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Solana upgrades will strengthen network but squeeze validators — VanEck
Solana’s planned protocol upgrades are important for the network’s long-term health but could deal a blow to validators’ earnings, according to asset manager VanEck.
In March, Solana’s validators will vote on two proposed upgrades — known as Solana Improvement Documents (SIMDs) — to the blockchain protocol designed to ensure rewards for stakers and adjust the inflation rate for the network’s native SOL
SOL.
Both proposals have generated “significant controversy” because they stand to slash validator revenues by as much as 95%, potentially imperiling smaller operators, VanEck digital asset research head Matthew Sigel said in a March 4 X post.
“While these changes may reduce staking rewards, we believe lowering inflation is a worthy goal that strengthens Solana’s long-term sustainability,” Sigel said. Read More
El Salvador’s Bukele says Bitcoin buys will continue amid IMF pressure
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said his government won’t stop buying Bitcoin, despite a new request from the International Monetary Fund to stop.
The IMF issued a new request on March 3 for an extended arrangement under its $1.4 billion fund facility to El Salvador, which called on the country’s public sector to stop voluntarily accumulating Bitcoin.
“No, it’s not stopping,” Bukele said in a March 4 X post, confirming El Salvador wouldn’t comply with the IMF’s request.
“If it didn’t stop when the world ostracized us and most ‘bitcoiners’ abandoned us, it won’t stop now, and it won’t stop in the future,” he added.
El Salvador continued its purchase of at least one Bitcoin per day on March 4 as part of the Central American country’s treasury strategy.
The IMF’s March 3 memorandum also requested El Salvador to stop Bitcoin mining activities and to restrict public sector issuance of debt or tokenized instruments that are denominated or indexed in Bitcoin.
While Bukele made it clear that El Salvador will continue stacking Bitcoin, it isn’t clear whether the country would comply with other requests. Read More
Reddit co-founder trying to buy TikTok and bring it ‘on chain’
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has confirmed he has joined Project Liberty’s bid to acquire TikTok’s US operations, with the aim of bringing the platform onto a blockchain.
Ohanian’s involvement was first reported by Reuters on March 3, with Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt announcing Ohanian would be joining as a strategic adviser specializing in social media.
“I’m officially now one of the people trying to buy TikTok US — and bring it onchain,” Ohanian confirmed in a March 3 X post.
“Users should own their data. Creators should own their audience. Period,” he added.
McCourt founded Project Liberty and has been building a consortium to purchase TikTok’s US operations and “rearchitect the platform to put people in control of their digital identities and data.”
The proposal is centered on using “Frequency,” a decentralized social network protocol that gives users ownership of their personal data and uses Polkadot’s infrastructure.
“TikTok has been a game-changer for creators, and its future should be built by them,” Ohanian said on X.
“Frequency will empower these principles to become reality. And with transparency and accountability at the core, this new TikTok won’t just be fairer — it’ll be GREATER.” Read More
SEC Drops Lawsuit Against Kraken With No Penalties, Charges or Admission of Guilt
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is dropping charges once again in another high-profile crypto investigation.
According to Kraken, the second-largest US crypto exchange by volume, the SEC has agreed “in principle” to dismiss its lawsuit against the exchange.
Kraken says the SEC is dropping the lawsuit “with prejudice, with no admission of wrongdoing, no penalties paid and no changes to our business.”
According to Kraken, the SEC’s investigation was politically motivated and meritless.
Said Kraken of the SEC’s investigation last year,
“The SEC is moving in the wrong direction. Its theories in litigation are incoherent. We remain committed to doing what we believe is right for our community of clients and innovators. Our mission – accelerating the adoption of cryptocurrency so that everyone can achieve financial freedom and inclusion – remains central to everything we do.”
The exchange now says it looks forward to regulatory clarity from the new regime. Read More
Bored Ape Creator Yuga Labs Says SEC Closing Investigation in 'Huge Win' for NFT Sector
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has closed its investigation into Yuga Labs, the creator of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT collection, without taking enforcement action, the company said on Monday.
Yuga Labs had been under SEC scrutiny since 2022 over whether its NFT offerings and ApeCoin token distribution violated federal securities laws.
The company welcomed the decision, calling it a "huge win" for the NFT industry. The company also labeled the move as a boon for "all creators pushing our ecosystem forward."
"NFTs are not securities," it said.
Yuga Labs did not immediately respond to Decrypt's request for comment. The SEC has yet to answer questions on the reasoning behind the move. Read More
The Markethive R² Principle Explained. Reach and Returns: Subscriptions vs Qualifications
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Markethive is a hybrid platform comprising social media, inbound marketing, and digital broadcasting within a cryptocurrency ecosystem, with many strings to its bow. Markethive operates on a fundamental principle that can be summarized as "Reach and Returns," represented as R².
This dual focus highlights the platform's commitment to providing both extensive marketing and broadcasting capabilities and effective tools and systems for cultivating a strong customer base. This principle is at the core of Markethive's operations, emphasizing the platform's focus on both reaching a broad audience and delivering significant returns on your investment, time, and qualifications.
"Reach" refers to Markethive's capacity to disseminate your message, products, or services to a broad audience. This is achieved through features and strategies designed to maximize visibility and engagement. For instance, our social media integration allows you to reach potential customers across various platforms, and our targeted advertising tools ensure your message is seen by the right audience. All these are made possible through the Markethive a-la-carte subscriptions.
"Returns," on the other hand, signifies the platform's emphasis on generating tangible results from your efforts. By providing tools to attract, nurture, and convert leads into customers and clients, Markethive aims to deliver a substantial return on your investment of time, skills, and resources through the Markethive KEY qualification.
This dual approach ensures that your marketing efforts are far-reaching and impactful, ultimately leading to significant growth and success for your business. Whether you're looking to expand your brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales, Markethive's R² principle provides a comprehensive framework for achieving your marketing goals and return on investment within the Markethive Ecosystem. Read More
AI Cloud Provider CoreWeave Files for IPO After Breakout Year
The AI infrastructure provider is eyeing a $35 billion valuation after transforming its crypto mining business six years ago.
CoreWeave has filed for what could become one of 2025's most significant tech IPOs.
The New Jersey-based company, which pivoted from crypto mining to AI infrastructure six years ago, officially submitted its S-1 registration filing to the SEC on Monday, naming Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan as lead underwriters.
While reports had previously detailed CoreWeave's $4 billion raise, at a valuation exceeding $35 billion, what stands out is its financial performance.
The numbers point to an explosive growth for the cloud computing company, aligned externally with how demand for AI infrastructure has boomed.
CoreWeave reported $1.9 billion in revenue for fiscal 2024, representing a staggering 737% increase compared to 2023, according to its own financial data cited in the filing. Read More
Popular memecoin bolsters security with AI-powered solution
Memecoin space tightens defenses against scammers with AI-driven security to fend off phishing attempts and protect assets.
Community-driven memecoin project BabyDoge has integrated AI-powered scam detection and brand impersonation tools by Web3 Antivirus, a comprehensive security solution designed to protect crypto users in the growing world of Web3.
For any malicious actor in the Web3 space, there is no place to attack better than the memecoin ecosystem due to its swift hype cycles, enthusiastic communities and constant influx of new investors that can overshadow vital security considerations. The natural result of this landscape has made the memecoin market a prime target for scams, phishing attempts and brand impersonators, raising serious concerns about user protection and trust.
BabyDoge, a popular memecoin with a massive community, was not immune to such interest, either. As it grew in popularity, fraudsters have taken notice, launching malicious campaigns designed to exploit unsuspecting holders.
To battle fake social media accounts and scam websites, BabyDoge has taken a proactive stance by integrating artificial intelligence-powered scam detection and brand impersonation tools built by Web3 Antivirus into its ecosystem. Read More
Grayscale Pursues Sixth Altcoin ETF as Nasdaq Seeks to List Hedera Fund
Crypto asset manager Grayscale Investments is pushing forward with its offerings for altcoins, filing for approval of a new spot Hedera (HBAR) exchange-traded fund (ETF) on Monday.
The Nasdaq Stock Market 19b-4 filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission marks Grayscale’s sixth altcoin-focused ETF.
The SEC, under the leadership of acting chair Mark Uyeda, has already acknowledged and published filings for ETFs linked to altcoins, pointing to a more supportive stance toward altcoin-based investment products under a Trump administration.
“The biggest benefit to having a lot of smaller assets be approved for an ETF would be that it would pave the way for an index ETF,” Katalin Tischhauser, Head of Research at Sygnum Bank, told Decrypt.
A 19b-4 filing is part of a two-step process to propose a crypto ETF to the SEC, and once acknowledged by the agency, the filing will be published in the Federal Register, initiating the SEC's approval process.
Grayscale’s other spot ETF filings include tracking the performance of Polkadot (DOT), XRP, meme coin Dogecoin (DOGE), Cardano (ADA), and Solana (SOL). Read More
Ethereum NFT Protocol Zora Reveals Token Airdrop Plans
Ethereum NFT and tokenization protocol Zora will launch its own token—ZORA—this spring.
The platform, which says it’s “been on a multiyear journey of the best way to bring creativity on-chain through tokenization,” will launch its self-described meme coin on Base, the Ethereum layer-2 network.
“What started as an experiment six years ago has turned into something larger than we could have imagined,” the protocol wrote in a blog post introducing the token. “Thank you to everyone who has realized the vision of Zora with us this far.”
As part of that thanks, the platform is airdropping 10% of its token supply or 1 billion ZORA tokens to its community of creators, collectors, builders and more, based on a March 3 snapshot.
A second snapshot will take place three days before ZORA’s launch, though the date is still outstanding.
In addition to the 1 billion tokens set aside for the airdrop, an additional 20% of the token supply will be reserved for community incentives like hackathons and future grants. The team and strategic contributors are allocated 45% of the supply, subject to a six-month cliff and three-year vesting period. A full tokenomics breakdown can be found on the project’s support page. Read More
SEC's Crypto Task Force Assembles Mix of Agency Veterans, Industry Experts
Though the SEC hasn't detailed initiatives, the Task Force's composition signals focus on blending securities law and crypto frameworks.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has named members of its Crypto Task Force, bringing together a mix of longtime agency officials and specialists with experience in digital assets.
Led by Commissioner Hester Peirce, a vocal advocate for clearer crypto regulations, the task force includes SEC veterans and advisors with backgrounds in law, policy, and blockchain-focused regulation.
The initiative aims to guide the agency’s approach to crypto oversight as the industry faces increased scrutiny.
Peirce said in a statement Monday the task force would work to find "workable solutions" to regulatory challenges, signaling engagement with industry stakeholders.
Richard Gabbert, a longtime SEC staffer and Peirce’s former counsel, will serve as chief of staff, while Michael Selig, previously a partner at law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, has been appointed chief counsel. Read More
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
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