• AEW ventures into the NFT space amidst declining engagement of WWE Moonsaults.
• North Korean crypto wallets sanctioned; Binance says it helped Treasury seize $4.4M.
• Coinbase’s Base announces mainnet plans as Aave community expresses interest.
AEW Ventures Into NFT Space
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has ventured into the non-fungible token (NFT) space despite declining engagement from WWE’s Moonsault platform. North Korean crypto wallets have been sanctioned, and Binance says it assisted the U.S. Treasury in seizing $4.4 million worth of funds. Additionally, Coinbase’s Base project announced its mainnet plans as the Aave community shows interest in it .
Sanctions on North Korean Crypto Wallets
The U.S Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on two North Korean crypto wallets suspected of laundering money for Pyongyang’s nuclear program and other illicit activities such as hacking operations and money laundering schemes . Binance confirmed that they had played a role in helping with this investigation, saying: “We are proud to be able to assist the US government by providing actionable intelligence related to these transactions.“
Coinbase’s Base Announces Mainnet Plans
Coinbase’s Base project recently announced its plans to launch its own mainnet and is currently looking into integrating DeFi protocols like Aave, MakerDAO, Compound, Uniswap and others onto their network . The move will enable users to easily access decentralized financial services directly from Coinbase without having to go through third parties or multiple exchanges . The announcement sparked widespread interest within the Aave community which views this as an opportunity to access more potential users who may not necessarily have access to other DeFi protocols due to limited liquidity or geographical restrictions.
BTC-e Founder Accused Of Money Laundering
Alexander Vinnik, founder of now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e is accused of money laundering and seeks to be freed in prisoner swap agreement between France and Russia . Vinnik was arrested in Greece in 2017 at France’s request on charges of fraud and money laundering related to his involvement with BTC-e , which was shut down after US authorities alleged it facilitated criminal activities such as drug trafficking . He is currently serving a five year sentence in a Russian prison but wants his case transferred back France where he faces up to 10 years imprisonment if convicted .
ECB’s Panetta Deems Digital Euro Necessary
European Central Bank Executive Board Member Daniele Nouy said digital euro could help ensure central bank rule over private currencies such as bitcoin (BTC). Nouy said that the ECB must take steps towards issuing a digital euro before private cryptocurrencies gain too much traction . She said: “It is necessary for us as central banks that we stay ahead of these developments so that we can ensure our monetary policy effectiveness.“ This development comes just days after ECB President Christine Lagarde also called for urgent action regarding digital euro issuance in order prevent private cryptocurrencies from taking over Europe’s payments market share.