Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

U.S. authorities have warned about the rising popularity of a crypto scam known as “pig butchering.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) explained: “The fraud is named for the way scammers feed their victims with promises of romance and riches before cutting them off and taking all their money.” ‘Pig Butchering’ Crypto Scam on the Rise U.S. authorities have been warning about a type of cryptocurrency scam called “pig butchering” that has been growing in popularity at an alarming rate. Lakewood Police Public Information Officer John Romero detailed: The term pig butchering basically comes from a farmer fattening up the pig before they slaughter it. And in this case, it’s the suspect who was fattening up their victim. The police officer explained that the pig butchering scam usually starts on social media or dating sites like Linkedin and Tinder, where the scammer finds and convinces the victim to hand over some funds. The scammer then puts the money into a crypto account w...

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has sent a cease and desist letter to five companies, including crypto exchange FTX US. CEO Sam Bankman-Fried explained that FTX does not have FDIC insurance, stating: “We never meant otherwise, and apologize if anyone misinterpreted it … to be clear FTX US isn’t FDIC insured.” FDIC Orders 5 Firms to Cease and Desist The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) issued crypto-related cease and desist orders to five companies Friday. The agency regulates and insures the deposits of FDIC-insured community banks and other financial institutions. The letters demand that the five companies and their officers “cease and desist from making false and misleading statements about FDIC deposit insurance.” They must also “take immediate corrective action to address these false or misleading statements.” The five companies are FTX US, Cryptonews.com, Cryptosec.info, Smartasset.com, and FDICCrypto.com. The FDIC detailed: Each of these compa...

SBI Holdings, the largest online brokerage in Japan, is shutting down its crypto mining business in the Russian Federation. Amid mounting uncertainty over the future of such investments due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as well as decreased mining profits, the financial firm said it plans to sell its equipment and withdraw. Japan’s SBI Broker to Complete Withdrawal From Russian Mining Industry Access to low-cost power and suitable climatic conditions made Russia an attractive destination for cryptocurrency miners when China cracked down on the industry in May of 2021. However, sanctions imposed over Moscow’s decision to attack Ukraine this year have hit bitcoin mining, among other Russian industries. One of the largest mining data-center operators with significant presence in Russia, Switzerland-based Bitriver, was targeted by the U.S. Treasury Department this spring. Then the U.S. company Compass Mining sought to liquidate $30 million in mining hardware installed in Siberia...

Following three consecutive days of declines, shiba inu rebounded on Saturday, as the meme coin appears to have found a support point. Cosmos was also higher, in what has mostly been a bearish start to the weekend. As of writing, the global crypto market cap is down 1.31%. Shiba Inu (SHIB) Shiba inu (SHIB) was back in the green on Saturday, as the token rallied following three straight days of declines. The world’s twelfth-largest cryptocurrency rose to an intraday peak of $0.00001397 to start the weekend. This came less than a day after prices of the meme coin were at a low of $0.00001270, which was below a key support point. Looking at the chart, this price floor was the $0.00001290 mark, however bulls resisted any further declines, pushing SHIB/USD back into the $0.00001300 region. As of writing, the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) is tracking at 52.13, which is marginally above a floor of 51.44. Should the index continue to climb, and move towards a ceiling of 58, then...

This week’s sell-off in cryptocurrency markets worsened on Saturday, with bitcoin falling below $21,000 for the first time in nearly a month. Ethereum also continued its descent in today’s session, as the price of the token dropped under the $1,700 level to start the weekend. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) continued to reside in the red to start the weekend, as prices of the world’s largest cryptocurrency fell below $22,000. Saturday saw BTC /USD fall to an intraday low of $20,868.85, with the token edging closer to a key support level. This floor has been at the $20,800 point, which was last hit on July 16, when prices were trading below $20,500. As a result of these declines, the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) dropped to a low of 32.97, which is its lowest point since July 12. Bitcoin prices have since rebounded, and as of writing are back above $21,000. BTC is currently trading at $21,191.27. Taking a closer look at the chart, it can be seen that the 10-day (red) moving aver...

The Central Bank of Colombia is studying the launch of a digital currency, according to statements made by its manager, Leonardo Villar. The organization is evaluating the launch of this instrument as a means of unifying the different digital wallets in the country, making them interoperable and easier to use for customers. Central Bank of Colombia Studies Digital Currency Issuance Many governments in the world are preparing to launch digital currencies in order to compete with cryptocurrencies and other assets. Leonardo Villar, manager of the Central Bank of Colombia, recently announced that the organization was studying the issuance of a digital currency. During a banking convention at Cartagena, Villar explained that the functions and the convenience of such currency were being reviewed by the bank. While the officer did not offer more details about the structure or nature of the announced currency, he did reveal that one of the experiences the bank is looking closely at, is on...

Mercado Libre, a leading Latam-based e-tailer, has announced the launch of its own token, called “Mercadocoin,” for Brazilian customers. The token will be the main reward of a loyalty program on Mercado Libre’s platform and will be awarded to customers that purchase certain items linked with the token. The token will have an initial value of $0.10. Mercado Libre to Launch Mercadocoin Token to Power Loyalty Program Mercado Libre, a retailer and financial services unicorn in Latam, has announced the inclusion of cryptocurrency as a part of its royalty program. The company announced the launch of its own token, denominated mercadocoin, that will be used to power its rewards to users. The token, to be issued on top of Ethereum, will be given to users that purchase certain articles on Mercado Libre’s platform identified with the loyalty program. The program, which is already being implemented, will include Brazilian customers only, though the company aims to extend it to other countrie...