Time to Unstake some ETH + Emojis Become Financial Advice?

Hello there!

It's time for another roundup of all the latest happenings in the crypto world in the past week.

Besides the SEC continuing its relentless battle against the blockchain industry, Ethereum gave us some things to discuss, like its upcoming Shapella update. With the update finally happening on the 28th of this month (this Tuesday), Ethereum validators might finally be able to withdraw some of their ETH used to keep the new PoS chain secure.

Regarding price movement, the market was quite moody—nothing out of the ordinary. But, with the Shapella update just a day away, will the price of Ethereum rise?

Now is a good time to track Ethereum’s price movement using your favorite portfolio tracking and trading platform, Coinigy.

Here are last week’s main highlights:

• Ethereum Shapella upgrade gets a new date, making way for un-staking ETH
• Google Cloud Team Up With Tezos to Boost the Development of Web3 Applications
• IMF Board 'Generally Agreed' Crypto Shouldn't Be Legal Tender
• Emojis count as financial advice and have legal consequences, judge rules

Ethereum Shapella upgrade gets a new date, making way for un-staking ETH

Tim Beiko, an Ethereum core developer, has announced that the Shapella upgrade will take place on February 28. The upcoming upgrade would enable validators to withdraw their staked Ether (stETH) from the Beacon Chain to the execution layer. Moreover, the upgrade would bring changes to the execution and consensus layers, adding new features, making it a key upgrade following the Merge. Read the full story.

Google Cloud Team Up With Tezos to Boost the Development of Web3 Applications

According to an article shared on Twitter by Tezos Foundation, Google Cloud is now an “official Tezos baker.” Through the partnership, Google Cloud customers can access Tezos Blockchain technology, while Tezos helps Google Cloud grow its Web3 app development. Read the full story.

IMF Board 'Generally Agreed' Crypto Shouldn't Be Legal Tender

Cryptocurrency should, in general, not be granted legal tender status, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Executive Board said in a statement Thursday. The board – 24 directors elected by the IMF’s member countries – had been presented earlier this month with a staff paper that warned of crypto's risks to monetary policy, tax collection, financial stability, and consumer protection. Read the full story.

Emojis count as financial advice and have legal consequences, judge rules

A United States District Court judge for the Southern District of New York ruled that emojis like the rocket ship, stock chart, and money bags mean “a financial return on investment, " according to a recent court filing. Read the full story.

Other highlights worth mentioning

• Bitcoin eyes 25% of world’s wealth in new $10M BTC price prediction - Cointelegraph
• Reddit Co-founder Wishes He Bought More Ether in 2014 Presale - Blockworks
• German DZ Bank adds digital currencies to asset management services - Blockchain News
• Huobi crypto exchange aims to expand to Hong Kong amid regulatory changes - Bitcoin Insider