Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

On July 7, 2023, a Clive, Iowa resident fell victim to a scammer posing as a Polk County sheriff’s deputy, who coerced the individual into depositing $6,600 into a bitcoin automated teller machine (ATM). The Clive Police Department insists that the scammers utilized cryptocurrencies due to the challenges in tracking these assets. Scammer Poses as Polk County Deputy, Defrauds Iowa Resident of $6,600 in Bitcoin ATM Scheme The Clive Police Department has notified the public that an individual was defrauded of $6,600 after being persuaded to deposit the funds into a bitcoin ATM. The account was shared on Facebook, and the police stated that the person affected would not be identified for “security reasons.” As per the statement, the victim received a call from an individual who falsely identified themselves as a Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy. The impersonator informed the woman about an arrest warrant and persuaded her to “send $6,600 through a Bitcoin ATM to resolve the matter.” Foll...

An Iranian official has stated that Iran stands to benefit from a gold-backed common BRICS currency. The official further asserted that such a BRICS currency would erode the U.S. dollar’s dominance and result in increased wealth for Iranians holding gold. “A tremendous change is taking place in the international economy,” the official stressed. Iran Will Benefit From Gold-Backed BRICS Currency, Official Says Rasoul Mousavi, Assistant Foreign Minister and Director General of the South Asia Department of the Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated Sunday that a common BRICS currency backed by gold will benefit Iran and weaken the U.S. dollar, Press TV reported. The BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The Iranian official’s remarks followed a report last week by Russian news outlet RT claiming that Russia has confirmed the creation of a gold-backed common currency within the BRICS framework. According to RT, this announcement is expected to be officiall...

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has stated that she does not see the U.S. dollar’s dominance being threatened by any development, including the proposed BRICS currency. Yellen stressed that all the data of which she is aware shows that the dollar is overwhelmingly used in international transactions, emphasizing: “I don’t think that there is an alternative that could possibly displace that for the foreseeable future.” Janet Yellen on BRICS Currency, Challenges to US Dollar Dominance U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen addressed concerns regarding the dominance of the U.S. dollar and the potential challenges by a proposed BRICS currency during a press conference at the U.S. embassy in Beijing on Sunday. The press conference took place at the conclusion of her four-day visit to China. While there has been no official announcement by the BRICS, speculation about a new BRICS currency has been rife after Russian news outlet RT reported that Russia has confirmed that the BRICS bloc...

According to data recorded on July 9, 2023, Bitcoin’s next difficulty adjustment is estimated to rise between 4.74% and 7.7%, erasing the 3.26% reduction that occurred on June 28. Moreover, the total network hashrate achieved a 24-hour all-time high on July 8, reaching 538 exahash per second (EH/s) at block height 797,733. Record-Breaking Bitcoin Difficulty Increase Imminent, Total Hashrate Taps a 24-Hour Record at 538 EH/s Statistics recorded on July 9, 2023, indicate that the next Bitcoin mining difficulty adjustment is scheduled for July 12, 2023. In the previous difficulty change, Bitcoin’s mining difficulty experienced a 3.26% reduction, lowering the total to 50.65 trillion. Estimates suggest that the difficulty is expected to increase by 4.74% to 7.7% due to block intervals being consistently shorter than the ten-minute average. Currently, the average block time on July 9 ranges from 8 minutes and 2 seconds to 9 minutes and 18 seconds per block. Additionally, the total hash...

After the Covid-19 pandemic, many people believe the implementation of extensive stimulus measures and quantitative easing (QE) policies resulted in an overwhelming surge of inflation that has burdened millions across the globe. While certain individuals attribute this economic turmoil to the actions of central banks, Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, firmly asserts that it is the retailers who are guilty of overpricing goods and services, consequently causing distress among countless families in the United Kingdom. Bank of England Boss Andrew Bailey Pulls out the ‘Greedflation’ Accusation From the Bureaucratic Tool Box Although central banks have often been accused of bearing the brunt of responsibility for the economy’s volatile boom and bust cycles, their leaders refuse to shoulder the blame alone. European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde, for instance, attributes Europe’s relentless inflation to the impact of climate change . Meanwhile, in an int...

“The real competition is not other chains, it’s the rapidly expanding centralized world that is imposing itself on us as we speak.” So says Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin addressing the current volatile regulatory realities in crypto. In other news, venture capitalist Tim Draper adjusted the timeframe of his $250K bitcoin price prediction, and a former SEC official asks the crypto community to stop the “personal attacks” against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and its chair, Gary Gensler. This and more in the latest Bitcoin.com News Week in Review. Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin on SEC Crypto Enforcement Actions: ‘The Real Competition Is the Centralized World’ Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, the second largest cryptocurrency project by market cap, took a stance on the recent actions that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken in the field of enforcement against crypto. Buterin mentioned how projects like Solana were included in ...