Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

A survey of European Central Bank (ECB) staff has revealed widespread dissatisfaction with President Christine Lagarde’s leadership. More than half of the respondents rated Lagarde’s performance as “very poor” or “poor.” Some expressed concerns that the former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief “does not necessarily act according to the values she proclaims.” Lagarde Spends ‘Too Much Time on Topics Unrelated to Monetary Policy’ The International and European Public Services Organisation (IPSO), a union founded by European Central Bank (ECB) staff, conducted a survey among ECB staff asking them to assess the performance of Christine Lagarde as a president of the ECB. The survey was conducted between Dec. 12 and Dec. 22, 2023. Lagarde was France’s finance minister between 2007 and 2011. She then served as the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) between 2011 and 2019. According to the survey results, released earlier this week, 50.6% of 1,159 respondents ra...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has delayed its decisions on spot ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) proposed by Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, and Grayscale Investments. Grayscale is seeking to convert its existing Ethereum Trust into a spot ETF. Spot Ethereum ETF Decisions Delayed by SEC This week, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) delayed two applications for spot ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Following the recent approval of 11 spot bitcoin ETFs, investors are closely watching the SEC for potential decisions on spot Ethereum ETF proposals. On Wednesday, the SEC delayed an application by the Nasdaq Stock Market to list and trade shares of Blackrock’s Ishares Ethereum Trust . The application was filed on Nov. 21 last year and published for comment in the Federal Register on Dec. 11. “The Commission finds it appropriate to designate a longer period within which to take action on the proposed rule change,” the SEC wrote...

Chinese investors are increasingly putting part of their portfolios in cryptocurrency due to the state of the national stock market. According to reports, investors are using exchanges like Binance or Okx, or Hong Kong local exchanges, to purchase crypto using payment methods like Alipay and Wechat, even when cryptocurrency is banned in the Chinese mainland. Chinese Investors Seeking Earnings in Crypto Cryptocurrency is making a comeback in China, as Chinese investors have turned to these looking for profitability as the national stock market is facing a slump. According to Reuters , even though purchasing and trading cryptocurrency has been banned since 2021, Chinese investors have found a way to allocate significant fractions of their portfolios to crypto. These investors can use exchanges like Binance and Okx trading groups and traditional payment methods like Alipay and Wechat to purchase stablecoins from local dealers, entering the cryptocurrency investment arena. Also, over-t...

Worldcoin will change the design of the Orb, the device used for scanning the irises of users as proof of personhood for the project, to be more friendly and less polarizing. Alex Blania, CEO and co-founder of Tools For Humanity, the company behind Worldcoin, stated that the next iteration would be akin to an “Apple product.” Worldcoin Redesigns the Orb to Be “Much More Friendly” Worldcoin, the biometric ID and wallet project, is making changes to the Orb, a device used to scan the irises of users wishing to prove their personhood, to make it less polarizing. Alex Blania, CEO of Tools for Humanity, explained that the current design of the Orb was agreed upon before he arrived at the company almost four years ago. Blania hopes to tone down the device with a programmed upgrade, making it more appealing and adding personalization options. In a chat, Blania told Techcrunch more about this redesign. He explained: The new Orb is coming and the next iterations will look quite different...