SEC moves ahead with Ripple appeal in Gensler’s final days 

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The SEC has moved forward with an appeal in its case against Ripple. 

The securities regulator is seeking to reverse a 2023 ruling that determined retail sales of Ripple’s XRP token were not unregistered securities offerings. Federal Judge Analisa Torres said that blind/programmatic sales of XRP, which occur on exchanges, were not in violation of US securities laws. 

“The district court erred both factually and legally in concluding that defendants’ offers and sales of XRP to public buyers who purchased on crypto asset trading platforms,” the SEC wrote in its opening brief,…

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State bitcoin reserve plans proliferate

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Amid ongoing speculation about an American strategic bitcoin reserve, several US states are looking to take matters into their own hands. 

“It’s time for Texas to lead the way in establishing a strategic bitcoin reserve,” Texas senator Charles Schwertner wrote in a Wednesday X post. 

The GOP lawmaker’s proposal calls bitcoin a valuable digital asset “with strategic potential for enhancing this state’s financial resilience.” Its decentralized nature and finite supply are “unique qualities that can serve as a hedge against inflation and economic volatility.”

The…

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LATEST: Coinbase Introduces New Bitcoin-Backed Loan Service for US Clients

Coinbase has teamed up with decentralized finance protocol Morpho to revolutionize cryptocurrency lending, launching a new service that enables users to secure up to $100,000 in USDC loans instantly, without selling their Bitcoin. This initiative not only marks Coinbase’s re-entry into the Bitcoin lending arena but also leverages Morpho’s substantial $3.7 billion in total value locked, enhancing financial accessibility for crypto holders.

The process is streamlined for user convenience: Bitcoin deposited as collateral is transformed into Coinbase-wrapped Bitcoin (cbBTC) and then transferred to Morpho, which disburses USDC loans directly to users’ accounts in under a minute. With no fees for conversion and a minimum collateral ratio of 133%, the service offers flexibility and quick access to funds, maintaining a competitive edge with real-time interest rates adjusted by Morpho.

Expanding across the United States, except for New York, Coinbase has plans for wider service availability and the inclusion of additional cryptocurrencies. This strategic move underscores Coinbase’s commitment to expanding financial options for cryptocurrency users, promoting a more integrated and user-friendly approach to digital asset management.

What Bitcoin Price History Predicts for February 2025

As the Bitcoin market steps into 2025, investors are keenly analyzing seasonal trends and historical data to predict what February might hold. With Bitcoin’s cyclical nature often tied to its halving events, historical insights provide a valuable roadmap for navigating future performance. By examining historical data—including Bitcoin’s average monthly returns and its post-halving February performance—we aim to provide a clear picture of what February 2025 might look like.

Historical average monthly performance of Bitcoin. Monthly data set is from December 2010 to latest monthly close. Source: Bitcoin… Read more on BitcoinMagazine

Risky business? Transparency in BTC-backed derivatives

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The rise of “Bitcoin DeFi” on new networks looking to scale Bitcoin has primarily come through bitcoin-backed derivatives like SolvBTC.BBN and LBTC. These derivatives receive staking rewards from Babylon, offering new avenues for liquidity and yield generation. However, concerns about the transparency of these platforms, particularly regarding the management of bitcoin reserves, have sparked debate within the Bitcoin community.

A recent article by the co-founder of Nubit, known online as Hans, raised alarms about the potential for unbacked reserves and the inflation of total value locked…

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Coinbase's Bitcoin Loans Are Not What They Seem

Earlier today, Coinbase announced the launch of “Bitcoin-Backed Loans” using Base, its native blockchain. But there’s one problem. (Actually, two.)

These loans are not backed by Bitcoin, nor are they even on the Bitcoin blockchain.

It’s disappointing that, in 2025, companies are still willingly omitting key details to mislead Bitcoin holders into giving up custody of their coins.

Here’s the truth: these loans are collateralized by cbBTC, Coinbase’s Bitcoin-wrapped product designed to compete with wBTC and tBTC. This is not Bitcoin. In fact, cbBTC is arguably the…

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What to look for in DePIN projects: Tribe Capital VC

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If I were to boil it down, I’d say there are three key reasons why Tribe Capital’s Evan Park is bullish on DePIN. The use cases, sustainability, and — of course — the revenue potential.

Tribe’s backed a few DePINs including Wynd Networks (the company behind Grass), flight tracking project Wingbits and Akash. 

When looking at DePIN projects, Park’s biggest question is whether or not the project is “solving a problem where real demand can be generated.”

Specifically, when Park is being pitched, he’s skeptical when a project shows him revenue figures that aren’t necessarily…

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Solana validators slow to adopt Frankendancer for MEV reasons

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The full version of Firedancer — a very-performant re-write of Solana’s validator software authored by Jump Crypto — may still be a ways away. But in the meantime, Solana validators still can use a limited version of the client named Frankendancer. 

Frankendancer was spawned by Jump taking the Agave client, which is descended from the original Solana Labs software, and replacing parts of it piecemeal to create a new client akin to Frankenstein’s monster. Frankendancer went to Solana mainnet in September during Solana’s Breakpoint conference — but since then, it’s seen limited…

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