The World Economic Forum (WEF) convenes in Davos annually, taking over the Swiss skiing town. The main promenade is flush with events and companies renting out properties, with an increasing presence from companies in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. The entrance to the WEF compound is restricted by cement barriers and security personnel, drawing an invisible line between the conference and the rest of Davos. Curiously, the last building on the fringe of the conference was branded with familiar logos, that of Polygon and the ever-recognizable Bitcoin (BTC) symbol. Cointelegraph stumbled upon Pietro Poretti while shooting footage of the Bitcoin …

Key figures from the wider cryptocurrency space painted a picture of increased dialogue and collaboration at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology remained but a small part of the projects and initiatives discussed and workshopped at the annual WEF conference high in the Swiss Alps. However, an increased number of sessions focused on the sector suggests that the wider world is looking for synergies between traditional finance and decentralized finance. This theme emerged from a number of interviews conducted by Cointelegraph during January’s conference in Davos. Senior executives from XRP issuer Ripple and USD …

Authorities in the United States might have discovered yet another possible component of Sam Bankman-Fried’s (SBF) cryptocurrency empire. U.S. federal prosecutors have alleged that Bankman-Fried has used money from FTX exchange to invest in the venture capital firm Modulo Capital, according to a report by The New York Times. As previously reported, SBF’s hedge fund and FTX’s sister firm, Alameda Research, invested a total of $400 million in Modulo in 2022, which became one of the largest investments by SBF. The funding has drawn particular attention from regulators due to Modulo — which is a relatively unknown firm — raising …

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), the Dutch central Bank, fined cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase for 3.3 million euros, or around $3.6 million, due to non-compliance with local regulations for financial service providers, according to a Reuters report on Jan 26. The exchange reportedly failed to obtain the necessary registration to offer services in the Netherlands prior to beginning operations in the country. The DNB said it took into consideration the size of Coinbase as a company, and the fact that it has a “significant number of customers in the Netherlands.” The authorities claimed Coinbase was out of compliance during the time period …

United States Senator and crypto skeptic Elizabeth Warren wants the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) to “double down” on its crypto enforcement efforts, highlighting that the cryptocurrency industry is running “scared” for what’s to come next. Warren’s comments came from an interview with American Economic Liberties Projects on Jan. 25. The Senator opined that since Gensler was sworn in as SEC Chairman in April, 2021, the Commission “has made a good start” on fixing some of the problems created by the former SEC leaders under the Trump Administration. Warren claimed that the previous SEC administration “essentially gave the green light” to …

An investigation into FTX’s collapse by an examiner could cost the firm upwards of $100 million without providing any benefit to creditors or equity holders, argues lawyers representing the bankrupt crypto exchange. The arguments were part of a Jan. 25 objection to a motion from the United States Trustee in December, which called for the judge to appoint an independent examiner to ensure any investigations are transparent and their findings made public. This will be fascinating. 4 Senators submitted a letter asking for an Independent Examiner. Will they do more? Several States have entered the FTX case. Will they lend …

A spokesperson for USD Coin (USDC) issuer Circle has denied reports that it blames the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over its failed $9 billion plan to go public in December. The stablecoin issuer representative was responding to a Jan. 25 Financial Times article which characterized Circle as having “blamed” the securities regulator for its “derailed” listing as a result of dragging its feet on the approval of a merger agreement. However, a Circle spokesperson clarified to Cointelegraph that was not the case and that it doesn’t hold any blame over the SEC for the termination of its …

Crypto-versed lawyers will play an increasingly important role in Web3 firms — particularly after the implosion of FTX and the industry braces for regulatory turbulence, two legal academics believe. Boston Law School professor and chief compliance officer at crypto exchange Bitstamp, Thomas Hook, told Cointelegraph that Web3 lawyers will soon become “business differentiators” because they’ll be faced with the tough task of helping firms navigate through legal and regulatory uncertainties. This will ultimately determine how fast firms can take their products and services to market, Hook explained: “Given the lack of clarity in many regulations and the complexity, Web3 companies …

The administration of United States President Joe Biden is continuing to elaborate its National Digital Assets Research and Development Agenda. In a request for information (RFI) dated Jan. 26 and previewed by the Federal Register, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) invites comments to help it identify agenda priorities. Individuals and organizations may submit comments of no more than ten pages in length by March 23. The White House announced the creation of the agenda in September among the large number of next steps after its unveiling of the “first-ever” Comprehensive Framework for Responsible Development of …

Gabriel Makhlouf, the governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, reportedly supports legislation which would ban advertising crypto projects to young people. According to a Jan. 25 report from Bloomberg, Makhlouf said before the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach there was an “uncomfortable” level of crypto advertisements targeting young adults. The central bank governor reportedly referred to many cryptocurrencies as “unbacked” assets and suggested lawmakers “find a way” of banning related ads. Makhlouf cited the implementation of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets, or MiCA, framework as one of the central bank’s milestones for 2023. …

A judge overseeing bankruptcy proceedings for crypto lending firm Celsius Network has denied motions from three users with different claims on assets stuck since July. In orders filed with United States Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York on Jan. 25, Judge Martin Glenn denied a motion from Rebecca Gallagher, a Celsius claimant who argued her interest-bearing 'Earn' assets on the platform were “her property and not property of the bankruptcy estates” under the control of the debtors. The judge denied similar motions from Celsius account holders Mark Benzaken and Kulpreet Khanuja. Motions from the three individuals included …

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) advocate Roger Ver was sued by a unit of crypto lending firm Genesis over unsettled crypto options amounting to $20.8 million. GGC International, a part of the bankrupt crypto lender, made the allegations and filed the suit against Ver in the New York State Supreme court on Jan. 23. The firm claims that the BCH proponent has failed to settle crypto options transactions that expired back on Dec. 30, 2022. Ver was given a total of 20 days to answer the summons. Should the BCH advocate fail to answer within that time frame, he will be obliged …