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HTX REDEEMS 7,300 UNDISCLOSED WBTC - HTX has recently redeemed an astonishing 7,300 Wrapped Bitcoin $WBTC in two separate transactions—5,182 WBTC on November 24 and another 2,166 WBTC on December 1. - The redemptions occurred despite the platform showing no WBTC trading activity, leaving analysts puzzled about the source and motivation behind these transactions. - Neither the redeemed WBTC nor the Bitcoin addresses receiving the funds are reflected in HTX’s proof-of-reserves. This revelation is particularly troubling as the amount redeemed represents nearly one-third of all Bitcoin claimed in HTX’s reserves, raising doubts about the exchange’s transparency and the integrity of its reserves data. - While typical WBTC redemptions often take up to two weeks, HTX’s redemptions were completed in a mere five hours. This unusually swift turnaround has led to speculation about special treatment or undisclosed arrangements. - The scrutiny compounds HTX founder Justin Sun’s ongoing legal troubles, including an SEC lawsuit accusing him of wash trading, price manipulation, and securities violations. [images generated by BSCN using AI]

COINBASE ONRAMPS CRYPTO ADOPTION WITH APPLE PAY INTEGRATION  - Coinbase has integrated Apple Pay into its fiat-to-crypto platform, Coinbase Onramp, simplifying crypto purchases for millions of users. - The platform eliminates friction in onboarding self-custody wallets by offering one-click buy options and reducing traditional hurdles like lengthy KYC processes and multi-app navigation. - Coinbase Onramp, previously known as Coinbase Pay, powers major wallets like Metamask, Rainbow, Phantom, and Coinbase Wallet, while supporting 60+ fiat currencies and enabling direct bank, debit card, and USDC transactions. - With 60 million Apple Pay users in the U.S., this integration is a major step toward mainstream crypto adoption. Following the news, Coinbase stock (COIN) rose over 4%, signaling market enthusiasm.

SUNPUMP LAUNCHES LIVESTREAM FEATURE DAYS AFTER PUMPFUN HALTS SIMILAR SERVICE AS CAITLYN JENNER URGES TRON FOUNDER TO PREVENT ANOTHER SCANDAL - Not so long ago, PumpFun ended its Livestream feature amid dangerous and extreme content on the platform. This, however, hasn't stopped SunPump from launching the same feature for its platform's users. - The protocol, which offers features similar to those of PumpFun on Solana, unveiled its Livestream feature on the TRON ecosystem on December 2. - Now, users can use the feature to showcase their meme projects and engage with their communities in real time. PumpFun 2.0 Fears Arise: - In response to Justin Sun's tweet about the new feature, former Olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner urged the crypto entrepreneur to take strict measures to prevent what happened to PumpFun. - "Please don't let this devolve into what pump fun live streams did," she posted on X. While Sun responded positively to Caitlyn's comment, some users fear it might be a bearish signal for $TRX. - Will PumpFun live-streamers be onboarded to TRON following the launch of this new feature? Only time will tell. - For now, though, the question is if SunPump can learn from the PumpFun scandal and ensure that the feature does not threaten the TRON ecosystem and the broader crypto space. - Meanwhile, SunPump stated that inappropriate content will be strictly banned, ensuring a favorable trading environment for users. "With a strict moderation team, any inappropriate content will be promptly banned, ensuring a secure and enjoyable space for all." [Images obtained from X and AI]

21X PARTNERS WITH CHAINLINK IN PREPARATION FOR THE LAUNCH OF ITS EU-REGULATED FINANCIAL MARKET INFRASTRUCTURE - Decentralized oracle network and blockchain abstraction layer Chainlink Labs has announced its partnership with European DLT Exchange 21X to help accelerate its development in the financial market. Leveraging the Chainlink Standard: - 21X aims to launch an EU-regulated financial market infrastructure that will provide order matching, trading, settlement, and registry services for tokenized money and securities. - Through the strategic partnership, 21X's on-chain trading, matching, and settlement system will leverage the Chainlink standard to enrich tokenized assets with high-quality data while facilitating cross-chain interoperability. - 21X, in collaboration with Chainlink, will implement on-chain secondary market price feeds for bid and ask prices; - This initiative represents a significant advancement as it will support the first EU-regulated distributed ledger technology (DLT) trading and settlement system, which is set to be launched under the oversight of BaFin, Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority. - Furthermore, 21X intends to make Chainlink's Cross-chain interoperability Protocol (CCIP) an integral part of its ecosystem, allowing users to access assets and stablecoins issued on numerous blockchain protocols. - “By leveraging the Chainlink standard, 21X will ensure its matching and settlement system is underpinned by highly accurate and reliable market data, while CCIP will enable users to access a wide variety of assets from across the digital asset economy,” Chainlink Labs' Global head of Banking and Capital Markets said. Images: Chainlink and 21X X accounts

MICROSTRATEGY ACQUIRES ADDITIONAL 15,400 BTC, SURPASSING 400,000 BTC HOLDINGS - Business intelligence firm and corporate Bitcoin holder MicroStrategy purchased an additional 15,400 BTC between November 25 and December 1 for an average price of $95,967 per bitcoin. - The new purchase, worth approximately $1.5B, was unveiled in an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday. Key Highlights: - The latest acquisition follows the company's sale of 5,597,849 shares during the same period of BTC purchase for the same amount. - According to the filing, Microstrategy stated that approximately $11.3B worth of shares remained available for sale. This is part of the $21B equity offering and $21B in fixed-income securities planned for sale to raise more capital to purchase the flagship asset. - MicroStrategy now holds 402,100 BTC, or $38B. CEO Michael Saylor said the company purchased its holdings at an average price of $58,262 per Bitcoin. - The company has been stacking Bitcoin every week. Last Monday, it acquired $5.4B worth of BTC at an estimated price of $97,862 and $4.6B worth of BTC the week before. - As of December 1, the company's Bitcoin yield since the start of the year is 63.3%, representing a significant growth in holdings. This massive surge also prompted the CEO to advise Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and its board of directors to adopt Bitcoin as a treasury asset. [Image generated by BSCN using AI]

WISDOMTREE'S XRP ETF FILING: A MAJOR STEP FOR XRP? - Asset management firm, WisdomTree has officially filed an S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a spot XRP Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF). Key Highlights: - If approved, the ETF, registered in Delaware, would allow institutional investors to gain exposure to Ripple's $XRP through a traditional investment vehicle without owning it outright. - Institutional demand could also lead to more positive price movement for the asset after a significant rally in the past 24 hours. - The recent move comes after regulatory developments and a potential SEC leadership shift. Further, increasing institutional interest in Crypto has driven the demand for regulated investment products. - The SEC will review WisdomTree's filing and determine whether to approve or reject the proposed ETF. - The crypto market, particularly the XRP community, is bullish about the move as it will represent a significant step for the asset and the broader crypto market. - Notably, XRP has made a strong rally recently, surpassing the market caps of BNB and SOL, including USDT. However, after the price correction, the asset fell to fourth place, following a brief stint in third place regarding the most significant assets by market cap. Images obtained from X

METAPLANET ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH SBI VC TRADE TO LAUNCH BITCOIN BENEFIT PROGRAM FOR SHAREHOLDERS - Japanese public-listed company Metaplanet Inc. | 株式会社メタプラネット has announced details of its partnership with sbivc_official to launch its shareholder benefits program. - In partnership with SBI VC Trade Co., Ltd., the firm aims to reward shareholders with ¥30M worth of $BTC. - Metaplanet's stock rose by over 6% following the revelation. Key Details: - The company will distribute the amount above to its 2350 shareholders. Here's the breakdown; - 50 winners will receive ¥100,000 worth of BTC each. - 100 winners will receive ¥30,000 worth of BTC each, - 2,200 winners will win ¥10,00 worth of BTC each. - While the reward campaign focuses on rewarding all shareholders based on the distribution, Metaplanet still put out some eligibility criteria; - Each shareholder must hold at least 100 shares of Metaplanet stock as of December 31, 2024. - Eligible participants must open a new account with its partners, SBI VC Trade, between November 18, 2024, and March 31, 2025. - Shareholders must complete registration by March 31, 2025, using the details provided by Metaplanet in early February. - Minors and non-residents are ineligible to participate. - Metaplanet announced that Bitcoin reward distribution to eligible users will occur by late April 2025. The reward will be based on SVC Trade's Bitcoin purchase price as of 11:59 PM on April 15, 2025. Providing Value to Shareholders: - The campaign, first announced in 2018, was created to add value to shareholders through $BTC-based rewards. - Further, it indicates the firm's commitment to fostering crypto adoption, particularly after its recent fundraising activity for Bitcoin purchases. Images: Metaplanet and SBI VC Trade X accounts

JAPANESE EXCHANGE DMM BITCOIN TO CLOSE AFTER $320M PRIVATE KEY HACK: REPORT - DMM Bitcoin, a major Japanese cryptocurrency exchange, is preparing to shut down after a significant $320 million loss due to a hack in May 2024, according to Nikkei Asia. - The breach compromised over 4,500 Bitcoin, leading to a severe blow that the company couldn’t recover from. Key Details: - The hack, which occurred on May 30, is now considered Japan’s second-largest crypto hack after Coincheck's $530 million loss in 2018. - DMM Bitcoin will transfer customer accounts and assets to SBI VC Trade, a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, by March 2025. - Additionally, open positions in leveraged trading are excluded from the transfer, and all such positions must be settled before the transfer occurs. - Following the hack, DMM Bitcoin restricted services, including crypto withdrawals, and continued to struggle with securing lost funds. - Japan’s Financial Services Agency issued a business improvement order, citing poor management and weak security practices, such as centralized control of private keys. - Per reports, the stolen funds were partially laundered, with blockchain investigator ZachXBT linking the laundering process to North Korea’s Lazarus Group. Funds were funneled through mixers and exchanges like Huione Guarantee. [Images generated by BSCN using AI]

NFT DAILY TRADING VOLUME SOARS TO SECOND HIGHEST FOR 2024: DETAILS… - On December 1, NFT trading volume across EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) chains hit $42.1 million, per Dune data, marking the second-highest single-day trading volume of 2024. - This surge came close to the record set on March 4, when the volume reached $53.3 million. Key NFT Market Data: - Blur led the charge with $25.1 million in daily trading volume. - OpenSea followed with $10.93 million, contributing significantly to the total surge. - NFT sales saw a 28% increase in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to $40.4 million, the highest sales figure in over seven months, last recorded in late April. Notable NFT Collection Performances: - BoredApeYC saw a 75% increase in the last 7 days, with a notable 15% rise in 24-hour volume, reaching $3.2 million. - Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) experienced an impressive 94% growth, reflecting the ongoing demand for high-profile collections. - pudgypenguins also saw a 29% increase in volume, contributing to the overall positive momentum. - cryptopunksnfts, despite a 4% dip in its 24-hour trading volume, remained a leader with $5.6 million in daily sales. Chain Breakdown: - Ethereum continues to dominate the NFT space with $26.4 million in daily sales. - Bitcoin recorded $6.3 million in NFT trading volume, showing growing interest in Bitcoin-based NFTs. - Solana contributed $2.5 million, maintaining its strong position as a secondary player in the market. - Cardano made headlines with the most expensive NFT sale of the day. The 8-bit Zombie #0388 NFT was sold for an impressive $388,000. - Last week, NFT sales volume on EVM chains hit a total of $146.5 million, signaling a major rebound in the sector. [Image generated by BSCN using AI] Right Image: Dune Analytics

BINANCE ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR MONKY AIRDROP TO FLOKI AND APE HOLDERS - Binance confirmed its support for the $MONKY airdrop, for holders of $FLOKI and $APE. Key Details: Snapshot Dates and Times: - The snapshot for APE holders will be taken on Nov. 29, 2024, at 00:00 UTC, while snapshot for FLOKI holders will be taken on December 15, 2024, at 00:00 UTC - For every 1 FLOKI, holders will receive 0.35 MONKY and 804,828 MONKY for every 1 APE. - Only wallets holding at least 1 FLOKI or 1 APE are eligible for the airdrop. The snapshot will consider balances in Spot Wallets, Funding Wallets, Margin Wallets, Simple Earn Flexible Accounts, Flexible Loan, and VIP Loan Accounts. - Other than Binance, OKX, KuCoin, Uphold, and Gate have also confirmed support. FLOKI Token Airdrop Breakdown: A total of 35% of the total MONKY supply will be allocated to the Floki ecosystem. Of this: - 27% will be airdropped to FLOKI holders on-chain and on supported centralized exchanges (CEXs). - 4% will be airdropped to users of Floki Trading Bot. - 4% will be airdropped to $TOKEN holders on-chain. MONKY Token Airdrop to APE Holders: Wise Monkey is allocating 10% of the total MONKY supply for APE holders. This includes: - 8% for APE holders on-chain and on supported CEXs. - 1% for Ape Accelerator supporters. - 1% for ApeFest attendees. Important Notes: - The MONKY token is launching exclusively on the BNB chain on December 12, but FLOKI and APE holders on both ETH and BNB chains will receive the airdrop. - The official Wise Monkey ($MONKY) token contract will be shared on Medium and social platforms 48 hours before launch. Images: Binance, Wise Monkey, Floki and Apecoin X accounts