Opinion by: Fakhul Miah, managing director of GoMining InstitutionalThe Bitcoin (BTC) mining industry has never been more attractive to institutional investors. Fintech giants are investing in Bitcoin mining rather than just accumulating the asset, all thanks to the favorable regulatory environment in the US and the profitability margin of BTC. Then, numerous companies are diversifying by allocating computing power to AI, further strengthening their economics and, thus, investment attractiveness. For now, it looks like the future of the foundational layer for the Bitcoin network could mark the new gusher age.Is Bitcoin mining profitable?Bitcoin mining is still profitable. CoinShares, a digital asset investment firm, shared that the average cost to mine 1 BTC for US-listed miners reached $55,950 in Q3 2024. Two other popular models — one from MacroMicro and another dubbed the Glassnode Difficulty Regression Model — give different estimates. On the very same day of Feb. 20, MacroMicro.me data shows that the average cost to produce 1 BTC hovers above $92,000; Glassnode’s Difficulty Regression Model estimates the cost to mine a single BTC at approximately $34,400, all while the cryptocurrency’s price hit $98,300 on that day.On a global scale, mining costs differ based on the region. For example, the electricity cost to produce 1 BTC in Ireland is roughly $321,000, but it costs just over $1,300 to mine 1 BTC in Iran. Electricity is only part of the equation — hardware, labor and maintenance costs also play a crucial role.Recent data from CoinShares and MacroMicro.me paints a challenging yet nuanced picture for Bitcoin miners in the United States. While some institutional miners remain profitable, the broader landscape reveals increasing operational pressures that could reshape the mining industry.What happens if the challenges aren’t addressed? Mining institutions with high profitability rates could start to expand their operations and possibly acquire struggling miners at bargain prices, potentially putting retail and smaller miners at risk.Sustainable economics for investment attractivenessIn addition to receiving the block rewards, miners also benefit from the Bitcoin network’s transaction fees, which depend on network usage. Data shows that the daily Bitcoin transaction fees have been hovering between $360,000 and $1.3 million over the past month — reaching an average of $595,000 daily. This additional revenue stream bolsters Bitcoin mining’s economic appeal and strengthens the resilience of the mining business model by diversifying income sources.Recent: Bitcoin miner Bitfarms secures up to $300M loan from MacquarieIt’s not only mining that mining hardware is used for. High computational power, captive power supplies and ready-made infrastructure make miners uniquely equipped to support AI and high-performance computing. In simple terms, mining firms can now rent out their hardware to process AI tasks instead of only focusing on mining Bitcoin.The combination of transaction fee revenue growth and AI computing diversification creates a more resilient and profitable industry model (the existing one has never been quite appealing to institutional investments in the US). Institutional investments on the riseThe appealing revenues in the Bitcoin mining industries brought huge attention from institutional investors. This process is easy to spot: Bitcoin mining pools in the US accounted for over 40% of the global Bitcoin network’s hashrate in 2024. According to research by EY-Parthenon and Coinbase, 83% of the 352 global institutions plan to increase their crypto allocations this year, while 51% of the asset managers are considering investments in digital asset companies, including mining companies. That’s why I’m not surprised to witness huge investments in Riot Platforms, CoreWeave and other mining industry players. The favorable market sentiment has paved the way for more initial public offerings (IPOs) and specialized funds targeting mining companies. In addition to securing the $650-million investment, CoreWeave aims to go public with a $4-billion IPO to help the Nvidia-backed company reach a $35-billion valuation.Bgin Blockchain, a Singapore-based crypto miner manufacturer, recently filed to go public in the US. Renaissance Capital, an investment advisory firm, expects Bgin Blockchain to raise $50 million for its IPO.This surge in institutional momentum is set to benefit the Bitcoin mining industry by driving up demand and tightening available supply on the market. As more large players accumulate and hold Bitcoin, market scarcity could increase, supporting higher prices and, in turn, boosting miner profitability.The future optimism is more than tangibleThe strong support from institutional investors comes as the optimism around crypto-friendly policies has significantly increased after Donald Trump won the US presidential elections in November 2024.Establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in early March, seen as a massive policy shift, triggered positivity in the crypto and mining sectors. This sector gained importance. Last year, Bitcoin mining operations significantly contributed to the US economy, generating roughly $4.1 billion in gross domestic product and creating over 31,000 jobs nationwide. The industry is also revitalizing rural areas by generating tax revenue and repurposing remote locations for mining operations. It sounds like the gusher days of the oil industry a century ago, doesn’t it?The latest investments, leadership appointments and IPOs show that Bitcoin mining firms have a significant tailwind. Meanwhile, they are no longer just about BTC — they are becoming data infrastructure providers for the AI sector, turning into hybrid data processing giants.Taking advantage of this shift, the US could potentially become the leader in the digital asset and Bitcoin mining space due to the pro-crypto stance of the Trump administration and fulfill its stated goal of being the “crypto capital of the world.”As institutions double down on Bitcoin mining and AI convergence, the question isn’t if this industry will evolve but who will lead the charge. The modern digital gold rush is underway, and the smartest capital is already claiming it.Opinion by: Fakhul Miah, managing director of GoMining Institutional.This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Onchain social network Zora has built a reputation as a popular tool for artists, musicians and other creatives to monetize their content onchain, but the recent launch of its eponymous ZORA token has left many users confused and dissatisfied.The token’s price tanked shortly after launch, with users and observers complaining about everything from poor communication from the team to the token’s distribution and utility models. This comes amid an overall decline in interest in the onchain creator economy and a changing perspective on whether blockchain tools like non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are still useful for creatives who want to monetize their work on the blockchain.With creators and builders shifting focus and NFTs no longer selling like they used to, does the ZORA token drop symbolize the end of the creator-driven NFT model? Maybe not, but many creatives are changing their perspectives and the role blockchain should play in the creator economy. ZORA token launch and airdrop go awryThe ZORA token launched on April 23, and it quickly became a point of controversy among users. To start, Zora did not officially announce that it had gone live until two hours after it was already trading, leading to confusion on social media.Source: ZachXBTThe token’s price quickly fell by over 50% within those roughly two hours, from $0.037 to $0.017, adding to users’ complaints. It has since fallen even further, sitting around $0.013 at the time of writing.ZORA’s tokenomics also became a point of contention. 45% of the supply is reserved for the team and investors, while 25% is for the treasury — leaving 20% for community incentives and just 10% for the user airdrop. This led some to complain that the project was keeping too much for itself.Others disliked its general lack of utility. Zora repeatedly stated that the token “is for fun only and does not entitle its holders to any governance rights or a claim on any equity ownership in Zora or its products.” But the project seemed to respond to this criticism on May 1 by announcing that ZORA would have some additional functionalities within the network.However, many others came to the defense of the project, saying that sharing on the platform has been financially lucrative. Others were simply thankful they received anything at all.Source: WbnnsSinger Vérité, who has racked up hundreds of millions of streams as an independent artist and was an early adopter of Web3 tech, told Cointelegraph that “on a base level, I’m appreciative of being rewarded for participating in something early.”She said that while she doesn’t know the team very well, “I feel like they are genuinely trying to construct new models for valuing digital artifacts and have built an aesthetic and culture around their brand in juxtaposition to what are usually awful crypto vibes.”Source: VéritéNFTs no longer the top of the creator food chain Zora’s token launch was the latest move in a broader shift away from the traditional NFT model for creators, in this case toward embracing the cultural dominance of memecoins. While posts on Zora used to be minted as NFTs, now each post creates an instantly tradeable memecoin, also known as a “content coin.” Creators are given 1% of the supply and earn 50% of the trading and liquidity provider fees.Source: ZoraWhile the move from NFTs to content coins was itself controversial, it represents a shift to a new class of creators, according to Adam Levy, host of the Mint podcast and founder of Blueprint, which helps creators go viral onchain. He told Cointelegraph that the wild success of memecoin launchpad Pump.fun “brought in a brand new class of creators that now Zora is trying to capitalize on.”I think the Pump.fun or coin-like model is a perfect token model for a new class of creators that are emerging just generally on the internet. I think it’s like the Gen Z brain rot type of creator that spends a lot of their time remixing content or trying to create viral content in terms of like memetic content.NFT sales remain way down compared to their 2021 peak, and many creators have simply left the NFT space due to its perceived shortcomings. Music-related NFTs, which used to be prevalent on platforms like Zora, have taken a particularly hard beating.Several builders of the most popular creator platforms have moved on to work on other projects. For instance, the team behind music NFT platform Sound.xyz has shifted its focus to a new platform called Vault, which still uses blockchain technology but keeps it hidden on the back end.In a February X post, Sound co-founder David Greenstein said a hyperfocus on speculation led to the decline in NFT interest. “Over time, it became less about the artist, the music, and real connection—and more about financial transactions,” he wrote. “When speculation cooled, so did the energy behind supporting artists.”This sentiment was echoed by Vérité, who said, “I don’t think digital artifacts will have lasting value outside of speculation, experience and patronage.”Related: Tokenizing music royalties as NFTs could help the next Taylor SwiftAccording to music artist and builder Latashá, “We weren’t getting focused on culture; we were getting focused on speculation. And once the bear market hit, it really showcased that.” Latashá, who was previously head of community at Zora and is now building several blockchain-based platforms, told Cointelegraph that people also got too caught up in the language of Web3 instead of simply using the technology:The language and the jargon and even the communities that created that really kind of boxed themselves in when they only stay in that place, right? And so, I always knew that the language was going to change and that the crypto was going to become just the tool, as it should be.What’s next for the onchain creator economy?Despite the shift of interest away from NFTs toward things like memecoins, as encapsulated by Zora, many builders and creators still believe blockchain remains incredibly powerful — just that maybe it needs to be used in a different way.“I learned that you can’t force your idealism onto the world and into the market,” said Vérité. “I am less interested in making ‘Web3 tools’ work because they’re on the blockchain and more interested in finding new ways to solve problems that face artists, audiences and the systems that connect them, regardless of form.”“I definitely won’t sell NFTs to fans,” she added.Levy, on the other hand, remains firm in his belief in NFTs, specifically. “I still have endless conviction in what I’m doing,” he said. He pointed out that cryptocurrency overall, let alone NFTs, is still in the very early stages of adoption. “I think we all need to zoom out.”I don’t think it’s just a fad. I don’t think that this is going to disappear. And I don’t think that because I’ve tasted the sugar of what this is as a creator. [...] And I know there’s a better way to create content on the internet and to monetize on the internet.One notable shift has been to hide the blockchain elements and focus solely on user experience. For example, rap duo Run The Jewels has a fan club where members are rewarded with “JWL” points that can be used to unlock exclusive experiences. JWL is actually an onchain token, but that fact is buried in the club’s FAQ page. “We still need to come up with a better way of making crypto wallets accessible to people so that it is easier,” Renata Lowenbraun, CEO of independent music Web3 platform Infanity, told Cointelegraph. “The moment that happens, everything will change.”Lowenbraun compared blockchain to the internet, saying the internet took decades to truly catch on. NFTs, she argued, had a “false start” before the infrastructure had a chance to mature, “but it doesn’t mean it’s not going to stick and it’s not going to be around and it’s not going to have these amazing applications, particularly for creative people and creative ventures.”For Latashá, the future is in the hands of the artists themselves. “I think artists are just going to build their platforms. I think that’s going to be the future,” she said.From 2021 to 2024, we were really dependent on platforms. [...] And then we witnessed platforms kind of move like Web2 platforms, where they had so much ownership over our worlds and how we move that I think we finally all learned like, ‘Oh yeah, if this is really about building something different, it’s going to have to come from us.’Whatever the future of the Web3 creator economy holds, it’s clear that it won’t be without road bumps along the way. But if the builders and artists are to be believed, the road bumps lie on the path toward greater artist independence.Magazine: Get Bitcoin or die tryin’: Why hip hop stars love crypto

What are the various methods for launching crypto tokens? Launching a new token is a critical step for any blockchain project. Token launches enable projects to offer their native assets to early users, investors or supporters while securing capital or encouraging community growth. From initial coin offerings (ICOs) to fair launches and airdrops, each approach carries different levels of transparency, accessibility and risk. Since projects differ in their goals and target communities, several token launch models have evolved over time. Some focus on decentralization and wide community offering, while others aim for optimized fundraising or targeted allocation. Elements such as market swings, bot interference and regulatory pressures influence how tokens are brought to the market.The sealed-bid token launch is a growing trend in this crypto fundraising landscape. Unlike public presales or airdrops, where participants see pricing or allocation terms in advance, sealed-bid models keep each bid confidential until the process ends. This approach is increasingly favored for enabling better price discovery, limiting front-running and curbing manipulation, especially for in-demand tokens.Did you know? Sealed-bid auctions are a crypto twist on traditional finance. They have been used for government bond sales and initial public offerings (IPOs). Now they are redefining token launches by hiding bidder-related information and transparency. Sealed-bid token launch, explained A sealed-bid token launch is a method of distributing cryptocurrency tokens where participants submit private bids without knowing what others are offering. This approach, derived from traditional sealed-bid auctions, involves participants offering secret bids, and the highest bidder typically wins. Auction systems, such as sealed-bid launches, are increasingly built on blockchain platforms like Ethereum, using privacy-enhancing technologies such as Zama’s fhEVM (fully homomorphic Ethereum Virtual Machine) to ensure confidentiality and fairness. Unlike open auctions, where public visibility can escalate prices through bidding wars, sealed-bid formats prevent strategic bidding based on competitors’ actions. In crypto, a sealed-bid token launch leads to fair and transparent token allocation, minimizing price manipulation and front-running. Systems enforce a single bid per participant by leveraging cryptographic techniques like commitments and smart contract logic to prevent multiple bids and enforce payment obligations. Each participant specifies desired token quantities and prices. After the bidding window closes, bids are revealed and assessed using predefined rules, like clearing prices or allocation tiers. This method often reduces bot interference and promotes equitable access during high-demand launches.A key feature of a sealed-bid token launch is its “one-shot” bidding process. Bidders cannot revise their offers or view others’ bids beforehand, which sets up a level playing field. However, it also brings in strategic uncertainty, as participants must estimate optimal bids without cues about other bids. In April 2024, Conor McGregor fundraised for his memecoin REAL using a sealed-bid launch. The mixed martial arts icon introduced the fundraising through a sealed-bid token auction to prevent bots and snipers from manipulating the sale. The project hoped to promote transparency and integrity in a space often plagued by front-running and rug pulls.While the project didn’t disclose token lock-up details, the sealed-bid format and focus on long-term engagement suggest a strategic attempt to execute a transparent and more community-driven launch. How do sealed-bid token launches work? Sealed-bid token launches follow a structured process that minimizes the chances of manipulation and ensures transparency. Here is how the process usually unfolds:Step 1 (Project announcement): The crypto project typically announces the sealed-bid token sale through its official website, social media channels like X, or platforms like Binance Launchpad. It outlines details such as the number of tokens available, bidding timeline, minimum and maximum bid limits, and the process of token allocation.Step 2 (Private bid submission): Participants submit bids to an auctioneer on the platform by providing secret bids before a deadline. Each bid includes the desired token quantity and the offered price. Participants cannot view other bids, ensuring privacy and reducing strategic manipulation.Step 3 (Bid locking): Once submitted, all bids are locked. This prevents users from changing or withdrawing their bids, reinforcing transparency.Step 4 (Token allocation): Post deadline, the smart contract processes all bids. Tokens are distributed either to the highest bidders or through a pricing model like a clearing price or a tiered allocation. Lower bids may receive a partial allocation or a refund.In McGregor’s fundraising, participants submitted private bids in USDC (USDC) during a limited 28-hour window without knowing what others were offering. Once the auction closed, bids were ranked, and tokens were allocated to the highest bidders until the supply ran out. Such auction systems function on a smart contract that ranks all offers, calculates the cutoff price, and allocates tokens to qualifying bidders. Excess funds are refunded automatically. This onchain process eliminates the need for intermediaries, offering immutability and trustless execution. Advantages of sealed-bid token launches Sealed-bid token launches offer an alternative to other models of token sales. This format has gained popularity in crypto, thanks to its potential to create more balanced token distribution and pricing.Transparency: While individual bids remain hidden during the process, all bids and allocations are revealed after the deadline via smart contracts. This ensures onchain verifiability and trust.Reduces gas wars and front-running: Unlike first-come-first-served launches where users race to submit transactions, sealed bids are submitted over a set period. It reduces congestion and the risk of bots exploiting faster access.Encourages fairer price discovery: Since bids are placed without seeing other offers, participants bid based on perceived token value. This mechanism leads to a more organic price that reflects market demand rather than hype or manipulation.Minimizes whale dominance: Sealed bids make it harder for large players to take tokens by simply outbidding small participants in real-time. Prevents manipulation: By removing live price visibility, sealed-bid launches reduce the chances of orchestrated pump-and-dump behavior. It discourages collusion of bidders or biased decisions on the part of the project.Did you know? Sealed-bid launches may evolve with decentralized identity tools. A world might emerge where only verified wallets can bid — combining privacy, fairness and compliance in one go. Risks and limitations of sealed-bid tokens Although sealed-bid token launches introduce a range of benefits, they also entail various risks and compromises. These issues can affect both project teams and participants:Opacity at the initial stage: Since bids remain confidential until the sale concludes, some users might feel lost, unaware of what other people are bidding.Complexity: Sealed-bid auctions can be complex and less transparent to average investors. This complexity may deter participation, especially from those unfamiliar with such mechanisms.Less suitable for small-cap projects: Small-cap projects generally lack an established community. Moreover, small-cap projects rely on viral marketing and word-of-mouth to gain traction, but the closed environment of sealed-bid auctions can dampen momentum.Blockchain-specific risks: As the whole process is executed onchain by a smart contract, blockchain-specific risks such as malfunctioning code and an attacker breaching the network are always present.Risk of underfunding: If the project doesn’t attract enough competitive bids, which is common with lesser-known tokens, it may fall short of funding goals. McGregor’s REAL could raise only 39% of its target.The REAL memecoin, backed by McGregor and launched through a sealed-bid auction, failed to meet its fundraising target, securing only $392,315 — approximately 39% of its $1.008 million goal. Several external factors played a significant role in this outcome. Several external factors contributed significantly to this outcome. Chief among them was the broader downturn in the cryptocurrency market, which coincided with the token’s launch and led to a generally risk-averse investment environment. This was compounded by growing skepticism toward memecoins, as investors became increasingly wary following a series of high-profile scams and failed projects in the space. The celebrity endorsement, while attention-grabbing, may have also backfired — many investors viewed McGregor’s involvement as superficial and questioned the project’s long-term credibility. Additionally, the token’s design raised red flags, particularly its 12-hour unlock window, which resembled patterns seen in pump-and-dump schemes. A lack of transparent communication and insufficient community engagement further weakened investor confidence. While the sealed-bid auction format is designed to ensure fairness and reduce manipulation, its complexity may have posed a barrier to broader participation, particularly among retail investors unfamiliar with the mechanism. Use cases of sealed-bid tokens in crypto and future potential Sealed-bid token launches offer a unique approach to fair token distribution. These launches are gaining attention as an alternative to traditional public sales or airdrops. Their design ensures privacy and minimizes manipulation during high-demand token sales.Here are some prominent use cases of sealed-bid tokens in crypto that reflect their future potential:DAO fundraising and decentralized launchpads: Sealed bids can enhance transparency in fundraising campaigns by decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), thus boosting their credibility. The sealed-bid format reduces front-running and increases trust. Future decentralized launchpads may adopt similar systems to build credibility and avoid hype-driven token launches.KYC and identity integration: As compliance becomes more critical, sealed-bid systems could integrate with Know Your Customer (KYC) or digital identity verification layers. This would allow only verified participants to bid, reducing Sybil attacks and increasing regulatory confidence. Such integration could attract institutional investors and expand access to compliant, fair token sales.Effective for scarce supply tokens: Sealed-bid auctions are most effective when distributing tokens with limited supply. By hiding bid amounts until the auction ends, this method encourages genuine price discovery and prevents bots or whales from dominating the sale.As the crypto space matures, sealed-bid launches may become a standard for transparent and inclusive fundraising.

Today in crypto, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bill that would have allowed the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its official reserves, Apple has eased crypto application rules following a court order, and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is treating Bitcoin as a national security issue.Arizona governor vetoes bill to make Bitcoin part of state reservesArizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bill that would have allowed the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its official reserves, effectively ending efforts to make Arizona the first US state to adopt such a policy.The Digital Assets Strategic Reserve bill, which would have permitted Arizona to invest seized funds into Bitcoin (BTC) and create a reserve managed by state officials, was formally struck down on Friday, according to an update on the Arizona State Legislature’s website.“Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1025. The Arizona State Retirement System is one of the strongest in the nation because it makes sound and informed investments,” Hobbs wrote in a statement aimed at Warren Petersen, the President of the Arizona Senate.Hobbs had previously stated she would veto any legislation not tied to a bipartisan agreement on disability funding.Source: Governor Katie HobbsApple softens crypto app rules, “hugely bullish” for crypto industryCrypto app developers are now free to direct users to payments outside of Apple’s ecosystem without restrictions or hefty fees, after a United States district judge ruled that Apple violated an injunction in its antitrust legal battle against Epic Games.“The Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction, which was issued to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing. Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in an April 30 court filing.“Effective immediately, Apple will no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users, nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases,” Rogers added.Rogers reiterated, “This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order. Time is of the essence.”Bitcoin is a matter of national security — Deputy CIA directorThe US Central Intelligence Agency is increasingly incorporating Bitcoin (BTC) as a tool in its operations, and working with the cryptocurrency is a matter of national security, Michael Ellis, the agency’s deputy director, told podcast host Anthony Pompliano.In an appearance on the market analyst and investor’s show, Ellis told Pompliano that the intelligence agency works with law enforcement to track BTC, and it is a point of data collection in counter-intelligence operations. Ellis added:“Bitcoin is here to stay — cryptocurrency is here to stay. As you know, more and more institutions are adopting it, and I think that is a great trend. One that this administration has obviously been leaning forward into.”"It's another area of competition where we need to ensure the United States is well-positioned against China and other adversaries," Ellis said.Although Ellis's comments point to Bitcoin maturing as an asset, they also reflect the increased involvement of governments and institutions in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. This increased involvement runs contrary to the libertarian and cypherpunk ethos originally inherent in crypto.

Deribit, the world’s largest crypto options exchange, is weighing an entry into the US market, encouraged by what it sees as a friendlier regulatory climate under President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a recent Financial Times report.The Dubai-based exchange, which processed $1.3 trillion in notional volume last year, is “actively reassessing potential opportunities” in the United States, CEO Luuk Strijers told the FT.He cited the “recent shift toward a more favorable regulatory stance on crypto in the US” as a key motivator behind the decision.Deribit’s potential plan to expand into the US comes amid reports that Coinbase is in advanced negotiations to acquire the platform.In a March 21 report, Bloomberg said both companies have notified regulators in Dubai, where Deribit is licensed. If the deal is finalized, the license would need to be transferred to Coinbase.The move comes as competitors like Kraken also pursue growth in the derivatives space, with its recent $1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader.Bitcoin perps on Deribit. Source: DeribitReport: Deribit options exchange is evaluating buyout offers: ReportCrypto firms target US expansionDeribit joins a growing list of European and Asian crypto firms exploring US expansion.The shift comes after a period of regulatory hostility during the Biden administration, following the collapse of FTX in late 2022.That era saw an aggressive crackdown from the SEC and DOJ, prompting many firms to withdraw from US operations. However, the narrative appears to be shifting under Trump, who has pledged to “make the US the crypto capital of the world.”Since Trump’s election victory, the SEC has dropped or paused over a dozen enforcement cases against crypto companies.Additionally, the Department of Justice recently announced the dissolution of its cryptocurrency enforcement unit, signaling a softer approach to the sector.Related: Tether CEO to take ‘cautious’ approach to US expansion, eyes larger profitsThis hands-on approach appears to be boosting industry confidence.OKX, for example, has announced plans to establish a US headquarters in San Jose, California, just months after settling a $504 million case with US authorities.On April 28, Nexo, which left the US at the end of 2022 citing a lack of regulatory clarity, revealed that it is reentering the US market.Switzerland’s Wintermute and Dubai’s DWF Labs are among other major crypto players that have shown interest in exploring US expansion.Magazine: ZK-proofs are bringing smart contracts to Bitcoin — BitcoinOS and Starknet