ChainCatcher news, according to official news, FTX will begin initial distributions to allowed claim holders in its Chapter 11 restructuring convenience class on February 18, 2025. The initial distribution is limited to claim holders in the convenience class allowed by the plan prior to the completion of the distribution. Eligible creditors should receive their distribution within 1 to 3 business days starting from February 18, 2025.

ChainCatcher message, X user @Fitny4 stated that technology can be used for good, calling for the promotion of cryptocurrency towards socially impactful sustainable business models.Zhao Changpeng responded, "I agree. Right now, we are seeing a lot of movement in these new areas. Blockchain is not just for transactions."

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, against the backdrop of most financial institutions refusing to provide services to crypto companies, ATB Financial, wholly owned by the Government of Alberta, has become one of the most reliable banking partners for the crypto and blockchain industry in the country.This initiative aligns with the Alberta government's strategy to generate billions in revenue from blockchain enterprises.

According to ChainCatcher news from the official blog, the CeDeFi protocol BounceBit has released its strategic plan for 2025, focusing on the development of institutional-level CeDeFi and real-world asset (RWA) businesses. The platform plans to launch its flagship product BounceBit Prime for institutions in Q1, with subsequent developments in the RWA credit market, settlement and clearing systems, etc., from Q2 to Q4.It is reported that BounceBit's total locked value (TVL) has grown from $200 million to $700 million by Q4 2024, with protocol revenue exceeding $2.5 million for two consecutive months. The platform has currently established a strategic partnership with the largest listed Bitcoin holder in Asia, Boyaa Interactive (HKG: 0434).

ChainCatcher news, Pudgy Penguins CEO Luca Netz stated in an interview with Odaily Planet Daily: "We will announce some latest news soon, including several offline stores in South Korea.We have been advancing brand collaborations, and last year the sales of Pudgy Penguins toys exceeded 2 million, with excellent sales performance. In just December 2024, we sold about 400,000 toys, setting the best record to date.Regarding business balance, our team currently has 65 people, with 20 members in the crypto field; 45 in the IP field. Clear division of labor brings better business balance."

ChainCatcher news, the cryptocurrency payment company Alchemy Pay announced that it has invested in the South Korean electronic financial platform EZPG Co., Ltd., and has obtained the electronic financial business registration qualification regulated by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) of South Korea.This investment enables Alchemy Pay to offer fiat and cryptocurrency exchange services in the South Korean market through potential collaborations with local payment giants such as KakaoPay, Naver Pay, and PAYCO.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, two companies in the field of encrypted data storage, Textile and 3Box Labs, have announced a full stock merger agreement. The merged company will retain the Textile brand and will be led by current CEO Andrew Hill.3Box Labs co-founder Michael Sena stated that the two companies previously had overlapping products and will work together to build blockchain data infrastructure in the future. The new company plans to create a "smart layer for the multi-agent economy," providing data storage, access, and verification services for AI agents. Hill emphasized that blockchain provides a natural platform for AI agent operations, enabling data interaction and alpha trading between agents.

ChainCatcher news, DWF Labs announced the launch of its options business DWF Options, to help traders gain flexible trading strategies and risk management solutions.

ChainCatcher news, Ethereum development company ConsenSys founder Joseph Lubin stated on the X platform that, to his knowledge, a project from the Trump family recently purchased over $250 million worth of ETH with the aim of establishing a DeFi business.

ChainCatcher news, according to TASS, Russia's largest energy supplier Rosseti plans to launch a cryptocurrency mining business, allowing specific power supply centers to collaborate with Bitcoin mining companies.Rosseti stated that the company will act as "the operator coordinating the deployment of crypto mining infrastructure," focusing on "low-utilization power supply centers." Cryptocurrency mining can not only improve the utilization of idle capacity but also increase grid load and tariff revenue, thereby promoting the development of the Russian economy and tax growth. Rosseti is exploring various tools to incentivize low-load power centers to participate in mining, including adopting special electricity pricing policies while leveraging the grid's load management capabilities to ensure the reliability of power supply.

ChainCatcher news, according to Coindesk, the cryptocurrency exchange and AI-driven investment firm Smart Valor is exploring the possibility of selling all or part of its business.Its CEO and co-founder Olga Feldmeier stated that the company is conducting a strategic review after receiving a series of inquiries from large exchanges worldwide, cryptocurrency platforms, and traditional financial (TradFi) institutions, including banks and trading platforms.Two insiders said that advisors are conducting an auction, with a bid deadline of January 24. Several companies are expected to bid for the regulated exchange business, and a few have completed due diligence and may also participate in the auction.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated that the U.S. crypto regulatory environment may improve after Trump's victory, and the company is considering expanding its business layout in the U.S. Meanwhile, Tether is expected to perform strongly in profits in 2024, significantly exceeding the previous forecast of $10 billion, partly due to the 120% increase in the value of its Bitcoin holdings.Recently, Tether also invested $775 million in the U.S. publicly listed company Rumble and plans to strengthen its lobbying efforts in the U.S., having hired former PayPal executive Jesse Spiro to handle government relations.In addition, the company will soon complete the construction of its new headquarters in El Salvador and plans to establish a "Tether Tower" skyscraper in the country in the future. Tether's parent company iFinex will relocate entirely to El Salvador and is expected to expand its workforce by hundreds in the local area.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, Swiss state-owned bank PostFinance is expanding its cryptocurrency business through Ethereum staking, allowing Ethereum holders to earn passive income.According to a statement on Thursday, PostFinance will add staking for other tokens "in the near future."

ChainCatcher news, according to South Korean media NAVER, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of South Korea issued a business suspension notice to Upbit, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea, on January 9. The main reason is the violation of anti-money laundering obligations regarding customer identity verification (KYC) under the Specific Financial Transaction Information Act. The FIU found approximately 700,000 cases of improper KYC execution during its inspection, as well as violations related to business dealings with unregistered overseas virtual asset service providers.Once the penalties are confirmed, Upbit will be restricted from new user-related operations for up to 6 months. Upbit currently holds over 70% of the South Korean cryptocurrency trading market, and this penalty may affect its business license renewal review. The FIU will hold a sanctions committee meeting on January 21 to determine the final details of the penalties.

ChainCatcher news, Cannes Mayor David Lisnard announced on his LinkedIn account that he is promoting the city's merchants to adopt cryptocurrency payment systems and will host the 8th Ethereum Community Conference (EthCC) from June 30 to July 3, 2025.The city government will provide local merchants with training on cryptocurrency payment technology, legal, accounting, and tax issues at the Palais des Festivals on February 4, and plans to release a "crypto-friendly" merchant map. As a three-time World Festival Capital, Cannes is expected to attract over 6,500 registered attendees for this EthCC, with total participation reaching 10,000, including 300 parallel events. Lisnard's move is seen as a strategy for the 2027 French presidential election.

ChainCatcher news, according to Variety, TikTok denies reports about selling its U.S. business to Musk.Previous news, as reported by Bloomberg citing informed sources, Chinese officials are evaluating a possible plan to sell its U.S. business to Elon Musk if TikTok cannot prevent the U.S. ban.

ChainCatcher news, Lin Chen, the Head of Asia Pacific Business at Deribit, posted on X that in the options market, the probability of ETH exceeding $4000 by the end of January is only 10.62%.