US and UK decline to sign international agreement for ethical AI
The US and UK snubbed signing an international AI agreement, with US Vice President JD Vance claiming that “excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry.”
The US and the UK have declined to sign the final statement of a French-hosted artificial intelligence summit that called for inclusive, ethical, and safe development of the technology.
The US vice president strongly criticized European AI regulations as massive and potentially stifling innovation while rejecting content moderation as “authoritarian censorship.”
Bitcoin Sinks to $100K as Trump Imposes Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China
Altcoins fared far worse than bitcoin as the new U.S. president seemingly ignited a trade war. Trump cited the influx of illicit opioids and other drugs in his Executive Order authorizing the tariffs. Crypto markets are bearing the brunt of the risk-off mood.
Malaysia eyes blockchain innovation, taking notes from the UAE
Malaysia seems to be taking inspiration from the UAE’s blockchain success, signalling its intent to join the digital finance revolution.
Malaysia seems to be taking inspiration from the UAE’s blockchain success, signalling its intent to join the digital finance revolution.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently returned from a three-day visit to Abu Dhabi with a clear message: Malaysia isn’t sitting this one out. Following discussions with Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and Abu Dhabi officials, Anwar expressed a strong interest in shaping policies around cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.
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Malaysia Weighs Introduction of Crypto, Blockchain Legislation
The country's prime minister held discussions with Abu Dhabi's government and crypto exchange Binance to formulate how to move forward. He said he's considering introducing crypto and blockchain legislation.
In recent years, regulators told Binance and Huobi to halt their operations in the country.
Morgan Stanley to explore crypto offerings for clients — CEO
Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick recently said the banking giant is exploring potential crypto offerings for its clients and is in discussions with financial regulators in the United States. Speaking with CNBC at the World Economic Forum’s Davos summit, Pick said: “For us, the equation is really around whether we, as a highly regulated financial institution, can act as transactions.”
"We'll be working with Treasury and the other regulators to sort of figure out how we can offer that in a safe way."
Chainalysis Report:
35% Year-over-Year Decrease in Ransomware Payments, Less than Half of Recorded Incidents Resulted in Victim Payments
The ransomware landscape experienced significant changes in 2024, with cryptocurrency continuing to play a central role in extortion. However, the total volume of ransom payments decreased year-over-year (YoY) by approximately 35%, driven by increased law enforcement actions, improved international collaboration, and a growing refusal by victims to pay.
In response, many attackers shifted tactics, with new ransomware strains emerging from rebranded, leaked, or purchased code, reflecting a more adaptive and agile threat environment. Ransomware operations have also become faster, with negotiations often beginning within hours of data exfiltration. Attackers range from nation-state actors to ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operations, lone operators, and data theft extortion groups, such as those who extorted and stole data from Snowflake, a cloud service provider.
In 2024, ransomware attackers received approximately $813.55 million in payments from victims, a 35% decrease from 2023’s record-setting year of $1.25 billion, and for the first time since 2022, ransomware revenues declined.
In 2024, ransomware attackers received approximately $813.55 million in payments from victims, a 35% decrease from 2023’s record- setting year of $1.25 billion, and for the first time since 2022, ransomware revenues declined.
EU Regulator Urges Nations to Ensure Compliance with Stablecoin Rules Soon
The European Union's European Securities and Markets Authority wants nations in the EU to make sure that exchanges are complying with stablecoin rules.
The lesson of El Salvador's failed Bitcoin experiment
El Salvador became the world’s first country to make Bitcoin legal tender in 2021. President Bukele gave lip service to the idea that he introduced Bitcoin as a legal tender to free the Salvadoran people from the chains of central banking.
He has said, however, that the adoption of Bitcoin as tender by El Salvador’s Main Street has been slow. Bukele noted that it was the most unpopular measure his government had undertaken. According to a survey conducted by San Salvador University Francisco Gavidia, approximately 92% of Salvadorans did not use Bitcoin in 2023.
Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht thanks Trump for full pardon
Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who had been serving a double life sentence without parole, publicly thanked US President Donald Trump after receiving a full pardon.
This marked the first time Ulbricht had spoken publicly since being released from a maximum-security prison in Arizona, where he was held for more than 11 years.
Crypto Critic Elizabeth Warren Probes Trump's Meme Coin Venture
Senator Elizabeth Warren is calling foul on President Donald Trump's meme coin, pressing for the U.S. Office of Government Ethics and financial regulatory agencies to dig into the ethical and regulatory details around the $TRUMP token.
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Vitalik Buterin takes aim at ‘unlimited political bribery’ using tokens
The Ethereum co-founder warned against crypto projects offering “sugar-high short-term fun” rather than those used to build wealth.
Upbit, South Korea's Largest Crypto Exchange, May Face Sanctions in the Country: Report
Crypto exchange Upbit could face sanctions from South Korean authorities for not complying with money laundering obligations.
Crypto exchange Upbit may face possible sanctions in South Korea for not complying with the country's money laundering and know your customer (KYC) obligations, according to a report from local news site Maeil.
Upbit which is one of South Korea’s largest exchanges was reportedly notified by the Financial Information Analysis Institute (FIU) under the Financial Services Commission last week of the sanctions. If the decision is confirmed Upbit could be prevented from new customer related business for up to six months.
Singapore Blocks Polymarket, Following Taiwan and France
The city-state's Gambling Regulatory Authority tells local ISPs to stop access to the leading prediction market.
Trump promises to make US ’world capital’ of AI, crypto at Davos
The virtual speech to the World Economic Forum reiterated Donald Trump’s pledge to an audience at a July 2024 Bitcoin conference.
US President Donald Trump pledged to make the country the “world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto” at an annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, which was one of his first public appearances since taking office.
