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US senators target cryptocurrency use in child abuse trade

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bill Cassidy are asking federal agencies about their technical capacity to combat crypto payments in the sale of child abuse material.

A crackdown on individuals buying and selling child sexual abuse material (CSAM) using cryptocurrencies is underway in the United States.

U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bill Cassidy want to ensure that federal agencies are fully equipped to track down crypto transactions linked to the sale of child abuse content.

In this effort to bring an end to CSAM, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were asked to reveal their current technical capacity.

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Vitalik Buterin announces leadership changes for Ethereum Foundation

Anti-crypto SEC commissioner’s term is up in 41 days — Will she be replaced?

Caroline Crenshaw may continue to serve at the SEC for an additional 18 months after her term ends in June if the White House doesn't nominate a replacement.

Caroline Crenshaw, one of five commissioners of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), could be leaving the financial regulator after roughly four years.

As of April 25, President Joe Biden’s administration will have 41 days to decide whether to nominate someone to replace Crenshaw before her term ends on June 5. The commissioner was nominated by former President Donald Trump in 2020 to fill a seat left vacant by former SEC commissioner Rob Jackson but may continue to serve until the end of 2025 if no replacement is found.

During her time at the SEC, Crenshaw, a Democrat, was one of the seemingly anti-crypto voices. In January, she voted against approval of listing and trading for spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds, claiming the underlying markets were “marred by fraud and manipulation.”

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Vitalik Buterin announces leadership changes for Ethereum Foundation

House committee ranking member says a stablecoin bill could be coming soon

House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters said a stablecoin bill “in the short run” was coming amid negotiations with Republican lawmakers and the Senate.

Representative Maxine Waters, ranking member of the United States House Financial Services Committee, has suggested that lawmakers are making progress on passing stablecoin legislation.

In an April 24 interview with Bloomberg, Representative Waters said she had been working “very well together” with committee chair Patrick McHenry in legislation on stablecoins and clawbacks for banks and talking to lawmakers in the U.S. Senate. According to the ranking members, only a “few more tweaks” were necessary for the stablecoin bill to move forward in the House.

“It’s been very complicated,” said Representative Waters. “We have so many entities that are involved [...] everybody has had something to say. We’ve had to recognize all of those concerns. In doing that, in the final analysis, it’s about making sure that investors and that the people are protected and that we don’t have a stablecoin bill where [...] companies don’t have the assets that they say that they have.”

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Vitalik Buterin announces leadership changes for Ethereum Foundation

Turkey tops the world in stablecoin buying share vs. GDP

Stablecoin purchases in Turkey amount to 4.3% of GDP, the highest among global economies, according to Chainalysis.

The United States may lead the world in stablecoin transaction volumes, but its share of stablecoin purchases relative to its gross domestic product (GDP) has been eclipsed by Turkey.

According to “The 2024 Crypto Spring Report,” released on April 25 by the blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis, Turkey has the highest share of stablecoin purchases relative to its GDP.

Based on Chainalysis’ data, stablecoin buying in Turkey accounted for 4.3% of its GDP between April 2023 and March 2024, making it the world’s biggest spender of stablecoins relative to its GDP.

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Vitalik Buterin announces leadership changes for Ethereum Foundation

Australia joins 1,000+ Bitcoin ATM club alongside US, Canada

The United States hosted its first 1,000 crypto ATMs in November 2017, while Canada achieved the same in January 2021.

Australia, the third-largest hub for Bitcoin (BTC) and crypto ATMs, recorded a new milestone with 1,000 active crypto-fiat machines now in operation. 

As of April 24, Australia hosts an active network of 1,002 Bitcoin ATMs, making it the third country after the United States and Canada to achieve this feat. The nation represents 2.7% of the global Bitcoin ATM network.

According to Coin ATM Radar data, the U.S. hosted its first 1,000 crypto ATMs in November 2017, while Canada reached the same in January 2021.

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Vitalik Buterin announces leadership changes for Ethereum Foundation

Binance founder should be jailed for 36 months, US prosecutors say

Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao is expected to be sentenced on April 30 after pleading guilty to money laundering in November 2023.

As the United States authorities are preparing to give a sentence to Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao on April 30, prosecutors have requested jail time for the former CEO. 

Binance founder Zhao should serve 36 months in prison after pleading guilty to violating laws against money laundering, U.S. prosecutors said in a court filing on April 23.

“Given the magnitude of Zhao’s willful violation of U.S. law and its consequences, an above-guideline sentence of 36 months is warranted,” the prosecutors wrote in the filing to the U.S. district court for the Western District of Washington.

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Vitalik Buterin announces leadership changes for Ethereum Foundation

SEC seeks $5.3B judgment against Terraform Labs and Do Kwon

After a jury found Terraform Labs and Do Kwon liable for fraud in its case with the SEC, the commission filed a motion requesting $5.3 billion in disgorgement and civil penalties.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a motion requesting billions of dollars in disgorgement and civil penalties against Terraform Labs and its co-founder Do Kwon following a verdict in its civil case.

In an April 19 filing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the SEC requested Kwon and Terraform pay roughly $4.7 billion in disgorgement and prejudgment interest after the civil case ruling, as well as a combined $520 million in civil penalties — $420 million from Terraform and $100 million from Kwon. The commission, Terraform and Kwon filed their briefs for potential remedies in the civil case simultaneously, with the crypto firm suggesting a maximum civil penalty of $3.5 million and Kwon proposing only $800,000.

In addition to the monetary judgment, the SEC proposed barring Kwon from serving as an officer or director of a securities issuer and providing complete details of his accounts and assets. If approved, Terraform would also have a “conduct-based injunction” imposed on the firm to prevent “engaging in essentially the same behavior that led to the massive fraud.” The proposed remedies and civil judgment have yet to be ruled on by a judge. 

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Vitalik Buterin announces leadership changes for Ethereum Foundation

Crypto users fooled by fake Elizabeth Warren letter proposing crypto tax

The fake letter addressed to U.S. President Joe Biden suggested a 1% wealth tax on crypto holdings exceeding $500,000.

Many social media users appeared to be fooled by an anti-crypto policy proposed by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. The problem is the letter containing the proposal was fake.

On April 21, many on Crypto Twitter erupted in dismay at a seemingly real letter from Senator Warren to United States President Joe Biden. The letter — which misspelled the senator’s first name — proposed a 1% wealth tax on crypto holdings exceeding $500,000.

The letter called for President Biden to support crypto-related legislation from Senator Warren as part of efforts to address issues in the U.S. financial system. Even after many on social media pointed out discrepancies between the letter and reality, some crypto users seemed to refuse to acknowledge the truth.

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Vitalik Buterin announces leadership changes for Ethereum Foundation

Lummis-Gillibrand bill will ban algorithmic stablecoins: Law Decoded

Advocacy group Coin Center has expressed concerns about the Lummis-Gillibrand bill, claiming it would be “bad policy” and potentially unconstitutional.

United States Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Cynthia Lummis have introduced legislation establishing a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.

The legislation aims to prohibit “unbacked, algorithmic stablecoins”— likely a nod to TerraUSD (UST) depegging from the U.S. dollar in 2022 — and requires issuers to maintain one-to-one reserves.

It will also “create federal and state regulatory regimes for stablecoin issuers that preserves the dual banking system.”

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Vitalik Buterin announces leadership changes for Ethereum Foundation

USA to forge AI partnership with Nigeria for economic growth

The partnership aims to strengthen economic ties and ensure that AI deployment is safe, secure, transparent, and trustworthy.

The United States of America (U.S.A) and Nigeria are poised to engage in discussions on the digital economy, emerging technology, and the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) to explore potential partnership opportunities.

During the closing ceremony of a four-day Workshop on National Artificial Intelligence Strategy in Abuja, Mr. Arthur Brown, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy, revealed this information. Brown stated that within two weeks, senior officials from the U.S. government would convene in Abuja for a conference organized by the U.S.-Nigeria Bi-National Commission.

Providing further details on the upcoming meeting, the deputy chief of mission said the United States aims to capitalize on the momentum generated by a four-day workshop by organizing an AI conference in Lagos.

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Vitalik Buterin announces leadership changes for Ethereum Foundation