The Daily: Justin Sun pleads innocence after WLFI blacklisting, dormant Ethereum ICO whale moves $646M in ETH, and more

The article discusses U.S. payrolls, Justin Sun's token situation, Ethereum whale activity, South Korea's crypto lending regulations, Sora Ventures' fund, and Wildcat Labs' capital raising.

• BNB CHAIN

BNB Chain will prioritize memecoin transactions as gas fees surge 400%

BNB Chain optimizes BSC network to prioritize time-sensitive memecoin transactions amid rising gas fees, boosting network performance and user transactions during high traffic.

• COINBASE

Coinbase partners with Aston Martin's Formula One team, taking on F1 partner Crypto.com

Aston Martin's AMR25 race car features a partnership with Coinbase, making it the official crypto partner, enhancing fan engagement and competing with Crypto.com in Formula One.

• BITCOIN
• INVESTMENT FIRMS
• TRADFI BANKS

Standard Chartered sees bitcoin rebounding this weekend, bucking recent trend

Standard Chartered's Geoffrey Kendrick forecasts a potential recovery for Bitcoin this weekend, predicting targets of $100,000 and $102,500 amid favorable market conditions.

• BITCOIN
• PROTOCOLS

Bitcoin network activity hits 12-month lows as transactions drop 55% from peak

Bitcoin's 7-day transaction average is down to 330,000, reflecting a 55% drop from peak activity, impacting protocol engagement and shifting trading focus to other blockchain networks.

• 2024 ELECTIONS
• COINBASE
• LAWSUITS
• SEC

SEC requests 28-day extension to respond to Coinbase's appeal following formation of 'crypto task force'

The legal feud between the SEC and Coinbase centers on whether digital assets should be classified as securities or are outside the agency’s remit. In a Feb. 14 court filing, the SEC requested more time since the newly created crypto task force will impact its response as well as the underlying crypto classification issue at hand.

• INVESTMENT FIRMS

State Street to launch digital asset custody business in 2026 amid shifting regulatory landscape: The Information

State Street plans to launch digital asset custody services in 2024, responding to regulatory changes and expanding its involvement in crypto alongside traditional financial services.

• ETHEREUM ETF

NYSE asks SEC to allow staking for Grayscale's Ethereum ETFs

NYSE Arca has filed to permit staking for Grayscale’s Ethereum ETFs, according to a Friday filing. Acting Chair of the SEC, Mark  Uyeda, has appointed Commissioner Hester Pierce to lead an agency task force that has been meeting with crypto industry participants seeking clarity on this issue.

• BITCOIN ETF
• ETHEREUM ETF
• GOLDMAN SACHS
• HEDGE FUNDS
• INVESTMENT FIRMS
• SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUNDS

Bitcoin ETFs maintain market lead as Ethereum ETFs see surge in institutional adoption, 13F filings show

Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs saw increased institutional investment in Q4 2024, with notable holdings by major funds like Goldman Sachs and BlackRock, signaling growing institutional interest.

• BITCOIN
• BITCOIN ETF
• BLACKROCK
• DOGECOIN
• DOGECOIN ETF
• DONALD TRUMP
• ETHEREUM
• ETHEREUM ETF
• MEMECOINS
• SOLANA
• SOLANA ETF
• TETHER
• XRP
• XRP ETF

The Daily: Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund discloses $437M BlackRock Bitcoin ETF buy, Trump memecoin surges 50% and more

Abu Dhabi's sovereign fund invests $437 million in Bitcoin ETF; Trump's memecoin surges, SEC weighs Grayscale ETF proposals, and Tether acquires stake in Juventus.