Token2049 Dubai postponed to 2027, Robinhood crypto volumes surge 9%, Ethereum Foundation formalizes mandate | Weekly recap

In this week’s edition of the weekly recap, Token2049 organizers postponed the Dubai edition until 2027 citing safety concerns from escalating Iran-Israel-U.S. tensions, Robinhood reported February crypto notional volumes increased 9% to $25 billion and the Ethereum Foundation published a formal mandate establishing its role as steward of a censorship-resistant, privacy-first protocol.

Token2049 Dubai delayed amid regional conflict

• Event organizers postponed the Dubai edition until 2027 after citing safety concerns linked to rising geopolitical tensions from the Iran-Israel-U.S. military confrontation.
• The decision follows cancellation of another major industry gathering, the TON Gateway event, which had also been scheduled for Dubai.

Robinhood shows crypto trading dominance

• February data revealed crypto notional volumes increased 9% to $25 billion while equity, options, and event contracts experienced contraction.

Ethereum Foundation establishes written doctrine

• The organization published an “EF Mandate” formalizing its role as steward of a censorship-resistant, privacy-first, open-source base layer.
• The document signals zero appetite for surveillance-chain compromises as the protocol scales to accommodate broader adoption.

Buterin explains 2021 donation circumstances

• Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin clarified the massive 2021 Shiba Inu donation to the Future of Life Institute while distancing himself from the group’s recent artificial intelligence policy approaches.
• Buterin explained the tokens surged in value during the 2021 meme coin boom with peak “book value” exceeding $1 billion, prompting him to access cold storage funds, sell portions for Ether, and donate to various causes.

Hong Kong prepares banking stablecoin licenses

• Banking giants HSBC and Standard Chartered are expected to be among the first institutions receiving stablecoin issuer licenses in Hong Kong.
• The licensing approach positions Hong Kong to compete with other jurisdictions for regulated stablecoin issuance and operations.

DeFi user loses millions in slippage error

• A user attempting to swap $50 million USDT for AAVE through the protocol’s interface received only 324 AAVE after accepting a quote with extreme price impact.
• The transaction prompted Aave to review safeguards and refund a portion of transaction fees following the catastrophic slippage outcome.

Prosecutors oppose Bankman-Fried retrial request

• U.S. prosecutors asked a federal judge to deny a new trial for the disgraced crypto entrepreneur, arguing he has not shown legal basis for overturning his FTX-related conviction.
• As per the report, prosecutors told the court Bankman-Fried’s motion fails to showcase his original trial was unfair or that new evidence would meaningfully alter the verdict.

Bonk.fun warns users of domain compromise

• The Solana-based meme coin launch platform team alerted users to avoid its website after hackers reportedly compromised the domain and deployed a malicious wallet drainer.
• At least one trader claimed losses of $273,000 after connecting their wallet to the compromised interface.

Indian authorities arrest GainBitcoin fraud suspect

• The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Ayush Varshney, co-founder and chief technology officer of Darwin Labs Private Limited, in connection with alleged GainBitcoin cryptocurrency fraud.
• Investigators allege Darwin Labs helped build technical infrastructure for the scheme including the MCAP token and GBMiners platform.
• Varshney was intercepted at Mumbai airport while allegedly attempting to leave India after a Look Out Circular was issued.

Ripple acquires Australian payments firm

• The company announced plans to secure an Australian financial services license through acquisition of BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd, a payments company linked to the European Banking Circle Group.
• The deal remains underway and is expected to close April 1 after standard closing processes finalize.

Anthropic sues government over AI blacklist

• The artificial intelligence developer filed a lawsuit against multiple U.S. government agencies, accusing federal authorities of unlawfully blacklisting its technology.
• The legal action alleges the blacklisting occurred after Anthropic refused to allow certain military uses of its AI systems.