"SEC Clears Gemini, Crypto Industry Breathes Sigh of Relief"

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has concluded its investigation into crypto exchange Gemini without taking any enforcement action. Gemini co-founder Cameron Winklevoss announced the decision, highlighting the prolonged legal and financial impacts on Gemini and the broader crypto industry. This move is part of a broader shift in the SEC's stance on crypto under new leadership, with other investigations and legal actions against major crypto firms also being retracted.

The SEC's decision comes amidst a series of developments in the crypto industry. Ondo Finance, a tokenized real-world asset issuer, has joined the Mastercard network to facilitate better cross-border payments and provide business access to yield through tokenized assets. This collaboration underscores the growing integration of traditional finance and blockchain technology, allowing easier access to crypto and digital assets.

In another significant development, the Avalanche Foundation has launched the Avalanche Card, a Visa credit card that enables users to purchase with Avalanche tokens (AVAX), wrapped AVAX, and stablecoins USDT and USDC at any Visa-accepting location. This initiative is part of Avalanche's commitment to expand decentralized finance (DeFi) accessibility, particularly in regions like Latin America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

Immutable, a leading Web3 gaming platform, has partnered with Japan's premier mobile gaming developer to launch TOKYO BEAST on the Web3 platform. This partnership, marking Immutable's third with a unicorn developer, further solidifies its leadership in the Asian Web3 gaming market. TOKYO BEAST introduces a pooled NFT system and competitive features designed to attract both Web2 and Web3 players, aiming to set new standards in blockchain-based gaming.

Hackers are creating numerous fake GitHub projects to disseminate malware that steals crypto and user credentials, according to Kaspersky. The campaign, titled 'GitVenom,' features repositories filled with various malware types aimed at tricking users into downloading them. These projects look authentic and are often disguised as useful tools, but instead harbor info stealers and clipboard hijackers that compromise crypto transactions. The schemes have targeted users globally, with a notable focus on Russia, Brazil, and Turkey.

PayPal plans to expand the use of its stablecoin, PYUSD, across its payment ecosystem, focusing on integrating it into products to serve its 20 million small-to-medium-sized merchants. The initiative includes facilitating payment to vendors through an upcoming bill-pay product and enabling