With his Binance executive ban in place, Zhao found new channels to shape markets and policy across the crypto world. Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has spent the past year rebuilding influence after serving four months in prison for violating US Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules. Binance paid a $4.3-billion penalty fine; Zhao himself paid a $50-million criminal fine. He also received a lifetime ban from holding an executive position at the exchange. Over the year that followed his release in September 2024, Zhao resurfaced with government advisory roles. He moved memecoins with his X posts and fended off claims by The Wall Street Journal that he was courting influence through the Trump family and the World Liberty Foundation. Read more
Ant Group has filed to trademark “Antcoin” in Hong Kong through a Cayman Islands subsidiary while Beijing intensifies its crypto crackdown. Ant Group, the financial technology giant backed by Alibaba, has registered a trademark for “Antcoin” in Hong Kong, signaling a renewed push into blockchain-based finance even as Chinese regulators step up pressure on crypto activity. According to a Monday report by the Hong Kong Economic Times, Ant Group is “expanding into the fintech arena.” The outlet cites documents showing that the company applied in Hong Kong to register a series of trademarks related to virtual assets, stablecoins and blockchain. Trademark filings show “Antcoin” was registered on June 18, listing digital currency and blockchain services among its business categories. Domain dispute documents confirm the applicant is a subsidiary of Ant Group Co., establishing a direct link to the fintech powerhouse. Read more
Strategy posted one of its slowest months for buying BTC, with a total of 778 BTC purchased in October, down 78% from 3,526 BTC in September. Michael Saylor’s strategy, the world’s largest public Bitcoin holder, added to its BTC holdings last week amid rising momentum, but buying activity has slowed considerably since September. Strategy purchased 390 Bitcoin (BTC) for $43.3 million in its latest BTC acquisition last week, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Monday. The purchases were made at an average price of $111,117 per BTC, with Bitcoin briefly rising past $113,000 on Tuesday, according to CoinGecko data. Read more
Trump-linked Bitcoin miner and treasury company American Bitcoin added 1,414 BTC to its holdings, bringing its total stash to 3,865 BTC. American Bitcoin, the mining and treasury company co-founded by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., added more than 1,400 Bitcoin to its holdings. According to a Monday announcement, American Bitcoin acquired 1,414 Bitcoin (BTC) for about $163 million. This brought the total holdings to 3,865 BTC, worth almost $445 million. Eric Trump, who serves as chief strategy officer, said the company is focused on increasing its Bitcoin-per-share ratio, a metric it considers central to shareholder value. “We believe one of the most important measures of success for a Bitcoin accumulation platform is how much Bitcoin backs each share,” he said. Read more