In the aftermath of the FTX collapse, Forbes published an article that focused on the recent “shuffling” of funds by the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. However, the following day on Feb. 28, Binance co-founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) took to Twitter to tackle the FUD. In response to the article, the CEO said: “They seem to not understand the basics of how an exchange works. Our users are free to withdraw their assets any time they want.” In his series of tweets, he addressed various claims from the Forbes article. This included what it called a “backroom maneuver” when Binance …

Coinbase will suspend trading for Binance USD (BUSD) stablecoin on March 13, the exchange announced Feb. 27 on Twitter. The message mentioned “listing standards” as it announced its decision. The decision will apply to Coinbase.com (simple and advanced), Coinbase Pro, Coinbase Exchange, and Coinbase Prime, according to the tweet thread. The exchange added, "Your BUSD funds will remain accessible to you, and you will continue to have the ability to withdraw your funds at any time." A Coinbase spokesperson told Cointelegraph: “Our determination to suspend trading for BUSD is based on our own internal monitoring and review processes. When reviewing …

Binance branded stablecoin, Binance USD (BUSD), is a dollar-backed stablecoin issued by blockchain infrastructure platform Paxos Trust Company, and is the third largest stablecoin after Tether’s (USDT) and Circle’s USD Coin (USDC). Paxos has claimed in the past that BUSD is fully backed by reserves held in either fiat cash or United States Treasury bills. BUSD was reportedly authorized and regulated by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). Paxos partnered with crypto exchange Binance in 2019 and launched the stablecoin, which received approval from the NYDFS. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao has stated that the exchange licensed the …

Texas' State Securities Board and the Department of Banking are objecting to a proposed deal between Binance.US and bankrupted crypto lender Voyager Digital, shows court filings from Feb. 24. According to the document, Binance.US's terms of service and restructuring plan contain a number of "inadequate" disclosures, including not informing unsecured creditors adequately that under the plan they may only get 24%-26% recovery, rather than the 51% they would receive under Chapter 7. Binance.US disclosed in December an agreement to buy Voyage's assets for $1.022 billion. The filing also notes the company's disclosure statement fails to inform that account holders are …

Binance Australia Derivatives sent an abrupt message to a select group of users on Feb. 23, saying it would be immediately closing their accounts due to a false classification of some users as “wholesale clients.” This incident caused a flurry of responses from users on social media, and the next day, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) announced it would be conducting a “targeted review” of Binance's local derivatives operations. According to a statement from a spokesperson of the regulator on Feb. 24, the review of Binance Australia Derivatives will include the company’s “classification of retail clients and wholesale …

Binance Australia Derivatives users reported abrupt notifications sent by the digital asset platform on Feb. 23, saying it is starting to close certain derivatives positions and accounts. According to screenshots posted by various users on Twitter, users who did not meet the requirements to be a “wholesale investor” were told all of their positions would be closed, and they would no longer be able to access the Binance Australia Derivatives Platform. Binance closed derivative positions for many Australian users abruptly #Australia #binance pic.twitter.com/4t1gL08oK6 — Moidul Islam (@Mi_moidulislam1) February 23, 2023 Users were informed that to continue using Binance Australia’s derivatives …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has objected to Binance.US’ move to acquire over $1 billion of assets belonging to the defunct cryptocurrency lending firm Voyager Digital. According to a Feb. 22 filing submitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York, the SEC believes that certain elements of the asset restructuring plan of Binance.US’ acquisition could breach Securities Laws. The SEC is formally investigating whether Binance.US and related debtors violated anti-fraud, registration and other provisions of the federal securities laws. The SEC noted particular concern around the security of assets through the planned …

The mainstream adoption of crypto and crypto-based services continues, as more companies are bridging traditional financial (TradFi) solutions with decentralized financial (DeFi). In an announcement on Feb. 22, a new pilot program launched between Binance and Ingenico payment solutions now allows in-store crypto payments via Binance Pay. Currently, the initial test of this offering is only available on Ingenico AXIUM payment terminals in France. According to the announcement, more than 50 cryptocurrencies will be accepted with this program. Initially, merchants will be paid in cryptocurrency. However, a crypto-to-fiat solution in which merchants are paid in fiat is set to pilot …

New week, a new element of the crypto ecosystem is under attack. This time, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ordered Paxos Trust to stop issuing Binance USD (BUSD) — a dollar-pegged stablecoin. Paxos received a cease order from the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). With no other choice, Paxos announced that from Feb. 21, it would end its relationship with Binance for the branded U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin BUSD. All existing BUSD tokens will remain fully backed and redeemable through Paxos Trust Company until “at least February 2024.” Customers can redeem their funds in U.S. dollars …

It might seem like forever and a day ago when the Bitcoin (BTC) price was trading below $18,000, but in reality, it was 40 days ago. Generally, cryptocurrency traders tend to have a short-term memory and, more importantly, they attribute less importance to negative news during bull runs. A great example of this behavior is BTC’s 15% gain since Feb. 13, despite a steady flow of bad news in the crypto market. For instance, on Feb. 13, the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) ordered Paxos to "cease minting" the Paxos-issued Binance USD (BUSD) dollar-pegged stablecoin. Similarly, Reuters …

Crypto exchange Binance has launched a new update to its fan token platform that focuses on helping sports teams engage with their fans by offering various rewards to token holders. In an announcement sent to Cointelegraph, the crypto exchange said that its fan club program will now let fans gather points that they can exchange for rewards that range from getting tickets to games, having access to meet and greets, receiving video clips from their favorite players and participation in exclusive dinners with the athletes. Participants can collect points by participating in various fan token activities like voting in polls …

The total crypto market capitalization rejected at $1.13 trillion on Feb. 16, but there was no change in the month-long ascending channel structure. More importantly, this level represents a 43% gain in 2023, which is far from the $3 trillion level achieved in Nov. 2021. Still, the current recovery is notable. As shown above, the ascending channel initiated in mid-January has left some room for a 10% correction down to $1 trillion without breaking the bullish formation. Investors reacted positively to the 5.6% year-on-year U.S. CPI inflation increase on Feb. 14 and the 3% retail sales monthly growth on Feb. …