Adam Forsyth

Ripple expands Brazil push as it seeks virtual asset license from central bank

Summary Ripple plans to apply for a Virtual Asset Service Provider license from the Central Bank of Brazil, pulling its operations under Brazil’s new crypto framework instead of operating as a grey “technology vendor.” Banks and fintechs including Banco Genial, Braza Bank and Nomad already use Ripple infrastructure for same‑day dollar transfers, real‑backed stablecoins and…

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Bitrefill reports Lazarus-style exploit drained funds and exposed some user data

Bitrefill, the established crypto-to-gift-card platform, was hit by a sophisticated cyberattack earlier this month that drained company funds and exposed some customer data. The team disclosed the incident in an X article on Tuesday, saying that it shares strong similarities with operations linked to Lazarus Group, the notorious North Korean cybercrime collective believed to be…

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Arbitrum ecosystem enters institutional phase as transactions top 2.1B and TVL hits $20B​

Arbitrum’s 2025 Transparency Report shows 2.1 billion transactions, 20 billion dollars in TVL, nearly 10 billion in stablecoins, and surging RWA and ETF activity as it courts institutions. Summary Arbitrum’s 2025 Transparency Report highlights more than 2.1 billion cumulative transactions, around 20 billion dollars in TVL, and stablecoin supply up 80% year‑on‑year to nearly 10…

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GSR moves to build one stop crypto capital markets platform with $57M acquisition

GSR has acquired Autonomous and Architech in a $57 million deal, according to a company announcement, as the crypto trading firm expands its push to become a full-stack capital markets provider for tokenized organizations. The acquisition integrates Autonomous’s launch and operational support platform with Architech’s advisory capabilities, forming a unified offering that spans token design,…

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Vietnam eyeing ban on overseas crypto trading: report

Vietnam is reportedly looking to tighten restrictions on overseas cryptocurrency trading as authorities move to bring more activity under domestic oversight. Summary Vietnam is preparing rules to restrict overseas crypto trading, with authorities aiming to curb capital outflows and tighten oversight of digital asset activity. Five firms, including affiliates of Techcombank, VPBank, and LPBank, have…

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Mastercard to acquire stablecoin firm BVNK for up to $1.8B

Global financial services giant Mastercard announced Tuesday it has reached a deal to buy BVNK, a stablecoin payment infrastructure provider, for up to $1.8 billion. The acquisition will integrate BVNK’s platform with Mastercard’s global network, creating seamless connections between fiat and stablecoins. Customers will gain access to innovative solutions for cross-border remittances, B2B payments, and tokenized…

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