Category: Bitcoin News

Escape Velocity Raises $62M DePIN Fund Even as Crypto VC Slows

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Crypto-focused venture capital firm Escape Velocity has raised nearly $62 million to invest in decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) projects, signaling continued venture interest in the sector despite a broader slowdown in crypto and technology funding. As first reported by Fortune on Thursday, the raise marks Escape Velocity’s second fund dedicated to backing founders across DePIN and other crypto-native sectors. The fund closed in December and drew support from investors including Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, and Micky Malka, founder of Ribbit Capital. Cendana Capital, a venture fund-of-funds that…

Talos Extends Series B to $150M with Robinhood, Sony Backing

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Digital asset infrastructure provider Talos raised a $45 million extension to its Series B funding round, valuing the company at about $1.5 billion. The extension included new strategic investors such as Robinhood Markets, Sony Innovation Fund, IMC, QCP and Karatage, alongside returning investors a16z crypto, BNY and Fidelity Investments, according to the company. “We extended our Series B round to accommodate interest from strategic partners,” said Talos CEO Anton Katz. Talos said proceeds will be used to expand product development across its trading, portfolio management, execution, treasury and settlement tools…

SEC, CFTC Strike Conciliatory Tone Ahead of CLARITY Act Talks

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SEC Chair Paul Atkins and CFTC Chair Mike Selig spoke on CNBC on Thursday as debate continues over stablecoin yield in the CLARITY Act. US Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins and Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Mike Selig appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Thursday to discuss the crypto market structure bill and a White House–hosted meeting scheduled for Monday. The bill was recently held up in the Senate, where it is undergoing committee review after being passed in the House of Representatives, with lawmakers working through unresolved…

UK Lawmakers Open Inquiry Into Proposed Stablecoin Rules

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The House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee has opened an inquiry into proposed stablecoin rules in the United Kingdom, seeking public input on plans put forward by the Bank of England (BoE) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The inquiry will examine how stablecoins could affect traditional financial services such as banking and payments, as well as the opportunities and risks created by their growing use in the UK, the committee said in a Thursday statement. Lawmakers said the review will assess whether the regulatory frameworks proposed by the…

Dakota Launches Stablecoin Platform for Enterprise Payments and Treasury

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Financial technology company Dakota launched a stablecoin infrastructure platform as more enterprises look to adopt digital dollars without taking on the operational and regulatory burden of custody and compliance. Dakota will handle custody, compliance and settlement on behalf of its clients. CEO Ryan Bozarth told Cointelegraph that the company operates in the US as a registered Money Services Business, while working with licensed banking and regulated payments partners in other regions. It is also pursuing Electronic Money Institution and Crypto-Asset Service Provider licenses in Europe. This arrangement, according to Bozarth,…

Citrea Bitcoin Rollup Launches Mainnet, ctUSD Stablecoin

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Founders Fund and Galaxy Ventures-backed Bitcoin zero-knowledge rollup (ZK-rollup) Citrea launched its mainnet on Tuesday with BTC collateral lending, BTC-structured products and a new US dollar stablecoin, ctUSD.  The launch is aimed at turning what Citrea calls “economically idle” Bitcoin (BTC) into base collateral for decentralized finance (DeFi) and payments, while anchoring more of that activity to Bitcoin’s base layer. The team expects active DeFi liquidity to reach $50 million in the first few weeks, with BTC lending, BTC-structured products, and decentralized trading already live from day one. The mainnet…

Bitcoin Could Catch Up to Gold’s Rally Due to These Key Differences

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Bitcoin has been called “digital gold,” and some of its key properties may help BTC rally more than the precious metal in percentage terms. Bitcoin (BTC) has vastly underperformed gold (XAU) in the past year, dropping by 13.25% compared with the precious metal’s almost 100% rally. Can BTC catch up to gold’s gains? Key takeaways: Bitcoin’s supply is capped at 21 million, with roughly 1 million left to be mined. Gold miners increase production when prices rise, unlike Bitcoin miners. Bitcoin’s small size versus gold amplifies any potential upside even…

OSL Group Raises $200M to Expand Stablecoin, Payments Business

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OSL Group has raised $200 million in equity financing as it steps up plans to expand its stablecoin trading and payment businesses globally. The Hong Kong–listed digital asset company said the capital injection will strengthen its balance sheet and support growth across regulated digital payment and settlement services, according to a Thursday announcement. “The market has strongly validated OSL Group’s strategic positioning within the stablecoin and payment space,” chief financial officer Ivan Wong said. “This financing round will allow us to welcome more like-minded strategic and long-term investors,” he added.…

South Korea Tightens Crypto Licensing, Expands Shareholder Checks

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South Korea’s National Assembly has approved an overhaul of the country’s crypto licensing regime, tightening entry requirements for virtual asset service providers (VASPs) and expanding scrutiny to include controlling shareholders. On Thursday, lawmakers passed an amendment to the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information, a cornerstone of Korea’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) framework for digital assets. The committee substitute bill was approved at a plenary session and is expected to take effect six months after the law is enacted. The new rules widen background checks for crypto firms…

How Low Can ETH Price Go in February?

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ETH price charts confirmed a triangle breakdown, shifting the near-term bias lower and putting $2,250 in focus if sellers stay in control. Ether (ETH) is now more than 14% below its local peak near $3,400, underscoring the sellers’ tenacity above $3,000. A bearish technical setup suggests the pressure may extend into February. Key takeaways: ETH fell back below $3,000, confirming a triangle breakdown that targets $2,250. The bearish scenario can be avoided if ETH breaks above a multimonth moving average resistance. ETH/USD daily chart. Source: TradingView Ether in textbook symmetrical…