Rakuten Pay's 44 Million Users in Japan Can Now Use XRP

The Texas House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 21, doubling the required market capitalization period to 24 months. The bill aims to establish a state Bitcoin reserve managed by the comptroller as a strategic opportunity for fiscal resilience.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is seeking special leave from the High Court to appeal a ruling in favor of crypto firm Block Earner, aiming to clarify the treatment of interest-earning and asset conversion products under the Corporations Act.

A U.S. tourist lost over $123,000 in crypto in a suspected premeditated theft in London's West End after leaving a nightclub and getting into what he thought was an Uber. The driver, who offered a cigarette believed to contain a sedative, gained access to the victim's crypto accounts before abandoning him in an unfamiliar area.

Unicoin and its executives are accused by the SEC of misleading investors and raising over $100 million through false claims about crypto asset offerings and company stock. The complaint also involves misleading statements in private placement memoranda by the company's general counsel.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has delayed decisions on rules changes for ETFs by 21Shares and Grayscale tracking XRP and Dogecoin. The delays do not indicate whether the SEC will approve the funds, as additional analysis is needed.

President Javier Milei dissolved the investigative body looking into his involvement in the Libra meme coin launch, following criminal charges and accusations of a pump-and-dump scheme. The move came amidst political pressure and public uproar over the controversial Solana-based coin.

Bitcoin surged to $107,000, nearing its all-time high set in January at $108,786. The cryptocurrency market has seen a significant rebound, with Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Solana also experiencing notable gains. Liquidations have increased in the past 24 hours, with a majority coming from short positions.

Mayor Eric Adams announced the formation of a digital assets advisory council at the NYC Crypto Summit to attract jobs and investments to New York City. He emphasized the importance of utilizing blockchain technology for tasks like managing vital records and potentially allowing city services to be paid with crypto.

KULR Technology Group, a publicly traded company based in Houston, has purchased an additional $9 million worth of Bitcoin for its corporate treasury, bringing its total holdings to 800.3 tokens valued at around $85 million. The company acquired the Bitcoin at an average price of $103,234 per token.

According to Bernstein analysts, Bitcoin is expected to double by the end of 2025, driven by a new institutional era. Institutions now hold $60 billion worth of Bitcoin, a five-fold increase from September 2022. The top cryptocurrency has macro tailwinds and Wall Street interest.