As the race for Central Bank Digital Currencies heats up, CoinDesk's Markets Daily is back for your bitcoin news roundup!

This episode is sponsored by Bitstamp and Crypto.com.

Today's stories:

With Bitcoin Stuck in the Doldrums, Altcoins Continue to Rally

Altcoins like Chainlink's link token continue to outshine bitcoin, which is still consolidating above $9,000.

Japan Is Seriously Considering a Digital Yen: Report

As rivals and allies move forward with their own CBDC plans, Japan will seriously consider a digital yen as part of this year's policy agenda. 

China to Test Digital Yuan on Tencent-Backed Food Delivery Platform

Now three Tencent-backed companies are setting themselves up to become early-stage testers for China’s digital yuan initiative.

Crypto Luminaries Auction NFT 'Art' for Charity

Vitalik Buterin's quadratic funding notes raised 40 ETH for an open-source grant program. He and others are auctioning off NFTs on Cryptograph for charity.

UK Fintech Firm Revolut Brings Bitcoin, Ether Trading to US Customers

Revolut customers in the U.S. can now buy, hold and sell BTC and ETH on the digital bank’s crypto platform, thanks to a partnership with Paxos.

Disgraced Lobbyist Jack Abramoff Pleads Guilty to Alleged Crypto Fraud

Previously convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff has pleaded guilty to knowingly promoting an alleged crypto fraud with false and misleading information.