Digital Assets Report 66

  • Axie Infinity's Ronin Network Suffers $625M Exploit
  • Sberbank's newly launched cryptocurrency faces slow start
  • Blockchain.com valued at $14bn in latest funding round
  • ByBit opens global HQ in Dubai
  • Bitcoin flips $45k resistance to support

Business

Axie Infinity’s Ronin Network Suffers $625M Exploit
It may be the largest exploit in DeFi history.
Russia Is Open To Selling Natural Gas For Bitcoin
Russia can trade with ‘friendly’ countries in national currencies or bitcoin, the chairman of the State Duma committee on energy said.
Report: Russians do not evade sanctions using crypto says Chainalysis
As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, cryptocurrencies are taking on an important role in the conflict, but not in the capacity of evading sanctions on Russian entities or oligarchs. Report: Russians do not evade sanctions using crypto says Chainalysis
Russia’s biggest bank has been cut out of the global financial markets — and now it’s launched a cryptocurrency
Sberbank launched a digital currency just weeks after the invasion of Ukraine, as sanctions cut Russia off from the global financial system.
Russia sets fixed gold price as it restarts official bullion purchases
Bitcoin Miner PrimeBlock Plans to Go Public With $1.25B SPAC Merger
The deal is expected to close in the second half of this year.
Crypto Exchange Blockchain.com Hits $14B Valuation in Lightspeed-Led Funding Round
The raise more than doubles the previous value of the company.
Cross River Bank lands $620M for ‘crypto-first strategy’ – TechCrunch
Cross River Bank powers lending and payments for fintechs such as Affirm, Coinbase and Stripe.
Google Searches for ‘Ethereum Merge’ Have Hit an All-Time High - Decrypt
Google Trends data shows that the term “Ethereum Merge” has exploded in popularity worldwide over the last fortnight.
America’s Oldest Bank to Become Primary Custodian of Circle’s USDC
BNY Mellon will be the primary custodian for Circle’s stablecoin, according to a recent announcement.
World’s 3rd largest department store El Corte Inglés launches crypto exchange for its customers
El Corte Inglés, the world’s third-largest department store group by turnover, has set its sights on having its own crypto exchange.
Trezor removes address proof protocol following security concerns 
The hardware wallet startup reversed its decision one week after unveiling the Address Ownership Proof Protocol, or AOPP, owing to

Markets

Market Intelligence 20
Continued positive sentiment in the Crypto & BTC market this week BTC flips key resistance level of $45k to support BTC has outperformed all major asset classes since US interest rate hike The majority of BTC supply is held by high-conviction investors Weekly Price Action BTC is trading at $45′8…
Bitcoin Whale Addresses Hit Record High Since Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine - But ‘Wen New All-Time High?’
Since the start of the warfare, Bitcoin addresses holding from 1k to 10k BTC has jumped 8.5%, according to data obtained by ZyCrypto
DeFi lender Aave’s token has surged over 80% since V3 launch
DeFi lending protocol Aave’s governance token surged 84% since its March 16 V3 upgrade, and was trading at US$220.01 at press time.
Ethereum 2.0 Staking Contract Surpasses 11 Million ETH
Ethereum 2.0 deposit is still gaining traction among retail and institutional investors despite ETH’s uncertain price movements.

Regulations

EU Parliament Passes Controversial Rules Banning Anonymous Crypto Transactions
The European Union (EU) parliament has today voted in favor of new harsh rules that call for the crackdown of unhosted or non-custodial
Newly Introduced Bill Aims to Bring Transparency to the Stablecoin Marketplace
The aptly-named “Stablecoin Transparency Act” would require issuers to report on their reserves.
SEC Rejected The Application Of ARK 21Shares Spot Bitcoin ETF | Digital Market News
A disapproval was announced by the as SEC on the application of the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).
FCA Extends Deadline for Crypto Firms to Meet Regulatory Requirements in UK — 33 Firms Licensed so Far – Regulation Bitcoin News
The U.K. financial regulator has extended its April 1 registration deadline for a number of crypto firms to meet its regulatory requirements.
UniCredit Bank faces €131 million fine over wrongfully closed crypto miner’s account
After closing an account of a cryptocurrency mining farm, UniCredit Bank is forced to pay a €131 million fine.
Russia’s Deputy Energy Minister urges to legalize crypto mining ‘as soon as possible’
The notion around Russia potentially employing Bitcoin mining to mitigate the effects of ever-tougher sanctions continues to take place.

Opinions

Citi Predicts Metaverse Could Be $13 Trillion Opportunity With 5 Billion Users – Metaverse Bitcoin News
Citi has predicted that the total market for the metaverse economy could grow to between $8 trillion and $13 trillion by 2030. In addition, the global bank expects that the number of metaverse users could be as many as five billion.
Russia just made a case for owning gold — and nobody noticed
It makes sense to have at least some gold in a long-term investment portfolio

Readings / Podcasts

Blockware Intelligence Newsletter: Week 32
Bitcoin on-chain analysis, mining analysis, equity-analysis; overview of 3/25/22-4/1/22
How One Bond Manager Values Gold And Bitcoin
Money has changed. Sanctions on Russia’s central bank eliminated its USD, EUR and JPY reserves. Read more.