LATEST: Major Players Control 27% of Bitcoin, Over 4 Million BTC

A recent Glassnode report unveils that key players now control over 4.23 million bitcoin, making up more than 27% of the available supply. This group includes U.S. spot ETFs, government entities, and major exchanges, with ETFs alone holding a significant 862,000 BTC. This consolidation of bitcoin assets demonstrates the deep trust and commitment these institutions have in the cryptocurrency’s potential.

Amidst these developments, the market dynamics remain balanced with stable prices, despite strong inflows into bitcoin ETFs. The introduction of innovative trading strategies and onchain activities like the Runes protocol, which has swiftly overtaken other token systems, illustrates a growing sophistication and adoption in the crypto ecosystem.

Such a vast holding by influential entities not only highlights their bullish outlook but also solidifies bitcoin’s position as a mature asset. As these holders continue to influence market dynamics, their impact paves the way for broader acceptance and potential growth in the cryptocurrency market.

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Peer-To-Peer Bitcoin Trading Protocol Hits Milestone

Civkit, a project attempting to revitalize the global peer-to-peer economy, announced the release of its first alpha version following over a year of dedicated development. The protocol aims to enable peer-to-peer trading in a decentralized manner, eliminating the need for a centralized order book. The design is architected around Nostr and Lightning, with a reputation system at its core.

A team of anonymous developers, led by Nicholas Gregory (Commerceblock, MercuryLayer), has been working behind the scenes to bring this vision to life. “The project is funded by people in the global south. Much of the work has involved understanding their actual needs rather than imposing our…

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Terraform agrees to pay $4.5B in proposed judgment with SEC

The Securities and Exchange Commission asked the court to approve a final consent judgment in its case against Terraform Labs and its former CEO Do Kwon. 

The Wednesday filing says the US securities regulator and Terraform agreed that the former stablecoin issuer pay nearly $4.5 billion. The amount includes roughly $3.5 billion in disgorgement, more than $460 million in prejudgment interest and $420 million as a civil penalty. 

Kwon, the former chief executive, will pay $200 million to the Terraform bankruptcy estate. The company filed for bankruptcy at the beginning of this year ahead of its trial against the SEC. 

“The proposed consent judgment both addresses the magnitude of…

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LATEST: MoonPay and PayPal Offer Crypto Services for UK, EU Clients

MoonPay has expanded its PayPal payment options to the UK and EU, enhancing cryptocurrency accessibility for users across 24 EU countries. This strategic move, following a successful US integration, positions PayPal as a top payment method for purchasing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. MoonPay data indicates a significant preference for PayPal, with a 90% transaction completion rate and a higher conversion among PayPal-first users.

Ivan Soto-Wright, CEO of MoonPay, celebrated the expansion as a milestone, underlining the success of the PayPal partnership in democratizing crypto access. The integration facilitates seamless transactions using PayPal balances, avoiding manual entry of payment details, and catering to a younger, tech-savvy demographic with an average age of 35.

MoonPay continues to strengthen its position in the competitive fintech space, with ambitions to expand its partner network and platform capabilities by mid-2024. This includes broader collaborations and enhanced features, ensuring MoonPay remains at the forefront of the cryptocurrency revolution.

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