The Daily: Bitcoin whipsaws amid Lummis announcement and Trump WEF remarks, Ledger co-founder freed after kidnapping and more
2025-01-24
Category: None

Happy Thursday! John McAfee is back from the dead in the form of a new AI-powered crypto project. While it may not replicate the late antivirus pioneer's controversial "token of the day" advice, concerns are already swirling around the "AIntivirus" memecoin's supply.
In today's newsletter, bitcoin whipsaws amid a teased announcement from Senator Lummis and President Trump's World Economic Forum address, Ledger co-founder David Ballard is rescued after a kidnapping attempt, CZ takes an "active role" in a rebranded Binance Labs venture and more.
Meanwhile, half of TRUMP and MELANIA memecoin holders had never bought a "Solana altcoin" before, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.
Let's get started.
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Bitcoin whipsaws amid Lummis announcement and Trump WEF remarks
Bitcoin briefly spiked to $106,000 earlier on Thursday after Sen. Cynthia Lummis — a key proponent for a national bitcoin reserve in the U.S. — teased an announcement, posting "₿ig things are coming" on 𝕏.
Ledger co-founder freed after kidnapping
David Balland, retired co-founder of France-based crypto hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger, has been released after being kidnapped, Bloomberg reported.
CZ returns to Binance-related role
Changpeng "CZ" Zhao is set to take on an "active role" at YZi Labs, rebranded from Binance Labs, with a shift in focus to investments beyond crypto, including biotech and AI.
Jump sues former Firedancer engineer
Jump Trading sued Liam Heeger, its former software engineer and Firedancer co-lead, for allegedly breaching his non-compete agreement by launching Unto Labs, a rival blockchain venture.
Bitwise confirms Dogecoin ETF entity registration
Bitwise filed a registration for a Dogecoin ETF entity in Delaware, confirmed by its Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan late Wednesday.
In the next 24 hours
Never miss a beat with The Block's daily digest of the most influential events happening across the digital asset ecosystem.
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.
© 2024 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.