China Launches Digital Yuan ATMs in Hainan Resort City of Sanya

Terraform Labs Accuses Citadel Securities of Stablecoin SabotageTerraform Labs, the bankrupt Singaporean blockchain firm, is pointing fingers at American market maker Citadel Securities, alleging that it played a role in an orchestrated effort to destabilize Terraform’s TerraUSD (UST) stablecoin back in May 2022.In its pursuit of justice, Terraform Labs has now called upon the United States District Court in the Southern District of Florida to compel Citadel Securities to furnish vital documents concerning their trading activities during that critical period, when the stablecoin underwent a depegging crisis, now referred to as TerraUSD Classic (USTC).Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on UnsplashAllegations of intentional destabilizationThat’s according to a motion filed by Terraform in the United States District Court in the Southern District of Florida, earlier this week. As alleged by Terraform Labs, the catastrophic depegging event in May 2022, which saw UST plummet from $1 to a mere $0.02, was not solely due to inherent instability in the algorithm supporting the UST stablecoin. Instead, the firm contends that it was a result of the deliberate and collaborative actions of specific third-party market participants who engaged in “shorting” to trigger the depegging.Terraform stated in its motion:“Movant [Terraform] contends that the market destabilization that occurred did not result from instability in the algorithm underlying the UST stablecoin. Instead, Movant contends that the market was destabilized due to the concerted, intentional effort of certain third party market participants to ‘short’ and cause UST to depeg from its one dollar price.”The motion also alludes to “publicly available evidence” hinting at Citadel’s intention to short the stablecoin at the time of the depegging event. In particular, it references a Discord channel chat screenshot where a pseudonymous trader purportedly had a conversation with Citadel head Ken Griffin. Griffin allegedly remarked:“They were going to Soros the f*** out of Luna UST,” seemingly drawing a connection to George Soros’ trading strategies, which often involve highly leveraged, one-way bets.Citadel refuted allegations previouslyNotably, Citadel Securities has previously refuted allegations of trading the TerraUSD stablecoin in May 2022, according to Forbes.In its motion, Terraform refers to the importance of these documents for its defense in a lawsuit filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in February. The SEC lawsuit alleges that Terraform Labs and its founder, Do Kwon, played a significant role in orchestrating a multi-billion dollar cryptocurrency securities fraud.The motion concludes with Terraform arguing that its defense would be substantially hampered if Citadel Securities were to successfully withhold the requested information. In the event that the court fails to compel Citadel, Terraform has requested that the matter be transferred to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.The matter has been the subject of debate within the crypto community in recent months. In May a community member stated:“As I’ve been saying. People blamed Citadel et al. This was nothing but a rug pull. Wake up. Do Kwon says the dissolving of Terraform Labs in Korea days before the $LUNA and $UST crash is ‘purely coincidental.’”With the matter now being raised in the courts, it looks like the legal system will be the final adjudicator regarding the issue.

Kazakhstan Launches NPC With CBDC Implementation by 2025Kazakhstan’s National Bank (NBK) has unveiled the National Payment Corporation (NPC), a dedicated entity responsible for spearheading the development and launch of the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), known as the digital tenge.In a press release published last Friday, the NBK set out that the launch of the NPC is effectively a restructuring of the Kazakhstan Center for Interbank Settlements. The new entity has been entrusted with overseeing the national payment system.This mandate includes overseeing critical functions like interbank clearing services, facilitating money transfers, and managing digital identification. However, the NPC’s central mission revolves around establishing a robust “digital financial infrastructure” with a primary focus on realizing the digital tenge.Photo by Uladzislau Petrushkevich on Unsplash2025 targeted launch dateThe journey toward the digital tenge began in February of this year, with an ambitious launch date set for 2025. Deputy Governor of the NBK, Berik Sholpankupov, initially articulated a vision centered on a “collaboration between traditional finance and DeFi,” aimed at significantly improving financial inclusion and strengthening international trade.As of now, the CBDC pilot in Kazakhstan has advanced to a controlled environment pilot phase involving actual consumers and merchants. One of the key partners in this venture is Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. Binance is actively supporting the pilot through its technical solution, BNB Chain, marking a convergence between traditional financial institutions and the blockchain-based cryptocurrency sector.Kazakhstan’s pursuit of CBDCs aligns with a global trend as numerous countries worldwide explore the potential of CBDCs. An astounding 105 countries, representing a substantial 95% of the global gross domestic product (GDP), are currently exploring the concept, highlighting the collective recognition of the transformative potential of digital currencies in shaping the future of finance.Last week it emerged that the NBK had entered into a collaboration with the global financial messaging service SWIFT relative to the beta-testing of a CBDC.Attracting global exchangesIn a move that bolsters the development of crypto in the central Asian country, Binance launched a regulated digital asset platform in collaboration with the local Freedom Finance Bank. Around the same time, Bybit secured in-principle approval to trade within the country from the local regulator.Kazakhstan’s proactive stance toward cryptocurrency is also evident in its taxation policies. In 2022, the government collected approximately $7 million in tax payments from cryptocurrency mining entities following the implementation of revised regulations governing the fiscal responsibilities of cryptocurrency mining.Additionally, the government introduced legislation aimed at curbing excessive energy consumption by domestic crypto miners, instituting licensing requirements, and making minor adjustments to the taxation framework.Kazakhstan’s steps in establishing the National Payment Corporation and venturing into the realm of CBDCs reflect the country’s interest in embracing the digital era and staying at the forefront of financial innovation. As the industry looks on, Kazakhstan’s digital tenge project could serve as a model for others seeking to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the exciting possibilities of DeFi.

BitMEX, the Seychelles-headquartered cryptocurrency derivatives exchange, has officially launched a new options trading platform in collaboration with PowerTrade, a specialized crypto options platform.  The exchange announced details of the new product offering via a blog post published to its website. The firm intends to provide traders with a comprehensive suite of options for major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Binance Coin (BNB), Solana (SOL) and Dogecoin (DOGE).  Crypto options are being offered in an effort to cater to the needs of institutional traders. Mario Gomez Lozada, CEO of PowerTrade, highlighted the synergy between BitMEX's deep market liquidity and PowerTrade's trader-centric technology. This strategic alliance aims to furnish traders with a seamless and high-performance trading experience, with the objective of meeting the demands of serious traders seeking effective and efficient trading tools. Taking to X, PowerTrade described the partnership as “a new era for options.” The firm outlined that although options only account for 3% of the crypto market, its expanding rapidly year-on-year. Not to be outdone, BitMEX also took to X, posting that “BitMEX invented the perp - now we’re reinventing options.”Photo by Viktor Forgacs™️ on UnsplashTaking on DeribitBitMEX made a name for itself in the industry by offering 100x leveraged perpetual swaps. It recently upped the ante to 250x for its Bitcoin perpetual swap prior to the halving. The company is now attempting to etch out a significant market share in the crypto options niche. To do so, it will have to compete with market leader Deribit. Deribit has been at the helm, accounting for 70% ($35.7 billion) of the $51.1 billion trading volume for Bitcoin options in April and maintaining its dominance since 2020. Despite challenges from large crypto exchanges like OKX and Binance, Deribit has held its ground. In discussion with The Block, BitMEX CEO Stephan Lutz said that the firm was targeting at least $500 million in trading volume within three months,  Zero trading feesIn a bid to attract traders to its new platform, BitMEX has devised a promotional campaign featuring zero trading fees on all options transactions throughout May. Moreover, the first 1,000 new traders joining the platform will receive a $20 bonus, further incentivizing participation. The platform also offers rewards based on trading volume, referred trading volumes and monthly trading competitions, injecting an element of competition and potential profit for active users. Upon conclusion of the promotional period, BitMEX's fee structure for options trading will align with its existing spot trading framework. This strategic move ensures a seamless integration of the options platform into BitMEX's ecosystem, providing users with a consistent and predictable cost model when trading across different digital assets.