Day: March 12, 2026

US Prosecutors Oppose Sam Bankman-Fried’s New Trial Bid: Report

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Bloomberg reported Thursday that US prosecutors urged a federal judge to reject Sam Bankman-Fried’s request for a new criminal trial, arguing that the former FTX chief failed to meet the legal standard for a retrial. According to the report citing court documents, prosecutors said Bankman-Fried’s claim that new witnesses could undermine the government’s case does not meet the legal standard required to grant a retrial.  Prosecutors reportedly argued that testimony cited by Bankman-Fried from former FTX executives Ryan Salame and Daniel Chapsky did not amount to newly discovered evidence because…

Bonk.fun Domain Hijacked to Push Crypto Wallet Drainer

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Bonk.fun warned users not to use its site after attackers hijacked the domain and pushed a fake wallet-draining prompt. The domain of Solana-based platform memecoin launchpad Bonk.fun has been hijacked after attackers gained access to a team account and deployed a wallet-draining scheme through the site. The Bonk.fun account on X warned users early Thursday not to interact with the website while the team worked to secure the domain. “A malicious actor has compromised the BONKfun domain, do not interact with the website until we have secured everything,” the project…

New Zealand Rules NZDD Stablecoin Not a Financial Product

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New Zealand’s financial regulator has ruled that a local currency-tied stablecoin, NZDD, isn’t a financial product, a move a local law firm says is an important step toward regulatory clarity. The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) said on Wednesday that the new designation for the stablecoin pegged to the New Zealand dollar resulted directly from a financial technology sandbox pilot the regulator is running. “The economic substance of the NZDD stablecoin is that it is not a debt security, as the NZDD stablecoin is not an investment, and no income, interest…

The Honest Number Behind AI Agent Payments: a16z

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Payment transaction volumes among artificial intelligence agents are more than 90% lower than reports suggest, but crypto giants are pouring billions into building the infrastructure around it. AI agents are starting to buy things, but “the numbers are inconsistent,” Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) partner Noah Levine wrote in an X post on Wednesday. He said a Bloomberg article on Saturday reported that AI agents made $24 million in payments over a 30-day period, citing data from x402.org. Levine said that data from Allium Labs shows there have been roughly $3 million…

Bank of England Signals Flexibility on Sterling Stablecoin Holding Limits

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Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden told UK lawmakers that the central bank is open to alternative ways to manage stablecoin risks other than imposing holding limits. Speaking before the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee on Wednesday, Breeden said the proposed holding limits are designed to prevent a mass migration of deposits from banks into stablecoins, arguing it could curtail lending and reduce credit availability for businesses and households. “We are genuinely open to other ways of achieving the objective. I think you’ve heard from other people…

OP Labs cuts 20 employees as Ethereum L2 developer narrows strategic focus

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OP Labs, the development company behind the Ethereum layer 2 network Optimism, has let go of 20 employees as part of an organizational restructuring aimed at narrowing its strategic priorities and streamlining decision-making processes. “This is not about finances,” OP Labs CEO Jing Wang said in a note. “OP Labs is well capitalized with years of runway. This is about doing fewer things well, making decisions faster, and reducing coordination overhead.” The company said that it plans to support departing employees with severance, healthcare continuation, and help them find new…

Kalshi Preemptively Sues Iowa to Defend Sports Contracts

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Prediction market Kalshi has sued regulators in the US state of Iowa, claiming it did so as there was a risk of an impending enforcement action over its sports event contracts. Kalshi sued Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, along with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission and its board, in an Iowa federal court on Wednesday, claiming there “is a substantial risk” Bird would bring enforcement action to block the company’s event contracts. In its complaint, Kalshi said a company representative met with Bird for what was believed to be…

Stablecoin Yields will Bring Fresh Money to US Banks: Patrick Witt

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Stablecoin yield providers will inject more capital into the US banking system, argues White House Council of Advisors for Digital Assets executive director Patrick Witt, amid debate over whether stablecoin yields will draw deposits away.  “Foreigners exchange local currency for stablecoins from a US-based issuer,” Witt said in an X post on Wednesday, adding that “global demand for USD is massive.” “That is net new capital entering the American banking system,” Witt said. Most US stablecoin issuers hold US dollars or US Treasuries to back each token issued. Banking and…

Metaplanet Expands Bitcoin Strategy with New Venture Firm

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Bitcoin-buying company Metaplanet has established a new venture firm, Metaplanet Ventures, to support Bitcoin ecosystem development in Japan, as the country looks to recognize Bitcoin as a regulated financial asset within the next two years. Metaplanet said on Thursday that Metaplanet Ventures K.K. will be tasked with funding, incubating and scaling companies that build regulated Bitcoin financial infrastructure, particularly those that strengthen Japan’s domestic ecosystem and make it a stronger competitor internationally. Metaplanet said it is expanding its Bitcoin strategy on the expectation that Bitcoin (BTC) will be reclassified as…

XRP Price Reversal Gathers Speed, Downside Pressure Intensifies

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Aayush Jindal, a luminary in the world of financial markets, whose expertise spans over 15 illustrious years in the realms of Forex and cryptocurrency trading. Renowned for his unparalleled proficiency in providing technical analysis, Aayush is a trusted advisor and senior market expert to investors worldwide, guiding them through the intricate landscapes of modern finance with his keen insights and astute chart analysis. From a young age, Aayush exhibited a natural aptitude for deciphering complex systems and unraveling patterns. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity for understanding market dynamics, he embarked…