The FTX-owned Japanese crypto exchange Liquid has announced plans to begin the process of returning customer assets in 2023. According to the Dec. 29 statement issued on its blog, the exchange is preparing to return assets entrusted by both customers from FTX Japan and Liquid Japan, and is working on a report for January 2023 that would further outline the details. A statement from the team read: “For the assets entrusted to us by our customers at FTX Japan and Liquid Japan, we are proceeding with system development so that withdrawals will be possible from the Liquid Japan web version.” …

When someone wants to buy Bitcoin (BTC), they usually take the route of a cryptocurrency exchange. Newbies may buy BTC on just any exchange they come across, while those with some sort of experience may opt for a reputable one. The exercise though bears little fruit as most exchanges function almost identically as centralized entities, often working as custodians of the crypto assets of the buyers. The security factor is generally limited to passwords and 2-factor authentication (for the buyers who have opted for it). Customer support, wallet support and ease of use are other factors that buyers might consider …

Data transparency has been a focal point for the crypto industry, but the FTX fiasco has shown that centralized exchanges (CEX) are not transparent enough. So far, crypto analytics firms are apparently not capable of tracking transactions to prevent collapses like FTX. All Bitcoin (BTC) transactions are available publicly on-chain, which enables tracking such transactions when sending crypto from one address to another. However, this is not the case when it comes to interacting with a centralized crypto exchange. Cointelegraph spoke with executives at blockchain intelligence firms, including Chainalysis, Nansen and Whale Alert, to learn more insights about tracking illicit …

With exchanges becoming a focus as the FTX fiasco continues, a new research paper suggested that almost three out of four transactions in unregulated exchanges are fake. A working paper titled “Crypto Wash Trading” was recently published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Using statistical and behavioral patterns to determine which transactions were legitimate or not, the paper studied 29 unregulated exchanges and came to a conclusion that, on average, more than 70% of the volume within the platforms are wash trades. The researchers found that some exchanges’ wash trading volume goes as high as 80% of the …

Gold has been an outperformer in 2022 compared to the United States equities markets and Bitcoin (BTC). The yellow metal is almost flat for the year while the S&P 500 is down more than 19% and Bitcoin has plunged roughly 64%. The sharp fall in Bitcoin’s price has hurt both short-term and long-term investors alike. According to Glassnode data, 1,889,585 Bitcoin held by short-term holders was at a loss as of Dec. 26 while the loss-making tally of long-term holders was 6,057,858 Bitcoin. In spite of gold’s good showing and Bitcoin’s dismal performance in 2022, billionaire investor Mark Cuban continues …

Members of the crypto community published their sentiments on social media in response to the former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s reportedly meeting with Michael Lewis, the writer of the popular trading-focused film, The Big Short. With a potential blockbuster film seemingly on the way, community members called out Bankman-Fried’s antics, from describing the meeting as “absurd” to saying that Lewis should also be investigated. In a tweet, a community member mentioned that this could be an attempt to cover for criminals and “control the narrative” through a book. Meanwhile, Bitcoin advocate Nic Carter suggested that Lewis also needs to be …

While the government agencies are queuing to sue the FTX and its founder Sam Bankman-Fried, the group of former customers made an effort to get their money back first. A class lawsuit initiated by four individuals demands priority access to frozen funds of the company for its customers, not investors. The lawsuit was filed on Dec. 27 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Four plaintiffs claim to be representing the whole class of former FTX customers, which might amass up to 1 million individuals. What the lawsuit seeks to obtain are the priority rights to …

Arguments surrounding whether gold or bitcoin is a better store of value continue to occur within the cryptocurrency space and traditional investment circles. On the latest episode of Bill Maher’s podcast “Club Random Podcast”, which aired on Dec. 26, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban advocated for Bitcoin being a better store of value than gold. In response to Bill Maher openly admitting that he is, “rooting against Bitcoin,” Cuban chimed in with a cheeky agreement saying, “I want Bitcoin to go down a lot further so that I can buy some more.” Cuban went on to …

After the height of the FTX collapse, the Philippine government warned investors within the country about using unlicensed crypto exchanges. The Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) in the Philippines issued an advisory to the public against using unregistered cryptocurrency exchanges that are operating within the country. Within the warning, the SEC did not directly mention the FTX exchange but said that the warning considers “the recent collapse of a large international cryptocurrency exchange.” Citing the laws within the country, the government agency reiterated that any entity intending to conduct business within the country is required to register with the SEC. …

Before the rise of centralized exchanges (CEXs), over-the-counter (OTC) trading was the go-to method to buy or sell cryptocurrency for many crypto investors. The FTX collapse could trigger a bigger demand for crypto OTC services as investors are looking for alternative methods to convert from and to fiat due to weaker trust in CEXs. Cointelegraph spoke with BestChange, a Russian OTC crypto exchange aggregator, to learn more about the current state of OTC markets. “The role of OTC is sometimes underestimated amid the all-encompassing marketing of centralized exchanges,” BestChange chief analyst Nikita Zuborev said. According to the exec, OTCs often …

Octopus Network, a decentralized app chain network natively built on NEAR Protocol, has announced that it will be “refactoring” to adapt to current market conditions. As part of its refactoring process, Octopus network will let go of roughly 40% of its team, which accounts for 12 out of 30 members. The remaining staff will also be subjected to a 20% salary cut, while its team token incentive will be suspended indefinitely. According to Louis Liu, the founder of the Octopus Network, although he has lived through previous crypto winters, “this winter is very different from the others.” Liu said he …

The cryptocurrency markets are trading at record low volatility as investors have largely stayed away during the holiday season. That could be because investors are unsure about the cryptocurrencies that could lead the next bull run. Cumberland senior research analyst Steven Goulden said in a “Year in Review” report that he expects four “emerging narratives” to lead the crypto space over the next six to 24 months. Goulden anticipates growth in nonfungible tokens, Web3 apps and games. He expects export-oriented nations to add Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) as reserve assets and if that happens, it could be a huge …