ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, six digital economy industry associations in the UK recently jointly wrote to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office, urging the government to appoint a cryptocurrency envoy and develop a special development plan for digital assets. The letter, submitted on March 31, was directly presented to the Prime Minister's special advisor on business and investment, Varun Chandra, emphasizing the need for the UK to "strengthen strategic focus" to promote investment, employment, and economic growth in the cryptocurrency sector.The alliance members include the UK Crypto Asset Business Council, the Global Digital Finance Association, the Payments Association, the Digital Currency Governance Group, the Crypto Innovation Committee, and TechUK.

ChainCatcher news, according to a report by Cointelegraph, the latest report from Google's Threat Analysis Group (GTIG) indicates that IT personnel associated with North Korea are expanding their infiltration targets to blockchain companies outside the United States. As U.S. regulatory scrutiny tightens, these technical spies have infiltrated cryptocurrency projects in the UK. The report notes that while the U.S. remains a primary target, increasingly stringent employment checks are forcing North Korean IT personnel to seek jobs with non-U.S. companies. These individuals are building a global operational network through identity fraud, with their infiltration scope covering traditional web development as well as blockchain applications like Solana and Anchor smart contracts.

ChainCatcher news, BlackRock has obtained approval from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to register as a cryptocurrency company, which means this investment giant can offer crypto services in the UK.According to the regulator's website, on April 1, BlackRock became the 51st cryptocurrency asset company registered with the agency, joining the ranks of companies like Coinbase, PayPal, and Revolut. The agency has faced criticism from the crypto industry in the past for approving only about 14% of registration applications, and the FCA stated on its website: "We rejected submissions that did not contain the key components required for assessment, or submissions that were invalid due to poor quality of key components."

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, Pantheon Macroeconomics has stated that Donald Trump may introduce further tariffs this week, and this shadow is troubling the UK economy.The firm indicated that Trump has set Wednesday as the date for imposing reciprocal trade tariffs, a move that could "trigger a global trade war where everyone loses." Economists wrote in a report that Trump may cut planned trade tariffs, but uncertainty will still weigh on business investment, thereby affecting the growth of the UK economy.

ChainCatcher news, a MailOnline investigation shows that since April 2024, UK authorities have frozen illegal cryptocurrency assets worth approximately $7.7 million (£6 million).Last year, the UK revised relevant regulations, granting the National Crime Agency (NCA) and police special powers to freeze, seize, and destroy cryptocurrencies associated with crime and criminals. These powers allow the police to freeze cryptocurrency wallets for up to three years. If the court is convinced that these funds originate from illegal sources or will be used for criminal purposes, officials can also seize these assets. This special power also enables law enforcement to seize any cryptocurrency wallets suspected of being linked to criminal organizations without the need for an arrest. Authorities have also been granted the power to destroy these assets if they believe that reintroducing the seized cryptocurrency into circulation "is not in the public interest." This may include privacy coins commonly used by criminals to obscure the source of funds.According to court documents analyzed by MailOnline, the largest freezing order was issued for a wallet held on Coinbase. This wallet contains tokens worth $1.94 million (£1.5 million). The freezing order was issued by the Newcastle upon Tyne Magistrates' Court on March 18. The court order was applied for by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), indicating that the case may be related to tax evasion. The identity of the wallet owner remains a mystery.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, the UK Home Secretary stated that the possibility of taking countermeasures against US tariffs cannot be ruled out.

ChainCatcher news, the pound fell after the latest UK inflation data came in below expectations. The UK inflation rate dropped from 3.0% in January to 2.8% in February, while the core inflation rate decreased from 3.7% to 3.5%.However, Pepperstone strategist Michael Brown stated that this data seems unlikely to materially change the Bank of England's policy outlook, especially as the central bank reiterated that it will gradually cut interest rates in the future.

ChainCatcher news, according to Financefeeds, eToro has announced that users in the UK and Europe can now transfer cryptocurrency assets held in other exchanges, brokers, or other blockchain wallets to the eToro crypto wallet, and convert the cryptocurrency assets they hold into cash for trading and investing across multiple asset classes on eToro's investment platform.Eligible eToro users holding BTC or ETH in external wallets or exchanges can transfer these cryptocurrency assets to their eToro crypto wallet and exchange them for local currency in their GBP or EUR accounts.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, Lisa Gordon, chairman of the British investment bank Cavendish, has proposed taxing cryptocurrency purchases to encourage more investors to invest in the UK stock market. She suggested introducing a cryptocurrency transaction tax similar to the 0.5% stamp duty on stocks on the London Stock Exchange, which currently brings substantial revenue to the government.Gordon believes this move could shift investment towards stocks, helping to fund innovative UK companies and support the broader economy. She emphasized that more than half of Britons under 45 own cryptocurrencies rather than stocks, and she thinks reallocating some capital could enhance economic productivity. Despite the growing holdings of cryptocurrencies, Gordon referred to them as "non-productive assets" that contribute little to the economy.She also mentioned that due to the cost of living crisis, many people are cutting back on investments, making it even more necessary to direct limited funds towards assets that can drive economic growth.

ChainCatcher news, NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin attended the NVIDIA GTC conference and shared the latest research findings of NEAR AI in achieving confidential machine learning and decentralized AI computing.New cloud approaches can be used to train, fine-tune, and utilize AI models and agents, addressing several key challenges today: privacy (users can use AI models without disclosing personal data to the entity hosting the model), open source (models are open, transparent, and verifiable), sustainable economy (model creators can earn income from their work even in a decentralized environment), and community collaboration (groups can collaboratively develop AI models, sharing costs and profits without requiring absolute trust among participants).

ChainCatcher news, according to Mario Nawfal, the UK has seen a surge in social media hacking incidents, with cases rising from 22,530 in 2023 to 35,434 in 2024. Hackers typically take over social media or email accounts, impersonating users and tricking their friends into providing security codes.On this, on-chain detective ZachXBT stated that the penalties for cybercrime in the UK are relatively low, and even when scams are reported, offenders often do not face substantial punishment. Additionally, law enforcement agencies also face resource shortages when dealing with such cases.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, President Trump will discuss a peace agreement for Ukraine with Putin and may announce this news on Tuesday.Trump stated that the "likelihood of reaching an agreement is very high."

ChainCatcher news, according to Decrypt, the UK Court of Appeal has rejected a request from a Welsh man to excavate a landfill, claiming that his hard drive was discarded there over a decade ago, containing $676 million worth of Bitcoin.It is reported that the software engineer mined the lost Bitcoin in 2009, and in 2013, his former partner threw away the hard drive, which contained the keys to 8,000 Bitcoins. He subsequently launched a lengthy legal battle to gain the right to search the landfill for the Bitcoin hard drive.

ChainCatcher news, according to British media Sky News, British police and prosecutors have stated that an official from the National Crime Agency (NCA) has been charged with stealing nearly £60,000 worth of Bitcoin during an investigation into organized cybercrime.A spokesperson for Merseyside Police stated that 42-year-old Paul Chowles has been charged with 15 offenses related to the alleged theft of 50 Bitcoins in 2017. Eight years ago, the value of these cryptocurrencies was nearly £60,000, while their current value exceeds £3 million. Chowles is scheduled to appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court next month.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jin10 report, the UK Treasury stated that there are "no plans" to introduce a US-style Bitcoin reserve.

ChainCatcher news, according to official sources, the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has announced that it has officially obtained the Electronic Money Institution (EMI) authorization issued by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), allowing it to issue electronic money, thereby accelerating deposit and withdrawal speeds for customers and enhancing its market position in the UK.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, television footage shows South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol walking out of the Seoul detention center.Yoon Suk-yeol's lawyer stated that there are procedural and substantive issues regarding Yoon Suk-yeol's detention. His release marks the beginning of the restoration of the rule of law.

ChainCatcher news, the blockchain gaming public chain Oasys announced on social media that it has launched the token creation platform Yukichi.fun. The platform allows users to quickly create personalized tokens using OAS and other tokens.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cryptoslate, Ukraine is advancing the process of legalizing cryptocurrency, with lawmakers expected to vote on the bill in the coming months. However, there is still uncertainty regarding how digital assets will be taxed. Ukraine is exploring setting the cryptocurrency tax rate between 5% and 10%. However, officials are also considering adopting a standard tax framework, which would impose an 18% income tax plus a 5% military tax, bringing the total tax burden on crypto income to 23%. The final decision is still under discussion, with legislation expected to be completed by mid-2025.

ChainCatcher message: According to an announcement from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK, between December 30, 2021, and March 12, 2022, London resident Osunkoya operated unregistered cryptocurrency ATMs at 28 different locations through his company GidiPlus Ltd, with a value exceeding £2.5 million. He was ultimately sentenced to 4 years in prison. This ruling marks the first time in the UK that someone has been sentenced for unregistered crypto asset activities.Previously, the FCA collaborated with law enforcement agencies to crack down on illegal crypto ATMs nationwide. In 2023, the FCA visited 38 locations and dismantled 30 machines. The number of crypto ATMs advertised on CoinATMRadar in the UK has decreased from over 80 in 2022 to zero in 2024.