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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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Gate 2024 Annual Report: Trading Volume Exceeds $3.8 Trillion, Solidifying Top 4 Market Position

In 2024, Gate, one of the world’s leading digital asset trading platforms, experienced a year of rapid growth and deep innovation. Through sharp industry insights, innovative product strategies, and a profound understanding of user needs, Gate achieved record-breaking user numbers and trading volumes while actively expanding its diversified ecosystem to drive overall platform development. Sustained…


In 2024, Gate, one of the world’s leading digital asset trading platforms, experienced a year of rapid growth and deep innovation. Through sharp industry insights, innovative product strategies, and a profound understanding of user needs, Gate achieved record-breaking user numbers and trading volumes while actively expanding its diversified ecosystem to drive overall platform development.

Sustained Growth in Users and Trading Volume, Securing 4th Place in Market Share

According to its public report, Gate.io’s total user base surpassed 20 million, with over 50% growth, while trading volume reached $3.8 trillion, a 120% year-on-year increase. Spot trading volume exceeded $1.8 trillion, and contract trading volume reached $2 trillion, both showing significant growth. This reflects Gate’s increasing global market penetration and the appeal of its products.

The platform launched 873 new tokens throughout the year, including 437 exclusive first listings, providing users with diverse investment options. Gate also demonstrated strong performance in various regional markets, particularly in Asia and Europe, where both trading volumes and user numbers grew significantly.

Through its Gate Startup initiative, the platform continued to introduce innovative features, distributing airdrops worth nearly $30 million, with cumulative airdrop value exceeding $120 million. Additionally, Gate Token (GT) saw nearly 300% growth in 2024, with its price reaching a historic high of $18.667 as of January 9th, 2025. These metrics highlight Gate’s robust growth momentum.

Innovative Products Leading Emerging Markets with Over $1 Billion Trading Volume

Gate continued to lead in product innovation in 2024, especially in the Memecoin sector. By launching dedicated Pilot and MemeBox, the platform attracted significant user participation in this emerging market. Since its launch, Pilot has achieved over $1 billion in trading volume, listing more than 500 Memecoin projects. Additionally, a $50 million dedicated fund was established to support the booming Memecoin market.

The platform also increased its focus on the TON ecosystem. Through collaboration with Telegram, Gate introduced the Gate Wallet Mini App and Mini App, which attracted numerous TON ecosystem users. Monthly active users for these apps exceeded 2.55 million and 1.4 million, respectively, further strengthening Gate’s influence in the Web3 and blockchain ecosystem.

Strong Momentum in Quantitative Investment with Superior Returns

Gate made notable progress in quantitative investment. The Quantitative Fund launched in April became an industry benchmark, attracting high-net-worth investors with its innovative low-risk, high-return strategy and flexible redemption mechanisms. In its first year, the fund achieved an annualized return of over 20%, outperforming the average across major platforms.

Gate’s USDT-based fund reported an annualized return of over 40%, while the BTC-based fund achieved 25%. These impressive results significantly bolstered institutional investor engagement, with spot trading volume increasing 4.4 times and contract trading volume growing 1.63 times year-on-year. Broker services also saw a 17-fold increase in trading volume, reflecting growing demand for Gate’s institutional services and professional trading systems.

Reserves Totaling $9.566 Billion: Building Trust Through Security and Compliance

In 2024, Gate excelled in reserve fund performance, providing users with a robust security framework. The platform’s total reserves reached $9.566 billion, with a reserve ratio of 123.91%, up 47.2% from the previous audit. Excess reserves hit a historic high of $1.846 billion, an increase of 68.89%, ranking second among major platforms. Reserve ratios for mainstream cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum stood at 124.47% and 128.52%, exceeding the industry average by 20 percentage points.

At the same time, Gate Entities has continued to strengthen its compliance framework, actively advancing regulatory efforts across multiple regions. By acquiring Coin Master, Gate Entities expanded its compliance presence in the Asian market. Through its Malta platform, it has successfully submitted a MiCA license application and further bolstered its compliance presence in Europe by acquiring the licensed institution Sheer Markets in Cyprus. Additionally, Gate Entities completed VASP registration in Argentina and is advancing compliance initiatives in key global markets, including Gibraltar, the Bahamas, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East, paving the way for future global expansion.

Financial Innovation to Meet Diverse Investment Needs: Gate Earn Surges 185%

Gate achieved remarkable milestones in financial innovation, particularly in the Gate Earn product line. Gate Earn’s daily funds surged 185%, reaching nearly $2 billion USDT. The platform added over 500,000 new users, with 205% year-on-year growth. Supporting 832 tokens, Gate offers rewards pools for USDT, BTC, ETH, and other major cryptocurrencies, with up to 30% additional returns.

With 665 projects covering a total fund scale of $18 billion, Gate continues to meet the diverse needs of its users. Innovative products like on-chain staking, dual-currency investment, and GT mining further enhance asset management flexibility and expand investment options.

Collaborating with Industry Leaders to Drive Innovation and Growth

Gate partnered with several industry leaders to advance blockchain innovation and ecosystem development. Collaborations included strategic partnerships with Elliptic and Chainalysis to enhance compliance and security, a $10 million investment in The Open Network (TON), and a $100 million Web3 innovation fund co-launched with the Abu Dhabi Blockchain Center. Other partnerships focused on accelerating development in the Move ecosystem and more.

Gate also strengthened collaborations with global cloud providers to enhance platform performance and security. Actively investing in Web3, Gate is driving blockchain innovation and ecosystem expansion, solidifying its position as a leader in the cryptocurrency industry.

Notably, Gate.io became the official sleeve sponsor for Inter, creating more market opportunities for the crypto sector.

Looking Ahead: Deepening Global Markets and Driving Industry Innovation

In 2024, Gate solidified its leadership in the global digital asset trading space through innovation-driven growth and a diversified ecosystem. With robust growth in trading volume and thriving innovative businesses, Gate demonstrated strong market competitiveness and industry influence.

Looking ahead, Gate will continue to embrace innovation as a driving force, deepen its focus on core businesses, expand into emerging markets, and advance the development and application of blockchain technology. The platform aims to provide users with more diverse and high-quality products and services. At the same time, Gate will actively fulfill its social responsibilities, leveraging technology to drive social progress.

Gate will collaborate with its users and global partners to continuously enhance products, optimize services, and give back to the community, working together to build a secure, transparent, and open Web3 world.


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iDEGEN fires on all cylinders as Bitcoin, Ethereum struggle

Bulls remain in control of the broader cryptocurrency market as investors’ optimism remains pegged on crypto-friendly policy measures, heightened adoption of these digital assets, and central banks’ strategic reserves. Even so, crypto majors have largely stalled in the absence of an immediate catalyst.  Amid the pullback, meme coins and particularly AI projects have shown immense…


Bulls remain in control of the broader cryptocurrency market as investors’ optimism remains pegged on crypto-friendly policy measures, heightened adoption of these digital assets, and central banks’ strategic reserves. Even so, crypto majors have largely stalled in the absence of an immediate catalyst. 

Amid the pullback, meme coins and particularly AI projects have shown immense growth and indismissible opportunities. iDEGEN, a unique social experiment is one such project. Even before hitting the public shelves, it has the potential to give the likes of Fartcoin and AI16z a run for their money. 

Bitcoin’s under pressure from bets on fewer rate cuts

Bitcoin price rebounded on Tuesday after testing the crucial support zone of $90,000 in the previous session. As at the time of writing, the top crypto was at $96,485 as it finds support along the 50-day EMA while hovering around the short-term 20-day EMA. 

While the bulls are still in control, higher Treasury yields have prompted a sell-off of riskier assets like cryptocurrencies. On Monday, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yields rose to 4.80%, a level last recorded in October 2023.

The stronger-than-expected US jobs data released late last week further pointed to the Fed easing on its rate cuts in 2025. Notably, riskier assets like cryptos thrive in an environment of lower interest rates.

In the near term, the range between $93,010 and $97,500 will be worth watching. Beyond that level, the bulls will likely face resistance at $98,500. On the flip side, a pullback past the range’s support zone may see BTC/USD drop to $92,225. 

Bitcoin Price Chart
Bitcoin Price Chart

Bitcoin price chart | Source: TradingView

iDEGEN marks a new phase for AI meme coins

As artificial intelligence revolutionizes the crypto market, iDEGEN is marking a new era for AI meme coins. In fact, based on its virality and potential, some analysts view it as a “Bitcoin equivalent”. 

Unlike other projects, it started on a blank slate with no restrictions or guardrails. By relying on degens to learn, adopt, and formulate tweets, iDEGEN has evolved into a viral sensation whose growth surpasses its creators’ wildest imaginations. 

So aggressive is the movement that not even a ban on X could curtail it. Based on its virality and active community, the project has the markings of a crypto that will evolve from being a mere joke to a billion-dollar asset. 

With this immense potential, a rising number of savvy investors are amassing $IDGN tokens with just a few weeks left before its listing on 27th February. Since its launch on 26th November 2024, the project has already raised over $16 million. 

Early adopters are already sitting on hefty returns at its current price of $0.01. Compared to its initial price of $0.00011, $IDGN holders have raked in 8,991% in returns. At this pace, there are no signs of iDEGEN slowing down. Learn more about iDEGEN here

Ethereum records surge in outflows amid a shift in investor sentiment 

Ethereum price

ETH price chart | Source: TradingView

After the Bitcoin-led selloff that saw Ethereum price momentarily drop below the crucial zone of $3,000 on Monday, the altcoin rebounded to trade at $3,191 as at the time of writing.  A look at its daily chart highlights the formation of the bearish death cross with the short-term 20-day EMA crossing below the medium-term 50-day EMA to the downside. 

Besides, ethereum price remains under pressure from the recent surge in outflows. According to SoSoValue, ETH spot ETF recorded daily net outflows of $39.43 million on 13th January. Topping the list was Grayscale Ethereum Trust EFT (ETHE) with a daily net outflow of $14.49 million and cumulative net outflows of $3.70 billion. At the same time, its Mini Trust (ETH) had daily net outflows of $37.84 million.

In the near term, ethereum price will likely hover around $3,150 as bulls strive to defend the support level of $3,000. Even with furthe rebounding, it will likely face significant resistance at $3,320.  


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Bitcoin Bull Run Hitting Pause? Cryptoquant CEO Warns of 6–12 Months of Bearish Action

With bitcoin lingering below the $83,000 mark and the crypto market hovering at a $2.7 trillion valuation—a slight 1.13% dip from recent highs—traders and enthusiasts are buzzing: Is the BTC bull run hitting pause? Onchain Indicators Flash Bearish as New Capital Dries Up in Crypto Markets Cryptoquant CEO Ki Young Ju stirred the conversation on [……
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