Coindesk

Christopher Wong, a former FBI Supervisory Special Agent and a leading figure in the agency’s cryptocurrency investigations, has joined blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs."Chris is not only one of the most talented and respected investigators in the world, he’s also an inspiring colleague who makes everyone around him better," Ari Redbord, global head of policy at TRM Labs, told CoinDesk. "He’s been a critical part of elite teams throughout his career, and now brings that same excellence to our mission at TRM." During his ten years with the FBI, Wong worked on some of the most high-stakes crypto crime cases to date. He co-led the investigation into the 2016 Bitfinex hack, which resulted in the largest crypto seizure in U.S....

Strategy (MSTR) has officially launched trading of its third "bitcoin-backed preferred stock", STRD, on the Nasdaq, with shares making their debut on Wednesday. The new security, formally named the 10% Series A Perpetual Stride Preferred Stock (STRD), closed the day slightly higher, gaining 0.24%. STRD offers a fixed 10% annual dividend, making it the highest-yielding instrument among Strategy’s capital offerings, which also include STRF and STRK. Unlike those, STRD is non-convertible and non-cumulative, meaning dividends are paid only when declared by the board and do not accrue if missed. Despite this added risk, the product is positioned to attract long-term investors seeking strong yield with no management fees.Strategy aims to raise nearly $1 billion through the offering by selling 11.76...

The international unit of Alipay owner Ant Group plans to seek stablecoin licenses in Hong Kong and Singapore, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.Ant International will apply for a stablecoin issuer's license once the regulatory regime comes into effect in August, according to the report, citing people familiar with the matter. The firm is also planning to apply for a similar license in its native Singapore, as well as Luxembourg.Hong Kong has been establishing a stablecoin regime since 2023, with the legislation expected to go into effect in August.Stablecoins are tokens pegged to the value of a traditional financial asset, such as a fiat currency, providing a counterweight to the volatility of BTC, ETH and other cryptos. As such they may...

Stablecoin-focused blockchain Plasma raised its deposit cap to $1 billion early Thursday — and hit that limit within 30 minutes.The new cap marks a doubling from the prior $500 million ceiling, which had itself been raised just days earlier following a community-driven outcry over bot activity and rapid sellout times. Plasma said the short-notice announcement was designed to give real users, such as those active in its Discord, a fairer shot at joining. But it’s not a token sale just yet.“Deposits are not the sale itself,” Plasma clarified in a post. “All funds remain fully owned by depositors and will be bridged to Plasma mainnet beta.” Participants earn the right to buy into the eventual $50 million XPL public sale...

Dogecoin DOGE experienced sharp swings over the past 24 hours, initially surging to 20 cents before falling to 19.1 cents, representing a 6.63% range. The meme coin formed a V-shaped recovery pattern late in the session, climbing back to $0.192 with rising volume, though resistance remains firm around just above 20 cents.News BackgroundDogecoin’s latest price action comes amid renewed interest in meme tokens following a series of crypto market shake-ups.Speculation around a possible DOGE ETF has gained traction, with Polymarket data indicating a 51% chance of SEC approval in 2025 — a development that could inject institutional capital into the market.Meanwhile, Dogecoin’s integration with Coinbase’s Base network is adding functional value, introducing wrapped DOGE into DeFi ecosystems for the first...