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Recent Threats from Canadian Officials: ‘Real Crypto’ and Decentralized Assets can not be Frozen

There has been much discussion over Canada’s decision to ‘freeze’ digital currency accounts associated with the Freedom Convoy of Canadian truckers. It is important to stress that decentralized cryptocurrency like bitcoin and Ethereum cannot be frozen within the network. The Canadian government can however flag digital currency addresses and ask centralized entities such as payment processors and crypto exchanges to block the funds.

Canadian Officials Can Flag Crypto Addresses and Threaten Exchanges, but They Can’t ‘Freeze Bitcoin’

Last week, the Canadian government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the country’s Emergencies Act and enacted Canada’s terrorist financing policy in order to blanket cryptocurrencies donations. Trudeau and his government made this move to end the protestors occupying Ottawa’s streets.

The Canadian government managed to get Gofundme to shut down the Freedom Convoy’s fundraiser and it flagged 34 crypto addresses allegedly associated with crypto fundraisers. According to reports, Canada’s police had sent letters to crypto-asset exchanges banks and requested that they “cease facilitating any transaction with these flagged addresses”.

According to a number of financial institutions and crypto companies, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) did in fact send the letters. Furthermore, another report details that an Ontario Superior Court judge has ordered financial institutions to freeze any assets tied to the Freedom Convoy including digital assets.

The order was reportedly the result of a secret hearing that was initiated by Ottawa residents as well as attorney Paul Champ. Champ stated to the media that Champ “can confirm” that this Mareva order is successful in Canada and targets cryptocurrency exchanges.

Despite headlines claiming that crypto assets will be frozen immediately, it is important to remember that enforcement can only be threatened and that crypto-to-fiat off ramps are not targeted.

Yesterday, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice sent us a Mareva Injunction, ordering us to freeze and disclose information about the assets involved in the #FreedomConvoy2022 movement.

Here’s our official response. pic.twitter.com/iuxliXhN5y

— nunchuk_io (@nunchuk_io) February 19, 2022

It is impossible to freeze a bitcoin (BTC) or ethereum (ETH) address and render it useless to the owner. It is possible to make a crypto owner’s private keys public by using force, threats of imprisonment, or even death. This is why fundraisers, like the BTC fund that raised 21 bitcoin, utilize multi-signature controls.

According to the software developers behind the non-custodial bitcoin wallet Nunchuk, the team was sent a Mareva injunction letter. Nunchuk wrote back to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and told the court it could not comply with the orders.

“Dear Ontario Supreme Court Judge, Nunchuk “is a self-defense collaborative, multisig bitcoin wallet,” the Nunchuk group’s letter states. We are not security finance intermediaries, but a software provider. Our software is completely free to use. It protects privacy and helps people to eliminate single points failures and save bitcoin as safely possible.” Nunchuk’s letter includes:

We do not collect any user identification information beyond email addresses. We do not have keys. We don’t have keys. Learn how personal keys and self-defense work. We will help you when the Canadian dollar becomes worthless.


Jesse Powell, CEO of

Kraken: ‘We can’t protect you — stick to real crypto ‘

Jesse Powell, CEO of

Kraken, stated on Twitter that crypto users should not store their funds on centralized platforms if they are concerned about having their crypto funds frozen. Responding to someone commenting about crypto exchanges freezing funds, Powell said that this was “100%” the case.

“100% yes it has/will happen and 100% yes, we will be forced to comply,” said Powell. “If you’re worried about it, don’t keep your funds with any centralized/regulated custodian. We cannot protect you,” Powell Tweeted. In a later tweet, Powell discussed that going on-chain to top reserve tokens like stablecoins may not be safe either.

You are not always safe by just going on-chain,” Powell stated. “The top reserve tokens with centralized issuance and redemption, like USDT and USDC have centralized control of freeze functionality that can be commandeered as easily as a bank account. He said, “Keep it real crypto.” Both USDC and USDT issuers have frozen specific stablecoin addresses in the past.

In July 2020, Circle’s Centre Consortium blacklisted $100,000 in USDC after getting a request from law enforcement. Tether has blacklisted hundreds of USDT addresses and last month, the company froze $160 million worth of USDT. Tether has
frozen $ million of

What do you think about Jesse Powell’s comments about exchanges not being able to protect you and his sticking with ‘real crypto’ statement? Please comment below to let us know your thoughts on this topic.

Jamie Redman

Jamie Redman, a journalist and financial tech expert living in Florida, is the News Lead at Bitcoin.com News. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. Redman is passionate about Bitcoin, open-source codes, and decentralized applications. Since September 2015, Redman has written more than 5,000 articles for Bitcoin.com News about the disruptive protocols emerging today.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. This article is not intended to be a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any products or services. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. The author and the company are not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from or in connection to the content, goods, or services discussed in this article.

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Introducing iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 – MENA’s No.1 B2B & B2C online trading event

Be part of the ultimate gathering of industry professionals in Dubai Mark your calendars! MENA’s most popular online trading event – iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 – returns to the region, with the latest instalment promising to be the biggest and best one yet. Taking place between January 14-16, 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre,…


Be part of the ultimate gathering of industry professionals in Dubai

Mark your calendars! MENA’s most popular online trading event – iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 – returns to the region, with the latest instalment promising to be the biggest and best one yet.

Taking place between January 14-16, 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the 2+ day exhibition is one of the largest B2B and B2C expos of its kind anywhere in the world, bringing together key players from across the globe. 

Whether you are a seasoned trader, new to the industry, or a business looking to grow your presence in MENA, iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 is set to be an unmissable event, with 7k+ professionals from 120+ countries set to be in attendance.

Building on the huge success of last year’s event, passholders will be able to access 13+ hours of insightful content across three stages, Speaker Hall, Idea Hub, and Traders Arena, featuring a stellar lineup of influential experts and visionary thinkers.

A must-attend event for traders 

iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 has cemented its reputation as a global meeting point for the online trading community, offering traders the chance to experience unparalleled networking opportunities and cutting-edge industry insights. 

It is a gateway to learning and growth, with all areas of the venue providing fantastic learning opportunities. The main expo floor will serve as the primary marketplace where traders can network with top brokers, access industry leaders, and explore the latest trading platforms and state-of-the-art technologies.

As well as the insightful speaker sessions, Q&As, and panel discussions featured at the Speaker Hall and Idea Hub, traders will be able to head to the Traders Zone, comprising the exclusive Traders Lounge and Traders Arena. 

The Traders Lounge serves as an important hub for collaboration, where traders from around the world can exchange insights, build relationships, and keep updated with the latest industry trends in a more informal setting. 

Meanwhile, the Traders Arena provides a dynamic stage for trading education and community building, offering an ideal environment for traders to learn, share, and grow within the world of online trading.

Business sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities

iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 presents FX and fintech firms with a unique opportunity to showcase their business to a target audience of thousands of attendees from across the industry, including brokers, traders, affiliates and IBs, liquidity providers, fintechs, prop firms, institutional investors, and more.

From start-ups to established companies, the event offers the ideal platform to promote their offerings and put their brand on the map through a range of exclusive sponsorship and exhibitor packages.

By becoming an official sponsor or exhibiting at a booth, companies can not only boost their visibility but also unlock greater opportunities to form strategic partnerships, generate leads, and drive business growth.

Due to high demand, there are limited booths and sponsorship slots available, meaning interested parties are encouraged to get in touch with the event organisers quickly to avoid disappointment.

For more information about how to sponsor or exhibit as a business, click here

Counting down to Dubai 

The excitement is already building, with January fast approaching. iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 is gearing up to be the biggest online trading event of the year in MENA, offering unmatched opportunities for traders and businesses alike. 

Early bird registration is now open, so don’t miss the chance to secure a spot at the event everyone will be talking about. To guarantee attendance at iFX EXPO Dubai 2025, click here.


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Uniswap unveils own layer-2 network Unichain, UNI price soars 11%

Uniswap has launched its layer-2 network called Unichain The OP Stack-powered L2 is in testnet and is designed to improve transaction speed, lower costs, and boost liquidity UNI token’s price surged to $8.14, its highest level in over two months Uniswap, a leading decentralized exchange platform, has announced a major development for its network and…


  • Uniswap has launched its layer-2 network called Unichain
  • The OP Stack-powered L2 is in testnet and is designed to improve transaction speed, lower costs, and boost liquidity
  • UNI token’s price surged to $8.14, its highest level in over two months

Uniswap, a leading decentralized exchange platform, has announced a major development for its network and ecosystem.

The news helped Uniswap’s native token UNI to soar double digits on Thursday.

On October 10, the Uniswap team revealed that the DEX platform was looking to launch its layer-2 network on Ethereum. The L2, dubbed Unichain, is earmarked for decentralized finance (DeFi).

Per the Uniswap Labs announcement, its a solution to transaction speed and costs for the exchange’s users. Also key to the launch is the question of liquidity.

Introducing @unichain — a new L2 designed for DeFi ✨

Fast blocks (250ms), cross-chain interoperability, and a decentralized validator network

Built to be the home for liquidity across chains pic.twitter.com/lqfJh6Ltio

— Uniswap Labs 🦄 (@Uniswap) October 10, 2024

Unichain is powered by Optimism’s OP stack and offers one-second block times. Sub-block times of 200-250 milliseconds is also part of the development.

Uniswap Labs wrote on X:

“This type of speed isn’t just great for UX, it also improves market efficiency and lowers value lost to MEV.”

Uniswap has partnered with OP Labs for native interoperability, with this enabling implementation of cross-chain messaging and cross-chain liquidity. The platforms plan to bolster the ecosystem’s connectivity with cross-chain swapping across the Uniswap interface and wallet.

According to details in today’s announcement, the Unichain testnet is live, while the mainnet will go live later in Q4, 2024.

UNI price soars 11%

Native Uniswap DEX token UNI is among the top gainers in the crypto market. This follows a price explosion for the cryptocurrency after the news emerged.

With most altcoins down on the day or struggling for upside, UNI spiked more than 11% to hit highs last seen in July 2024. The token’s surge to the multi-month high of $8.14 saw Uniswap rank as the top performing coin among top 100 coins by market cap.

UNI traded around $8.05 at the time of writing, still up by more than 9%.


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Fundstrat’s Tom Lee Predicts Bitcoin Bull Market Surge Due to Supply Shock

Tom Lee, CIO of Fundstrat Capital, a financial research firm, has predicted that the bitcoin bull market will continue in December and announced that the first cryptocurrency will reach “well over $100,000” by year-end. Tom Lee Forecasts Bitcoin Reaching $100,000 By Year’s End in All-Asset-Encompassing Bull Market The bull market predictions for bitcoin prices keep [……
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