Latam E-Commerce Giant Mercado Libre Holds $40 Million in Crypto

Mercado Libre, one of the biggest e-commerce platforms in Latam, has disclosed it holds over $40 million in cryptocurrency, according to its Q1 2024 filings. The company disclosed that it held 412.7 bitcoin (BTC) and 3,041.6 ethereum (ETH), by March 31. However, Mercado Libre does not own these holdings, as its CIO Richard Cathcart explained, … Read more

Woman Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Crypto-Funded Murder-for-Hire Scheme

Michelle Murphy, 58, from Bedford, Texas, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for attempting to hire a hitman using bitcoin to kill her boyfriend’s lover. Charged in September 2023 and pleading guilty in December, Murphy used the dark web to orchestrate the crime, paying $10,510 in bitcoin. The transaction was traced through … Read more

Binance Fined Over $4 Million in Canada for Money Laundering Violations

Canada’s Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) has imposed a fine of C$6 million on crypto exchange Binance for failing to comply with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws. This penalty, equivalent to approximately $4.4 million, was levied after Binance failed to register as a foreign money services business and neglected to report over … Read more

Mastercard, Visa, JPMorgan, and Other Major Banks Explore Tokenized Asset Settlements

Several major financial firms are collaborating to test the benefits of shared-ledger technology for jointly settling tokenized assets like commercial bank money and various securities. The initiative, known as the Regulated Settlement Network, is a proof-of-concept designed to expedite and secure cross-border transactions using a singular system for tokenized assets. This trial is an extension … Read more

EU Regulator Considers Crypto Inclusion in €12 Trillion UCITS Funds

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has initiated a call for evidence to explore the potential inclusion of new assets, including cryptocurrencies, in UCITS funds, which represent a major share of EU retail investments. UCITS, an acronym for Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities, is a regulatory framework of the European Union that … Read more

Bank of Thailand Tests Potential of a Retail CBDC, the Digital Baht

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has released a report on its Retail Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot project, conducted using Giesecke+Devrient’s (G+D) technology solution. The project tested the digital version of the Baht and its potential for financial innovation, delivering key lessons on the capabilities of a CBDC in supporting multiple online and offline … Read more

Core Scientific Posts $210.7M Profit in Q1 2024, Boosted by Bitcoin Mining Surge

Core Scientific announced a significant recovery in its financial performance for the first quarter of 2024, reporting a net income of $210.7 million, a stark contrast to the net loss of $0.4 million from the same period last year, driven by an increase in Bitcoin mining and hosting services. The company mined 2,825 bitcoins in … Read more

Optimism Stack Update: OP to Support Layer Three With Funding, Features, and Revenue Sharing

Ethereum scaling solution provider Optimism announced plans to enhance blockchain throughput by integrating Layer three applications on top of its OP Stack, aiming to foster a Superchain network where Layer threes can build and share revenue with the Optimism Collective. The OP Stack, an open standard codebase, extends its utility beyond Layer two deployers to … Read more

Crypto Wallet Firm Exodus Faces Unexpected Setback in NYSE Uplisting Plan

Exodus Movement, a crypto wallet company, announced that its planned listing on NYSE American will not proceed as scheduled due to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) still reviewing its registration statement, despite the statement being declared effective at the end of April. The company, which intended to uplist from OTC trading to expand … Read more