Archive February 2025

Financial institutions around the world are scrutinizing blockchain technology, oscillating between skepticism and opportunism. Indeed, the European Central Bank (ECB), after years of analysis, is taking a significant step forward with the announcement of a blockchain-based interbank settlement project. This initiative, which aims to enable banks to settle their transactions in central bank money on a blockchain infrastructure, could mark a decisive turning point in the modernization of payments in Europe.

Microsoft is preparing to host the new versions of OpenAI's language models, including GPT-4.5 and GPT-5. According to recent information, the first implementation of GPT-4.5 could take place as early as next week, while GPT-5 is expected by the end of May.

The SEC, once a bastion of conservatism, is finally awakening to the enchanting song of cryptocurrencies. ETFs are making a grand entrance, and the agency, once inflexible, seems to be discovering the virtues of compromise.

Public financial management is a sensitive topic, especially when it is championed by a polarizing figure like Elon Musk. Since his appointment at the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the entrepreneur has promised a drastic reduction in federal spending to avoid a "bankruptcy of the United States." He announced that he has saved 8 billion dollars by canceling a government contract. A spectacular figure, but quickly contested by several media outlets: the contract in question was actually worth only 8 million dollars.

Michael Saylor proposes a bold vision: the United States should acquire 20% of the circulating bitcoins. In a speech at CPAC, he stated that such a strategy could not only strengthen the dollar but also help pay off the national debt. Behind this financial ambition lies a geopolitical struggle where every major power seeks to assert itself in the digital economy of tomorrow.

A model employee? Rather an illusion. Behind her Excel files, Ho Kai Xin embezzled 5.7 million in crypto. The Singaporean justice system offers her a 10-year stay behind bars.

A recent survey conducted by Independent Reserve reveals that only one third of Australians consider Donald Trump a positive figure for the cryptocurrency sector, despite the significant rise in Bitcoin since his election. This study comes at a time when Trump’s pro-crypto promises are reshaping the American digital landscape.

On February 21, 2025, Bybit, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchange platforms, revealed that it had fallen victim to a sophisticated cyberattack. According to an official statement, a cold wallet holding Ethereum (ETH) was compromised, allowing an attacker to transfer $560 million to an unidentified hot wallet. This incident highlights the security challenges faced by exchanges in the crypto universe.