1. HKVAC launches the Global Large Cryptocurrency Index and announces the quarterly adjustment results of the index
HKVAC, the Hong Kong virtual asset rating agency, today launched the HKVAC Global Large Cryptocurrency Index. The index is designed to reflect the performance of widely investable virtual assets in the market. At the same time, HKVAC also announced the quarterly adjustment results of the HKVAC Large Cryptocurrency Index (excluding Bitcoin, Ethereum and stablecoins) as of July 14, 2023. The adjustment changes will take effect at 4:30 pm on July 21, 2023 (Friday). The above-mentioned new index and the quarterly adjustment results of the index will be published on the HKVAC official website today.
2. MultiversX launches on-chain two-factor authentication standard Guardians
According to Cointelegraph, the blockchain protocol MultiversX (formerly Elrond) has implemented a new two-factor authentication standard, Guardians, which is now used as an additional transaction signing measure on the MultiversX blockchain protocol to add extra security to its network. The feature uses Google Authenticator, Authy, Duo, Microsoft Authenticator or biometric technology to provide a second signature before the transaction is processed on the chain. MultiversX CEO Beniamin Mincu said that additional security should not come at the expense of user experience, but should aim to reduce the friction of transaction signing.
3.SignalPlus: BTC pressure level is approaching, and market enthusiasm is gradually cooling down
Ripple, the issuer of XRP, won a rare "regulatory victory" for the cryptocurrency community last night. Judge Analisa Torres of the Federal Court of the Southern District of New York ruled on the lawsuit filed by the SEC since 2020: Ripple tokens (XRP) are not securities. After the announcement of the news, the cryptocurrency community was jubilant. XRP once rose by more than 100% last night. MATIC, ADA, SOL and other cryptocurrencies previously listed as securities by the SEC also saw a large increase in a short period of time. At the same time, Ripple's strong rise also boosted Ethereum's trading sentiment, allowing it to break through 1900 in a short period of time with a firm momentum, and then climbed to a peak of 2000. Bitcoin also returned to 31,000 in this market and tried to break through the 32,000 resistance level. The price slightly adjusted before the afternoon settlement. As of today's delivery, BTC/ETH closed at 31187.42 (+ 2.66%) and 1996.88 (+ 6.72%) respectively.
4. U.S. House of Representatives asks SEC to investigate controversial Prometheum SPBD license
According to Coindesk, Congressman Ritchie Torres asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to conduct two independent investigations into the "arbitrary and harsh approach to digital assets." Torres wrote to Deborah Jeffrey, the Inspector General of the U.S. SEC, and Gene Dodaro, the eighth U.S. Comptroller General, asking for an investigation into the SEC's granting of a special purpose broker-dealer (SPBD) license to Prometheum under unusual circumstances, and its failure to establish a strict but workable process for the registration of real-world digital asset platforms. Torres believes that the SEC acts like an overzealous "traffic policeman," issuing tickets to drivers at will while keeping speed limits secret. He added that "enforcement supervision is not the way to regulate." Earlier, the Blockchain Association submitted a letter to the Inspector General of the U.S. SEC, requesting an investigation into potential misconduct in approving Prometheum as the first special purpose broker-dealer. And U.S. Republican lawmakers, led by Senator Tommy Tuberville, hope that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will investigate the digital asset company Prometheum.
5. Opside launches the first custom Gas Token zkEVM application chain, which will be first adopted by ReadON
According to Opside official news, the leading content distribution platform ReadON has created its own exclusive zkEVM application chain on the testnet through the Opside ZK-Rollup launchbase and introduced a custom Gas Token. ReadON will launch its application on the testnet at the end of July and officially open it to ordinary users. ReadON's goal is to provide dApps with a content-as-a-service solution, i.e. Content as a Service. Its own zkEVM application chain can increase the scale of data on-chain, the value capture ability of service output, and help users monetize data. This milestone event marks the birth of the world's first zkEVM with a custom Gas Token. At present, existing zkEVMs use ETH as the Gas Token. The implementation function of the custom Gas Token will provide project parties with more possibilities and flexibility. Project parties can choose any ERC20 token as the Gas Token of their sovereign zkEVM. This functional innovation not only further opens the door to the customization of zkEVM, but also enhances the ability of project parties to adjust Gas Token to meet project-specific needs and strategies.
6. Asset management company Monochrome revised its application for the Australian Stock Exchange's spot Bitcoin ETF
According to Cointelegraph, Monochrome Asset Management, an Australia-based cryptocurrency investment company, submitted an updated Bitcoin spot ETF application to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) through its partner Vasco Trustees. According to the company’s announcement on July 14, the ETF — Monochrome Bitcoin ETF (IBTC) will be able to provide Australian retail investors with the opportunity to directly invest in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
7. Aave launches ARFC proposal to deploy V3 on BNB Chain
The Snapshot voting page shows that Marc Zeller, founder of the Aave-Chan Initiative, initiated the ARFC proposal to deploy Aave V3 on BNB Chain, aiming to expand Aave's influence and take advantage of BNB Chain's growing DeFi ecosystem and user base. In addition, suitable assets are selected as collateral, including BNB, WBTC, BETH, WETH, USDC and USDT. The voting deadline is July 16, and the current support rate is 99.99%.
8. The US SEC responded to the Ripple case: Satisfied with part of the court's ruling, but will still review the court's decision
According to a tweet by FOX Business reporter Eleanor Terrett, the U.S. SEC issued a statement on the court's ruling on XRP, saying that it was satisfied with part of the ruling, but would still review the court's decision. Specifically, "We are pleased that the court found that the XRP tokens offered and sold in the form of Ripple's investment contracts violated securities laws in some cases. The court agreed with the SEC's view that the Howey test can be used to analyze whether crypto transactions are securities, and rejected Ripple's self-test of what constitutes an investment contract, instead emphasizing that Howey and subsequent cases have ruled that various tangible and intangible assets can be the subject of investment contracts. In addition, the court rejected Ripple's fair notice argument, pointing out that the Howey test is clear and that claiming ignorance is not a defense for violating securities laws. The SEC will continue to review the decision."
9. Celsius transfers about $64 million in altcoins, including LINK, MATIC, and AAVE
Data from Arkham Intelligence shows that Celsius Network transferred at least $64 million in cryptocurrency from the company's "Fireblocks Custody" wallet to a wallet marked "Celsius Network: OTC" through multiple transactions on Thursday afternoon. The largest transactions included LINK ($19.3 million), MATIC ($14.7 million), AAVE ($7.5 million) and SNX ($6.1 million). Other tokens transferred include UNI, BNB and 1INCH. According to previous news, a New York court approved Celsius to convert its altcoins into Bitcoin and Ethereum starting July 1. In addition, former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky was arrested by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday on seven counts of securities fraud, commodities fraud and wire fraud.
10. Coinbase’s Layer 2 network Base is scheduled to be publicly launched in early August, and its mainnet is now open to developers
According to The Block, the Layer 2 network Base, which is backed by cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, has released its mainnet for developers ahead of its public launch scheduled for early August. The developer mainnet allows applications to be deployed on Base. Some tools for developers are now live on the Base mainnet. According to the team, node providers include Blockdaemon, QuickNode and Blast, Safe Wallet, block browsers Etherscan and Blockscout, and data indexers The Graph and Covalent.
11.SEC informed that it has received Bitwise’s Bitcoin spot ETF application and has officially started the review process
Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart tweeted that the SEC informed that it had received Bitwise's spot Bitcoin ETF application, which means that the review process has officially started. But Seyffart also said that this is only the first step in the process, even if the SEC or Chairman Gensler plans to reject them next month.
12. DeFi protocol Thala will launch Thala V2 in phases in August
Aptos Ecosystem DeFi protocol Thala will launch Thala V2 in phases in August. The first phase includes the launch of the MOD PSM module, CDP incentives, and Flashloans. Among them, the MOD PSM module enables users to make 1:1 exchanges between MOD and whitelisted stablecoins. The second phase involves changes to the Thala voting custody model and the reshaping of token economics. The third phase will launch the DAO governance platform Parliament. In addition, the protocol's Launchpad product will support batch auctions while supporting liquidity bootstrap pools (LBP). Finally, Thala plans to release a new vault product for physical assets (RWA) at the end of July. In addition to the core functions, Thala V2 will also launch multiple updates, such as UI/UX upgrades, gas optimization, etc.
13.TUSD: The final stage of international transition will begin, and Techteryx will fully manage all offshore businesses and services related to TUSD
Stablecoin TrueUSD (TUSD) said that starting July 13, 2023, the final phase of TUSD's international transition will begin, and Techteryx will fully manage all offshore businesses and services related to TUSD, including minting and redemption, customer introduction and compliance, and legal reserves and supervision of all banking and trust relationships. During the transition period, the Archblock team will continue to support existing US users, and Techteryx will provide necessary assistance. It is reported that in December 2020, Archblock transferred the business ownership of TrueUSD to the Asian consortium Techteryx. Techteryx brings a lot of resources and a large global network to TUSD to support the development of stablecoins and open up new markets. While Techteryx focuses on expanding TUSD use cases in international markets in line with its vision of global expansion, the Archblock team continues to support the operation and compliance of the TUSD business.
14.Beosin: Atlantis Loans protocol on Polygon chain launches malicious proposal again
According to the monitoring of security agency Beosin, the Atlantis Loans protocol on the Polygon chain has once again launched a malicious proposal. Beosin reminds relevant users to remove relevant authorizations as soon as possible to prevent asset losses. Earlier news, the BSC ecological protocol Atlantis Loans was attacked by governance. The attacker gained control of the contract and replaced it with a contract containing backdoor functions to transfer user assets, causing the protocol to lose $2.5 million. The attacker created a malicious governance proposal in the GovernorBravo contract on June 7, 2023.