Digital Assets Newsletter 61

• Cryptocurrencies play a signficant role in the Ukraine-Russia conflict
• Bitcoin dropped to $34k before recovering back to $41k
• Swiss crypto-bank SEBA acquires license to operate in the UAE
• Austrian hacker likely responsible for theft of $11bn worth of Ether
• European parliament postpones key vote on crypto regulations

Ukraine-Russia

Ukraine Asks Exchanges to Freeze Russian, Belarusian Crypto Accounts

A Ukraine born company answers the call; U.S.-based KrakenFX explains why it won’t. Binance also says it won’t freeze the accounts.

CoinDeskAmitoj Singh

Crypto Donations to Ukraine Jumps to $20M

FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried, Chain.com CEO Deepak Thapliyal made significant donations to the humanitarian effort.

CoinDeskSam Reynolds

Russian Financiers Could Turn To Crypto To Sidestep Sanctions

Using cryptocurrencies instead of US dollars would be a violation of sanction agreements, legal experts say.

BlockworksStephen

Cash Transactions Are Almost Dead In Ukraine As Bitcoin, Ether, USDT Come To The Rescue

Ukrainians are turning to cryptocurrencies for day-to-day cash transactions in the wake of the armed conflicts with Russia. Donations have

ZyCryptoAliyu Pokima

Ruble-Bitcoin (RUB/BTC) volumes hit a 9-month high as Russian banks raise interest rates 20% | Finbold

In the wake of the West’s sanctions imposed on Russia, the amount of ruble-denominated crypto trading volumes have begun to surge as a result.

FinboldJordan Major

Bitcoin Mining in Russia Largely Unaffected Amid Ukraine Invasion - Decrypt

Russia ranks third in Bitcoin mining, providing over 11% of the blockchain network’s hashpower. Its share is remaining steady.

DecryptJeff Benson

Business

Swiss Crypto Bank SEBA Gets License to Operate in UAE Financial Center – Emerging Markets Bitcoin News

The Financial Service Permission (FSP) license allows SEBA Bank to conduct regulated services in the financial center.

Bitcoin NewsEmerging Markets

Exclusive: Austrian Programmer And Ex Crypto CEO Likely Stole $11 Billion Of Ether

Who hacked The DAO in 2016, diverting 3.6 million ether? We identify the apparent hacker — he denies it — by following a complicated trail of crypto transactions and using a previously undisclosed privacy-cracking forensics tool.

ForbesLaura Shin

Coinbase made $2.2 billion in revenue from transaction fees in Q4

US-based crypto exchange Coinbase has reported record earnings of $2.5 billion far outperforming market expectations, however, the share price still slumped in after-hours trading.

CointelegraphTom Mitchelhill

Crypto platform Amber Group hits $3 billion valuation in latest raise

Crypto trading firm Amber Group has announced a $200 million raise led by Temasek, the Singapore-based sovereign wealth fund.

The BlockRyan Weeks

Hack VC Debuts $200M Early-Stage Fund Targeting Crypto, Web3 Startups - Blockworks

Funding will go toward Web3 and blockchain startups in the belief these technologies will form the “second half of the internet,” Hack said.

BlockworksStephen

South Korea Will Invest $187M in A National Metaverse Initiative.

The South Korea government will provide $186.7 million to the development of a Metaverse platform in which it expects companies

CoincuPatrick

Intel Unveils New Bitcoin Mining Chip and 3,600-Watt Mining Rig - Decrypt

Intel unveiled its new energy efficient BMZ1 blockchain accelerator chips and a 3,600-watt mining rig at this year’s ISSCC conference.

DecryptTim Hakki

Yearn Finance Deployed to Ethereum’s L2 Arbitrum

Yearn Finance has gone live on the largest Ethereum layer 2 platform - Arbitrium.

CryptoPotatoDavid Marsanic

Seller ‘rugs’ $30M CryptoPunks collection minutes before Sotheby’s auction

An NFT auction hosted by Sotheby’s, has been canceled last minute after an anonymous collector decided not to sell their $30m collection of 104 CryptoPunks.

CointelegraphTom Mitchelhill

Markets

Crypto Charts 58

BTC is expected to move up to $41′700 with a move above $39′800 confirming this move higher ETH is expected to accelerate up through $2′850 if $2′160 isn’t reached Bitcoin Last time we said: ’We were looking for a sell-off and the market obliged. The question now is whether we

The AssetsMatthew Clark

Bitcoin (BTC) Creates Higher Low After Long Lower Wick - BeInCrypto

Bitcoin (BTC) has broken out from a short-term diagonal resistance level and appears to be in the first steps of creating a bullish structure.

BeInCryptoValdrin Tahiri

Over $450M In Liquidations - Bitcoin, Ether, Cardano, XRP Lose Billions Amid Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine

On Thursday, reports of President Putin giving an Invasion order on Eastern Ukraine weighed down heavily on cryptocurrencies, triggering

ZyCryptoNewton Gitonga

Regulations

The crypto oasis: How the UAE became the Middle East’s digital asset champion

The nation has a patchwork of largely crypto-friendly, region-specific rules that can finally get standardized.

CointelegraphDavid Attlee

European Parliament Postpones Vote on Crypto Regulations Indefinitely

A leaked draft has drawn criticism for including a provision that sought to ban the use of cryptocurrencies that rely on proof-of-work.

CoinDeskSandali Handagama

California Lawmaker Introduces Bill for State To Accept Crypto Payments - The Daily Hodl

A California lawmaker is introducing a state Senate bill seeking to allow Golden State citizens to pay for government services with crypto assets.

The Daily HodlDaily Hodl Staff

Brazilian Senate Committee Approves Bill Regulating Crypto Transactions

The project, introduced by Senator Flávio Arns, has to be voted on by the Senate plenary and then, if approved, by the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.

CoinDeskPaulo Alves

Opinions

Apolitical Crypto Networks in Times of Sanction and War

If blackballed from the global financial system, will Russia turn to bitcoin?

CoinDeskDavid Z Morris

Podcasts / Readings