In the UK’s first criminal case involving unregistered cryptocurrency activity, an illegal crypto ATM operator has been sentenced to four years in prison.
In a Feb. 28 statement, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said, Olumide Osunkoya illegally operated a network of crypto ATMs, which he did without the needed regulatory permission.
Therese Chambers, joint executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said, “This is the UK’s first criminal sentencing for unregistered crypto activity and sends a clear message: those who flout our rules, seek to evade detection and engage in criminal activity will face serious consequences.”
The FCA charged Osunkoya on Sept. 10 with running crypto ATMs without registration at 28 locations through his company GidiPlus Ltd from December 2021 to March 2022, which processed 2.6 million British pounds ($3.14 million).
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Uphold relaunches crypto staking in the US amid regulatory shifts
Citing a shift in regulatory policies and a more favorable stance toward digital assets, the cryptocurrency exchange Uphold has relaunched staking services in the US.
In an announcement shared with Cointelegraph on Monday, March 3, Uphold has now relaunched the new feature in the US, after resuming crypto staking in the United Kingdom in early February.
Starting March 3, 2025, Uphold customers in the US can again earn staking rewards on holdings of 19 crypto assets, including Ether ETH $2,351, Cosmos ATOM $4.54 and Polkadot DOT $4.89.
This staking's return comes in response to softening crypto regulations in the US, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dropping multiple crypto cases, including those against the US largest crypto exchange, Coinbase.
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Japan’s Metaplanet buys more Bitcoin, explores potential US listing
Metaplanet, a bitcoin-stacking investment firm purchased another 156 Bitcoin on March 3 as its CEO said the firm is exploring a potential listing outside of Japan, such as the United States.
In a March 3 statement, the company said, the 156 Bitcoin BTC $92,039 was purchased for around $13.4 million at $85,890 per coin, bringing Metaplanet’s total Bitcoin stash to 2,391 BTC.
The firm led by Gerovich-led has now bought $196.3 million worth of Bitcoin at an average purchasing price of $82,100 per Bitcoin, putting it up 13% since it first started its Bitcoin investment strategy in April last year.
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It comes as Gerovich met with officials at the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq over the last week to introduce Metaplanet’s “platforms and functions.”
In a post on X, Gerovich said, “We are considering the best way to make Metaplanet shares more accessible to investors around the world.”
