Welcome to Finance Redefined, your weekly dose of essential decentralized finance (DeFi) insights — a newsletter crafted to bring you significant developments over the last week. In the aftermath of a deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake in southeastern Turkey, the Web3 community has come together to raise awareness and aid for disaster victims. Stablecoins could prove to be a critical factor in larger DeFi adoption, says Aave founder Stani Kulechov. According to the Aave executive, building the “payment layer,” which involves stablecoins, can potentially hook regular people into the space, eventually introducing them into DeFi. On the other hand, S&P Global Ratings …

Reactions were predictable depending on where you stand on crypto in general. Crypto advocates railed against regulators who are slowly asphyxiating this burgeoning industry, while skeptics celebrated crypto’s impending demise. The advocates have it right. Antagonistic regulators will force crypto into friendlier jurisdictions, which will reap the economic benefits. The skeptics have it right, too. This event, and much of those from last year, is killing crypto. Their apparent glee is misplaced, though. This is a good thing. Emboldened by the slew of blow-ups of crypto businesses in 2022, the SEC and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission have begun to …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is ramping up pressure on the crypto sector. On Feb. 9, the SEC reached a $30 million settlement with Kraken over the centralized staking program offered to its users. The news of the crackdown sent Bitcoin (BTC) price to a 3-week low as investors became fearful of the regulatory enforcement. On the news, Ether's (ETH) price also corrected, cementing the token’s worst-performing day of 2023. While the overall crypto market was down after the SEC announcement, bright spots arose with decentralized liquid staking tokens Lido (LDO) and Rocketpool (RPL) and Frax (FXS) …

On Feb. 9, United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Gary Gensler explained why the regulator had cracked down on Kraken cryptocurrency exchange, forcing it to stop its crypto staking program for U.S. clients. This news may have rattled crypto investors and they sold aggressively. Bitcoin (BTC) crashed about 5% on Feb. 9 and several altcoins also followed suit. The fresh round of selling has traders wondering whether the bear market has resumed or if the dip should be interpreted as a buying opportunity. This question may be troubling to investors, but for now the correction looks to be …

On Feb 10, Cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced a major upgrade to its Proof of Reserves Verification system to include zk-SNARKs — a cutting-edge technology that Binance says will allow it to verify its reserves in a more secure and transparent manner. 3. Product and Service. Plus transparency. The #Binance Proof of Reserve system has now integrated with zk-SNARK, a zero-knowledge verification method. It will also be made open source. We hope this would help the entire industry benefit. https://t.co/ijVVeF8iFT — CZ Binance (@cz_binance) February 10, 2023 After the FTX incident in 2022, Proof of Reserves Verification became a crucial aspect …

The merger of Web2 and Web3 tools continues as crypto-backed debit cards become more mainstream. In an announcement on Feb. 10, Bit2Me, the largest Spanish cryptocurrency exchange, revealed its new cashback debit card in partnership with Mastercard. The original Bit2Me card works for its users via the Mastercard network that hosts millions of businesses worldwide. This new update offers users up to 9% crypto cashback for all purchases made with the card online or in-store. Leif Ferreira, the CEO and co-founder of Bit2Me, told Cointelegraph that the use of already known Web2 financial tools like debit and credit cards comes …

In the latest episode of NFT Steez, Thomas Webb, the founder of the interoperable avatar game Worldwide Webb, discusses the integration of interoperability in Web3 and the Metaverse. By definition, interoperability is a feature of Web3 whereby a product or system can work seamlessly across platforms with other products or services. Webb defines interoperability simply as "creating a token— a nonfungible token (NFT)" since, at its most basic level, no one can control it besides the creator. But how does interoperability function presently in Web3, and what is its potential impact? Executing interoperability the "right" way When discussing how interoperable …

Mining is the process of extracting valuable minerals, metals and other resources from the earth. This may entail extracting minerals from underground deposits or from the earth’s surface. The minerals and resources extracted through mining are used for a wide range of purposes, including energy production, construction and manufacturing. Mining can take many forms, including underground mining, surface mining and placer mining. The specific method used depends on the type of resource being extracted and the location of the deposit. Moreover, the mining process typically involves several stages, including: Exploration: To locate a deposit. Extraction: To remove the minerals or …

Global payment giant PayPal holds a significant part of its financial liabilities in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) offered to its customers. As of Dec. 31, PayPal held a total of $604 million in various cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH), according to the annual report filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Feb. 10. Bitcoin has the largest share in PayPal’s crypto assets, accounting for $291 million in the firm’s asset breakdown, while $250 million is held in ETH. The remaining $63 million includes Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash combined. The amount …

The sudden collapse of what was once the second-largest crypto exchange in the world has accelerated the migration from centralized exchanges (CEXs) to decentralized exchanges (DEXs). The now-bankrupt FTX still owes the equivalent of billions of dollars to users across the globe, and this is not the only instance of traders losing their funds with CEXs. The benefits of self-custody wallets and the use of decentralized finance (DeFi) applications have become more evident. However, once retail traders set foot in DeFi, they may be perplexed by the complexity of decentralized applications and the wide range of options, which adds to …

South Korea announced its first independent sanctions related to cryptocurrency thefts and cyber attacks against certain North Korean groups and individuals. According to Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, four North Korean individuals and seven businesses have been placed on a blacklist for their alleged involvement in cyberattacks and cryptocurrency theft, reported a local daily. The blacklisted individuals include the infamous Park Jin-hyok, Jo Myong-rae, Song Rim and Oh Chung-seong. The most notorious of the four hackers, Park, works in information technology for the Chosun Expo Joint Venture, a front company connected to the Lazarus Group in North Korea. He is …

As the world moves toward a more digital future, the concept of Web3 and its potential to revolutionize the internet has become a hot topic in the tech industry. In this interview, SafePal CEO Veronica Wong, shares her insights on the future of Web3 and the current state of the crypto market. She also talks about her thoughts on the challenges and opportunities in the crypto security space and how SafePal is positioning itself to meet these challenges head-on. Q: In 2022 the crypto space saw some significant turbulence and the crash of several big platforms. What do users need …