North Korea Was Responsible for Over $600M in Crypto Thefts Last Year: TRM Labs
North Korea-affiliated actors were behind a third of all crypto hacks in 2023, making off with some $600 million in funds, a new TRM Labs study said.
Regulations
Australian Treasury to Question Regulator Over HyperVerse Crypto Scheme: Report
Australia’s Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones has said he would be asking the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) why it didn’t warn consumers about the HyperVerse crypto scheme like other nations did.
South Korea Regulator Seeks Ban on Crypto Purchases With Credit Cards
The Financial Services Commission cited concerns “about illegal outflow of domestic funds overseas due to card payments on overseas virtual asset exchanges.”
India’s Digital Rupee Crossed a Million Transactions in 1 Day With Some Help From Banks
CoinDesk has viewed a letter dated Dec. 29 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das to staff that said the usage of the e-rupee (CBDC) “exceeded the milestone of 1 million transactions in a day on Dec. 27, 2023.” A separate letter from one of the banks participating in the e-rupee pilot said it had been encouraged it to deposit employee funds and benefits using the CBDC, rather than use the existing fiat currency.
Will 2024 Be the Year of the Bitcoin ETF?
Excitement over a spot bitcoin ETF – a regulated financial product that would give institutional and retail investors easier exposure to bitcoin’s price without requiring them to invest directly in the asset – continues to grow.
Nigeria’s Central Bank Fleshes Out New Rule Allowing Crypto Firms’ Access to Bank Accounts
Nigerian banks are still restricted from holding or trading crypto on their own behalf, despite regulators’ softening stance toward digital assets.
EU Banking Watchdog to Deepen Probe of Links Between Banks, Crypto Entities: FT
The European Banking Authority (EBA) will take additional steps to anticipate how strains in non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), including cryptocurrency-related entities, will affect banks.
India’s Local Crypto and Web3 Advocacy Body Asked for Action Against Offshore Entities: Source
The Bharat Web3 Association’s (BWA) Chairman wrote the letter to the Indian government on Dec. 16.
Indonesian Authorities Crack Down on Bitcoin Miners Stealing Electricity From National Grid
The thieves allegedly tapped into utility poles of a state-owned energy firm to power mining operations.
India to Block URLs of 9 Offshore Exchanges Including Binance After Issuing Compliance ‘Show Cause’ Notices
Binance, KuCoin, Huobi, Kraken, Gate.io, Bittrex, Bitstamp, MEXC Global and Bitfinex are the nine exchanges.