Crypto gateway Alchemy Pay scores license in Indonesia

Alchemy Pay has obtained a license from the central bank of Indonesia to operate remittances and fund transfers in cooperation with local fintech firm Berkah Digital Pembayaran. Announcing the news on Feb. 27, Alchemy Pay noted that Bank Indonesia issued the licenses jointly to Alchemy Pay and Berkah Digital’s platform BDPay, enabling the firms to offer better payout methods and reduce associated operating costs. Fiat-to-crypto payment provider Alchemy Pay is expanding services in Asia by scoring new regulatory approval in Indonesia. Exciting news! #AlchemyPay and @mybdpay have jointly received license…

Reports Indicate USDT Is Being Used in Venezuela to Facilitate Settlements and to Avoid Sanctions – Bitcoin News

Some companies in Venezuela are using the stablecoin tether as a way of sidestepping sanctions and settling payments with foreign customers and providers. Local reports indicate that, while the most popular use case for the stablecoin involves its purchase for devaluation shielding purposes, a handful of companies are also harnessing it in this way. Companies Are Reportedly Using USDT to Avoid Being Hurt by Sanctions in Venezuela While the use of dollar-pegged stablecoins, like Tether’s USDT, in countries like Venezuela is mainly related to inflation and devaluation according to Chainalysis,…

Liquid Staking Replaces DeFi Lending as Second-Largest Crypto Sector

The total value of crypto assets deposited in liquid staking protocols was $14.1 billion as of European hours on Monday, making it the second-largest crypto market sector, according to data source DeFi Llama. The total value locked in the DeFi lending and borrowing protocols was $13.7 billion, the third largest, while decentralized exchanges, with deposits of $19.4 billion, held the top spot. Original Source CryptoDeFiLendingLiquidReplacesSecondLargestSectorStaking CryptoX Portal

BTC whale population shrinks to early 2020 levels — 5 things to know in Bitcoin this week

Bitcoin (BTC) keeps pushing for a bullish end to February as the monthly close starts another week’s price action. The largest cryptocurrency looks set to preserve its gains as it closes the second month of 2023 — and is keeping bulls’ hopes alive in the process. Can the good times continue? The coming week could mean decision time for a key area of BTC price action around $25,000. Analysts are eyeing a breakout toward $30,000 if support can become more permanent, while concerns nonetheless remain that a trip back towards…

Authorities in France Arrest Duo Involved in Platypus Exploit

Of the $9 million in stolen assets, Platypus said it has recovered 2.4 million USDC and 687,000 BUSD, it has also worked with Tether to freeze 1.5 million USDT. French police seized approximately $220,000 worth of crypto as part of the arrest. USDC, USDT and BUSD are all stablecoins that are designed to reflect the price of fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar. Source

Russian Darknet Markets, Ransomware Groups Thrive Despite Sanctions, Report – Bitcoin News

Russian marketplaces on the dark web have continued to operate despite Western sanctions and efforts to shut them down, according to a report accessing the illicit blockchain space amid the world’s “first crypto war.” Ransomware actors and high-risk crypto exchanges have also remained active. Underground Russian Crypto Platforms Adapting to Disruptions Caused by Ukraine War Before Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, cryptocurrency exchanges linked to the two countries accounted for over half of the international volumes of illicit crypto funds. Cybercrime organizations were full of Russian-speaking members and Russian-language…