CFA Report Pegs US Crypto Fraud Losses at $80.7B

Vanity Fair recently published an embarrassing profile of crypto's "true believers," featuring a photoshoot at a $300 million hotel. The shoot included notable figures like Mike Novogratz, Devin Finzer, and Cathie Wood, with some sharing amusing anecdotes and questionable fashion choices.

The UK parliamentary committee has recommended an immediate ban on crypto donations to political parties due to cybersecurity risks and concerns over foreign influence. The committee urged the government to amend the Representation of the People Bill to enforce the ban until stronger safeguards are in place.

Connecticut regulators have suspended Bitcoin Depot's money-transmission license due to alleged violations involving kiosk fees, fraud-related refunds, and compliance issues. The company must cease operations in the state and address material weaknesses in internal controls.

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton won the Democratic primary, defeating Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, with backing from Governor JB Pritzker. Fairshake, a crypto super-PAC, supported Krishnamoorthi, who received an "A" rating from Stand With Crypto, while Stratton got an "F" rating.

Bitrefill disclosed being targeted in a cyberattack on March 1, originating from a compromised employee laptop and expanding to database and cryptocurrency wallets. Approximately 18,500 purchase records were accessed, with some customer information potentially compromised.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran conflict is affecting various commodities, including urea fertilizer. With a significant portion of global seaborne trade passing through the Strait, urea prices have surged over 34% in the past month.

PayPal is expanding its stablecoin, PYUSD, to 70 markets globally to offer faster and cheaper cross-border payment options. Users can buy, hold, send, receive, and convert PYUSD, with businesses benefiting from quicker access to proceeds and improved liquidity.

XRP has surpassed BNB to become the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, with a recent price of $1.51. Ripple is expanding its payments offerings in Brazil and plans to seek a local license, while XRP's open interest has increased by 33% in the last two weeks.

AgentKit, integrating World ID with x402, allows AI agents to prove they represent unique humans online. The system addresses issues like spamming services and distinguishing human activity from bots on platforms. World's goal is to provide a global digital ID and cryptocurrency to differentiate humans from bots.

Strategy (MSTR) is rapidly closing the gap with BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) in Bitcoin holdings, with only a 20,000 BTC difference. Strategy's unique approach involves direct Bitcoin purchases funded through equity and preferred share issuance, independent of ETF demand cycles.