Bitcoin Daily: South Korea Officials Traded Bitcoin Before Ban

In what could be the largest investment of its kind in a blockchain-related firm, a French startup that makes hardware wallets for cryptocurrencies has raised $75 million in a Series B round of funding, CNBC reported. The investment surpasses funding for BitGo and blockchain, which achieved $42.5 million and $40 million respectively in Series B rounds during 2017.

In other blockchain news, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has launched a data feed for bitcoin and other virtual currencies, Financial News reported. The company, which owns the New York Stock Exchange, has teamed up with Blockstream to offer the feed. It will include leading cryptocurrencies measured against the U.S. dollar and other major currencies, according to a statement from the exchange.

ICE’s entry into cryptocurrency comes after two of its competitors, CME Group and Cboe Global Markets, launched bitcoin future contract trading. And, in response to requests from clients, Goldman Sachs has said it aims to offer clearing in future contracts.

In the initial coin offering (ICO) world, Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin filed administrative charges on Wednesday (Jan. 17) against Caviar, which is selling crypto assets built on technology similar to that used for bitcoin, Boston Globe reported. Since December, Caviar has raised approximately $3.1 million through the sale of tokens that permit users to invest in similar cryptocurrencies and real estate loans.

Galvin believes the investment is a security, since Caviar has said that token owners will be able to reap a portion of its investment gains. And, while the Cayman Islands-based company said it was not selling tokens to U.S. residents, Galvin maintained that the company is under his oversight, as one of its majority partners lives in Massachusetts and has been working on the company from the state.

In international cryptocurrency news, South Korean government officials have allegedly been caught insider trading, according to Bitcoin.com. The officials apparently unloaded their cryptocurrency holdings and reaped the profits just before regulators announced measures to regulate cryptocurrency. As a result, the country’s Financial Supervisory Service is reportedly investigating the matter.