Episode Details

17th Feb: Blockchain DXB Podcast

🟠President Javier Milei memcoin 🔵 Barclays BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF ❗Coinbase + Aston Martin Aramco 🔥India Seizes $198M in Crypto 💯Bybit Removed From France's Blacklist

🔵Argentine President Javier Milei posted about a cryptocurrency called $LIBRA on X, promoting it as a tool for economic growth and small business funding. The coin, created by KIP Protocol and Hayden Davis, was linked to a website called vivalalibertadproject.com. After Milei deleted the post a few hours later, the coin’s value collapsed, leading to significant investor losses. The President’s Office later clarified that Milei had no involvement in the coin’s development and deleted the post to prevent speculation and limit further exposure to the project.

🔵Meanwhile, Political opponent and former head of the Argentine Central Bank, Claudio Lozano, along with other attorneys, filed charges against Milei in an Argentine criminal court on Sunday, according to The Associated Press. https://shorturl.at/lD3wU

🏦 Barclays Bank Discloses $131M Bitcoin ETF Stake

- Barclays revealed a $131 million holding in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) as of December 31, 2024. This follows Bitcoin’s price surge to $97,030.17 amid increased institutional adoption. Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan also boosted their ETF holdings, contributing to January’s $5 billion U.S. Bitcoin ETF inflows. Analysts project BTC could hit $200,000 by late 2025. Official Info here https://shorturl.at/MF9Rw

🚘 Aston Martin F1 Team, aramco Formula One Team announced a partnership with Coinbase, fully paid in cryptocurrency, including Circle’s USDC stablecoin. This marks Coinbase’s first sports partnership funded entirely with crypto and its debut in Formula One. Coinbase aims to push boundaries alongside Aston Martin Aramco to promote global economic freedom. Official info here https://shorturl.at/yXMoL 

🔥 India’s Directorate of Enforcement (ED) seized $190M in crypto linked to Bitconnect’s Ponzi scheme, along with cash, a car, and digital devices. Bitconnect’s fraudulent “Lending Program” promised high returns but diverted funds to company-controlled wallets. The scheme collapsed in 2018, with U.S. authorities charging founder Satish Kumbhani and sentencing top promoter Glenn Arcaro to 38 months. Kumbhani remains at large as efforts to recover $2.4B continue. via Bitcoin.com https://shorturl.at/l65Zb

💯Ben Zhou, CEO & Co-founder of Bybit mentioned via Twitter/X that After more than 2 years of working with the French regulator through multiple remediation efforts, Bybit is