ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Bitwise's Head of Research for Europe, André Dragosch, stated that Bitcoin and gold are gaining market attention against the backdrop of a macroeconomic environment suggesting a potential shift in the dominance of the dollar.As the largest overseas holders of U.S. debt, China and Japan are reducing their holdings of U.S. Treasury bonds, raising concerns about the long-term demand for U.S. government bonds. Dragosch revealed that some foreign central banks have inquired with Bitwise in the U.S. about the possibility of shifting part of their U.S. bond investments to Bitcoin spot ETFs, and the Czech National Bank is also considering similar measures.

ChainCatcher news, Bitcoin mining company Riot Platforms announced the appointment of three new directors aimed at exploring potential opportunities in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC). The new directors include former Oxford Properties President Michael Turner, former Hut 8 Mining CEO Jaime Leverton, and data center development expert Doug Mouton, who has worked at Microsoft and Meta.Riot plans to utilize its Corsicana facility in Texas for AI workloads and has hired investment banks Evercore and Northland Capital Markets to assist with the transformation. This move aligns with industry trends, as Bitcoin mining companies are seeking to develop new revenue streams, such as hosting AI servers, in the context of rising energy costs and decreasing mining rewards. According to previous reports, Riot's competitor Core Scientific has been building AI infrastructure since 2019.

ChainCatcher news, Ave.ai's ecosystem director Jack confirmed attendance at the event "Trends and Rhythms of the New Web3 Cycle" held on February 19 during Consensus HK. Ave.ai is a leading on-chain cryptocurrency trading platform that integrates over 130 public blockchains and more than 300 decentralized exchanges (DEX). The platform provides on-chain data and token analysis, supporting applications, PC platforms, and trading bots, offering trading services to over 7 million users worldwide, enhancing the security and efficiency of trading.It is reported that the "Trends and Rhythms of the New Web3 Cycle" event will take place on February 19 from 14:00 to 18:00 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (28 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong), co-hosted by the well-known Web3 data company RootData and Asia's leading crypto media Chaincatcher. The salon will discuss hot topics of this crypto cycle, such as AI Agent, Memecoin, and RWA, providing direction for investors.

ChainCatcher news, according to FOX Business reporter Eleanor Terrett, two insiders have revealed that Trump has selected a list of candidates for the permanent head of the CFTC, with a16z crypto policy director and former CFTC commissioner Brian Quintenz at the top of the list. The White House has not immediately responded to a request for comment.

ChainCatcher News, the newly appointed acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) by President Trump, Russell Vought, has stated that he has cut off new funding sources for the agency and has reportedly asked staff to suspend all activities.Vought stated in a post on X on February 9: "I have informed the Federal Reserve that the CFPB will not draw down the next tranche of unallocated funds, as this is 'not reasonably necessary' for fulfilling its duties. Given the current fiscal environment, the agency's current balance of $711.6 million is actually excessive."It is understood that the agency was established to regulate financial companies such as banks and remittance companies, preventing them from engaging in abusive and predatory practices. It also accepts complaints against U.S. cryptocurrency exchanges.

ChainCatcher news, VanEck's Head of Digital Asset Research Matthew Sigel commented on X regarding the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve in the U.S., stating that a Bitcoin reserve can convey a symbolic message of leadership and innovation while providing a financial hedge against an uncertain future.Bitcoin is digital gold, and Bitcoin in a redefined SDR basket or held by the Treasury could provide a neutral alternative to politically influenced currencies, thereby indirectly strengthening the dollar. The most likely way to achieve this is through the U.S. government promoting this initiative.Bitcoin mining incentivizes the development of domestic energy infrastructure, including renewable energy, nuclear power, and grid resilience projects. This aligns with the strategic goals of U.S. energy independence and sustainability.With a strategic Bitcoin reserve, the U.S. will simultaneously ensure its dominance in energy infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and Bitcoin.

ChainCatcher news, but Grayscale's research director Zach Pandl stated in an interview that despite the slower-than-expected hiring pace in the U.S. in January, Bitcoin could potentially reach an all-time high in the first quarter of 2025. On February 7, U.S. officials reported that the country added 143,000 jobs in January, slightly below expectations.Pandl believes that the latest U.S. employment report may "reinforce expectations that the Federal Reserve will pause interest rate hikes for a while, but it is unlikely to lead to a substantial repricing." Pandl stated, "Bitcoin may respond calmly to the latest employment report. Bitcoin and other digital assets are benefiting from various policy-related tailwinds, including progress in stablecoin legislation."Therefore, he expects that "the cryptocurrency market will show a bullish bias." He noted, "As long as the stock market remains stable, Bitcoin could reach new highs later in the quarter."

ChainCatcher news, according to Caixin reports, Hao Gang, the former deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Financial Supervision, was sentenced to 11 years in the first instance. It is reported that Hao Gang was involved in Bitcoin money laundering and had assisted executives of a leading Bitcoin mining company in lifting border controls, with the amount of bribes possibly reaching tens of millions. Hao Gang previously served as the director of the Financial Risk Management Department of the Beijing Financial Bureau and became a member of the Party Leadership Group and deputy director of the Beijing Financial Bureau in August 2019, overseeing the risk line, until he was investigated in April 2023 for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.

ChainCatcher news, according to Caixin reports, former deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Financial Supervision and Administration, Hao Gang, was sentenced to 11 years in the first instance.Hao Gang was involved in Bitcoin money laundering and had assisted executives of a leading Bitcoin mining company in lifting travel restrictions, with the amount of bribes possibly reaching tens of millions. Hao Gang previously served as the director of the Financial Risk Management Department of the Beijing Financial Bureau and became a member of the Party Leadership Group and deputy director of the Beijing Financial Bureau in August 2019, overseeing the risk sector, until he was investigated in April 2023 for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.

ChainCatcher news, the crypto-friendly U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent quickly got to work after serving as the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Now, Bessent has essentially put the CFPB on lockdown.Staff will stop any lawsuits, investigations, or enforcement actions, and will refrain from making public statements. According to a memo, the effective date of any previously approved rules will also be suspended. This shift is seen as particularly beneficial for the crypto industry, which was also a target of former CFPB director Rohit Chopra. Last month, the CFPB proposed to expand the agency's electronic funds regulation to include cryptocurrencies.While the rule is unlikely to be finalized, the mere existence of such a proposal could impact pending litigation. The language in the proposal may also be adopted by various states, several of which have already enacted nearly identical electronic funds transfer regulations. The Trump administration has yet to nominate anyone to serve as the CFPB director.

ChainCatcher news, MicroStrategy is seeking to hire a new Director of Capital Markets, who will be responsible for leading all aspects of financial and capital market activities, including equity, convertible debt, and preferred stock issuance.The position involves close collaboration with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to execute financing plans, optimize the balance sheet, and ensure compliance with company policies. The ideal candidate should have experience in capital markets, structured finance, investment banking, private equity, or public equity investing, and possess a strong interest and understanding of Bitcoin.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Landon Zinda has resigned from his position as Policy Director at the cryptocurrency advocacy organization Coin Center to join the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) cryptocurrency working group. In an announcement on February 4, SEC Acting Chair Mark Uyeda stated that Zinda has joined the commission as a senior advisor to the cryptocurrency working group. The former Coin Center director will work alongside Chief of Staff Richard Gabbert and Chief Policy Advisor Taylor Asher in the group led by Commissioner Hester Peirce.Coin Center's Communications Director Neeraj Agrawal confirmed that Zinda "is no longer an employee of the organization." As of February 4, his name still appeared on Coin Center's website, and his LinkedIn profile indicated that he had been working at the advocacy organization since March 2023.The cryptocurrency working group was announced on January 21, with the aim of "helping the commission delineate clear regulatory boundaries, providing practical registration pathways, developing reasonable disclosure frameworks, and prudently deploying enforcement resources." The SEC stated that the group would coordinate with other federal agencies, including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

ChainCatcher news, according to Solid Intel, David Sacks, the White House AI and cryptocurrency chief appointed by Trump, will hold a press conference on February 4 at 2:30 PM EST (February 5 at 3:30 AM Beijing time), where he is expected to outline the U.S. government's leadership strategy in the digital asset space.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, former president and current director of the TON Foundation, Steve Yun, announced the establishment of a venture capital fund, TVM Ventures, in November 2024, with an initial scale of $100 million.The fund's capital comes from Yun himself and a TON miner, focusing on investments in DeFi and payment financial projects within the TON ecosystem. Currently, it has invested in 4 projects, including Factorial and Torch Finance.

ChainCatcher news, Gink, the chief researcher of the Web3 governance research institution AW Research, has joined ZEROBASE as the strategic director and will participate in building modules such as ZEROBASE staking/zkdarkpool/payment/governance.Gink stated: "Decentralization is a process of continuous optimization. Our goal is to find the best balance between privacy protection, regulatory compliance, and user experience, providing truly needed privacy protection solutions for high-value scenarios.At ZEROBASE, we believe that true decentralization is not just about the implementation of technology, but also about a profound understanding and meeting of user needs. We are committed to building an ecosystem that protects privacy while complying with regulatory requirements, allowing every user to find their own value within this ecosystem."

ChainCatcher news, according to Financefeeds, Agne Linge, the growth director of the DeFi platform WeFi, emphasized the importance of stablecoins during the "Web3: The Future Economy" panel discussion at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos.She pointed out that the current total market capitalization of stablecoins has reached $21.6 billion, making them an important financial tool in countries facing hyperinflation such as Argentina and Brazil. In emerging economies like Venezuela, the adoption rate of dollar-pegged stablecoins (especially USDT) has surged as citizens seek to protect their savings from the effects of hyperinflation.Linge expects the stablecoin market to grow to $3 trillion within the next five years.

ChainCatcher news, Grayscale's communications chief Jennifer Rosenthal will be leaving to join the DeFi Education Fund as the new Chief Communications Officer. Since 2021, Rosenthal has held various positions at Grayscale, during a critical time when the company was vying for a Bitcoin spot ETF.

ChainCatcher news, according to Matthew Sigel, Director of Digital Asset Research at VanEck, one of the world's top ten oil companies, Petrobras, has announced the launch of a new R&D project that includes Bitcoin mining and tokenization.