BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Tweaked; Binance, Zhao Fight Back Against SEC Lawsuit; Poloniex Assets Safe After $200M Hack
• BlackRock recently updated its spot bitcoin ETF filing to allow authorized participants (APs) to create shares with cash rather than just bitcoin. This enables major Wall Street banks to participate despite restrictions on holding crypto.
• Binance, Binance.US, and Changpeng Zhao argued in new court filings that the SEC failed to meet the requirements of the Howey Test in its lawsuit against them. They say the SEC did not show their U.S. customers had investment contracts or met other elements of the Supreme Court case.
• Justin Sun said assets on HTX and Poloniex exchanges are "100% safe" after November's $200 million hack. Bitcoin, Tron, and some other assets can now be withdrawn, although several altcoins remain locked, trading at a premium on Poloniex.
• Hackers stole $114 million from Poloniex hot wallets on November 10, followed by $97 million stolen from HTX and blockchain protocol Heco Chain.
• The updates come as crypto firms continue responding to recent security breaches and push back against intensified regulatory scrutiny in the U.S.