According to Odaily, South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago has stated that South Africa is unlikely to follow the United States in accumulating Bitcoin. He questioned the merits of such a decision, emphasizing that South Africa's focus is on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and the practical applications of blockchain technology, rather than using Bitcoin as a store of value.

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Donald Trump’s presidency is only a few minutes old, and already several lawsuits have been filed against him. The lawsuits are about a new advisory group, DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), which has raised concerns due to its questionable structure and lack of proper government oversight. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the nonprofit organization Public Citizen initiated a lawsuit shortly after the inauguration ceremony.

The main issue is that DOGE doesn’t follow the rules set by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which requires advisory committees to be transparent, fair, and involve relevant stakeholders. However, DOGE is made up mostly of tech figures like Elon Musk and others from Silicon Valley, with no federal employees or experts from relevant fields, violating the law.

“The advice and guidance that Mr Trump has charged DOGE with producing is sweeping and consequential. DOGE -the members of which currently do not represent the interests of everyday Americans — will be recommending cuts to government agencies and programs that protect health, benefits, consumer finance, and product safety,” AFGE said.

Vivek Ramaswamy Steps Down

Along with the AFGE, several other watchdog and advocacy organizations filed lawsuits on Monday against the creation of DOGE. Trump had appointed billionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to co-lead DOGE with Musk, but Ramaswamy reportedly decided to step down from the role to run for governor in Ohio.

“It was my honour to help support the creation of DOGE. I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government. I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again,” Ramaswamy wrote on X.

Binance has officially integrated First Digital USD (FDUSD) on the Solana blockchain, further expanding its ecosystem of supported networks. Users can now deposit and withdraw FDUSD seamlessly on the Solana network.To make the integration even more attractive, Binance has announced a zero-fee promotion for FDUSD deposits and withdrawals on Solana. This limited-time offer is valid from January 16, 2025, 00:00 (UTC) to April 16, 2025, 23:59 (UTC), providing users with cost-free transactions during the promotional period.To get started, users can find their assigned token deposit addresses on the Binance platform. For more technical details, the FDUSD smart contract address on the Solana network is also available for reference.

According to Odaily, outgoing U.S. SEC Chair Gary Gensler has cautioned the next administration to maintain protections for small traders. In a recent interview, Gensler warned that reducing disclosure requirements or broadening the definition of 'accredited investors' could harm public interests. Critics argue that while these rules protect retail traders from private investment risks, they also hinder growth. 'Project 2025,' an initiative aimed at providing policy guidance for the incoming Trump administration, suggests expanding or removing these investor restrictions.

Gensler emphasized that excessive changes could undermine a crucial part of the capital markets, highlighting the importance of comprehensive disclosure for investor confidence and market stability. He stated that investors should be able to decide on risks based on full, fair, and truthful information from issuers. Disclosure is central to SEC regulations and helps investors assess risks, though private companies, including startups, are largely exempt.

Currently, individuals meeting certain professional or income thresholds, such as a net worth exceeding $1 million excluding their primary residence, may qualify as accredited investors. When this definition was introduced in the 1980s, it covered about 1% of the U.S. population. By 2022, the SEC estimated that over 18% of U.S. households would qualify.

Key lawmakers, including House Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill, advocate for expanding this definition. Hill proposed a 2023 bill allowing individuals who demonstrate understanding of the subject to invest in private markets. Supporters of updating the definition argue that it poses significant barriers to wealth accumulation for Black, Latino, and other minority communities.

In December, President-elect Trump announced former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins would lead the agency. During his tenure and private sector work, Atkins has spoken against unnecessary corporate disclosures, citing their impact on investment opportunities.

According to Odaily, Ann Altman, the sister of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has filed a lawsuit accusing her brother of sexual abuse from 1997 to 2006. The case was lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, alleging that the abuse occurred at their home in Clayton, Missouri, beginning when Ann was 3 years old and Sam was 12. The lawsuit claims the abuse happened several times a week. As a result of the alleged incidents, Ann Altman reportedly suffers from severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression, which are expected to persist. Although Ann has previously made public accusations against her brother on platforms like X, this marks her first legal action against him. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and damages exceeding $75,000. In a joint statement with their mother and brother on X, Sam Altman has denied the allegations.

According to Odaily, Elon Musk recently addressed payment-related topics on the X platform during an X stream session. Musk stated that there are no immediate plans to use cryptocurrencies for payments, citing the need for licenses. He emphasized that the current focus is on improving the use of fiat currencies.

According to BlockBeats, Frank Richard Ahlgren III, the first American convicted of tax crimes related to cryptocurrency trading, has been sentenced to two years in prison. Ahlgren is also required to surrender the keys to access his cryptocurrency assets.

Court documents reveal that Ahlgren was accused of concealing at least 1,287 bitcoins through a mixing service, which are currently valued at over $124 million. He previously pleaded guilty to underreporting capital gains taxes on $3.7 million worth of bitcoin transactions and was ordered to pay $1 million in tax loss compensation to the U.S. government.

Judge Robert Pitman of the federal court in Austin, Texas, has mandated that Ahlgren hand over the keys and devices storing these digital assets and disclose all cryptocurrency accounts. Ahlgren is prohibited from transferring, selling, or depleting any property without court approval, except for normal living expenses. His attorney, Dennis Kainen, stated that Ahlgren will comply with the court's orders.

According to Cointelegraph, a Canadian volunteer moderator of a cryptocurrency forum has reportedly gone into hiding with his family following an alleged kidnapping attempt. The incident involved kidnappers who purportedly tried to abduct him to forcefully obtain his Bitcoin holdings. The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, recounted to Canadian French language news outlet La Presse that he witnessed the assailants preparing for a violent attack before he and his children managed to escape.

The victim described the attackers as having equipment intended for torture, including a tarpaulin with a hole and hoses designed to sever a limb and stop the bleeding. This incident is part of a growing trend of robberies, kidnappings, and muggings linked to cryptocurrencies over the past year. The victim and his children have been moving between Airbnb locations to conceal their whereabouts, with police concluding that the motive was to steal funds from his crypto wallet. The perpetrators allegedly believed he possessed 2.5 million Bitcoin based on his posts on a Facebook page he moderated, although he claims to have only $10,000.

The victim initially reported the threat to police on November 4 after two masked men threatened him outside his home, but they fled when he managed to close the door. On November 8, he noticed a suspicious car without a license plate near his home and was followed while driving. During a call to the police, he had a gun pointed at him after pulling over. Four individuals were arrested, with two appearing in the Victoriaville courthouse last November, accused of conspiring to kidnap and possessing prohibited firearms. They were released pending a trial scheduled for March but remain under house arrest.

The victim expressed dissatisfaction with the Court of Quebec's decision to release the suspects on bail, as he has been forced to deplete his savings to evade his alleged kidnappers. Bitcoin cypherpunk Jameson Lopp has documented at least 181 incidents involving crypto-related robberies, kidnappings, and murders since December 2014, including several recent cases during the holiday season. These incidents highlight the risks associated with flaunting wealth on social media and engaging in peer-to-peer trades with untrusted individuals. Lopp advises maintaining a low profile to reduce the likelihood of being targeted by criminals.

According to Odaily, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently shared on X that the company is experiencing unexpected losses from its Pro subscription service. Altman noted that the frequency of usage by subscribers has significantly exceeded their initial expectations, leading to the current financial situation.

According to Odaily, Michael Saylor has reiterated his intention to destroy the keys to his Bitcoin holdings after his death. He described this action as a proportional contribution to everyone in the world who owns Bitcoin.