Chainlink Co-Founder Sergey Nazarov Calls Out 'Decentralization Theater' in Crypto Industry

Tether and the City of Lugano have launched Plan ₿ Phase II to further integrate digital assets and decentralized technologies into the city's infrastructure. This phase emphasizes structural development, technological resilience, and long-term digital sovereignty, building on the success of the original Plan ₿.

The dispute over the ability of crypto companies to pay rewards to customers holding stablecoins has caused tension between traditional finance and the crypto industry. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon emphasized the importance of regulations to ensure a safe financial system.

Brazilian regulators have mandated that crypto exchanges separate their funds from clients' assets and adhere to bank-level security standards. These new rules aim to increase security and prevent financial crimes in the crypto industry, such as money laundering and tax evasion.

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Mike Selig announced plans to provide guidance on handling offshore crypto perpetual futures, aiming to bring professional futures to the U.S. soon. The agency is also working on defining approaches to decentralized finance developers and prediction markets.

American Bitcoin, co-founded by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., plans to increase mining capacity by 12% with the purchase of 11,298 new Bitcoin miners. The company aims to grow its fleet to 89,242 miners, enhancing its hash rate and efficiency.

The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) approved trading of Ondo Finance’s tokenized equities on Binance's regulated platform, marking the first time ADGM has approved tokenized securities trading under its regulatory framework. Ondo's tokenized stocks and ETFs, including big names like Amazon and Apple, are now available for non-U.S. users on Binance.

Bridge and Visa have globally expanded their stablecoin-linked card issuance product, initially focused on Central and South American countries. Lead Bank, a participant in Visa's stablecoin settlement pilot, is also collaborating with Bridge's stablecoin infrastructure. The companies plan to expand to over 100 countries by the end of the year.

Following US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, Iranian crypto exchanges experienced a surge in on-chain activity, with $10.3 million in outflows recorded between February 28 and March 2. Chainalysis reported that this spike may indicate various activities, including ordinary Iranians moving funds into self-custody.

Three major banks, including Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Barclays, have recently made significant moves in the crypto custody space. These banks are aiming to offer various crypto services under one federally regulated roof, signaling a shift towards mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin's consolidation continues due to institutional outflows, geopolitical tensions, and labor market uncertainty, hindering potential recovery. Experts anticipate prolonged consolidation or deeper corrections until these headwinds dissipate.