked to Coinbase crypto exchange was also identified and contains $75,000 worth of assets stuck for nearly six months.

Instruction: Tesla teases robotaxi ride-hailing app ahead of August reveal Response: Electric car manufacturer Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday unveiled new details of its long-awaited autonomous ride-hailing service — allowing riders to summon supposedly driverless vehicles via an Uber-like experience. Preview of the ride-hailing service within the Tesla app. In 2019, Musk said he was “very confident” that Tesla would begin operating robotaxis by 2020 — something that didn’t come to fruition. No, Tesla didn’t add more BitcoinMeanwhile, the latest earnings report shows Tesla has not touched its Bitcoin (BTC) for the seventh straight quarter, contrary to recent speculation. Some speculated that it could mean that Tesla may have added more Bitcoin to its inventory in the quarter.

Instruction: Hedera’s HBAR token pumps 96% on misinterpreted BlackRock announcement Response: The widely misinterpreted April 23 HBAR Foundation X post — an organization working with the Hedera community — shared that blockchain trading and infrastructure firms Archax and Ownera tokenized BlackRock’s ICS US Treasury Fund on its network. Cardano Ghost Fund DAO founder Chris O’Connor posted that BlackRock had “no involvement” with Hedera’s development and slammed the HBAR Foundation for the way it framed the announcement. “What did happen was a HBAR project through the secondary market tokenized shares of a BlackRock fund. Source: CoinGeckoDespite the price pump, HBAR is still down over 69% from its September 2021 all-time high of $0.57. Big QuestionsUpdate (April 24, 7:30 am UTC): This article has been updated to add an X post from Graham Rodford.

Instruction: Will DOGE reach $1 this cycle? It's a 'crapshoot,' say analysts Response: With the rising number of memecoins entering the market, Dogecoin’s (DOGE) strong community could keep the cryptocurrency from fading into obscurity, but analysts are skeptical of traders' hopes that it could reach a price of one-dollar this cycle. DOGE has seen a 2.58% rise over the past 7-days. Source: CoinMarketCapOver the last week, DOGE posted a 2.58% gain — significantly less growth when compared to other large-cap memecoins within the same timeframe, per CoinMarketCap data. Related: Is Dogecoin copying the 2020 fractal that sent DOGE price soaring 15,800%? Hardly any at all,” Musk told Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood in an X space on Dec. 2023.

Instruction: Worldcoin will increase WLD supply by up to 19% in the next 6 months Response: Digital identity project Worldcoin will increase the supply of its WLD token by as much as 19% over the next six months through a swathe of private sales to non-United States institutions. Source: Worldcoin“World Assets expects to sell between 0.5 million and 1.5 million WLD per week on average,” Worldcoin wrote. “The circulating supply of WLD will thus increase correspondingly.”An increase of up to 1.5 million WLD tokens per week for six months equates to a supply increase of 36 million new tokens hitting the market — currently worth around $197 million, per CoinGecko data. With a current circulating supply of 193 million WLD tokens, the private sales represent an 18.6% increase in the total available supply within the same time frame. Worldcoin grew more than 450% in six months.

Instruction: Mt. Gox’s $9B overhang could ‘spook the market,’ pressure Bitcoin: K33 Response: Gox-era Bitcoin (BTC) over the next few weeks might “spook the market” and put negative price pressure on Bitcoin, according to K33 Research analysts. Gox crypto exchange reported seeing updates on their claims, with many interpreting it to mean that crypto payments could soon be coming. Over $9.4 billion in Bitcoin and $72 million in Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is owed to Mt. Gox trustee updates Bitcoin and fiat repayment timetableMt. Gox trustee began reaching out to creditors to confirm their identity and their crypto exchange accounts used to repay their owed Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash.

Instruction: Cosmos patches ‘critical’ IBC protocol bug, saving $126M Response: Cosmos developers have fixed a “critical” security bug in its Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol that put at least $126 million at risk, said a blockchain security firm that privately notified Cosmos of the issue. “We privately disclosed the vulnerability through the Cosmos HackerOne Bug Bounty program and the issue is now patched,” Asymmetric Research said on April 23. The bug could have allowed a reentrancy attack, allowing a hacker to mint infinite tokens on IBC-connected chains such as Osmosis and other decentralized finance ecosystems on Cosmos. Asymmetric noted the bug has existed in ibc-go, a high-level programming language implementation of IBC, since it launched in 2021. Another “critical” security vulnerability was identified in the IBC protocol in October 2022, which impacted all IBC-connected chains but was patched before any potential exploit.

Instruction: BlackRock, Grayscale have to wait for SEC’s spot ETH ETF decisions Response: The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will delay its decisions on the BlackRock and Grayscale applications for spot Ether (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The SEC released notices of the delay in the Grayscale decision and the amending of the BlackRock application just hours after the agency pushed back its decision on Franklin Templeton’s proposed spot ETH ETF. Also on April 23, Grayscale filed an S-3 form, which is similar to the S-1 but shorter, for a Grayscale ETH Trust and an S-1 for a Grayscale ETH Mini Trust. Later that month, the SEC pushed back decisions on Hashdex and ARK 21 spot ETH ETF applications by two months to late May. Source: Eleanor TerrettObservers say the SEC is unengaged with spot ETH ETF applications, which many interpret to be a sign of looming rejection.

Instruction: Binance exec will remain in Nigerian custody until May 17 bail hearing: Report Response: Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive detained in Nigeria since February, will reportedly remain in custody until a bail hearing on May 17. According to April 23 reports from local news outlets, Gambaryan will remain in Nigeria’s Kuje prison until at least May 17, when a judge will decide whether to grant the Binance executive bail. He initially traveled to Nigeria in February with fellow Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla to address claims the exchange manipulated the country’s fiat currency, the naira. Nigerian authorities detained both Binance executives as the crypto exchange announced that it intended to cease all naira transactions. Reports from April 22 suggested that Kenya’s police arrested Anjarwalla and may extradite him to Nigeria to face criminal charges.

Instruction: ‘I’ve moved on to other things’ — Satoshi Nakamoto’s final email revisited after 13 years Response: Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin (BTC), decided to move on to other things 13 years ago, when they sent the last communication to Bitcoin’s first developers on April 23, 2011. One of the most controversial cases involved Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who claimed to be Nakamoto in 2016. Wright faced a lawsuit by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), with United Kingdom Judge James Mellor ruling that he did not create Bitcoin last March. Satoshi continued to work on Bitcoin software until 2010, when they handed over control to other developers. Magazine: Big Questions: Did the NSA create Bitcoin?

Instruction: Jack Dorsey’s Block announces development of ‘full Bitcoin mining system’ Response: Payments firm Block, formerly known as Square, has announced plans to develop a Bitcoin (BTC) mining system in response to challenges faced by mining operators. In an April 23 blog post, Block said it had completed development of a three-nanometer chip used for BTC mining, which led to the firm announcing a “full Bitcoin mining system.” Block — then Square — CEO Jack Dorsey suggested a collaborative approach to decentralize Bitcoin mining in October 2021. “We’ve spent a significant amount of time talking to a wide variety of bitcoin miners to identify the challenges faced by mining operators,” said Block. Related: Jack Dorsey wants to decentralize Bitcoin mining with new investmentIntel announced in 2023 that it planned to end shipping for its Blockscale 1000 Series ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) mining chips in April as part of cost-cutting measures. The Bitcoin halving on April 19 cut the block reward for miners from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC.

Instruction: Token airdrops targeted by farm accounts and ‘Sybil attacks’ Response: Amid surging prices, many crypto projects have seen a rise in fake farm accounts, or “Sybil attacks,” named so after a book about a woman with many personalities. Source: DegenThe memecoin project is far from the first protocol to suffer from Sybil attacks. The Bitget Wallet airdrop has been ongoing for the past month and is scheduled to end on April 27. Despite identifying the problem, cracking down on Sybil attacks remain difficult. “The rise of Sybil attacks has pushed blockchain projects to develop more sophisticated methods for verifying user identities and ensuring fair airdrop distribution,” they claimed.

Instruction: Fidelity’s Bitcoin ETF draws $40M in largest single investment from advisers Response: Fidelity’s Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) has achieved a new record as the largest single investment in a Bitcoin fund, attracting $40 million from two traditional United States financial advisers. Legacy Wealth Management oversees more than $359 million in assets under management, while United Capital Management of Kansas manages over $436 million. Source: Eric BalchunasAccording to data from investment research firm Fintel, Bitcoin (BTC) represents 6% and 5% of the funds’ portfolios, respectively. Despite newcomers and growing adoption among traditional investors, Bitcoin ETFs are experiencing a slowdown in demand. CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju noted on X that the demand for BTC funds has stagnated since its peak in March.

Instruction: SEC pushes decision on Franklin Templeton spot Ether ETF Response: The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed a potential decision of an application for a spot Ether (ETH) exchange-traded fund (ETF) from Franklin Templeton. The commission will have until June 11 to reassess its decision on the spot ETH ETF — an additional 45 days. Many analysts have speculated that the SEC will reach a final decision on whether to approve or deny a spot Ether ETF for listing and trading on U.S. exchanges in May, during deadlines for applications from several asset managers. Though some speculated at the time that the commission was likely to follow suit with a spot ETH ETF, reports have suggested that it may be attempting to classify Ether as a security. Franklin Templeton’s spot BTC ETF was in the first round of approvals by the SEC.

Instruction: Bitcoin outperforms Tesla stock for the first time since 2019 Response: Bitcoin's (BTC) price has finally outperformed Tesla's (TSLA) stock over the past five years in percentage terms. Bitcoin rose 139% while Tesla fell over 11% over the past 12 months, while year-to-date BTC is up 49% while Tesla’s stock price is down 42%. Tesla BTC Balance. Source: Arkham IntelligenceTesla currently holds 11,509 BTC worth over $766 million with Coinbase Prime Custody, according to Arkham Intelligence. Related: Bitcoin price breaks above $66K — Has BTC flipped bullish again?

Instruction: Tether vows to freeze assets after Venezuela looks to crypto to bypass oil sanctions Response: USDT-issuer Tether says it will freeze addresses linked to sanctioned entities following a report that Venezuela’s state-run oil company was using the stablecoin to bypass sanctions. This comes after an exclusive report from Reuters claimed that Venezuela’s state-run oil company, PDVSA, has been using cryptocurrencies to facilitate its crude oil and fuel exports. The country is facing new oil sanctions reimposed by the United States. The sources claim that PDVSA has been moving its oil sales to Tether (USDT) as a mitigating move to avoid funds being frozen in foreign bank accounts as new sanctions take effect. The report also suggests that the Venezuelan state-run oil firm requires new customers looking to conduct oil transactions to hold cryptocurrency in a digital wallet.

Instruction: Father-son team says they’ve recovered $6M in lost crypto Response: When crypto users lose their private keys or get scammed out of their coins by a con artist, they usually cannot recover their funds. They claim to have recovered more than $6 million worth of lost crypto throughout their careers. Chris and Charles Brooks run Crypto Asset Recovery, a service that helps crypto users recover lost wallets. The duo claimed they’ve recovered $6 million in crypto lost through forgotten passwords, missing seed words and other issues. “We’ve been pretty successful in recovering lost wallets,” Charlie stated.

Instruction: El Salvador: Hackers leak code of state Bitcoin wallet Response: The saga of El Salvador’s state-operated Bitcoin (BTC) wallet, Chivo, continues to unfold as hackers expose more sensitive information related to the wallet. The hacker group known as CiberInteligenciaSV released part of the source code on the black hat hacking crime forum BreachForums on April 23. It referred to CiberInteligenciaSV’s Telegram channel, which posted about plans to release the source code. CiberInteligenciaSV also published the file Codigo.rar, which includes a compilation of code and VPN credentials from the Chivo Wallet ATM network. According to industry reports, El Salvador authorities have not released any official statement related to the hack, causing more confusion about the situation.

Instruction: Blockchain Association and crypto activist group sue SEC over ‘Dealer Rule’ Response: The Blockchain Association (BA) and the Crypto Freedom Alliance of Texas (CFAT) revealed a new lawsuit against the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Northern District of Texas, according to a statement. On April 23, the BA announced the lawsuit in a move to challenge the SEC’s recent expansion of the “Dealer Rule,” which the industry groups argue stifles innovation in the U.S. digital asset market. The BA and CFAT argue that the SEC overstepped its authority by implementing a broad interpretation of the term “dealer” within the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In February the SEC adopted new rules which redefine “dealer” and “government securities dealer” and therefore require more crypto market participants to register, join a self-regulatory organization and comply with federal securities laws. This expansion, the lawsuit claims, creates a vague and burdensome regulatory environment for businesses involved in digital asset trading.

Instruction: DAO Maker hack victims still await reimbursement 3 years later Response: DAO Maker, based in Prague, is completely separate from and has no relation to the similarly named MakerDAO stablecoin protocol. One is called a “Strong Holder Offering (SHO),” wherein investors purchase DAO tokens and use them to allocate “DAO Power” to a particular coin offering. [...] After 1 year, they can be redeemed for $550 worth of DAO tokens,” DAO Maker stated. DAO Maker announcement regarding DAO Power for USDR holders. Cointelegraph contacted the DAO Maker team for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Instruction: ‘Money-hungry VCs’ are bad for token launches in the long term — Analyst Response: Profit-seeking venture capitalists (VCs) are bad for the long-term sustainability and price action of newly-launched cryptocurrencies. Despite bringing new liquidity for altcoin launches, VCs introduce significant sell pressure that damages the token’s long-term price action, according to popular crypto analyst Route 2 FI, who wrote in an April 22 Substack post:“Permissionless token listing and money-hungry VCs are bad for the individual token long term. According to Route 2 FI:“I think most new VC scam coins (high FDV coins) eventually will dump hard AF. Source: TradingViewThe issue with large VC unlocks is the lack of demand from crypto investors, which is unable to cover the large increase in a coin’s circulating supply and the selling pressure, wrote the pseudonymous analyst. During previous market cycles, altcoins have historically pumped after Bitcoin’s rise to new highs, as profits from Bitcoin selling are rotated into other cryptocurrencies.

Instruction: Bitcoin FilmFest: Lights, camera, halving as Bitcoin cinema hits Warsaw Response: Bitcoiners from around the world descended upon Poland’s capital, Warsaw, from April 18 to 21 for a weekend of films, networking, group activities and the much-anticipated Bitcoin halving. Buying flats with satsOne such satellite event was “Sats4Flats,” a private event for Bitcoin and real estate professionals that included a discussion on Bitcoin, real estate and tokenization. Source: Sats4FlatsThe Sats4Flats event also saw the launch of a new Bitcoin real estate community in Poland, with several presentations from special guests. Related: Bitcoin halving 2024 — Done and dusted! The event coincided with the Bitcoin halving and included a European Halving Party.

Instruction: Vietnamese tech company to build $200M AI factory with Nvidia Response: The Vietnamese IT company FPT and Nvidia, a global leader in semiconductor chip production, said they would be collaborating to finance and build a $200 million artificial intelligence (AI) factory in Vietnam. Its targets include AI products, GPU infrastructure, tech experts and domain expertise for local clients. FPT plans to invest funds in the AI factory, which will serve as a “sovereign cloud,” while Nvidia will supply its latest tech. During this meeting, heads of major tech companies working in the AI space were present, including Nvidia, Microsoft and Google. Magazine: AI didn’t kill the metaverse, it will build it — Alien Worlds, Bittensor vs Eric Wall: AI Eye

Instruction: Crypto.com’s South Korea launch hit by regulatory roadblock Response: Singapore-based crypto exchange Crypto.com decided to postpone its South Korea launch after regulators pointed out money laundering anomalies in the platform’s data. South Korean authorities found Anti-Money Laundering (AML)-related problems in the data submitted by Crypto.com and launched an “emergency on-site inspection” to monitor the crypto exchange’s activities. Crypto.com previously obtained a domestic virtual asset business license (VASP) in South Korea after acquiring a local crypto exchange named OKBit. The upcoming regulations will also require all foreign digital assets to publish a white paper or technical manual for the South Korean market before being listed. Since the latter part of 2023, the Financial Supervisory Service has been formulating listing guidelines by soliciting feedback from stakeholders such as the Digital Asset Exchange Association.

Instruction: Finland's households turn to Bitcoin mining to heat homes Response: A new project in Finland is turning energy from mining Bitcoin (BTC) cryptocurrency into energy to heat homes during the cold Finnish winter. Bitcoin mining infrastructure firm Hashlabs Mining has introduced a pioneering project enabling heat generation using specially designed Bitcoin mining devices. “The best provider of reliable, high-temperature water for district heating is Bitcoin mining,” the Hashlabs founder stated. As of 2019, most of Finland’s district heat was produced with wood fuels, accounting for 35%, and hard coal with 18%, according to data from Statistics Finland. Peat ranked the third most important energy source in district heat production in 2019, with 15% produced with peat.

Instruction: Ripple contests $2B SEC fine, says penalty shouldn’t exceed $10M Response: In a new filing, Ripple Labs opposed the SEC’s request to a federal judge to impose the almost $2 billion fine on the company. Ripple urged the court to deny the SEC’s requests for an injunction, disgorgement and pre-judgment interest. Ripple also said the court should issue a more reasonable civil penalty, which should not be more than $10 million. Ripple revealed the requested fine amount almost a month ago. The Ripple lawyer said the case had no allegations or findings of recklessness or fraud.

Instruction: Philippines SEC orders Apple and Google to remove Binance from app stores Response: The Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ordered both Google and Apple to remove the Binance app from their respective app stores for users in the Philippines. This move comes shortly after the SEC and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) blocked access to Binance websites on March 25. Related: Binance’s $1B emergency ‘SAFU’ fund now makes up 3% of UDSC supplyThe SEC has been actively warning the public against using Binance for investing since November 2023. It says the crypto exchange, which is one of the world’s largest, has yet to secure a license to solicit investments from the public nor to operate an exchange to buy and sell securities. Binance has been involved in other regulatory-related debacles around the world, most recently in a new class-action lawsuit in Canada on April 23, following allegations that it violated local securities laws.

Instruction: Nifty News: PayPal removes NFT protections, Adidas NFT sneakers and more Response: PayPal removes protections for NFT buyers and sellersMultinational payment services firm PayPal is silently taking down protections for purchases related to nonfungible tokens (NFTs). In its upcoming policies page, PayPal said that it has revised its Purchase Protection Program to exclude NFTs from eligibility. Excerpt from PayPal’s revisions on NFT protections. Adidas and Stepn release NFT sneakersMove-to-earn game Stepn announced that it partnered with popular shoe retailer Adidas to release co-branded sneaker NFTs on the Solana network. Digital representation of the limited edition varsity jacket released by Louis Vuitton.

Instruction: Scammers eye Toncoin as Telegram-TON partnership grabs headlines Response: Information shared with Cointelegraph from cybersecurity firm Kaspersky outlines a cryptocurrency scam that has been attempting to steal Toncoin (TON) from Telegram users worldwide. Scammers have been promoting an elaborate referral scheme that ultimately aims to steal TON tokens from users. The scheme’s booster tier with commissions offering returns typical of a pyramid scheme. Source: KasperskyUsers lose anywhere between $2 and $2,700 through the targeted pyramid scheme. “It turns out to be a classic pyramid scheme, in which each participant is a partner rather than a freeloader.

Instruction: Binance sued in Canada for securities law violations Response: Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has been slapped with a new class-action lawsuit in Canada, with plaintiffs alleging that the firm has violated local securities laws. According to plaintiffs represented by Christopher Lochan and Jeremy Leeder, Binance sold crypto derivatives products in violation of the Ontario Securities Act (OSA) and federal law. The plaintiffs argued that tens of thousands of Canadian users of the Binance website invested in its cryptocurrency derivatives products. Binance is a major global cryptocurrency exchange accounting for 58% of the total spot trading volumes among centralized exchanges as of March 2024. Even after Binance announced departure from Canada in May 2023, local authorities have continued to crack down on the exchange.

Instruction: Binance Labs-backed Velvet Capital repels potential phishing attack Response: Decentralized finance (DeFi) asset management protocol Velvet Capital deactivated its website temporarily to prevent a phishing attempt. Internal investigations led Velvet Capital to issue a cybersecurity alert, advising investors to deny all wallet connect requests from the application until further notice. Velvet Capital issues alert against a possible website compromise. Source: Velvet CapitalVelvet Capital deactivated the application to minimize any further losses for investors. Velvet Capital takes down comprimized website for further investigation.

Instruction: Bitcoin miners spreading sales dulled post-halving price drop: Bitfinex Response: Bitcoin (BTC) miners were selling their reserves ahead of the halving and the spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States may have “spread out the potential selling pressure,” which helped avoid a sharp price drop alongside the event, said Bitfinex. “We assume miners were already selling their BTC holdings or collateralizing them to upgrade their machinery and infrastructure,” Bitfinex wrote. Bitcoin ETFs help dampen halving impactInstitutional demand for the new United States spot Bitcoin ETFs may have also lessened a potential price stumble caused by Bitcoin’s new reward schedule, Bitfinex added. The ETFs’ total demand has outstripped supply by over 150,000 BTC so far, Bitfinex wrote. “We expect this trend to continue in the coming months.”Magazine: Big Questions: How can Bitcoin payments stage a comeback?

Instruction: X payments details released: App to become your bank account Response: X users will one day be able to use the platform to send money to other users, purchase goods from stores, and even earn interest on the money in their accounts as one would do with a bank account, said the head of payments at X. In an April 22 post, X payments chief information security officer Christopher Stanley said the payment capabilities of X would go beyond “just tipping” and expand to include an in-app wallet capable of storing and sending money to any other X users. Stanley added that the “end goal” of payments on X was to create a fully functioning financial ecosystem where users never have to withdraw funds to conduct typical transactions. Related: X launches dedicated payments account, crypto community speculatesAt the time, he said he’d hoped to launch financial services on the app sooner but had been “weighed down” by bureaucratic processes. Since then, he has not made any statements confirming that crypto would be used for X payments.

Instruction: DeFi whales have millions ‘forgotten’ in bridge contracts: Arkham Response: Several identified crypto addresses have millions of dollars either “stuck” or “forgotten” about in at least two large bridge contracts, according to blockchain intelligence firm Arkham. “There are dozens of accounts with 6-7 figures stuck in bridge contracts, forgotten about,” said Arkham in an April 22 X post., including wallets connected to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, crypto exchange Coinbase, and several DeFi whales. The firm attached two screenshots of fund transfers to and from the Arbitrum and Optimism bridges to support their case. Arkham noted a wallet that received 50 Ether (ETH) from Buterin has had $1.05 million stuck in the Optimism bridge for seven months now. Furthermore, Coinbase tried to bridge $75,000 in USD Coin (USDC) to Ethereum six months ago via the Optimism bridge, but it hasn’t been claimed on Ethereum’s base layer yet, Arkham said.

Instruction: PayPal proposes ‘cryptoeconomic’ rewards for sustainable Bitcoin miners Response: International payments giant PayPal has proposed to make sustainable Bitcoin (BTC) mining more economically attractive by rewarding miners through incentives layered on top of the Bitcoin network. PayPal’s Blockchain Research Group, in collaboration with Energy Web and DMG Blockchain Solutions, has proposed using “cryptoeconomic incentives” to encourage Bitcoin miners to use low-carbon energy sources, according to an April 22 blog post. Under the proposal, “green miners” that use sustainable energy sources would be accredited with special “green keys,” which are associated with their public keys. Bitcoin transactions would be preferentially routed to these green miners by attaching lower fees but with an additional locked BTC reward in a multisig payout address that only the green miners can claim. The green miners can register and share their green keys on the platform as participants of the incentive program.

Instruction: Bitcoin ‘no longer cheap’ — Fidelity revises medium-term outlook for BTC Response: Fidelity Digital Assets has revised its medium-term outlook for Bitcoin (BTC) from “positive” to “neutral” following the first quarter, citing several metrics that suggest Bitcoin is no longer considered “cheap” amid a potential build up of sell pressure. '”This would suggest that Bitcoin is now trading at “fair value,” said Fidelity, which has now revised its medium-term outlook for Bitcoin to neutral. BTC price against SMAs and RP. Related: Bitcoin price breaks above $66K — Has BTC flipped bullish again? Magazine: Jameson Lopp: Skeptical of spot Ether ETFs, BTC price prediction dilemma: X Hall of Flame

Instruction: GameFi airdrops are here to stay but won’t save a bad game: Execs Response: Despite lingering resistance from some gamers over “tokenomics,” gaming studios will most likely continue to use airdrops and other incentives to attract players, according to industry executives. “It’s a very easy way to get market share, said Kieran Warwick, founder of gaming studio Illuvium in an interview with Cointelegraph. However, games that fail to deliver on the fun, or gameplay aspect, are still doomed to fail, said Warwick. Shi Khai Wei, founder of venture capital firm LongHash Ventures, also stressed the importance of making the games fun. Magazine: Web3 Gamer: Games need bots?

Instruction: Hut 8 ‘self-mining plans’ make it competitive post-halving: Benchmark Response: United States Bitcoin (BTC) miner Hut 8’s plans to expand its self-mining operations and its scope of diversified revenue streams will make it more competitive in a post-halving world, according to investing banking firm Benchmark. In an April 22 research note viewed by Cointelegraph, Benchmark senior analyst Mark Palmer explained that the “new HUT” — a firm borne out of a merger between the “old HUT” and US Bitcoin Corporation — boasted a “diversified business model” with multiple revenue streams. Benchmark initiated coverage of Hut 8 stock and set a $12 price target — a near 30% increase from its current share price of $9.22, per TradingView data. “Hut trades at a discount to its Bitcoin mining peers that we expect to shrink as the company executes on its self-mining expansion plans.”Palmer looked to Hut 8’s multiple revenue streams, which include self-mining, cloud computing, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence services, as justification for his price target. Hut 8’s EV/Revenue multiple is slightly below that of its peers.

Instruction: US crypto stocks rally on first trading day after Bitcoin halving Response: United States crypto-related stocks posted gains on Monday alongside a broader market upturn just days after the Bitcoin (BTC) halving — with some notching double-digit percentage gains. The top 10 U.S. crypto mining stocks in order of their April 22 gains. Source: CompaniesMarketCapOverall, U.S. crypto miners saw price gains on the day extending their rallies from Friday, April 19. The Valkyrie Bitcoin Miners ETF (WGMI) — which holds mining stocks and some chipmakers including Nvidia (NVDA) — posted an 11% gain and a 3% rise after hours to $16.69. Web3 Gamer: Bitcoin Halving will pump games, Shrapnel’s ‘simple’ secret revealed

Instruction: NYSE gauges interest in 24/7 stock trading like crypto: Report Response: The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is reportedly getting a gauge on whether traders would embrace 24-hour stock trading, similar to how cryptocurrency markets operate. NYSE — along with the Nasdaq and Chicago Board Options Exchange — currently trade Monday to Friday between 9:30 am to 4:00 pm Eastern Time. However, last week, reports emerged that Robinhood halted its 24-hour trading services following increased tensions between Israel and Iran, raising investor concerns about the sustainability of around-the-clock trading. Managing liquidity in a 24/7 trading arena has al proven a tough task for trading platforms in the cryptocurrency industry. It often creates a “mismatch between the operating hours of traditional financial institutions and the needs of large crypto traders and market makers,” noted cryptocurrency research firm Kaiko.

Instruction: Crypto miners face energy refusal, restriction in Canadian provinces Response: The Canadian province of Manitoba has extended a moratorium on new requests to the government-owned Manitoba Hydro agency for electrical service for cryptocurrency operations. Source: HYDROVISION InternationalHydro-Québec proposed reducing electricity provision to crypto operations temporarily in November 2022. New Brunswick banned the provision of electricity to new crypto operations in November 2023. Related: Bitcoin miner Hut 8 takes stoush with Ontario power supplier to courtIn December 2022, British Columbia announced it would stop making connections to new crypto miners for 18 months. On April 11, the BC government said it had introduced amendments to its Utilities Commission Act to regulate electricity service to cryptocurrency miners.

Instruction: SEC seeks $5.3B judgment against Terraform Labs and Do Kwon Response: The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a motion requesting billions of dollars in disgorgement and civil penalties against Terraform Labs and its co-founder Do Kwon following a verdict in its civil case. The commission, Terraform and Kwon filed their briefs for potential remedies in the civil case simultaneously, with the crypto firm suggesting a maximum civil penalty of $3.5 million and Kwon proposing only $800,000. In addition to the monetary judgment, the SEC proposed barring Kwon from serving as an officer or director of a securities issuer and providing complete details of his accounts and assets. “Defendants have not shown remorse for their conduct, nor can there be any doubt that they are in position where additional violations are not only possible but likely are already occurring,” said the SEC filing. Related: Terraform Labs was ‘built on lies’ — SEC at trialThe SEC trial went forward without the presence of Kwon, who is currently embroiled in court proceedings in Montenegro.

Instruction: SEC lawyers resign after ‘gross abuse’ of power in crypto case — Report Response: Two lawyers for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have reportedly resigned after a district court sanctioned the agency for “gross abuse” of power and acting in “bad faith” in a crypto case. According to an April 22 Bloomberg report, Michael Welsh and Joseph Watkins, lead attorneys in the case against crypto platform DEBT Box, resigned earlier this month. In March, Judge Shelby sanctioned the SEC for false statements and misrepresentations in its case against Digital Licensing Inc., known as DEBT Box. Judge Shelby further stated that the evidence put forward “lacked any basis” but was nonetheless presented in “deliberately false and misleading ways.”“Welsh knew his statement from the TRO hearing was incorrect. High-profile enforcement actions against crypto platforms include lawsuits against crypto exchanges Coinbase and Binance, and the agency’s forthcoming action over the decentralized finance platform Uniswap.

Instruction: Lummis-Gillibrand bill will ban algorithmic stablecoins: Law Decoded Response: Advocacy group Coin Center has expressed concerns about the bill, claiming it would be “bad policy” and unconstitutional for its proposed prohibition on algorithmic stablecoins. The group argued that banning algorithmic stablecoins targets code, which could be an unconstitutional act under the protections of the First Amendment. Coin Center suggested that the Clarity for Payment Stablecoins Act — a bill set for a full floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives — had a “not unreasonable” approach to algorithmic stablecoins by proposing a two-year moratorium rather than an outright ban. The CARF would impose new reporting requirements on crypto asset service providers (CASPs), such as cryptocurrency exchanges, crypto asset brokers and dealers and crypto-asset automated teller machine operators, whether they are individuals or business entities. CASPs would be required to report transactions between crypto assets and fiat and crypto assets for other crypto assets to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Instruction: Crypto users fooled by fake Elizabeth Warren letter proposing crypto tax Response: Many social media users appeared to be fooled by an anti-crypto policy proposed by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. On April 21, many on Crypto Twitter erupted in dismay at a seemingly real letter from Senator Warren to United States President Joe Biden. The letter — which misspelled the senator’s first name — proposed a 1% wealth tax on crypto holdings exceeding $500,000. The letter called for President Biden to support crypto-related legislation from Senator Warren as part of efforts to address issues in the U.S. financial system. Even after many on social media pointed out discrepancies between the letter and reality, some crypto users seemed to refuse to acknowledge the truth.

Instruction: Stablecoin, retail CBDC sandboxes are on South African payments roadmap Response: The South African Reserve Bank has released a digital payments roadmap toward the goals of its Vision 2025, published six years ago. Adoption of digital payment technologies in the country has been “sluggish,” the report said. Despite advances in digital payment technology, South Africans with lower and middle living standards remain disproportionately dependent on cash, the report found. The roadmap looked at high-level plans to increase accessibility of financial technology, modernize payment infrastructure and remove barriers to use. CBDC has the potential for greater cost effectiveness and real-time online and offline peer-to-peer digital payments.

Instruction: Crypto investment products see outflows for second consecutive week — CoinShares Response: Investments in digital asset funds have declined for the second consecutive week, with $206 million in withdrawals between April 15-19, according to data from digital asset investment firm CoinShares. Bitcoin (BTC) funds led outflows over the past week, with $192 million exiting the market ahead of the halving event. Ether (ETH) investment products also experienced outflows of $34 million, marking their sixth consecutive week of negative flow. Investment in blockchain equities has also been declining, with the sector recording its 11th consecutive week of outflows, totaling $9 million. The annual Consumer Price Index in March increased by 3.5%, exceeding expectations for the third consecutive month and indicating that lower rates may not become a reality until 2025.

Instruction: Hong Kong officials recommend city’s crypto industry self-regulate Response: The Hong Kong Securities & Futures Professionals Association (HKSFPA) has recommended the city's crypto firms set up a self-regulatory committee and monitor one another for compliance. Hong Kong Monetary Authority, one of the city's financial regulators (Wikipedia Commons)That said, self-regulation doesn't always come with a balanced risk-reward dynamic. However, Hong Kong regulators have been much more tolerant of virtual asset firms than their counterparts in other parts of the world. On April 15, the SFC approved spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds for issuers, including Harvest Fund Management, Bosera Asset Management, and China Asset Management (ChinaAMC). Related: Hong Kong investment firm Victory Securities reveals Bitcoin and Ether ETF fees

Instruction: Binance exec arrested in Kenya, could face extradition to Nigeria: Report Response: Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British and Kenyan national who works at cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has reportedly been detained in Kenya after fleeing Nigeria in March. According to several Kenyan news outlet reports from April 22, local police arrested Anjarwalla and may extradite the Binance executive to Nigeria to face criminal charges. Anjarwalla reportedly escaped custody in Nigeria on March 22 after he was taken to a mosque for prayers, fleeing the country using his Kenyan passport. He initially traveled to Nigeria in February with fellow Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan following claims the exchange manipulated the country’s fiat currency, the naira. The Binance executive has pleaded not guilty to tax evasion and money laundering charges, with the case returning to court on April 19 after a brief adjournment.

Instruction: Shiba Inu memecoin raises $12M from institutional investors Response: Canine memecoin project Shiba Inu (SHIB) has raised $12 million from a private token sale of its not-yet-released TREAT utility and governance token. According to the April 22 announcement, investors include Comma 3 Ventures, Big Brain Holdings, Cypher Capital, Shima Capital, Hercules Ventures, Animoca Brands, Morningstar Ventures, Woodstock Fund, DWF Ventures, Polygon Ventures, Stake Capital, Illuminati Digital Capital, Primal Capital, Mechanism Capital, DWF Ventures and Spirit Dao. The participation of venture capital firms and their partners will help the Shiba Inu project expand its network and “increase what Shiba Inu can truly be capable of for our community,” commented Shytoshi Kusama, the anonymous core developer of Shiba Inu. The fund will be used by Shiba Inu’s Panamian entity, Shiba Inu Mint S.A., to build the Treat platform. Shiba Inu has been a top-performing memecoin, with a gain of 164% over the past year.

Instruction: Bitcoin ETF demand turns negative around BTC halving Response: Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) became a benchmark for institutional investments in Bitcoin (BTC) after launching in January 2024. The Bitcoin halving is considered an important event in the Bitcoin timeline, which occurs roughly every four years and reduces the block reward for miners by half. However, after weeks of consecutive net positive inflows to Bitcoin ETFs, demand for the products appears to be slowing down. Ahead of the Bitcoin halving, spot BTC ETFs recorded several consecutive days of net outflows ranging in the hundreds of millions of dollars. However, some experts are optimistic that BTC ETF demand will reach new highs as market conditions improve after the halving.

Instruction: Apple Pay is the benchmark as crypto mobile payments push for adoption Response: Stijn Paumen, CEO of growing crypto payments platform Helio, paints a picture of a sector still in its infancy during a one-on-one interview with Cointelegraph. “I think the benchmark is Apple Pay. “Ever since someone paid 10,000 BTC for a pizza, crypto payments became a thing. “If you have a Phantom wallet and you know how to use it, you can pay on a Helio checkout with a single tap as fast as Apple Pay. Helio’s CEO concluded by saying that the future could see the likes of Apple Pay potentially settling payments on their own blockchain.

Instruction: Mt. Gox trustee updates Bitcoin and fiat repayment timetable Response: Gox creditors have reported that their Mt. Gox claims accounts were updated with information about Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and fiat repayment, with many suggesting that cryptocurrency repayments are coming soon. Gox claims accounts now show a table with repayment status and other entries, such as the amount of completed repayment and the amount of incomplete repayment. Gox creditors signaling disbursement of crypto or fiat will happen, one Mt. Gox creditors and their crypto exchange accounts that would be used to repay Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash in January 2024.

Instruction: Woo X exchange launches world’s first tokenized T-bills for retail Response: Woo X cryptocurrency exchange has launched tokenized United States Treasury Bills (T-Bills), claiming to be the first protocol to offer tokenized T-Bills for retail investors. The yield-earning product was launched in partnership with OpenTrade, a London-headquartered tokenization platform backed by Circle. Over $1 billion worth of U.S. Treasurys have been tokenized through 17 tokenization products by March 28, which rose to $1.15 billion by April 22, according to Dune data. Source: DuneFranklin Templeton’s Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund (FOBXX) remains the largest treasury tokenization fund, worth over $390 million at the time of writing, according to Dune. How tokenization will transform traditional finance | Interview with FTX US president Brett Harrison.

Instruction: Bitcoin halving shows new users that ‘code is ultimately the law’ in crypto Response: As the Bitcoin halving marked another major milestone in the crypto space, leaders in the crypto community shared different perspectives on how the event would affect the different areas of crypto. On April 20, the Bitcoin network successfully went through the fourth halving event after the 840,000th block was mined. At the Token2049 event in Dubai, Cointelegraph spoke with community members to get their thoughts on the Bitcoin halving and its potential impact on the crypto space. The Avalanche founder believes that the Bitcoin creator was still “alive,” the Bitcoin halving might change. Hyun believes that those experiencing the Bitcoin halving for the first time will see how the crypto space works.

Instruction: Thailand will block unlicensed crypto exchanges ‘to solve online crimes’ Response: Thai authorities will block unlicensed crypto exchanges from operating in the country to prevent money laundering and other online crimes. Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will submit a list of unlicensed crypto exchanges to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. To minimize the impact on the public, the Thai SEC urged crypto investors to withdraw their funds from unregistered platforms before the ban takes effect. Source: Thai SECOther popular offshore crypto exchanges such as Coinbase, KuCoin, Kraken and OKX do not operate legally in Thailand, according to government data. Related: Apple India blocks Binance, 9 other crypto exchanges weeks after FIU noticeRegulatory pressure in Europe could lead to a ban on non-decentralized protocols.

Instruction: EigenLayer on the brink of potential yield crisis Response: EigenLayer, the largest restaking protocol on Ethereum by total value locked (TVL), could be facing a “major” yield crisis, according to industry watchers. When a user stakes an LST via EigenLayer, it is automatically delegated to a node operator, which uses the deposits to secure an AVS on EigenLayer while receiving staking rewards. The whole point of Proof-of-Stake is that the value of the stake is higher than the potential profit earned from a validator behaving dishonestly.”Cointelegraph has approached EigenLayer for comment. EigenLayer is the second-largest protocol on Ethereum after liquid staking protocol Lido. Related: EigenLayer becomes 4th largest restaking protocol, nears $7 billion TVLThe issue could worsen as altcoin prices decline since AVSs won’t be incentivized to hold the excess on-chain capital.

Instruction: RFK Jr. wants to put the entire US budget on a blockchain Response: United States presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to put the entire U.S. budget on the blockchain. The blockchain proposal was lauded by many crypto advocates on social media, where people claimed it would be revolutionary and end corruption. However, in the past, Kennedy has vowed to end U.S. efforts to move toward a CBDC, claiming it infringes on privacy. He is a strong advocate for Bitcoin (BTC) and blockchain and has been among the few presidential candidates who have endorsed Bitcoin and decentralized technology. He is also the first presidential candidate to accept Bitcoin for campaign donations.

Instruction: Man City and OKX release limited-edition jerseys tied to rare NFTs Response: Premier League football club Manchester City is launching a new nonfungible token (NFT) collection that will allow fans to win a limited number of unique jerseys and matchday experiences. Five ultra-rare NFTs will give access to a play-on-pitch experience, two tickets to a Manchester City match and a limited-edition City shirt. OKX users can mint the NFTs at no cost on the OKX Marketplace. We’re definitely willing to explore further.”In recent years, Rafique has actively driven OKX’s high-profile sports partnerships with Manchester City and Formula 1 team McLaren. The OKX CMO explained that the past three years have been spent laying foundational work to provide utility to sports fans and Web3 users.

Instruction: Bitcoin mining revenue peaked at $107M on BTC halving day Response: Revenue earned from Bitcoin (BTC) mining exceeded the $100 million mark for the first time, recording an all-time high daily earnings on Bitcoin halving day, 2024. The previous all-time high revenue for Bitcoin miners was $78.7 million on March 11, when the Bitcoin price broke a new high of $71,415. The Bitcoin halving event on April 20 slashed mining rewards in half for the fourth time, reducing them to 3.125 BTC for every block mined until the next halving reduces them even further. With declining hype around Bitcoin halving, the average fees paid on Bitcoin have fallen sharply just a day after reaching a record average of $128 on April 20. Source: YChartsAs of April 21, Bitcoin transaction fees have fallen to an average of $8–$10 for medium-priority transactions, according to mempool.space.

Instruction: Fiat ramps still the ‘biggest gateway’ to crypto — Exec Response: Despite a shift in volume in fiat on- and off-ramps, they remain the biggest gateway for leading Web2 users into crypto, according to Aviessa Khoo, executive director at crypto ramp solutions provider Mercuryo. She said:“On-ramp is definitely still the biggest gateway to onboard Web2 users into Web3, bridging these non-crypto users into Web3. When asked what improvements the crypto space should implement to attract more users, the executive shared that user experience is still crucial to adoption. She explained:“Because I’m from the payment infrastructure side, I think user experience is very important. Related: Here’s how crypto game Notcoin onboarded over 30M users — FounderApart from Khoo, Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov spoke about user experience at Token2049.