Top Stories of The Week
SEC Drops TRON And Robinhood Investigation, Signaling Regulatory Shift
The SEC spent the last week dropping its cases and investigations against various crypto-related firms. Specifically, the SEC dropped its cases against Coinbase and Consensys while it ended investigations into Robinhood Crypto, OpenSea, Uniswap, and Gemini. While the SEC has stated it will always prosecute fraud, the moves represent a more open stance by the agency.
Bybit restores Ethereum reserves following $1.4B breach, launches $140M bounty program
Bybit CEO Ben Zhou announced the restoration of Ethereum reserves after a $1.4b breach, confirming 1:1 client asset coverage. The exchange replenished reserves via OTC purchases and loans, totaling 157,660 ETH. A 10% bounty program for recovery efforts was launched, potentially offering $140 million. Attackers began laundering funds using techniques linked to the Lazarus Group.
Solana Plunges to Lowest Price Since October as Meme Momentum Cools
SOL fell 16% over the last week and is down 51% from it's all-time high just over a month ago. Impacting the price is reduced memecoin trading activity in the wake of the LIBRA memecoin fiasco that showed memecoins may not be as an efficient and fair vehicle for speculation as traders originally thought. In addition, Solana has a 11.2m SOL unlock on March 1, and traders may be getting out of the way ahead of what could be selling as locked tokens become sellable.
Bank of America CEO Hints at Launching Dollar-Pegged BofA Stablecoins
Bank of America is considering launching a US dollar-pegged stablecoin, pending regulatory clarity in the US. Regulatory shifts are prompting major banks to explore crypto, with potential benefits for faster transactions and financial inclusion.
Aya Miyaguchi to become president of Ethereum Foundation
Aya Miyaguchi will transition from Executive Director to President of the Ethereum Foundation, focusing on institutional relationships and expanding the organization's vision. She emphasizes the EF's role in upholding Ethereum's values and promoting resilience. The move comes as ecosystem participants question Ethereum's rollup-centric strategy.
Ethereum
Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade Crashes Holesky Testnet
Ethereum considers Poseidon hash to boost zero-knowledge proof efficiency
Arbitrum DAO committee proposal to invest 7,500 ETH in non-native projects sparks criticism
Ethereum devs to kick off Pectra testing on Holesky
Altcoins
Sky introduces Polaris to connect to Berachain as part of ‘agent framework’
Solana Proposal to Slash Inflation by 80% Heads to Community Vote
Olas' Mech Marketplace Enables AI Agents to Hire Each Other for Help
XRP Ledger unveils institutional DeFi roadmap
Ethereum Layer-2 Starknet Gets First Gaming App-Chain
Polygon could lose over $300 million in TVL as Aave votes to halt lending on PoS chain
Avalanche Visa Card Goes Live Aiming to Further the Mass Adoption of Crypto
Raydium’s token drops 28% as pump.fun appears to test AMM feature
Berachain Surpasses $3.26B TVL, Becomes Sixth-Largest DeFi Blockchain
Hedera-Based Origin Emerges from Stealth, Enables VC Treatment for Everyday Users
Emergency Sky proposal sparks governance debate
Rune Christensen Pushes Through Sky Changes to Prevent “Irreversible Catastrophe”
Helium Mobile expands presence in Mexico
Stablecoins
Metro department store debuts stablecoin payments in Singapore: Report
Justin Sun says USDT on Tron is going ‘gas-free’ next week
Circle’s USDC and EURC Gain Legal Status with DFSA Approval in Dubai
Ethena assures users of solvency after Bybit hack
Stablecoins poised to be ‘new payment method’ if they clear these hurdles, says Fed researcher
Neobank Infini celebrates $50M TVL, then suffers $49.5M USDC exploit due to former insider
Bybit hacker swaps $3.64M to DAI via decentralized exchanges
Kraken mulls USD stablecoin as MiCA forces USDT removal: Report
Crypto Ecosystem
Pump.fun sees rapid decline in graduating tokens as memecoin frenzy fizzles out
PayPal-Backed Raise Secures $63M to Expand Blockchain-Based Gift Card System
Bittensor App Gets Hack Risk Cover From Nexus Mutual-Backed Insurance Firm Native
Sixth Street backs blockchain lender Figure with $200M investment
Blackbird, Blockchain Restaurant Loyalty App, Goes Live With Flynet Mainnet
Michael Novogratz's Galaxy Hires Zac Prince, Former CEO and Co-Founder of BlockFi
Delta Blockchain Founder Kavita Gupta Unveils Cross Chain Interoperability Startup
Onchain sleuth ZachXBT joins crypto VC firm Paradigm as incident response advisor
Tornado Cash Dev Alexey Pertsev Gets $1 Million Donation From Ethereum Foundation
Crypto wallet Phantom acquires token data platform SimpleHash
Blockchain Developer Alchemy Launches a $5M ‘Everyone Onchain Fund’
Crypto sentiment sinks to ‘extreme fear’ as Trump says tariffs still on
Tezos Layer 2 Etherlink Launches Mainnet and Unveils Rewards Programs
Security Giant Immunefi Reveals Unified Security Platform Magnus, Announces Major Partners
Rome Protocol Integrates With Polygon AggLayer to Unlock Ethereum-Solana Interoperability
XDC Network and Archax Launch Four Tokenized Funds
Tokenized time platform Time.fun goes live on Solana following Base debut
Chintai Tokenizes $570M Real Estate Cash-Flow for RealNOI
KIP Protocol denies involvement in Libra launch
Blockchain Throughput Is Overestimated by 75% – Taraxa Report
Fogo plots a Solana chain running ‘pure Firedancer’
Almost 80% of FTX Creditors Will Reinvest in Crypto, 62% Plan to Buy Solana – Survey
Pump.fun sees decline in fees, users, and token launches after LIBRA incident
FTX repayments hit jurisdictional roadblocks as creditors clamour to reinvest
Artist Ye, Formerly Known as Kanye West, Teases ‘Swasticoin’ Token Launch
Helium Mobile expands presence in Mexico
Hedera-Based Origin Emerges from Stealth, Enables VC Treatment for Everyday Users
NFTs / Gaming / Metaverse
Aston Villa Launches First NFTs on Chiliz Chain to Celebrate 150th Anniversary
'Nyan Heroes' Plots Epic Games Store Return With New Hero, Map and Mode
Ethereum Layer-2 Starknet Gets First Gaming App-Chain
Ethereum Game 'Nifty Island' Now Lets Creators Drop AI Agents Into 3D Worlds
‘Hamster Kombat’ Returns—Should You Tap Back in for the ‘HamsterVerse’?
Million-Dollar Dolce & Gabbana Digital Suit Fractionalized on Ethereum L2 Base—Here’s Why
Crypto company sponsorships of sports teams are on the rise, from F1 and football to MMA and snooker
Community Gaming launches CGX token, Forkast prediction market
Original Pudgy Penguins Artist Finds 'Freedom' With New Berachain NFT Collection
Mining
Bitcoin Miner MARA Posts Record Quarterly Revenue, Beating Estimates
CoreWeave Eyes $4B IPO, Could File for U.S. Listing Within a Week: Bloomberg
Core Scientific Announces $1.2B Data Center Expansion Despite $265M Q4 Loss
Cipher Mining shares down 17% as 2024 losses mount
Bitdeer stock drops 28% after earnings miss
This Wall Street Bitcoin Miner Just Hoarded $1.65 Billion in BTC
Russia’s Bitcoin Mining Sector Records Growth as Mining Farms Increase by 7% in 2024: Report
Crypto mining tech firm Bgin Blockchain files for $50M IPO in US
Crypto Mining Firm BitFuFu Acquires Data Center in Oklahoma
Exchanges
SEC closes investigation into crypto exchange Gemini, Cameron Winklevoss says
Bybit secured UAE in-principle approval days before $1.4B hack
Stablecoin competition heats up as MEXC invests $20M in Ethena’s USDe
Bybit registers with Indian authorities, restores services in the country
South Korea sanctions Upbit with 3-month ban on servicing new clients
Chainalysis reveals how Bybit hackers stole $1.4 billion in crypto
Bybit swiftly repays 40,000 Ethereum loan as hacker launders $250 million
Bybit Said it Closed $1.5B Gap Left After Largest Crypto Exploit in History
Kraken, Crypto.com among exchanges planning stablecoin launches in EU
Bybit Offers $140M Bounty as Crypto Industry Rallies After Historic Hack
Bybit’s reserves plunge by $6 billion in two days after exploit
Non-KYC Exchange eXch Denies Helping Lazarus Group Launder Stolen Funds from Bybit Hack
Deribit Plans Hong Kong Expansion as City Pushes to Become Virtual Asset Hub
OX token plummets amid OX FUN extortion and insolvency of former 3AC founders rumors
Bybit Loses $1.5B in Hack but Can Cover Loss, CEO Confirms
SEC to Drop Enforcement Case Against Coinbase, Pending Approval
KuCoin Moves to Comply with EU Crypto Laws, Files MiCA Application in Austria
Investment Mgmt
Bitwise registers Aptos ETF entity in Delaware as altcoin fund competition escalates
DTCC lists first set of Solana futures ETFs, fueling hopes for spot SOL fund approval
Bitwise raises $70M to invest in team, onchain solutions
SEC Acknowledges Grayscale's Revised Staking Proposal for its Ethereum ETF
Grayscale Applies to SEC for Polkadot ETF on Nasdaq
Crypto-Friendly Former Congressman Patrick McHenry Joins A16z as a Senior Advisor
Grayscale Files for Polkadot ETF, Adding to Portfolio of Offered Funds
SEC acknowledges Grayscale Cardano ETF filing, decision by August 2025
Senators press SEC for clarity on crypto ETP staking restrictions
Crypto Products See $508M Outflows, XRP Leads Altcoin Inflows
Litecoin, Hedera front runners for next spot crypto ETF as SEC makes comments
Canary Capital launches Axelar Trust targeting institutional investors
Capital Raises
Multicoin Leads $8M Investment in GPS Alternative Geodnet
Mavryk Dynamics Secures $5.2M for Blockchain-Powered Real-World Asset Ownership
Crypto Asset Manager Bitwise Bolsters Balance Sheet With $70M Equity Raise
Memes Lab raises $2.3 million in seed round led by Lemniscap
Institutionally-focused restaking startup Byzantine Finance raises $3 million in pre-seed funding
USDe Stablecoin Developer Ethena Raises $100M: Bloomberg
Trad Fi / Tech
Ondo Finance to Bring RWAs to Mastercard Network
Bank of America CEO Says Bank Will Likely Launch Its Own Stablecoin
GameStop Urged to Convert Its $5B Cash Into Bitcoin by Strive's CEO Matt Cole
Metaplanet Snaps Up 135 Bitcoin for $96,000 Each—Just Before Price Crash
Ken Griffin’s Citadel Securities Eyes Crypto Market-Making on Coinbase and Binance
DekaBank Rolls Out Crypto Trading, Custody Services for Institutions: Bloomberg
HK Asia Holdings stock soars as it kicks off MicroStrategy 2.0 strategy with Bitcoin purchase
Strategy buys 20,356 Bitcoin for almost $2B; holdings approach 500K BTC
CBDC
Russia delays digital ruble CBDC launch, extends pilot phase indefinitely
Russia Rolls Out CDBC Anti-fraud System as Digital RUB Rollout Nears
ECB Plans Blockchain-Based Payment System for Central Bank Settlements
Regulatory / Countries
SEC Ends Robinhood Investigation 'With No Action'
DOJ reaches $500 million settlement with OKX affiliate over unlicensed money transmitting business
SEC Plans to Drop Enforcement Suit Against ConsenSys’ MetaMask, CEO Joe Lubin Says
SEC and Justin Sun look to ‘explore a potential resolution’
Stablecoins Take Center Stage at Senate's First Digital Assets Subcommittee Hearing
After Coinbase, SEC Drops Gemini Probe—Winklevoss Demands Firings, Compensation
Pakistan Aims to Regulate Crypto with New Advisory Council: Report
TRUMP meme coin under attack as House Democrats push for MEME Act
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Hires Galaxy Digital Counsel to Advise on Crypto
U.S. House Committee Advances Effort to Erase IRS' DeFi Tax Rule
SEC Ends Uniswap Investigation
Oklahoma BTC reserve bill passes House Committee; other states reject
One of 2 Remaining Democrats at U.S. CFTC Will Exit When New Chair Arrives
Dubai Plans Move to Reveal Identity of Crypto Whales: Report
Ohio Lawmakers Introduce Bill Banning Taxes on Digital Asset Payments
SEC to Cut Regional Directors Amid Trump Administration Cost-Cutting Push: Report
EU Adopts New Sanctions, Including Crypto Restrictions Against Russia
OKX pleads guilty, pays $505M to settle DOJ charges
Strategy CEO Michael Saylor Pitches Regulations Reform to SEC Crypto Task Force
U.S. Marshals Service Can't Say How Much Crypto It Holds, Complicating Bitcoin Reserve Plan
U.S. Digital Assets Sub-Committee to Hold Hearing on Bipartisan Crypto Legislation
SEC Launches Cyber Unit to Combat Blockchain Fraud
SEC Drops OpenSea Investigation Easing Pressure on NFT Market
Georgia State Pushes Harder for Bitcoin Stockpile, Senate Proposes Second BTC Reserve Bill
Three US Bitcoin reserve bills fail despite Trump’s pledges — ‘Smacks of speculation’
Costa Rica Makes First Foray Into Crypto with New Bitcoin ETF
SEC Approves Yield-Bearing Stablecoin as Crypto Regulations Evolve
Sinema calls Arizona a ‘trailblazer’ as state pushes to keep unclaimed crypto in native form
Environmental, Social, Governance
Tokenization is Already Helping the World's Vulnerable. Here's How
Surveys, Hacks, Other Misc
Lazarus appears to compromise Safe developer machine in lead up to $1.5 billion Bybit hack: report
Waste expert says chances of UK man finding lost bitcoin fortune are 1 in 902 million
Sam Bankman-Fried tweets from prison, aligns himself with DOGE efficiency philosophy
U.S. Law Enforcement Seizes $31M in Crypto Tied to Uranium Finance Hack
SafeMoon CTO Thomas Smith Pleads Guilty to Massive Crypto Fraud Scheme
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