NFL quarterback Tom Brady and basketball point guard Stephen Curry are reportedly among the celebrities facing a probe from the Texas financial regulator over their promotion of the now-bankrupt crypto exchange, FTX. Joe Rotunda, director of enforcement at the Texas State Securities Board reportedly told Bloomberg in a Nov. 22 report that the Texas State Securities Board is scrutinizing payments received by celebrities to endorse FTX US, what disclosures were made and how accessible they were for investors. Rotunda however noted that while the watchdog was taking a "close look at them," the celebrities’ endorsements of FTX were not an …

The two founders of the now-defunct Bitcoin cloud miner HashFlare have been arrested in Estonia over their alleged involvement in a $575 million crypto fraud conspiracy. HashFlare was a cloud mining company created in 2015, which purported to allow customers to lease the company's hashing power in order to mine cryptocurrencies and gain an equivalent share of its profits. The company was seen as one of the leading names in the business at the time, but shut down its mining operations in Jul. 2018. However, according to a statement from the United States Department of Justice citing court document, the …

The total cryptocurrency market capitalization dropped by 5% between Nov. 14 and Nov. 21, reaching a notable $795 billion. However, the overall sentiment is far worse, considering that this valuation is the lowest seen since December 2020. Bitcoin (BTC) price dipped a mere 2.8% on the week, but investors have little to celebrate because the current $16,100 level represents a 66% drop year-to-date. Even if the FTX and Alameda Research collapse has been priced in, investor uncertainty is now focused on the Grayscale funds, including the $10.5 billion Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC). Genesis Trading, part of the Digital Currency Group …

Proof-of-stake blockchain platform, Cardano, has partnered with COTI, a DAG-based Layer 1 protocol, to launch what it refers to as an over-collateralized algorithmic stablecoin. The project said in an announcement provided to Cointelegraph that the stablecoin will be backed by excess collateral in the form of cryptocurrency stored in a reserve. It's official! $Djed will launch on the Cardano Mainnet in January 2023! $Coti $Ada #Djed pic.twitter.com/cu8ryW6Lo7 — Djed Stablecoin (@DjedStablecoin) November 21, 2022 According to the release, Djed is set to go live on the mainnet in Jan. 2023, pending a successful audit and a series of rigorous stress …

The crypto market has witnessed a turbulent few weeks after the FTX collapse but Lido Finance, a liquid staking protocol, has been a bright spot amidst the chaos. According to Data from DeFiLlama, Lido protocol has earned $1 million or more in fees daily since October 26. Lido fees and revenue over time. Lido has collected over $1M in fees every day since October 26th pic.twitter.com/GHkzSzYIOo — DefiLlama.com (@DefiLlama) November 18, 2022 Let’s analyze the on-chain fundamentals to see why this trend has continued. What’s behind Lido Finance’s growth? Lido’s growth started in May 2021, pre-FTX collapse. The fees reached …

Continued selling in the cryptocurrency markets pulled the total market capitalization below $800 billion on Nov. 21. Traders are increasingly nervous about the extent of damage FTX’s collapse may have on several crypto firms. Until the uncertainty clears, it is futile to expect a sustained recovery in cryptocurrency prices. The FTX saga has broken the close correlation between the United States equities markets and Bitcoin (BTC). While Bitcoin is trading close to its 52-week low, the S&P 500 (SPX) has recovered sharply from its low made on Oct. 13. The U.S. dollar index (DXY) is usually inversely correlated to Bitcoin …

The rapid implosion of FTX has led general investors and crypto believers alike to question the validity of crypto and, indeed, predict its end. But, an understanding of history points not to crypto’s demise but rather a move toward new technology and growth. Financial markets move, as Willie Nelson once said, in phases and stages, circles and cycles. Companies develop ideas, grow quickly, ignite unwarranted investor euphoria and then implode — only to seed the ground for the next company, the next idea and the next growth phase. Crypto is no different. In 2010, an unknown person famously used Bitcoin …

The cryptocurrency exchange Binance is making a move in the hardware wallet industry, with its venture capital arm investing in the cold wallet platform Ngrave. Binance Labs has made a strategic investment in the Belgian hardware wallet firm Ngrave and will lead its upcoming Series A round, the firm officially announced on Nov. 21. Founded in Belgium in 2018, Ngrave specializes in self-custody, providing a security suite comprising three major elements, including connectionless hardware wallet Zero, key backup tool Graphene and the Liquid mobile app. Yi He, co-founder of Binance and head of Binance Labs, pinpointed that security remains one …

In recent years, taking care of the environment has been elevated to a global priority, as evidenced by carbon dioxide emissions hitting a new record high in 2021 at 414.72 parts per million according to the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate.gov website. Recognizing the impact these emissions are having on climate change, many countries have announced their efforts to achieve net-zero emissions. The United States shared its plan for environmental commodity measurement via the Bureau of Economic Analysis, while Denmark leads the charge with a plan to hit net-zero emissions before 2050. By reaching net zero, a …

The ongoing case of the Celsius bankruptcy continues as the United States Bankruptcy Court in the southern district of New York State approved a new filing deadline. According to an official document, a deadline has been set for those filing any claims against the former digital assets lender. Any person or entity - which covers individuals, partnerships, corporations, joint ventures and trusts - who wishes to do so must submit a proof of claim by Jan. 3, 2023, 5:00 pm Eastern Time. Celsius itself made a thread on Twitter, informing its former users of the recent court deadline approval, along …

Liquid has suspended all trading operations on its platform in line with instructions from FTX Trading, the firm announced on Twitter on Nov. 20. The statement indicates that Liquid exchange paused “all forms of trading” because of the operation of the Chapter 11 process in the Delaware courts. “We have since done so while we assess the situation. We are working through these issues and will endeavor to give a fuller update in due course,” Liquid added. Liquid’s operational halt comes five days after the exchange suspended all withdrawals on its platform, citing compliance with the requirements of voluntary Chapter …

The hacker behind the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX started transferring their Ether (ETH) holding to a new wallet address on Nov. 20. The FTX wallet drainer was the 27th largest ETH holder after the hack but dropped by 10 positions after the weekend ETH dump. The FTX hacker drained nearly $447 million out of multiple FTX global and FTX.US exchange wallets just hours after the crypto exchange filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 11. Majority of the stolen funds were in ETH, making the exploiter the 27th largest ETH whale. On Nov.20, the FTX wallet drainer 1 transferred 50,000 …