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Crypto Headlines of the Week: ECB Slams Bitcoin, Nigeria Blocks Exchanges

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The European Central Bank (ECB) has once again lashed out at Bitcoin, claiming that the recent approval of spot BTC ETFs changes nothing.

The central bank’s officials said Bitcoin’s fair value is zero, and the latest boom will spark massive collateral damage.

They claimed Bitcoin falls short in generating cash flow or other value-based returns, making it a poor investment.

While the ECB’s skepticism towards Bitcoin is not new, Nigeria is also growing skeptical of digital assets and crypto exchanges.

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In an effort to crack down on currency speculation while the naira tumbles to record lows, Nigeria has ordered telecom companies to restrict consumer access to the websites of companies like Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken.

Here are this week’s important crypto stories:

ECB Slams Bitcoin Again
The European Central Bank (ECB) has reiterated its position on Bitcoin, stating that the approval of spot ETFs for the cryptocurrency does not change its unsuitability as a means of payment or investment.

“We disagree with both claims and reiterate that the fair value of Bitcoin is still zero,” the central bank wrote.

ETF approval for Bitcoin – the naked emperor’s new clothes (ECB Blog)

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Kraken Files to Dismiss SEC Lawsuit
Crypto exchange Kraken has filed a motion to dismiss a November lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission that accuses the firm of failing to register with the agency and commingling customer funds. The exchange contended that the SEC’s enforcement action came as retaliation for political speech.

Kraken moves to dismiss SEC lawsuit, citing retaliation from ‘a politically compromised agency’ (Fortune)

Nigeria Blocks Major Crypto Exchanges
Authorities in Nigeria have blocked access to some of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges as the government tries to crack down on currency speculation while the naira tumbles to record lows.

On Wednesday, the country’s telecom regulator ordered telecom companies to restrict consumer access to the websites of companies like Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken.

Nigeria blocks access to crypto exchanges in an effort to curb currency slide (The Financial Times)

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FTX Cleared to Sell Stake in AI Startup
A US judge has ruled that bankrupt crypto exchange FTX may sell its shares in artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

US Bankruptcy Judge John Dorsey in Wilmington, Delaware, approved FTX’s proposal to sell the shares after FTX reached a compromise in court with a group of FTX customers that had opposed the sale.

Crypto exchange FTX to sell shares in AI startup Anthropic (Reuters)

Jack Dorsey’s Block Gains Big From Bitcoin Bet
Fintech company Block has reported a remeasurement gain of $207 million on its Bitcoin holdings. As of December 31, 2023, Block held approximately 8,038 BTC for investment purposes with a fair value of $340 million.

The Jack Dorsey-owned company made $66 million in gross profit on bitcoin sales last quarter through Cash App, a banking services platform, representing a 90% increase year over year.

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Jack Dorsey’s Block Is Sitting on $207M Gain on Its Bitcoin Bet (CoinDesk)

Reddit Now Holds Bitcoin
Social media platform Reddit has revealed investments in Bitcoin and Ethereum using some of its excess cash reserves. This was included in the SEC filings as part of its preparations for the company’s initial public offering (IPO).

Still, the exact amount invested in these leading cryptocurrencies remains undisclosed.

Reddit says it invested ‘excess cash reserves’ in Bitcoin, ether (Blockworks)

Crypto Super PAC Continues to Raise Funds
Crypto-friendly super PAC Fairshake received $6.8 million in funding last month, including $4.9 million from Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. Fairshake has quickly become one of the most popular super PACs for crypto-friendly donors this election cycle.

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Crypto Super PAC Fairshake Raised $6.8 Million From Winklevoss Twins and VCs in January (Decrypt)

Major ETF Issuers Talk About Crypto in Miami Conference
The discussion on the spot Bitcoin ETFs was the most well-attended panel of the entire Exchange ETF Conference in Miami Beach, Florida, so much so that the staff ran out of the headphones attendees were provided with to listen to the speakers.

Crypto no longer outsider at famed Miami Beach ETF conference (Fox Business)

Retail Investors Were Behind Recent Crypto Rally
Retail investors were likely responsible for the strong crypto market rally in February, JPMorgan said in a recent research report.

The bank said that the anticipation of “the bitcoin halving event, the next major upgrade of the Ethereum network, and the prospect of approval of spot ether ETFs by the SEC in May” attracted retail participation.

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JPMorgan Sees Retail Traders Jump Back Into Crypto Markets in February (Bloomberg)

South Korean Province Collects $4.6M in Crypto Tax
South Korea’s most populated province, Gyeonggi, has collected $4.6 million from crypto tax evaders. Using a new system, the province found 5,910 people who owed more than $2262 each. The $4.6 million collected so far has been from only 2,390 people last year.

South Korean province implements digital system to track tax evaders’ crypto (Cointelegraph)

The Bottom Line
The ECB has reiterated its critical stance on Bitcoin, despite the recent approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs, maintaining that Bitcoin’s intrinsic value remains at zero. Meanwhile, Nigeria is taking steps to limit cryptocurrency engagement amid concerns over financial stability.

Source: Techopedia

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Bitget Blockchain4Youth sostiene l’innovazione del Web3 e dell’IA all’hackathon “Build with AI” di Google Developer Group

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Bitget, società Web3 e uno dei principali exchange di criptovalute, ha ottenuto un riscontro significativo in occasione del recente hackathon “Build with AI”, tenutosi dal 2 al 5 maggio 2025 presso la Constructor University. Spingendosi oltre la semplice sponsorizzazione, l’iniziativa Blockchain4Youth di Bitget ha coinvolto attivamente più di 130 studenti di talento.

L’evento, organizzato dai Google Developer Groups (GDG) on Campus, ha offerto a Bitget uno spazio dinamico per entrare in contatto diretto con gli innovatori tecnologici di nuova generazione. Nel corso di una presentazione dedicata, è stato introdotto il programma Blockchain4Youth Builder, che mostra l’impegno di Bitget nel formare giovani talenti all’interno dello spazio del Web3. Questa partecipazione evidenzia l’approccio lungimirante di Bitget nell’integrare la formazione in materia di blockchain con i settori emergenti come l’IA, riconoscendo il loro potenziale combinato.

Gli studenti hanno lavorato alla creazione di modelli basati sull’IA e di prodotti in fase iniziale utilizzando gli strumenti avanzati di Google, mentre la presenza di Bitget ha offerto una prospettiva unica su come la blockchain possa migliorare ed essere integrata nelle soluzioni di IA. Questa interazione con il mondo reale ha fornito preziose indicazioni agli studenti, colmando il gap tra conoscenze teoriche e applicazione pratica all’interno del panorama tecnologico in rapida evoluzione.

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“La formazione rimane un principio fondamentale della nostra missione e, attraverso iniziative come Blockchain4Youth, intendiamo fornire alle nuove generazioni le competenze necessarie non solo per esplorare, ma anche per plasmare attivamente questo settore dinamico”, ha commentato Vugar Usi Zade, COO di Bitget. “Collaborare con comunità come il Google Developer Group offre una base preziosa per connettersi con talenti di spicco e aiutarli nel percorso di utilizzo della blockchain per creare soluzioni di impatto. Blockchain4Youth continuerà a espandere la sua portata, favorendo la crescita dei futuri leader del Web3 in grado di cogliere le numerose opportunità offerte da questa tecnologia”.

Il coinvolgimento mostrato all’hackathon “Build with AI” di GDG è un elemento chiave del più ampio programma Blockchain4Youth di Bitget, l’iniziativa aziendale dedicata alla Responsabilità Sociale d’Impresa (RSI). Questo programma mira a favorire la prossima generazione di leader Web3 attraverso opportunità formative ed esperienze pratiche.

Tra le iniziative più recenti del programma Blockchain4Youth c’è il lancio del Graduate Program di Bitget, concepito per reclutare i migliori laureati nel settore blockchain e Web3. Inoltre, l’espansione del programma Bitget Builders continua a fornire agli individui più promettenti del Web3 un’esperienza diretta attraverso gli eventi offline, i programmi formativi e la crescita strategica della community.

A proposito di Bitget

Fondata nel 2018, Bitget è una società Web3 tra i principali exchange di criptovalute al mondo. Con oltre 100 milioni di utenti in più di 150 Paesi e aree geografiche, l’exchange Bitget si impegna ad aiutare gli utenti a fare trading in modo più smart con la sua pionieristica funzione di copy trading e altre soluzioni di trading.

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India’s Fintech Market to Reach $990 Billion by 2032 at 30.2% CAGR – Fintech Firms Eye Untapped Indian Digital Payments Market with Secure, Low-Cost Digital Financial Solutions

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Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 9, 2025 | Robinhood, Solana, Tether, China, Women in Web3

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Today’s blockchain landscape pulses with innovation, expansion and strategic jockeying. From established trading platforms laying the groundwork for international tokenized US asset markets to fresh efforts empowering women in Web3, the industry is evolving at frantic pace. Solana-based tokenization pathways, China’s state-driven blockchain masterplan and Tether’s push onto new Layer-1 rails further underscore diversification. In this daily op-ed, we unpack five major developments—examining what they mean for DeFi growth, NFT marketplaces, regulatory contours and the ongoing quest for greater inclusivity in crypto.


1. Robinhood’s European Blockchain Trading Ambitions

News Summary
Robinhood Markets Inc. is reportedly constructing its own blockchain infrastructure to facilitate trading of U.S. equities and other assets in European markets. Insiders suggest the project seeks to leverage distributed-ledger technology for settlement efficiency, near-real-time clearing and reduced reliance on legacy central counterparties. The move signals Robinhood’s ambition to transcend its domestic brokerage roots and capture European retail and institutional order flow.

Key Details

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  • Infrastructure Build: A private, permissioned ledger governed by Robinhood and selected counterparties.

  • Asset Scope: U.S. equities, ETFs and potentially tokenized debt instruments.

  • Regulatory Interface: Engagements with the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to align on custody and market-making rules.

  • Timeline: Internal pilots slated for Q4 2025, with public rollout in mid-2026.

Analysis & Opinion
Robinhood’s pivot underscores a broader industry trend: exchanges and brokerages striving to “own the rails” rather than simply interface with existing clearinghouses. By internalizing settlement on a bespoke blockchain, Robinhood hopes to slash settlement times from T+2 to near-instant, a boon for liquidity providers and high-frequency traders. However, risks include the complexity of cross-border regulatory compliance and the operational challenge of maintaining robust on-chain and off-chain reconciliations.

From a DeFi convergence standpoint, Robinhood’s ledger could bridge traditional and decentralized finance, enabling tokenized margin lending and programmable corporate actions directly on-chain. Should Robinhood open permission to DeFi protocols, we may witness new hybrid liquidity pools that blend CEX order books with AMM liquidity. This would mark a milestone in mainstream DeFi adoption—and potentially pressure incumbents like Nasdaq to innovate their own on-chain settlement layers.

Source: Bloomberg


2. Women in Web3: Cultivating Greater Gender Diversity

News Summary
A recent deep-dive from Cointelegraph spotlights the persistent gender gap in blockchain and crypto. Despite Web3’s ethos of decentralization, women represent less than 20 percent of crypto investors and under 10 percent of core development teams. The article outlines initiatives—from targeted grants and incubation programs to mentorship networks—aimed at lowering barriers and attracting more female talent.

Key Details

  • Current Statistics: Women account for approximately 17 percent of crypto traders globally; in development, the share dips below 8 percent.

  • Notable Initiatives:

    • Women in Blockchain Fund: USD 50 million allocated for early-stage female founders.

    • Global Web3 Sisters Network: Mentorship platform pairing novices with veteran executives.

    • University Partnerships: Scholarships for women studying blockchain engineering and cryptography.

Analysis & Opinion
Web3’s promise of equal-opportunity innovation rings hollow if half the population remains sidelined. Heightened grant funding and mentorship can help, but systemic change requires cultural shifts within DAOs, core teams and investor circles. Projects and protocols must adopt policies—like blind code reviews, diversity hiring quotas and inclusive governance frameworks—to ensure sustainable participation.

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Moreover, as the industry grapples with regulatory scrutiny, diverse leadership can foster better risk management and community trust. Women leaders have often been at the forefront of compliance, ethics and consumer protection—even in traditional finance—qualities sorely needed in crypto’s maturing phase. Token projects that embed gender-diverse advisory boards may see stronger reputational profiles and wider community buy-in.

Source: Cointelegraph


3. SOL Strategies: Tokenizing Shares on Solana

News Summary
SOL Strategies, a financial-services startup, is exploring a pathway to tokenize private and publicly traded shares on the Solana blockchain. Their recently filed whitepaper proposes a framework where equity is represented as SPL tokens, enabling fractional ownership, 24/7 trading and programmable dividend distributions.

Key Details

  • Token Standard: Extension of Solana Program Library (SPL) with “Equity Token” schema.

  • Custody Model: Licensed custodian holds underlying shares; token holders have legal claim via smart-contract link.

  • Compliance Layer: On-chain KYC/AML middleware to restrict token transfers to approved wallets.

  • Pilot Partners: Early engagements with two mid-cap European tech firms eyeing capital-raising via tokenization.

Analysis & Opinion
Tokenized equity stands to revolutionize capital markets by lowering minimum investment thresholds and unlocking global liquidity. On Solana, with its sub-second finality and low fees, fractional shares could trade seamlessly—outpacing Ethereum’s scalability challenges. Yet the critical hurdle lies in regulatory acceptance: will securities regulators view these tokens as bona fide equity or as unregistered securities?

SOL Strategies’ integrated custody approach could mollify regulators, replicating existing T+2 standards while enabling T+0 settlement on-chain. Should they secure regulatory sandbox approvals in the U.K. or Singapore, other blockchains—like Stellar and Polkadot—may race to develop similar tokenization toolkits. For DeFi protocols, tokenized equities could become collateral in lending pools, further intertwining traditional and decentralized finance.

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Source: Newsfile Corp.


4. China’s Blockchain Playbook: Infrastructure, Influence & New Frontiers

News Summary
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published an extensive analysis of China’s state-driven blockchain strategy. Beyond its digital yuan rollout, Beijing is investing in cross-border infrastructure, influencing global standards bodies and forging Belt and Road blockchain corridors across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Key Details

  • Key Initiatives:

    • BSN 2.0: Blueprint for national and international consortium chains.

    • International Standards: Active lobbying in ISO/TC 307 for governance models favoring state-actors.

    • Tech Diplomacy: Blockchain MOUs with Pakistan, Indonesia and several African union members.

  • Strategic Goals: Extend digital yuan acceptance, export Chinese ledger tech, shape global governance.

Analysis & Opinion
China’s multi-pronged approach signals blockchain’s emergence as a theater of geopolitical competition. By undercutting SWIFT dependency and offering turnkey consortium-chain solutions, Beijing enhances its financial influence in Belt and Road countries. Western governments and multinationals must navigate this blockchain bifurcation—between open public rails and permissioned state-backed consortia.

For crypto projects, the CSIS report offers both caution and opportunity. While the digital yuan may corner state-aligned corridors, decentralized networks remain resilient by design. Projects focusing on interoperability—such as Polkadot bridges and Cosmos IBC—can link fragmented chains and preserve open value transfer. Investors should monitor on-chain metrics in emerging markets, as Chinese-backed consortium chains gain traction in cross-border trade finance.

Source: CSIS


5. Tether Expands Stablecoin Reach to 196 Million Users via Kaia

News Summary
Tether has launched USDT on the Kaia blockchain, bringing its flagship stablecoin to Kaia’s user base of approximately 196 million. Kaia, a burgeoning Layer-1 optimized for high-throughput mobile applications, opens new corridors for USDT in gaming, remittances and micro-trading in emerging markets.

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Key Details

  • Technical Integration: USDT issued as a native Kaia token, supported by Tether’s reserve-backing audit framework.

  • User Impact: Near-zero fees for micro-transactions; sub-second confirmation times even on mobile networks.

  • Partnership Scope: Integration with Kaia’s wallet SDK and gaming marketplace; joint launch of an educational DApp for fiat-on-ramp literacy.

Analysis & Opinion
By deploying on Kaia, Tether diversifies its blockchain footprint beyond Ethereum, Tron and Solana, underscoring a multi-chain thesis for stablecoin ubiquity. Emerging-market users—often plagued by volatile local currencies—stand to benefit immensely from a mobile-first, low-cost remittance rail. Moreover, Kaia’s developer incentives may spawn DeFi lending dApps collateralized by USDT, fueling localized credit markets.

Yet healthy competition among blockchains for stablecoin volume could concentrate risk: reserve transparency, network stability and regulatory compliance will differentiate winners. Tether’s public attestations and reserve audits are critical, but as US regulators intensify scrutiny on stablecoin giants, projects deploying on smaller chains may face fresh legal complexities around money-transmission licensing.

Source: Bitcoin.com


Conclusion & Key Takeaways

  • Institutional On-ramp Acceleration: Robinhood’s European chain signals major brokerages view blockchain as core infrastructure—not mere gadget.

  • Inclusivity Imperative: Women’s underrepresentation remains a blindspot; targeted grants and cultural reforms are needed for equal Web3 participation.

  • Tokenization Tide: Solana’s high-speed rails may host the next wave of equity tokens, bridging capital markets and DeFi.

  • Geopolitical Battlegrounds: China’s consortium chains and digital-yuan corridors illustrate how blockchain is reshaping global influence.

  • Stablecoin Multichain Strategy: Tether’s Kaia integration reflects the logic of diversifying rails to reach underserved, mobile-first users.

As blockchain advances, the interplay between technological innovation, regulatory frameworks and social inclusion will define whether the next chapter of crypto fulfills its vision of open, equitable finance—or replicates old hierarchies in digital garb. Today’s headlines underscore that the path forward lies in cross-chain interoperability, proactive policy-shaping, and a relentless focus on broadening the community that stewards and benefits from these transformative networks.

The post Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 9, 2025 | Robinhood, Solana, Tether, China, Women in Web3 appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.

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