Crypto payment solutions provider Alchemy Pay has expanded its footprint in South Korea through a strategic investment in EZPG Co., Ltd., a local electronic financial platform.  Notably, the investment grants Alchemy Pay access to EZPG’s registration as an Electronic Financial Business under the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), Korea’s integrated financial regulator. The move, announced on…

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially launched its new Crypto Task Force, a step aimed at offering much-needed regulatory clarity for the cryptocurrency industry.  Led by Commissioner Hester M. Peirce, the task force will work towards a regulatory framework that fosters innovation while protecting investors and maintaining market integrity. In a recent…

Semler Scientific, Inc. (Nasdaq: SMLR) has increased its bitcoin (BTC) holdings following the purchase of an additional 871 BTC for $88.5 million.  The acquisition, funded through proceeds from its January 2025 senior convertible notes offering and the monetization of a minority investment in Monarch Medical Technologies, LLC, brings the company’s total bitcoin reserves to 3,192…

FTX Digital Markets, the Bahamian arm of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, will begin repaying creditors under the "convenience class" category starting February 18, 2025.  According to an official distribution notice, eligible claimants with adjudicated claims under $50,000 will receive full reimbursement along with 9% interest per annum from November 11, 2022. The repayments will…

World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a crypto investment firm backed by the Trump family, has seen its portfolio decline by $51.7 million following the announcement of new import tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump.  The downturn, which represents a 21% loss on WLFI’s recent $242.77 million crypto investment, underscores the broader market reaction to the policy…

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Thailand is set to introduce a new trading system for digital tokens, leveraging distributed ledger technology (DLT) to enhance market efficiency and attract securities firms into the digital asset space, according to local reports published on February 3. Notably, Jomkwan Kongsakul, deputy secretary-general of the Thai SEC, stated…

Switzerland’s largest bank, UBS, has completed a proof-of-concept (PoC) using ZKsync Validium, an Ethereum layer-2 (L2) solution, to enhance its fractional gold investment product, UBS Key4 Gold. Notably, the pilot aims to address scalability, privacy, and interoperability challenges in digital gold trading. https://twitter.com/zksync/status/1885329177446133998 Swiss UBS: Enhancing Scalability and Security The PoC was conducted on a ZKsync…

FTX Trading Ltd. (d/b/a FTX.com) and the FTX Recovery Trust have reached a settlement with venture capital firm K5 Global, resolving litigation initiated in June 2024. The agreement, announced on January 31, allows FTX to retain its investment in K5’s funds, which is expected to support ongoing creditor recovery efforts. “Today’s settlement reflects another mutually…

Securitize, a leading tokenized real-world asset (RWA) platform and issuer of BlackRock’s Ethereum-based $BUIDL fund, announced today its integration with the Solana blockchain to expand institutional-grade financial products. Notably, the partnership aims to accelerate adoption of blockchain-based asset tokenization by combining Solana’s high-speed infrastructure with Securitize’s regulatory-compliant framework.   BREAKING: BLACKROCK BACKED BY SECURITIZE…

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has resumed its staking services for U.S. customers in 39 states, nearly two years after halting the program as part of a $30 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The relaunch, announced Tuesday, supports 17 digital assets, including Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Polkadot (DOT), and Cardano (ADA).   Notably, Kraken’s…