The Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) recently provided the much-awaited guidelines for virtual asset service providers (VASPs) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which included a ban on privacy coins. On Feb. 7, VARA released several rulebooks for VASPs including the "Virtual Assets and Related Activities Regulations 2023" in which VARA mentioned a prohibition on privacy coins. In the document, VARA wrote: “The issuance of Anonymity-Enhanced Cryptocurrencies and all VA Activity[ies] related to them are prohibited in the Emirate.” Cointelegraph reached out to several players within Dubai and a privacy protocol project to find out how market participants feel about the …

Amid Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange standing up for crypto staking and economic freedom, the online community has urged the company to support XRP as well. On Feb. 9, Coinbase’s chief legal officer Paul Grewal claimed that Coinbase's staking program is not affected by rival exchange Kraken shutting down its staking services. The executive argued that Kraken’s staking platform was “essentially offering a yield product,” while Coinbase’s staking services are “fundamentally different and are not securities.” Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong also took to Twitter on Thursday to declare that the exchange will continue to oppose the government when it comes to protecting …

Access to and use of financial services, known as financial inclusion, is crucial for economic growth and development. Unfortunately, a large portion of the population, particularly in developing nations, still lacks access to basic banking services. The World Bank estimates that 1.4 billion adults worldwide are without access to these services, which limits economic opportunities and perpetuates poverty. Cryptocurrency, with its decentralized and digital nature, may provide a solution to this issue by advancing financial inclusion. Cryptocurrencies can be stored and transferred digitally and do not require physical banking infrastructure. This enables individuals living in remote or underserved areas to …

Despite its ongoing crackdown on crypto, China continues to embrace blockchain technology — up to the point of launching the National Blockchain Technology Innovation Center in the capital city of Beijing. According to the China Daily’s report from Feb. 8, the Center will create a research network with the local universities, think tanks and blockchain businesses to carry out the inquiries into core blockchain technologies. The fruits of this research will be used for further digitalization of China and, as emphasized in the report, its industry in particular. In charge of the new institution is the Beijing Academy of Blockchain …

Bitcoin (BTC) fell to bearish target zones on Feb. 10 as bulls failed to hold important support above $22,000. Crypto wipeout mounts as BTC price loses $22,000 Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD dropping to $21,633 on Bitstamp. The pair reacted badly to regulatory fears from the United States, but had already faced days of bearish sentiment, with traders expecting a retest of $21,000 or even lower. At the time of writing, Bitcoin traded at around $21,800, down around 7% in February so far. “Bear market back or are we just having a slight correction?” Cointelegraph contributor …

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 …

Local Russian media outlets reported on Monday that Bitzlato co-founder Anton Shkurenko was detained in Moscow on Feb. 6 at the request of Interpol. However, according to a Feb. 10 report from CoinDesk, Shkurenko was stopped and detained by the local police for an ID check, then promptly let go after a conversation. Shkurenko said he is not involved in any criminal cases in Russia. He reportedly commented, while not disclosing details of the investigation: “I hope I convinced the prosecutor of my innocence.” He did not specify the sector of law enforcement that detained him, though he mentioned he …

The launch of the exchange project backed by the bankrupt hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) attracted a mob of angry community members who took to Twitter, expressing their disappointment with the state of the crypto space. Open Exchange, a crypto exchange project that was initially proposed by 3AC and Coinflex, launched a website and opened a waitlist on Feb. 9. 3AC founder Zhu Su pointed out that the project is a way to atone for their past mistakes. However, many members of the community were enraged by the launch. One community member questioned the name of the exchange and …

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 …

Ethereum's native token, Ether (ETH), saw its worst daily performance of the year as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stopped Kraken, a cryptocurrency exchange, from offering crypto staking services. On Feb. 9, Kraken agreed to pay $30 million to settle the SEC's allegation that it broke securities rules by offering crypto staking services to U.S. retail investors. The news pushed down the prices of many proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain project tokens, in particular. Ethereum, which switched to a staking-based protocol in September 2022, also suffered as a result. On Feb. 9, ETH's price plunged nearly 6.5% to around $1,525, …

Paxos Trust Company — the New York-based stablecoin issuer behind Binance USD (BUSD) and Paxos Dollar (USDP) — is reportedly being investigated by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). A “person familiar with the matter” told Bloomberg in a Feb. 10 report that the exact motive behind the probe is currently unclear. An NYDFS spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing investigations but noted that the department is broadly working to protect consumers from risks associated with investing in the cryptocurrency market: “The department is in continuous contact with regulated entities to understand vulnerabilities and risks to consumers and …