CryptoWeekly

Cybercriminals are blackmailing YouTubers to promote crypto-mining malware, using YouTube’s copyright strike system to pressure creators into adding malicious links to video descriptions. The malware, ‘SilentCryptoMiner’, secretly mines cryptocurrencies like ETH and XMR while hiding its activity. When YouTubers tried to fight back, the criminals escalated by threatening to take down their channels.

Throughout March, the Pi Network (PI) will gradually release 188 million PI tokens to over one million users. Since the mainnet launched on February 20th, PI’s price has surged nearly 100%, peaking at $2.99.

The Trump administration has reversed plans to double tariffs on Canadian metals after Canada dropped its proposed 25% tax on electricity exports to the U.S.

Yann LeCun, Meta’s Chief AI Scientist, recently joined a coalition of AI and tech groups in submitting a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick complaining about both Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The?letter?voiced concerns about the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts, specifically to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which could harm the U.S. AI industry’s global leadership.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan vote to overturn an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rule requiring crypto institutions to collect and report taxpayer and transaction data. The rule, introduced in 2021, sought to classify?DeFi platforms as ‘brokers’ like traditional financial institutions. This would have required them to aggregate and submit user transaction data to the IRS.

El Salvador and Paraguay have signed an agreement to enhance cooperation on crypto-related issues. The agreement, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Paraguay’s?SEPRELAD?and El Salvador’s CNAD, focuses on improving collaboration in regulating digital asset service providers.

Dogecoin (DOGE) is testing the lower boundary of a key price channel, with recent range bound movements potentially shaping its short-term direction.

Arkham has launched the ‘Key Opinion Leader (KOL) Label’, which monitors crypto influencers with over 100,000 followers on X, revealing whether they genuinely believe in the projects they promote or are simply paid endorsers. The?new tool?comes during a time when meme coins have skyrocketed in popularity, although most often lack utility or long-term value.

This week, fears of a U.S. recession led to major sell-offs by investors in crypto and tech stocks, despite the White House's efforts to calm concerns. JPMorganChase raised the recession risk to 40%, up from 30%, citing?extreme U.S. policies. Goldman Sachs also increased their 12-month recession probability to 20%, with further increases possible if Trump’s policies persist.

The Utah Senate has passed HB230, the "Blockchain and Digital Innovation Amendments" bill, which moves the state closer to integrating crypto into its legal framework. The original bill would have allowed Utah’s state treasurer to invest up to 5% of public funds in crypto with a market cap exceeding $500 billion, mainly targeting?Bitcoin (BTC).