Wallets
KuCoin Raises $150M, Announces Web3 Expansion
- KuCoin's $150 million pre-Series B funding round was led by Jump Crypto, and increased the valuation of the company to $10 billion.
- KuCoin will use the funds to expand its product offerings, as well as build and invest into DeFi, GameFi, NFT, and crypto wallet platforms.
Meta to Start NFT Tests on Instagram This Week
- Mark Zuckerberg revealed that Instagram will be the first app under Meta's control to start NFT tests, and that Facebook could soon see a similar functionality.
- Meta's CEO also noted that the company was working on augmented reality NFTs, which will allow users to place their digital art into physical spaces.
Binance Blocks Accounts of Relatives of Russian Government Officials
- The accounts of Elizaveta Peskova, daughter of spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Polina Kovaleva, stepdaughter of Sergei Lavrov, and Kirill Malofeev, son of oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, have already been closed.
- Last week the exchange had also implemented new stricter rules for Russian users with crypto holdings of more than €10,000, following the latest sanctions on Moscow from the E.U.
Coinbase India Suspends UPI Payments Shortly After Launch
- The exchange has stopped accepting payments through the United Payments Interface system only three days after its launch in India.
- The system is governed by the National Payment Corporation of India, which said it was "not aware of any crypto exchange using UPI" only hours after the exchange was launched.
Robinhood Launches Crypto Wallet to 2M Customers
- Robinhood's crypto wallet, which was rolled out to 2 million users, will not support Ethereum-based services like ERC-20 tokens and NFTs.
- The trading app also revealed it had plans to integrate the Bitcoin Lightning Network, reducing the time and fees associated with transfers.
U.S. Imposes Sanctions Against Russia’s Largest Darknet Marketplace
- Russian darknet marketplace Hydra and crypto exchange Garantex have been connected to Russian cybercrime, and have become the new targets for OFAC sanctions.
- In its investigation, OFAC found more than $8 million connected to ransomware attacks had moved through Hydra, while Garantex had facilitated over $100 million in illicit transactions.
Trezor Warns Users of Newsletter Phishing Attack
- Trezor users reported on Saturday they had received phishing e-mails from individuals that tried to lure them into downloading malicious code.
- On Sunday Trezor confirmed that Mailchimp had its services compromised by an "insider targeting crypto companies", and that the phishing domain had been taken down.
Coincheck to List on Nasdaq After $1.25B SPAC Merger
- The merger is expected to complete in the second half of 2022, after which it will list on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker "CNCK".
- Monex Group, which currently owns 94.2% of Coincheck, will keep all of its shares at closing, and is expected to own 82% of the new entity after the merger.
Coinbase Wallet Adds Support for Solana Tokens
- Coinbase users can now use the exchange's self-custody wallet to store, send, and receive SOL and Solana-based tokens.
- The exchange also revealed it was looking to add wallet support for Solana-based NFTs and dApps in the near future.
Aave Launches v3 on Six Blockchains
- Aave v3 features a range of new functionalities and mechanisms designed to improve user experience, risk management, and capital efficiency.
- Some of the most highly anticipated features include the cross-chain portals, high efficiency mode, isolated markets, and gas optimization model.