Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

In recent times cryptocurrency platforms have been airing a number of commercials on television in order to entice a broader audience to get into cryptocurrencies. The digital currency community has witnessed crypto commercials starring the seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen, award-winning director Spike Lee, and the actor Matt Damon. Another commercial starring actress Rebecca Ferguson is now airing on Bloomberg Television that promotes the institutional digital asset custody and trading solutions firm Copper.co. Institutional Digital Assets Custodian Copper Films Crypto Commercial With Dune Actress Rebecca Ferguson Copper.co , the institutional digital asset custody and trading solutions provider, has announced the first annual television commercial campaign with the launch of a commercial called “The Unfair Advantage.” Copper is a London-based crypto firm that launched in 2018 and has raised $84.3 million in funding to date. Essentiall...

On November 2rd, 2021, RChain ‘s blockchain scientist Atticbee visited ZB exchange as an invited guest for a very technical AMA. ZB is a global exchange being in operation for 8 years with a focus on keeping customers’ assets secure. Atticbee discussed the problems of current blockchain technology and RChain’s answer to these challenges, and why one day RChain will be the most user and developer friendly Web 3.0 infrastructure. What is Missing In All Current Public Blockchains In Atticbee’s view, none of existing public chains has addressed these issues that are critical to Web 3.0: Currently there is NO REAL solution to the scalability problem: the scalability of Layer 2 and ETH 2.0 is an illusion because the individual Layer 2 and shard subsystems are not interoperable – they do not “look and feel” like one logical chain. They are designed for token transfer applications, not data intensive Web 3.0 applications. Contracts cannot safely call each other, lacking the “secure ...

Alarmed by the rising energy needs of cryptocurrency mining, Sweden’s financial and environmental regulators have recently proposed an EU-wide ban on proof-of-work coin minting. The Swedish officials believe this would encourage a move towards a more energy-efficient extraction of bitcoin while supporting the transition towards climate neutrality in Sweden and Europe. A state-run power company warns, however, that restrictions could have an adverse effect on global carbon emissions. Expensive Bitcoin Generates More Emissions, Swedish Authorities Allege The rising value of crypto assets attracts more businesses to join the competition to solve the encryption puzzle at the core of cryptocurrency mining while the proof-of-work method is the main reason for its high energy consumption. The remarks come from a joint statement by the director generals of Sweden’s Financial Supervisory Authority and Environmental Protection Agency, Erik Thedéen and Björn Risinger. The two officials have...

Payments giant Mastercard is launching crypto-linked payment cards for the Asia-Pacific region in partnership with three crypto service providers. “For the first time, consumers and businesses in the Asia Pacific region will be able to apply for crypto-linked Mastercard credit, debit, or prepaid cards,” Mastercard said. First Crypto-Linked Mastercards in Asia-Pacific Region Mastercard announced Monday that it has partnered with three crypto service providers across the Asia-Pacific region “to launch the region’s first crypto-linked payment cards.” The three partners are Amber Group, Bitkub in Thailand, and Coinjar in Australia. All three companies offer cryptocurrency exchange services in their respective domestic markets. In partnership with Mastercard, they “will be launching crypto-funded Mastercard payment cards,” the announcement notes, adding: For the first time, consumers and businesses in the Asia Pacific region will be able to apply for crypto-linked Mastercard credit, d...

The CEO of the world’s largest movie exhibition company, AMC Entertainment, says that his company is “on track” to accept four cryptocurrencies by year-end. Dogecoin (DOGE) is expected to be added in the first quarter of next year, and the company is currently figuring out how to take shiba inu (SHIB) as a currency. AMC Discusses Its Crypto Plans: Dogecoin, Shiba Inu Included AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE: AMC), aka AMC Theatres, provided an update of its crypto plans during the company’s Q3 earnings call Monday. AMC is the largest movie exhibition company in the U.S., Europe, and the world. As of March 31, the company owned or operated approximately 950 theaters and 10,500 screens globally. “We started accepting cryptocurrency for AMC gift cards and are encoding right now to accept cryptocurrency for online payments on our website and mobile app,” AMC CEO Adam Aron explained, elaborating: We are on track right now to accept, as we promised, bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin, bitc...

Just before the 26th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP-26), the UK government polled 3,071 adults from Britain to ask them their opinions on cryptocurrencies and the crypto industry’s effects on climate change. According to the survey, 45% of Britons would support banning crypto assets for environmental reasons and 18% would oppose a ban. Even though 45% of the polled crowd would ban crypto assets, very few respondents think a ban would be effective. 45% of British Adults Surveyed Would Ban Crypto Assets Over Climate Change Concerns This week climate change has been more topical than usual because of the COP-26 event being held in Glasgow. COP-26 is basically a conference hosted by the UN where global participants discuss solutions for mitigating climate change. Political party members who attend typically make national pledges in order to combat the so-called climate crisis. During this year’s COP-26, the U.K. government decided to survey 3,071 Britons before the ...

Polygon , an Ethereum scaling platform onboarding millions to Web3, has announced the addition of convenient and flexible fiat payment onramps for the Polygon Network, thanks to a new partnership with Alchemy Pay . Alchemy Pay will create a bridge between fiat and crypto payments by embedding into the Polygon Network, enabling any Polygon-based protocol to set up a fiat on-ramp. The new capability is expected to propel the next phase of growth for Polygon’s DeFi ecosystem. More than 4,000 hosted applications within Polygon’s DeFi ecosystem will now be able to enact transactions on their DeFi apps via direct fiat on-ramps to traditional financial payment platforms like Visa, Mastercard, PayPal and multiple local payment channels around the world. The move will also simplify DeFi app payments on e-commerce platforms, such as Shopify and other networks. Alchemy Pay currently handles $5 million daily transactions, primarily from Asia and Europe. A greater volume of US transactions is e...

The CEO of the tech giant Apple, Tim Cook disclosed that he owns cryptocurrency and said that he thinks it’s reasonable to own it as part of a diversified portfolio.” Cook’s statements stemmed from an appearance with the New York Times Dealbook’s host Andrew Ross Sorkin. Apple CEO Tim Cook Tells the Press He Owns Crypto and It’s Something Apple Is ‘Looking At’ The cryptocurrency economy has been on a tear and recently captured $3 trillion in value this week as bitcoin ( BTC ) and a number of other crypto assets reached all-time price highs. The value of the crypto economy is now more than $500 billion larger than the market capitalization of Apple. The crypto economy also grew significantly faster in value than the American multinational technology company. Meanwhile, Apple’s CEO disclosed that he owns crypto and the executive thinks that its reasonable to add to a portfolio. When asked if he owns crypto, Cook responded: “I do. I think it’s reasonable to own it as part of a div...

An official with the Zimbabwean government recently confirmed the country’s administration is currently gathering views about cryptocurrencies from knowledgeable persons. Government’s Lingering Concerns Charles Wekwete, who is the head of the e-government unit, suggested that the country will only adopt a formal position on cryptocurrencies once the consultation process is complete. According to a Sunday News report , Wekwete — who addressed delegates that attended an IT summit that was held in Victoria Falls — made the comments while responding to an inquiry from the attendees. The attendees had asked Wekwete if the Zimbabwean government’s position on cryptocurrencies had shifted. In his response, Wekwete starts by reiterating his government’s lingering concerns about cryptocurrencies and its fears these could be used to facilitate nefarious activities. However, Wekwete still went on to reveal that the Zimbabwean government is already working towards finding the appropriate regu...

The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned a second cryptocurrency exchange “for facilitating financial transactions for ransomware actors.” Two ransomware operators have also been sanctioned and $6.1 million in funds were seized. US Treasury Sanctions Another Cryptocurrency Exchange The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Monday that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned ransomware operators and a cryptocurrency exchange. Crypto exchange Chatex and its associated support network have been sanctioned “for facilitating financial transactions for ransomware actors,” the Treasury states. “Analysis of Chatex’s known transactions indicate that over half are directly traced to illicit or high-risk activities such as darknet markets, high-risk exchanges, and ransomware.” Chatex has direct ties with Suex OTC , the first crypto exchange sanctioned by the OFAC on Sept. 21, the Treasury noted. The OFAC also sanctioned Ukrainian Yaroslav Vasinskyi and Russian Yevg...

The Indian government is reportedly trying to “fast track” a modified cryptocurrency bill to be introduced in the winter session of parliament. India’s crypto legislation is expected to take a “middle path” approach to balance all stakeholders’ concerns. India Reportedly Modifying Crypto Bill to Introduce at the Start of Winter Session of Parliament India is currently working on cryptocurrency regulation. The government is now considering taking a “middle path” that balances all stakeholders’ concerns to regulate cryptocurrencies, the Economic Times reported Monday, citing an unnamed government source. An outright ban on cryptocurrencies is not seen as feasible given a large number of Indians are investing in crypto assets, the person explained, adding that making cryptocurrencies legal tender, as El Salvador did, is not an option either. The source said: A balance has to be found … A middle path that balances the concerns of all stakeholders is more likely. Policymakers were r...

The world is fast moving towards a crypto-first future. One in which every company will have a strategy for how to leverage crypto, tokenized assets, smart contracts and more to transfer value and fuel a rising tide of global digital transactions and commerce. Liquidity – the ability to instantly, seamlessly and affordably exchange assets – … Continued The post Ripple Liquidity Hub for the Enterprise appeared first on Ripple. http://dlvr.it/SCB9Sk

FIDE , the International Chess Federation, has become the first global sports federation to launch its own NFT marketplace. It announced a partnership with core developers of the Everscale Network (ex-FreeTON) , TON Labs , to launch ChessNFT.com – a new chess non-fungible token (NFT) ecosystem. Full marketplace functionality is scheduled for later this month, to coincide with the upcoming World Championship in Dubai. ChessNFT hopes to welcome a new demographic to the world of blockchain, attracting both players and fans of chess alike. Users will be able to bid on and purchase chess-related NFTs featuring iconic match moments, unique collectibles, chess related art, and much more. The platform’s interface will accommodate the use of both fiat and cryptocurrencies. Most interestingly, these NFTs will be in the new TrueNFT format on the Everscale Network. Everscale is the new name for the recently rebranded FreeTON network. TrueNFTs bring a number of benefits over existing forma...

On November 8, 2021, the price of bitcoin reached an all-time high of $68,564 per unit at 10:57 p.m. (ET) on Monday evening. Meanwhile, Plan B, the creator of the bitcoin price model called stock-to-flow (S2F), has correctly predicted the last three months of bitcoin prices and recently said that based on the floor model the price will reach $100K this year. ‘Bitcoin Looking Strong’ — Plan B’s Poll Results Show 40% of Voters Believe $100K Will Happen This Year Four months ago in June, Plan B tweeted that his “worst-case scenario for 2021” bitcoin (BTC) prices “on-chain based” would be “Aug>47K, Sep>43K, Oct>63K, Nov>98K, Dec>135K.” During the first week of August, Plan B reconfirmed his confidence in the price forecast and said “$64K was not the top.” After correctly predicting the bitcoin prices for the months of August, September, and October, Plan B has been discussing BTC ’s current price run-up during the first week of November. On November 3, Plan B tweeted ...

The organizers of Art X Lagos, a West Africa art exhibition, recently kickstarted a non-fungible token (NFT) art fair that features the works of African artists drawn from more than six countries. Blockchain Provides Important Opportunity for Artists In a statement made on Art X Lagos’ website, the organizers argue that blockchain is now providing digital artists with an opportunity to sell their work. They added that such a paradigm shift opens up the possibility of a more decentralized and more collaborative economy, where creators can lead the way towards a more inclusive, and more diverse society. To demonstrate the extent of Art X Lagos’ determination, the organizers, alongside Superrare — a digital art market on the Ethereum blockchain — recently kickstarted the art fair. According to a report , the physical version of this fair began on November 4 and was expected to end on November 7. The online fair, on the other hand, is expected to end on November 21. NFTs Getting Mor...

PRESS RELEASE. Hollywood, CA – Riskie Forever, renowned creator of the iconic album cover art of “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory”, steps onto the digital collectibles stage in partnership with Zelus for a truly unique NFT collection. Beginning on November 5th, the 25th anniversary of the acclaimed album’s release, Zelus will release a series of twenty-five NFTs every day for seven days, each one inspired by the cover art of the Death Row Records classic. The collection will features all new digital artwork inspired by Riskie Forever’s original album artwork. Each day, Zelus will release different limited editions of video artwork paired with physical items created by Riskie. The campaign will culminate on the seventh day with the release of a 3D NFT of the album cover. “Our studio was founded on the idea of creating NFTs that are not only potentially valuable, but also hold unique meaning for collectors and fans,” noted Dale Alexander, Chief of Creative for Zelus. “It doesn...

The Ethereum Name Service (ENS), the entity that controls the decentralized domains built on top of Ethereum, announced it would pivot to a decentralized governance model, opening the door to the formation of a DAO (decentralized autonomous organization). The ENS is now calling for delegates to propose their views to the community in order to be elected. The airdrop of the DAO tokens will open on November 8. ENS Pivots to Decentralized Governance The Ethereum Name Service, the organization behind the decentralized domain service on Ethereum, announced recently its intention of pivoting its governance model to a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). The organization is adopting a delegate model that will allow individuals to present their proposals and other users to delegate their tokens to support them. The ENS explained that while most of the core functions of the organization operate without supervision, there are some issues that still require dedicated human interactio...

Bitfarms, the Canada-based Bitcoin mining unicorn, has at last revealed details about its activities in Argentina. The company says that the Bitcoin mega mining farm, whose construction started last month, will be built in the province of Cordoba, in association with a private power plant. Bitfarms will purchase the energy directly from this private power company, reportedly without causing stress to the power grid of the country. Bitfarms Opens Up About Plans in Argentina Bitfarms has revealed details about the construction of its bitcoin mega-mining farm in Argentina, which, when finished, will be the largest mining complex in the country. The location of the farm had not been announced by the company until now. According to local media, it was revealed that it will be located in the province of Cordoba, in the city of Rio Cuarto. The facility will house more than 210 megawatts of power capacity for installing miners at a very low price for the company. The facility will be con...