Organizer: Luan Peng, ChainCatcher
"What Important Events Happened This Week (2.3-2.9)"
1. Bitwise CEO: Regulators May Approve Five Spot ETFs for Crypto Assets This Year
Bitwise CEO Matt Hougan stated that regulators may approve up to five different spot ETFs for digital assets this year. However, to achieve this, he mentioned that the SEC needs to cross the regulatory Rubicon.
Binance co-founder He Yi stated in a community Space that Binance will adjust its listing rules based on market conditions in the future and will urge listed projects to update their information.
For projects that do not actively update their information, Binance will take measures such as risk warnings for the tokens.
3. Berachain Releases White Paper: Adopts Dual Token Model and PoL Incentive Mechanism
The Berachain Foundation released its network white paper. According to the white paper, Berachain is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain designed to create value for applications, aiming to align the network's value with the value of applications built on it through the Proof of Liquidity (PoL) mechanism. Its core innovation in PoL changes the traditional Proof of Stake (PoS) incentive mechanism by linking validator rewards to application demand on the network.
In terms of the economic model, BERA is used for staking and trading, while BGT is used for governance and rewards. The issuance of BGT is closely related to the staking of BERA, and BERA can be redeemed by burning BGT. Additionally, the PoL mechanism controls inflation by adjusting the Boost of validators, ensuring the network's security and decentralization.
4. Thailand SEC to Launch Blockchain Securities Trading Platform
The Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the launch of a blockchain-based digital token trading platform. The platform supports primary and secondary market trading, features multi-chain interoperability, and includes functions such as settlement, investor registration, and payment. Currently, four digital token projects have been approved, with two more under review.
5. Bitcoin Ordinals Project Taproot Wizards Completes $30 Million Financing, Standard Crypto Leads
According to TheBlock, the Bitcoin Ordinals project Taproot Wizards has completed $30 million in financing, led by Standard Crypto. Additionally, Web3 asset data platform RootData indicated that it had previously announced a $7 million financing round in November 2023, also led by Standard Crypto.
According to The Block, during a Washington press conference held with leaders of key congressional committees on Tuesday, David Sacks, the newly appointed "crypto affairs chief" by President Donald Trump, outlined the new government's extensive pro-crypto agenda. When asked about the role of cryptocurrency in the recently proposed U.S. sovereign wealth fund, Sacks revealed that evaluating potential Bitcoin reserves is a top priority for the government task force.
Sacks stated in response to a reporter's question, "We are still waiting for some cabinet members in the task force to be confirmed, but once the confirmations are in place, one of our top priorities will be to assess the feasibility of Bitcoin reserves." He added that the sovereign wealth fund is a different concept, and Trump-nominated Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick will be responsible for this matter.
According to CNBC, payment company Stripe officially completed its acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure company Bridge for $1.1 billion on Tuesday. This is Stripe's largest acquisition to date, marking a significant move in the stablecoin space.
The approximately 60-member Bridge team has completed onboarding at Stripe's San Francisco headquarters. Bridge focuses on helping businesses accept stablecoin payments while reducing the complexity of direct exposure to digital assets, with clients including Coinbase and SpaceX.
Stripe previously supported Bitcoin payments in 2014 but terminated the service in 2018. The acquisition of Bridge allows it to optimize cross-border payment solutions and expand its stablecoin payment infrastructure.
Li Lin responded to Sun Yuchen's recent comments regarding the HTX delivery process and financial status. He stated that there was a disagreement between both parties on how to calculate user assets during the HTX delivery in October 2022, and the "30 million dollar financial black hole" mentioned by Sun Yuchen was actually a result of the exchange's margin business during extreme market conditions, which has already been financially addressed by the company's revenue.
The delivery contract is governed by Hong Kong law, and Li Lin expressed his willingness to seek a fair ruling through Hong Kong courts or third-party arbitration rather than making unilateral judgments on social media.
Previous news indicated that Sun Yuchen claimed Li Lin concealed due diligence materials when selling Huobi, with an internal financial black hole of 30 million dollars.
9. DeepSeek Launches National Supercomputing Internet Platform
According to the "Supercomputing Internet" public account, series models such as DeepSeek-R1, V3, and Coder have been successively launched on the national supercomputing internet platform.
The national supercomputing internet platform has officially launched versions 1.5B, 7B, 8B, and 14B of the DeepSeek-R1 model, with updates for versions 32B, 70B, and others to follow soon.
10. Sun Yuchen: $30 Million Dispute Due to Poor Communication with Li Lin, Has Sued in Hong Kong
Sun Yuchen stated on his social media platform, "Li Lin's position has always been that he knows there is 30 million that hasn't been returned to you, and he needs to verify it, but as soon as you go to him for verification, he disappears. Then he talks about rationality, law, communication, and the issue in Hong Kong, we have also filed a lawsuit."
11. Thailand Cuts Off Border Power Supply to Combat Myanmar Crypto Scam Centers
According to Protos, the Thai government cut off electricity, internet, and fuel supplies in the Thai-Myanmar border area at 9 AM on February 5 (10 AM Beijing time) to combat local cryptocurrency scam centers. This action involved five service providers in the regions of Myawaddy, Payathonzu, and Tachilek.
Investigations revealed that the KK Park scam center located in Myawaddy was suspected of defrauding $100 million worth of USDT through "pig butchering" schemes. In 2023, Myanmar authorities rescued 1,200 individuals who had been imprisoned in the area. This power cut is a significant measure by the Thai government in response to pressure from China, following concerns raised by a Chinese actor who was scammed in the region.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha stated that scam activities severely impact Thailand's national image and require strict measures. Although the power cut will affect local residents and hospitals, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that relevant communities had been notified in advance.
12. Binance HODLer Airdrop Launches Berachain (BERA)
According to Binance's announcement, Berachain (BERA) has become the seventh project in the HODLer Airdrops program. Users who subscribe BNB to the Simple Earn product between January 22 and January 26, 2025, will receive BERA airdrop rewards.
Binance will list BERA on February 6, 2025, at 13:00 (UTC) and open trading pairs for BTC, USDT, USDC, BNB, FDUSD, and TRY.
Key Information:
• Total Airdrop Amount: 10 million BERA (2% of the total genesis supply)
• Circulating Supply at Launch: 107.48 million BERA (21.5% of the total genesis supply)
• Network: Berachain Mainnet (can be queried after public launch)
• Inflation Mechanism: 10% annual issuance
• An additional 5,000,000 BERA will be used for marketing 12 months later.
13. U.S. SEC's New Crypto Task Force Announces Ten Key Tasks, Including Crypto ETF Approval Rules
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Hester Peirce introduced the tasks and goals of the newly established crypto task force, stating that the current ten tasks of the task force include:
- Examining the status of different types of crypto assets under securities law,
- Helping to identify areas that fall outside the commission's jurisdiction,
- Considering recommending the commission take action to provide temporary prospective and retroactive relief for tokens or token issuances that provide certain specific information to issuing entities or other willing responsible entities,
- Suggesting the commission modify existing registration pathways,
- Exploring potential updates to no-action letters for special purpose broker-dealers,
- Collaborating with investment advisors to provide an appropriate regulatory framework,
- Clarifying whether securities law covers crypto lending and staking programs,
- Providing clear statements on the methods for approving or disapproving crypto ETFs,
- Planning to work at the intersection of cryptocurrency and clearinghouse and transfer agent rules,
- Promoting methods for cross-border sandboxes for crypto projects.
14. MicroStrategy Renamed to Strategy
According to the official announcement, MicroStrategy has changed its company name to Strategy.
The announcement states that Strategy is the world's first and largest Bitcoin financial company and is a component of the NASDAQ 100 index. This brand simplification is a natural evolution for the company, reflecting its focus and broad appeal. The company's new logo includes a stylized "B," representing its Bitcoin strategy and its unique position as a Bitcoin financial company. The primary color of the brand is now orange, symbolizing energy, wisdom, and Bitcoin.
15. Jupiter Founder: Project X Account Accessed by an Android Phone in the U.S., One Employee Missing
Jupiter founder Meow posted on social media, stating: "As far as I know, Jupiter employee @9yointern is returning to Singapore from Mountain Dao due to an emergency at home.
What I know next is that our X account was accessed by an Android phone from the U.S., and we have completely lost contact with her.
If you can find her or know what happened, please let us know."
Previous news indicated that the Jupiter X account was hacked and suspicious token information was published.
Strategy's new official website now displays real-time core financial data, including the company's Bitcoin holdings. The data shows that the company currently holds 471,107 Bitcoins, valued at approximately $46.612 billion, with a total corporate market capitalization of $84.966 billion.
The new website also discloses the company's debt as $7.274 billion, preferred stock value as $730 million, and a debt ratio of 9%. Over the past year, Strategy's stock price has increased by 586%, with a net asset value (NAV) premium rate of 1.99 for Bitcoin holdings.
17. Czech President Signs New Law Exempting Capital Gains Tax on Bitcoin Held for Over 3 Years
According to Bitcoin Magazine, the Czech president has officially signed a law that exempts capital gains tax for Bitcoin held for more than three years.
18. Trump Family Crypto Project WLFI Plans to Establish Token Strategic Reserves
According to Bloomberg, World Liberty Financial co-founder Chase Herro stated that the platform plans to establish "strategic reserves" by purchasing tokens, although Herro did not specify the goals for World Liberty's token reserves.
World Liberty Financial co-founders Zak Folkman, Zach Witkoff, and Chase Herro attended the inaugural summit hosted by Ondo Finance in New York, introduced by Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr. Steve Witkoff, who previously helped the Trump family connect with World Liberty Financial's founders, has now been appointed as Trump's Middle East envoy.
19. Michael Saylor: After My Death, I Will Donate Shares to Public Charities Supporting Bitcoin
According to Bitcoin News, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) founder Michael Saylor stated that after his death, he will donate his shares to a public charity that supports Bitcoin.
20. Vitalik: Frustrated by the Crypto Space's Focus on PvP Gaming Rather Than Pursuing Better Products
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin expressed on social media that he feels uncomfortable when crypto Twitter and venture capital firms consider "PvP-style gaming projects that cause most users to lose money" as the best product form in the crypto space, while pursuing better products is criticized as "patronizing and elitist."
Although these comments sometimes make him feel like withdrawing, he finds inspiration from the world each time this happens, reminding himself that he is fighting for something valuable.
21. Corporate Loyalty Platform Superlogic Completes $13.7 Million Series A Financing, Powerledger Leads
Corporate loyalty platform Superlogic announced the completion of $13.7 million in Series A financing, led by Powerledger, with participation from Sangha Capital, 10SQ, Nima Capital, Actai Unicorn Fund, Hyla Liquid Venture Fund, Liquid 2 Ventures, and blockchain funds Galaxy Interactive, Recharge Capital, Dispersion Capital, and Sanctor Capital.
Superlogic previously stated it would use digital assets to engage customers, and while NFTs have not been mentioned yet, its CEO and co-founder Lin Dai revealed that they might explore issuing "digital badges" as incentives.
22. Kentucky Becomes the 16th State to Propose Legislation for Establishing Bitcoin Reserves
Kentucky has become the 16th state in the U.S. to propose legislation for establishing Bitcoin reserves. The bill, KY HB376, was introduced by Kentucky State Representative Theodore Joseph Roberts on February 6.
If passed, it would authorize the state investment board to allocate up to 10% of excess state reserves to digital assets, including Bitcoin.
23. U.S. January Unemployment Rate at 4%, Expected 4.10%, Previous 4.10%
According to Jin10, the U.S. unemployment rate for January is 4%, expected to be 4.10%, with the previous rate also at 4.10%.
24. U.S. January Seasonally Adjusted Non-Farm Payrolls Recorded at 143,000, Lowest Since Last October
According to Jin10, the U.S. seasonally adjusted non-farm payrolls for January recorded 143,000, significantly below the market expectation of 170,000, marking the lowest level since last October.
25. U.S. SEC Delays Decision on BlackRock's Ethereum ETF Options Trading to April 9
According to The Block, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) delayed its decision on whether to approve BlackRock's listing and trading of options on its spot Ethereum ETF on Friday. According to the submitted documents, the SEC stated it would decide by April 9, 2025, whether to approve or deny the proposal to allow BlackRock's iShares Ethereum Trust to trade options.
The SEC stated, "The commission believes it is necessary to specify a longer time to issue an order approving or disapproving the proposed rule change to allow sufficient time to consider the proposed rule change and the issues it raises."
Also on Friday, the SEC sought public comments on the proposal submitted by Cboe BZX Exchange on behalf of Fidelity to list and trade options on its spot Ethereum ETF. Comments must be submitted within 21 days after publication in the Federal Register.
26. Poland's Central Bank Refuses to Accept Bitcoin as Reserve Currency Due to Security Concerns
According to CryptoNews, the National Bank of Poland (NBP) firmly denied any possibility of including Bitcoin in its national reserves, citing security and stability concerns.
NBP President and Monetary Policy Committee Chairman Adam Glapiński announced this news at a press conference, reiterating that the central bank's top priority is to maintain the absolute security of its reserve assets. Glapiński stated, "Under no circumstances will we consider Bitcoin, as reserves must be absolutely secure."
Poland's reserves remain primarily composed of traditional assets such as gold, U.S. dollars, and euros, with a strategic focus on financial stability.
27. DeepSeek Reaches 100 Million Users in 7 Days
According to Jin10, DeepSeek has surpassed 20 million daily active users within 20 days of its launch, which is 40% of ChatGPT's user base. After the release of DeepSeek-R1 a few days ago, it experienced a surge in the last week of January, accumulating 125 million users in January (including website and app users without deduplication). Over 80% of users came from the last week, meaning DeepSeek achieved a growth of 100 million users in just 7 days.
28. Ethereum Block Gas Limit Increased to 36M, L1 Transaction Volume Up 20%
According to a technical update shared by Vitalik, Ethereum L1 has recently completed a dynamic adjustment of the block gas limit, increasing it from 30M to 36M, resulting in a 20% increase in L1 transaction throughput, while also expected to reduce transaction fees by 10% to 30%.
This adjustment was not decided by any single entity but was the result of validators gradually adjusting parameters and reaching a consensus. Currently, 49.5% of validators have reported adopting the 36M gas limit.
Binance founder Zhao Changpeng stated on social media, "I just heard that TST already has a website and an X account. As far as I know, neither is produced or controlled by BNB Chain or any Binance-related team, but is managed by community members. However, there is a problem: their unauthorized use of the Binance logo is an infringement."
"Like all meme tokens, I have never purchased or held TST. It is now entirely a community action. Please be cautious and take responsibility for your actions."
30. DeepSeek Valuation May Reach $8 Billion
According to Titanium Media AGI from sources, DeepSeek is currently valued at around $8 billion. This news initially spread in investment circles and quantitative groups, attracting attention from several investment institutions.
"What Are the Noteworthy Articles to Read This Week (2.3-2.9)"
Recently, the cross-chain interoperability protocol Analog announced the completion of a $5 million seed round financing led by Foresight Ventures and Gate Ventures, with a post-investment valuation of $300 million.
In February 2024, Analog also secured $16 million in seed funding. The investment team behind it is quite impressive, including Tribe Capital, NGC Ventures, Wintermute, GSR, NEAR, Orange DAO, and Balaji Srinivasan.
The backing from numerous well-known investment institutions is attributed to the Analog team's extensive and diverse background in the crypto field, with founding team members having experience from key projects in the crypto industry such as Polkadot, X Fund, Chainlink, and Y Combinator.
In the highly competitive cross-chain communication space, Analog aims to address fragmentation, centralization, and security challenges in cross-chain interactions. Analog's business head Eric Wang stated that Analog positions itself as a "one-stop" shop for cross-chain developers, dedicated to meeting all native cross-chain DApp development needs, allowing developers or users to seamlessly use different blockchains under a single, unified application.
In 2025, Analog will actively expand into innovative areas such as AI data oracles, RWA interoperability, and cross-chain memes, aiming to become the most widely adopted "chain abstraction" product.
Analog announced its mainnet launch last December and began its token public offering in January this year. What differentiated paths and key roadmaps does Analog have for 2025? What growth opportunities remain in the cross-chain communication space? Recently, Eric Wang shared insights in an interview with ChainCatcher.
2. TRON Becomes WLFI Strategic Reserve: Hidden Strategic Investments Above Traffic
The crypto project World Liberty Financial (WLFI), supported by the Trump family, announced on January 20 that it has increased its holdings of crypto assets by over $88 million, including $32.81 million in WBTC, $37.47 million in ETH, $4.7 million in TRX (Tron), and various other cryptocurrencies. Among them, Tron became the first Chinese blockchain project included in its investment portfolio. Subsequently, WLFI has repeatedly increased its holdings of TRX.
3. Arthur Hayes: How Bitcoin Will Fall Back to $70,000 - A Systematic Argument
Discussing how U.S. cryptocurrency holders are frustrated by Trump's crypto regulatory policies.
4. Why Did Tether Invest Over $770 Million in Video Platform Rumble? Business Ties to Trump
Despite Tether's annual profits exceeding $10 billion and its recent acceleration in investment pace, the investment in Rumble across sectors remains surprising, possibly related to the close ties between Rumble and Trump, as well as its desire to expand its business presence in the U.S.
5. The AI Bubble Burst by DeepSeek: Is It a Blessing or a Curse for Crypto AI?
In January 2025, the launch of DeepSeek R1 caused a stir in the AI community, fundamentally changing the Crypto AI ecosystem. In the past cycle, Crypto AI primarily revolved around AI Agents, but DeepSeek R1 and its open-source strategy have completely changed the game: extremely low training costs and groundbreaking adaptive training methods have made the vision of a decentralized AI industry a tangible reality rather than an empty talk. This transformation has far-reaching implications, with the total market value of the Crypto AI market significantly shrinking, and many AI tokens experiencing a 70% correction. But is this truly a crisis? Or does it signify a complete reshuffle of Crypto AI? Is DeepSeek the "terminator" that shatters the Crypto AI narrative, or the "disruptor" that accelerates its entry into a practical era?
6. 2025 Crypto Outlook - Insights from Major Investment Institutions (Part 1)
In 2025, crypto investment will focus on the integration of AI and DeFi, stablecoin applications, and cross-chain ecosystem development, expected to bring new growth opportunities to the industry.
7. How the U.S. Plans to Build a Cryptocurrency Capital? a16z Releases 11 Articles to Elaborate
The U.S. seems to be shifting its stance from confrontation to support for blockchain and cryptocurrencies, providing clear guidance and rules to help builders follow these regulations. Although this shift is still in its early stages, the government has already taken some encouraging steps toward this goal. New leadership, new rules, new working groups—all these measures provide the crypto industry with what it desperately needs: a viable path forward.
Despite facing lawsuits, jurisdictional disputes among regulatory agencies, angry letters from legislators, de-banking events, and regulatory oversight through enforcement in recent years, the past few weeks have shown a more optimistic and tech-friendly attitude. From the White House to regulatory agencies, we have seen the appointment of commissioners for AI and cryptocurrencies and the issuance of executive orders supporting blockchain development. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has established a new cryptocurrency working group and repealed the previously obstructive "Staff Accounting Bulletin 121" rule. In both houses of Congress, key legislators have also expressed a willingness to clarify industry rules through legislation.
To facilitate dialogue between government officials and blockchain experts, we have gathered opinions from 11 industry experts, covering topics from taxation and staking freedom to broader issues such as encouraging decentralization and reforming the U.S. regulatory system. These insights provide important considerations for policymakers, helping them better think through cryptocurrency regulation and ensuring that the U.S. leads at this critical moment of transition to the next generation of the internet.
8. Sun Yuchen's 8 Years in the Crypto Space: A Tale of Two Cities
Compared to EOS, which holds 160,000 BTC and lies flat, every step Sun Yuchen takes is aimed at getting to the table.
In just two weeks since Donald Trump was officially inaugurated, the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), led by Musk, has transformed from a mysterious agency into a global media focus. What brought it to fame was a shocking move—shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which has been in operation for over 60 years.
As its name suggests, DOGE is centered around the core concept of "streamlining efficiency," and its operational model is highly disruptive. The entire department consists of six young individuals aged between 19 and 25, three of whom are still in college. They have been directly entrusted with key engineering roles, tasked with reducing government costs. For Musk, this young elite team is not only the core strength of DOGE but also a testing ground for future transformations in government operations.
10. Research: Overall Situation and Regulatory Trends of Virtual Currency Crimes in China in 2024
At the beginning of January 2025, on January 10, the Ministry of Public Security held a special press conference in Beijing, where spokesperson Zhang Ming introduced that fraud groups are continuously updating and upgrading their criminal tools by utilizing new technologies such as blockchain, virtual currency, and AI intelligence. In response to the severe and complex criminal situation involving virtual currency-related fraud, public security agencies will deepen the implementation of special actions such as "Cloud Sword," "Cutting Off Flow," and "Nail Pulling," and will maintain a high-pressure crackdown. Following this, on January 13, at the national procurators' meeting, the Supreme People's Procuratorate emphasized that procuratorial agencies will increase efforts to punish money laundering crimes and legally combat activities that illegally transfer assets abroad using virtual currencies.
It is evident that despite China's strict regulatory and crackdown attitude towards virtual currency platform trading and investment in recent years, related illegal financial activities have shifted from offline to online and from domestic to overseas, developing in a more concealed manner. At the same time, due to the inherent characteristics of virtual currencies, such as anonymity and lack of nationality, they have rapidly evolved into a new type of criminal tool. Against this backdrop, crimes involving virtual currencies have become one of the most typical issues in the current field of cybercrime.
As the year-end approaches and the new year is welcomed, our team has specially written this article to organize and summarize the overall situation of virtual currency crimes in China in 2024, the latest dynamics of national regulation and crackdown on illegal virtual currency activities, and the latest trends in the legal attribute recognition of virtual currencies in practice.
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