Gemini receives in-principle approval for an investment firm license in Malta

  • The approval marks a significant step for Gemini which has picked Malta as its EU hub for its MiCA application
  • Gemini will be able to offer customers perpetual futures contracts and options throughout the EU and the EEA
  • A growing number of crypto platforms are expanding their services to Europe

Crypto exchange Gemini has been granted in-principle approval for an investment firm license from Malta’s financial regulator.

In a blog post, Mark Jennings, Gemini’s head of Europe, announced the news on February 11. The step marks a significant moment for the crypto exchange which has picked Malta as its EU hub for its Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) application.

Jennings said that once the in-principle license is granted, Gemini will be able to offer perpetual futures contracts and options throughout the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA) under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II).

“Achieving in-principle approval marks a crucial step in our 2025 European expansion strategy,” Jennings added.

Expanding into Europe

Gemini’s in-principle approval comes at a time when more organizations are turning to Europe to expand their services.

Since the full rollout of the MiCA regulation in the EU at the end of 2024, a growing number of crypto platforms and service providers have already received approval. The approval of MiCA enables providers to offer their products and services in the EEA.

Companies that have received full MiCA licenses include Bitpanda, Boerse Stuttgart Digital, Circle, Coinbase, Crypto.com, MoonPay, and OKX.

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iDEGEN’s value skyrockets with its listing in the horizon

The cryptocurrency market has continued to show resilience in the wake of trade tensions. Most majors have recorded some gains as investors beyond the current instabilities and onto the expected surge in cryptocurrency adoption rates. 

Notably, more market participants are broadening their horizon to include fresh projects with great potential. iDEGEN, a revolutionary force within the AI crypto space is one such entity. 

With about two weeks left for its presale, savvy investors are steadily amassing $IDGN tokens. Based on its potential, its current token price of $0.0236 is likely the lowest it will ever get to moving forward.

Bitcoin’s steady appeal to sustain it above months-long support zone

Even with the recent risk-off mood, bitcoin price has held steady above $90,000, a support zone that has been steady since mid-November 2024. As a cryptocurrency, it is categorized as a risky asset. 

Nonetheless, it continues to attract more individual and institutional investors as its global adoption increases. Indeed, countries like the US and Czech Republic may soon join the growing number of nations and sovereign wealth funds that have included Bitcoin in their strategic reserves. It is this optimism, coupled with eased cryptocurrency regulations, that will support bitcoin in the short and medium-term. 

A look at its daily chart shows Bitcoin price hovering around the 50-day EMA while still trading below the short-term 20-day EMA. At the same time, its RSI is at 47, slightly below the neutral level of 50. Notably, the RSI is facing upwards, indicating that the current rebounding may continue in the ensuing sessions.

At its current level, the range between the psychologically crucial zone of $100,000 and the support level of $96,005 remains worth watching. Further rebounding will have the bull eye the next target at $102,595. However, this bullish thesis will be invalid if the cryptocurrency pulls back below the lower support zone of $94,444.87.

iDEGEN’s positioning turns early adopters to rich crypto investors ahead of its listing

iDEGEN, an AI crypto project that has been making waves in the market since late November 2024, is set to hit the public shelves in about two weeks. Notably, the powerful trifactor that has captured the attention of investors is expected to catapult it to great heights upon listing.

To begin with, the AI crypto space has grown to a market cap of $29.2 billion as seen on CoinGecko. AI16z, one of iDEGEN’s rivals which was launched in October 2024, is valued at over $618 million. As a revolutionary force that has succeeded at curving its niche in the sector, iDEGEN also has the potential to have its value surge by 20x post-listing.

Besides, its positioning as a community-driven project with no guard rails has given it a competitive edge in the market. For instance, its previous ban on X on grounds of “violent content” attracted more investors; enabling it to raise an additional $1 million within 24 hours. 

It has gone on to expand its reach with it the latest V3 upgrade allowing for video content. These upgrades, coupled with its integration of the viral DeepSeek, have yielded fresh waves of buying pressure. 

So far, it has raised over $21 million with more than 1.7 million $IDGN tokens already sold. As it stands, investors only have a few more weeks left to get onto this highly profitable bandwagon. With returns of over 21,000%, the early adopters are already earning big even before the project’s listing. You can buy the iDegen token here.

Cardano price to rebound within a range amid competition from smart contract projects 

Cardano price appears set for a week of gains after being in the red over the past three weeks. On the one hand, new projects in the smart contract space have exerted pressure on Cardano. However, its healthy adoption rate and blockchain infrastructure continues to support the altcoin.

On its daily chart, cardano price remains below the 25 and 50-day EMAs. At an RSI of 39, it has some room for a rebound. However, while the rebounding will likely continue in the ensuing sessions, it may be range-bound in the short term.

 At its current level, the range between the support zone of $0.7005 and the 20-day EMA at $0.8185 is worth watching. With additional bullish momentum, the bulls will be eyeing the next resistance level at $0.8875. 

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Uniswap Labs announces mainnet launch for L2 network Unichain

  • Uniswap Labs has rolled out the mainnet of its layer-2 network Unichain.
  • The launch comes nearly four months after Uniswap’s unveiling of the EVM-compatible L2.
  • Day 1 launch partners include Coinbase and Circle.

Uniswap has announced the mainnet launch of Unichain, the decentralized Superchain layer 2 network.

The Uniswap Labs team revealed the roll out of the mainnet for the Ethereum-compatible L2 on Feb. 11.

Unichain goes live nearly four months after Unichain’s unveiling in October 2024. The platform has undergone rigorous testing in the period since, with over 95 million transactions and more than 14.7 million smart contracts deployed on testnet.

Unichain mainnet also launches with almost 100 crypto products on-chain, including by  Coinbase, Uniswap, Circle, Lido, and Morpho. The platform expects more products and protocols to go live on the network startng today.

Commenting on the launch, Uniswap Labs chief executive officer Hayden Adams said:

“Unichain is the next big step ‒ an L2 designed for DeFi. Launching as a stage 1 rollup with 1 second blocktimes, it only gets better from here. In the months and years to come, we will be launching many new improvements to accelerate blockchain scaling.”

Adams shared the comments via a post on X.

Uniswap’s v4 went live in late January, adding to the improvements delivered in v2 and v3.

The latest upgrade brought the highest level of customizability and lowest costs. Uniswap v4 is live on Ethereum, Base, BNB Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum, Zora Network, OP Mainnet,Blast, and World Chain and Avalanche.

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TON integrates with interoperability protocol LayerZero

  • TON has patnered with LayerZero, tapping the protocol for interoperability.
  • Integration will boost TON’s cross-chain ecosystem.

The Open Network (TON) has announced integration with the interoperability protocol LayerZero aimed at enhancing its crosschain asset transfers.

The TON network integration primary goal is to scale cross chain transfer to at least 100 blockchains. Among the chains to be connected include Ethereum, Tron, Solana  and many more.

The integration will make TON deal with the liquidity limitations and limited access to other chain networks. Users will  have access to some of the major crypto assets offered  on  a wide range of blockchain through the LayerZero protocol.

TON and LayerZero integration

According to a press release, the major partners behind the integration include USDT, stablecoin Ethena and the cross-chain bridge Stargate.

The integration will allow users to have a luxury of seamless transfer of their USDT tokens from Ethereum blockchain, Tron and the other connected chains to the TON blockchain. LayerZero-based cross-chain bridge platform Stargate will provide an entry point for crypto traders to bridge their crypto assets.

Integration also opens more networks to TON, enhancing interoperability and also connect widely to other networks.

According to a press release, “TON is now able to deliver sustainable liquidity and improve accessibility to its ecosystem, setting the stage for widespread adoption.

TON Foundation has made other major cross-chain integrations in the past to make its user access  USDT on  TON. This new development is an acceleration to have its ecosystem and Toncoin, on multiple blockchains among them Bitcoin.

Among the foundation’s past cross-chain projects is the TON Apllication Chain that is used to build applications within Ethereum Virtual Machine on TON.

We believe this integration marks a significant step forward for TON when it comes to uniting ecosystems and bringing greater interoperability to the broader crypto ecosystem,” Max Pertsovskiy, TON Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer, said.

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Binance and SEC file joint motion pausing legal case for 60 days

  • FOX Business journalist Eleanor Terrett believes it could open the door for other companies facing SEC lawsuits
  • The SEC sued Binance and its former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, in 2023 for violating securities laws in the US

Binance and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have filed a joint motion pausing their legal case for 60 days.

According to the document, the new SEC crypto taskforce – created by acting SEC chair Mark Uyeda – may have had a possible impact on the case.

The motion, submitted to the US District Court for the District of Columbia on February 10, reads: “The work of this task force may impact and facilitate the potential resolution of this case.”

According to FOX Business journalist Eleanor Terrett, this could open the door for other companies facing SEC lawsuits.

In a post on X, Terrett said: “I expect we’ll see other non-fraud cases (i.e. @Ripple, @coinbase, @krakenfx and others) follow suit in this manner.”

SEC lawsuits

In June 2023, the SEC sued Binance and its former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, for violating securities rules in the US.

According to a report, the agency argued that Binance secretly enabled high-value US customers to trade on the platform as an unregistered securities exchange and broker-dealer.

Coinbase, which is fighting the SEC, was granted an interlocutory appeal in January, temporarily suspending its ongoing court case. According to the SEC, Coinbase amounted “to the operation of an unregistered brokerage, exchange, and clearing agency in violation of federal securities laws.”

Ripple and its long-running case with the SEC stems from its XRP token. In 2020, the SEC sued Ripple, Chris Larsen, and Garlinghouse, alleging that they raised $1.3 billion through the sale of XRP, an unregistered securities offering, according to the regulator.

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