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Binance.US Backs Out of $1B Voyager Asset Purchase Deal; OpenAI Closes $10B Funding Round | Cointime Weekly Apr.23 – Apr.29

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Binance.US Backs Out of Voyager Asset Purchase Deal

Voyager said on April 25 that Binance.US no longer intends to go through with the purchase of its assets. 

Voyager's attorneys said they were taken by surprise when Binance.US canceled a $1 billion deal to buy its assets on Tuesday, as the exchange was still showing interest as recently as last week.

Binance.US cites the hostile and uncertain regulatory climate in the United States as the main reason to terminate the asset purchase agreement

Binance, FTX Plans To Restart Japanese Exchanges

Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is set to launch a new service in Japan in June, after acquiring regulated crypto exchange Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC) last year.

Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX confirms that it has postponed the potential sale process of its Japanese subsidiary in order to explore reopening the exchange. 

Visa to Develop Brazilian Blockchain-powered CBDC Project

The payments giant Visa has unveiled a new blockchain and central bank digital currency (CBDC) project in Brazil. Per the Brazilian media outlet Livecoins, the firm was selected by the Brazilian central bank to “explore” “innovative” on blockchain technology-powered “usage cases” for the prototype digital real.

PayPal Subsidiary Venmo To Introduce Cryptocurrency Transfers

Venmo soon will allow users to transfer their Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash to outside wallets—as well as to other users of the popular payment app.

The feature will roll out starting in May, according to a statement from PayPal, which acquired Venmo in 2013. Users can also transfer crypto to their wallets at PayPal, which released a similar ability in 2022.

Mirror Trading's CEO Fined $3.4B by U.S. in Bitcoin Forex Fraud Case 

A South African executive has been ordered by a US judge to pay a record-breaking sum of over $3.4 billion in fines and restitution for his role in a Bitcoin-related fraud scheme. This action is the largest fraudulent scheme involving Bitcoin charged in any US Commodity Futures Trading Commission(CFTC) case.  

Global regulations

Hong Kong Reminds Local Banks No Ban on Crypto Firms

Hong Kong's central bank, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), has reminded banks that they can provide banking services to virtual asset (VA) companies, as some businesses have complained about the difficulty of opening bank accounts in the jurisdiction.

S Korean to Create Law that Distinguishes CBDCs from Crypto

South Korea is reportedly moving closer to launching a central bank digital currency (CBDC), with a new draft law set to create legal terminology for CBDCs.

Russia to Work With Digital Currencies of Other Nations

The digital ruble platform being developed by the Bank of Russia will have the capability to interact with other state-issued digital currencies, according to the central bank.

Chinese City Public Servants to Receive Digital RMB Salaries From May

All civil servants in the Chinese city of Changshu will receive their full salaries in digital RMB or digital yuan starting from May 2023, according to a notice issued by local authorities. 

WEF Recognizes Bitcoin Mining’s Economic and Environmental Benefits

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has shifted its stance on Bitcoin mining, recognizing the economic and environmental benefits of the industry. In a recent video, the WEF highlighted how companies like Crusoe Energy are using excess natural gas from energy operations to power data centers and crypto mining operations.

Crypto weekly price action

Fundraising and investment

OpenAI Closes Its Monster $10B Funding Round at a $27B-29B Valuation

VC firms including Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Thrive and K2 Global are in the round.

GEM Increases Investment Commitment in Everdome Metaverse to $60 Million

Bahama-based digital assets investment firm GEM Digital Limited (GEM) has increased its investment commitment in UAE-based metaverse startup Everdome from $10 million to $60 million.

Zodia Custody, Standard Chartered’s Crypto-Focused Unit, Raises $36 Million

Zodia Custody, a crypto-focused subsidiary of Standard Chartered, has raised $36 million in funding from SC Ventures and SBI Holdings, among other investors, as it pursues international expansion.

iZUMi Finance Secures $22 Million To Launch on zkSync Era

iZUMi Finance, a Liquidity-as-a-Service (LaaS) decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol, has made public their announcement that they have successfully completed a fundraising round totaling $22 million.

DeFi Protocol Thetanuts Finance Raises $17M for Expansion

Thetanuts Finance, a multi-chain structured products protocol, has closed a $17 million funding round led by Polychain Capital, Hyperchain Capital, and Magnus Capital. 

Research and technology

Step-by-Step Guide to Asset Tokenization

In this article, we’ll explore the potential of asset tokenization and provide an overview of how to create tokenized assets.

Diamond Proxy Contracts: Best Practices

In this article, we introduce another proxy pattern that has gained traction in the developer community, the Diamond proxy pattern.

The State of Web3 Regulations

With peer-to-peer and decentralized features that move data control to users and eventually do away with platform / third-party intermediation, Web3 is a new call for industries today. Read on Web3 and its Current Trends to Watch.

A Guide On NFT Game Marketing Tactics And StrategiesNFT games have become a new and exciting way to combine gaming and blockchain technology. However, like any other gaming product, NFT games require effective marketing tactics and strategies to reach a wider audience and build a strong community.

Viral Quotes

“We’re not born human, we become human… and they (Artificial Intelligence) can become better than human, but we have to teach them.”

–  Edward Snowden, Freedom of the Press Foundation President

“Joe Biden has led us to the very brink of World War III. I’m not predicting World War III but I will say this, we are very close.”

–  Donald Trump, Former President of U.S.

"SBTs are largely a fraudulent meme."

– Daniel Buchner, Block’s Head of Decentralized Identity

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