The popular AI framework Virtuals Protocol will host an in-person meet-up in Hong Kong on Friday, January 17.

March 20 — South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) plans to select a private virtual asset custody provider as early as the first half of this year to manage its seized virtual assets, according to ZDNet Korea. The move follows a virtual asset theft incident last month: On February 26, the tax agency accidentally leaked a mnemonic phrase during a press release on on-site inspection results for delinquent taxpayers, leading to two thefts of its seized virtual assets. For provider selection, the NTS will prioritize security requirements, company size, and whether the firm holds insurance under the Virtual Asset User Protection Act. The work is currently led by the “Virtual Asset Management System Enhancement Task Force (TF),” established March 11. Additionally, the NTS intends to negotiate with the Ministry of Public Administration and Security to launch a dedicated “Digital Asset Planning Division” — tasked with overseeing the full lifecycle of virtual asset management, from s

**Hunan Court Convicts 8 in Money Laundering Scheme Tied to Moutai, Crypto** A Chinese court has handed down first-instance sentences to 8 defendants in a money laundering case in Xiangtan’s Yuetang District, Hunan Province, state media reported. The scheme—using Moutai liquor transactions as a cover and cryptocurrency as a channel—was fully dismantled, involving over 6.84 million yuan (≈$950,000) in illicit funds. The gang operated with clear roles: - Chen coordinated with upstream actors via overseas encrypted messaging to receive telecom fraud proceeds, then contacted “U Merchants” to convert funds into crypto. - Xie provided criminal tools and compiled fund details. - Huang used sham Moutai transactions (via legitimate-looking shells) to hide money trails. - Remaining members assisted with fund settlements and information sharing. The group disguised overseas fraud gains as legitimate business income via fake liquor deals, converted them to crypto for upstream acto

March 20th — Per DefiLlama data, trading volumes on some perpetual futures DEX (Perp DEX) platforms have declined recently, while open interest has seen a slight contraction. Notable trends: - **Hyperliquid**: 24-hour trading volume rebounded from yesterday’s levels, with positions holding at a high level. ~$9.37B in 24h volume; ~$7.00B open interest. - **EdgeX**: May be benefiting from an anticipated listing, driving active trading (ranks second). ~$3.54B 24h volume; ~$1.11B open interest. - **Aster**: ~$3.09B 24h volume; ~$1.86B open interest. - **Lighter**: ~$1.85B 24h volume; ~$722M open interest. - **Grvt**: ~$1.54B 24h volume; ~$490M open interest. - **Pacifica**: ~$441M 24h volume; ~$75.81M open interest. Links retained as original: [Hyperliquid](https://app.hyperliquid.xyz/join/NTOD) | [Aster](https://www.asterdex.com/zh-CN/referral/aboter) | [Lighter](https://app.lighter.xyz/?referral=70045843) | [Pacifica](https://app.pacifica.fi/?referral=pacbot)

March 20: Per LookOnChain data, BlackRock has transferred 47,728 ETH (valued at $102.13 million) and 544 BTC (valued at $38.3 million) to Coinbase Prime.

On March 20, per Whale Alert tracking, a long-dormant Bitcoin whale address—13.7 years old—has just been activated. The address holds 2,100 BTC, currently valued at $147 million; back in 2012, that same amount was worth just $13,685.

**March 20 (The Block) — Gemini and its co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss face a class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.** The complaint accuses the crypto exchange of making false or incomplete statements about its business strategy ahead of and following its September 2025 Nasdaq IPO, seeking damages for investors who purchased Gemini stock between the IPO and mid-February 2026. Gemini went public in September 2025, closing at $32 on its first day—but has since plummeted over 80%, finishing at $6.01 on Thursday. Plaintiffs allege the IPO offering framed Gemini as a growth-focused platform prioritizing monthly active user growth and international expansion, without disclosing preparations for a major strategic pivot. Earlier this February, Gemini rolled out its "Gemini 2.0" strategy: a shift to prediction market products, a 25% workforce reduction, and exits from markets including the UK, EU, and Australia—