A type of decentralized finance (DeFi) that allows investors to lend their crypto tokens in return for regular interest payments, the crypto lending space comprises both centralized and decentralized crypto entities that manage the entire process on behalf of their investors. Offering high annual percentage yields (APY) to investors from whom the tokens have been borrowed, these lending platforms further lend the same assets in the form of collateralized crypto loans to borrowers. However, despite providing businesses with easy access to capital and promising high yields for investors, the crypto lending space finds itself entwined in liquidity issues stemming from …

The incoming United States House Financial Services Committee chair Patrick McHenry wants the Treasury to delay the implementation of a section of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that deals with digital assets and tax collection. McHenry sent a letter on Dec. 14 to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen with questions and concerns about the scope of Section 80603 of the Act. In the letter he requested clarification over the “poorly drafted” and potentially privacy-compromising Section that deals with the taxation of digital assets, scheduled to go into effect in 2023. He said the section requires the government to treat …

The metaverse is coming for users at full speed. Companies and brands are jumping into digital reality, and according to a recent survey, consumer interest is climbing alongside all the activity. At the same time, as more users join in on metaverse activity, the risk grows for nefarious activity in digital reality. A report from cybersecurity firm Kaspersky revealed that exploitation and abuse in the metaverse are set to rise in the next year. Threats range from scams, to be expected with digital interactions but also avatar-related identity theft and abuse. For a better understanding of the dangers and risks …

Web3 browser Opera has announced a new set of security tools intended to help its users mitigate common risks associated with malicious actors in the Web3 ecosystem. The new set of security tools called Web3 Guard is a suite of browser security features that promises to protect users against malicious decentralized applications (DApps), seed phrase phishing attacks and malicious actors. The security tool scans for known security risks associated with DApps, such as suspicious code, security vulnerability and audit history. This helps users to get a better insight into the DApp they are planning to browse and alerts them in …

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has again labeled Ether (ETH) as a commodity in a Dec. 13 court filing — in contrast to statements from chief Rostin Behnam on Nov. 30 suggesting that Bitcoin was the sole cryptocurrency that should be viewed as a commodity. According to the CFTC, as per their filing today, ETH is a commodity. This really should put any security designation to rest. pic.twitter.com/PkHWredNK4 — Hal Press (@NorthRockLP) December 13, 2022 In its lawsuit against Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX, and sister company Alameda Research, the regulator on multiple occasions referred to Ether, Bitcoin (BTC) and Tether …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is taking further steps to stop Grayscale Investments’ efforts to launch a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). Grayscale began its legal challenge of the SEC’s denial order of the proposed investment product in June 2022. A 73-page brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Dec. 9 saw the SEC lay out the reasoning for its initial decision to bar Grayscale’s request to convert its existing Bitcoin Trust into a spot Bitcoin ETF. The SEC is looking for the D.C. Circuit to deny Grayscale’s appeal, which …

Since taking over at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), chairman Gary Gensler has repeatedly been referred to as the “bad cop” of the digital asset industry. To this point, over the past 18 months, Gensler has taken an extremely hard-nosed approach toward the crypto market, handing out numerous fines and enforcing stringent policies to make industry players comply with regulations. However, despite his aggressive crypto regulatory stance, Gensler, for the most part, has remained mum about several key issues that digital asset proponents have been talking about for a long time. For example, the SEC has still …

The hardware wallet industry has emerged as one of the most resilient sectors to the ongoing cryptocurrency winter, with issues like the FTX crash bringing in even more cold wallet sales. The bear market of 2022 has once again reminded crypto investors of the importance of self-custody and independence from centralized exchanges (CEX). As a result, some major CEXs like Binance has increased their investment exposure to hard wallet firms, while CEO Changpeng Zhao even suggested that CEXs may no longer be necessary in the future. Should it be the case, the crypto industry of the future will be quite …

The web3 space is rapidly growing, but the security aspect of it still has to go through an evolution in order to meet the expectations of the community. Following the major shock of the FTX crisis and the now notorious hack of the exchange, crypto enthusiasts and investors are looking for ways to secure their assets and protect themselves from malicious actors and scammers. And while web3 is steadily infiltrating the everyday lives of people globally, there is a lot to be done in terms of security practices in the space. The key components of creating a reliable relationship of …

Most cryptocurrencies are likely to be regulated as securities in the United States according to the CEO of Intercontinental Exchange Inc (ICE), Jeffrey Sprecher, and Senator Elizabeth Warren. The renewed focus on regulating cryptocurrencies as securities comes in light of FTX’s recent implosion, which wiped countless billions from the market, put consumer funds in limbo and soured crypto’s reputation among regulators and officials. Speaking on Dec. 6 at the financial services conference by Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Sprecher — whose ICE operates the New York Stock Exchange — confidently stated crypto assets are “going to be regulated and dealt like …

Hardware wallet provider Ledger, known for its cold-storage devices, announced its seventh crypto wallet in collaboration with the creator of the original iPod. Tony Fadell, the inventor of the iconic iPod Classic model, has partnered with Ledger to help the company design its latest wallet device known as Ledger Stax. The company broke the news on Dec. 6 at Ledger’s bi-annual Web3 developer event, Ledger Op3n, in Paris. Ledger’s upcoming new hardware wallet is a credit card-size device that features a large E Ink display, capacitive touch, Bluetooth support, wireless charging and more. For the first time in Ledger's product …

The firm behind the decentralized content platform LBRY said its days are likely numbered following its recent loss against the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in court. It is specifically LBRY Inc that must die, the LBRY protocol and blockchain will continue. pic.twitter.com/SWwbqTq9In — LBRY (@LBRYcom) November 29, 2022 The SEC initially took LBRY Inc to court in Mar. 2021 over its LBRY Credit (LBC) tokens, alleging that the firm had been conducting unregistered securities offerings since 2016. The SEC ultimately won that battle last month on Nov. 7, after a judge deemed the tokens to be securities …