Schlagwort: crypto business

Veröffentlicht am

German police reportedly seizes $2.1B worth of Bitcoin (BTC)

  • Police in German have seized 50,000 bitcoin (BTC) worth over $2.1 billion. 
  • The seizure relates to an investigation against two people who conducted a website piracy operation in 2013.

In latest crypto news from Germany, police are reportedly in possession of 50,000 Bitcoin (BTC) seized in mid-January as part of an investigation into a website piracy operation.

The value of the BTC is currently worth about $2.17 billion and the biggest ever crypto seizures in Germany, police said in a statement published on January 30. CoinDesk reported the story first.

Suspect “voluntarily transferred” BTC to police wallets

According to the police, the BTC seizure relates to an investigation around copyright infringements via a website established in 2013.  Law enforcement say an operation supported by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the FBI and a Munich forensic IT expert company, have been looking into the activities of the website that operated until May 2013.

Two individuals – a 40-year old German and 37-year old Pole – are suspected to have targeted a leading German company and commercially exploited copyrighted works. The unauthorised activities and the pirated works were in violation of the country’s Copyright Act, the police statement noted.

The suspects reportedly used proceeds of the piracy operation to purchase Bitcoin. In their announcement, the Dresden General Prosecutor’s Office, the Saxony State Criminal Police Office and the the Leipzig II Tax Office say the suspects “voluntarily transferred” the BTC to wallets provided by the BKA.

Police say an investigation into money laundering related to this case are ongoing. Authorities have also not reached a decision on what to do with the seized bitcoins.

US government holds more than 216,000 BTC 

The German police’s announcement comes just days after the US government notified the public of its plans to sell over $130 million in BTC seized from individuals connected to the shut dark net marketplace Silk Road. US authorities revealed plans to sell another haul of forfeited BTC linked to Silk Road in early 2023.

Data from blockchain security and analytics firm Arkham shows US authorities currently hold crypto worth more than $9.3 billion. It includes 216,000 BTC currently worth over $9.1 billion. The crypto was seized from various individuals over the past few years.

The post German police reportedly seizes $2.1B worth of Bitcoin (BTC) appeared first on CoinJournal.

Veröffentlicht am

Binance lists Jupiter (JUP) amidst soaring MMTR pre-sale

  • Binance lists Jupiter (JUP) for trading, sparking a 57% price surge.
  • Memeinator’s MMTR token presale sees remarkable success, raising over $4 million.
  • DeFi projects like Jupiter and Memeinator shape the future of cryptocurrency.

The latest developments in the cryptocurrency market have sparked excitement among investors as Binance announces the listing of Jupiter (JUP) while Memeinator (MMTR) showcases remarkable progress through its presale stages.

Let’s delve into the details of these significant milestones shaping the DeFi landscape.

JUP token Airdrop

Jupiter, operating on the Solana blockchain, has garnered attention for its multifaceted approach to decentralized finance (DeFi) since it was launched in October 2021. The protocol touts itself as Solana’s first on-chain swap aggregator and it offers a range of services including decentralized exchange aggregation, advanced trading options, and investment strategies such as Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA).

Jupiter’s aggregator runs for free, but Jupiter charges fees on dollar-cost averaging (DCA) orders, perpetual swaps and limit orders on its exchange.

According to Dune Analytics, Jupiter handles roughly 65% of Solana DEX volume with a peak witnessed in November last year where it saw $16 billion up from $946 million in September and $3.9 billion in October.

In an exciting turn of events, Jupiter recently announced that it would launch its native JUP token on January 31 which will be accompanied by a community airdrop, opening up opportunities for nearly a million Solana wallets.

The JUP token airdrop comes on the heels of multiple other Solana ecosystem airdrops that played into a late 2023 Solana bull run and is poised to be one of the largest in 2024, reflecting the growing interest in the DeFi space.

Binance listing sends Jupiter (JUP) soaring

Binance, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges, has recently announced its decision to list Jupiter (JUP) for trading.

With the airdrop claim scheduled to commence, users can anticipate the listing of JUP on Binance Spot, with trading pairs including JUP/USDT, JUP/FDUSD, and JUP/TRY. Moreover, Binance will introduce the JUP/USDT trading pair on Isolated Margin, enhancing accessibility for traders seeking leverage trading opportunities.

The JUP price plateaued amid a shift in the spotlight to the approval of bitcoin ETFs in the US last week. However, the listing and token launch announcements have catalyzed a surge in JUP’s price, soaring by over 57 % in the last 24 hours. This remarkable growth underscores investor confidence in Jupiter’s capabilities and potential for further expansion within the DeFi ecosystem.

As Jupiter continues to innovate and solidify its position within the Solana blockchain, it remains a token of interest for both seasoned investors and newcomers alike.

Memeinator (MMTR) presale success

Memeinator, another standout project in the cryptocurrency sphere, has unveiled impressive success during its presale stages. Positioned as the ultimate meme coin, Memeinator leverages AI technology and powerful marketing strategies to dominate the market.

With a clear mission to eradicate subpar memes, Memeinator aims to achieve a $1 billion market cap while introducing innovative products like the Memescanner and the Memeinator Game.

Memeinator’s tokenomics are designed to foster a vibrant ecosystem, with the MMTR token serving as the primary medium for transactions and access to premium features.

Throughout its presale stages, Memeinator has demonstrated resilience and growth, with over $4 million raised and substantial community engagement. Investors can anticipate further developments as Memeinator prepares for its official launch and subsequent listing on multiple exchanges.

To participate in the MMTR presale, visit the official Memeinator presale website. The MMTR token is going for $0.0197 in the current presale stage and the price is expected to rise to $0.0208 in the next stage.

Closing thoughts

As Jupiter (JUP) garners attention with its Binance listing and Memeinator (MMTR) showcases remarkable progress through its presale stages, the cryptocurrency market continues to evolve and expand.

These developments underscore the growing significance of DeFi projects like Jupiter and innovative ventures like Memeinator in shaping the future of finance. With exciting opportunities on the horizon, investors are poised to witness the next chapter in the evolution of decentralized finance.

The post Binance lists Jupiter (JUP) amidst soaring MMTR pre-sale appeared first on CoinJournal.

Veröffentlicht am

Spot Ethereum ETFs approval likely on May 23: Standard Chartered

  • Standard Chartered Bank says the SEC could approve spot Ethereum ETFs on May 23, the final deadline for applications currently before the regulator.
  • Ethereum price could surge to over $4,000 by then, the bank said in a report.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is likely to give a nod to the first spot Ethereum ETF in May, the Standard Chartered Bank said in a report on Tuesday.

In particular, the bank’s analysts see the regulator approving the ETH spot ETFs on May 23. According to the bank’s note shared with clients and reported on by The Block, the May date is the final deadline for applications before the SEC.

“We expect pending applications for ETH U.S. spot ETFs to be approved on May 23, the final deadline for the first of the ETFs under consideration — the equivalent date to Jan. 10 for BTC ETFs,” Geoffrey Kendrick, Head of Forex and Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered Bank, said.

ETH price could surge to $4,000

The SEC recently delayed spot Ethereum ETF applications for BlackRock and Fidelity. However, should the regulator approve the ETF proposals before it, the price of Ethereum could skyrocket. In the lead up to the approval, Standard Chartered sees a potential spike to $4,000.

“If ETH prices perform similarly to how BTC prices performed in the lead-up to BTC ETF approval, ETH could trade as high as $4,000 by then.”

Bitcoin price rallied following BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF application, surging from around $25k to hit a a high of $49k. While prices are back to lows of $43k, after rebounding from around $38.6k last week, the market is bullish as the next BTC halving approaches.

Ethereum surged after BlackRock filed for a spot ETH ETF in November, reaching highs above $2,700. The leading altcoin’s price is currently near $2,375, up 3% in the past hour as the altcoin market looks to bounce alongside the benchmark cryptocurrency.

The post Spot Ethereum ETFs approval likely on May 23: Standard Chartered appeared first on CoinJournal.

Veröffentlicht am

Binance Labs invests in Ethereum liquid restaking protocol Puffer

  • Binance Labs has invested an undisclosed amount in Ethereum restaking protocol Puffer.
  • Puffer Finance will use these funds to develop its Layer 2 network and to bring ETH staking and restaking rwards to BNB Chain users.
  • Binance Labs on Monday, January 29, denied claims it had participated in a $15 million funding round for SkyArk Chronicles.

Binance Labs, the venture capital and incubation arm of crypto exchange Binance, has made a strategic investment in Puffer Finance, a decentralised liquid restaking protocol on EigenLayer.

Although Binance Labs hasn’t disclosed the invested amount, it revealed in its announcement that Puffer will use the investment to develop its open-source technologies. 

Today’s announcement comes a day after Binance Labs released a statement distancing itself from claims that it had led a $15 million funding round for gaming platform SkyArk Chronicles.

Puffer to use investment on its L2 and restaking rewards

One of the project areas to see funding from the investment will be Puffer’s actively validated services (AVSs) on a Layer 2 network. Puffer will run its upcoming L2 as an AVS on EigenLayer AVS, Binance Labs said on Tuesday.

“As Puffer continues to develop, our unique approach, supported by collaborations with eminent researchers, elevates validator profitability, contributing to Ethereum’s decentralization and securing its infrastructure with EigenLayer,” Amir Forouzani, founder of Puffer, said in a statement.

“We are incredibly excited about laying a robust foundation for the future of decentralized trust, ensuring a resilient and thriving ecosystem for years to come,” Forouzani added.

Also set to receive a boost from Binance’s venture arm is Puffer’s liquid restaking technology that will see the protocol’s native liquid restaking token go live on the BNB Chain. The target here is to bring ETH staking and restaking rewards to users on the BNB Chain.

Puffer has previously received investment funding from various venture firms, both during its pre-seed and seed round. Among investors in the protocol’s $5.5 million seed round were Lemniscap, Lightspeed Faction, Brevan Howard Digital, Animoca Ventures, Canonical Crypto and Bankless Ventures.

The project also secured a grant from the Ethereum Foundation for its first innovation – a remote signing tool dubbed Secure-Signer. Validators on the Ethereum network can tap into this tool to reduce risk of slashing.

The post Binance Labs invests in Ethereum liquid restaking protocol Puffer appeared first on CoinJournal.

Veröffentlicht am

SBINFT launches its NFT marketing platform SBINFT Mits

  • SBINFT Co., Ltd., operator of the largest NFT marketplace in Japan, has launched its NFT marketing platform dubbed SBINFT Mits.
  • The platform will help individuals and global brands tap into the power of NFTs to drive their Web3 marketing strategies.
  • SBINFT initially announced Mits at the 2023 WebX Summit held in Japan in July last year.

SBINFT Co., Ltd.,  has announced that its new NFT marketing platform SBINFT Mits is now available globally, paving the way for the global community and international brands to tap into the benefits of NFTs as they bring Web2 projects to Web3.

The NFT marketplace operator, which pivoted its focus to gaming NFTs in June last year following a partnership and rebrand, said in an announcement that SBINFT Mits targets both individuals as well as big business across the market.

SBINFT Mits will allow companies and social media influencers among others to blend their marketing strategies with digital collectibles as they build customers and communities.

The platform’s launch is SBINFT’s “stride into the NFT information technology revolution,” Ko Jangdeok, CEO of SBINFT, said in a statement. According to Jangdeok, digital transformation is taking over the world and SBINFT is taking major steps to be at the forefront of this change.

”As we usher in a new era of digital collectibles and marketing, we stand resolute in our commitment to being at the center of this monumental shift,” Jangdeok added.

SBINFT Mits to incentivize users

SBINFT (formerly SmartApp) pivoted into the blockchain NFTs space in June last year after it partnered with Oasys blockchain.

That followed a successful footprint in the market following its launch in 2018, particularly after the company unveiled its NFT marketplace in 2021. It’s after joining Japanese giant SBI group that the company rebranded from SmartApp to SBINFT.

SBINFT announced SBINFT Mits at the 2023 WebX Summit, Asia’s biggest Web3 event held in Japan in late July last year.

The platform features functionalities such as event management and NFT analytics tools. It plans to mint for NFT collections and integration with physical merchandise to allow for mainstream adoption across the world.

SBINFT Mits launched its open beta in October 2023, quickly attracting sign ups from 37 Japanese brands, among them Yucho Brewery, Securitize and H.I.S.

The platform supports utility NFTs across blockchain games and e-tickets, and secondary sales of blue-chip NFT art, photography and music. The company will incentivize users on the new platform via a points system, allowing rewards for users who participate in a brands’ marketing initiatives.

The post SBINFT launches its NFT marketing platform SBINFT Mits appeared first on CoinJournal.