Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee has warned that China and Russia would seek to exploit the chaos resulting from a U.S. default. He further cautioned that the U.S. dollar’s reserve currency status could be eroded if the U.S. defaults on its debt obligations. U.S. Lawmaker’s Debt Default Warning Congressman Jim Himes (D-CT), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, warned Sunday during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” about the risks of the U.S. defaulting on its debt obligations. The lawmaker was asked whether the current U.S. “debt crisis” is “a national security threat” and whether any world leaders have expressed concern to him about it. Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence, informed the Senate last week that Russia and China would try to exploit the chaos resulting from a U.S. default to show that “We’re not capable of functioning as a democracy.” Himes replied, “It has not come up in the meetings that we had in Jordan

Personal finance expert and best-selling author Dave Ramsey has dismissed de-dollarization concerns and the prospects of a BRICS currency, the Chinese yuan, or the Russian ruble displacing the U.S. dollar in international trade. “They don’t have the muscle to take down the dollar,” he stressed. Dave Ramsey on De-Dollarization and Challenges From Alternative Currencies Personal finance guru and Ramsey Solutions CEO Dave Ramsey answered a question about de-dollarization in an episode of “The Dave Ramsey Show,” aired last week. Ramsey is an eight-time national best-selling author who sold more than 11 million copies. A self-proclaimed personal money management expert, he calls himself “America’s trusted voice on money.” Zack from Alabama asked him: I’m reading more and more about de-dollarization and countries moving away from the U.S. dollar as their basis of international trade. Will this affect the strength of the dollar, and should I be concerned about how I’m saving and investi

Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi has called on the Central Bank of Iran to lay the groundwork necessary to ditch the U.S. dollar for bilateral trade settlements and to make the switch to use the Iranian real whenever possible. The Central Bank of Iran has already started implementing this policy, proposing to pay bilateral trades using Iranian reals in a recent high-level reunion with Oman’s minister of commerce. Raisi Calls on Central Bank of Iran to Ditch Dollar Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has called for a policy shift when it comes to the use of the U.S. dollar in bilateral trades. On May 7, during a cabinet meeting after his visit to Syria, Raisi discussed the advancement of other countries such as China and Russia in reducing their trade dependence on the U.S. dollar and called for the Central Bank of Iran to lay the groundwork for shifting to the use of local currencies, such as the Iranian real. Raisi also referred to the strength of the Syrian market, and how the two cou

The recent approval of a blockchain adoption strategy by the Nigerian government has been described as a milestone that will “add clarity, trust and confidence in the [blockchain] ecosystem.” The unveiling of the adoption strategy document has also been hailed as a step that will lend “some form of legitimacy” to a technology that many Nigerians still only associate with cryptocurrency. Central Bank Expected to Eventually Change Its Position on Crypto The Nigerian government’s recent approval of a blockchain adoption strategy has been hailed by advocates of the technology as “a significant milestone for the blockchain industry in Nigeria.” The advocates have also argued that the unveiling of the strategy document by the government helps to lend “some form of legitimacy” to a technology that many still confuse with cryptocurrency. As recently reported by Bitcoin.com News, the approval of the blockchain strategy followed what Isa Pantami, the country’s minister of communications and

PRESS RELEASE. Tokyo, Japan, May 9th 2023, Chainwire. The STAR project is a new initiative to help Japanese SMEs gain international recognition and prestige. The project seeks to uncover the valuable products, technologies, and know-how of small-to-medium-sized businesses. With an advanced ecosystem, the project opens new opportunities for mutual benefit between Japan and its partners abroad. A Project with a Clear Goal The STAR Project has a clear goal: to help Japanese SMEs effectively communicate their products and technologies. Through this project, SMEs can gain access to funds that they can use to reinvest in their business. Foreign companies can also take advantage of the program. Specifically, foreign companies may purchase products, technology, and know-how from Japanese SMEs and partner up with them. Ultimately, the project aims to revive the economy of Japan and the world, creating a sustainable future. This initiative helps Japanese SMEs market their valued produc

Liechtenstein’s prime minister has reportedly revealed that bitcoin payments will be accepted for some government services. “A payment option with bitcoin is coming,” he said, adding that he is open to investing state reserves in the cryptocurrency. Bitcoin Adoption in Liechtenstein Daniel Risch, Liechtenstein’s prime minister who also serves as the country’s finance minister, has reportedly revealed that Liechtenstein plans to accept bitcoin payments for certain government services. He said in an interview with German business daily Handelsblatt Sunday without giving a specific timeframe: A payment option with bitcoin is coming. Risch explained that Liechtenstein plans to accept bitcoin and immediately exchange BTC for Swiss francs, the national currency, in order to avoid exchange-rate risks. He also clarified that the cryptocurrency would not be granted equal status as the Swiss franc. The prime minister additionally told the news outlet that he was open to investing state

  Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has revealed that his company is spending $200 million defending itself against the SEC in its lawsuit over xrp. The executive expects a decision on the lawsuit in three to six months. “If we win the lawsuit, it’ll be clear what xrp is, but the rest of the industry is still going to be unclear. And the whole crypto industry needs regulatory clarity in the U.S. to really thrive,” said the Ripple boss. Ripple’s CEO Shares New Info on SEC Lawsuit Over XRP The CEO of Ripple Labs, Brad Garlinghouse, has provided some new information regarding his company’s ongoing legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). During a fireside chat with CNBC at the Dubai Fintech Summit on Monday, Garlinghouse revealed that when the lawsuit is concluded, Ripple would have spent $200 million in total to defend itself against the securities regulator. The executive shared: With the SEC, we will spend — this is the first time I’ve shared this publicly —

  Bittrex Inc., the U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware after being sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to register with the regulator. The exchange reportedly has over 100,000 creditors and liabilities ranging from $500 million to $1 billion. Bittrex Bankruptcy Filing Reveals Over 100,000 Creditors and $1 Billion in Liabilities Bittrex Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware on Monday, while its parent company Bittrex Global will continue to operate outside the United States. This development comes after the exchange announced its decision to sunset U.S. operations in early April. By mid-month, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sent the company a Wells notice. On April 17, 2023, the SEC took action against the exchange by charging it for operating an unregistered exchange, clearing agency, and broker. The lawsuit also classified OMG, ALGO, and DASH as “unregistered s

  Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk has shared a “massive incentive” to move money out of bank accounts, citing a significant interest rate gap created by the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve. “As more people & companies realize this, bank depositor flight will accelerate to extreme levels, even for banks that are ‘too big to fail,’” Musk warned. Massive Incentive to Move Money Out of Bank Accounts Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk shared Monday a “massive incentive” for people to move money out of bank accounts in the U.S. His statement was in response to Twitter user “unusual_whales” who quoted Hugh Hendry, founder of Eclectica Asset Management who ran the hedge fund for 15 years, predicting that the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve may have to step in and “restrict your right as a U.S. citizen to pull money out of the U.S. banking sector, due to capital flight from the U.S. banking system.” Musk explained that the U.S. Treasury and the Fed have created a massive gap bet

  Bank of America has warned that the key threats to the U.S. dollar’s dominance are largely domestic, as opposed to competition from other currencies, including a BRICS currency. “U.S. fiscal brinkmanship, with risks for government shutdown, or even worse a default, keeps coming up during debt ceiling discussions,” the bank’s analysts stressed. Bank of America on Threats to U.S. Dollar’s Dominance Bank of America reportedly said in a note Thursday that despite recent de-dollarization headlines, the U.S. dollar is not in danger of losing its dominance anytime soon. However, the bank warned that the USD is at risk from domestic fiscal issues, such as the possibility of the U.S. defaulting on its debt obligations. “Because much of the USD’s dominant role comes from standing in front of the TSY [U.S. Treasury] market, surprise defaults from a debt ceiling showdown would compromise the dollar’s attractiveness as a store of value,” Bank of America’s analysts detailed, elaborating: Ther

  Former House Representative Ron Paul has presented his stance when it comes to the financial crisis that the U.S. is currently facing. Paul stated that the continued application of quantitative easing (QE), a policy used to increase the money supply, and the decades of almost null interest rates, are what nurtured the current financial crisis the U.S. is facing. Ron Paul Believes Federal Reserve’s Policies Created Today’s US Financial Crisis Ron Paul, former representative and presidential candidate, has recently talked about the financial crisis the U.S. is facing. According to him, the policies that the Federal Reserve applied to maintain a welfare state at the cost of creating deficits have created today’s financial hardships for the country. Paul stated : Today’s financial hardships stem from the Fed’s decade of near 0% rates and quantitative easing (QE). These created a decade’s worth of uneconomic investments. Every bad idea imaginable received funding. Paul criticized l