The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on Tuesday its intention to close the Salt Lake Regional Office (SLRO) later this year, reducing the total number of SEC regional offices to 10.

Enhancing Efficiency

The SEC is a regulatory agency responsible for overseeing and enforcing federal securities laws. They aim to protect investors, maintain fair and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation by regulating securities markets and securities professionals.

The SEC noted that the SLRO, historically its smallest regional office, is closing due to significant attrition. This closure is partly meant to help enhance the overall budget and organizational efficiency of the regulatory agency. In the transition, the Denver office of the SEC will assume jurisdiction over enforcement matters previously managed by the Salt Lake City office.

The DEBT Box Fiasco

Regarding recent events, a dismissed lawsuit against DEBT Box resulted in criticism of the SEC for what was described as bad faith conduct, leading to a court order for the SEC to pay $1.8 million in legal fees. Last July, the SEC accused DEBT Box of operating an unlawful $50 million crypto scheme, alleging investor fraud through misrepresented investment details.

In April, SEC attorneys Michael Welsh and Joseph Watkins faced criticism by a federal judge for their actions in attempting to seize assets belonging to DEBT Box under false pretenses, prompting their resignations.

Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal commented that describing the situation as attrition might be an understatement. In any event, the recent legal defeat experienced by the SEC and subsequent office closure represent a significant setback for the regulator, despite its aggressive stance in crypto enforcement, which has included actions against several prominent firms in the past.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, speaking in a live broadcast, recently expressed confidence that XRP ETFs will become a reality. He anticipates the emergence of spot XRP ETFs by 2025. Still, not everyone is convinced and some claim that Brad is only announcing this to garner sympathy for the project after its recent shortcomings.

Ripple has also faced several legal challenges so far, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) previously claiming that the sale of XRP constitutes an unregistered securities offering.

A Need For Modernization

Ripple (XRP), in collaboration with prominent entities like Coinbase and Grayscale, has spearheaded efforts within the crypto industry to urge the SEC to modernize its regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies.

Despite these efforts, Ripple faces potential repercussions, including a hefty $2 billion fine by the SEC, stemming via a legal dispute where a judge concluded that the company unlawfully distributed XRP to institutional investors.

Crypto ETFs offer investors a convenient and regulated way to gain exposure to the cryptocurrency market without directly owning digital assets. They can enhance market liquidity, attract institutional investors, and potentially reduce volatility by diversifying risk across multiple cryptocurrencies. Additionally, these ETFs can pave the way for broader adoption of cryptocurrencies by traditional investors and institutions.

Ripple And Its Competitors

Ripple is a digital currency and blockchain platform that aims to facilitate fast and cost-effective cross-border transactions. Unlike many other cryptocurrencies, Ripple is not based on traditional blockchain technology but rather on a consensus ledger, called the XRP Ledger, which uses a network of validating servers to confirm transactions. This design allows for extremely fast transaction speeds, with settlements occurring in seconds, and minimal transaction fees, making it an attractive option for international money transfers and payments.

One of the major advantages of Ripple is its partnerships with numerous financial institutions and banks worldwide. However, its centralized nature has been a point of contention within the cryptocurrency community. Unlike decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), where transactions are validated by a network of independent nodes, the XRP Ledger relies on a select group of trusted validators, which has raised concerns about centralization and control.

Charles Hoskinson, the creator of Cardano (ADA), recently discussed various concerns regarding the scalability of the blockchain. He pointed out the availability of adequate funds in the treasury to support an ambitious Leios, Hydra, and ZK program if the community opts for it. 

A Parallel Strategy

Hoskinson noted the potential for a parallel strategy, citing the existing infrastructure and talent within the Cardano ecosystem. He expressed hope about the potential for swift progress, referencing the significant advancements seen over the past couple of years.

The Cardano community has been actively discussing scalability, particularly considering the growing competition faced by the blockchain by platforms like Solana (SOL) and Ethereum (ETH). The CTO of Sundae Labs, a notable ADA enthusiast, contributed to the debate by advocating for Leios, a fresh design for the data computation algorithm. Another notable innovation is Hydra, a layer-2 scaling solution aimed at enhancing transaction throughput and minimizing latency on the blockchain by establishing a network of parallel processing nodes.

Looking Ahead

The aforementioned initiatives aim to increase the overall capability of Cardano to handle a significantly greater volume of transactions while simultaneously upholding security and decentralization. 

Many contributors and developers within the Cardano ecosystem shared their views and while some expressed excitement for scalability, others were against depleting the treasury too quickly, as it could impact the price of ADA. Overall, the sentiment among many community members echoed a desire for scalable solutions to enable optimal application performance. Importantly, while acknowledging current challenges, there was collective optimism regarding ongoing improvements within the ecosystem.

JPMorgan Chase is gearing up to introduce a biometric payment system accessible to the masses. The move comes as banking institutions around the world look to keep up with the ever-changing technological landscape which often includes new payment practices and facial-identification systems.

Coming Soon

The banking behemoth is set for a widespread launch of an authentication mechanism enabling retail customers to make payments using either facial recognition or palm scanning in the coming year, according to American Banker. This system stems via two trial initiatives conducted with PopID, a biometrics company based in California. JPMorgan, already furnishing point-of-sale solutions to merchants, tested the system in physical stores across the United States and internally at an office cafeteria.

When it comes to crypto, JPMorgan has exhibited a varied stance, with CEO Jamie Dimon previously expressing skepticism but later acknowledging potential benefits. The bank has explored blockchain technology and developed its digital currency, JPM Coin, for internal transactions, while also offering some clients access to crypto-related funds. However, JPMorgan has cautioned investors about the risks associated with cryptocurrencies and remains cautious about their widespread adoption.

The Future Is Now

Jean-Marc Thienpont, the Head of Omnichannel and Biometric Solutions at the bank, asserts that JPMorgan anticipates a reduction in checkout time and an enhancement in security with the aforementioned new system. He emphasizes that biometrics-based payments empower merchant clients to furnish a superior payment experience for customers.

Citing a 2023 survey by PYMNTS, it was found that 28% of consumers utilized facial recognition for an online purchase within the past month. Additionally, Goode Intelligence, a business research firm, forecasts that by 2026, 3 billion individuals globally will use biometrics for payments, with transactions amounting to $5.765 trillion annually.

Over the last 24 hours, there has been significant activity surrounding XRP, grabbing the attention of the entire cryptocurrency community. According to Whale Alert, a blockchain tracker, there have been multiple transactions involving 3 billion XRP tokens, valued at around $1.5 billion. This notable movement has raised concerns about its potential impact on prices.

Market Concerns

It is customary for Ripple to release about 1 billion XRP tokens through its escrow wallet at the start of each month. However, the recent unusual movement of assets has surprised observers, leading to speculation about the nature of these transactions.

Marty Party, a crypto commentator, pointed out that the transfer of 3 billion tokens accounts for 5.45% of the total circulating supply and occurred between Ripple-affiliated wallets within half an hour. Some members of the community clarified that these transfers were part of routine fund consolidations related to escrow operations. They noted that out of the 3 billion tokens, 1 billion worth $520 million were released via an escrow address.

Michael Nardolillo, a crypto analyst, explained that the majority of these movements involve internal transfers and relocking of escrow. Whenever it indicates an unknown account, he added, it usually means the bot made an error, and it was still a Ripple account.

Room For Improvement

Historically, the price of XRP has tended to fluctuate in response to the escrow releases, often influenced by market sentiment. Despite experiencing a 1% decline in the past 24 hours, XRP has remained steady around $0.5, indicating that the recent release via escrow has not significantly affected its performance.

Nevertheless, some market experts believe that the release of tokens could introduce additional selling pressure. Reports suggest that Ripple may be gearing up for its most substantial monthly XRP sell-off since 2017, with plans to unload 400 million XRP tokens, valued at $208 million, in June. While XRP continues to rank among the top ten cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, it has been one of the poorest performers among major tokens this year.

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele was inaugurated for a second term over the weekend, pledging to tackle various domestic economic challenges with the same vigor he showed in combating gang violence during his initial tenure. The nation currently holds 5,769 BTC valued at approximately $389 million in its reserves, with Bukele revealing a daily purchase of 1 Bitcoin for the country.

Safety Is Priority

El Salvador has faced significant issues with gang violence in the past, making it one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18 have been major players there, contributing to high homicide rates and widespread insecurity. However, recent efforts by the government, including those led by President Nayib Bukele, have resulted in some improvements in controlling gang-related violence.

Addressing the public via the National Palace in San Salvador, the 42-year-old leader assured that the once pervasive gang violence has significantly subsided, likening it to a curable illness rather than a terminal cancer.

Fixing The Economy

Now that security concerns have been largely mitigated, Bukele shifts his focus to the formidable task of rejuvenating the sluggish economy. Following his controversial re-election in February, where he secured over 80% of the vote amidst legal disputes, Bukele has expressed his determination to remedy the aforementioned economic issues while also ensuring that El Salvador remains at the forefront of digital innovation and true financial independence.

Despite his popularity for enhancing security in the nation of 6.3 million, his economic initiatives encounter hurdles. Notably, the ambitious Bitcoin City project, envisioned as a cryptocurrency-supported hub with tax incentives, struggles to attract investments. Furthermore, El Salvador grapples with a public debt exceeding $30 billion, equivalent to nearly 84% of its gross domestic product.

Milady Meme Coin secured $5M in a recent undisclosed stage funding led by DWF Labs. With a successful Twitter engagement, their momentum is skyrocketing.

Zizle raised $3M in Pre-Seed funding via Black Dragon Capital, setting the stage for their innovative ventures. Keep an eye on their promising developments.

Bitdeer procured a whopping $150M in strategic funding by Tether, solidifying their position in the market. Impressive metrics reflect their growing influence.

E Money Network raised $3.3M in undisclosed funding led by Animoca Brands. With notable backers and a strategic approach, their trajectory is set for success.

TRALA gained $5M in strategic funding via Animoca Brands, showcasing their commitment to disruptive solutions.

Mint Chain secured $5M in seed funding, backed by Mask Network. Their rising engagement on Twitter hints at a promising future.

Stable Jack raised $1M in angel funding, reflecting confidence in their vision. Their social media presence is also steadily gaining momentum.

Plural secured $2.3M in pre-seed funding, supported by Compound VC. With a growing community, they are poised for plenty of innovation and impact going forward.

Neynar secured $11M in Series A funding led by Haun Ventures, marking a significant milestone in their journey. Stay tuned for their groundbreaking developments.

Babylon -raised an impressive $70M in undisclosed funding by Paradigm, setting the stage for groundbreaking advancements.

NexGami gained $2.5M in seed funding by Metalpha, demonstrating investor confidence in their vision. Their Twitter following is also buzzing with excitement.

Zentry formed a strategic alliance with The Spartan Group, marking a pivotal moment in their growth trajectory. Keep an eye on their upcoming initiatives.

ARPA secured $6M in strategic funding by DeFiance Capital, signaling their commitment to innovation in the space. Their Twitter metrics indicate a strong community backing.

Smart Transactions raised $5.5M in Seed funding with support by Shima Capital. Their recent milestones are fueling anticipation for what comes next.

SCRYPT Digital teamed up with Braza Bank in a strategic move, backed by a notable $5M in funding. With growing engagement, they are poised for industry disruption.

Following a period of sideways movement, Bitcoin (BTC) witnessed its price decline on Friday, reaching a weekly low of approximately $66,600 before rebounding slightly. UNI and SHIB rank among the weakest performers within the largest cap alts, whereas LINK and PEPE stand at the opposite end of the spectrum. Other altcoins are showing sluggishness, with ETH experiencing a modest 1% increase in value and crossing the $3,800 threshold.

BTC Recovery

The beginning of the week saw bullish dominance as the primary cryptocurrency surged to a weekly high of over $70,500. However, hopes of challenging the all-time high of $73,800 were dashed as BTC plummeted by over $3,000 by Tuesday. Subsequent days saw further volatility, with BTC maintaining a range between $67,000 and $69,000, briefly attempting to surpass the latter on Thursday before being rejected, leading to a significant drop to $66,600 on Friday, its lowest price in about a week.

Bulls stepped in at this juncture, preventing further declines and causing BTC to spike by approximately $1,000, now hovering between $67,500 and $68,000. The total crypto market cap has shed about $20 billion in a day, now standing at $2.660 trillion, with BTC steadily maintaining its dominance over altcoins at 50% on CoinGecko.

Other Markets

Recent developments in the global financial landscape paint a picture of diverging interest rate trajectories. Alongside this, investors are being tempted with novel ETFs promising protection amidst market turmoil, even as the surge in loans masks various underlying risks of mounting losses due to defaults.

Meanwhile, Nvidia deciding to split its stock adds clarity to the concept of stock splits. In the midst of this, Saudi Aramco launches a bold share sale, while South Korea warns of potential capital outflows due to new taxes. Elsewhere, in South Africa, political tensions simmer as Zuma persists in his claims of voting irregularities, contrasting with the anticipated landslide victory for Narendra Modi in India.

Peru achieves its inflation target, with attention now turning to possible rate hikes. In the property market, existing home sales figures for Texas emerge amidst nationwide discontent over soaring prices. Nigeria grapples with escalating debt, prompting a pause in legislative discussions on central bank laws. In the realm of investments, concerns loom over the sustainability of the S&P 500 rally.

President Biden has vetoed legislation concerning crypto regulation that recently made its way through the House and Senate. The legislation aimed to counter guidance issued by the SEC, suggesting that specific companies should categorize crypto assets as liabilities on their balance sheets, even if they are merely holding the assets for clients.

Many, especially millennials and Gen Z, have argued that President Biden appears tone-deaf or out of touch with the youth of today due to his approach on certain policies, such as those related to student debt relief, climate change, and cryptocurrencies. 

Biden Will Not Budge

In a communication to the House of Representatives, President Biden expressed concerns that removing this guidance would impede the capacity of the SEC to enforce protections for investors. He stated that SAB 121 represents the informed technical perspectives of SEC staff regarding the accounting responsibilities of certain firms safeguarding crypto-assets.

Through the Congressional Review Act, he continued, this resolution led by Republicans could unduly limit the ability of the SEC to establish suitable safeguards and address future challenges. President Biden stressed that this could also undermine the broader authority of the SEC on accounting practices.

Uncertainty Looms

President Biden advocated for a regulatory framework balancing consumer protection and innovation, expressing a readiness to collaborate with Congress on comprehensive digital asset regulations. The legislation, led by Republicans, secured passage in the House with 228 votes in favor and 182 against, with 21 Democrats supporting. In the Senate, it passed 60 to 38, with eleven Democratic votes.

Unsurprisingly, the veto coincides with heightened attention on Bitcoin and crypto, including former President Donald Trump and his recent acceptance of crypto donations which occurred around the same time as the sudden reversal on Ethereum ETFs by the SEC, clearing the path for their imminent launch.

PEPE concluded its recent bullish surge with a decline of 15%. The meme cryptocurrency had a strong performance throughout May, with its price rising steeply. However, in the final days of the month, it experienced a downturn.

A Mixed Bag

According to CoinGecko, the asset started trading at approximately $0.0000061 and nearly tripled its value by reaching $0.0000170 at the beginning of this week. Following this peak on Monday, the frog-themed coin underwent a significant drop. Currently, it is trading around 0.0000143, indicating a decrease of over 15% from its high.

At one point in the last day, its price even fell below $0.0000132 before recovering somewhat, though the sustainability of this rebound remains uncertain. Despite this notable decline, investors who bought at the beginning of the month still hold substantial profits, with their holdings up over 134% during this period.

A Potential Rally

As a consequence of the recent downtrend, PEPE has shifted its position on the list of top cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Previously competing closely with Polygon (MATIC), it now ranks as the 21st largest asset in the sector. However, the gap to Litecoin (LTC) in 20th place is not substantial, raising the possibility of PEPE re-entering the Top 20 if its rebound persists.

Although PEPE experienced setbacks in its rally, data from IntoTheBlock indicates that it remains the most profitable meme coin based on the percentage of holders with unrealized profits. With a holder profitability ratio exceeding 90%, PEPE surpasses other popular meme coins like Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB). This high profitability ratio may contribute to increased likelihood of selloffs as investors seek to capitalize on their profits, potentially explaining the recent downturn in price.

The Turkish Interior Minister disclosed a significant crackdown on a crypto scamming platform in Ankara on Thursday. The operation targeted an alleged Ponzi scheme that has illicitly obtained over $1 billion in recent years.

Minister Ali Yerlikaya revealed that more than 100 individuals were apprehended in Ankara as part of operation CYBERGÖZ-42, which exposed the fraudulent activities of Smart Trade Coin STC within the country.

Another Ponzi Scheme

The scam allegedly involved enticing investors with promises of high profits and zero risks, purportedly guaranteed by the stop loss feature of the platform and advanced trading bots facilitating automatic transactions.

However, investigations revealed that the platform operated as a conventional Ponzi scheme, defrauding users of billions of dollars. Existing investors were incentivized to bring in new participants, whose investments sustained the scheme. Authorities conducted the operation across 21 provinces of Ankara, detaining 127 suspects for international fraud and money laundering. They seized assets worth 1 billion Turkish Lira, including properties, movable assets, unlicensed firearms, and various cryptocurrencies.

A Fraudulent History

Smart Trade Coin had faced allegations of fraudulent activities since 2021, with numerous complaints by Turkish investors. Despite protests and legal actions, including criminal complaints and estimated losses of $2 billion, no action had been taken.

Victims reported being coerced into taking loans and selling assets under false promises of substantial monthly profits, leading to financial ruin. In 2023, AI Multiple Research flagged Smart Trade Coin as a likely scam due to its unrealistic claims and opaque business practices. Cem Dilmegani, Head Analyst at AI Multiple, criticized the malicious marketing tactics and lack of transparency, concluding that it had operated as a scam all along.

PayPal declared that its PYUSD stablecoin is now operational on Solana (SOL), marking a notable shift with potential advantages for commercial applications. Solana, the blockchain network supporting the fifth largest cryptocurrency, SOL, seeks to rival Ethereum (ETH) by offering a faster platform for developers to craft various applications, including games and various decentralized finance (DeFi) apps.

Fast And Cost-Effective

The main distinguishing feature of Solana lies in its rapid and economical transactions, facilitating quick settlements. This was one of the main points of consideration for PayPal prior to their announcement.

Citing data via blockchain analytics platform Artemis, PayPal highlighted Solana as the most utilized blockchain for stablecoin transfers, positioning it as the premier blockchain for executing tokenized transactions, particularly well-suited for PYUSD in particular.  PayPal Senior Vice President of Blockchain, Crypto, and Digital Currency, Jose Fernandez da Ponte, emphasized that enabling PYUSD on the Solana blockchain advances their objective of establishing a digital currency with a stable value tailored for commerce and payments.

Acquiring PYUSD

PYUSD, a dollar-pegged stablecoin, is collateralized by cash equivalents and short-term treasuries. Launched by PayPal last year, PYUSD is issued by Paxos Trust Co. and currently operates on Ethereum as well. Additionally, Venmo users will soon gain access to purchase PYUSD, with availability expanding gradually over the coming weeks.

The stablecoin, Ethereum-based and backed by cash equivalents and short-term treasuries, was launched by PayPal in August, with Paxos Trust Co. issuing the token. Presently, users can acquire the stablecoin through prominent exchanges such as Crypto.com, Coinbase, and Kraken.