Thailand’s SEC expands list of approved cryptocurrencies to include stablecoins

Roger Ver sues Matrixport over frozen crypto fundsRoger Ver, often referred to as “Bitcoin Jesus,” finds himself embroiled in a legal dispute with Jihan Wu, the co-founder and chairman of Matrixport, a Singapore-based digital assets financial services platform.Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash$8 million disputeThe crux of the matter is a contentious $8 million that Ver claims Wu withheld from him in connection with the fallout of the unrelated failure of the CoinFLEX crypto platform. This conflict has led to a lawsuit filed by Ver’s counsel in the Seychelles.The legal complaint, which originated last year, revolves around bit.com, a crypto exchange owned by Matrixport, refusing to allow Ver to withdraw his $8 million. Wu, a creditor of CoinFLEX, contends that he incurred financial losses due to the exchange’s restructuring.However, Ver asserts that the insolvency of CoinFLEX, an unrelated entity, should not be tied to the funds owed to him by Matrixport. Off the back of that assertion, Ver confirmed to The Block that in August 2022, he sued Smart Vega Holding Limited, a Seychelles-incorporated subsidiary company of Matrixport, for $8 million.Ver asserts CoinFLEX collapse innocenceRoger Ver maintains that he is not to blame for CoinFLEX’s collapse. He states that the narrative emerged due to breaches of confidentiality regarding the arbitration between CoinFLEX and himself. It emerged last month that creditors of CoinFLEX had taken legal action against its CEO, Mark Lamb, as well as Ver. It’s understood that Ver had benefited from a settlement negotiated with Lamb. Creditors are seeking to recover any benefit realized by Ver as a consequence of this settlement.Ver told Coindesk in an email that he initiated arbitration proceedings against CoinFLEX in June 2022, seeking $200 million in damages. He maintains he was the plaintiff in this case, not CoinFLEX, which later filed a counterclaim for $84 million.Confidentiality is a key aspect of arbitration proceedings, especially in Hong Kong where the arbitration took place. Despite this, it is alleged that Lamb broke this confidentiality, which led to the misrepresentation that CoinFLEX was the plaintiff in the case. Ver firmly believes that CoinFLEX’s insolvency was primarily due to market turmoil in May 2022 and poor risk management on the part of its co-founders.Matrixport standing firmWhile Matrixport does not deny withholding the cryptocurrency from Ver, it argues that Ver should repay his debt to CoinFLEX, which is a creditor of Ver. Once this is done, CoinFLEX will release monies owed to Wu.The dispute also touches on the terms of service. Matrixport maintains that it has the right to withhold funds for penalties related to defaulted margin calls and legal fees and it is committing significant legal resources to defend its position. Ver’s attorney counters this argument, stating that Matrixport’s terms of service do not permit such penalties and that there is no legal justification for withholding the funds.Matrixport claims that the funds are being held because of an investigation into Ver’s “margin trading irregularities.” The company’s Head of Public Relations and Brand, Ross Gan, said that Ver “continues to make unreasonable demands.” Gan added:“We will respect the legal process and the ultimate Court ruling on this case and reserve all our rights to take further legal action in this ongoing dispute with Mr. Ver.”

TON Foundation $250M Accelerator Fund LaunchThe team behind The Open Network (TON) layer one blockchain has launched a $250 million fund to promote and incentivize development on the network.The Dubai-headquartered TON Foundation, the community managing the TON/Open Network blockchain project, provided details of the program via social media on Monday.Photo by Ibrahim Boran on UnsplashBoosting ecosystem projectsThe $250 million fund is aiming to boost key TON ecosystem projects, with a particular focus on DeFi. The TON Foundation is already canvassing projects to participate and apply for funding.Successful applicants will be offered between $50,000 and $250,000. The scheme goes beyond funding. Projects will also get to avail of mentorship from partners like GotBit, a consulting service targeted at blockchain start-ups. Growth advisory firm Web3Port will also be available to successful candidates in that mentorship role.UAE-based multi-strategy crypto investment firm Cypher Capital will also be at the disposal of the TON-based start-ups, while they will also have the ability to access the Tonstarter launchpad. Additionally, the scheme features participation from East Asia, with South Korea-based Boom Labs, an incubator for Web3 developers, lending its support.Justin Hyun, Head of Incubation and Growth at the TON Foundation, had this to say about the development:“This is the beginning of many different incubators which will be supported in the future. Funding forms part of our local hubs rollout strategy and our ecosystem will work to attract new developers as well as successful repeat founders, based across a variety of key global locations.”$25M funding in first yearFunding will be allocated from the TONcoin.Fund, a $250 million TON syndicate which invests in teams and projects that build on The Open Network. In the first year of the program, $25 million will be allocated.Bill Qian, Chairman of Cypher Capital, said that the program “is unique within the Web3 universe today.” “TON Accelerator Program is taking the well-known incubator principle from the Web2 ecosystem, refining it, and evolving it by incorporating the best practices of Web3 protocols and methodologies,” he added.DoraHacks Hack-a-TONxIn its announcement the TON Foundation outlined its intention to select the first successful projects from those who took part in the DoraHacks Hack-a-TONx. Hack-a-TONx was a two-month-long hackathon, put together by the TON Foundation in coordination with global hackathon organizer and multi-chain Web3 developer community, DoraHacks.Submissions are being accepted by the TON Foundation from projects that have built on TON, who already have a minimum viable product (MVP). Although originally promoted by the makers of the Telegram messaging app, since 2020, TON has harnessed the TON Foundation to develop the project as a community-run and community-led open source initiative.The African nations of Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of Congo have all expressed an interest in adopting the TON blockchain. Earlier this month, the TON Foundation entered into a partnership with the Seychelles-based BIT crypto exchange. That collaboration will see BIT accepting TON tokens from its users for the payment of trading fees, with discounts offered to the exchange users who opt to pay using TON.

Korean Travel Rule Solution Provider Partners with ACAMS to Enhance AML MeasuresConnect Digital Exchanges (Code), the Korean Travel Rule solution provider, announced today that it has forged a partnership with the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS), the largest international membership organization of its kind.©Pexels/Savvas StavrinosTravel RuleThe Travel Rule, issued by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, requires virtual asset service providers to screen the information of the senders and recipients of crypto transactions.Code’s collaboration with ACAMSCode will collaborate with ACAMS to develop more effective anti-money laundering (AML) measures in Korea by producing anti-financial crime experts, and enhancing Travel Rule regulations. ACAMS offers internationally recognized training programs, with more than 40,000 certified AML specialists in over 175 countries and regions.More about CodeCode was jointly established by Korea’s major crypto exchanges Bithumb, Coinone, and Korbit in August 2021. Code recently published a report containing the Travel Rule operation results over the past year in Korea and its recommendations.