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Jamie Crawley
NFT Gaming

UK-Listed Investments Platform IG Offers Spot Crypto Trading to Retail Customers

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Investment platform IG (IGG) said it has begun offering crypto trading to retail investors, becoming the first publicly-listed firm in the U.K. to do so.

This marks IG’s first offering of crypto exposure through spot trading of bitcoin

, ether and a range of smaller tokens.

The company’s crypto service has previously been confined to derivatives products in the form contracts for difference (CFD).

IG has teamed up with U.S.-based crypto-focused fintech firm Uphold to build crypto trading into its existing platforms that customers currently use for dealing shares, FX, commodities and derivatives.

This may demonstrate the increasing integration between traditional finance (TradFi) and digital assets that investors and traders now expect to see.

The London-based firm’s move also coincides with the ongoing development of the U.K.’s plans to establish a regulatory regime for the crypto industry. The government published two consultation papers in April on draft legislation for activities such as crypto trading and stablecoin issuance.

IG shares are around 0.25% higher on the day at the time of writing, compared to the FTSE 100 index which is unchanged.

Read More: UK’s First Centrally Cleared FCA-Regulated Crypto Derivatives Trading Venue GFO-X Debuts



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UK-listed IG rolls out crypto trading to retail investors
Crypto Trends

UK-listed IG rolls out crypto trading to retail investors

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IG Group, a United Kingdom-listed trading and financial services company, is launching cryptocurrency trading to retail investors, expanding its footprint in the digital assets space.

IG customers can now access 31 crypto assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP (XRP) and a variety of altcoins and memecoins such as Bonk (BONK), the company said in an announcement shared with Cointelegraph on June 2.

IG previously offered cryptocurrency exposure through contracts for difference (CFDs), but this marks a direct entry into spot crypto trading

IG’s crypto trading services come as crypto adoption continues to grow in the UK amid the government’s push for a crypto regulatory regime.

Infrastructure and compliance provided by Uphold

IG’s latest crypto offering is launched in partnership with the United States-based crypto asset firm Uphold, which is regulated in the US and the UK.

The offering is integrated across the IG platform and the IG Invest app, allowing customers to switch from crypto accounts to any other IG accounts, including stock trading.

Uphold will handle all customer transactions and provide pricing data, with its infrastructure fully integrated into IG’s user experience, the companies said in a joint announcement.

“This is a huge moment for IG and a major milestone in the UK’s crypto journey, with retail investors now able to buy, sell and hold crypto assets with a grown-up business,” said IG’s UK managing director, Michael Healy.

IG’s previous crypto moves

The new offering by IG brings crypto spot trading to retail investors after the firm previously introduced crypto CFD trading to institutional clients.

Unlike spot trading, which involves buying and selling crypto assets at their current market prices, CFDs are financial instruments that allow traders to speculate on prices without owning the underlying asset.

A screenshot of IG offering CFDs by the time of the spot trading launch. Source. IG Group

According to the IG website, the company allows its clients to trade CFDs on 11 major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Cardano and more.

Related: UK to require crypto firms to report every customer transaction

In early 2021, IG halted its retail crypto offering in the UK following a temporary ban on crypto derivatives trading by the UK Financial Conduct Authority.

UK progressing with crypto regulations

IG’s latest move into crypto marks a major adoption milestone in the UK amid regulators working on introducing industry standards and regulations.

On May 28, the UK FCA launched a public consultation on proposed new rules for stablecoin issuers and crypto custody providers.

In April, the UK government published general draft regulations for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, aiming to protect crypto asset investors from risky investments and scams.

The news comes as crypto adoption is booming in the UK, with the country seeing a massive increase in new crypto owners in the past year, outpacing Europe, according to Gemini.

Magazine: Bitcoin $200K ‘obvious’ breakout, GameStop’s first BTC buy: Hodler’s Digest, May 25 – 31



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Minecraft Trading Card Boxes With Exclusive Inserts Are Up For Grabs At Amazon
Game Updates

Minecraft Trading Card Boxes With Exclusive Inserts Are Up For Grabs At Amazon

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Trading card manufacturer Panini has been making official card sets for Minecraft for a few years now, but its latest collection is garnering more attention from Minecraft fans than earlier releases. Most major retailers are either sold out of 2024 Minecraft Trading Card products or limit sales to brick-and-mortar stores. But you don’t need to browse the trading card sections at Walmart or GameStop, because Amazon just stocked Panini’s two major Minecraft card boxes sold in retail stores. These might not be available for very long once more people find them, but as of May 30, you can get Minecraft Blaster Boxes for $15 and Minecraft Trading Card Mega Boxes for $35.

The 2024 Minecraft Trading Card set features over 200 cards, including rare inserts celebrating the franchise’s 15th anniversary, and foil cards that are exclusive to the Blaster and Mega Boxes that Amazon just stocked.

$15

The Blaster Box comes with six booster packs containing six cards each, so you’re getting 36 Minecraft cards for 15 bucks. Panini says the average Blaster Box comes with one Cubic Parallel card per pack. Parallel cards are exclusive to the Blaster and Mega Boxes, which are only sold at select retailers.

Beyond the Cubic Parallel exclusives, you can find Stone Parallels (matte or glossy) and an assortment of increasingly rare numbered pulls: Iron Foil (475), Silver Foil (149), Gold Foil (99), Gold Prizm (49), Opti-Chrome (10), and a numbered 1/1 card if you’re really, really lucky.

In total, the 2024 set includes 221 base cards. The cards feature character art as well as mobs and noteworthy items from the video game. There are 25 bonus cards described as “rare inserts,” including 15 Milestone cards commemorating Minecraft’s 15th anniversary (which was in 2024) and 10 Color Blast cards with flashy art.

$35

Panini’s 2024 Minecraft Mega Box contains 12 booster packs with six cards each. Just like the Blaster Boxes, Mega Boxes have exclusive Cubic Parallel cards. On average, you’ll find 12 Parallel cards, and Panini says one of those cards is likely to be numbered. This fact has likely contributed to stock shortages at retailers.

Booster packs in Mega Boxes are the same as the ones in the Blaster Boxes. The key difference is that your odds of getting a numbered card seem to be better with the Mega versus buying two Blaster Boxes, which would net you the same number of cards overall.

Important Note: Amazon’s product listing has the correct name, but the image is for one of Panini’s older Minecraft Trading Card boxes. It’s highly unlikely that you will get the box shown in Amazon’s picture, as it was originally printed in 2022 and is no longer manufactured.

The Mega Box is shipped and sold by Amazon. It’s worth emphasizing that while Amazon doesn’t accept returns for collectible trading card boxes, if the store page has incorrect information, we suspect that would be the exception. That said, we can’t 100% guarantee Amazon would accept your return (if you wanted one). We’d recommend taking a screenshot of the store page if you decide to order the Mega Box.

Minecraft Trading Cards are sold out at other retailers

Panini – 2024 Minecraft Trading Cards

GameStop and Walmart also carry Minecraft Trading Cards, but you’ll only find them at the retail chains’ brick-and-mortar locations. Walmart shoppers can technically buy card boxes online, but you’ll typically pay extra since the boxes are being listed by third-party resellers. Target and Best Buy have listings for the 2024 set, but both retailers are sold out.

Shortages at major retailers doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to find Minecraft Trading Cards at other places beyond Amazon. If you have a local card shop, we’d recommend calling to see if cards are in stock or can be ordered.

Panini’s Minecraft products are trading cards–not a trading card game–so they are just for collecting purposes. Minecraft fans looking for something to play beyond the video game should check out our roundup of Minecraft board and card games. It includes a wide variety of genres, including an upcoming pen-and-paper RPG called Minecraft: Roll for Adventure – The Temple of the Charged Creeper. The Dungeons & Dragons-inspired adventure book releases July 8 and is available to preorder for $16 (was $20) at Amazon.

It’s very possible that the success of the Minecraft film adaptation has contributed to the increased interest around Panini’s Minecraft newest card set. If you haven’t secured your preorder for one of the soon-to-be released physical editions, check out our Minecraft Movie preorder guide for a list of options. Most notably, you can still preorder A Minecraft Movie’s Limited Edition Steelbook on 4K Blu-ray ahead of its June 24 release. If you don’t mind standard Blu-ray, Walmart has a unique exclusive edition. The Collector’s Crafting Table Edition includes packaging that can be folded into a replica of the in-game (and in-movie) Crafting Table.



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Crypto Trends

OpenSea Relaunches Trading Platform With Rewards Ahead of SEA Token Debut

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In brief

  • OpenSea’s OS2 trading platform is now fully live, enabling NFT and fungible token trading across 19 blockchains.
  • The platform’s new XP-based rewards program, Voyages, encourages on-chain activity ahead of the future SEA token launch.
  • The launch follows regulatory relief, with the SEC recently closing its probe into OpenSea.

OpenSea has ended the beta phase of its reengineered marketplace, dubbed OS2, bringing full token trading across 19 blockchains, a new on-chain rewards system called “Voyages,” and structural changes that hint at its upcoming token launch.

“OS2 is the foundation for the next generation of OpenSea,” CEO Devin Finzer told Decrypt. “We’ve rebuilt the platform from the ground up to become the best destination for everything on-chain, from NFTs to tokens, across chains and communities.”

The rollout replaces OpenSea’s original NFT marketplace experience, which had seen declining use amid broader NFT market stagnation and growing competition from prominent rivals like Blur and Magic Eden.

OpenSea has evolved.

Beta complete. Full token universe unlocked.

New rewards program live. Welcome to the new OpenSea — the best place to discover, own, and trade anything onchain. pic.twitter.com/ccycD0bgCA

— OpenSea (@opensea) May 29, 2025

OS2 combines cross-chain NFT and fungible token trading with real-time analytics, wallet tools, and liquidity aggregation from decentralized exchanges, per a statement shared with Decrypt. The 19 chains include prominent layer-1 networks like Ethereum, Avalanche, and Flow, along with an array of scaling networks like Base, Optimism, Arbitrum, and Soneium.

A major component of the launch is Voyages, a gamified system that rewards users with XP for completing actions like minting NFTs, swapping tokens, and holding assets.

While XP is already live, users widely expect it to play a role in the launch of the forthcoming SEA token, which will be issued by the OpenSea Foundation.

In an accompanying blog post, OpenSea CMO Adam Hollander noted that the Foundation “won’t release SEA until core utility is in place,” calling it “the TGE”— short for token generation event.



Early beta testers have already received digital artifacts known as “Treasures” to anchor their eligibility for future rewards. The team has also confirmed that historical platform activity and ongoing XP accumulation will influence eventual token allocations.

OS2 first launched in beta in February after a year-long rebuild that included team downsizing and a reimagining of OpenSea’s core model.

Initial XP rewards triggered backlash after incentivizing mass NFT listings, prompting the team to restrict rewards to more deliberate actions such as buying and holding.

The platform’s community infrastructure has also been overhauled. A streamlined Discord server now offers role-based channels for DeFi, gaming, digital art, and other on-chain interests.

The update arrives just months after OpenSea said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had closed its investigation into whether the platform violated federal securities laws. The SEC has ultimately ended nearly all of its lawsuits and investigations against crypto companies following the return of President Donald Trump to the White House.

“Classifying OpenSea and similar NFT marketplaces as securities exchanges or brokers would be regulatory overreach,” the company wrote in a letter to SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, in the wake of the regulator’s decision to end its probe.

Edited by Andrew Hayward

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Francisco Rodrigues
NFT Gaming

Hyperliquid Whale James Wynn Fully Liquidated After $16.8B in Trading Volume

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James Wynn, the trader whose risky moves on Hyperliquid captivated crypto watchers this month, has been fully liquidated.

He ended a volatile month with just $23 left in his account, according to HyperDash data.

Wynn built his reputation and following by placing massive, leveraged on-chain trades across bitcoin

, PEPE , and other tokens.

His downfall began with a $1.25 billion long position on BTC that unraveled as prices dropped below $105,000 amid growing geopolitical uncertainty. That trade alone cost him more than $37 million after fees.

The trader briefly pivoted to memecoins like PEPE, where one long position initially gained over 10%, before market swings liquidated him again.

Over the course of the month, Wynn cycled through assets including ETH, SUI, TRUMP, and even FARTCOIN. His trades at one point saw him achieve an unrealized gain of $85 million.

An account associated with Wynn on X commented on the liquidation and dismissed the losses. “I’ll run it back, I always do. And I’ll enjoy doing it. I like playing the game,” the account wrote on X. “I took a large and calculated bet at making billions.”



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Russia Authorizes Limited Crypto Derivatives Trading for Qualified Investors
Crypto Trends

Russia Authorizes Limited Crypto Derivatives Trading for Qualified Investors

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Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Russia’s central bank has taken a cautious step toward crypto market engagement by authorizing a restricted group of qualified investors to access cryptocurrency-linked financial products.

According to a statement released by the Bank of Russia on Wednesday, regulated financial institutions will now be permitted to offer derivative instruments and digital financial assets that are linked to the value of cryptocurrencies. However, these offerings are subject to stringent requirements and cannot be settled in actual crypto assets.

Regulatory Structure Prioritizes Risk Management

The Bank of Russia emphasized that these crypto derivatives must be non-deliverable, meaning no physical settlement in digital currency will occur, and that they are strictly limited to qualified investors.

These investors typically meet high thresholds of net worth or professional certification, ensuring that exposure to such volatile instruments is confined to those with appropriate risk tolerance and experience.

Financial institutions involved in these offerings must fully collateralize the instruments with capital and implement exposure limits at the individual level.

The central bank’s announcement underlines its continued conservative stance on cryptocurrency regulation. While the new directive opens a controlled channel for crypto-linked exposure, the regulator reiterated its warnings against direct crypto investment.

Notably, the Bank of Russia has long viewed the use of cryptocurrencies as risky due to price volatility, concerns over capital outflows, and potential use in illicit finance. This step does not represent a shift in that position but rather a tightly monitored testing ground for crypto-based financial instruments.

As part of the initiative, the Bank of Russia is expected to introduce formal regulatory frameworks over the coming year. These rules will likely include detailed risk management procedures, clearer guidelines for financial institutions, and mechanisms for investor protection.

This gradual, limited approach echoes broader regulatory trends seen globally, where policymakers are grappling with how to balance innovation and risk in the evolving digital currency space.

Testing Grounds and Future Policy Considerations

Alongside the derivatives approval, the Russian government is evaluating proposals for a limited pilot program that would allow specific investor categories to engage in actual digital currency transactions within a supervised framework.

While still under discussion, the program would create sandbox-like conditions for studying the behavior of digital asset markets under tight regulatory control. These proposals reflect Russia’s broader strategy of cautious experimentation rather than wholesale adoption.

The Bank of Russia’s latest move positions it within a growing list of national regulators exploring narrowly defined paths for institutional crypto engagement.

While retail access remains restricted, the announcement indicates a willingness to explore how derivative instruments could play a role in a more structured financial system. Additional details on the implementation timeline and investor eligibility criteria are expected as regulatory discussions progress into 2025.

The global digital currency market cap valuation. | Source: TradingView.com

Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart from TradingView

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.



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Oliver Knight
NFT Gaming

NFT Trading Platform OpenSea Launches Upgraded OS2 Platform, Says SEA Airdrop to Come Later

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OpenSea, a trading platform for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), officially introduced its OpenSea2 (OS2) upgrade to the wider public after a period in beta.

The revamped product now features token trading across 19 blockchains as it continues to pivot from NFTs to the wider crypto market.

“OS2 is the foundation for the next generation of OpenSea,” said Devin Finzer, co-founder and CEO of OpenSea, said in a statement. “We’ve rebuilt the platform from the ground up to become the best destination for everything on-chain, from NFTs to tokens, across chains and communities.”

The company also announced a revamp of its rewards system that recognizes on-chain activity with so-called XP points. The system, called Voyages, issues XP to users who complete basic activities like sharing a gallery, completing an on-chain swap or buying an NFT.

“Voyages are a clear step toward a more intentional kind of engagement on OpenSea,” said Finzer. “It’s about encouraging people to explore the full range of what the platform can do across chains, assets, and experiences.”

Users will eventually be able to use accrued XP to claims the highly anticipated airdrop of SEA, which will be the native OpenSea token.

OpenSea’s chief marketing officer, Adam Hollander, said in a blog post that he “reads comments every day” in regards to when the token will be released, but insists that the OpenSea Foundation will issue the token in a token generation event (TGE) only once a series of releases are rolled out.

“As someone who’s spent the last four years trading in the trenches right next to you, I know what it’s like to want a $SEA airdrop,” Hollander said. “But I also know that this isn’t just another TGE — it’s the TGE. And getting it right won’t just be a W for the Foundation and OpenSea but for our entire space.”

The company has not set a date for when the token will be released.



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NFT Gaming

Trading Platform eToro Adds 12 Tokens to US Platform Following SEC Settlement and IPO Push

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In brief

  • eToro has added 12 crypto assets for U.S. traders after an SEC-driven scale-back last year
  • The new offerings follow an IPO roadshow and renewed U.S. growth ambitions
  • The firm settled SEC charges in 2024 with a $1.5 million penalty and retained only 3 assets for U.S. customers to trade

Online trading platform eToro announced on Wednesday that it has added 12 cryptocurrencies to its U.S. platform, expanding its digital asset offerings in the country after sharply scaling back its presence last year due to regulatory constraints.

The new tokens available to U.S. users include Cardano, Dogecoin, XRP, and Shiba Inu, among others, bringing the total number of listed assets from three to 15. 

These tokens join Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin Cash, the only crypto assets the firm offered after a 2024 settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Of course, we did lots of diligence and research, and we thought with these 12, the time is now, especially in the wake of our IPO a few weeks ago,” Andrew McCormick, Head of eToro U.S, told Decrypt. “And so [there’s a] lot of excitement, lots of opportunity, and we think it’s going to be [a] real win for customers.”

eToro claims to serve over 40 million registered users across 75 countries. While its crypto operations were temporarily curtailed in the U.S., it remains one of the largest multi-asset trading platforms globally.

Cryptocurrency accounted for 37% of its trading commissions in the first quarter of 2025.

The expansion comes amid a friendlier regulatory climate under the Trump administration and marks a renewed push by the Israel-based platform to expand its U.S. presence, including the launch of an IPO roadshow earlier this month. It is targeting a valuation of up to $4 billion.

In September 2024, the SEC settled with eToro in a case that accused the platform of operating as an unregistered broker-dealer and clearing agency for offering crypto assets deemed securities.

eToro paid a $1.5 million penalty and removed dozens of tokens from its U.S. platform, retaining only three out of a total of 74 on offer.

“The settlement was completely voluntary, and we neither admitted nor denied anything,” McCormick said.

“As part of that voluntary process, we decided to take some assets off the platform, but the settlement also gave us the ability to add assets on the platform when we thought the time was right and appropriate,” he added.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

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Coinbase adds trading support for 8 tokens in Germany
NFT Gaming

Coinbase adds trading support for 8 tokens in Germany

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Coinbase has announced that users in Germany can now buy, sell and trade eight new tokens.

In an announcement, Coinbase Assets said it now supports trading for several tokens, which users in Germany can access on Coinbase.com and via iOS and Android apps. 

The eight crypto tokens are Rocket Pool (RPL), Pudgy Penguins (PENGU), Renzo (REZ), Reserve Rights (RSR), Aethir (ATH), Syrup (SYRUP), Pendle (PENDLE) and Layer3 (L3).

The price of Aethir jumped more than 12% following the news,with the decentralized physical infrastructure network’s native token surging to highs of $0.052. 

Rocket Pool’s price was up about 3% to $4.71, while PENGU and REZ were just in the green.

Pendle and Maple Finance’s SYRUP, among the altcoins to skyrocket in recent weeks, were down 1.5% and 9% respectively despite the positive news. The PENDLE token is currently a top 100 asset by market, with over $700 million at the time of writing.

Coinbase’s support for these altcoins will see the crypto exchange’s users in Germany be able to buy, sell, and convert the assets. 

The exchange also supports token transfer and storage, with this available both through the U.S.-based exchange’s official website and via mobile applications.

Coinbase secured regulatory approval for its Germany arm in 2021, with the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority licensing Coinbase Germany GmbH for trading and crypto custody. BaFin’s nod saw Coinbase become the first crypto exchange to get the license in the country.

In January 2025, Coinbase announced the acquisition of Bux, a brokerage company based in Cyprus. The deal allowed the crypto exchange to secure a key license as it looked to expand its presence in the European market, with Bux enabling it to score a Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, or  MiFID II, license.



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GameFi Guides

Asia Trading Firm Caladan Targets US Market Amid Trump’s Pro-Crypto Pivot

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In brief

  • Caladan has revealed plans to open a representative office in New York City, committing at least 5% of its global workforce to expand into the U.S. market.
  • The firm is exploring broker-dealer registration and FINRA membership, seeking to build institutional partnerships and engage directly with U.S. regulators.
  • The move comes as the Trump administration rolls back enforcement and backs pro-crypto legislation, creating what Caladan sees as a more favorable environment for global players.

Crypto trading firm Caladan has announced plans to open a representative office in New York City, becoming the latest institutional player to expand into the U.S. as the Trump administration unwinds years of strict enforcement and signals a regulatory reset for the industry.

The Singapore-based firm will allocate at least 5% of its global headcount to the new U.S. office as it attempts to nab itself a broker-dealer registration and potential FINRA membership.

To lead the effort at its U.S. office, Caladan has hired a three-member team led by Gian-Paul Caccia, with experience across both crypto-native and traditional financial institutions, including crypto exchange Coinbase, asset manager BlackRock, investment bank Cowen Digital, and Bank of America.

Their mandate includes building institutional partnerships, advancing compliance strategy, and deepening regulatory engagement, according to a statement shared exclusively with Decrypt.

Caladan described its U.S. entry as part of a broader strategy to link Asia’s crypto market infrastructure with growing institutional momentum in the United States, seeking to serve as a conduit for liquidity, regulatory dialogue, and cross-border strategy.

“It’s not just about operating in the U.S., we want to help shape the rules-based future of crypto markets with full transparency and accountability,” Julia Zhou, COO at Caladan, said in the statement.

Caladan’s U.S. entry comes just as President Donald Trump’s administration tears up the rulebook that once kept firms like it at bay.

Since taking office in January, Trump has appointed pro-crypto SEC Chair Paul Atkins, dropped multiple lawsuits against digital asset firms, and reversed enforcement-heavy policies upheld by the previous administration. 

Nexo, the crypto lender that exited the U.S. market in 2022, citing “regulatory dead ends,” also announced its return last month, crediting Trump’s pro-innovation stance for the renewed access.

The administration has also hosted a White House crypto summit featuring top industry figures and backed the GENIUS Act, a stablecoin framework that cleared the Senate last week and now heads to the House.

Even before his presidential inauguration, Trump launched a meme coin on Solana to tap into crypto culture. Last week’s private gala for top Official Trump (TRUMP) meme coin holders turned that gesture into a focal point for political controversy.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

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