DeFI News by Thebittimes.Com

One of Arizona’s crypto reserve bills is one successful vote away from heading to the governor’s desk for final approval after it passed by the House. The state’s Strategic Digital Assets Reserve Bill (SB1373) was approved by the House Committee of the Whole on April 17. There will now be a third reading of the bill before a final floor vote. Arizona Governor Might Set The Senate-Approved Crypto Reserve Bill Back SB1373 seeks to create a fund made up of digital assets that were seized through criminal proceedings.  ARIZONA Update: Bitcoin Reserve Bill SB 1373 has been passed by the House Committee of the Whole (with a minor amendment). The next step is Third Reading and final floor vote. pic.twitter.com/oOahjbZATR — Bitcoin Laws (@Bitcoin_Laws) April 17, 2025 Arizona’s treasurer would then be permitted to invest up to 10% of the fund’s total assets in any fiscal year. The state’s treasurer would also be able to loan the fund...

Regulators in Hong Kong might approve staking Features for spot Ethereum ETFs (exchange-traded funds) this year as the region pushes to become a global crypto hub. That’s according to Blockdaemon’s head of international and vice president Andrew Vranjes, who told The Block in an interview at Token2049 in Singapore that regulators could approve staking for spot Ethereum ETFs “within certain constructs and boundaries.” Crypto ETF Issuers And Regulators In Hong Kong Are Actively Engaging Vranjes added that a potential scenario that could play out is one wherein “accredited investors” will be allowed to take part in spot Ethereum ETF staking before the rest of the market. Conversations with crypto ETF issuers and regulators in Hong Kong to offer such a solution are ongoing, Vranjes said. “We’re positive because of the level of conversation,” the Blockdaemon executive told The Block. “I think we’re closer to the announc...

A SIM swap attack on the U.S. SEC’s Twitter account led to a false tweet about Bitcoin ETF approval , briefly disrupting the cryptocurrency market. On Jan. 10, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) experienced a cybersecurity breach, resulting in a misleading tweet about spot Bitcoin ETFs from its official account. This incident, caused by a SIM swap attack, briefly stirred confusion in the cryptocurrency markets. The SEC explained the situation in a statement: “The unauthorized party obtained control of the SEC cell phone number associated with the @SECGov account in an apparent ‘SIM swap’ attack .” This allowed the attack er to reset the Twitter account’s password and post the false announcement . The SEC also admitted that multi-factor authentication, a crucial security feature, was disabled for its Twitter account since July 2023. This decision contrasts with the general cybersecurity recommendations previously endorsed by SEC C...

The Gemini exchange, founded by the Winklevoss twins, has obtained approval from regulators to launch its service s in France.  According to reports from CNBC, the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) approved the exchange today as a virtual asset service s provider.  The company aims to fully operationalize its platform for French users in the upcoming weeks after completing the necessary preparatory steps. Upon its official launch in France, Gemini will offer its users the opportunity to trade an array of over 70 different cryptocurrencies. This will be accessible through both its website and mobile application, alongside the provision of its more sophisticated ActiveTrader platform. Salut! We are thrilled to announce Gemini has been registered as a Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) by l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), the French financial markets regulator. Following the launch of our EU headquarters in Ireland in 2022, Gemini is now… pic.twitter.com/OXt1CfPh9t ...

Key takeaways Laser Digital has become the latest digital asset firm to receive approval to operate in Abu Dhabi. The firm is owned by Japanese banking giant Nomura Bank.  Laser Digital can now operate in Abu Dhabi Laser Digital, the digital assets arm of Japan’s Nomura Bank, has received in-principal approval to provide broker-dealer services and asset/fund management services in Abu Dhabi. #ADGM is proud to announce that @LaserDigital_ has received an In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) for its virtual asset management services, further establishing it as a leading global hub for digital assets.… pic.twitter.com/CmvkP4wumO — Abu Dhabi Global Market (@ADGlobalMarket) September 26, 2023 The approval was granted by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), allowing Laser Digital to offer numerous services to users in the region.  This  latest cryptocurrency news means ...