Из жизни альткоинов

Инвестиционная компания VanEck запустила на канадской бирже CBOE торги бумагами фонда VanEck Solana ETF (VSOL), привязанного к курсу криптовалюты SOL. Новый биржевой фонд предлагает вознаграждения за стейкинг и, временно, нулевую комиссию.

В работе крупного глобального хостинг-провайдера Cloudflare произошел масштабный сбой. Из-за сбоя перестали работать в том числе некоторые крупные криптосервисы и интернет-проекты, связанные с цифровыми активами.

Московская биржа объявила о начале торгов расчетными фьючерсными контрактами на индексы биткоина и эфира с сериями на декабрь 2025 года — февраль 2026-го. Продукт доступен только квалифицированным инвесторам.

The entire cryptocurrency market is experiencing one of the largest bloodbaths ever, with the price of Bitcoin now dangerously trading close to the $90,000 mark, a level last seen in April 2025. Amid this sharp correction, a renewed buying pressure has been spotted in the market as investors flock in, reaching unprecedented levels.

Record Buying Activity Among Bitcoin Investors

Even with Bitcoin’s price being heavily bearish, the flagship crypto asset is exhibiting an unusual shift in market dynamics that is drawing notable attention in the sector. A report shared by CryptoQuant, a leading on-chain data analytics platform, states that BTC has witnessed the largest wave of accumulation, which is unfolding in the middle of an ongoing selloff. 

Prices have been declining and short-term sentiment has tipped unfavorably, but a strong undercurrent of strategic buying has formed beneath the surface. In the Quick-take post, MorenoDV, a market expert and author, highlighted that strong hands are absorbing supply at a pace that leads to price tops. However, the price of BTC is still showing bottom-like action. 

Historically, Bitcoin’s price experiences a rally that leads to the formation of local tops whenever demand from wallet addresses keeping their coins, particularly long-term holders or price-insensitive owners, increases sharply. These holders seem to absorb circulating supply, create a supply squeeze in the market, and start a brief rally. It is worth noting that once their demand subsides, prices typically decline.

However, the ongoing trend is moving away from past patterns. There has been a surge in demand from these permanent holders from 159,000 BTC to 345,000 BTC since October 6, marking the largest accumulation in recent market cycles. Meanwhile, BTC’s price is declining sharply, rather than rallying.

Two highly Potential Outcomes Following The Massive Demand

Presently, strong hands are gathering an enormous amount of BTC, but the market as a whole is in a state of extreme fear and uncertainty, with billions of dollars in unrealized losses. When demand from those investors who never sell increases swiftly during a downward trend, it often paves the way for one of two high-probability outcomes.

The first scenario pointed out by the expert is a meaningful rally. This rally is set to be driven by robust supply absorption that eventually allows these investors to distribute into renewed retail adoption. A key trend to note is that smart money is buying panic-selling at a discount. Thus, a powerful rally is likely as supply dries up when retail finally capitulates.

Moving on, the second scenario is a final leg down, where prices wash out market appetite leftovers prior to the formation of a more durable trend. MorenoDV noted that the price has much more downside ahead, and this accumulation might be capturing falling knives. 

If BTC’s downtrend persists, accumulation appetite could entirely be destroyed, causing even seasoned holders to reconsider. Whether the first or second scenario plays out, MorenoDV stated that the signal remains the same. Long-term capital is massively returning while short-term holders’ sentiment is capitulating. 

This divergence rarely lasts long, but it usually resolves with force once it does. After the examination, MorenoDV declares that this is one of those situations where staying data-driven typically matters most, and not sentiment-driven.

Команда аналитической платформы DappRadar сообщила о закрытии проекта и назвала причиной невозможность поддерживать работу из-за финансовых проблем.

Quick Facts:

• The market is seeing a major institutional rotation as long-term Bitcoin holders sell to new institutional players like traditional finance funds and ETFs.
• Institutional buying is driving the demand for a faster Bitcoin execution layer, proving the “old cycle theory” is obsolete due to strong new liquidity.
• Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is a Layer 2 built using SVM technology to give Bitcoin sub-second transactions and low gas fees for dApps and utility.
• Bitcoin maintains its role as the secure base layer, while Bitcoin Hyper transforms it from a ‘store of value’ to a high-speed playground for DeFi and general use.

For years, Bitcoin has been the heavyweight champ of security but the slowest runner on the track. Everyone trusted it, everyone bought it, but nobody could pretend it was fast.

Meme coins? Impossible. Cheap transactions? Forget it. dApps? Developers laughed and walked away. And with Bitcoin’s tiny throughput and poor scalability, the chain was basically a digital gold bar that sat still and looked pretty.

Now the market is shifting. Institutions are buying Bitcoin in size, and even OG Bitcoiners are cashing out to them. That alone shows Bitcoin is far from dead.

The current dip is a perfect illustration of this changing market structure. CryptoQuant founder and CEO, Ki Young Ju, posted on X that the selling is merely a rotation from original long-term holders to new institutional players like traditional finance funds and ETFs, with strong liquidity inflows from these new channels signaling that the old cycle theory is obsolete.

Bitcoin has simply reached the point where the next evolution needs more speed, more utility, and more tech than the base chain can offer. And that is exactly where Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) steps in.

With this new crypto project, the old chain feels like it just got a full makeover. A proper facelift. Bitcoin Hyper arrives as a Layer 2 built on the SVM, one of the fastest blockchain engines in the world.

Suddenly, Bitcoin unlocks sub-second transactions and tiny gas fees.

Developers, builders, and degens finally get what they always wanted but never had: high-speed action on Bitcoin itself.

Bitcoin is no longer limited to being a store of value. Payments feel instant again. Apps can live on-chain instead of being pushed elsewhere. Bitcoin stays as the trusted, solid base layer, while Bitcoin Hyper becomes the playground where everything actually happens.

And it is built for builders, for degens, and for the culture. Tooling, support, and incentives are all baked in, with enough raw speed to make the entire crypto world blink twice.

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) – Bridging Bitcoin’s Past to a High-Speed ​​Future

Bitcoin earned its reputation by being the safest and most trusted base layer in crypto. It locks in value, keeps the chain secure, and does not break. But that strength came with a price.

Bitcoin never had the speed or flexibility needed for modern applications. Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) changes that by building a modular Layer 2 on top of Bitcoin’s settlement layer.

Bitcoin stays the rock. $HYPER becomes the engine.

Execution moves off-chain, using the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), where transactions fire almost instantly and cost next to nothing.

The SVM is the key that unlocks all of this. Developers can use Rust and build smart contracts that actually feel modern. We go into further detail in our ‘What is Bitcoin Hyper‘ guide.

Suddenly, Bitcoin can support DeFi, lending, trading platforms, and even complex on-chain products that were never possible before.

Movement between layers stays smooth thanks to a built-in Canonical Bridge that lets $BTC flow into Hyper’s ecosystem with no hassle.

This architecture gives users everything they were missing: fast payments, cheap transfers, NFT marketplaces, gaming, and real room for builders.

Instead of watching other chains run ahead, Bitcoin finally gets its own high-speed playground. Bitcoin Hyper takes Bitcoin’s secure past and connects it to the kind of future people have been asking for.

Join the $HYPER presale today.

Why Buy $HYPER Now

Investors see a clear trend. Institutional money is pouring into Bitcoin after ETF approvals, but the base chain still cannot support modern financial tools.

That gap created demand for a real execution layer. Bitcoin Hyper fills that gap with speed, cheap transactions, and cross-chain features that Bitcoin always needed.

Buyers are getting early access to the ecosystem that will run everything on $HYPER.

With over $27.8M raised, the market already showed strong belief in the Layer 2 future of Bitcoin.

Institutions are now looking for scale, smart contracts, and real utility on top of Bitcoin. Bitcoin Hyper delivers all of that while letting Bitcoin remain the trusted, secure base layer underneath. Want in but not sure how? Check out our ‘How to Buy Bitcoin Hyper‘ guide.

If Bitcoin is leveling up, $HYPER is the ticket that gets you inside the upgrade.

Bitcoin Hyper brings Bitcoin into the high-speed era. Fast payments, cheap transactions, DeFi, meme coins, and full cross-chain movement all live under one system.

If Bitcoin needed an execution layer, Bitcoin Hyper built it. And $HYPER lets you take part in that future.

Buy $HYPER today for $0.013295.

Remember, this is not intended as financial advic,e and you should always do your own research before investing. 

Authored by Bogdan Patru, Bitcoinist — https://bitcoinist.com/institutions-buying-bitcoin-fuel-demand-for-bitcoin-hyper-l2

Get Early Alpha with Our Immediate Analysis of Today’s Best Meme Coins

Check out our Live Update Coverage on the Best Meme Coins for November 18, 2025!

Meme coins are the centerpiece of today’s crypto boom, surfing the bullish waves like none other. Backed by unwavering support from asset managers like JPMorgan and exchanges, the momentum is rising constantly.

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This page gives you the inside edge—live updates on trending meme coins, alpha from crypto degens, and whispers from FOMO-driven trading circles. If you’re hunting for the next 10x or 100x gem, you’re in the right place.

We update this page frequently throughout the day, as we get the latest insider insights on the best meme coins, so keep refreshing!

Disclaimer: Crypto is a high-risk investment, and you may lose your capital. Our content is informational only, and it does not constitute financial advice. We may earn affiliate commissions at no extra cost to you. Best Meme Coins in 2025: Navigating Bitcoin’s Volatility with a New Opportu

November 18, 2025 • 10:00 UTC

Bitcoin’s recent plunge below $90,000 has shaken the market, erasing its 2025 gains and stirring ‘extreme fear’ among investors.

This sharp decline, driven by a ‘death cross’ and stalled ETF inflows, has left many wondering about the future of cryptocurrencies. With Bitcoin facing significant resistance and market sentiment at its lowest since 2022, top altcoins like Ether and Solana have followed suit in losses.

However, market shifts often create opportunities for those who know where to look. As the crypto landscape continues to evolve, innovative projects are emerging. Especially in the realm of meme coins, which are gaining traction even in uncertain times.

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) stands out as a promising new token, combining meme culture with strong fundamentals – planning to upscale Bitcoin with dApps and smart contract support.

Don’t miss out on this growing trend – here’s how to buy $HYPER now.

PEPENODE: The Next Big Meme Coin to Watch as Solana ETFs Shake Up the Market

November 18, 2025 • 10:00 UTC

As Solana ETFs from Fidelity and Canary Marinade launch today, the crypto market is buzzing with renewed interest in Solana. Despite recent volatility, including a 9% dip, $SOL’s price has rebounded by over 3% recently, with increasing trading volumes signaling growing investor confidence.

The launch of Fidelity’s Solana ETF ($FSOL) and Canary Marinade’s ($SOLC) marks a significant step forward in making Solana more accessible to mainstream investors.

While Solana’s momentum continues to attract attention, the meme coin market is also gaining traction. PEPENODE ($PEPENODE) stands out as a promising new project, combining the viral power of meme culture with innovative utility (virtual crypto mining).

Buy PEPENODE through our guide.

Authored by Ben Wallis, Bitcoinist – https://bitcoinist.com/best-meme-coins-live-news-today-november-18-2025

Правительство Сальвадора приобрело еще 1098 биткоинов на $100 млн на фоне падения цены первой криптовалюты, сообщается на портале президента страны Найиба Букеле (Nayib Bukele).

В период с 8 по 15 ноября инвесторы вывели из криптофондов более $2,04 млрд. Причина — продажи криптовалют крупными держателями, сообщили аналитики инвестиционной компании CoinShares.

Crypto privacy coins have become the front-runners of the market recently, rallying even when Bitcoin and other altcoins have been on the decline. As the privacy narrative continues to run, there have been obvious winners and some that are yet to move in accordance. So, here is a list of some of the most popular privacy cryptocurrencies that could be on their way upward as investors rush to take advantage of this new narrative.

ZCash (ZEC) Leads Recovery For Crypto Privacy Coins

ZCash (ZEC) has moved up rapidly recently to become the foremost crypto privacy coin by market cap. The network, which is focused on providing privacy and anonymity for crypto users, saw the price of its native ZEC token rise by more than 40x in one month.

ZCash (ZEC) has become one of the foremost cryptocurrencies because it provides total anonymity for crypto users. This means that transactions on the network are untraceable, and users can keep their transaction history completely secret by using ZCash.

Even after rising to more than $700, expectations are that the price will continue to rally, with calls for $1,000 becoming louder on social media platforms. Currently, ZCash’s market cap is above $11 billion, putting it ahead of the likes of Litecoin (LTC).

Monero (XMR) Loses Privacy Coins Lead

Interestingly, Monero (XMR) is known as the OG privacy coin and was the first to go ‘mainstream’ when it comes to the crypto industry. It gradually became synonymous with hiding crypto transactions, and this drew a different kind of attention to the cryptocurrency.

Governments began paying attention as rumors circulated that bad actors were using Monero (XMR) to move their illicit cryptocurrencies, earning bans from various governments. This led to the delisting of Monero (XMR) from exchanges such as Binance and Kraken.

As a result of the crackdown, the Monero (XMR) price has struggled to keep up with the market. Data from CoinMarketCap puts it as the third-largest privacy coin, losing its top spot to the likes of ZCash (ZEC) and Litecoin (LTC).

Litecoin (LTC) Could Be Gearing Up For A Bounce

Out of the top 3 privacy coins listed on CoinMarketCap, the Litecoin price has performed the worst. In the last month, the ZEC price has risen by over 200%, Monero has rallied more than 35%, while Litecoin (LTC) has shown less than 10% gains for the same time period.

Given this, it is likely that attention will turn to Litecoin next as investors jump out of the likes of ZEC with their gains. Such a movement could put the Litecoin price above $150,000 in the short term if there is a breakout with momentum.

 

Количество адресов, на балансах которых хранится более 1000 BTC, достигло 1384 — это максимальное значение за последние четыре месяца, сообщили аналитики компании Glassnode.

Сооснователь Эфириума Виталик Бутерин противопоставил свой блокчейн банкротящейся криптобирже FTX, назвав централизацию злом, противоречащим принципам блокчейна.

Центробанк РФ расширит доступ к криптоинструментам для квалифицированных инвесторов, сообщили в пресс-службе регулятора.

The much-anticipated crypto Market Structure Bill, designed to enhance clarity in the digital asset landscape in the United States, is reportedly preparing for markup sessions in early December. 

Crypto Sector Anticipates Detailed Review Before Thanksgiving

In a recent report by Eleanor Terret from Crypto In America, Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman expressed his commitment to this timeline, noting that the government shutdown had postponed his initial plans to proceed with markups earlier this week. 

Currently, there is an effort to have draft bills prepared within both the Senate Agriculture Committee and the Senate Banking Committee ahead of the markups.

Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, who had aimed for a Banking bill markup by the end of September, has yet to announce a date for his committee. 

The text related to this bill has not been released since it shifted to a bipartisan initiative following recent reconciliatory roundtables conducted on Capitol Hill. It remains uncertain whether the draft will be made public before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Terret asserted that if the Banking Committee delays its release, the crypto industry will have ample material to examine over the holiday season, particularly the Senate Agriculture draft. 

However, notable sections in this proposal have been left blank, specifically regarding the regulation of decentralized finance (DeFi), and other legislative language remains bracketed, indicating unresolved issues among lawmakers.

Year-End Pressures

Digital Chamber CEO Cody Carbone remarked on the need for collaboration between the two committees, stating, “Right now it’s being done in somewhat of a siloed format.” 

He anticipates that the Senate Agriculture Committee will continue to gather feedback from the industry and progress in filling in the blank sections over the next few weeks.

Carbone also highlighted that the Banking Committee is likely to take the initiative on DeFi regulations, which predominantly fall within its jurisdiction. This aspect of the legislation, which has garnered significant interest and will likely undergo substantial scrutiny, has not yet been disclosed.

If both committees can finalize their respective drafts for markup next month, the subsequent step would involve merging these documents into a singular piece of legislation for a full Senate vote. 

However, the urgency of the situation is amplified by the approaching holiday season and the year-end deadlines, with expectations that the voting process and potential enactment of the market structure bill could push into next year’s session. 

As Carbone pointed out, “We’re running out of time, not just in the calendar year, but in this Congress.” Despite these challenges, optimism remains within the industry. 

Paul Grewal, Chief Legal Officer of crypto exchange Coinbase, recognized the importance of resolving key details but expressed confidence that the bill would ultimately progress. 

“I know some people fret over the details that remain to be resolved,” he stated. “But I think we’re going to get it done, even if it feels like there are still some important obstacles that remain.”

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

Президент ЦБ Нидерландов Олаф Слейпен (Olaf Sleijpen) предупредил, что стремительное развитие стейблкоинов может вынуждать Европейский центральный банк (ЕЦБ) резко менять свою политику процентных ставок.

На протяжении почти десяти месяцев этого года решение второго уровня для сети Эфириума Starknet оставалось в тени, однако в середине октября у инвесторов проснулся неожиданный интерес к STRK. В чем же причина такой резкой перемены?

Strategy has just revealed its latest Bitcoin buy, its largest in a while and an indication that the price crash hasn’t scared away the BTC hoarder.

Strategy Has Acquired Another 8,178 Bitcoin

In a new post on X, Strategy Chairman Michael Saylor has announced the latest BTC acquisition made by the company. As is usually the case, the Monday announcement was preceded by a Sunday post with the company’s Bitcoin portfolio tracker, this time with the caption “₿ig Week.”

Saylor had also been doing other teasing for this purchase, like writing on Friday, “We bought bitcoin every day this week.” And indeed, the buy has turned out to be a big one.

In total, Strategy has added 8,178 tokens to its holdings with this purchase, spending $835.6 million. According to the filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the acquisition was funded alongside $136.1 million in sales of the company’s STRF, STRC, and STRK at-the-market (ATM) stock offerings.

Strategy has been a consistent buyer of BTC in recent months, but lately, the firm was only making small purchases, making it look like its accumulation was slowing down. The latest buy, however, has broken the pattern.

It’s the largest Bitcoin acquisition that the company has completed since July 29th, when it made a monster purchase of 21,021 BTC for $2.46 billion. Back then, market conditions were completely different, with BTC having hit fresh highs just earlier that month.

The latest purchase, on the other hand, has come while the market has been facing significant bearish momentum, making it an especially bold one. So far, though, the bet hasn’t worked out, as BTC has only continued to slide lower.

The new $835 million round of accumulation occurred in the period between November 10th and 16th, and involved an average coin price of $102,171. BTC’s current value is down more than 8.5% compared to this mark.

Following the acquisition, Strategy owns a total of 649,870 BTC, with a cost basis of $48.37 billion. At the moment, the company’s treasury is worth $60.6 billion, putting it in a profit of 25%. Thus, while Bitcoin may have been going down, the firm still has room to absorb further downside.

Strategy isn’t the only large market participant that has ramped up buying recently. As analyst James Van Straten has pointed out in an X post, the large holders have been showing a slowdown in distribution.

The indicator cited by the analyst is Glassnode’s Accumulation Trend Score, which tells us whether buying or selling is dominant among Bitcoin investors. From the above chart, it’s apparent that this metric has been close to 1 for the 100 to 1,000 BTC investors recently, a sign that the so-called “sharks” have been participating in strong accumulation.

The “whales,” holders lying in the 1,000 to 10,000 BTC range, have shown more mixed behavior, but the latest trend has been that of neutrality. The 10,000+ BTC holders, often called “mega whales,” are also showing a neutral behavior right now, but in their case, the neutrality marks a shift: these investors had been in a phase of distribution since August.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $92,700, down more than 12% over the last seven days.

A recent report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), titled “The Coin Laundry,” has unveiled evidence of criminal activities conducted through major cryptocurrency exchanges, aimed at evading global regulatory scrutiny. 

The investigation alleges that money launderers, linked to drug trafficking, Southeast Asian scam centers, and North Korean hackers, have been leveraging major exchanges to facilitate their illicit operations.

Crypto Money Laundering Operations Linked To Huione Group

The ICIJ’s analysis highlights that, as recently as July 2025, the Huione Group, a Cambodian financial entity flagged by US authorities as a “primary money laundering concern,” transferred approximately $1 million worth of Tether’s USDT stablecoin daily to accounts at Binance.

This flow amounted to over $408 million from Huione to Binance customer accounts between July 2024 and July 2025. Notably, these transactions allegedly occurred while Huione was under the supervision of two court-appointed monitors, established as part of Binance’s plea deal with US regulators in November 2023.

The report goes on to reveal that at least $226 million also shifted into accounts at OKX, another major crypto exchange, during the five months following OKX’s guilty plea in February for operating an unlicensed money transmitter. 

ICIJ’s report also explores a network of cash desks and courier services that operate in cities such as Hong Kong, Toronto, London, and Istanbul, allowing individuals to anonymously convert cryptocurrency outside the view of financial authorities. These locations have emerged as largely unregulated hotspots for laundering money.

In a separate investigation, ICIJ examined an alleged pyramid scheme orchestrated by Vladimir Okhotnikov, who is accused of misappropriating at least $340 million from investors between 2020 and 2022 through a fraudulent investment platform. 

Insufficient Regulatory Oversight?  

The report highlighted that these illicit transactions often traverse anonymous digital wallets and tools like “swappers,” which enable users to automatically exchange cryptocurrencies without identity verification, complicating law enforcement efforts to trace illicit activities.

A dozen former compliance employees from major exchanges, including OKX and Binance, reported to ICIJ that they struggle to keep pace with “increasingly sophisticated criminals.”

Regulators around the world are responsible for ensuring that cryptocurrency firms comply with anti-money laundering laws. However, the report asserts that the current landscape is characterized by “fragmented enforcement,” resulting in “insufficient oversight,” according to the ICIJ.

According to ICIJ’s findings, authorities have imposed at least $5.8 billion in fines and penalties against cryptocurrency exchanges. Meanwhile, consumer and business losses from crypto-related crimes are escalating. 

In the United States alone, the FBI estimates that Americans lost approximately $9.3 billion to crypto crimes in 2024, a 67% increase from the previous year.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

An undercover investigation revealed that both registered and unregistered crypto platforms in Canada have exploited the country’s regulatory loopholes and facilitated violations of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules.

Canada’s Crypto-Cash Service Compliance Concerns

On Monday, CBC News shared a joint investigation with Radio-Canada, the Toronto Star, and La Presse, as part of a global reporting effort named The Coin Laundry from the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Reporters unveiled that multiple exchanges in Canada and offshore are reportedly evading local financial laws by offering crypto-to-cash services without proper registration or ID verification.

According to the news media outlet, the country’s long-standing problem with illicit funds in the traditional financial system, along with a lack of strong regulations and enforcement in the crypto sector, has opened “new frontiers for laundering and illicit finance.”

The investigation found that companies both registered and unregistered with Canada’s national watchdog, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), have facilitated transactions that violate AML rules.

In Toronto, a FINTRAC-registered company handed $1,900 in cash to an undercover reporter after receiving a 2,000 USDT deposit to a Ukraine-based crypto exchange, 001k. The employee only verified the serial number of a $5 bill to confirm it was the correct recipient for the transaction.

Meanwhile, two overseas platforms, including 001k, contacted by another undercover journalist, also proposed to deliver up to $1 million in cash to a location in Montreal in exchange for crypto, but never asked for any personal information or ID.

Under Canada’s AML law, it is illegal for a money transfer business to remit more than $1,000 to someone without registration of the recipient’s personal information and ID verification. Moreover, it is illegal for unregistered exchanges to do business with Canadians.

“One web directory lists more than 20 services for converting crypto into cash in cities across the country, from Halifax to Vancouver, none of them registered with FINTRAC. Contacted anonymously by reporters for the Toronto Star, a handful of the Toronto-based services said they wouldn’t ask for any ID,” CBC News added.

Richard Sanders, a crypto-to-cash network investigator, affirmed that “If you have this way to move money with absolutely zero checks on it, you’re facilitating an unlimited amount of crime.”

Nick Smart, Crystal Intelligence’s Chief Intelligence Officer, noted the “absolutely staggering” amount of money being pushed through crypto-to-cash services, highlighting the $2.5 billion processed in Hong Kong in 2024 alone.

FINTRAC Faces Regulatory Challenges

The Canadian watchdog did not answer the reporters’ questions about the undercover transactions or whether it was aware of the crypto-to-cash illicit services available in the country.

However, it said in a statement that “FINTRAC is prepared to take strong action as necessary so that businesses take their responsibilities seriously,” adding that it “can include administrative monetary penalties and referrals of any non-compliance to law enforcement.”

Notably, FINTRAC imposed a $126 million fine on Vancouver-based digital assets trading platform Cryptomus in October for breaching multiple federal AML and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) laws. Additionally, it is developing a comprehensive framework that aligns with global crypto regulations.

As reported by Bitcoinist, Canada’s 2025 federal budget unveiled plans to establish stablecoin-related regulations seeking to boost consumer confidence and modernize the country’s payment ecosystem.

Nonetheless, Joseph Iuso, executive director of the Canadian Money Services Business Association, told CBC News that FINTRAC faces challenges in overseeing these illicit transactions. According to Iuso, the financial watchdog doesn’t have enough resources to supervise properly the over 2,600 registered money-service businesses.

As a result, it also doesn’t have the capacity to track and act against unregistered platforms that illicitly offer services. “There’s just tons,” Iuso affirmed. “They’re all trying to circumvent the regulations. And, unfortunately, how do you police that?” he concluded.

Aave Labs, the developer behind the decentralized cryptocurrency lending platform Aave (AAVE), announced on Monday its intentions to launch a new app on Apple’s App Store.

Aave Labs Introduces Savings-Style App

According to a report from Fortune, this new product is designed to function similarly to a traditional savings account, but with higher yields than those offered by traditional finance banks. 

Users can earn a minimum interest rate of 5% on their deposits, which can be funded through bank accounts or debit cards. The app will utilize stablecoins alongside the Aave protocol to offer these financial services.

Aave has established itself as a key player in the decentralized finance (DeFi) and crypto lending sectors, boasting over $3.23 trillion in cumulative deposits, nearly $1 trillion in total originated loan volume and $ billion in total interest paid, according to the platform’s website. 

While DeFi protocols often provide users with higher interest rates compared to conventional banking, they also carry heightened risks, such as the potential for hacks and the absence of government backing. 

However, Stani Kulechov, the founder and CEO of Aave Labs, assured users of the protocol’s safety. He pointed out that Aave has never encountered an exploit in its five-year history, emphasizing the dual layers of security related to both the market economics and the software code, which has been audited by multiple companies.

Traditional Financial Giants Adopting Crypto

The forthcoming launch of the Aave app arrives at a time when the gap between traditional financial institutions and crypto-native firms is closing. Major players like BlackRock are adopting Bitcoin (BTC) through the exchange-traded fund (ETF) sector. 

Stripe has integrated stablecoins into its offerings, and JPMorgan Chase has been actively developing blockchain solutions. In response, crypto firms are increasingly focusing on attracting mainstream customers. 

The US crypto exchange Kraken, for example, has newly introduced its own payments app, while various others are working to create bank-like products using stablecoins.

Kulechov remarked, “Typically, DeFi has been accessible to very savvy, professional users. The next step for DeFi is to bring more direct access for consumers.” 

Kulechov, a figure in the DeFi movement since launching the protocol in 2020, has expanded the company’s offerings to include a crypto wallet, a decentralized stablecoin, and a protocol for social media.

In October, the firm made headlines by acquiring the stablecoin company Stable Finance for an undisclosed amount. Kulechov noted that the acquisition also enhanced their consumer-focused experience, allowing the team to move more swiftly and improve their product offerings.

While the broader crypto market continues its downtrend, the price of AAVE saw a 2% uptick following the announcement. At the time of writing, it was trading at $171.87 per token. 

Featured image from The Seattle Times, chart from TradingView.com