KuCoin launches $2 billion Trust Project to boost transparency and security

  • KuCoin has committed $2 billion to boost platform transparency, security, and compliance.
  • The multi-year Trust Project is already underway with phased rollouts.
  • The initiative also aims to strengthen KCS token utility and global user trust.

KuCoin has launched a sweeping $2 billion initiative dubbed the “Trust Project,” aimed at significantly enhancing the platform’s transparency, user protection, and regulatory alignment.

The announcement, made on April 30 during the TOKEN2049, comes at a time when centralised exchanges are under mounting pressure to rebuild trust in the aftermath of industry-wide concerns about asset safety, opaque operations, and inconsistent regulatory compliance.

Improving KuCoin’s transparency and security

According to KuCoin’s official statement, the Trust Project reflects the exchange’s renewed commitment to long-term sustainability through verifiable transparency, security infrastructure upgrades, and a compliance-first operational framework.

The exchange emphasised that this multi-year investment will support not only internal security advancements but also broader collaborations with global regulators and educational initiatives to empower users and raise industry standards.

Although specific details about the fund’s distribution remain undisclosed, KuCoin has confirmed that the project is already in progress, signalling that the investment is more than a symbolic pledge and is being actively implemented.

CEO BC Wong reaffirmed the company’s intention to strengthen each pillar of the initiative, highlighting user protection, transparency, regulatory cooperation, and the evolution of the KuCoin Token (KCS) ecosystem as core components of the roadmap.

He acknowledged that while timelines and precise budget allocations are still being finalised, the foundational strategy has already been set into motion and will be refined as each phase unfolds.

The initiative also seeks to tie the value of the KCS token more closely to platform participation, hinting at potential ecosystem enhancements that could include new token utilities or incentive mechanisms, though no formal plans have been announced.

The Trust Project may also serve as a strategic pivot toward greater infrastructure neutrality, potentially opening the door to integrations that support a wider range of blockchain technologies and decentralised assets.

Responding to regulatory scrutiny

The Trust Project initiative marks a proactive effort by KuCoin to address its history of regulatory scrutiny, particularly in jurisdictions such as Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea, where it has previously faced operational hurdles.

Despite these challenges, the exchange has experienced robust user growth, reporting a global user base of 38 million by the end of 2024, driven largely by surges in Latin America and the MENA region.

By committing substantial capital to this comprehensive initiative, KuCoin appears to be positioning itself for a more regulated, transparent, and globally integrated future in the evolving crypto exchange landscape.

The Trust Project underscores a broader industry shift in which centralised platforms are increasingly compelled to adopt practices once exclusive to institutional finance, including independent auditing, reserve verification, and real-time reporting.

As KuCoin works to clarify the specifics of how the $2 billion will be allocated, the crypto community and regulatory bodies alike will be watching closely to see whether the Trust Project delivers on its ambitious promises.

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Grayscale launches Bitcoin Adopters ETF targeting firms holding BTC as treasury reserve

  • The fund, launched April 30, tracks a diversified group of firms with Bitcoin treasury strategies.
  • Notable constituents include Michael Saylor’s Strategy, mining firm Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA), Tesla and Japanese BTC-focused firm Metaplanet.
  • The launch comes amid a sharp uptick in institutional Bitcoin buying.

Asset manager Grayscale has introduced a new exchange-traded fund—Grayscale Bitcoin Adopters ETF—designed to give investors exposure to companies actively holding Bitcoin on their balance sheets.

The fund, launched April 30, tracks a diversified group of firms with Bitcoin treasury strategies spanning across seven sectors, including mining, automotive, and energy.

Notable constituents include Michael Saylor’s Strategy, mining firm Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA), Tesla, Japanese BTC-focused firm Metaplanet, and aerospace energy player KULR Technology Group.

The ETF reflects the rising corporate trend of adopting Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset, aiming to hedge against fiat currency inflation and boost shareholder value.

Accelerating corporate demand for BTC

The launch comes amid a sharp uptick in institutional Bitcoin buying.

Fidelity Digital Assets recently reported that public companies have acquired over 30,000 BTC per month in 2025, significantly outstripping supply from miners.

According to Fidelity, Bitcoin’s circulating exchange supply is falling, driven by continuous corporate accumulation.

Michael Saylor’s Strategy remains the largest corporate Bitcoin holder outside of exchanges, and continues its aggressive purchasing.

Bitcoin could hit fresh highs thanks to corporate accumulation

Bitcoin may be poised to reach new highs as corporate accumulation and renewed ETF inflows tighten supply, according to a client note from research and brokerage firm Bernstein on Monday.

Analysts led by Gautam Chhugani said that short-term comparisons between Bitcoin and assets like gold or the Nasdaq can be misleading, and more meaningful indicators include reduced retail selling, growing corporate treasury demand, and strong ETF inflows.

The note follows the announcement of Twenty One Capital, a new Bitcoin corporate treasury venture launched last week by SoftBank, Tether, Bitfinex, and Cantor Fitzgerald, starting with 42,000 BTC.

The venture is backed by $900 million from SoftBank, $1.5 billion from Tether, and $600 million from Bitfinex, with plans to merge with Cantor Equity Partners via a SPAC and raise another $585 million at closing.

Bernstein likened the strategy to that of Strategy, which raised $22 billion in 2024 and $8.6 billion so far in 2025 to expand its Bitcoin holdings.

The analysts noted that corporate accumulation is becoming more competitive, with around 80 companies now holding a combined 700,000 BTC—roughly 3.4% of the total supply.

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Coinbase urges US Supreme Court to rethink digital privacy doctrine

  • The crypto exchange urged the Court to reconsider the “third-party doctrine” as it applies to digital financial data.
  • While Coinbase is not a direct party to the case, the company has a vested interest in how the Court interprets privacy protections.
  • The Supreme Court is expected to decide later this year whether to hear the case.

Coinbase, alongside several states, technology firms, and advocacy groups, is calling on the US Supreme Court to revisit long-standing digital privacy standards that critics say no longer reflect the realities of the internet age.

In an amicus brief filed Wednesday in Harper v. O’Donnell, the crypto exchange urged the Court to reconsider the “third-party doctrine” as it applies to digital financial data.

In 2020, James Harper, a Coinbase user, filed a lawsuit against the IRS, alleging the agency unlawfully obtained information that revealed his identity as a cryptocurrency holder.

Challenge to decades-old legal standard

The third-party doctrine—established through rulings in the 1970s—holds that individuals forfeit their expectation of privacy over data shared with third parties, such as banks or phone companies.

Coinbase argues that this principle, when applied to blockchain and digital assets, grants government agencies sweeping surveillance capabilities without the judicial oversight typically required for such intrusions.

While Coinbase is not a direct party to the case, the company has a vested interest in how the Court interprets privacy protections in the context of financial data stored or processed on its platform.

IRS use of broad summons under scrutiny

The case centers on the Internal Revenue Service’s use of a “John Doe” summons, which allows investigators to compel third parties to disclose data on unnamed individuals.

In 2016, the IRS served such a summons on Coinbase, requesting user data on more than 14,000 customers as part of an effort to identify individuals potentially underreporting crypto gains.

Similar summonses were later issued to Kraken and Circle in 2021.

Unlike traditional summonses, John Doe requests are not tied to specific individuals, but rather seek data on broad swaths of users.

Coinbase contends that this investigative tool, when used in the digital asset space, effectively gives the IRS a “real-time monitor” over user transactions.

Privacy in the Blockchain era

In its brief, Coinbase highlighted the unique characteristics of blockchain technology, which allows observers to trace past and future transactions tied to a wallet address.

This level of visibility, the company argues, amounts to what it calls a “financial ankle monitor.” The brief draws comparisons to Carpenter v. United States (2018), a case in which the Supreme Court ruled that obtaining historical cell phone location data without a warrant violated the Fourth Amendment.

Coinbase contends that the IRS’s ability to reconstruct years of blockchain activity is even more intrusive.

“Exposure of a person’s identity on the blockchain opens a potentially wide window into that person’s financial activity,” the company said, warning of the implications for user privacy and financial freedom.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide later this year whether to hear the case. If accepted, oral arguments would likely be scheduled for the next term.

Coinbase executives, including CEO Brian Armstrong and Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal, have consistently advocated for updated legal frameworks that reflect the evolving nature of digital finance.

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P2P.org named TRON Super Representative Validator, bringing institutional TRX staking services

  • The move adds TRON to the list of more than 40 networks supported by P2P.org.
  • This opens up new channels for institutional TRX staking on the TRON blockchain.
  • TRON’s Super Representatives are a group of 27 elected validators.

P2P.org, a prominent provider of validation and staking services across several blockchain networks, has been named a Super Representative Validator on the TRON network.

The move adds TRON to the list of more than 40 networks supported by P2P.org and opens a channel for institutional staking of TRX tokens.

TRON’s Super Representatives are 27 elected validators responsible for producing blocks every three seconds, validating transactions, participating in governance, and distributing rewards to voters, playing a central role in the network’s delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) system.

As a new Super Representative, P2P.org is set to contribute to the resilience of TRON’s infrastructure while offering institutional players direct access to staking opportunities on the network.

“Becoming a TRON Super Representative Validator represents a significant advancement in our validator portfolio,” said Alex Esin, CEO at P2P.org.

“This expansion strengthens our position across more than 40 networks and creates valuable new opportunities for our institutional partners to optimize their TRX holdings with industry-leading staking solutions.”

“With its scalability and minimal transaction costs, TRON has become the blockchain of choice for an increasing number of DeFi platforms focused on institutional adoption,” said Sam Elfarra, Community Spokesperson for the TRON DAO.

“As the builders of a thriving ecosystem with hundreds of institutional clients, we are thrilled to welcome P2P.org as a Super Representative.”

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