Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

It’s been over a year since El Salvador codified bitcoin as legal tender in the Latin American country, and by popping the ‘orange pill,’ the country was propelled into the international spotlight. At the end of September, the 41-year-old Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele penned an opinion editorial that takes aim at the detractors who think it was the wrong decision, those who think it was a good decision but for the wrong reasons, and opponents who “are afraid of our decision.” Nayib Bukele’s Opinion Editorial Tells People to ‘Stop Drinking the Elite’s Kool-Aid’ According to Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele , if the bitcoin experiment his country is participating in succeeds, a great number of other countries worldwide will follow in the Latin American country’s footsteps. Bukele said this in a recently penned opinion editorial called “ Stop Drinking the Elite’s Kool-Aid ,” which was published on September 30, 2022, in English and Spanish. In the editorial, Bukele criticized thre...

The new crypto sanctions imposed by the European Union are likely to spur the development of the country’s digital asset market, according to a Russian lawmaker. Anatoly Aksakov, who chairs the parliamentary Financial Market Committee, believes Russians will manage to bypass the restrictions. Meanwhile, major exchanges have reportedly informed Russian users that trading continues. Russians Find Ways to Circumvent Mounting European Crypto Sanctions, Duma Member Insists This week, the EU adopted its eighth package of penalties against Russia, meant to hit its government, economy, and energy exports in response to the recent escalation of the military conflict in Ukraine and the annexation of Ukrainian territories. Russian access to cryptocurrency, viewed as a tool to circumvent financial restrictions and export wealth, was also targeted. The Council of the European Union completely banned the provision of crypto wallet, account, and custody services to Russian residents and entities...

Xrp, the token formerly known as ripple, rose close to a five-month high on Saturday, despite the current red wave sweeping through markets. The token was trading marginally above a ceiling of $0.525, as bulls attempted to recapture recent highs. Cosmos was also higher, nearing a breakout of a key resistance point. XRP XRP surged towards a five-month high to start the weekend, despite crypto markets trading mostly lower on Saturday. Following a low of $0.4855 in yesterday’s session, XRP /USD rose to a high of $0.5279 less than 24-hours after the previous bottom. This surge saw the token marginally break out of a key resistance point of $0.525, climbing for a sixth straight day in the process. Looking at the chart, since the day’s previous peak, gains have somewhat eased, and as of writing prices are trading at $0.5184. The decline comes as earlier bulls opted to secure gains, and close their positions as opposed to holding on as XRP entered an area of uncertainty. One of thes...

Bitcoin was trading lower on Saturday, as cryptocurrency prices continued to trade in the red following the latest U.S. nonfarm payrolls (NFP) report. The token dropped for a fourth consecutive day, moving closer to a key support point in the process. Ethereum was also in the red, hitting a five-day low in the process. Bitcoin Bearish sentiment remained in bitcoin ( BTC ) markets to start the weekend, as they continued to digest the latest nonfarm payrolls (NFP) report. Following the better-than-expected jobs report, BTC /USD fell to an intraday low of $19,395.79 earlier in the day. The move pushed the token close to a key support point of $19,200, and as of writing, it is trading close to a six-day low. Looking at the chart, the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) has also dropped, and is also approaching a floor of 45.70. Despite moving closer to this bottom, the 10-day (red) moving average has recently crossed over its 25-day (blue) counterpart, which is typically a sign of ...

Authorities in Kazakhstan have granted Binance a license to operate as a digital asset platform and provide an array of relevant services. While working out of the nation’s financial hub in the capital Nur-Sultan, the crypto exchange will offer registration to customers from other countries as well. Crypto Exchange Binance Receives License to Operate From Kazakhstan Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange by daily trading volume, has been granted a permanent license by the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA), the regulatory body that oversees the Astana International Financial Center ( AIFC ), Kazakhstan’s financial hub. The license will allow Binance to extend its services as a digital asset platform operator and work from AIFC as a custodial service provider for global clients. The financial center is based in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana). The move comes after Binance obtained preliminary approval in August. The permanent authorization g...

Despite seeing a 3.11% drop in value in September, bitcoin still outperformed both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, the latest Cryptocompare report has shown. Ethereum, on the other hand, was named “the worst performer after the long-awaited Merge proved to be a ‘buy the rumour, sell the news’ event.” Increased tether and U.S. dollar trade volumes for bitcoin are said to suggest panicking investors were dumping depreciating currencies in favor of the cryptocurrency. Ethereum Sees ‘Biggest Decline’ According to the latest Cryptocompare report, bitcoin, which saw a negative return of 3.11% in September, still outperformed “both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq which saw negative returns of 9.34% and 10.5% respectively.” Only Solana — the cryptocurrency among the tracked four that saw a positive monthly return of 5.59% — and gold (2.87%) had better risk-adjusted returns than bitcoin. Ethereum, on the other hand, is identified in the report as “the worst performer [among four tracked cryptocurre...

The Norwegian government is reviewing a proposal to abolish the policy of preferential tax treatment for data centers mining cryptocurrency with cheaper electricity. The executive power in Oslo says conditions have changed and the country needs the energy currently used by miners. Mining Firms Likely to Lose Tax Incentive as Norway Seeks to Save Power, Collect More Tax Norwegian authorities are on their way to scrap a tax cut that has been benefitting crypto mining businesses for years. They are proposing to get rid of the reduced electricity tax rate for data centers in the Nordic country, many of which are minting digital currencies. Power for data centers will thus be subject to the general electricity tax rate, the same that applies for other service industries, the government said in an announcement published this week. Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum explained the reasoning behind the move: We are in a completely different situation in the power market now compared ...