Introduction: In a groundbreaking development, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the former CEO of Binance, has officially pleaded guilty in a case revolving around anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. This significant legal development comes from recent revelations by Zhao and Binance acknowledging regulatory shortcomings in their AML practices. Key Court Decision: Judge Richard Jones of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle has officially accepted Zhao’s guilty plea, as indicated by a recent court filing. This decision follows weeks of scrutiny over the regulatory lapses identified in Binance’s operations.   Sentencing Details: With the court accepting the guilty plea, Zhao’s sentencing has been scheduled for February 2024. This closure is poised to set a precedent for enforcing financial regulations within the cryptocurrency industry. As part of the comprehensive settlement, Zhao faces a personal fine of $50 million and has stepped down as CEO of Binance.   Bond Terms and Travel Restrictions: Released on bond, CZ’s sentencing is set for February 23, 2024. While he would typically be allowed to return to the UAE under bond terms, recent orders from Judge Jones require Zhao to remain in the United States for now, pending a final decision on these conditions.   Binance’s Corporate Settlement: Concurrently, Binance has agreed to a landmark corporate settlement of $4.3 billion, marking one of the most significant penalties in corporate history. This plea signals a substantial development amid ongoing federal investigations into compliance practices within the cryptocurrency exchange.   Management Changes at Binance: Following Zhao’s guilty plea and subsequent resignation, Binance has substantially changed its management structure. Richard Teng, formerly a director at Binance, has assumed the CEO role. In a recent interview, Teng highlighted the transformative changes within the exchange, emphasizing its commitment to working closely with global regulators.   Note: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Readers should exercise due diligence and consider professional advice before making investment decisions.

The Ethereum price has been gaining momentum and has surpassed the $2,200 resistance level. It is currently trading above $2,200 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bullish trend line forming with support around $2,225. If the price clears the $2,275 resistance zone, it could extend its rally towards the $2,500 level. However, if it fails to break the $2,250 resistance, there might be a downside correction.  The initial support is around $2,220, followed by $2,175 and $2,150. The MACD indicator shows a loss of momentum in the bullish zone, while the RSI is above the 50 level. Source: NEWSBTC

Bitcoin price has surged past the $41,000 market, trading at $41,325.69 per (BTC / USD) on Binance, recapturing lost glory. This is consistent with market-wide optimism regarding the approval of Bitcoin Spot ETFs, the upcoming 2024 BTC halving, and other positive developments. Ethereum leads the recovery of the altcoin market, trading at $2,248.94, SOL at $64.89, and DOGE at $0.090542. The global crypto market cap is now $1.6 trillion, a 3.39% increase over the last 24 hours and a 79.13% increase over a year ago. Bitcoin has a market valuation of $807 billion, reflecting a 50.33% market dominance. The recent increase also marks a new year-to-date high for Bitcoin, which has increased by more than 140% since the beginning of the year.  Matrixport’s chief of research, Markus Thielen, predicts that Bitcoin will top $60,000 by April 2024 and reach $125,000 by the end of 2024. Source: NEWSBTC 

Solana’s price has surged by 10.1% over the past week and 70.8% this month, indicating strong buying momentum in the market. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is above 60, suggesting a bullish trend, but it’s approaching the overbought zone, which could lead to a potential short-term overvaluation and a market correction. The upward movement of key moving averages, such as the 50-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) and the 20-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), further supports Solana’s bullish sentiment. The $42.2 level is an important support level, while the $60 mark acts as a significant resistance. Breaking above the $60 resistance with high trading volume could signal further bullish momentum. However, being in the overbought territory may result in selling pressure and profit-taking, potentially causing a price correction. A decline below the moving averages, especially the $42.2 level, could indicate a sentiment shift and a potential trend reversal. Source: CRYPTO BRIEFING

Renowned crypto analyst PlanB has made a bullish prediction for Bitcoin (BTC), suggesting that it could reach an all-time high of $524,000 in the next four years. PlanB bases this prediction on historical halving trends.  The analyst points out that previous halving events have led to BTC reaching peaks around four times higher than the lower end of the distribution range. PlanB expects BTC to be in the range of $16,000 to $65,000 after the next halving, with a potential peak in the range of $65,000 to $524,000. At 2012 halving most bitcoin was <$16.At 2016 halving most BTC was in $256-$1024 range.At 2020 halving most BTC was in $4k-16k range.At 2024 halving most BTC will be in $16k-$65k range. I would not be surprised if next 4 years most BTC will transfer in $65k-$524k range. pic.twitter.com/kSmoFY8ciE — PlanB (@100trillionUSD) November 25, 2023 PlanB believes that the previous bull cycle was driven by major macro events like the COVID-19 pandemic and global inflationary fiat currencies. The analyst anticipates that the next bull run will be even stronger due to two significant factors: the halving and the potential introduction of a Bitcoin spot ETF in 2024. Currently, BTC is trading at $36,929, with mixed market sentiments. Other analysts have more conservative predictions, expecting figures between $40,000 and $50,000. Despite a small decline in the past seven days, BTC’s Fear and Greed Index has shown “Greed” for 30 consecutive days, which has not occurred in two years. Source: CryptoPotato

Over 100 million SHIB tokens have been burned in the past week, resulting in a rise in the price of Shiba Inu (SHIB).  The Shiba Inu community has disposed of 130,903,382 SHIB in the past seven days, but the burn rate of this cryptocurrency has decreased compared to earlier in the fall when billions of SHIB were removed from circulation.  Additionally, 5,947,922 SHIB tokens were destroyed in the past 24 hours through four transactions. Despite the burn rate decline, SHIB has experienced a 7.79% increase in price since Wednesday, reaching $0.000008834 at the time of writing.  The Layer-2 solution Shibarium has also achieved new milestones in daily transactions and transfers. Source: UTODAY