Gold tops $5,000 as BTC stalls near $87,000 in widening macro-crypto split: Asia Morning Briefing

Good Morning, Asia. Here’s what’s making news in the markets: Welcome to Asia Morning Briefing, a daily summary of top stories during U.S. hours and an overview of market moves and analysis. For a detailed overview of U.S. markets, see CoinDesk’s Crypto Daybook Americas. Gold’s breakout above $5,000 is beginning to look less like a spike…

Deadly Winter Storm in US Impacts Foundry USA and Other Mining Pools

The hashrate of Foundry USA, a digital asset advisory firm with the world’s largest Bitcoin (BTC) mining pool, has curtailed its hashrate by about 60% since Friday in response to the severe winter storm impacting large swaths of the United States. “Bitcoin hashrate on Foundry USA alone is down by nearly 200 exahashes per second…

Ethereum’s “Walkaway Test”: Why Quantum Readiness Matters

What is the “walkaway test?” Vitalik Buterin’s “walkaway test” is a way to assess Ethereum’s long-term credibility. The network is intended to remain secure and functional even if its core developers were to stop actively upgrading it. In a recent analogy, Buterin suggested that a protocol should resemble a tool you own, such as a…

SEC, CFTC To Hold Discussion On Harmonizing Crypto Oversight

The SEC’s Paul Atkins and the CFTC’s Michael Selig will discuss the two agencies’ crypto oversight as legislative efforts to define their roles work through the Senate. The US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission say they’re coming together to discuss their efforts to implement President Donald Trump’s crypto agenda. The…

Saylor Says ‘Opportunists’ Pushing for BTC Changes Are Its Biggest Threat

The biggest threat to the Bitcoin network is “ambitious opportunists” who want to push through protocol changes, according to Michael Saylor, the co-founder of Bitcoin (BTC) treasury company Strategy. Saylor’s comments sparked a debate online. Bitcoin maximalist Justin Bechler said the comments were directed toward software developers pushing for non-monetary use cases on Bitcoin, such…

Solana’s new phase is ‘much more about finance’ says Backpack CEO Ferrante

Solana’s latest phase looks a lot less flashy than its memecoin-fueled highs, and that may be the goal. Armani Ferrante, CEO of crypto exchange Backpack, told CoinDesk in an interview the Solana ecosystem has spent the past year doubling down on a more sober focus: financial infrastructure. After years of experimentation as the wider crypto…

Tezos Upgrades to Tallinn, Block Times Fall to 6 Seconds

Tezos, a layer-1 proof-of-stake blockchain network, implemented its latest protocol upgrade, Tallinn, on Saturday, which reduced block times on the base layer to 6 seconds. The latest upgrade is the 20th update to the protocol, which reduces block times, slashes storage costs and reduces latency, resulting in faster network finality times, according to an announcement…

Binance Pursues MiCA Approval in Greece As EU Deadlines Loom

Binance submitted an application for authorization under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) in Greece as regulators warn of looming compliance deadlines. A Binance spokesperson confirmed to Cointelegraph on Friday that the exchange had filed for a MiCA license in Greece and was working with the country’s financial regulator, the Hellenic Capital Market…

Colombia Pension Giant AFP Protección Adds Bitcoin Exposure

Colombia’s second-largest private pension and severance fund manager, AFP Protección, is preparing to launch an investment fund with exposure to Bitcoin. Juan David Correa, president of Protección SA, confirmed the initiative during an interview with local outlet Valora Analitik. According to Correa, access to the product will be limited and granted only through a personalized…

ARK Invest Buys Coinbase, Circle and Bullish as Crypto Stocks Slide

Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest has increased its exposure to crypto-linked equities, adding shares of Coinbase, Circle and Bullish as prices slid across the sector. According to ARK’s daily trade disclosures for Friday, the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) purchased 38,854 shares of Coinbase Global Inc., while the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF) added another 3,325 shares,…