Strike Secures New York BitLicense, Opening Bitcoin Financial Services To State Residents

Strike, a Bitcoin financial services firm founded by Jack Mallers, has received both a BitLicense and a money transmitter license from the New York State Department of Financial Services, allowing the company to operate in one of the most tightly regulated digital asset markets in the United States.

The approval allows Strike to offer its Bitcoin brokerage, payments, and custody services to individuals and businesses across New York.

The state’s regulatory framework requires firms to meet standards for capital reserves, cybersecurity, and operational transparency.

New York’s BitLicense regime has long served as a gatekeeper for digital asset companies seeking access to the…

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Pudgy Penguins Sued By Original Penguin Brand Owner Over Trademark Use – Visa (NYSE:V)

The owner of the Original Penguin apparel brand filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Pudgy Penguins NFT brand for alleged trademark infringement.

‘Unauthorised’ Penguin Usage?

Perry Ellis International argued that Pudgy Penguins continued to produce retail goods even after receiving a cease-and-desist order in October 2023, The Block reported, citing a federal court filing. PEI asserted that this has “diluted” the value of its Penguin brand, which was established in 1955.

The complaint said that Pudgy Penguins’ “unauthorized” use of the Penguin word and design marks could “mislead” consumers into believing that they are connected to PEI.

Meanwhile, Pudgy Penguins took…

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Arthur Hayes Says Rising Treasury Yields Could Trigger A Money-Printing Bailout And ‘Benefit’ Bitcoin

Arthur Hayes, Chief Investment Officer at Maelstrom Fund, told Benzinga on Thursday that rising oil prices and treasury yields could prove positive for Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC).

What Treasury Yields Spike Amid War Means

Hayes argued that the surge in oil prices has disrupted “normal investor behavior.”

The BitMEX founder further noted that as the 10-year Treasury price falls, the MOVE Index, which tracks the volatility in the U.S. Treasury bond market, rises.

Win-Win For Bitcoin?

“Historically, over the past 5 years, if the MOVE index is >130, there is likely some sort of monetary bailout rolled out by the U.S. Government,” Hayes said. As of this writing, the index stood at 74.52.

Benzinga

Billionaire Justin Sun Says SEC Dropped Fraud Charges Against Him And The Tron Foundation: ‘The Future Is Bright’

Tron (CRYPTO: TRX) founder Justin Sun said Thursday the SEC has dismissed the claims it brought against him and his companies for fraud and market manipulation. 

Sun Says ‘Future Is Bright’

Sun stated in an X post that the resolution provides “closure,” and he will now prioritize “accelerating innovation” in the U.S. while collaborating with the SEC on cryptocurrency guidance and regulations.

“The future is bright,” the cryptocurrency billionaire said.

Sun’s Firm To Pay $10 Million In Penalty

In the final ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, all charges against Sun, Tron Foundation Limited and BitTorrent Foundation Ltd. were dismissed….

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The Core Issue: Consensus Cleanup

Protocol developers often come across as more pessimistic about Bitcoin’s future than most Bitcoiners. Daily exposure to Bitcoin’s imperfections certainly shapes a sober perspective, and it’s important to reflect on what Bitcoin has achieved. Anyone in the world, no matter their race, age, gender, nationality, or any other arbitrary criterion, is able to store and transfer value on a neutral monetary network more robust now than ever. That said, Bitcoin does have issues that many Bitcoiners are not aware of, but could threaten its long-term prospects if not addressed properly. The vulnerabilities fixed by the Consensus Cleanup are one such example.

The Consensus Cleanup (BIP 541)…

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Solo Satoshi Launches Bitaxe Turbo Touch, An Open-Source Touchscreen Bitcoin Miner

A small Texas mining hardware company is releasing what it says is the most powerful open-source touchscreen bitcoin miner currently available to home users.

Houston-based Solo Satoshi announced the launch of the Bitaxe Turbo Touch, a compact device designed for hobbyists and home miners that delivers more than double the hashrate of other touchscreen miners in its category.

According to a note shared with Bitcoin Magazine, the unit produces about 2.15 terahashes per second (TH/s).

The product builds on the open-source Bitaxe GT 801 platform and is powered by dual BM1370 ASIC chips, the same chips used in the industrial-scale Bitmain Antminer S21 Pro. The chips allow the…

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Mike Selig Confirmed As A Bitcoin 2026 Speaker

Mike Selig, Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and one of the most consequential figures in American crypto regulation, has been officially confirmed as a speaker at Bitcoin 2026 — bringing the voice of Washington’s most Bitcoin-forward regulatory agency to the world’s largest Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas.

Confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December 2025 as the 16th Chairman of the CFTC, Selig began his career as a law clerk for then-CFTC Commissioner J. Christopher Giancarlo, before moving into private practice advising financial institutions, trading platforms, and digital asset developers on compliance with securities and commodities laws. He returned to…

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Bitcoin At $71,000, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Reverse Gains

Bitcoin slipped to $71,000 on Thursday as geopolitical turmoil outweighed continued institutional ETF inflows.

Notable Statistics:

Coinglass data shows 95,833 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $293.55 million.

SoSoValue data shows net inflows of $461.8 million from spot Bitcoin ETFs on Wednesday. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw net inflows of $169.4 million.

In the past 24 hours, top gainers include Lombard, Humanity Protocol and Kite.

Notable Developments:

Trader Notes: Trade Altcoin Sherpa says Bitcoin’s current level offers a reasonable long entry based on technical analysis but warned that macroeconomic conditions could still pressure the market.

The setup remains…

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Crypto Legislation Stalls As White House, Banks Clash

Talks over landmark U.S. cryptocurrency legislation have hit a fresh impasse after major banks rejected a compromise brokered by the White House, casting uncertainty over whether the bill will pass this year. 

The stalemate has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump, who accused financial institutions of trying to undermine the effort.

Trump, whose family is well invested in digital assets and bitcoin, posted on Truth Social: “We are not going to allow them to undermine our powerful Crypto Agenda.” He added that banks “need to make a good deal with the Crypto Industry” to advance legislation that he says is in the public interest.

The stalled legislation, known…

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Robinhood Launches Platinum Card, Family Accounts — HOOD Falls 4% Anyway – Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD)

Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) has unveiled a $695 Platinum credit card, family accounts, and trust accounts at its “Take Flight” event, yet HOOD fell 4% as technical weakness overshadowed product announcements.

The Platinum Card Launch

Robinhood introduced the Platinum Card, an invite-only premium credit card offering up to 5x higher credit limits than the Gold Card. 

The annual fee is $695 with over $3,000 in annual value through benefits across dining, health, wellness, and travel.

Key benefits include 5% cash back on dining, $250 DoorDash discount, complimentary DashPass membership, Amazon One Medical membership, complimentary Function Health and ŌURA memberships, and $200 annual credit…

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