KEY

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission has approved virtual asset staking, and HashKey Exchange has been authorized to launch Ethereum ETF staking services

ChainCatcher news, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) officially announced on April 7 that it has issued regulatory guidelines regarding the provision of staking services to licensed virtual asset trading platforms, as well as guidelines for SFC-recognized funds investing in virtual assets (virtual asset funds) concerning their participation in staking activities. The virtual asset exchange HashKey Exchange received approval from the Hong Kong SFC on April 10 to become one of the first exchanges in Hong Kong authorized to provide staking services.The SFC stated in the announcement, "The SFC recognizes the potential benefits of staking in enhancing the security of blockchain networks and allowing investors to earn returns from virtual assets in a regulated market environment."In February this year, the SFC released the "Virtual Asset Development Roadmap" ("A-S-P-I-Re" framework) and proposed to consider expanding the range of virtual asset products under a regulatory framework, including providing staking, leverage, and lending services under clear guidelines.Terence Pu, Managing Director of HashKey Exchange, stated, "HashKey Exchange has built a staking service system that meets regulatory requirements, taking the lead in providing ETH staking services for spot ETFs, and is actively promoting staking services for all customers.This service relies on HashKey Cloud's excellent node operation capabilities to provide users with secure and compliant staking services. In the near future, investors will not only be able to hold Ethereum ETFs to earn staking returns but also hold ETH directly and earn additional returns through our staking services."

The cryptocurrency custody company Bakkt is facing a class action lawsuit for alleged "false statements and failure to disclose key information."

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, investors in Bakkt Holdings have filed a class action lawsuit against the company and its executives, accusing them of making false or misleading statements and failing to adequately disclose important information related to major clients Webull and Bank of America (BoA), allegedly violating U.S. securities laws.The group of investors claims in the lawsuit that losing Bank of America and Webull would result in a "73% loss in revenue." The documents state that for most of 2023 and 2024, Webull accounted for 74% of Bakkt's crypto services revenue, while Bank of America accounted for 17% of its loyalty services revenue from January to September 2024.On March 17, 2025, Bakkt disclosed that Bank of America and Webull had no intention of renewing the agreement set to expire in 2025, causing the company's stock price to drop more than 27% within the following 24 hours. Investors accuse Bakkt of "misrepresenting the stability and/or diversity of its crypto services revenue" and failing to disclose that this revenue "largely depended on" contracts with Webull. The lawsuit states: "As a result of the defendants' wrongful conduct and inaction, along with the sharp decline in the company's market value, the plaintiffs and other class members suffered significant losses and damages."

MEET48 completed its token round financing, led by Liang Xinjun, Hash Global, and Hashkey Capital

ChainCatcher news, focusing on the entertainment sector's AI-Agent and AIUGC creators and fan economy ecosystem MEET48 has announced the completion of its token round financing, with a fully diluted valuation (FDV) of $100 million. Co-founder of Fosun Group, Liang Xinjun, along with Hash Global and HashKey Capital, led the investment, with participation from Animoca Brands, Infinity Labs, Promontory, Oak Grove, and several Web3 individuals. The new funds will be used to support the development of its team and the creation of related AI products. The MEET48 ecosystem community will provide users with a one-click customization feature for virtual idol AI Idol-Agent, enabling various functions such as chatting, live streaming, and virtual performances, while efficiently generating AI images, texts, songs, and dance content using AIGC technology in the virtual music and dance vertical. Additionally, the community will offer an AI-exclusive creation tool, AIShowBOX, supporting 3D character customization, intelligent choreography, and other in-depth creations, assisting users in automated operations and global dissemination of Idol-Agent.The MEET48 community's supporting MEME cultivation and launch platform, MarsProtocol, will be launched on the BNB Chain, providing a tokenized trading platform for Meme creators and serving as a source of AI creators for the entire ecosystem community. Furthermore, the AI-AGENT social foundation of the MEET48 ecosystem, the AI-AGENT large-scale music and dance simulation game, and the AI-AGENT large-scale casual game will also be launched successively, all utilizing the same governance token for community incentives.
ChainCatcher Building the Web3 world with innovators