Well well well !
Look who’s back with another episode of Web3 and Crypto Newsletter. Last week we saw a lot of projects finding partners to help them make their dreams come true. But still, the main story in Web3 and crypto grounds is regulatory and legal battles, with Coinbase and Binance on the front line.

Market 📈📉

First Leveraged Bitcoin ETF in US Sees Strong Start, Trading $4.2 Million in First Week 👉🏻 Source

Partnerships 🤝

1️⃣ NEAR Foundation Taps Alibaba Cloud to Provide Infrastructure for Web3 Developers in Asia 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣ Solana and Fordefi Team Up to Bring Institutional-Grade MPC Wallet to Solana Ecosystem 👉🏻 Source
3️⃣ Fireblocks Adds AWS, GCP, and Alibaba Cloud to Its Platform 👉🏻 Source
4️⃣ EDX to Switch from Paxos to Anchorage for Custody Services 👉🏻 Source
5️⃣ Tether to Help Georgia Become a Bitcoin Hub 👉🏻 Source
6️⃣ Warner Music Group Invests in Web3 Music with Polygon Partnership 👉🏻 Source
7️⃣ Paxos and Mercado Libre Team Up to Offer Stablecoin Payments in Mexico 👉🏻 Source
8️⃣ Celo Integrates Chainlink Data Feeds to Power Next Generation DeFi Applications 👉🏻 Source
9️⃣ Binance’s European Banking Partner to Halt Support in September 👉🏻 Source
🔟 PancakeSwap Expands to Polygon zkEVM Blockchain 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣1️⃣ Vodafone Bets on Cardano to Power Its NFT Platform 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣2️⃣ Citigroup Opens Door to New Crypto Custodians as Metaco Partnership Faces Review 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣3️⃣ Gary Vaynerchuk-Backed Candy Digital Merges with Web3 Production Company Palm NFT Studio 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣4️⃣ Alchemy Pay Approved to Join MasterCard’s Service Provider List 👉🏻 Source 

Binance’s European Banking Partner to Halt Support in September (Image Credits: Cryptopolitan)

Projects 🔍

1️⃣ Binance Eyes Dubai as Potential Hub for Middle East Expansion 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣ Binance Users in Europe Can Now Trade Privacy Coins Again 👉🏻 Source
3️⃣ Hut 8 Secures $50M Loan from Coinbase Credit to Expand Bitcoin Treasury 👉🏻 Source
4️⃣ zkSync Unveils New Hyperchains Network to Improve Layer-2 Scaling 👉🏻 Source
5️⃣ Riot Platforms Secures 33,000 New Miners in Preparation for Halving 👉🏻 Source
6️⃣ Tezos Speeds up Transactions with Nairobi Upgrade 👉🏻 Source
7️⃣ FTX Closes in on Recovering $9B in Misappropriated Assets 👉🏻 Source
8️⃣ Three Arrows Capital Liquidators Seek $1.3B from Founders 👉🏻 Source
9️⃣ Bitfinex Expands P2P Trading to Three New Latin American Countries 👉🏻 Source
🔟 Quant’s Overledger Platform Now Available for CBDC Development 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣1️⃣ Sui Foundation Denies Dumping Staked Tokens on Binance 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣2️⃣ FTX Seeks Final Submissions This Week for Revival Plans: WSJ 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣3️⃣ MicroStrategy Remains Bullish on Bitcoin, Buys another 12,333 Bitcoin 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣4️⃣ Ledger Introduces Institutional-Grade Trading Network for Custody Clients 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣5️⃣ Maple Finance Launches New Direct Lending Platform for Web3 Businesses 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣6️⃣ dydx’s Cosmos-Based Chain to Go Live on Public Testnet on July 5 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣7️⃣ Worldcoin Integrated with Okta and Launches Its Identity Protocol in Germany 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣8️⃣ Coinbase Files Motion to Dismiss SEC Lawsuit, Claims “Extraordinary Abuse of Process” 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣9️⃣ Polygon 2.0 to Bring Unified Liquidity, Restaking, and New Chains to the Ecosystem 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣0️⃣ Canadian ETF Issuer 3iQ to Offer ETH Staking in Its Funds via Coinbase 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣1️⃣ Coinbase’s Layer-2 Base Nears Mainnet Launch 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣2️⃣ ENS Plans to Expand to Layer-2 Ecosystem 👉🏻 Source  

Worldcoin Integrated with Okta and Launches Its Identity Protocol in Germany (Image credits: alexablockchain)

Investments 💰

1️⃣ Mythical Games Secures $37M in Funding to Expand In-Game Marketplace 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣ Sony Invests in Japanese Web3 Startup Startale Labs 👉🏻 Source

Regulatory and Policy 👮🏻⚖️

1️⃣ FATF: Crypto Travel Rule Compliance “Remains Relatively Poor” 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣ Bybit Secures License to Operate in Cyprus, Strengthening EU Presence 👉🏻 Source
3️⃣ HSBC Becomes First Major Bank in Hong Kong to Offer Crypto Trading 👉🏻 Source
4️⃣ MAS Releases Design Framework for Interoperable Digital Asset Networks 👉🏻 Source
5️⃣ Binance Withdraws Application for Austrian License 👉🏻 Source
6️⃣ Singapore’s MAS Reports on Tokenized Asset Network Models 👉🏻 Source
7️⃣ Judge Rejects Binance’s Attempt to Stop SEC from Making Public Statements 👉🏻 Source
8️⃣ Swiss National Bank to Launch Wholesale CBDC Pilot with Real Money 👉🏻 Source
9️⃣ EU Regulators Set Strict Capital Requirements for Crypto-Holding Banks 👉🏻 Source
🔟 Japan’s FSA and Singapore’s MAS Partner on Crypto Pilot Project 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣1️⃣ Nevada Regulator Asks Court to Put Crypto Custodian Prime Trust in Receivership 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣2️⃣ Crypto Exchange Ripio Receives Regulatory Approval in Spain 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣3️⃣ KuCoin Users to Face Mandatory KYC Checks Starting July 15 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣4️⃣ EU Takes Steps to Launch Digital Euro with Privacy and Accessibility in Mind 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣5️⃣ EU Data Act Requires Smart Contracts to Have Kill Switches 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣6️⃣ CFTC to Discuss Regulation of DeFi and DAOs at Upcoming Meeting 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣7️⃣ BIS, 3 Central Banks Explore DeFi for Wholesale CBDC FX Trading 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣8️⃣ Coinbase Claims SEC Has No Jurisdiction over Crypto 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣9️⃣ ECB to Test Wholesale CBDC for Settlement of Financial Transactions in 2024 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣0️⃣ UK Stablecoin Rules Become Law 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣1️⃣ SEC’s Gensler Faces Increased Scrutiny from Lawmakers and Industry 👉🏻 Source (1, 2)
2️⃣2️⃣ South Korea’s New Crypto Bill Aims to Protect Investors 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣3️⃣ SEC to Respond to Coinbase’s Legal Defense on July 13 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣4️⃣ SEC Finds Spot Bitcoin ETF Filings to Be Insufficient 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣5️⃣ Binance’s Crypto Custody License Demand Rejected by German Regulator 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣6️⃣ Celsius Gives Debtors Option to Swap Altcoins for Bitcoin and Ether 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣7️⃣ Cboe Submits Updated Filings for Spot Bitcoin ETFs 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣8️⃣ Kraken Ordered to Hand over Customer Data to IRS in Crypto Tax Probe 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣9️⃣ Hong Kong Forms Task Force to Promote Web3 Development 👉🏻 Source
3️⃣0️⃣ Bittrex Claims SEC Lacks Jurisdiction over Crypto Exchange 👉🏻 Source

Macroeconomics 🌐

Fed Stress Tests Show Major Banks Can Withstand Severe Recession 👉🏻 Source

Miscellaneous 🎲

1️⃣ Amazon Invests $100M in Generative AI Center 👉🏻 Source
2️⃣ Google’s Gemini AI to Surpass ChatGPT in Power 👉🏻 Source
3️⃣ FTX Puts on Hold Sale of $500 Million Stake in AI Startup Anthropic 👉🏻 Source
4️⃣ TRM Labs: Bitcoin No Longer the Crypto of Choice for Criminals 👉🏻 Source
5️⃣ Crypto Ponzi Schemes Soared in 2022, Costing Victims $78B 👉🏻 Source
6️⃣ Mastercard Launches Tokenized Bank Deposit Pilot in UK 👉🏻 Source
7️⃣ Sotheby’s Launches Blockchain-Based Program to Promote Generative Art 👉🏻 Source
8️⃣ Bank of America: Tokenization to Transform Infrastructure and Financial Markets 👉🏻 Source
9️⃣ CME Group to Launch ETH/BTC Ratio Futures 👉🏻 Source
🔟 Inflection AI Secures $1.3B in Series B Funding Led by Microsoft and Nvidia 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣1️⃣ Fidelity Makes another Attempt to Launch Spot Bitcoin ETF 👉🏻 Source
1️⃣2️⃣ Largest US Bitcoin ATM Operator to List on Nasdaq 👉🏻 Source

That’s all for now.
Feel free to subscribe, and if you have thoughts, would love to hear from you in the comments.

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