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Get your daily, bite-sized digest of crypto and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s news. 
In this edition: SBF’s Lawyer Says FTX Co-founder Was Worst Person Ever Under Cross-Examination Bitfinex Analyst: Fed’s Rate Hike Pause May Be Seen As&nbsp;Bullish Signal WisdomTree To Liquidate Three ETFs The Hashgraph Association Invests in Spielworks to Develop Web3 Gaming Ecosystem 
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<h2 id="sbf-s-lawyer-says-ftx-co-founder-was-worst-person-ever-under-cross-examination">SBF’s Lawyer Says FTX Co-founder Was Worst Person Ever Under Cross-Examination</h2> 
 Disgraced <a href="https://cryptonews.com/news/ftx-debtors-challenge-irs-over-whopping-24-billion-tax-claim.htm">FTX</a> co-founder <a href="https://cryptonews.com/news/fallen-ftx-founder-bankman-fried-adopts-mackerel-as-new-currency-gives-guards-crypto-tips.htm">Sam Bankman-Fried</a> “may be at the very top of the list as the worst person I’ve ever seen do a cross examination,” said David Mills, a Stanford Law School colleague who helped Bankman-Fried’s defense during the trial. 
Mills <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-12/sbf-defense-legal-architect-david-mills-says-ftx-trial-was-unwinnable?sref=YfHlo0rL">told</a> Bloomberg that the former FTX CEO went off-script when he took the stand. He repeatedly deviated from the strategy prepared by his lawyers. This includes handling prosecutors’ difficult questions on cross-examinations. 
Furthermore, Mills suggested that a different, better performance wouldn’t have changed the outcome. The pre-trial judge’s rulings and prosecution witness’ testimony made the case “practically unwinnable” for the defense. 
He said that the verdict was inevitable – but also that the trial was not fair. Mills, a close friend of the co-founder’s parents, said he thinks Bankman-Fried “is innocent because he didn’t form the intent to do anything wrong.” 
<h2 id="bitfinex-analyst-fed-s-rate-hike-pause-may-be-seen-asbullish-signal">Bitfinex Analyst: Fed’s Rate Hike Pause May Be Seen As&nbsp;Bullish Signal</h2> 
 Analysts at the crypto exchange <a href="https://cryptonews.com/news/bitfinexs-tokenized-bond-falls-short-of-investment-target-raises-only-1-5m-of-expected-10m.htm">Bitfinex</a> commented on the potential impact of the US Federal Reserve (<a href="https://cryptonews.com/news/goldman-sachs-predicts-first-fed-interest-rate-cut-in-q3-2024-how-will-crypto-markets-react.htm">Fed</a>)’s decision on interest rates on December 13. In an email, they said that it is commonly expected that a pause in rate hikes could be interpreted as a bullish signal for the market. 
“Historically, a hold or reduction in interest rates tends to inject optimism among investors, as it implies more disposable income and potentially greater investment in various asset classes,” the analysts said. 
This effect extends beyond traditional markets to novel assets, including crypto. Cryptocurrencies have previously experienced positive market movements following decisions by the Fed to keep interest rates steady, they added. 
Per the analysts, “this trend is attributable to the perception of lower or steady interest rates leading to increased disposable income for investments, fostering an optimistic investment environment.” 
<h2 id="wisdomtree-to-liquidate-three-etfs">WisdomTree To Liquidate Three ETFs</h2> 
 Asset manager <a href="https://cryptonews.com/news/fund-manager-wisdomtree-reportedly-refiles-spot-bitcoin-etf-to-sec.htm">WisdomTree</a> announced plans to close and liquidate three exchange-traded funds (<a href="https://cryptonews.com/news/sec-seeks-public-feedback-for-franklin-templeton-and-hashdex-spot-bitcoin-etfs.htm">ETFs</a>). These are the WisdomTree International ESG Fund (RESD), WisdomTree Emerging Markets ESG Fund (RESE), and WisdomTree U.S. ESG Fund (RESP). 
<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231212416250/en/WisdomTree-Announces-Changes-to-ETF-Family">According</a> to the press release, the liquidation date for all three ETFs is February 5, 2024. 
Shareholders who do not sell their shares of an ETF by January 26, 2024, will have their shares automatically redeemed for cash based on the ETF’s net asset value (NAV), which is expected to be provided to shareholders through their brokers or other financial intermediaries on or around February 5, the company said. 
<h2 id="the-hashgraph-association-invests-in-spielworks-to-develop-web3-gaming-ecosystem">The Hashgraph Association Invests in Spielworks to Develop Web3 Gaming Ecosystem</h2> 
 Blockchain gaming startup Spielworks received strategic funding from <a href="https://cryptonews.com/news/banksocials-crypto-friendly-credit-union-seagrass-hashgraph-associations-carbon-credit-web3-identity-wallet-more-news.htm">The Hashgraph Association</a>, the Swiss-based non-profit organization helping the global adoption of the <a href="https://cryptonews.com/news/best-crypto-buy-now-september-14-hedera-thorchain-curve-dao.htm">Hedera</a> network. 
<a href="https://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=127380#:~:text=BERLIN%2C%20GERMANY%20%2D%20Spielworks%2C%20a,of%20the%20Hedera%20network%20worldwide.">According</a> to the press release, the funding enabled Spielworks to acquire the non-fungible token (<a href="https://cryptonews.com/news/fifa-enters-nft-arena-offering-fans-digital-collectibles-and-world-cup-tickets.htm">NFT</a>) platform Atomic Hub. In doing so, Spielworks is scaling its business and developing the Web3 <a href="https://cryptonews.com/news/insomniac-games-held-for-ransom-hackers-demand-over-2m-in-bitcoin.htm">gaming</a> ecosystem worldwide. It is utilizing Hedera’s public ledger, the announcement said. 
“The funding will foster collaboration in the space, increasing the number of Web3 gaming developers building on Hedera while unlocking new value for gamers around the world,” said Spielworks. 
Through this strategic funding, the association will facilitate the startup’s mission to create a singular ecosystem for game distribution, publishing, development, and trading. 
It will also support Spielworks in areas such as business development, commercialization, technology development, and future funding. The aim is to offer gamers the lowest transaction fees and to further increase the network utilization of Hedera.

SBF’s Lawyer Says FTX Co-founder Was Worst Person Ever Under Cross-Examination + More News

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