PRICE CHANGE WTD/YTD

- BTC ($7,943): +16% / +112%
- ETH ($254): +38% / +90%
- LTC ($93): +11% / +205%
- XRP ($0.40): +31% / +14%
- Crypto Market Cap ($247B): +20% / +97%
- BTC dominance: 57%

THIS WEEK IN CRYPTO

- A report from Chainalysis shows that 376 people hold more than 30% of all ether, but these holders only account for 7% of transaction activity. 60 percent of these 'whales' hold their assets off exchanges. Bitcoin has experienced similar concentration, with 500 people hold 20% of all bitcoin. Link. 

- Binance, one of the world's largest crypto exchanges by volumes, announced it reopened deposits and withdrawals after a week of upgrading its security system, after hackers stole $41 million worth of bitcoin from the exchange. Binance improved its user behavior analysis, KYC procedures, and implemented  innovative ways to fight phishing. Link. 

- Ledger CEO said sales doubled after Binance's $41 million hack last week. Binance reopened late this week, after being shut down for a week after the hack. Ledger is  a crypto custody hardware and software provider that offers hardware wallets for customers to  hold their own keys.  Link. 

- Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said that Coinbase Custody now has $1 billion of crypto under management just 12 months after launch. Armstrong said the firm was adding $150 million AUM a month. Many are looking to Coinbase to do staking and voting on their behalf. He also said that bitcoin is still the main asset of interest for institutions. Link. 

- Bitcoin startup Blockstream is launching a platform that lets users launch their own tokens by using its bitcoin sidechain called Liquid. The blockchain app will allow users to issue and manage security tokens on top of the Liquid Network. Link. 

- New York Coinbase users can now trade XRP. Coinbase had announced it was listing the cryptocurrency in February. Link.  

- Coinbase announced it was ramping up support of its stablecoin, USDC, across 85 countries. Coinbaes is currently available in more than 100 countries, but many countries can only exchange crypto-to-crypto and not crypto-to-fiat. Link. 

- Facebook registered Libra Networks in Geneva, and suggested its blockchain efforts included fintech services. The registered entity is seeking to develop software and infrastructure connected with investment activities, payment operations, and data analysis, among other things related to finance. David Marcus, former President of PayPal is thought to be heavily involved in Facebook's blockchain efforts; Facebook also recently hired two Coinbase employees. Link. 

- Brave Software, the company behind privacy-browser Brave, is reportedly raising a $30-$50 million Series A round at a $133 million valuation. The company raised $35 million for its seed round in 2017. Brave recently began allowing users to participate in a 70% revenue share for ads sold on the platform, paid in its native BAT tokens. Link. 

- Token sale platform Harbor is partnering with Rhodium Capital Advisors to create a security token that represents ownership of a number of properties, hoping to provide affordable housing by raising capital for a development fund. Rhodium holds 100 portfolio properties  and 10,000 residential units in the US.  Harbor previously attempted  to tokenize a $20 million mega-dorm at the University of South Carolina, but the deal fell through when the issuer and mortgage lender couldn't come to an agreement. Link. 

- Amazon was awarded a patent to develop different techniques for a proof-of-work system, that involves generation  of Merkle trees as an answer to a PoW challenge. The solution could be used to counter DDoS attacks. Link. 

- A New York judge ordered  stablecoin issuer Tether to freeze transfers to its affiliated crypto exchange Bitfinex. The New York Attorney General recently accused Tether of providing Bitfinex with a $625 million loan and $900 million line of credit to  process customer withdrawals after it had lost $850 million being held by Crypto Capital, a South America-based payment processor. Link.  

- Poloniex, the US crypto exchange, is delisting 9 coins due to "regulatory uncertainty". The coins (ARDR, BCN, DCR, GAME, GAS, LSK, NXT, OMNI, and REP) will be disabled at the end of the month. Link.