As Donald Trump prepares to step into office as U.S. President in January 2025, speculation is rising within the cryptocurrency community over who might lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Crypto lawyer Jake Chervinsky suggests that Mark Uyeda, an SEC commissioner known for his critical stance on current SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s policies, stands a strong chance of taking the position.

Uyeda, appointed as an SEC commissioner in June 2022, has been vocal in opposing the enforc

JPMorgan has launched a major update to its blockchain platform, now called Kinexys, which integrates digital payments with its foreign exchange (FX) services, starting with USD-EUR settlements. This marks an important step for Kinexys in the realm of digital cross-border payments, positioning the platform as a significant player in global blockchain-based financial services.

Announced by Kinexys CEO Umar Farooq at the Singapore Fintech Festival, the rebranded platform will unify all of JPMorga

World, formerly known as Worldcoin (WLD), has introduced a new gas fee subsidy plan that aims to reduce transaction costs for individual users by charging bots and institutional users higher fees. This move is designed to make gas fees more affordable for human users, funded by fees collected from non-human participants, including trading bots and institutional firms.

The announcement comes after World’s rebranding, with a new blockchain called World Chain, which emphasizes its shift from a tok

Scott Bessent, a staunch cryptocurrency advocate, is emerging as the leading candidate for U.S. Treasury Secretary under Donald Trump, potentially paving the way for a pro-crypto shift in U.S. economic policy. As the founder of Key Square Capital Management and a key economic adviser to Trump, Bessent’s positive stance on cryptocurrency is drawing significant attention in financial circles.

Bessent’s enthusiasm for crypto aligns with the values of freedom and capitalism—core principles of the R

After Donald Trump's win in the US presidential election, PolitiFi tokens took a major hit, contrasting sharply with a broader crypto market rise. Election-related tokens, including those linked to Trump, saw a decline in value, shaking investor confidence in PolitiFi assets. In this volatile environment, ConstitutionDAO’s PEOPLE token has shown relative stability, attracting cautious investors as other PolitiFi tokens struggle.

Leading up to the election, PolitiFi tokens experienced a surge, f

With Donald Trump’s win in the US presidential election, there’s growing buzz in the cryptocurrency space about potential policy shifts. Experts suggest that his administration might bring in pro-business policies, which could boost Bitcoin (BTC), DeFi, and ETFs in the American market. Trump’s pro-crypto approach could integrate digital assets with traditional finance, fostering innovation and global acceptance of crypto.

Some analysts envision a Trump-led administration embracing Bitcoin on a

The crypto market surged today, gaining over $200 billion in total market cap, driven by rising optimism surrounding the U.S. elections. This boost brought the total crypto valuation to a multi-month high, with investors eyeing further gains if support levels hold steady. With the election results leaning favorably for Donald Trump, the market saw an influx of buying interest, setting a positive tone across major coins. Traders are now watching for the next resistance level, though some caution

OpenSea is set to unveil "OpenSea 2.0" in December 2024, a major overhaul aimed at reviving its place in the NFT marketplace. Struggling with dwindling trading volumes and stiff competition from platforms like Blur and Magic Eden, OpenSea’s new version is designed to reignite enthusiasm in the NFT community. The platform’s CEO, Devin Finzer, hinted at the upcoming changes, emphasizing that the team has reimagined OpenSea from the ground up, with fresh features and benefits in store.

A teaser vi

Elizabeth Warren has won her third term in the U.S. Senate, defeating crypto advocate John Deaton by a significant margin. Warren, known for her influence in financial regulation, garnered 73% of the vote in Massachusetts, while Deaton, a Republican challenger and prominent attorney supporting XRP and balanced crypto regulation, secured only 26%.

Deaton's campaign was notable for its backing from the crypto community, including endorsements from high-profile figures like Mark Cuban and Ripple C

Cryptocurrency could influence the U.S. presidential election for the first time as more Americans become crypto investors. With anywhere between 7% and 21% of Americans holding digital assets—an estimated 18 to 50 million people—crypto investors are emerging as a powerful voting group. A study shows that 73% of these voters say candidates' stances on crypto will affect their decisions at the polls.

Crypto voters' potential impact is particularly strong in battleground states. For example, Ariz

The US election betting market on Polymarket, valued at over a billion dollars, is under scrutiny as concerns arise over the accuracy of its odds. A prominent Polymarket whale known as "larpas" recently sold off more than $3 million in bets favoring Donald Trump’s victory, an action that reportedly influenced the platform’s odds. This sell-off came shortly after well-known crypto trader Giant-Cassocked Rebirth (GCR) hinted at flaws in the prediction markets’ accuracy, suggesting that the odds ma

Blum, a decentralized exchange (DEX) and trading app on Telegram’s TON network, has announced a new investment from The Open Platform (TOP), a venture builder supporting projects within TON's ecosystem. This partnership brings both funding and technical support, although the exact investment amount was not disclosed.

With backing from TOP, Blum aims to expand its presence and enhance its infrastructure, hoping to appeal to Telegram’s vast user base, which includes nearly 950 million monthly act

Solana-based (SOL) confidential computing startup Arcium has acquired Inpher, a competitor in the Web2 space, exclusively revealed to Lightspeed. This acquisition means Arcium will absorb Inpher’s core team and technology, although the terms remain undisclosed. This move follows recent activity in the crypto M&A space, including Stripe’s acquisition of Bridge, which has sparked hopes of more deals in the industry.

Originally known as Elusiv, Arcium started as a Solana privacy protocol before sh

Michigan’s pension fund has made a bold move by investing in Ethereum (ETH), becoming the first U.S. state pension to add an Ethereum ETF to its portfolio. With a substantial stake in Grayscale’s Ethereum Trust, Michigan’s investment signifies a growing acceptance of digital assets beyond Bitcoin, highlighting Ethereum's potential as more than just a cryptocurrency.

The State of Michigan Retirement System (SMRS) now holds a diversified crypto portfolio that includes hundreds of thousands of sha

Over the weekend, a major controversy emerged around Binance and Coinbase, two of the world’s largest centralized crypto exchanges, as they faced accusations of demanding exorbitant listing fees. Concerns flared after Simon Dedic, CEO of Moonrock Capital, raised questions about these exchanges' listing practices. According to Dedic, a Tier 1 project that had raised nearly nine figures encountered complications while attempting to list on Binance.

After a lengthy due diligence process with Binan

Singapore is taking significant steps to promote tokenization in its financial sector, with new frameworks aimed at encouraging broader adoption. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) recently unveiled plans to advance the use of tokenized assets by financial institutions, specifically focusing on fixed income, foreign exchange (FX), and asset management.

MAS introduced two key frameworks to guide the acceptance and implementation of tokenized assets. These initiatives include building comm

Betting markets reveal a tightening race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, with recent shifts showing Harris gaining traction. While Trump remains the frontrunner, concerns over potential voting irregularities have led some traders to hedge their bets, adding uncertainty to the election outcome. Although Trump’s chances were strong earlier, with odds over 60%, recent data indicates a narrowing gap as Harris gains support, pointing to a closer contest than pr

This week, Bitcoin (BTC) and the crypto markets brace for what could be the most volatile week of the year. With major U.S. economic events on the calendar, from the election showdown to pivotal labor market and interest rate data, crypto investors are preparing for significant price swings that could shape portfolios as 2024 draws to a close. Bitcoin has been trading just under $70,000, with historical trends suggesting potential gains in the fourth quarter, but much depends on the events unfol

With the US election just days away, all eyes are on Bitcoin as market watchers speculate on a potential post-election rally. This election season has brought crypto into the spotlight, with both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump addressing digital assets as a central campaign issue. The election outcome could impact the crypto market, potentially boosting Bitcoin's bullish momentum into November and December.

Historically, Bitcoin’s price on US election day has often set a price floor for future

Coinbase recently revealed that the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has been advising banks to steer clear of crypto-related services. According to Coinbase, it found over 20 letters from the FDIC, dating back to March 2022, cautioning banks against engaging with the crypto industry. The FDIC raised concerns over consumer protection, financial stability, and institutional security in these communications, which crypto advocates see as an attempt to curb the industry’s growth.