Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Binance has formed a joint venture with a consortium led by Telkom Indonesia’s $830-million venture capital arm. Binance aims “to expand the blockchain ecosystem in Indonesia with the development of a new Indonesian-based digital asset exchange.” Binance Building Cryptocurrency Exchange in Indonesia Blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider Binance announced Wednesday that it has established a joint venture with a consortium led by Telkom Indonesia’s $830-million venture capital arm, MDI Ventures (MDI). Telkom Indonesia is the country’s largest telecoms company. The aim of the joint venture is “to expand the blockchain ecosystem in Indonesia with the development of a new Indonesian-based digital asset exchange,” the announcement details, elaborating: Binance will provide world-class asset management infrastructure and technology to support the development of the new exchange platform. “Our ambition at Binance is to grow the blockchain and cryptocurrency ecosystem gl...

On December 15, FINMA-licensed Swiss bank, Seba, announced the launch of a gold token that can be delivered in physical form, on-demand, at any time from the firm’s partner refineries. Seba believes the token can be leveraged as a compliant stablecoin “backed by responsibly sourced gold.” Swiss Bank Introduces ‘Seba Bank Gold Token’ Backed by Physical Gold Stored at Partner Refineries Switzerland-based crypto bank Seba has introduced a number of new crypto products this year, like adding decentralized finance (defi) tokens to the company’s product lineup. In October, the Swiss bank revealed that customers can earn a yield on crypto holdings in an “institutional-grade” fashion. On Wednesday, Seba revealed its gold token offering that can be traded for physical gold at any time. “The Seba Bank Gold Token is a landmark development in investment products, enabling investors for the first time to own a digital form of physical gold via a fully regulated, cost-effective, and future-pr...

The wealth manager Vaneck has announced it has expanded its exchange-traded note (ETN) offerings to support the tokens polygon and avalanche. The two ETNs follow five previously launched funds in Europe that allow investors to gain exposure to leading digital assets. Vaneck Adds Polygon and Avalanche to Its List of Cryptocurrency ETNs Vaneck has announced the launch of two ETNs that leverage the crypto assets polygon (MATIC) and avalanche (AVAX). The ETNs represent shares of either AVAX or MATIC and the funds are fully collateralized. “Vaneck expands its crypto investment offering with two new ETNs on crypto platforms Avalanche and Polygon,” the wealth manager tweeted on December 16. Avalanche and polygon have seen significant demand this year and have gathered massive gains year-to-date. The token avalanche (AVAX) has seen its market capitalization join the top ten digital assets in the world, in terms of overall valuation. Today, AVAX holds the 9th position after climbing 3,509...

India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has reportedly told the central board of directors that it favors a complete ban on cryptocurrencies, stating that a partial ban will not work. The central bank reiterates that it has serious concerns regarding crypto. Meanwhile, the Indian government is reportedly making additional changes to the crypto bill. RBI Wants a Blanket Ban on Crypto, Says a Partial Ban Won’t Work The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) held the 592nd meeting of the central board of directors Friday under the chairmanship of Governor Shaktikanta Das. The central board is the highest decision-making body of the apex bank. The board reviewed the current domestic and global economic situation, evolving challenges, and remedial measures. The directors also discussed various aspects relating to cryptocurrency and central bank digital currency (CBDC). The RBI reportedly said at the meeting that it favors a complete ban on cryptocurrencies, noting that a partial ba...

An industry organization controlled by the Chinese government has updated a list of topics users of video-sharing apps should avoid. Crypto-related content is now among the entries along with traditional taboos in China like mocking its leadership, provoking sectarianism, and showing sex. Clips on Crypto Trading, Mining Banned in China The China Netcasting Services Association (CNSA) has recently published a blacklist of 100 topics that online videos posted on platforms similar to Tiktok should not feature. Among them are the usual suspects like questioning China’s official history, imitating its political leaders, challenging the country’s guiding ideology of “socialism with Chinese characteristics,” and discussing fascism. The “Online Short Video Content Review Standard Rules (2021)” document marks a number of other banned themes. A report by the Register points to a few of them like drug use, gambling machines, crime and gangs, violence, and mental abuse. Sexually explicit con...

The number of cryptocurrency holders in Serbia has climbed to around 200,000 with interest in cryptocurrencies increasing alongside growing crypto markets. The country’s decision to legally recognize digital assets this year has also contributed to their increasing popularity. Law on Digital Assets Puts Serbia on Crypto Map Recently adopted regulations and genuine investor interest have placed Serbia, a nation of 7 million located in Southeast Europe, among countries that view cryptocurrency as a thing of the present. About 200,000 Serbs now own one coin or another, local media reported, quoting the latest estimates provided by the crypto industry. Serbia’s Law on Digital Assets entered into force at the end of June, this year. The legislation recognizes cryptocurrencies like bitcoin as virtual assets. Its provisions define them as digital records of value that can be purchased, sold, transferred, and exchanged. Serbs holding cryptos have increased in number since its adoption, the...

The Argentinian Chamber of Fintech, a membership-based organization whose goal is to lead the digitization and modernization of the financial services industry, issued a series of recommendations for the upcoming regulation of virtual assets in the country. The proposed framework asks the government to follow FATF recommendations, and it calls for a clear definition of virtual assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs). Argentinian Chamber of Fintech Weighs In on Regulation The Argentinian Chamber of Fintech, a group that works for the modernization of the structure of financial service providers, issued its take on how the Argentinian government should regulate cryptocurrency assets in the future. The proposal, which takes into account the rise in usage of these assets in the country, establishes a series of key issues that, according to the group, should be followed to better regulate cryptocurrency. The first one of them mentions the need to follow the recommendations o...

Consensys, an Ethereum software company, announced yesterday the launch of a new scaling solution for Ethereum, called “Consensys Rollups.” The company enlisted Mastercard programmers to design the solution, which aims to allow the network to reach a throughput of 10,000 TPS (transactions per second), according to a PR statement. The solution can be implemented on top of private, permissioned protocols like Quorum, or on public chains like Ethereum. Consensys to Address Scaling With Mastercard’s Assistance Consensys, an Ethereum software company, launched Consensys Rollups yesterday, a ZK-proof-based scaling solution for Ethereum-based networks. The company revealed that this initiative had been undertaken with the help of Mastercard’s engineering team, which helped to design the solution. According to Consensys, the Consensys Rollups solution will be deployable on enterprise-focused protocol platforms such as Quorum , or directly on Ethereum. Quorum is a Consensys-acquired, JPMor...