Crypto Weekly Roundup: BTC Crosses $60k, Blast Mainnet, & More

Table of Contents

• Bitcoin 
• Ethereum
• DeFi
• Technology
• Security
• CBDC
• Regulation

The past week was quite significant for crypto, as Bitcoin has shot past the much-awaited $60,000 mark. Indeed, the crypto’s growth has given hope to many industry experts who are predicting a new all-time high for it soon. Let’s dig deeper. 

Bitcoin 

After the riotous move to $64,000, experts are hopeful that the eventual exit from this flag could take $BTC to a new all-time high at $69,000. 

Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz has said that he expects Bitcoin to see a correction before potentially hitting a new all-time high. 

BlackRock has partnered with the Brazilian stock exchange, B3, to launch its Bitcoin ETF’s Brazilian Depository Receipts in the country. 

El Salvador’s total holdings in Bitcoin have exceeded $60 million amid the cryptocurrency price surge. However, President Bukele is in no rush to cash them in. 

Renowned whistleblower Edward Snowden has claimed that a national government has been buying Bitcoin without disclosing it in the public domain. 

Asset Manager Morgan Stanley is reportedly considering offering a spot Bitcoin ETF on its brokerage platform. 

Ethereum

Ethereum Layer-2 network Blast has announced the launch of its official mainnet, allowing users to withdraw their previously locked funds on the network. 

Amidst the anticipation for the Ethereum Dencun upgrade, the Ethereum Foundation has confirmed the successful activation of the upgrade across testnets as of 27th February. 

DeFi

Decentralized exchange Uniswap is planning to launch a web extension for its native wallet, allowing users to send, receive, buy, and swap tokens and altcoins directly from their web browser. 

Technology

StarkWare has launched a new open-source ZK Prover that is supposed to be blazingly fast and aims to bring down transaction costs for end users.

Aave's social layer Lens Protocol announced that it has gone permissionless, i.e., it has opened access for everyone to join and build.

Hotel marketplace RSRV is teaming up with the Tezos blockchain to tokenize its first asset - the St. Regis Aspen Resort. 

Security

Business intelligence firm MicroStrategy’s X account has been compromised, with hackers posting a series of malicious links leading to an airdrop for a fake Ethereum-based MSTR token. 

CBDC

Republican senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) introduced legislation to ban central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). 

Regulation

In a significant move, Hungary has issued a draft law that allows banks, investment funds, and asset managers to offer services in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. 

The SEC has requested the court for a deadline extension for document preparation in its ongoing legal tussle with Ripple (XRP).

The extradition of Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon has again faced some legal complications that might delay his presence at the start of his fraud trial in the United States.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.