Mind The Block | December Week 2

Mind The Block: Your Weekly Dose of Web3 News and Insights

Mind The Block Headlines This Week

• Amazon advised to adopt Bitcoin treasury
• Binance relaunches Web3 wallet for access
• US Treasury report highlights Bitcoin’s growth
• Klickl raises $25M for Web3 platform
• HTX DAO proposes new farming strategies
• Immutable, RavenQuest launch ‘Perpetual Rewards’
• Toncoin volume spikes amid Bitcoin sell-off
• How do you make money with cryptocurrency?

News

• The National Center for Public Policy Research suggests that Amazon should consider a Bitcoin corporate treasury strategy.
• Ave.ai and XPIN Network have partnered to enhance the Web3 trading experience.
• Nansen, a leading blockchain analytics platform, has partnered with high-performance Layer-1 blockchain Gravity to enhance Web3 data insights.
• Movement Network has launched its mainnet beta and a token generation event for its native token.
• Gala Film has launched the revolutionary $FILM token, a native rewards token aiming to empower filmmakers, fans, and contributors.
• Web3 professionals have been targeted by a malware campaign using fake meeting apps to steal sensitive credentials and crypto assets.
• EOSI Finance is the world’s first AI-powered decentralized proprietary trading platform.
• Nuvei Corporation has launched a blockchain-based payment solution for Latin American merchants, partnering with Rain, BitGo, and Visa.
• Blockchain technology sets crypto apart, making it the most secure database ever created.
• Uquid and ARPA Network are partnering for a secure Web3 Shopping Day.
• PLEXUS and Owlto Finance have partnered to offer seamless cross-chain token swaps, enhancing cost efficiency and speed.

Extras By Mind The Block

• Linear Finance has launched a multi-chain perpetual decentralized exchange, offering advanced tools and leverage trading.
• Fuse and Liqwith have partnered to streamline asset tokenization for businesses.
• Dynamite Blockchain Corp. The ticker symbol will change to “KAS” on the Canadian Securities Exchange, effective December 6, 2024.
• iYield offers a secure platform for tracking cryptocurrency, DeFi, and traditional finances, providing investors a free and secure solution.
• AirDAO has partnered with Lunar Strategy, an incubator and accelerator, to boost its growth.
• Al Maktoum Tourism LLC and Onyx Arches Ltd have announced a strategic partnership to revolutionize the tourism payment landscape.
• Ice Open Network (ION) is revolutionizing blockchain technology by making decentralized app development accessible to everyone.

Major Companies Making Moves

• Binance has relaunched its Web3 wallet, the Binance Wallet, focusing on seamless crypto access.
• Ripple is set to launch its US dollar-pegged stablecoin, Ripple USD, by the end of the year.
• BitMEX has launched STLS token trading, allowing users to win up to $20,000 through trading, depositing, and buying activities until December 31, 2024.
• Crypto.com has acquired Orion Principals Limited, a brokerage company licensed by the Abu Dhabi Global Market.
• Coinbase International has listed its 100th perpetual futures contract.

Government, SEC & Regulation

• The US Treasury’s Fiscal Year 2024 Q4 Report highlights Bitcoin’s primary function as a “store of value ” and the rapid growth in digital assets.
• David Bailey has revealed that four nations have agreed to establish strategic Bitcoin reserve initiatives, hinting at the future organization of a Bitcoin G7.
• Due to new EU stablecoin regulations, Coinbase has announced the end of USDC rewards for European users.
• The UK National Crime Agency disrupted Russian money laundering operations involving cryptocurrencies.
• Dubai regulators have granted BitOasis a full VASP license two years after acquiring CoinDCX.
• El Salvador is negotiating a $1.3 billion IMF loan agreement, which could change its Bitcoin legal tender law.
• India’s GST authorities have reported a $99.1 million tax evasion case involving 17 cryptocurrency exchanges.
• Russian crypto exchange CEO Dmitriv Vasiliev, arrested in Poland for fraud and money laundering, will be extradited to the U.S.
• The blockchain and crypto sector is leading the decline of fintech in Australia, accounting for 14% of the 60 companies that closed in 2024.
• Argentina is allowing foreign crypto ETF investments in its stock market under the CNV’s libertarian policies.
• Iran’s finance minister, Abdolnaser Hemmati, has announced plans to regulate cryptocurrencies instead of imposing restrictions.

Raises & Major Investments rounds

• Crypto VC funding saw Public secure a $135 million Series D investment, a significant increase from last week’s $90 million.
• MENA’s regulated Web3 open finance platform Klickl raised $25M in a Series A funding round led by Web3Port Labs and Aptos Labs.

• Bitcoin-only investment platform Relai raised $12M in a Series A funding round led by Ego Death Capital, with Plan B Bitcoin Fund participation.
• Enterprise-level fund management platform Interlace raised $10M in a Series B funding round led by BitRock Capital.

Trends & Narrative

• HTX DAO proposes “Multiple Farming” and “Liquidity Burning” to enhance user engagement and optimize the exchange ecosystem.
• Tokenization of real-world assets, such as real estate and government securities, promises to change investment and trade.
• Elena Sinelnikova suggests that layer-2 scaling solutions adopt decentralized sequencers to enhance anti-fragility and censorship resistance.
• GIGATECH, a division of the GIGATONS Group, aims to accelerate the measurement and reduction of carbon emissions by leveraging web3 innovations.
• Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has called for a major overhaul of crypto wallets, emphasizing the need for robust security and privacy features.

NFTs, Gaming, Metaverse

• Immutable (IMX) and RavenQuest have announced the launch of ‘Perpetual Rewards‘ for web3 gamers.
• Cult, a meme coin created by Milady NFT creators, launched with a fully diluted valuation of over $600 million on its first day.
• Ambire, an open-source self-custodial wallet, has launched its first onchain game, Ambire Legends.
• Telegram-based tap-to-earn crypto games are losing users despite a thriving market. Players cite repetitive gameplay and reduced airdrop rewards as reasons.
• Cross-chain interactions can unify fragmented metaverse ecosystems by facilitating communication and interoperability between blockchain networks.
• Pudgy Penguins surpasses Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) in market cap, reaching $772.5M with a 22.1 ETH floor.

Onchain Data

• Toncoin (TON) experienced a 29% increase in volume during a sell-off in Bitcoin’s price, causing a 4% drop in 24 hours to $6.52.
• Chainlink price surges amid bullish trends and strong development activity, with analysts predicting further gains.
• Kaspa’s breakout from a broadening wedge pattern suggests significant price growth in 2025.
• Uniswap price surges 40%, nearing ATH, amid bullish market trends.
• Monero (XMR) rose 2% to $201.75, becoming the top-performing altcoin among the top 100 cryptocurrencies in the last 24 hours.

Educational Guides and Tips from Mind the Block

• Non-custodial, cross-platform, and fiat-ready crypto wallet for all your needs: A closer look at Now wallet.
• Big banks vs. Bitcoin: The battle for financial freedom.
• How do you make money with cryptocurrency?
• The next 100X crypto investment? New projects are preparing for potential explosive gains.

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