Mind The Block: Your Weekly Dose of Web3 News and Insights
Mind The Block Headlines This Week
Table of Contents
- Bitcoin Breaks $42,000 Milestone
- BlackRock Files for Bitcoin ETF
- Crypto.com Gains FCA EMI License
- Wormhole Nets $225M Investment
- Quant Launches Zapier Integration
- Illuvium Partners with Team Liquid
- Dogecoin Gains 11% in 30 Days
- What is Market Manipulation
News
- Bitcoin (BTC) has surpassed $42,000 for the first time since April 2022.
- Envision Blockchain and the HBAR Foundation have partnered with the UN to develop a new digital platform for carbon markets.
- Amazon Managed Blockchain Access now supports Polygon PoS in public preview.
- Optimism’s public goods funding is facing a backlash as voting ends.
- KyberSwap is offering treasury grants to users affected by a security breach that resulted in a $48.8 million loss.
- Tether has blacklisted over 30 addresses that have moved billions in USDT since their first use.
- Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has dismissed the “ETH killer” tag, stating that both Solana and Ethereum can coexist.
- Horizon EON has partnered with Interport Finance to enhance cross-chain trading and security.
- CAGA Crypto is set to launch on major exchanges like MEXC and Bitget.
- HashKey Capital, a leading investment firm, has taken action against impersonation scams.
- DWF Labs has introduced two validator nodes to support the Telegram Open Network (TON) Blockchain
- Osmosis and UX Chain are proposing a merger within the Cosmos ecosystem.
Mind the Block Extras
- Bitcoin has surpassed Berkshire Hathaway and Tesla in the global top ten assets by market capitalization.
- The Cardano Ballot, a non-binding vote on Cardano’s decentralization efforts, will be held on Friday.
- Mantle has introduced the Mantle Liquid Staking Protocol (LSP).
- Brazil’s largest lender, Itau Unibanco, has launched Bitcoin and Ether trading services for clients on its investment platform.
- Swiss crypto bank Seba has rebranded to Amina Bank AG, aiming to expand its trading services worldwide.
- Dukascopy Bank has launched its own P2P cryptocurrency exchange service.
- Valour plans to introduce 20 new cryptocurrency ETPs in 2024, aiming to meet global demand for crypto and blockchain ETPs.
- Chromia, a relational blockchain platform for decentralized applications, has confirmed its mainnet launch for 2024.
- Standard Chartered-backed Zodia Custody has partnered with Ripple-owned Metaco to streamline institutional crypto custody services.
- Coinbase’s “Stand With Crypto” initiative plans to bring 2024 US presidential candidates.
- The Fantom Foundation has launched the Sonic Labs startup accelerator program, aiming to support Web3 founders.
- VeChain and BCG have partnered to create blockchain biospheres to reward users for their efforts towards sustainability and net zero.
- Etherscan team has requested $1 million per year to finance developments related to Ethereum Name Service (ENS).
Major Companies Making Moves
- Binance has successfully piloted the world’s first crypto triparty agreement with a third-party banking partner.
- Crypto mining companies Hut 8 Mining Corp. and US Bitcoin Corp have merged to form a new US-domiciled entity, Hut 8 Corp.
- BlackRock has submitted an updated Bitcoin Spot ETF S-1 filing to the SEC.
- Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has announced plans to build renewable energy facilities in Uruguay and El Salvador.
- OKX is sponsoring India Blockchain Week (IBW) in December.

Government, SEC & Regulation
- Crypto.com has secured a second license from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to operate as an EMI.
- Patrick McHenry has reintroduced his push for House votes on bills to regulate U.S. stablecoin issuers.
- China, Japan, and South Korea are collaborating in advanced technology sectors like big data, blockchain, and AI.
- South Korean financial regulators have opened a window for users to report any unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges.
- Singapore Central Bank (MAS) has issued final guidelines for crypto payment providers.
- Indian Supreme Court case and IRS broker rule could redefine crypto taxation.
- Swiss banks, Cantons of Basel-City, and Zurich have successfully issued digital bonds using real CHF wholesale central bank digital currency.
- The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa may license 36 crypto companies in December.
- The Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations Unit is experiencing an increase in crypto tax cases.
- SoFi is winding down its crypto business due to heightened regulatory scrutiny.
- El Salvador’s national Bitcoin treasury is likely in profit after a Bitcoin surge above $40,000.
Raises & Major Investments rounds
- November saw an unprecedented$1.2 billion in crypto venture capital.
- Wormhole, a cross-chain protocol, has secured a $225-million investment at a $2.5 billion valuation.
- Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund could potentially invest $500 billion in Bitcoin, according to Bitcoin maximalist Max Keiser.
- Igloo has raised $36m in a pre-series C funding round led by French investment firm Eurazeo, bringing its valuation to over $100m.
- Flow48, a UAE-based fintech startup, raised $25M in pre-Series A funding.
- LandX, an agricultural finance protocol, has closed its private investment round, raising over $5 million.
Trends & Narrative
- Nettexx is a business-centric cryptocurrency platform that simplifies financial operations by converting cryptos to USD or EUR.
- Quant has unveiled its revolutionary Zapier integration for streamlined blockchain connectivity.
- Circle has launched two new on-chain solutions to combat crypto theft and illicit operations.
- Particle Network plans to transform into an Intent-Centric Modular Access Layer of Web3 using zero-knowledge tech.
- Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong believes that Bitcoin could prolong the success of Western civilization.
NFTs, Gaming, Metaverse
- Illuvium has partnered with esports platform Team Liquid to launch its Illuvium: Arena game.
- ParaSpace, an NFT lending protocol, will continue its core services despite the rebranding to Parallel Finance.
- OhBaby! Games have announced a partnership with Paramount for its upcoming kart racing game, Oh Baby Kart.
- Square Enix’s Symbiogenesis blockchain game project has released its first batch of Ethereum NFT heroes.
- The Sandbox has partnered with Hungama to launch Hungama World.
- DogeWalk completed its final Genesis NFT mint, minting 2,500 unique pieces in a single day.
- ZBD has partnered with 1047 Games to enable Bitcoin rewards in PC shooter Splitgate.
- Disney Funko Pop NFTs are set to launch on December 12, featuring animated images of beloved characters from Disney shows.
Onchain Data
- Dogecoin (DOGE) has seen an 11% increase in value over the past 30 days, reclaiming its $12 billion market cap threshold.
- Chainlink’s top 200 wallets have accumulated over $50 million worth of LINK tokens.
- Polygon (MATIC) price has struggled to reach new highs since reaching a local high of $0.98 on November 14.

- The Curve DAO Token (CRV) is trading at $0.5973900, with a 0.35% decrease in the last 24 hours.
- Kava Crypto’s price prediction suggests significant growth, with a maximum target of $4.6 by 2028.
Educational Guides and Tips from Mind the Block
- What is market manipulation in cryptocurrency?
- Trezor has launched its educational program in Africa, including funding Bitcoineta and the Africa Bitcoin Conference.
- Smart Money provides a weekly overview of finance, focusing on Forex, Stocks, and Crypto Currencies.
- How to Avoid Paying Taxes On Your Crypto.
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