Despite the challenges of 2022, the African continent's blockchain community has continued to attract significant investments, with blockchain venture funding increasing five-fold on a yearly level.

CME to Add Daily Expiries on Bitcoin and Ether Futures Options Contracts; USDC Issuer Circle Exec to Testify at US Congressional Hearing on Stablecoins; BoE Considers Limits on Stablecoin Payments as Parliament Debates New Crypto Rules

Rollbit, a crypto casino, has seen a 20% drop in its RLB token value in the last 24 hours, and a 37.5% drop over the last two weeks, after removing information on its Curaçao license from its website. The Dutch Caribbean island is a well-known offshore hub for online gambling. Rollbit recently started offering crypto derivatives trading, which is not covered by its current license. Some users have noticed that information related to crypto derivatives is hidden until the user logs in. Rollbit claims that it has not received any indication from authorities that its operations are problematic and that it is actively communicating with its licensor about the renewal process.

Tron Founder Justin Sun Reportedly Lost His Diplomatic Status; Magic Eden’s New Bitcoin NFT Marketplace Dominates Ordinals Market; Hong Kong Turns to Japan for Advice After ‘Mind-Boggling’ Web3 Influx

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has signaled its intention to license over 8 crypto companies by the end of the year. The move is part of a broader effort by the Hong Kong government to regulate and legitimize the cryptocurrency industry.

Blocknox, a part of Boerse Stuttgart's digital unit, has received the final license as a crypto custodian from the country's financial regulator, BaFin.

Hong Kong may issue virtual asset trading licenses to at least eight cryptocurrency-related firms by the end of this year as part of the city’s new crypto licensing regime, said Angelina Kwan, chief executive officer of financial services firm Stratford Finance and a former regulator of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC).

OKX, the world's second-largest crypto exchange by trading volume and a leading Web3 technology company, today announced it has set up a Hong Kong entity for launching virtual asset services in Hong Kong, and intends to apply for the virtual asset service provider (VASP) licence under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 which is scheduled to take effect on 1 June 2023, and the Type 1 & 7 licences under the Securities and Futures Ordinance.

Illinois is trying to follow in New York’s crypto footsteps with a new oversight regime, according to David DeCarlo, Illinois’ first regulatory innovation officer, who is among the prominent advocates for the plan now being shepherded through the state legislature.

Crypto industry advocates had been concerned about tougher rules in the wake of the FTX collapse, and as EU laws bed in.