Welcome to your daily crypto news digest. Here's what's making waves in the blockchain world today.
The U.S. government's substantial Bitcoin holdings and its decision to avoid selling them could have significant implications for the cryptocurrency market. This shift towards treating Bitcoin as a strategic asset suggests a growing recognition of its value and potential role in national finance.
Mark Botnick, the crisis manager for Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), has reportedly resigned after the former FTX CEO participated in an unexpected prison interview with Tucker Carlson.
During the interview, Bankman-Fried stated that he does not view himself as a criminal and expressed his disagreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The interview has sparked widespread discussions and raised eyebrows, particularly given the ongoing legal proceedings against the disgraced crypto executive.
This development adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing FTX saga, which has already rattled the cryptocurrency industry and led to significant regulatory scrutiny.
Further updates on the case and its implications for the crypto sector are expected as the legal process unfolds.
Creation of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve: The reserve will consist of Bitcoin forfeited in criminal or civil cases. These assets will be held as a reserve asset and will not be sold by the government.
Exploration of Budget-Neutral Acquisitions: The U.S. Treasury and Department of Commerce have been authorized to explore budget-neutral ways to acquire Bitcoin.
U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile: Other forfeited digital assets, apart from Bitcoin, will also be held in this stockpile. However, the government has clarified that it will not purchase additional assets for this stockpile.
Mandatory Full Accounting: Government agencies are required to provide a comprehensive accounting of their digital asset holdings to the Treasury Department.
As part of the executive order, a full audit has been mandated to assess the estimated 200,000 BTC currently under the control of the U.S. government.
The move signals an important step in the U.S.'s approach to managing forfeited digital assets, potentially paving the way for more structured crypto policies in the future.
Telegram has introduced a new paid messaging feature, enabling users to charge fees for receiving messages. This update is aimed at supporting bloggers and content creators by providing a monetization option for direct interactions with fans.
Privacy → Messages in the Telegram app.This development is expected to provide additional income streams for content creators but also raises questions about how it might impact user experience and spam levels on the platform.
In addition to the paid messaging feature, Telegram has also made changes to how phone number information is displayed in chats:
- Telegram no longer hides the country of a user's phone number, even if the number itself is set to private.
- While no official explanation has been provided, it is speculated that this change is aimed at combating spam and fake accounts.
- However, it remains unclear whether users will have the ability to disable this feature, sparking privacy concerns among those who prioritize anonymity.
Telegram's latest updates highlight a push for monetization and anti-spam measures, but they come with potential trade-offs in user privacy that may ignite debates within the community.
Nasdaq has announced plans to offer 24-hour trading from Monday through Friday, marking a significant shift in traditional trading hours. The exchange aims to roll out round-the-clock trading in the second half of 2026, contingent on securing regulatory approval.
This development follows similar initiatives by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and other major exchanges, as the financial industry increasingly adapts to the demands of a global, always-online market. The move is expected to enhance market accessibility for traders across different time zones, potentially increasing liquidity and trading volumes.
The exact timeline and additional details about the implementation will depend on forthcoming regulatory reviews and approvals.
Stay tuned for updates as this story develops.
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