Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The Indian government has introduced new crypto tax penalties, including for non-payment of crypto tax deducted at source (TDS). Much to the disappointment of the crypto community, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not mention crypto in her Budget speech this year. Crypto income remains taxed at 30% while TDS stays at 1%. No Crypto Tax Relief in India Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2023 in parliament Wednesday, one day after she presented this year’s Economic Survey which highlighted the need for “a common approach to regulating the crypto ecosystem.” Much to the disappointment of the Indian crypto community, Sitharaman made no mention of crypto during her Budget speech. Following her speech, many Indian crypto proponents took to Twitter to voice their opinions. Neeraj Khandelwal, co-founder of crypto exchange Coindcx, tweeted: No changes to crypto taxation in India in the Budget Session. It stands at 1% TDS and 30% on profits. This p...

Non-fungible token (NFT) sales increased 41.96% from the previous month, according to data recorded on Feb. 1, 2023. NFT sales reached nearly $1 billion in 30 days, with an approximate total of $997.53 million. Additionally, the number of digital collectible transactions rose more than 22% in the past month. Bored Ape Yacht Club Dominates, Ethereum Leads With 78% of Total NFT Sales in January 2023 NFT sales mirrored those of crypto assets in January 2023, reaching $997.53 million, a 41.96% increase from December 2022. Data from cryptoslam.io shows that out of 20 blockchain networks, Ethereum led NFT sales with $784.87 million, or 78.681% of the total for the month. Solana followed with $150.4 million in NFT sales over the last 30 days, accounting for 15.07% of the total. The other top five blockchain networks in terms of NFT sales are Cardano, Immutable X, and Polygon, respectively. In terms of top-selling NFT collections in January 2023, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs generated...

According to research from Recap, a cryptocurrency tax software company, London has become the world’s leading hub for cryptocurrencies. The researchers analyzed eight indicators, including the number of cryptocurrency businesses and the quantity of cryptocurrency ATMs in each country. Key Findings of Recap’s Study on Global Cryptocurrency Hubs Crypto tax firm Recap released a research report on Jan. 25, 2023, highlighting the top global cryptocurrency hubs, with London named the “most crypto-ready city.” Recap used criteria from eight elements, including the number of cryptocurrency businesses and employees, research and development spending compared to each city’s GDP, the number of cryptocurrency ATMs, cryptocurrency ownership, and capital gains tax rates. Recap’s report details that London has the most people employed in the cryptocurrency industry compared to other global regions. The city is home to over 800 cryptocurrency-based companies and hosted the second-highest numbe...

On Wednesday, 60 organizations involved in cryptocurrencies, open-source and free software, and human rights and privacy-preserving projects launched a new campaign calling on the 118th U.S. Congress to protect privacy. The groups, including Fight for the Future, Electric Coin Co., and the Tor Project, insist that Congress needs to deliver policies dedicated to standing up for privacy. Campaign Urges Lawmakers to Take Bold Stance on Pro-Privacy Policies A new campaign , launched by 60 organizations, carries the slogan “Tell Congress to protect privacy.” The groups are calling for the United States federal government’s legislature to stand up for privacy both online and offline. Supporting entities include Fight for the Future, Blockchain Association, Proton, the Tor Project, Mobilecoin, Protocol Labs, Filecoin Foundation, Electric Coin Co., the Defi Education Fund and Tutanota. The campaign follows Fight for the Future’s open letter to Congress, in which they stated that privacy is...

Leading crypto exchange Binance and credit card giant Mastercard have partnered to launch a prepaid crypto-linked card in Brazil as part of Binance’s expansion plans in Latam. The Binance card features 8% cashback for eligible purchases and supports on-the-fly conversion of 13 cryptocurrencies to make payments to local merchants. Brazil Receives Binance Prepaid Card Binance, a leading cryptocurrency exchange by volume traded, announced on Jan. 30 the launch of its Binance card in brazil, a product that will allow crypto users to make payments in crypto to legacy merchants. The card, which is backed by Mastercard, will enable registered customers of the exchange from all over Brazil to make crypto payments with 13 supported cryptocurrencies, including on-the-fly conversions to the Brazilian real. The release of this product comes as no surprise to some, as Matthew Shroder, global vice president and regional director at Binance, had stated in September that Brazil was one of the to...

After initially ignoring pleas to extend the period for returning old naira banknotes, the Nigerian central bank recently said it has shifted the deadline for returning old banknotes to Feb. 10. The bank’s governor, Godwin Emefiele, said some 30,000 so-called super agents have been deployed nationwide to help with the cash-swapping process. CBN Governor Says Currency Swapping Exercise Has Been a Success The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently said it had extended the deadline for returning the old naira banknotes by ten more days. In his Jan. 29 press statement , CBN governor Godwin Emefiele said while the exercise has been a success, shifting the deadline date from Jan. 31 to Feb. 10 helps the bank achieve success in rural communities. The announcement follows weeks of pleas by residents who wanted to be granted more time to return the soon-to-be demonetized naira banknotes. The announcement of the extension also came just a few days after a Bitcoin.com News report suggested t...