WAO ART

In South Africa, cryptocurrency regulations have evolved since 2018, when taxation was mandated. The South African Reserve Bank, collaborating with Bankymoon, aims to test new crypto rules. While legal, cryptocurrencies aren't legal tender.

The US crypto industry recovers post tough regulatory year with improvements in sentiment and projects moving back, like Circle's IPO plans in the US. Challenges persist with SEC serving Wells notices to firms. Despite setbacks, conferences like Permissionless see more US participation.

ZKSync announces 3.6B ZK token airdrop, granting 17.5% of tokens to 695,230 wallets out of 21B supply. Investors and users to claim without lockup period. Allocation includes ecosystem initiatives and Token Assembly. Matter Labs and investors have lockup period till 2028.

A deepfake video falsely claims US expat Corbin Keegan abandoned El Salvador’s Bitcoin City project. Keegan refutes the fake news, affirming his commitment to the initiative. Despite setbacks, he stays dedicated to becoming a resident.

Europol raises concerns about crypto mining & layer-2 blockchain misuse by some people, hindering law enforcement. Layer-2 tech complicates traceability posing challenges for investigations. While recognizing the tech's potential, Europol stresses AML/CTF cooperation for security amidst innovation in crypto.

Australia imposes a comprehensive ban on the use of credit cards and cryptocurrencies for online betting to combat gambling issues. Effective immediately, credit cards, digital wallets, and crypto like Bitcoin are restricted, aligning with physical casino regulations. The ban doesn't cover online lotteries.

Japanese investment firm Metaplanet boosted its Bitcoin holdings by 250M yen to a total of 141 BTC valued at $9.4M amid economic challenges. This move follows MicroStrategy's strategy. The company cites bitcoin's value as a non-sovereign store of value compared to fiat currencies and highlights its scarcity.