Cryptocurrency Prices Today: Markets recover slightly as Bitcoin, Ethereum trade in green

Over the last 24 hours, the total volume in the decentralised finance (DeFi) space stood at $22.34 billion, constituting around 14.69 percent of the 24-hour cryptocurrency trading volume. The total volume in stablecoins stood at $129.63 billion, around 85.25 percent of the same. Bitcoin's market dominance rose 0.68 percent to 42.44 percent and the currency was trading at $38,550.47 on the morning of February 25. In rupee terms, Bitcoin rose 3.72 percent to trade at Rs 30,27,948 while Ethereum rose 1.54 percent to Rs 2,06,644.1. Read more here.

Ethereum Creator Vitalik Buterin Calls Russia Invasion a 'Crime'

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin posted in his mother tongue on Wednesday that Russia's invasion of Ukraine "is a crime against the Ukrainian and Russian people."Wrote Buterin: "Very upset by Putin's decision to abandon the possibility of a peaceful solution to the dispute with Ukraine and go to war instead." After recognizing the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine earlier this week, President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday declared that Russia would conduct a "special military operation" in Ukraine, a thinly veiled reference to a full invasion. Read more here.

China’s Bitcoin Crackdown Strengthens With Potential Fines, Jail Sentences

China’s years-long crackdown on cryptocurrency has stepped up another level, thanks to a new Supreme Court ruling that paves the way for fines and potentially lengthy jail sentences for citizens found guilty of fundraising via crypto tokens. The Supreme Court’s decision specifies that “virtual currency” transactions used for raising funds can be prosecuted, with varying penalties available depending on the amount of money raised via the transactions. China previously banned crypto fundraising in 2017 amid the global surge in initial coin offerings (ICOs). This ruling amends the country’s laws to specify that digital currencies are included in the forms of fundraising that are illegal within China, allowing for prosecution. Read here.

CryptoPunks Owner Boasts of 'Rugging' Sotheby's, NFT Auction Canceled

In 2021, about $570,000 in Bitcoin donations went to pro-military Ukrainian groups. Yesterday, almost $400,000 in BTC has been sent to just one of those organizations, "Come Back Alive," according to an analysis from U.K.-based blockchain analytics firm Elliptic. This group provides support to the Ukrainian army by supporting their soldiers,"

“They've received very, very small amounts of donations since August 2021—not very much at all; maybe like $4 or $5K a month. And then suddenly it just shot up starting about the 22nd of February," reported Elliptic. From the Ukrainians’ perspective, funding is urgently needed. On Wednesday, after a monthslong buildup of Russian troops on the border, President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine, euphemistically calling the invasion a “special military operation." Ukrainian organizations adopted crowdfunding tactics back in 2014 when Russia-aligned President Viktor Yanukovych was removed from office during the Maidan Revolution. Read more here.