In this week’s edition of the weekly recap, Token2049 organizers postponed the Dubai edition until 2027 citing safety concerns from escalating Iran-Israel-U.S. tensions, Robinhood reported February crypto notional volumes increased 9% to $25 billion and the Ethereum Foundation published a formal mandate establishing its role as steward of a censorship-resistant, privacy-first protocol. Summary Token2049 Dubai postponed to 2027 due to Iran–Israel tensions. Robinhood crypto trading volume rose to $25B in February. Ethereum Foundation published a formal censorship-resistant mandate. Token2049 Dubai delayed amid regional conflict Event organizers postponed the Dubai edition until 2027 after citing safety concerns linked to rising geopolitical tensions from the Iran-Israel-U.S. military confrontation. The decision follows cancellation of another major industry gathering, the TON Gateway event, which had also been scheduled for Dubai. Robinhood shows crypto trading dominance February data revealed crypto notional volumes increased 9% to $25 billion while equity, options, and event contracts experienced contraction. Ethereum Foundation establishes written doctrine The organization published an “EF Mandate” formalizing its role as steward of a censorship-resistant, privacy-first, open-source base layer. The document signals zero appetite for surveillance-chain compromises as the protocol scales to accommodate broader adoption. Buterin explains 2021 donation circumstances Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin clarified the massive 2021 Shiba Inu donation to the Future of Life Institute while distancing himself from the group’s recent artificial intelligence policy approaches. Buterin explained the tokens surged in value during the 2021 meme coin boom with peak “book value” exceeding $1 billion, prompting him to access cold storage funds, sell portions for Ether, and donate to various causes. Hong Kong prepares banking stablecoin licenses Banking giants HSBC and Standard Chartered are expected to be among the first institutions receiving stablecoin issuer licenses in Hong Kong. The licensing approach positions Hong Kong to compete with other jurisdictions for regulated stablecoin issuance and operations. DeFi user loses millions in slippage error A user attempting to swap $50 million USDT for AAVE through the protocol’s interface received only 324 AAVE after accepting a quote with extreme price impact. The transaction prompted Aave to review safeguards and refund a portion of transaction fees following the catastrophic slippage outcome. Prosecutors oppose Bankman-Fried retrial request U.S. prosecutors asked a federal judge to deny a new trial for the disgraced crypto entrepreneur, arguing he has not shown legal basis for overturning his FTX-related conviction. As per the report, prosecutors told the court Bankman-Fried’s motion fails to showcase his original trial was unfair or that new evidence would meaningfully alter the verdict. Bonk.fun warns users of domain compromise The Solana-based meme coin launch platform team alerted users to avoid its website after hackers reportedly compromised the domain and deployed a malicious wallet drainer. At least one trader claimed losses of $273,000 after connecting their wallet to the compromised interface. Indian authorities arrest GainBitcoin fraud suspect The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Ayush Varshney, co-founder and chief technology officer of Darwin Labs Private Limited, in connection with alleged GainBitcoin cryptocurrency fraud. Investigators allege Darwin Labs helped build technical infrastructure for the scheme including the MCAP token and GBMiners platform. Varshney was intercepted at Mumbai airport while allegedly attempting to leave India after a Look Out Circular was issued. Ripple acquires Australian payments firm The company announced plans to secure an Australian financial services license through acquisition of BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd, a payments company linked to the European Banking Circle Group. The deal remains underway and is expected to close April 1 after standard closing processes finalize. Anthropic sues government over AI blacklist The artificial intelligence developer filed a lawsuit against multiple U.S. government agencies, accusing federal authorities of unlawfully blacklisting its technology. The legal action alleges the blacklisting occurred after Anthropic refused to allow certain military uses of its AI systems.
