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In the latest development, an Illinois judge has granted a motion to pause proceedings in a lawsuit against US-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. This decision would suspend further actions in the crypto company’s court case involving alleged violations of the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).

How Another Case Could Decide The Outcome Of Coinbase Lawsuit

According to an August 21 filing in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman approved a motion submitted by Coinbase to stay a lawsuit accusing the exchange of violating the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act. The motion asked the court to wait for a ruling from the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on a similar case.

The Court of Appeals case involves Nuance Communications and Charles Schwab, with the intricacies around supplying voice identification technology forming the foundation of the legal battle. The decision from this particular lawsuit could set precedent for how BIPA affects financial service providers, including cryptocurrency exchanges.

The court document read:

[T]he Court finds that the stay would simplify the issues and streamline the trial […] reduce the burden of litigation on the Court and the parties […] [and] would not unduly prejudice or tactically disadvantage Plaintiffs.

The lawsuit, filed in May 2025 by a group of users, accused Coinbase of the “wholesale collection” of biometric data for its Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements without notifying the users, thereby violating the Illinois law. The plaintiffs also alleged that the crypto company inappropriately shared the faceprints with third-party verification providers. 

Under Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act, private firms or organizations can face damages of up to $5,000 for each instance of reckless or intentional violation of the law and $1,000 per negligent violation of the BIPA. The plaintiffs also sought relief to cover their legal costs.

Coinbase Under Pressure From Data Security Breach

Due to a separate incident, Coinbase has been under scrutiny over the security of customer data. The crypto company revealed in May that a group of customer support contractors in India accessed account data for users in exchange for bribes.

While the customer contractors were eventually dismissed, the individuals behind the data breach tried to extort $20 million in Bitcoin from Coinbase. Ultimately, this incident has put Coinbase under pressure and called into question its process of handling personal user data.

Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView

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The Worldcoin project faces legal challenges in Kenya after the court ordered the removal of collected user biometric data. Meanwhile, the controversial crypto exchange CBEX has attempted to restart, further scrutinizing after a recent failure. In Nigeria, the Zone Blockchain Network is partnering with two Fintech platforms to increase payment efficiency.

Explore these headlines from the continent this week.

Kenya Crypto News: WorldCoin has been ordered to delete biometric data

A Kenyan court ordered WorldCoin, a project by Sam Altman, to remove biometric user data collected from citizens.

This command Continue A few months of government scrutiny on Worldcoin’s activities within the country. The platform attracted attention for its controversial orbs. This was when users scanned Retinas and accessed them in exchange for free ciphers.

Judge Rose Abrili on Monday ruled that the data collection was illegal and violated Kenya’s data protection law. The court found that providing free code constitutes an incentive and undermines informed consent.

WorldCoin has seven days to delete data collected under the supervision of the authorities. This setback complicates Worldcoin’s business in Kenya, with analysts closely monitoring the impact on WLD. Supporters are the coins in it The best cipher to buy Second quarter 2025.

(wldusdt)

Discovered: Top 20 Cryptography to Buy in May 2025

African Crypto News: CBEX attempts to restart

The controversial crypto exchange CBEX is attempting to reboot to restore investor trust. Platform announcement A new withdrawal option after a chaotic month in which its activities were scrutinized amid fears of fraudulent manipulation.

Nigerian authorities have charged eight individuals, including four Kenyans, with allegedly being behind the operation.

CBEX is currently trying to alleviate concerns about a potential collapse. For weeks, users were unable to withdraw funds, driving controversy over their business model.

However, the new plan is controversial. Users over $1,000 on the platform will need to pay a $100 fee to withdraw up to 50% of their initial deposits.

Has CBEX crashed?

Someone had $89,000 locked inside the platform and since then he was unacceptable.

Even if we retreated for this sad development and CBEX users, this was CBEX’s office in Ikeja this afternoon.

To know that there are so many foolish people in our country… pic.twitter.com/dp0p0abyn0

– abode (@iamabode) April 11, 2025

Requiring users to pay to access funds adds further doubt to companies that are already under scrutiny due to an overly generous promise.

It is unlikely that this reboot attempt will restore its reputation as authorities continue to investigate its operations.

Nigeria Crypto News: Accelerex and ITEX join zone blockchain

Available on Nigerian fintech platforms Accelerex and ITEX Participation Regulated zone blockchain.

This partnership leverages the robust infrastructure of the zone to eliminate transactional obstacles and streamline payments. Some of these funds are Hottest Presale of 2025.

Nigerian leading PTSPs Accelerex and ITEX have joined the zone payment network! Here’s the future of payments. #wearezone #connecttotheFuture pic.twitter.com/99ctcveb1k

– Zone (@zonenetworkhq) May 5, 2025

Accelerex and ITEX provide terminals across Nigeria for quick cash withdrawals via debit cards or mobile transfers.

Processing transactions in a chain reduces dependency on third-party processors and reduces operational costs. This efficiency is consistent with the business model of these fintech companies, which prioritize user convenience.

Discover: 17 Next Cryptocurrency Explosions in 2025: Experts’ Cryptocurrency Prediction and Analysis

African Cryptography Week after Review: A Kenyan court ordered worldcoin to delete biometric data, restarting the CBEX plan, Nigerian Fintech joined the zone blockchain, first appearing in 99 Bitcoin.

As we spend more time online—collecting digital goodies, and exploring virtual worlds—we might need better ways to prove who we are and protect what we own. Passwords and security questions don’t always cut it anymore. That’s where a new idea comes in: Biometric NFTs. These special tokens combine blockchain technology with unique parts of your biology, like your face or fingerprint, to keep your digital assets safe.

What Are Biometric NFTs?

An NFT is like a one-of-a-kind digital asset stored on a blockchain. It could represent a piece of digital art, fractionalized real estate, or an asset in a video game. Now imagine tying an NFT to your biometric data—for example, your facial features. This creates a direct link between you (a unique human) and your NFT. Instead of just hoping a password is strong enough, your face or fingerprint helps prove you own something. In other words, it’s a more personal and foolproof way of proving ownership and verifying identity in the digital world.

Why Better Security Matters

Digital assets—from rare digital art and virtual collectibles to entire digital worlds—have greatly increased popularity and value. But as more people buy, sell, and trade these items, the risk of fraud and theft also grows. Traditional logins can be guessed or stolen; even two-factor authentication can fail against determined scammers.

Biometric NFTs could add an extra layer of security ensuring that no one else can slip into your accounts or snatch your tokens without passing the ultimate test: being you.

How Biometric Authentication Works for NFTs

Biometric authentication uses physical traits that are uniquely yours. It might scan your face, read your fingerprint, or listen to your voice. When you access your NFT marketplace or digital wallet, a quick facial scan can replace typing long passwords.

The blockchain then confirms the NFT belongs to the person with these unique traits. Because these traits are hard to fake, scams and break-ins are much less likely.

When you want to transfer or sell your NFT, you need transaction confirmation. Using your biometric data means you’re essentially “signing” the transaction with your own face or fingerprint.

This biometric digital signature ensures that even if someone got hold of your device, they still couldn’t move your NFT without passing that biometric check.

Government and Services

Biometric NFTs can also help governments and large organizations manage identities online. Instead of carrying multiple IDs or memorizing many passwords, you could use a single token tied to your face or fingerprint.

Governments could control access to sensitive information or secure virtual reality spaces, confident that only the right person gets through. This kind of identity management could streamline everything from logging into public services to proving who you are in a digital voting booth.

Looking Ahead: Virtual Worlds and Beyond

The future looks bright for NFT technology. As we spend more time in virtual reality spaces—whether for entertainment, shopping, or work—we’ll need better ways to confirm who we are.

Biometric NFTs could make these virtual experiences more trustworthy. When you enter a virtual world to see a digital art gallery, for example, your face or voice could let you in, give you access to your unique collection, or even unlock special features.

Privacy Matters: Protecting Your Data

Of course, nobody wants their personal information floating around online. That’s why privacy-preserving methods are so important. An example comes from a South Korean company called Privasea, which developed an app called ImHuman.

This app uses fully homomorphic encryption (FHE), a fancy way of saying it can process your biometric data—like a face scan—while it’s still encrypted. In other words, even if someone got into the system, they’d never see your raw data.

With ImHuman, you simply use your phone’s camera to prove you’re a real, unique person. The app then creates a secure, encrypted NFT tied to your biometric data. You can use this NFT as proof without revealing your name, email, or other personal information. Privasea is currently working on its mainnet and testnet to bring this technology to more users, letting them safely access services, airdrops, and rewards in the crypto space.

Putting It All Together

Combining biometrics with NFTs and blockchain technology may sound complex, but it could be the key to a safer digital future. Instead of trusting easily stolen passwords, we trust something unique to each of us—our biology—backed by the secure mathematics of encryption and blockchain.

As developers figure out the best ways to store and manage this data, we could see more tools that let everyday people, governments, and companies tap into biometric NFTs.

Biometric NFTs offer a fresh, practical way to protect digital items, confirm our identities, and ensure we deal with real humans online. They take the security of NFTs to a higher level, making it easier to buy and sell valuable collectibles, manage digital identities, and interact safely in virtual environments.

Editor’s note: Written with the assistance of AI – Edited and fact-checked by Jason Newey.