Optimism Foundation Agreed to Give Kraken $42.5M of OP Tokens in Layer-2 Deal Crypto exchange Kraken announced last week that it will build a layer-2 network atop Optimism’s OP Stack blockchain framework. CoinDesk is first to report that the deal was reached early this year, involving a grant of 25 million OP tokens, at the time worth roughly $100 million.

Bitcoin Miner HIVE Poised to Double Its Hashrate by Next Year, Cantor Says Initiating Stock at ‘Overweight’ The broker initiated coverage of HIVE with an overweight rating and $9 price target.

Crypto Stocks MicroStrategy, Coinbase and Marathon Post Just Modest Gains as Bitcoin Eyes Record High A notable outperformer was bitcoin miner Bitfarms, which nominated a new board member amid its proxy battle with Riot Platforms.

Solana-Based RWA Platform AgriDex Taps Stripe’s Bridge to Lower Cost for Agricultural Trade Settlements AgriDex is an example of how stablecoins are being increasingly used as a payment vehicle in emerging regions as a cheaper alternative for traditional banking rails.

First Mover Americas: BTC Jumps Above $71K, DOGE Leads Market Surge The latest price moves in bitcoin (BTC) and crypto markets in context for MONTH XX, 2024. First Mover is CoinDesk’s daily newsletter that contextualizes the latest actions in the crypto markets.

Stacks, Prominent Bitcoin Layer-2 Project, Activates Long-Awaited ‘Nakamoto’ Upgrade

CoinDesk 20 Performance Update: APT Surges 10.9% as All Index Constituents Trade Higher NEAR Protocol also joined Aptos as a top performer, gaining 5.8%.

Privacy as a Fundamental Human Right What role do privacy tools play in crypto, and how does this discussion develop? Those were some of the questions at a panel I moderated last week at the DC Privacy Summit.

Binance Unveils ‘Binance Wealth’ for Elite Customers The service is offered through the global Binance.com platform meaning there are restrictions for some jurisdictions, such as the U.S.

Here Are Three Reasons Why Bitcoin Open Interest Set Record Highs as BTC Price Surge to $71K U.S. listed spot ETF inflows continue to break records, as CME open interest spikes in the past 24 hours.

Dogecoin Bets Spike to $1.3B as Trump Popularity Sees DOGE Rocket 15% Stablecoin margined futures on DOGE have spiked, with DOGE denominated bets rising 33% since Sunday.

DeFi Cover Provider Nexus Mutual Backs New Crypto Insurance Broker Native Nexus Mutual is also behind a new insurance alternative on Coinbase’s L2 network called Base DeFi Pass.

As BIS Mulls Shutting Down mBridge, Its Innovation Hub Calls The Project a ‘Public Good’ An international payments project backed by China, the UAE, Thailand and Hong Kong is raising concerns in Washington.

Crypto.com Overtakes Coinbase to Dominate North American Crypto Trading, Data Shows The crypto exchange’s volume has nearly quadrupled between mid-year and September.

As Hong Kong Firms Downsize, Animoca Built a Workspace the Size of 10 Tennis Courts As law firms and traditional finance companies cut back on office space, Yat Siu’s Animoca is taking advantage of the renter’s market to expand its headquarters, reinforcing its commitment to Hong Kong as a global Web3 and digital culture hub.

Bitcoin Surges Above $71K as Wild Crypto Market Pump Sees $175M in Shorts Liquidated BTC added 5% in the past 24 hours, CoinGecko data shows, breaking out of a key $70,000 resistance with $48 billion in trading volumes, or nearly double the volumes from Monday.

Bitcoin Tops $70K for First Time in More Than Four Months The price still remains below its record high of $73,700 hit in early March of this year.

Dogecoin Jumps 10%, Outperforming on Trump Popularity as Bitcoin Nears $70K Bitcoin’s “bullish setup” into the U.S. election next week mirrors late 2020, which preceded a 120% rally in two months, Matthew Sigel of VanEck said.

US Crypto Regulation Needs a Hard Fork These simple modifications to the SEC’s current regulatory framework for crypto asset issuance, staking, custody and trading can foster greater innovation without relying on new acts of Congress, says Willkie’s Mike Selig.

FTX’s $228M Settlement With Bybit Brings Conclusion of Epic Liquidation Closer The costly meltdown of global exchange FTX is still settling big chunks of its bankruptcy drama, now securing about $228 million from Bybit to further feed the cash dispersal that was approved in court earlier this month.