Here’s what happened in crypto today

Today in crypto, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has clocked its largest one-day outflow since its launch in 2024, Do Kwon pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges in the United States, and Binance secured its 21st global regulatory authorization in Brazil.

Bitcoin investors pull $333M from BlackRock IBIT ETF in record outflow

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has just recorded its largest outflow since it launched a year ago — as United States trading resumed on Jan. 2.

BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin BTCUSD exchange-traded fund saw a record outflow of $332.6 million on Jan. 2, according to data from Farside Investors.

It is the largest ever outflow since the product launched in January 2024, eclipsing the previous record of $188.7 million on Dec. 24, according to Farside Investors.

The move follows a market closure on New Year’s Day but marks the third consecutive trading day of outflows for the BTC investment product, which is another record. Over the past week, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust has seen $392.6 million in outflows. 

Do Kwon pleads not guilty in US court

Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon appeared before a New York magistrate on Jan. 2, less than a week after being extradited to the United States to face criminal charges for his role in the Terra ecosystem collapse. 

Appearing before US Magistrate Judge Robert Lehrburger, Kwon pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including securities fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and commodities fraud. A status conference is scheduled for Jan. 8, allowing for the defense and prosecution to share evidence. 

Kwon was apprehended in Montenegro in 2023 after authorities arrested him for using falsified travel documents. He was sentenced to four months in prison but remained in custody for much longer as courts tussled over his extradition destination.

On Dec. 27, Montenegrin Justice Minister Bojan Bozovic finally approved Kwon’s extradition to the United States.

“The gravity of the criminal acts, the place of execution, the order of submission of the request, the citizenship of the requested person, the possibility of further extradition to another country, as well as other circumstances,” the Ministry of Justice said.

Binance secures 21st global crypto license in Brazil

Binance has secured its 21st global regulatory authorization from Banco Central do Brasil (BCB), the central bank of Brazil, in a significant milestone for crypto adoption in Latin America.

Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, was approved as a licensed broker-dealer in Brazil, the most populous country in Latin America.

The approval allows Binance to acquire São Paulo-based investment platform Sim;paul, a licensed broker-dealer authorized to distribute securities and issue electronic money (EMI), according to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph.

The approval makes Binance the first crypto exchange to have a broker-dealer license in Brazil.

Binance’s 21st regulatory approval comes after receiving licenses in Argentina, India, Kazakhstan and Indonesia.