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BlackRock revises BTC ETF filing, El Salvador’s crypto citizenship trending, and more: Hodler’s Digest, Dec. 10-16

BlackRock has revised its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application to make it easier for Wall Street banks to participate by creating new shares in the fund with cash rather than just crypto. The new in-kind redemption “prepay” model will allow banking giants such as JPMorgan or Goldman Sachs to act as authorized participants for the fund, letting them circumvent restrictions that prevent them from holding Bitcoin or crypto directly on their balance sheets.

El Salvador’s National Bitcoin Office says its $1 million Freedom Visa program has already received hundreds of inquiries since its launch on Dec. 7 and expects it to sell out before the end of 2023. Launched by the local government in partnership with stablecoin issuer Tether, the Freedom Visa is a citizenship-by-donation program that grants a residency visa and pathway to citizenship for 1,000 people willing to make a $1 million Bitcoin or Tether donation to the country. The program is limited to 1,000 slots per calendar year.

The lawyer responsible for Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial defense has admitted that the case was “almost impossible” to win from the outset. During an interview, Stanford Law School professor David Mills said he recommended the legal defense of SBF admit to the allegations of witnesses and state prosecution and convince the jury that Bankman-Fried intended to save the company. Mills also disclosed that he had agreed to lend his expertise to Bankman-Fried’s defense at the behest of the FTX CEO’s parents, and described Bankman-Fried “as the worst person I’ve ever seen do a cross-examination.”

Yearn.finance is hoping arbitrage traders will return $1.4 million in funds after a multisignature scripting error resulted in a large amount of the protocol’s treasury being drained. The error occurred while Yearn was converting its yVault LP-yCurve — earned from performance fees on vault harvests — into stablecoins on the decentralized exchange CoW Swap. Yearn suffered significant slippage when it received 779,958 DAI yVault tokens from the trade, resulting in a 63% drop in the liquidity pool value.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has delayed its decision on whether to approve or reject a spot Ether ETF proposed by Invesco and Galaxy Digital. The companies filed the spot ETH ETF application in September. The proposed spot crypto investment vehicle is one of many being considered by the commission, which, to date, has never approved an ETF with direct exposure to Ether, Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.


BlackRock revises BTC ETF filing, El Salvador’s crypto citizenship trending, and more: Hodler’s Digest, Dec. 10-16

BlackRock updates its Bitcoin ETF application to enable banks, demand for El Salvador’s crypto-linked citizenship, and Sam Bankman-Fried’s attorney interview.

BlackRock revises BTC ETF filing, El Salvador’s crypto citizenship trending, and more: Hodler’s Digest, Dec. 10-16

BlackRock updates its Bitcoin ETF application to enable banks, demand for El Salvador’s crypto-linked citizenship, and Sam Bankman-Fried’s attorney interview.

BlackRock revises BTC ETF filing, El Salvador’s crypto citizenship trending, and more: Hodler’s Digest, Dec. 10-16

BlackRock has revised its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application to make it easier for Wall Street banks to participate by creating new shares in the fund with cash rather than just crypto. The new in-kind redemption “prepay” model will allow banking giants such as JPMorgan or Goldman Sachs to act as authorized participants for the fund, letting them circumvent restrictions that prevent them from holding Bitcoin or crypto directly on their balance sheets.

El Salvador’s National Bitcoin Office says its $1 million Freedom Visa program has already received hundreds of inquiries since its launch on Dec. 7 and expects it to sell out before the end of 2023. Launched by the local government in partnership with stablecoin issuer Tether, the Freedom Visa is a citizenship-by-donation program that grants a residency visa and pathway to citizenship for 1,000 people willing to make a $1 million Bitcoin or Tether donation to the country. The program is limited to 1,000 slots per calendar year.

The lawyer responsible for Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial defense has admitted that the case was “almost impossible” to win from the outset. During an interview, Stanford Law School professor David Mills said he recommended the legal defense of SBF admit to the allegations of witnesses and state prosecution and convince the jury that Bankman-Fried intended to save the company. Mills also disclosed that he had agreed to lend his expertise to Bankman-Fried’s defense at the behest of the FTX CEO’s parents, and described Bankman-Fried “as the worst person I’ve ever seen do a cross-examination.”

Yearn.finance is hoping arbitrage traders will return $1.4 million in funds after a multisignature scripting error resulted in a large amount of the protocol’s treasury being drained. The error occurred while Yearn was converting its yVault LP-yCurve — earned from performance fees on vault harvests — into stablecoins on the decentralized exchange CoW Swap. Yearn suffered significant slippage when it received 779,958 DAI yVault tokens from the trade, resulting in a 63% drop in the liquidity pool value.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has delayed its decision on whether to approve or reject a spot Ether ETF proposed by Invesco and Galaxy Digital. The companies filed the spot ETH ETF application in September. The proposed spot crypto investment vehicle is one of many being considered by the commission, which, to date, has never approved an ETF with direct exposure to Ether, Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.


BlackRock revises BTC ETF filing, El Salvador’s crypto citizenship trending, and more: Hodler’s Digest, Dec. 10-16

BlackRock has revised its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application to make it easier for Wall Street banks to participate by creating new shares in the fund with cash rather than just crypto. The new in-kind redemption “prepay” model will allow banking giants such as JPMorgan or Goldman Sachs to act as authorized participants for the fund, letting them circumvent restrictions that prevent them from holding Bitcoin or crypto directly on their balance sheets.

El Salvador’s National Bitcoin Office says its $1 million Freedom Visa program has already received hundreds of inquiries since its launch on Dec. 7 and expects it to sell out before the end of 2023. Launched by the local government in partnership with stablecoin issuer Tether, the Freedom Visa is a citizenship-by-donation program that grants a residency visa and pathway to citizenship for 1,000 people willing to make a $1 million Bitcoin or Tether donation to the country. The program is limited to 1,000 slots per calendar year.

The lawyer responsible for Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial defense has admitted that the case was “almost impossible” to win from the outset. During an interview, Stanford Law School professor David Mills said he recommended the legal defense of SBF admit to the allegations of witnesses and state prosecution and convince the jury that Bankman-Fried intended to save the company. Mills also disclosed that he had agreed to lend his expertise to Bankman-Fried’s defense at the behest of the FTX CEO’s parents, and described Bankman-Fried “as the worst person I’ve ever seen do a cross-examination.”

Yearn.finance is hoping arbitrage traders will return $1.4 million in funds after a multisignature scripting error resulted in a large amount of the protocol’s treasury being drained. The error occurred while Yearn was converting its yVault LP-yCurve — earned from performance fees on vault harvests — into stablecoins on the decentralized exchange CoW Swap. Yearn suffered significant slippage when it received 779,958 DAI yVault tokens from the trade, resulting in a 63% drop in the liquidity pool value.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has delayed its decision on whether to approve or reject a spot Ether ETF proposed by Invesco and Galaxy Digital. The companies filed the spot ETH ETF application in September. The proposed spot crypto investment vehicle is one of many being considered by the commission, which, to date, has never approved an ETF with direct exposure to Ether, Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.


Tether responds to US lawmakers’ calls for DOJ action

Tether has reacted to lawmakers' requests for DOJ action over its stablecoin use, claiming it wants to be a "world class partner to the U.S."

Vesting in crypto, explained

What is crypto vesting?

The process of locking down cryptocurrency tokens or coins for a predetermined amount of time before allowing the tokenholder to fully access or transfer them is known as crypto vesting.

It is commonly used in initial coin offerings (ICOs), token sales and other cryptocurrency-related fundraising activities. Crypto vesting aims to incentivize long-term dedication and deter early investors or team members from hastily selling their tokens for a profit and then leaving the business. Individuals or entities that get tokens gradually gain access to them over time, usually at predetermined intervals, by imposing a vesting period.

While vesting schedules are subject to change, they usually consist of a waiting period (known as the cliff) followed by regular periods of release. Tokens may, for instance, have a one-year cliff and then be made available in equal monthly payments after that.

Vesting is frequently applied to:

Team and advisers: To ensure the team members’ and advisers’ continued dedication to the project, tokens given to project developers may be subject to vesting.Investors: Early investors in an ICO or token sale may also be subject to vesting periods to deter short-term speculation.Founders: To match their interests with the project’s long-term performance, a project’s founders or core team members may have their tokens vested.

Smart contracts on the blockchain are usually used to implement vesting, ensuring that the regulations are clear and automatically applied. This mechanism helps build trust among the community and investors, as it shows a commitment from key stakeholders to the project’s success in the long term.

SEC accused of ‘gaslighting’ in Coinbase rulemaking dispute

Pro-XRP lawyer John Deaton said that the SEC’s stance in the Coinbase rulemaking dispute directly opposes the SEC chair’s statements during his congressional testimony earlier in 2023.

SEC accused of ‘gaslighting’ in Coinbase rulemaking dispute

Pro-XRP lawyer John Deaton said that the SEC’s stance in the Coinbase rulemaking dispute directly opposes the SEC chair’s statements during his congressional testimony earlier in 2023.

Ripple’s Legal Chief predicts crypto landscape shifts in 2024

Stuart Alderoty predicts the possible resolution of Ripple’s SEC lawsuit in 2024 and lawmakers on Capitol Hill agreeing on the need for crypto regulations.

Ripple’s Legal Chief predicts crypto landscape shifts in 2024

Stuart Alderoty predicts the possible resolution of Ripple’s SEC lawsuit in 2024 and lawmakers on Capitol Hill agreeing on the need for crypto regulations.

Grayscale mulls over potential tax implications for spot Bitcoin ETFs

The asset management firm declares that the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) falls under the grantor trust structure for tax considerations.

Taiwan officials launch inquiry into crypto betting on election results: Report

Several Taiwanese residents were reportedly using the decentralized betting platform Polymarket, the same platform that saw record-breaking trading volumes during the 2020 United States election.

Kazakhstan central bank reviews digital tenge pilot successes, next steps

The digital tenge has been used for everything from free school lunches to tokenizing gold, and there’s more to come.

Ledger vulnerability put entire DApp ecosystem at risk: Finance Redefined

The Ledger connector vulnerability put the entire DeFi ecosystem at risk, with market experts asking users to remain cautious of using DApps even after Ledger released a patch.

Ledger vulnerability put entire DApp ecosystem at risk: Finance Redefined

The Ledger connector vulnerability put the entire DeFi ecosystem at risk, with market experts asking users to remain cautious of using DApps even after Ledger released a patch.

Price analysis 12/15: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, ADA, DOGE, AVAX, DOT, MATIC

Bitcoin’s (BTC) rally has been taking a breather for the past few days but its strong rally in 2023 has not gone unnoticed. A survey of United States financial services companies by crypto firm Paxos showed that 99% of the firms were putting as much or more focus on crypto projects this year as compared to previous years.

Analysts are increasingly bullish on Bitcoin and the crypto space in 2024. Bitwise senior research analyst Ryan Rasmussen made ten predictions for the crypto industry in 2024 in an X (formerly Twitter) post on Dec. 13. He believes Bitcoin will soar to $80,000 in 2024 and “more money will settle using stablecoins than using Visa.”

Daily cryptocurrency market performance. Source: Coin360

Along with crypto-specific issues, expectations of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in 2024 are adding to the bullish sentiment. Arthur Hayes, the former CEO of crypto exchange BitMEX, reiterated his bullish view on crypto in an X post on Dec. 14. He said that the fiat was “a filthy piece of trash” and there was no reason not to be long crypto.

What are the vital support levels that could arrest the fall in Bitcoin and altcoins? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.

Bitcoin price analysis

Bitcoin has been stuck between the downtrend line and the 20-day exponential moving average ($41,221) for the past few days. This tightening of the price action suggests that a range breakout is possible in the short term.

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Price analysis 12/15: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, ADA, DOGE, AVAX, DOT, MATIC

Bitcoin and select altcoins are witnessing profit-booking on rallies, increasing the likelihood of a short-term pullback.

Price analysis 12/15: BTC, ETH, BNB, XRP, SOL, ADA, DOGE, AVAX, DOT, MATIC

Bitcoin and select altcoins are witnessing profit-booking on rallies, increasing the likelihood of a short-term pullback.

SEC officials meet again with spot Bitcoin ETF filers

Meetings between asset managers and the SEC intensified over the previous weeks, with Gary Gensler’s team meeting with BlackRock and Hashdex representatives.

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