Crypto News Today 21-Feb : Pi Network News, XRP ETF Approval , Story (IP) Price Rally and More

SafeMoon CTO Thomas Smith pleaded guilty to securities and wire fraud conspiracy charges in a multimillion-dollar crypto fraud scheme. Prosecutors allege that Smith, along with CEO Braden John Karony and token creator Kyle Nagy, deceived investors by falsely claiming the SafeMoon token’s liquidity was locked while diverting over $200 million for personal use. While Karony remains defiant and Nagy is at large, Smith’s plea marks a major development in the case. After a probe, the plea underscores crypto fraud risks.

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, now serving a 25-year sentence for fraud, is shifting his political stance by expressing support for Donald Trump and criticizing Biden’s administration during interviews with the New York Sun. Once a prominent Democratic donor, he now praises Elon Musk’s bold approach to cutting government waste. Bankman-Fried also blames a politicized DOJ and criticizes Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversaw both his trial and a case against Trump. His family is now reportedly seeking a presidential pardon for him.

Upbit will list JTO (Geeto) on its KRW market starting February 21 at 14:30 KST, supported on the Solana network. Users are advised to ensure deposits are made via the designated network (JTO-Solana), as other networks won’t be supported. Trading restrictions will apply for the first 5 minutes, including buying and selling limits. Check the BTC market for the previous closing price of JTO at 0.00002857 BTC (4,163 KRW).

Japan’s core inflation hit 3.2% in January, the fastest pace in 19 months, fueling expectations that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will continue raising interest rates. Bond yields rose as markets bet on more aggressive hikes. Despite slower services inflation, goods prices remain high, with energy and food costs pushing inflation further. With Japan’s economy growing 2.8% in Q4, most economists expect the BOJ to hike rates again this year, likely in Q3, to 0.75%.