Cryptocurrency lending firm Genesis Global Capital and other crypto firms are under investigation by securities regulators in the United States, according to reports on Nov. 25. Joseph Borg, Alabama Securities Commission Director, confirmed that its state and several other states are participating in inquiries regarding Genesis' alleged ties to retail investors, including if Genesis and other crypto firms might have violated securities laws, Barron's reported. It is still unclear what other companies are being investigated. Borg noted that the investigation focuses on whether Genesis and other crypto companies influenced investors on crypto-related securities without obtaining the proper registration. The investigation …

The cryptocurrency tide is flowing out, and it looks more and more like Digital Currency Group (DCG) has been skinny dipping. But let’s be clear: The current crypto contagion isn’t a failure of crypto as a technology or long-term investment. DCG’s problem is one of failure by regulators and gatekeepers. Since its 2013 inception, DCG’s Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), the largest Bitcoin (BTC) trust in the world, has offered investors the ability to earn a high rate of interest — above 8% — simply by purchasing cryptocurrency and lending it to or depositing it with DCG. In many ways, the …

The crypto market is often referred to as the Wild West of the finance world. However, the events that have unfolded within this space recently would put to shame even the hardiest of cowboys from the day of yore. As a quick refresher, on Nov. 8, FTX, the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world till about a month ago, faced an unprecedented liquidity crunch after it came to light that the firm had been facilitating shady deals with its related firm Alameda Research. In this regard, as 2022 continues to be rough on the global economy, the crypto sector, in …

Two weeks after Binance initially pledged to develop a proof-of-reserve (PoR) mechanism in response to the FTX liquidity and bankruptcy fiasco, it published its official response. In an announcement on the Binance website, the exchange outlined how users can use the mechanism to verify its holdings. Currently, the only token available to verify through the Merkle Tree-based system is Bitcoin (BTC), though the announcement says additional coins will be added in the coming weeks. It also highlighted upcoming transparency updates which include the involvement of third-party auditors to audit its PoR results and implementation of ZK-SNARKs in its PoR methods, …

Assets belonging to former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried have been seized by the country’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board, locally known as MASAK, following the collapse of his main business. An official announcement from Turkey’s MASAK outlined preliminary findings and actions taken against Bankman-Fried following bankruptcy proceedings of its core business. MASAK began investigations on Nov. 14. Cointelegraph translated the latest announcement from MASAK, which highlighted three key points from the investigation. The Turkish investigatory body found that FTX failed to safely store user funds, embezzled customer funds through shady transactions and manipulated supply and demand in the market by having …

The bankruptcy proceedings of cryptocurrency exchange FTX have revealed many new aspects of its unethical practices. The latest revelation around its stake in one of the smallest United States banks from rural Washington has raised fresh concerns about its operations and alleged misuse of banking loopholes. Farmington State Bank in Washington State, now renamed Moonstone, is the 26th smallest bank in the U.S. with a single branch and three employees. FTX invested in the rural bank through its now-bankrupt sister company Alameda with an investment of $11.5 million in its parent company FBH in March 2022. The Alameda investment was …

With the FTX contagion affecting various sectors of the global crypto ecosystem, Dubai-based industry leaders commented on how the debacle will affect the budding crypto hub within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). From stricter regulations to better projects leading the way, various professionals gave their perspectives on how Dubai and the UAE’s crypto landscape will be affected by the collapse of the FTX exchange. Kokila Alagh, the founder and CEO of KARM Legal Consultants, believes that the FTX collapse will lead to more scrutiny and diligence before projects are approved within Dubai’s licensing process. She explained that: “With the misuse …

With digital asset management firm Grayscale refusing to provide proof of reserves for its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), an independent analyst has spent days combing through the blockchain to independently verify its holdings. The OXT Research analyst, Ergo, used on-chain forensics to confirm that as of Nov. 23 that the GBTC owns approximately 633,000 Bitcoin (BTC) held by its custodian, Coinbase Custody. The Grayscale G(BTC) Coins Part 2 In this analysis we use additional on-chain forensics to CONFIRM the approximate 633k BTC balance held by G(BTC) at Coinbase Custody. Which begs the question, why does Grayscale refuse to disclose their …

Crypto derivatives exchange Bybit has launched a new support fund to help institutional traders access liquidity in the wake of the FTX collapse — an event that triggered a fresh wave of panic selling across the digital asset space. The support fund, valued at $100 million, is available to market makers and high-frequency trading institutions struggling with financial or operational difficulties following the collapse of FTX earlier this month, Bybit disclosed on Nov. 24. The funds will be distributed to eligible applicants at a 0% interest rate. To be eligible, institutional traders must be active on Bybit or other exchanges. …

Binance intends to allocate $1 billion for a proposed industry recovery fund while its CEO revealed intent in a new bid for assets of bankrupt cryptocurrency lending firm Voyager by its U.S.-based business. Speaking to BloombergTV on Nov. 24, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao touched on a number of topics in what has been a tumultuous month for the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Chief among them was Binance’s proposed industry recovery fund which is aimed at providing financial support to promising projects in financial distress. The exchange’s founder introduced the idea in the wake of FTX’s now-infamous collapse. Related: Binance CEO denies report …

As the FTX debacle still creates waves in the crypto industry and beyond, the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has suspended the license which allows FTX to make preparations to service the local market. In an announcement posted on its official website, VARA mentioned that it has revoked the approval of FTX MENA's Minimum Viable Product (MVP) license. Citing the bankruptcy filing of FTX-related entities including FTX exchange and Alameda Research, VARA confirmed that FTX MENA’s license was suspended before any clients were exposed. According to the regulator, FTX MENA was still in the preparatory phase. The authority clarified …

The Securities Commission of The Bahamas says the continued “hacking attempts” on FTX’s digital assets prove they made the right call to take control of the exchange’s assets on Nov. 12. In a statement on Nov. 23, the commission said the fact that FTX's "systems were compromised, and that they continue to face new hacking attempts – reinforces the wisdom of the commission's prompt action to secure these digital assets." On the same day that FTX filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 11, the crypto community began flagging roughly $266.3 million worth of outflows on wallets associated with FTX. By Nov. …