Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The number of ether locked in the Ethereum 2.0 contract has exceeded 9 million ethereum or more than $28 billion using today’s exchange rates. The amount of ethereum locked into the contract has increased 22.29% since the first week of September 2021, when the contract held 7.4 million ether. Ethereum 2.0 Contract Exceeds 9 Million Ether While the proof-of-work (PoW) side of the Ethereum network has seen its hashrate tap all-time highs above 1 petahash per second (PH/s) this year, the transition to Ethereum 2.0 continues with ether being locked into the ETH 2.0 contract . Essentially, to become a validator and stake ethereum, 32 ETH is required to join the pool of ETH 2.0 validators. When the ETH 2.0 contract first launched, Bitcoin.com News reported on Ethereum’s co-founder Vitalik Buterin contributing funds to the contract on November 6, 2020. On January 17, 2022, etherscan.io data indicates that there’s approximately 9,057,890 ethereum worth over $28 billion (at the time...

PRESS RELEASE. The cryptocurrency market in the last months has witnessed the enormous success of promising valuable blockchain projects. Nevertheless, even investors from traditional markets are starting to detect the real potential of cryptocurrencies. They pour vast amounts of funds into the blockchain market. Therefore, the biggest success boom of promising projects is yet to come in 2022 and it is a good time to invest at current lower prices. This is a desirable situation for Venture Capital funds because demand for their services is rapidly increasing. However, their target is only wealthy investors due to the high entrance threshold. This leaves a huge number of individuals out of access to such benefits. Against this phenomenon comes the Decentralized Venture Capital (DeVC) trend. It aims to make investments in projects in the early stage of development accessible for everyone. DeVC is just beginning to take shape, but we can already distinguish the leading company in this...

A major bank in Pakistan has reportedly asked its customers to avoid conducting cryptocurrency transactions. Bank Alfalah’s action came shortly after the State Bank of Pakistan, the country’s central bank, submitted a report to the Sindh High Court recommending a complete ban on cryptocurrency. Bank Alfalah Asks Customers to Avoid Conducting Crypto Transactions Pakistani Bank Alfalah has reportedly started sending SMS alerts to its customers, asking them to avoid carrying out cryptocurrency transactions using its banking channels. Incorporated in 1992, Bank Alfalah is one of the largest private banks in Pakistan with a network of more than 800 ATMs and branches in more than 200 cities across the country. Owned and operated by the Abu Dhabi Group, the bank has an international presence in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bahrain, and UAE. According to several media outlets, the bank’s text message to customers reads: Dear Customer, Virtual currencies/coins/tokens, etc. are not legal tend...

India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has called on governments worldwide to collaborate on cryptocurrency. He pointed out that “The kind of technology that is associated with it, the decisions taken by a single country will be insufficient to deal with its challenges.” Indian Prime Minister Urges ‘Every Country, Every Global Agency’ to Collaborate on Cryptocurrency Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about cryptocurrency at the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos Agenda conference Monday. “The challenges we have been facing are also increasing. To counter these, there is a need for collective and synchronized action by every country, every global agency. These supply chain disruptions, inflation, and climate change are examples of these. Another example is cryptocurrency,” Prime Minister Modi said, elaborating: The kind of technology that is associated with it, the decisions taken by a single country will be insufficient to deal with its challenges. We have to have a si...

Singapore’s central bank has issued guidelines to discourage cryptocurrency trading by the general public. The central bank emphasized that “the trading of cryptocurrencies is highly risky and not suitable for the general public.” Singapore’s Central Bank Discouraging Crypto Trading by the General Public The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the nation’s central bank, announced Monday that it has issued guidelines “to discourage cryptocurrency trading by [the] general public.” The guidelines restrict cryptocurrency trading service providers from promoting their digital payment token (DPT) services to the general public. DPT is commonly known as cryptocurrency, the MAS clarified. The central bank explained that companies should not market or advertise crypto services in public areas in Singapore or use third parties, such as social media influencers, to promote cryptocurrency services to the general public. Companies can only market or advertise crypto services on their own c...

A U.S. consumer survey shows that 25% of respondents who currently do not own cryptocurrency plan to start investing in crypto. “2021 was a good year for crypto. Of the respondents that own crypto, more than half reported that they had just started investing in the space within the last year.” ‘2021 Was a Good Year for Crypto’ Cryptocurrency exchange Huobi released a report titled “Crypto Perception Report 2022” Thursday. The report includes “an in-depth survey to learn how the average person views cryptocurrencies, their thoughts on emerging trends, and if they plan on investing in the space in the future,” the company detailed. A total of 3,144 U.S. adults aged 18 and over participated in the survey, 47% of whom were men. “The crypto industry has seen mainstream growth in 2021, but it’s still a niche topic among most people,” the report describes, elaborating: 2021 was a good year for crypto. Of the respondents that own crypto, more than half reported that they had just starte...

Konami, a Japanese game developer and software publisher, raised more than $160K in its first foray into the non-fungible token (NFT) scene. This was the result of an NFT auction related to the 35th anniversary of Castlevania, one of its most popular franchises. The end result contrasts with what other companies have experienced so far, facing a negative backslash regarding these activities. Konami Takes to Opensea With Castlevania NFTs Konami, one of the most recognized Japanese gaming development companies, raised more than $160K in sales during its first NFT related business. The company organized an NFT auction to celebrate the 35th anniversary of one of its most beloved franchises, Castlevania, which has sold more than 20 million copies at a worldwide level. 14 NFTs were sold during the auction, with the highest amount being paid for an NFT depicting the map of the first Dracula’s Castle, which sold for more than $26K. The second-highest bid was made by a three-minute video t...