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Kraken reaches $30M settlement with SEC over staking as IRS seeks user information

Kraken has agreed to stop offering staking services or programs to United States clients after reaching an agreement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Along with ceasing operations, the crypto exchange will pay $30 million in disgorgement, prejudgment interest and civil penalties. The SEC claims that Kraken failed to register the program as a securities offering. The move has sparked controversy within the SEC. Commissioner Hester Peirce has publicly rebuked her own agency over the shutdown, arguing that regulation by enforcement “is not an efficient or fair way of regulating” an emerging industry.

FTX CEO testifies on ‘pure hell’ post-bankruptcy days at exchange

John Ray, who took over as CEO of crypto exchange FTX, has described in a court hearing some of the chaotic experiences at the firm following the company declaring bankruptcy. According to Ray, there was “not a single list of anything” related to bank accounts, income, insurance or personnel, causing a “massive scramble for information.” As the bankruptcy proceedings continue, the names of two guarantors who signed off on part of Bankman-Fried’s $250 million bail bond will remain withheld for now, after a last-minute appeal. In another headline, a federal judge denied a joint agreement between Bankman-Fried’s legal team and prosecutors that would allow him to use certain messaging apps, including Facebook Messenger.

Will 2023 finally see an explosion of crypto gaming? The signs are mixed, with former play-to-earn darling Axie Infinity falling out of favor and hemorrhaging players, while mainstream gamers report that Web3 games still have playability issues.

The bright spot is that AAA games are finally starting to emerge in Web3, with projects like Illuvium garnering attention. And there’s a ton of runaway, considering that Web3 gaming raised $4.5 billion in 2022. For comparison, metaverse projects raised $1.9 billion.

The thesis is compelling for crypto gaming, but the way forward is unclear. Do tokenomics help immerse gamers in a game, or do they distract from the experience?

“I think the first big win will come from a game with tokenomics that don’t explode and implode in six months, and that also doesn’t feel like a ‘crypto’ game,” Geoff Renaud, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Web2-to-Web3 creative marketing agency Invisible North, tells Magazine.

“StepN showed a ton of promise for easy onboarding and user experience but was marred by bad economics. Once there’s a game model that feels frictionless — where you don’t even know you’re on the blockchain — and that has sustainable incentives for users, there will be a massive follow-on effect. Blockchain gaming needs to have one big win, and I have a feeling that’s more likely to be from a simple mobile game that looks like Candy Crush than a AAA title out of the gates.”

Will 2023 finally see an explosion of crypto gaming? The signs are mixed, with former play-to-earn darling Axie Infinity falling out of favor and hemorrhaging players, while mainstream gamers report that Web3 games still have playability issues.

The bright spot is that AAA games are finally starting to emerge in Web3, with projects like Illuvium garnering attention. And there’s a ton of runaway, considering that Web3 gaming raised $4.5 billion in 2022. For comparison, metaverse projects raised $1.9 billion.

The thesis is compelling for crypto gaming, but the way forward is unclear. Do tokenomics help immerse gamers in a game, or do they distract from the experience?

“I think the first big win will come from a game with tokenomics that don’t explode and implode in six months, and that also doesn’t feel like a ‘crypto’ game,” Geoff Renaud, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Web2-to-Web3 creative marketing agency Invisible North, tells Magazine.

“StepN showed a ton of promise for easy onboarding and user experience but was marred by bad economics. Once there’s a game model that feels frictionless — where you don’t even know you’re on the blockchain — and that has sustainable incentives for users, there will be a massive follow-on effect. Blockchain gaming needs to have one big win, and I have a feeling that’s more likely to be from a simple mobile game that looks like Candy Crush than a AAA title out of the gates.”

Will 2023 finally see an explosion of crypto gaming? The signs are mixed, with former play-to-earn darling Axie Infinity falling out of favor and hemorrhaging players, while mainstream gamers report that Web3 games still have playability issues.

The bright spot is that AAA games are finally starting to emerge in Web3, with projects like Illuvium garnering attention. And there’s a ton of runaway, considering that Web3 gaming raised $4.5 billion in 2022. For comparison, metaverse projects raised $1.9 billion.

The thesis is compelling for crypto gaming, but the way forward is unclear. Do tokenomics help immerse gamers in a game, or do they distract from the experience?

“I think the first big win will come from a game with tokenomics that don’t explode and implode in six months, and that also doesn’t feel like a ‘crypto’ game,” Geoff Renaud, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Web2-to-Web3 creative marketing agency Invisible North, tells Magazine.

“StepN showed a ton of promise for easy onboarding and user experience but was marred by bad economics. Once there’s a game model that feels frictionless — where you don’t even know you’re on the blockchain — and that has sustainable incentives for users, there will be a massive follow-on effect. Blockchain gaming needs to have one big win, and I have a feeling that’s more likely to be from a simple mobile game that looks like Candy Crush than a AAA title out of the gates.”