Nasdaq is about to launch crypto custody services in the second quarter of this year. Nasdaq is reportedly moving forward to get all the necessary technical setup and regulatory approvals ready.

Trading platform eToro raised $250 million in an advanced investment agreement, topping the company’s valuation at $3.5 billion. ION Group, Social Leverage, SoftBank, and other major industry players invested in eToro in the recent deal. 

Enterprise blockchain adoption will be sped up thanks to a new partnership between Chainlink Labs and PwC Germany. Chainlink Labs will offer services to traditional businesses who are already working with PwC but have not yet adopted blockchain technology.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called for a ban on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). He pointed out some negative effects, including higher surveillance over citizens or a cap on CBDC holdings.

Microsoft has just launched a new AI tool called Copilot. It will be a similar tool to ChatGPT, which users can use for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.

Edwin Garrison has spearheaded a class action lawsuit against influencers promoting FTX on YouTube and other platforms. He seeks $1 billion in damages since they made money from promoting the FTX crypto scam without disclosure.

Nasdaq is about to launch crypto custody services in the second quarter of this year. Nasdaq is reportedly moving forward to get all the necessary technical setup and regulatory approvals ready.

The European stock market was brought down by the banking sector. DAX fell 2% due to ongoing fears that another bank will crash. Deutsche Bank is down 15%, while UBS along with Credit Suisse both lost around 6%. Other notable industry players like BNP Paribas and Commerzbank suffered losses as well.

Bitcoin appears to be entering a new bullish “supercycle,” according to Bloomberg senior analyst Mike McGlone. He claims Bitcoin is the best-performing asset in 2023, increasing its price “nearly 10 times” as much as gold.

The Japanese Yen has been strengthening against all other currencies on Friday. EUR/JPY fell the hardest, by 1.82%. Other currency pairs, like NZD/JPY and GBP/JPY, are also down 1.5% so far.

Hermes International (RMS) jumped to a new all-time high of over 1,806 per stock. The company is up 24% so far in 2023 and up 49.5% in the last 12 months. Hermes is currently valued at 188 billion euros.

The Interior Minister of Montenegro claims Do Kwon has been arrested in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. The identity verification should be confirmed soon.