Trump Family Eyes Crypto Fortune: Binance Deals & Meme Coin Drama

Trump's Expanding Crypto Connections

Donald Trump's ties to the cryptocurrency world could deepen significantly, as reported by Yahoo Finance. Discussions have reportedly taken place between the Trump family and Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. These talks include a potential Trump family stake in Binance's U.S. arm and the possibility of launching a stablecoin in collaboration with World Liberty Financial, a crypto business linked to the Trump family. Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, who pleaded guilty to violating U.S. anti-money-laundering laws in 2023, has denied any discussions about a pardon or business deal with the Trump administration. Additionally, Trump's administration has already implemented executive orders benefiting the crypto industry, including banning a central bank digital currency and establishing a bitcoin reserve.

Trump's involvement in the crypto space extends further with the launch of meme coins named after him and Melania Trump, as well as his family's backing of the World Liberty crypto project. The Trump Organization holds 80% of the meme coin supply, while the family receives 22.5% of World Liberty's crypto token and 75% of net revenues after the project earns $30 million. Despite controversies, Trump's administration continues to push for a federal regulatory framework for crypto markets, aiming to make the U.S. a global leader in the industry.

Scam Emails Targeting Coinbase and Gemini Users

Crypto users have reported a surge in phishing emails impersonating Coinbase and Gemini, according to TradingView and Cointelegraph. These fraudulent emails instruct users to transition to self-custodial wallets by April 1, providing pre-generated recovery phrases controlled by scammers. Once users set up wallets using these phrases, their funds become accessible to the attackers. The emails falsely claim that a court ruling mandates users to manage their own wallets due to lawsuits against Coinbase and Gemini for allegedly selling unregistered securities. Both exchanges have denied these claims and warned users never to use recovery phrases provided by others.

Blockchain security firm CertiK highlighted that phishing attacks cost users $1 billion across 296 incidents in 2024, making it the most significant security threat in the crypto space. Additionally, North Korean hackers have reportedly targeted crypto founders through fake Zoom calls, attempting to install malware under the guise of partnership discussions. Users are advised to remain vigilant and verify communications from crypto platforms.

Binance and Pi Coin Updates

Binance has secured a $2 billion investment from Abu Dhabi-based MGX, marking its first institutional funding, as reported by crypto.news. The investment, conducted in stablecoins, is described as the largest of its kind. Meanwhile, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has refuted claims of discussions with the Trump family regarding a potential investment in Binance U.S. or a pardon deal. On another note, Pi Coin has entered the top 15 cryptocurrencies, sparking discussions about its future exchange listings, as noted by Binance's updates. However, further details on Pi Coin's trajectory remain limited.

Weekly Recap: Strategy's Stock Offering and Regional Crypto Developments

Michael Saylor's Strategy has announced a $21 billion stock offering to fund additional Bitcoin purchases, maintaining its position as a major corporate Bitcoin holder with nearly 500,000 BTC, according to crypto.news. Coinbase, under the Trump administration, plans to hire 1,000 U.S. employees in 2025 and has reentered the Indian market after securing registration with the Financial Intelligence Unit. Additionally, Latin American countries like El Salvador and Paraguay are collaborating on crypto regulations, while South Korea plans to issue institutional investment guidelines by 2025.

In other developments, Ripple has received regulatory approval in Dubai, and MoonPay has acquired stablecoin infrastructure platform Iron for $100 million. Meanwhile, Ethereum developers are set to launch a new testnet called Hoodi on March 17, following technical issues with previous updates. These advancements highlight the growing global interest and regulatory focus on the cryptocurrency sector.

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