Category: Bitcoin News

Alibaba Backs MetaComp to Expand Stablecoin Payment Network

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Singapore-based MetaComp said Friday it completed a new funding round backed by Alibaba, as the company expands its stablecoin payment infrastructure. MetaComp completed a Pre-A+ round backed by Alibaba, bringing the cumulative total to $35 million across two rounds in three months, according to the announcement. The latest round also featured the European early-stage venture capital investor Spark Venture, with Beijing-based 100Summit Partners serving as exclusive financial adviser. MetaComp previously announced closing a $22 million Pre-A funding round in December 2025 from investors including Eastern Bell Capital, Noah, Sky9 Capital,…

Vitalik Buterin Questions AI Strategy of Group He Funded

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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said Friday that he is no longer closely aligned with the Future of Life Institute, a group that received SHIB tokens from him in 2021.  Buterin said the institute originally pitched him a broad roadmap for reducing existential risks, including those tied to artificial intelligence, biology and nuclear threats, along with wider pro-peace and pro-epistemics initiatives. He said that helped motivate the Shiba Inu (SHIB) donation. Buterin said the institute later moved toward cultural and political advocacy around AI risks, an approach he described as materially…

Bitcoiner Group to Fight Bitcoin’s Treatment as ‘Toxic Asset’

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The Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) says it will push the US Federal Reserve to change how Bitcoin is treated, as the central bank is set to issue rules on how banks should implement international guidelines for asset risk weighting. “BPI will be reviewing this proposal closely and submitting a public comment to ensure that US regulators get Bitcoin’s treatment right,” Bitcoin Policy Institute managing director Conner Brown said in an X post on Wednesday.  It comes just a day after the Fed announced it will issue a proposal for public…

Democrats Promise to Oversee Reported DOJ Probe Into Binance

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A group of Democratic senators say they will oversee a reported Justice Department investigation into possible Iran-related sanctions violations on the crypto exchange Binance. Senators Chris Van Hollen, Elizabeth Warren and Ruben Gallego said in a joint statement on Thursday that they “will conduct oversight to ensure the Department of Justice conducts a serious investigation into Binance and holds the company accountable for any wrongdoing.” The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter, that the Justice Department was investigating Iran’s possible use of Binance to…

US Sanctions Ring Enabling North Korea IT Worker Fraud

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The US Treasury has sanctioned six people and two entities for their alleged roles in an IT worker fraud scheme orchestrated by  North Korea, which frequently targets the crypto industry. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said on Thursday that it sanctioned alleged facilitators of the IT worker fraud networks operating in North Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Spain, which generate revenue to fund North Korea’s weapons program. OFAC sanctioned Amnokgang Technology Development Company, a DPRK firm accused of managing overseas IT workers, and Nguyen Quang Viet, CEO of Quangvietdnbg…

US Senate Leader doesn‘t Expect Market Structure to Pass before April

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US Senator Majority Leader John Thune reportedly said he doesn’t expect the chamber to move forward with legislation to establish digital asset market structure before April. According to a Thursday Punchbowl News report, Thune said that the Senate planned to prioritize voting on the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require voters to provide proof of US citizenship in person to register. The majority leader addressed reporters on Thursday saying that the bill would go to the chamber next week, adding that lawmakers would focus on the crypto market…

Anchorage Digital Integrates Puffer to Offer Institutional ETH Restaking

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Anchorage Digital has integrated with Puffer Finance to give institutional clients access to Ethereum liquid restaking through its custody platform. According to Thursday’s announcement, institutions can stake Ether held with Anchorage and receive Puffer’s liquid restaking token, pufETH, directly into their accounts. The token represents a restaked ETH (ETH) position that can be transferred or deployed across supported onchain applications while continuing to earn staking and restaking rewards. Institutions using the platform can participate in restaking without running validators or managing staking infrastructure themselves. The integration allows clients to access…

VeryAI Raises $10M to Build Palm-Scan Identity System on Solana

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Startup VeryAI has raised $10 million in a seed funding round led by Polychain Capital to launch a palm-scan identity verification system designed to distinguish real users from AI-generated accounts. The platform records identity attestations on Solana and aims to help crypto exchanges, fintech companies and online platforms address growing risks from bots, deepfakes and synthetic identities. The company said zero-knowledge proofs allow users to verify their status across platforms without revealing personal information. The system captures palm images using a smartphone camera and converts them into encrypted biometric signatures used to confirm…

Cryptio Raises $45M As Tokenized Finance Drives Demand For Accounting

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Cryptio, an accounting and data platform focused on regulated digital assets, has raised $45 million in a Series B funding round, highlighting growing demand for tools that help financial institutions reconcile and report blockchain-based transactions within traditional accounting systems. The round was co-led by venture firms BlackFin Capital Partners and Sentinel Global, with participation from 1kx, BlueYard Capital, Alven and Ledger Cathay Capital.  Cryptio develops software that helps companies reconcile activity across wallets, custodians and exchanges, translating blockchain transaction data into accounting records used for financial reporting, audits and compliance.…

Strong Investor Demand Meets Weak Bitcoin Futures as Price Slumps

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Bitcoin (BTC) failed to break beyond $71,000 on Thursday, partially driven by the decline in the US stock market, with BTC funding rates dropping deeper into negative territory. Key takeaways: Bitcoin bears show high conviction as funding rates drop, but steady institutional buying keeps sellers in check. Gold and government bond yields are rising, making it harder for Bitcoin to compete as a top-tier store of value. Bitcoin futures imply moderate market stress Traders fear that a prolonged war in Iran could cause havoc in the energy markets, negatively impacting…