Posts

Showing posts from June, 2022

Terra’s Crypto Tokens UST and Luna Classic Mysteriously Pumped This Week, UST Climbed by 470%

Image
After the downfall of the two most popular crypto assets on the Terra blockchain, the digital currencies terrausd (UST) and luna classic (LUNC) increased a great deal in value against the U.S. dollar in recent times. During the last seven days, LUNC has risen 96.3% and the once-stable coin UST has increased 472.4% this week. Luna Classic and the Once-Stable Coin UST Rise Significantly Against the US Dollar It’s pretty well known in the world of digital currencies that some crypto assets never die. That seems to be the case with the two notorious crypto assets luna classic (LUNC) and terrausd (UST), a former stablecoin that is sometimes referred to as terraclassicusd (USTC). LUNC took the name luna classic because Terra’s new token is now referred to as LUNA. UST was once stable and held the $1 parity from October 2020 up until May 9, 2022. When UST depegged it dropped below a U.S. penny, and tapped a low of $0.006 per unit on June 18, 2022. However, since the $0.006 per unit low, ...

Midas․Investments Wants to Bridge the Gap With CeDeFi Strategies

Image
PRESS RELEASE. Crypto investment platform Midas Investments has reported that it has created an infrastructure that is designed with built-in, automated tools and strategies that don’t require investors to master the nature of trade within the volatile decentralized finance market. Traditional CeFi refers to centralized finance mechanisms such as crypto lending and borrowing, which have been used to generate moderate passive yields for investors from as far back as 2016. Contrary to DeFi, CeFi is different in that security measures are strict and investor activity is closely regulated by measures like KYC/AML. Human involvement is also vital, being pertinent to network processes, as established on original platforms like Crypto.com. CeDeFi bridges the gap between the centralized and decentralized finance worlds. Midas Investments reports that it is built upon a similar model as CeFi platforms like Nexo and combines it with algo and DeFi strategies together to offer hybrid yields st...

Argentinian Tax Agency Ramps Up Digital Wallet Seizures

Image
The Argentinian Tax Agency, the AFIP, has ramped up the seizures of digital wallets of taxpayers in the country. The institution managed to seize more than 1,200 digital wallets of taxpayers that had debts and didn’t have a bank account, or other properties available to be collected by the courts. While the organization has yet to order crypto-related seizures, this could be possible in the future. Argentinian Tax Agency Seizes More Than 1,200 Digital Wallets Tax regulators around the world are becoming more and more aware of the different ways in which taxpayers can hide their funds to avoid paying taxes. The Argentinian tax agency, the AFIP, has been busy taking control of the digital wallets of debtors to the institution. These digital wallets are custodial services provided by fintech companies to third parties, that in some ways are not directly related to banks. The basis for the seizures was established in February when the AFIP included these in the list of seizable assets....

Deutsche Bank Predicts Bitcoin Rising to $28K by Year-End — Warns ‘Crypto Free Fall Could Continue’

Image
Deutsche Bank has predicted that the price of bitcoin will increase nearly 40% from the current level to $28K by the end of the year. The bank’s analysts also warned that “the crypto free fall could continue.” Deutsche Bank’s Bitcoin Price Prediction Deutsche Bank has reportedly predicted that the price of bitcoin will rise to $28,000 by year-end, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing an analysis by the bank’s senior economist and market strategist Marion Laboure and research analyst Galina Pozdnyakova. Based on their analysis, bitcoin’s price will rally 38% from the current price of $20,329 given how closely BTC has been trading with U.S. stocks. They noted that cryptocurrencies have been correlated to benchmarks like the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 and the S&P 500 since November. The S&P 500 is down 21% since the beginning of the year. The Deutsche Bank strategists expect the index to recover to January levels by the end of the year. Laboure and Pozdnyakova liken bitcoin to d...

Coinbase Reveals European Expansion Plan — Seeks Licenses in Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands

Image
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has revealed its plan to expand in several European markets. The company is reportedly in the process of registering a crypto exchange in Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. Coinbase Expanding in Europe Coinbase Global Inc. (Nasdaq: COIN) is reportedly planning to expand operations in Europe, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing an interview with Nana Murugesan, Coinbase’s vice president of International and Business Development. Noting that Coinbase is focused on growing its presence in Europe, the executive revealed that the exchange is in the process of applying for a license in various European markets including Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. The Nasdaq-listed company is currently registered in the U.K., Ireland, and Germany, Murugesan confirmed, noting that Coinbase also recently hired its first employee in Switzerland. “In all these markets our intention is to have retail and institutional products,” the executive emphasiz...

How Foresight Ventures Is Approaching Investments in the Current Market Environment

Image
The Foresight Ventures founding and partnership team includes veterans of some of the top financial and technology firms dedicated to sourcing and supporting the next generation of disruptive innovations across Web3. They believe the future is multi-chain and thus the chains that find product market fit will all need partners to help expand their ecosystems. They hope to become that partner, investing early and supporting their ecosystems by holding and providing resources for growth. Tony Cheng, general partner from Foresight Ventures , recently joined the Bitcoin.com News Podcast to talk about the market: Tony graduated from Nankai University with a BSc in Applied Mathematics, then went on to the University of Oxford for post-graduate studies resulting in a MSc in Financial Economics. After graduation Tony worked as a management consultant at Oliver Wyman in HK, mainly covering financial services and Fintech clients in the APAC region. After doing many consulting projects for F...

Report: Taiwan’s Central Bank May Need 2 Years to Complete Work on CBDC

Image
Taiwan’s central bank is yet to conclude work on its central bank digital currency (CBDC) and according to the bank’s governor, the institution may need two more years to finish its work, a report has said. Some of the bank’s next tasks include winning the public’s support, ensuring the system is stable, and building the currency’s legal framework. Simulating Use of the CBDC Some two years after work on Taiwan’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) commenced, the governor of the country’s central bank, Yang Chin-long, recently revealed that his organization is still working on the project. Yang warned the central bank may need as long as two years to complete the task. Yang, who spoke at a digital currencies forum, also disclosed the central bank had been simulating the use of the CBDC in what a Reuters report called a closed-loop environment. However, the same report said the central bank now faces three key tasks. These include communicating and ultimately winning the public’s s...

E-commerce Giant Ebay Files Trademark Applications Covering Wide Range of Metaverse, NFT Services

Image
E-commerce giant Ebay has filed two trademark applications covering a wide range of products and services relating to the metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Ebay’s NFT, Metaverse Trademark Applications Ebay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) filed two trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) last week covering a wide range of products and services relating to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the metaverse. A USPTO-licensed trademark attorney, Mike Kondoudis, tweeted Tuesday: “Ebay Inc. is coming to the metaverse.” He explained that the filings indicate the e-commerce giant’s plans for virtual good marketplaces, online retail stores with actual and virtual goods, NFTs, NFT exchanges, and NFT trading. The applications’ serial numbers are 97473696 and 97473620. One day before Ebay filed the two trademark applications, the company announced that it has acquired NFT marketplace Knownorigin. According to Ebay, the two companies signed and closed the deal...

Warren Buffett-Backed Nubank Now Offers Crypto Trading to 54 Million Customers

Image
Warren Buffett-backed Nubank, one of the world’s largest digital banking platforms, is now offering cryptocurrency trading to all of its 54 million customers. Nubank also holds bitcoin on its balance sheet. Nubank’s Crypto Service Now Available to All Customers Nubank, one of the world’s largest digital banking platforms, now offers cryptocurrency trading to all clients, according to its blog post, updated Monday. The bank serves around 54 million customers across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. “Nubank Cripto is the solution to buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly through the Nu app,” the bank wrote, adding: The option to buy cryptocurrencies through Nubank is now available to all our customers. Update your app. “To help you enter this universe more safely, we decided to offer, first, the largest cryptocurrencies on the market: bitcoin and ether,” the bank added. Nubank further clarified: For this launch, Nubank has a partnership with Paxos, an exchange specializing in cryp...

400+ Crypto Advertisements Violate Guidelines in India — ‘Some Influencers Talk About Crypto Without Understanding It’

Image
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has reportedly revealed that more than 400 crypto ads violated its guidelines so far this year. The majority of complaints the ad council received are directed at influencers. “Some influencers talk so confidently about crypto without fully understanding it.” 419 Ads in Violation — Most Complaints Concern Influencers The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has reportedly revealed that it received 453 complaints relating to crypto ads between January and May. The council added that out of all complaints, 419 cryptocurrency advertisements required modifications, the Economic Times reported Monday, noting that most complaints concern influencers. Manisha Kapoor, CEO of ASCI, described: Some influencers talk so confidently about crypto without fully understanding it. It does create an impression that it is safe, it’s fine and a cool thing. She explained that the council will continue to focus on adequate disclosures and r...

Rich Dad Poor Dad’s Robert Kiyosaki Says He’s Waiting for Bitcoin to Test $1,100 to Buy More

Image
The famous author of the best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, says he’s waiting for the price of bitcoin to test $1,100. He added that he will buy more if the cryptocurrency recovers from that price level. Robert Kiyosaki on Bitcoin Testing $1,100 The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has returned with a new bitcoin outlook. Rich Dad Poor Dad is a 1997 book co-authored by Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for over six years. More than 32 million copies of the book have been sold in over 51 languages across more than 109 countries. The famous author tweeted a “Rich Dad lesson” Monday night. He explained that “losers quit when they lose,” but “winners learn from their losses.” Asserting that “Bitcoin losers are quitting,” he said he is waiting for BTC to test $1,100, adding that he will buy more if the crypto recovers. “If it does not, I will wait for losers to ‘capitulate’ quit then buy more,” he further sta...

Cryptoys Raises $23 Million to Mix NFTs, Gaming, and Virtual Toys

Image
Cryptoys, an NFT-based startup, announced it has raised $23 million in a Series A funding round led by a16z. The company, which seeks to mix NFTs with the world of gaming and virtual toys, will create what it calls a “cryptoyverse,” in which it will also implement play-to-earn features and issue its own tokens. Cryptoys Raises $23 Million in Series A Round The NFT market is facing a slump phase that is affecting prices and the popularity of NFT projects recently. However, there are projects that have managed to stay afloat and even thrive. One of them is Cryptoys, an NFT startup that has announced the completion of a successful funding round. The Series A funding round, which raised $23 million, was led by a16z crypto , with the participation of other companies and firms including Mattel, Dapper Labs, Draper & Associates, Acrew Capital, Coinfund, Animoca Brands, and Sound Ventures. The company will use these funds to further develop its own platform, dubbed “cryptoyverse,” whi...

FBI Arrests 2 Men Planning ‘Violent’ Robbery of Bitcoin Worth Millions of Dollars — They Face 20 Years in Prison

Image
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested two men who participated “in a violent plan to break into a family’s home in the middle of the night” to steal bitcoin worth tens of millions of dollars,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice. They could go to prison for 20 years. 2 Men Charged for Planning to Steal Bitcoin The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday the unsealing of an indictment charging Dominic Pineda and Shon Morgan with a “plan to commit home invasion robbery for tens of millions of dollars in bitcoin.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested the two on Thursday in Virginia. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams detailed: The defendants participated in a violent plan to break into a family’s home in the middle of the night and force its residents to provide the code to what the defendants believed was tens of millions of dollars in bitcoin currency. According to the court document, the defendants participated in the plan from May 1...

SEC Chair Gensler Affirms Bitcoin Is a Commodity — ‘That’s the Only One I’m Going to Say’

Image
The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, says bitcoin is a commodity. He emphasized that the SEC, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and banking regulators will collaborate to oversee the crypto sector. Gary Gensler: Bitcoin Is a Commodity SEC Chairman Gary Gensler clarified his position on cryptocurrency, particularly bitcoin, in an interview with Mad Money host Jim Cramer on CNBC Monday. “This is a highly speculative asset class. We’ve known this for a long time,” Gensler said when asked about cryptocurrency. Citing the “ups and downs of this speculative asset class,” he explained that when people invest in “bitcoin and hundreds of other crypto tokens,” they hope for a return, “just like when they invest in other financial assets” that are securities. Chair Gensler stressed that many of these “crypto financial assets” have “the key attributes of a security.” He added: “Some of them … are under the Securities and Exchange Comm...

My Liquidity Partner (MLP) Is Now Available for Trading on LBank Exchange

Image
PRESS RELEASE. INTERNET CITY, DUBAI, Jun. 27, 2022 – LBank Exchange, a global digital asset trading platform, has listed My Liquidity Partner (MLP) on June 23, 2022. For all users of LBank Exchange, the MLP/ USDT trading pair is now officially available for trading. Utilizing liquidity partners’ crypto within the liquidity pools, My Liquidity Partner (MLP) enables them to receive a weekly passive income from a major DEX with over $1 Trillion U,S. Dollar in trade volume. Its native token MLP has been listed on LBank Exchange at 22:00 (UTC+8) on June 23, 2022, to further expand its global reach and help it achieve its vision. Introducing My Liquidity Partner My Liquidity Partner (MLP) is a way of making its liquidity partners’ crypto create an extra source of weekly passive income for them without spending hours in front of the charts. It utilizes their crypto within the liquidity pools, runs on Uniswap, with its advanced algorithms and experts it’s able to give its Liquidity Par...

Mining Ban Sparks Negative Reactions From Iran’s Crypto Community

Image
The recently reintroduced seasonal ban on cryptocurrency mining has provoked backlash from the local crypto community. This week, the country’s power distribution company ordered miners to suspend activities citing electricity shortages during the hot summer months. Restrictions on Crypto Mining Are Ousting Iran From Global Coin Minting Industry, Critics Say After last year crypto miners were forced to deal with interruptions in power supply on more than one occasion, the Iran Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution Company (Tavanir) has told them to halt operations again, until the end of this summer. The utility is citing expected electricity shortages in the next three months of hot weather, when demand will spike due to rising consumption for cooling. The company’s spokesman, Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, has been quoted as stating that the measure should help reduce the heavy load on the national grid during the peak season. According to a report by the Iranian business ne...

Mark Zuckerberg Expects Billions of People to Use the Metaverse Generating Massive Revenue for Meta

Image
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, formerly Facebook, has shared how the metaverse will be a key part of his business and bring hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue. “Our playbook over time has been build services, try to serve as many people as possible,” said Zuckerberg. Mark Zuckerberg on the Metaverse Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook, talked about the metaverse in an interview on Wednesday with Jim Cramer, the host of CNBC’s Mad Money. The Facebook co-founder explained that he expects the metaverse to be massive and become a major part of his company’s business over the next decade. Commenting on Meta’s metaverse efforts, Zuckerberg said: Our playbook over time has been build services, try to serve as many people as possible — you know, get our services to a billion, two billion, three billion people, and then we basically scale the monetization after that. “We hope to, basically, get to around a billion people in the metaverse doing hundreds o...

Lebanon Inflation Rate Surges to 211%, Economist Steve Hanke Recommends a Currency Board

Image
As political leaders in crisis-hit Lebanon bicker over positions in the yet-to-be-formed government, the country’s runaway inflation rate surged to 211% in May 2022, new data has shown. Economist Steve Hanke insists that a currency board is a solution to Lebanon’s currency woes. Black Market in Fuel Driving Inflation The inflation rate in crisis-torn Lebanon surged to 211% in May, making it the 23rd consecutive time the consumer price index (CPI) has surged, a report has said. The revelation of the latest inflation figure comes as the country’s politicians reportedly struggle to form a new government more than a month after parliamentary elections. According to a National News report , the politicians’ failure to create a new government is delaying the implementation of key reforms that allow Lebanon to receive a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The report also quotes a note from Byblos Bank that attempts to reveal factors likely to be worsening the in...

Netherlands-Based Coinbase Customers Required to Submit KYC Data When Transferring Crypto off the Platform

Image
Coinbase has announced that the company plans to introduce a number of changes for customers in the Netherlands in order to comply with the 1977 Sanctions Act, a law that recently applied know-your-customer (KYC) guidelines to non-custodial wallets. If the person living in the Netherlands wants to send crypto to a third-party wallet via Coinbase, they must identify the wallet owner’s name, the purpose of transfer, and the full residential address of the recipient. On June 27, Coinbase Says KYC Info Will Be Required in the Netherlands for Outgoing Crypto Transfers Dutch Coinbase customers may have a harder time sending funds to people with a third-party or non-custodial wallet if they don’t provide KYC information. Starting on June 27, 2022, Coinbase will require users from the Netherlands to provide KYC data if they plan to send crypto to a wallet off the Coinbase platform. Coinbase says the new rules are being applied because the company must comply with local regulations. The 19...

Binance Launches New Platform for VIP and Institutional Crypto Investors

Image
Crypto exchange Binance has launched a new platform for VIP and institutional investors. The VIP program allows Binance users to “get rewarded with more discounts and VIP privileges” as their trading volume climbs up VIP tiers. ‘Binance Institutional’ Launched Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced Thursday the launch of “ Binance Institutional ,” a new platform for VIP and institutional cryptocurrency investors. It is one of Binance’s efforts “to upgrade its institutional offerings and services,” the exchange said. Binance Institutional’s services are tailored for all types of institutions, its website describes. They include asset managers, brokers, hedge funds, family offices, proprietary trading firms, liquidity providers, high net worth individuals, and mining companies. The new platform offers a number of services, including direct access to OTC liquidity, asset management, custody, and brokerage. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) commented: Brokerage services are...

British MP Calls for ‘Liberal’ Crypto Regulation — Says ‘No Country Can Stop This Revolution’

Image
British Parliament Member Matt Hancock has called for “liberal” cryptocurrency regulation, noting that no country can stop the crypto revolution. “I hate the patronizing idea of regulators telling people what they can and can’t do with their money,” the lawmaker stressed. British MP Wants ‘Liberal’ Crypto Regulation Matt Hancock, a Conservative member of parliament and former British health secretary, reiterated the importance of having a “liberal” regulatory framework for cryptocurrency this week. The lawmaker explained in an interview with UKTN, published Friday, that the crypto market sell-off has not shaken his confidence in the sector. He told the news outlet: No country can stop this revolution. We can only choose whether it happens on our shores or happens to us from elsewhere. In his keynote speech Wednesday at Crypto A.M.’s fourth-anniversary conference, Hancock called for an “attractive” tax system and “liberal” regulatory regime to help the U.K. become “the jurisdict...

Japanese Virtual IP Firm Raises $10 Million to Accelerate Metaverse Business

Image
Brave Group Inc., a Japanese virtual IP firm, recently said it had raised $10 million in new capital and that the company expects to use part of these funds to boost its “solution services for clients in the metaverse marketing business.” Taking part in Brave Group’s latest funding round were two local companies, foreign investment funds, as well as individual investors. Metaverse Market Growth A Japan-based virtual IP business, Brave Group Inc., recently said it had raised $10 million in new funding, thus bringing the total raised so far to $18 million. The company is set to use the new capital to strengthen its existing business operations and to “expand its solution services for clients in the metaverse marketing business.” In a recent statement , Brave Group revealed that Japanese companies like Dawn Capital and Osaka Gas Co. Ltd. had participated in the round that also featured “foreign investment funds and individual investors.” In remarks following the announcement of the ca...

Saddle․Finance Creates New Standards for DeFi Trading

Image
DeFi is a sub-sector in the crypto industry that has witnessed significant innovation since its inception. However, the narrative has struggled to stay consistent, affecting the domain overall. The current bear market has wiped out more than half of DeFi Total Value Locked (TVL), hampering innovations. Furthermore, several projects have simply forked (copied) existing protocols and brought zero ideas to the market. Amidst all of this, one project is making strides with the best innovations DeFiers have seen in a long time. Saddle Finance is the protocol that enables efficient DeFi trading for stablecoins and pegged-value crypto assets like wETH and wBTC. It redefines DeFi trading by offering cheap, efficient, swift, and low-slippage swaps for traders and high-yield pools for Liquidity Providers. The protocol has facilitated over $2B in transaction volume to date. Enabling an Efficient and Secure DeFi Trading Experience Saddle Finance is an AMM-based decentralized exchange (DEX) ...

Chinese State-Run Media Warns About Bitcoin’s Price Falling to Zero as Regulators Issue Fresh Crypto Warning

Image
A Chinese state-run newspaper has published an article warning about bitcoin’s price falling to zero amid the crypto market sell-off. Meanwhile, financial regulators in Shenzhen have issued a new warning about cryptocurrency. State-Run Newspaper Warns About Bitcoin Becoming Worthless China’s state-run newspaper Economic Daily published an article warning about bitcoin Wednesday, according to SCMP. The nationwide newspaper is directly under the control of the Central Committee of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. The article warned that investors should beware of the risk of bitcoin prices “heading to zero” amid the recent crypto market sell-off. “Bitcoin is nothing more than a string of digital codes, and its returns mainly come from buying low and selling high,” the newspaper details, adding: In the future, once investors’ confidence collapses or when sovereign countries declare bitcoin illegal, it will return to its original value, which is utterly worthless. The newspaper...

Namibian University Set to Offer Master’s Degree in Blockchain Technology in 2024

Image
A Namibian university is set to offer a master’s degree in blockchain technology starting in the year 2024, a senior employee with the institution has said. The university is already “infusing” blockchain technology-based content into its level 8 programs. ‘Blockchain Is the Future’ A Namibian higher learning institution, the University of Namibia (UNAM), is set to offer a blockchain technology-related course starting in 2024, the university’s head of the IT department, Samuel Nuungulu, has said. Nuungulu, the chairperson of UNAM’s steering committee on the MSc on blockchain technology, told Bitcoin.com News that by introducing the degree program the university hopes to “lay the foundation for possible incubation of tech-startup out of the skills this program would create in the country.” Asked why UNAM has chosen to introduce the level 9 master’s degree program, Nuungulu said: Blockchain is the future and we thought it was necessary to use this degree as a forerunner in develop...

NoVa Battles’ NoVa (NVA) Token Is Now Listed in Bitrue

Image
PRESS RELEASE. NoVa Battles has taken another step forward by completing another major milestone, being listed on Bitrue. The centralized exchange, Bitrue, has announced that NVA passed the BTR Vote on the 21 st of June, 2022. The launched listing pair is NVA/ USDT . Deposits for this coin (ERC20 Network Supported) have already been enabled. NVA Token holders can now trade on Bitrue here: https://www.bitrue.com/trade/nva_usdt Withdrawals for this coin will be enabled approximately 24 hours after trading begins. The NoVa Battles team is excited to bring you another chance to get in on the action. We are going to be announcing most listings soon. Successful Nova Battles ICO Nova battles; a play, invest, and earn crypto game has successfully achieved its target a day ahead of schedule. 850 million NVA Token were sold to its worldwide community through the MaskEx platform. This has paved the way for this game to be here for a long time, growing in popularity and complexity. The comp...