The biggest crypto news and ideas of the day |
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A message from Interchain Foundation |
IBC Eureka: 1-Click Asset Transfers between Cosmos and Ethereum Cosmos has launched a new bridge product, IBC Eureka, to deliver fast, affordable, and simple 1-click connections between Ethereum and Cosmos chains. IBC Eureka enables transfers from Ethereum for less than $1, including gas and relay fees, in seconds, and ERC-20s will be available for one-click transfers into Cosmos. IBC Eureka starts the distribution for Cosmos’ interchain development platform. Partners joining the IBC Eureka network include Bitcoin services provider Babylon for its genesis mainnet launch, Bitcoin LST and DeFi partners Lombard, Lorenzo, PumpBTC, SatLayer, and Tower DEX, ZK proving network ZkCloud, data services provider SEDA Protocol, and leading DeFi blockchain Injective. Future chains adding IBC Eureka to their interoperability suite include dYdX and MANTRA. To learn more about IBC Eureka, visit https://cosmos.network/ibc-eureka |
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Ian Allison:
Kraken has laid off "hundreds" of staff across all areas of the business over the past several months, as the firm continues to streamline its operations ahead of a potential public listing in the U.S., people familiar with the matter told CoinDesk. At the end of October last year, Kraken laid off 400 staff, or about 15% of its workforce, when Silicon Valley investor and Kraken board member Arjun Sethi became co-CEO. |
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HashKey Announces XRP Tracker |
Francisco Rodrigues:
HashKey Capital announced an XRP Tracker Fund, the first such tracker in Asia.The fund will be open to professional investors, offering exposure to XRP without direct management while providing monthly liquidity. Ripple, which uses XRP in its payments ecosystem, is an early backer of the fund and plans to collaborate with HashKey on future financial products. |
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Brazilian Ponzi Leaders Get 170 Years |
Francisco Rodrigues: A Brazilian court has sentenced three executives of the collapsed crypto scheme Braiscompany to a combined 171 years in prisonThe mastermind, Joel Ferreira de Souza, received 128 years in prison, while two others, Gesana Rayane Silva and Victor Veronez, received 27 and 15 years, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. Braiscompany raised around $190 million from 20,000 investors. |
Ben Schiller: Friends With Benefits (FWB) has evolved from a trendy crypto community into a serious organization focused on building practical products in music, film, and culture.FWB's new initiative, Friends With Builders, partners with major tech companies to support creative technologists in developing innovative projects. The program emphasizes utility over crypto hype, aiming to create products with mainstream appeal and practical applications. |
Opinion: Innovation at the SEC |
By Tuongvy Le, who was previously the SEC's Senior Counsel in the Division of Enforcement and Chief Counsel of the Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Office. The U.S. capital markets are a pillar of market integrity and investor protection, overseen by the world’s preeminent financial regulator, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For nearly a century, the SEC has shepherded our capital markets through rapid advancements in technology, evolving market developments and trends, and more retail investor participation than ever.
It has done so by not only adapting to change, but actively embracing it, to the benefit of both investors and market participants alike – providing the public access to financial opportunities, making markets more efficient, accessible, and transparent, and helping entrepreneurs to pursue life-changing innovations, technology, and the creation of jobs.
But the SEC does not always get it right. During the last administration, the SEC’s approach to one emerging asset class and underlying technology marked a sharp deviation from this tradition, threatening to kill the future of an entire industry in the U.S. I am talking, of course, about crypto and blockchain. With the recent change in leadership, the SEC is starting to right that ship by pursuing more constructive and pro-innovation approaches to regulation. But it begs the question: how can we build more enduring safeguards into the agency to prevent this from happening again, the next time a promising new financial product or technology comes along? How do we build innovation into the SEC’s DNA?
Before working in the crypto industry, I was an attorney at the SEC for almost six years, first as a senior counsel in the Division of Enforcement, and then as Chief Counsel of the Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Office. I am convinced that to stay relevant and effective into the next century, the SEC must embed innovation into its core mission. This means not only leveraging new technology but also fostering a culture of curiosity, agility, experimentation, and forward-thinking both internally and with respect to the markets it oversees.
The path forward is not without challenges. Regulatory frameworks often lag behind technological advancements, and cultural resistance within the SEC itself may slow progress. Yet these obstacles are not insurmountable. The SEC has repeatedly proven its ability to adapt when it prioritizes modernization and innovation.
Under the next generation of leadership, the SEC has a unique opportunity to lead by example, demonstrating how a regulatory body can balance oversight with innovation. By fostering a culture that embraces change, the SEC can position itself as a global leader in financial regulation. Building innovation into the SEC’s DNA is not just an operational necessity—it is a strategic imperative for the future of global finance. |
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