Company suspends operations, dismisses staff, and faces $4.8 million debt dispute with state power firm. Tether Exits Uruguayan Bitcoin Mining Operations Tether, the issuer of USDT, has officially paused its Bitcoin mining operations in Uruguay due to escalating energy costs and unresolved financial obligations. The company confirmed the suspension following reports of a $4.8 million debt dispute with Uruguay’s state-owned electricity provider, UTE, and local operational partners. As part of the shutdown, 30 employees were reportedly dismissed, with the Ministry of Labor officially notified of the suspension. Tether emphasized that it remains committed to long-term projects in Latin America despite…
Author: Blockto Team
Programmable Markets Offer Speed — but Also Greater Systemic Risks The global shift toward tokenized financial markets is accelerating, promising faster and cheaper transactions. However, a recent statement from the International Monetary Fund highlights deep concerns about potential instability, warning that flash crashes could become more frequent and severe as programmable finance grows. Tokenization’s Efficiency Gains Come With New Vulnerabilities In a new explainer, the IMF describes tokenization as the next phase in the evolution of money, enabling markets where buying, selling, and transferring assets becomes near-instant and low-cost. By replacing intermediaries like clearinghouses and registrars with automated smart-contract systems,…
Market Volatility Retreats as Bullish Momentum Builds Fresh volatility readings across major financial markets suggest that a potential year-end bull rally may be forming. Recent movements in implied volatility for both Bitcoin and the S&P 500 indicate strengthening market confidence, supported by rising expectations of a December Federal Reserve rate cut. Bitcoin and S&P 500 Volatility Trends Implied volatility indices connected to Bitcoin and the S&P 500 have rapidly cooled, erasing the sharp spikes seen earlier in November. Bitcoin’s 30-day implied volatility index, BVIV, has fallen back to 51%, retreating from an intense surge to nearly 65% just days earlier.…
A cooling failure at a major data center halted trading across key futures benchmarks, leaving brokers without live pricing and raising concerns about volatility. CME Trading Outage Shakes Futures and Currency Markets A significant disruption hit global markets after a technical failure forced the CME Group to halt trading across several major futures and foreign exchange products. The outage, triggered by a cooling malfunction at CyrusOne data centers, stopped price updates for key benchmarks in commodities, equities, Treasuries and FX. Futures tied to West Texas Intermediate crude, 10-year U.S. Treasuries, the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, Nikkei, gold and palm oil…
The approval strengthens KuCoin’s regulatory footprint in Europe, though Malta remains excluded from its service coverage. KuCoin MiCA Approval in Austria KuCoin’s European division has obtained a MiCA license from Austria’s Financial Market Authority, granting it the ability to operate legally across 29 countries within the European Economic Area. However, Malta is not included in its authorized service zone. The exchange described this regulatory milestone as a major step toward enhancing trust and aligning with Europe’s evolving digital asset standards. The company emphasized that Austria was chosen due to its early adoption of MiCA-aligned laws, predictable regulatory climate, and strong…
Protocol Outlines Payout Plan Following $128M Vault Drain Balancer has unveiled a reimbursement framework to return approximately $8 million in recovered assets to liquidity providers impacted by the early-November exploit that drained more than $128 million from its pools. The recovery comes through a mix of white-hat rescues and internal emergency measures aimed at limiting user losses. Balancer Recovered Funds After $128M Attack The decentralized exchange and automated portfolio manager confirmed that around $28 million was successfully retrieved, though a portion — $19.7 million in osETH and osGNO — is now being overseen by liquid-staking platform StakeWise. The remaining amount,…
Bearish Technical Structure Raises Caution for Traders XRP is showing renewed weakness, with market structure and liquidity patterns indicating a possible retreat toward the $1.50 support region unless buyers reclaim key levels. Recent trading sessions highlight a loss of momentum, while price action on higher timeframes continues to signal vulnerability. XRP currently trades near the $2.20 zone, but analysts emphasize that the asset must decisively break above $2.23–$2.24 to revive a bullish trend. Until that happens, the market remains exposed to further downside. Weak Recovery, Strong Resistance After failing to sustain gains above the previously defended supply zones, XRP has…
Authorities suspect the North Korean hacking unit after Upbit revises its loss estimate and onchain activity mirrors past Lazarus tactics. Upbit Hack Sparks National Security Concerns South Korean regulators are probing a major security incident at Upbit, the country’s largest digital asset exchange, after early findings pointed toward the Lazarus Group, a state-backed hacking unit from North Korea. Officials confirmed that the breach resulted in losses of 44.5 billion won (about $30.4 million) following abnormal withdrawals detected on Thursday. The exchange initially estimated losses at 54 billion won, later updating the figure after completing its internal review. Upbit said it…
Seoul moves to tighten oversight of digital assets with stricter reporting, wider VASP controls, and new measures to curb tax evasion and illicit flows. South Korea Introduces Stricter Anti-Money Laundering Standards South Korea is preparing a major overhaul of its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations, with authorities set to extend the nation’s crypto Travel Rule to include transfers below 1 million won (around $680). The initiative, revealed during a parliamentary meeting by Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Lee Eok-won, aims to close a loophole that allowed users to split large transfers into smaller transactions to avoid reporting requirements. Under the forthcoming…
Despite nearly 17% losses in November, analysts suggest Bitcoin’s downturn sets the stage for long-term accumulation and a strong start to 2026. Bitcoin is on track to close November at its worst monthly loss since at least 2019, down approximately 16.9%, trading around $91,500. This decline mirrors November 2019, when BTC lost 17.3%, and follows a series of weaker Novembers including 2018’s historic 36.5% drop during the post-2017 bear market. Analysts note that November is typically one of Bitcoin’s strongest months, making this decline notable. Crypto educator Sumit Kapoor commented that, with the slow holiday period approaching, Bitcoin is set…