Author: Lara

Trump Pardons BitMEX Co-Founders, Reports Suggest

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly granted pardons to three co-founders of cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, who had previously pleaded guilty to federal charges. According to a March 28 report by CNBC, Trump issued pardons for Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, and Samuel Reed, who were facing criminal charges related to money laundering and violations of the Bank Secrecy Act. In February 2022, Hayes and Delo admitted to “willfully failing to establish, implement, and maintain an Anti-Money Laundering program” at BitMEX. Reed entered a guilty plea a few weeks later. As of the time of publication, the White House had not…

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Strategy Announces 10% Preferred Stock Offering to Fund Bitcoin Purchases

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Strategy is ramping up efforts to secure more debt and equity financing to expand its Bitcoin holdings as part of its corporate treasury strategy. The company has priced its latest round of perpetual preferred stock, a move it typically makes before acquiring more Bitcoin. The shares will be sold at $85 each with a 10% coupon, generating approximately $711 million in revenue. Market analyst Jesse Myers noted that the 11.8% annual dividend from this offering allows Strategy to attract investors away from the bond market, which currently offers a 4.2% return. On March 17, Strategy made its latest Bitcoin purchase,…

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Gotbit Founder Reaches $23M Plea Deal with US Prosecutors

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Aleksei Andriunin, the founder of Gotbit, has agreed to forfeit approximately $23 million in Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors in Massachusetts. According to a report from Law360 on March 19, Andriunin, a Russian national, has agreed to plead guilty to three charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and market manipulation. The plea deal follows allegations that Gotbit, a Belize-registered market maker, engaged in widespread cryptocurrency market manipulation from 2017 to 2024. Details of the Plea Agreement Under the terms of the deal, Andriunin will surrender about $23 million in USDT and…

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SEC to Drop Ripple Appeal, Confirms CEO Garlinghouse

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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) long-running legal battle with Ripple is finally coming to a close, marking a major victory for the company and the broader crypto industry. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced on March 19 that the SEC will drop its appeal against the company, effectively ending the multi-year enforcement action. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for” “This is it — the moment we’ve been waiting for. The SEC will drop its appeal — a resounding victory for Ripple and for crypto in every way,” Garlinghouse wrote on X (formerly Twitter). In an accompanying video,…

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Scam Alert: Fake ‘Hong Kong Coin’ Promoted by Impersonator Account

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A fraudulent cryptocurrency, allegedly called the “National Hong Kong Coin,” is being promoted by an account impersonating Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee. The scam has led to a series of warnings from both local authorities and regulators urging traders not to fall for the fake coin. On March 6, Johnny Ng, a Hong Kong lawmaker and vocal supporter of cryptocurrency, took to social media to warn the public about the imposter account, which had claimed the coin would be launched on the Solana blockchain. The account under the username “JohnLeeKa_Chiu” falsely announced that a new Solana-based token would become…

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Paxos USDG Expands to Solana Blockchain!

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Paxos Digital Singapore, the issuer of the Global Dollar (USDG) stablecoin, has officially expanded its operations to the Solana blockchain, marking a significant step in broadening the stablecoin’s availability and use cases. Announced on February 25, 2025, USDG, which is pegged to the U.S. dollar, is now accessible on Solana, following its initial launch on Ethereum in November 2024. Paxos Digital Singapore, a subsidiary of Paxos and regulated by Singapore’s Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), has partnered with prominent crypto exchanges, wallets, and blockchain platforms to accelerate the distribution of USDG to both individuals and institutions. The stablecoin is already…

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Coinbase Beats Revenue Expectations, Shares Rise 8%

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Shares of the U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase rallied by over 8% on Thursday, February 13, following the release of its robust Q4 earnings report, marking its strongest quarterly revenue performance in three years. Coinbase’s stock rose by 8.44%, reaching $298.11 after announcing that it generated $2.3 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024. This figure represents a significant 138% increase compared to 2023, surpassing LSEG analysts’ estimate of $1.88 billion. The company also reported a net income of $1.3 billion, with earnings per share hitting $4.68, exceeding forecasts of $2.11 from FactSet and $1.81 from LSEG. The exchange…

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Illegal Crypto Mining Site Explodes, Rocking Malaysia

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An illegal Bitcoin mining operation was uncovered in a residential house in Malaysia following an explosion, further highlighting the growing issue of electricity theft linked to illicit crypto mining. On February 13, authorities were alerted to an explosion and smoke coming from a house in Kuala Lumpur. According to the Malay Mail, local firefighters responded to the emergency after a resident reported the incident. Upon arrival, they discovered a room with modified electrical wiring that had sparked a fire. Once the fire was extinguished, officials found multiple Bitcoin mining rigs and related equipment. Investigators confirmed that the operation had been…

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