Bitcoin mining difficulty is expected to increase

[UK Serious Fraud Office Investigates Basis Markets with Involved Amount of Approximately $28 Million] The UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is investigating the cryptocurrency scam Basis Markets. The platform raised approximately $28 million at the end of 2021 through NFT sales and cryptocurrency hedge funds. With the assistance of the London Metropolitan Police and West Yorkshire Police, the SFO has arrested two men in their 30s and 40s, accusing them of multiple counts of fraud and money laundering. Investigators are urging informed investors to provide relevant information to assist with the investigation.

[Kazakhstan's National Bank Plans to Invest Up to $300 Million in Crypto Assets] Kazakhstan's National Bank (NBK) is considering investing up to $300 million in crypto assets, with the final amount likely ranging between $50 million and $250 million. NBK Chairman Timur Suleimenov stated that the recent sharp decline in the crypto market has prompted the bank to cautiously enter the market after it stabilizes. The investment funds will come from the central bank's foreign exchange reserves rather than the national fund. Kazakhstan has previously established a national-level crypto fund, Alem Crypto Fund, and completed its first investment in BNB.

[BlackRock Executive Says $2.34 Billion Outflow from IBIT ETF in November is a Normal Phenomenon] Cristiano Castro, BlackRock's Director of Business Development, stated that the $2.34 billion outflow from the IBIT ETF in November was due to prior demand driving the ETF's scale close to $100 billion. He noted that ETFs are flexible and powerful tools designed to help investors allocate capital and manage cash flow. Outflows are a common phenomenon following asset compression, especially for ETFs primarily targeted at retail investors.

Nasdaq is pushing to launch tokenized stocks and plans to become the first exchange to offer such products. （Cointelegraph）

Swiss crypto bank Amina Bank, together with Crypto Finance Group and partner banks, recently completed a distributed ledger technology (DLT) pilot test using Google Cloud Universal Ledger. The test achieved near real-time, 24/7 fiat currency settlement between Swiss regulated banks. No new digital currencies were introduced during the pilot, continuing to use traditional commercial bank funds, demonstrating that DLT technology can integrate with traditional banking systems within the existing regulatory framework. Officials stated that this achievement lays the foundation for future applications in cross-border payments, multi-currency settlements, and integrated payments at physical points of sale.