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Less than 1% of Australian crypto transactions were tied to illicit actors, even as the such entities in the country processed $50 billion in one year. Illicit activity accounts for only a small fraction of Australia’s cryptocurrency ecosystem, even as digital asset adoption continues to expand. According to the analysis by TRM Labs, less than 1% of the country’s total on-chain crypto activity between March 2025 and February 2026 was linked to illicit counterparties, which essentially highlights that the vast majority of transactions occur within legitimate financial and commercial use cases. Australia’s Crypto Ecosystem Over the same period, Australian crypto…

New Zealand’s financial regulator has ruled that a local currency-tied stablecoin, NZDD, isn’t a financial product, a move a local law firm says is an important step toward regulatory clarity.The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) said on Wednesday that the new designation for the stablecoin pegged to the New Zealand dollar resulted directly from a financial technology sandbox pilot the regulator is running.“The economic substance of the NZDD stablecoin is that it is not a debt security, as the NZDD stablecoin is not an investment, and no income, interest or other gain is paid to the NZDD stablecoin holder,” the FMA…

The bitcoin BTC$69,536.22 relief rally due to oil losing gains lasted about 36 hours.Bitcoin fell to $69,393 on Thursday morning, down 0.8% over the past 24 hours and 4.3% on the week, after attacks on two oil tankers in Iraqi waters sent Brent crude surging back above $100 a barrel. The move wiped out Wednesday’s optimism around the IEA’s proposed record reserve release and pushed risk sentiment back into retreat across Asian markets.The chart tells the story of a market that can’t catch a break. Bitcoin touched $71,230 late Wednesday evening before the tanker headlines hit, dropping nearly $2,000 in…

A configuration error in a risk-oracle system used by crypto lending platform Aave triggered the liquidation of about $27 million in wrapped staked Ether (wstETH) positions, prompting the protocol to move to compensate affected users.In a post-mortem published Tuesday, Aave said about 10,938 wstETH worth around $27.1 million was liquidated after the protocol applied an exchange rate that was 2.85% below the live market rate for wstETH and Lido staked Ether.The issue stemmed from a mismatch between pricing parameters and timestamp data in the oracle configuration, which caused the system to calculate a maximum allowed exchange rate below the actual…

XRP traded quietly near $1.38 as volatility compressed across crypto markets, with traders positioning ahead of U.S. inflation data that could trigger the next directional move.News BackgroundXRP has entered a period of consolidation as broader crypto markets adopt a cautious tone ahead of key macroeconomic data. Investors are closely watching the upcoming U.S. Consumer Price Index release, which could influence Federal Reserve policy expectations and risk appetite across digital assets.While price action has been subdued, activity on the XRP Ledger remains elevated. Daily transactions recently climbed above 2.7 million, one of the highest levels in months.Institutional positioning has also continued…

Bitcoin-buying company Metaplanet has established a new venture firm, Metaplanet Ventures, to support Bitcoin ecosystem development in Japan, as the country looks to recognize Bitcoin as a regulated financial asset within the next two years.Metaplanet said on Thursday that Metaplanet Ventures K.K. will be tasked with funding, incubating and scaling companies that build regulated Bitcoin financial infrastructure, particularly those that strengthen Japan’s domestic ecosystem and make it a stronger competitor internationally.Metaplanet said it is expanding its Bitcoin strategy on the expectation that Bitcoin (BTC) will be reclassified as a regulated financial asset by January 2028.Source: MetaplanetMetaplanet Ventures will be split…

Ethereum price started a recovery wave above the $2,020 zone. ETH is now struggling to clear $2,080 and remains at risk of another decline in the near term. Ethereum started a recovery wave above the $2,020 zone. The price is trading above $2,020 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a declining channel forming with support at $2,000 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). The pair could start a fresh decline if it stays below the $2,080 zone. Ethereum Price Faces Key Resistance Ethereum price extended its recovery wave after it cleared the $1,965 zone,…

Ethereum is trading slightly above the $2,000 level as the market continues to navigate a period of uncertainty marked by sideways price action and cautious investor sentiment. After weeks of volatility across the broader cryptocurrency sector, ETH has entered a consolidation phase, with buyers and sellers struggling to establish a clear directional trend. Related Reading While price action appears relatively stable on the surface, new on-chain analysis suggests that underlying liquidity conditions may be shifting. According to a report from CryptoQuant analyst Arab Chain, Ethereum’s Scarcity Index on Binance currently sits around 0.67 while ETH trades near $2,050. The Scarcity…

The excessive use and oversight of artificial intelligence in the workplace is giving workers “AI brain fry,” contrary to the technology’s assurance that it would ease job pressures.Workers who are using AI tools report that the technology is “intensifying rather than simplifying work,” researchers from Boston Consulting Group and the University of California wrote in the Harvard Business Review on Friday.A study of nearly 1,500 full-time US workers found 14% said they had experienced “mental fatigue that results from excessive use of, interaction with, and/or oversight of AI tools beyond one’s cognitive capacity,” or what the researchers called “AI brain…

No room for flexibility, say regulators.South Korean firms cannot buy crypto, unlike Japanese, US companies.Listed firms frustrated by Financial Services Commission stance.South Korean financial regulators do not want to let firms use their balance sheets to buy US dollar-pegged stablecoins like Tether’s USDT and USD Coin.Guidelines issued by the Financial Services Commission to the domestic crypto industry currently forbid exchanges from opening corporate wallets for South Korean firms. The FSC is ready to reform these guidelines this year, following a lengthy wait.But firms hoping to launch USDT treasuries or use US dollar-pegged coins to conduct cross-border trade are likely to…