ICE Explores Crypto Payments Expansion Following Polymarket Investment Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), is reportedly in discussions to invest in crypto payments firm MoonPay. The potential investment aligns with ICE’s growing interest in digital assets and follows its $2 billion investment in prediction platform Polymarket in October, highlighting Wall Street’s increasing engagement with crypto infrastructure. MoonPay Funding Round and Valuation MoonPay is currently seeking funding at a $5 billion valuation. The fintech company, founded in 2019, provides fiat on-ramps and off-ramps for cryptocurrency, allowing users to purchase crypto via debit and credit…
Author: Blockto Team
Oracle AI Cloud Partnership Boosts Market Confidence and Lifts Risk Assets A new TikTok U.S. joint venture agreement involving Oracle has injected fresh optimism into global markets, lifting AI-linked mining stocks and pushing Bitcoin back above $88,000. The development helped calm investor anxiety after a volatile macroeconomic week marked by inflation data and shifting central bank policies. Oracle shares rose nearly 6% in pre-market trading, climbing to around $190, following reports that TikTok signed binding agreements to form a U.S.-led joint venture. The structure reinforces Oracle’s position as a core provider of cloud infrastructure and data security, particularly for AI-driven…
Terraform Bankruptcy Administrator Alleges Market Manipulation Linked to $50 Billion Crypto Crash Trading firm Jump Trading has been hit with a $4 billion lawsuit connected to the dramatic collapse of the Terra blockchain ecosystem, one of the largest failures in crypto history. The legal action was filed by the bankruptcy administrator of Terraform Labs, seeking to recover losses for creditors and investors impacted by the 2022 meltdown. The lawsuit accuses Jump Trading and senior executives of market manipulation, self-dealing, and unlawful profit-taking that allegedly worsened the Terra collapse. It names the firm’s co-founder and a former senior executive, claiming they…
US Court Hands Down Prison Term as Crackdown on Crypto Investment Fraud Intensifies A US federal court has sentenced a senior promoter of the IcomTech crypto Ponzi scheme to nearly six years in prison, marking another major conviction tied to one of the most prominent cryptocurrency fraud cases in recent years. The ruling underscores growing enforcement efforts against deceptive crypto investment operations targeting retail investors. Magdaleno Mendoza, 56, was sentenced to 71 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and illegal reentry into the United States. Prosecutors said Mendoza played a central role in expanding…
Japanese Bitcoin Treasury Firm Expands US Investor Access Without Capital Raise Japanese Bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet is set to debut US trading through an American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program, marking a significant step in its global expansion strategy. The ADRs will trade in US dollars on the over-the-counter (OTC) market under the ticker MPJPY, providing US investors with streamlined access to Metaplanet’s equity. Trading is expected to begin shortly under a sponsored Level I ADR program, with Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas acting as the depositary and MUFG Bank serving as custodian in Japan. ADRs allow US investors to gain…
Legal Battle Aims to Classify Prediction Markets as Federally Regulated Commodities Coinbase has launched legal action against regulators in Connecticut, Illinois, and Michigan, seeking to protect its planned prediction markets under federal law. The lawsuits argue that prediction markets operating on Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)-regulated platforms fall under federal commodities regulation not state gambling statutes marking a significant escalation in the debate over how event-based contracts should be classified in the United States. At the core of the lawsuits is the claim that prediction markets are governed exclusively by the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA). Coinbase contends that allowing individual…
Crypto Exchange Reenters Under FCA-Compliant Financial Promotion Framework Crypto exchange Bybit has officially returned to the United Kingdom after a two-year absence, resuming operations under a framework aligned with the country’s strict financial promotion rules. The move follows Bybit’s 2023 exit, when tighter regulations around crypto advertising forced several platforms to withdraw from the market. Bybit Relaunches UK Trading Services Bybit has restarted UK services with spot trading across 100 cryptocurrency pairs, restoring access for British users. The exchange serves more than 80 million users globally and ranks among the largest platforms by trading volume. To comply with local regulations,…
Muted currency reaction contrasts with modest strength in digital assets following a widely anticipated policy move. Bitcoin moved slightly higher, trading above the $87,000 level, after the Bank of Japan delivered a long-expected interest rate hike. The central bank raised its short-term policy rate by 25 basis points to 0.75%, marking its highest level in nearly three decades. Despite the historic shift, traditional markets showed limited reaction, while bitcoin edged higher amid steady demand. Bank of Japan Rate Decision and Market Response The rate increase was largely priced in by investors, reducing its immediate market impact. Currency traders had already…
George Osborne Appointment Signals Coinbase’s Global Policy and Regulatory Push Coinbase has appointed former UK chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne as chair of its internal advisory council, strengthening the crypto exchange’s engagement with global policymakers at a critical stage of regulatory and product expansion. The move reflects Coinbase’s broader effort to influence international digital asset policy and position itself as a long-term financial infrastructure provider. Osborne has advised Coinbase since 2024, a period marked by heightened regulatory scrutiny in the United States. In his new role, he will oversee strategic discussions around policy, regulation, and global adoption. Osborne described…
Zcash Rally Faces Key Test as Broader Crypto Market Trends Lower The sharp rise in Zcash, one of the leading privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, may be the result of capital rotation rather than a sustained bull market, according to macro investor and Real Vision CEO Raoul Pal. While Zcash has delivered outsized gains this year, Pal cautions that its long-term strength has yet to be proven. Pal explained that Zcash’s recent performance aligns more closely with a rotation of capital within the crypto market, where investors temporarily move funds into select assets rather than signaling a broad-based rally. He noted that the…