An overview of current news in the crypto space

In our digest, we took a look at some important crypto industry news over the past week:

• Honduras banned banks from working with cryptocurrencies
• Security Alliance established in the U.S. to improve security in cryptocurrencies
• Flag honoring Satoshi Nakamoto flown over the Capitol
• New DN-404 token standard on Ethereum network to solve ERC-404 problems
• January 2024: Russia’s CFA market grows, but new issuance declines
• Bitcoin-ETFs set a record, raising $631 million in one day

And now for more details. Reading time: 7 minutes.

• Honduras has banned banks from working with cryptocurrencies
  In Honduras, institutions supervised by the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBS) have been banned from working with cryptocurrencies and cryptoassets. The regulator’s resolution emphasizes that the country lacks a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency transactions, leaving users vulnerable to fraud and entailing operational and legal risks. The decision took effect immediately. Honduran authorities are particularly concerned about the potential use of cryptocurrencies for money laundering and terrorist financing. This list also includes crypto-asset derivatives. The Central Bank of Honduras expressed concern about cryptocurrencies as early as 2022, warning citizens about the illegality of cryptocurrency payments. Despite this, bitcoin was recognized as an official means of payment in the city of Prospera in January this year.
• Security Alliance is created in the USA to improve security in the cryptocurrency sphere
  A non-profit organization called Security Alliance has been established in the US to prevent cybercrime in the cryptocurrency industry. Security Alliance, led by Paradigm’s security specialist, Samchsun, plans to help the community defend against attacks, conduct investigations and recover stolen funds. The organization has set up a hotline to quickly respond to hacks and identify security vulnerabilities in cryptocurrency exchanges. Security Alliance also provides legal assistance to victims of hacks and offers developers free modeling of attack scenarios to create more reliable protection measures. Among the partners of the organization are Ethereum Foundation, Vitalik Buterin and Coinbase. The creation of the Security Alliance underscores the cryptocommunity’s determination to improve security and transparency in blockchain.
• Flag honoring Satoshi Nakamoto raised over the Capitol
  In December 2023, a flag was raised over the Capitol in honor of the anonymous creator of bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto. The event caused widespread outcry in the cryptocurrency community, especially since the request to raise the flag was allegedly submitted by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, known for her critical attitude towards cryptocurrencies. Warren signed the flag-raising certificate, although she herself cannot raise flags on her own initiative. The U.S. has a Capitol Flag Program that allows citizens to buy flags to commemorate significant events, after which lawmakers fly the flags over the Capitol. There has been no official confirmation from Warren’s office about the flag raising yet. All of this is causing a variety of reactions in the crypto community, ranging from speculation about a change in Warren’s attitude toward cryptocurrencies to doubts about the validity of the information.
• New token standard DN-404 on the Ethereum network to solve ERC-404 problems
  A new token standard, DN-404, has appeared on the Ethereum network, which is designed to solve the problems encountered with the previous ERC-404 standard. DN-404 is the result of a group of cryptocurrency developers proposing an alternative implementation of the ERC-404 token standard. ERC-404 was introduced in February and combined features of ERC-20 and ERC-721 with the goal of reducing commission costs on the Ethereum network. However, the hype generated by ERC-404 led to a dramatic increase in transaction fees. DN-404, unlike ERC-404, uses two contracts: the main ERC-20 and the mirrored ERC-721. Developers argue that this approach can minimize the occurrence of problems. Despite the prospects, DN-404 has not yet been audited, and developers have warned of possible risks.
• January 2024: The Russian DFA market is growing, but the number of new issues is shrinking
  In January 2024, the digital financial assets (DFA) market in Russia showed mixed trends. The market volume increased by ₽2 billion to ₽33 billion, but the number of new DFA issues fell by 85% to just 13 compared to 90 issues in December last year. Alfa Bank was the leader among information system operators (ISOs) in terms of the number of offerings in January, realizing six issues. Segezha Group, LC Evolution and Alfa-Bank were among the top CFA issuers. Analysts predict that by the end of 2024, the CFA market will grow to ₽250 billion, and by 2027 to ₽5 trillion. Fast loans, b2b-financing and factoring are called the most promising CFAs. Russia is also discussing the creation of a separate council for digital assets, emphasizing the importance of this sector for the national economy.
• Bitcoin-ETFs set a record, raising $631 million in a single day
  On February 13, bitcoin-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) set a new record, raising $631 million in a single day. Demand for these funds continues to grow despite outflows from other sources. Leading the inflows was BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin ETF iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which attracted $493 million, accounting for 70% of the total daily inflows into bitcoin ETFs. Assets under management of these funds, including the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) fund, exceeded 693 thousand bitcoins worth $35.7 billion. According to the analytical service SoSoValue, as of February 13, these funds held 704,339 BTC. Experts note that against the background of growing institutional interest in bitcoin, its value continues to grow, reaching $51,400.

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