Bitcoin + Ethereum and NFTs News 📲

🇭🇰 Hong Kong SFC chief says bitcoin shows 'staying power as alternative asset' Julia Leung, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, said that bitcoin has clearly shown its staying power as an alternative asset. In a Wednesday speech delivered at the Greenwich Economic Forum Hong Kong, Leung said that most central bankers and economists would say that virtual assets like bitcoin and ether do not have any intrinsic value. Source 🔊 @Bitcoin_Ethereum_Metaverse_Nfts

🪙 Chainlink Tops Real-World Crypto Assets With the Most Development Again Chainlink (LINK), the native token of the decentralized blockchain oracle network built on Ethereum, has emerged once more as the top real-world asset with the most development activity in the last 30 days. Real-world assets are cryptocurrencies that represent physical assets like properties and objects. Like other crypto assets, they run on smart contracts and blockchains and have been gaining popularity recently, with a market capitalization running into billions of dollars. Source 🔊 @Bitcoin_Ethereum_Metaverse_Nfts

📣 Gary Gensler comments on meme coin ETFs including Sushi Swap and BONK. 🔊 @Bitcoin_Ethereum_Metaverse_Nfts

📊 Crypto investment products see $2 billion of inflows in May amid 'turnaround' in Ethereum sentiment: CoinShares Global crypto investment products at asset managers such as Ark Invest, Bitwise, BlackRock, Fidelity, Grayscale, ProShares and 21Shares registered net inflows totaling $185 million last week, a fourth-consecutive week of positive inflows, according to CoinShares' latest report. The streak saw May inflows reach $2 billion, pushing year-to-date net inflows above the $15 billion level. However, volume fell over the past week, generating $8 billion in trading compared to $13 billion the week prior. Source 🔊 @Bitcoin_Ethereum_Metaverse_Nfts

🇳🇬 Nigeria’s interest in Bitcoin unfazed by regulatory restrictions Despite President Tinubu’s administration’s crackdown on peer-to-peer (P2P) cryptocurrency trading, which has sparked outrage among many young Nigerians, their enthusiasm for Bitcoin remains unabated. According to Google Trends statistics, Nigeria, Africa’s largest cryptocurrency market, is currently the country with the highest interest in Bitcoin (BTC), followed closely by El Salvador. Source 🔊 @Bitcoin_Ethereum_Metaverse_Nfts

🪙 Cathie Wood's Ark Invest Halts Spot Ethereum ETF Plans Cathie Wood’s Ark Investment Management has withdrawn from the race to launch a spot ether exchange-traded fund (ETF), as its name was removed from the application filed with 21shares. The ETF, now renamed 21shares Core Ethereum ETF, reflects Ark’s decision not to pursue the ether ETF at this time. Despite this, Ark remains committed to its successful spot bitcoin ETF, which ranks fourth in assets. Source 🔊 @Bitcoin_Ethereum_Metaverse_Nfts

🟠 Ex-Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Begins 4-Month Prison Term in California Ex-Binance boss Changpeng Zhao (CZ) is now beginning his prison sentence after admitting guilt to charges related to facilitating money laundering through the cryptocurrency exchange he established. CNBC has verified through discussions with CZ’s legal team at Latham & Watkins that the former head of Binance has departed to serve his sentence at the federal prison known as FCI Lompoc in Lompoc, California. Source 🔊 @Bitcoin_Ethereum_Metaverse_Nfts

💰 Bitcoin ETFs In Europe Have Lost $500 Million This Year European Bitcoin exchange-traded products are losing big this year after competition ramped up overseas in the form of United States-based competitors. Data from Morningstar shows that European Bitcoin funds have suffered over $500 million in net outflows since January, despite the rising demand for Bitcoin itself during that time. However, those same ETFs have also brought in unprecedented competition, creating “a new fee environment in Europe” that’s forced European issuers to lower their fees. Source 🔊 @Bitcoin_Ethereum_Metaverse_Nfts

🏦 Coinbase accuses the SEC of trying to destroy the crypto industry in final push to get the agency to write rules An appeals court should order the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to start writing rules for crypto, Coinbase argued in its final push for rulemaking. Crypto firms are caught in a "Catch-22," Coinbase said in its 36-page closing brief filed on Friday in the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The SEC has asked firms to comply while also launching "scorched-earth litigation against those firms for their failure to do so," and has refused to write rules, Coinbase said. Source 🔊 @Bitcoin_Ethereum_Metaverse_Nfts

🇺🇸 SEC told spot Ethereum ETF issuers to get first round of draft S-1 forms in by Friday: sources The march to get the spot Ethereum ETFs approved for trading is well underway, with all eyes on the S-1 forms. After the 19b-4 forms were approved on May 23, the only remaining step is for the S-1 forms to become effective before trading can begin. However, since the approvals resulted from a last-minute change in direction from the SEC, the S-1 forms were not prepared in advance. Yet progress is now being made. Source 🔊 @Bitcoin_Ethereum_Metaverse_Nfts