Category: Bitcoin News

US President Donald Trump has pardoned convicted Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, following months of lobbying and appeals from the company and its former CEO, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. President Trump signed the pardon on Wednesday, the people said, though no official details have been published on the White House website or in the Federal Register, where presidential pardons are typically announced. Zhao pleaded guilty in November 2023 to one count of failing to implement an adequate Anti-Money Laundering (AML) program at…

Key points: Bitcoin whales flip bearish on BTC price action hours before Trump makes another White House announcement. “Insider” market bets have featured prominently since Oct. 10, when Bitcoin hit $102,000 on Binance. Traders say that $107,000 is now the next line in the sand. Bitcoin (BTC) risked fresh losses into Thursday’s Wall Street open as whales flipped short BTC. BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView Bitcoin whales pile on shorts again Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC price action tapping but failing to hold $110,000. Acting in…

The Latin American region is tapping into blockchain-based services for payments and access to financial services, signaling that the crypto industry serves more than just financial speculators chasing the next memecoin pump. Latin American citizens are increasingly using cryptocurrency to replace the region’s inadequate banking infrastructure, allowing them to facilitate digital payments and create stablecoin-based savings accounts. “LATAM adoption is quite high. People are using stablecoins for daily life, so it’s a whole different market,” said Patricio Mesri, co-CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Bybit’s Latin American division. “Crypto is actually changing…

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is reportedly seeking to raise around $10 billion to invest in the artificial intelligence and defense industries, but crypto, long one of its flagship sectors, is notably missing. According to a Thursday Financial Times report citing anonymous sources, a16z is aiming to raise about $10 billion for new investments, including $6 billion for investing in more mature companies, $1.5 billion for each of the company’s AI applications and AI infrastructure funds, and over $1 billion for a defense and manufacturing-focused vehicle. No crypto-focused fund…

The European Union adopted its 19th sanctions package against Russia, introducing restrictions on cryptocurrency platforms for the first time since the war in Ukraine began. The measures, adopted Thursday, prohibit Russia-based crypto payment providers and the distribution of related payment software across the bloc. The sanctions also target Russian energy firms, banks, and entities in China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates accused of helping Moscow evade previous restrictions. “We have just adopted our 19th package of sanctions,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign…