Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The founder and chairman of Interactive Brokers, Thomas Peterffy, has revealed that he put money in crypto because he believes “there’s a small chance that this will be a dominant currency, so you have to play the odds.” Interactive Brokers Chairman Invests in Crypto Thomas Peterffy, founder and chairman of a major online trading platform, Interactive Brokers (Nasdaq: IBKR), revealed in an interview with CNBC Wednesday that he has invested in cryptocurrency. Interactive Brokers has about 1.33 million customer accounts and $330.6 billion in customer equity as of the first quarter. Clients from over 200 countries and territories invest globally in stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds from a single integrated Interactive Brokers account. According to Forbes, Peterffy’s net worth is currently $21.4 billion. The chairman explained that he has invested in cryptocurrency even though he is unsure of its future, stating: Even I myself have put a little bit of money into

PRESS RELEASE. BitYard , the world’s leading cryptocurrency derivative exchange based in Singapore, announced a refreshed corporate visual identity: a new logo highlighting ‘B’ & ‘Y’, a fresh slogan, and a vivid color palette. While ‘B’ conveys the strong belief on an inevitable trend of Bitcoin and other crypto evolving into currencies in global usage, the letter ‘Y’ derived from the word ‘Yard’ signifies BitYard’s ambition to become global traders’ backyard oasis, offering the most diverse digital investment services. Along with the brand refresh, BitYard introduces an optimal UI/IX on its mobile App, aiming to ensure the services run smoothly. Not only does the upgrade inject new vitality into BitYard, but it also provides its users with a more accessible, personable, and pleasant experience in their digital trading journey. The new slogan of BitYard ‘Grow your future in the yard’ is at the heart of the company’s vision of becoming the perfect beginner-friendly backyard for gl

High net-worth families are turning to cryptocurrency investments, according to a recent Goldman Sachs survey that found close to half of the company’s family office clients are inquisitive about crypto-asset investments. A Goldman Sachs executive further said that a large portion of the company’s family office clients are asking about blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies. Following the SPAC Boom, Family Offices Target Crypto Investments A recent report from Bloomberg suggests that the ultra-rich families of the world are interested in blockchain and crypto-asset investing. The report stems from the New York-based multinational investment bank and financial services company Goldman Sachs, which conducted a study that polled over 150 family offices. The findings suggest high net-worth families are turning to crypto because of “higher inflation, prolonged low rates, and other macroeconomic developments following a year of unprecedented global monetary and fiscal stimulus.” A

Following a report from John McAfee’s biographer, the former antivirus tycoon’s widow Janice McAfee has taken to social media to disclose a number of findings. During the first week of July, McAfee published a note that said there was “no sense of urgency” toward the investigation into John’s death by Spanish authorities. A week later, Janice McAfee shared the alleged suicide note “found in John’s pocket” and she believes it “does not sound anything like someone who has no hope and is contemplating ending their life.” Janice McAfee Questions Suicide Narrative Janice McAfee, the widow of the famous software mogul John McAfee, is very skeptical of her husband’s ostensible suicide. She has published a series of tweets that suggest she doesn’t believe the suicide story and the last time she spoke with John was on “June 23rd … at 11:30 am.” “He was found sometime after 6pm,” John’s widow said . “That means he had more than five hours to write the alleged suicide note [and] they want us

Overseas crypto exchanges marketing to Koreans will be blocked if they fail to comply with new South Korean regulations. The country’s anti-money laundering body has sent a notice to a number of foreign trading platforms warning them a registration is mandatory in order to provide services to Korean residents. Korean Financial Intelligence Unit Notifies Foreign Crypto Exchanges of Registration Obligations Access to foreign-based cryptocurrency exchanges can be denied and the platforms may face criminal investigations in South Korea if they don’t comply with the country’s new regulations for the sector. One of the key requirements is to register with the Korean anti-money laundering agency, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), by Sept. 24. To remind them of their obligations, FIU has sent out a notice to 27 entities with crypto trading operations targeting Korean nationals, the Financial Services Commission ( FSC ) announced Thursday, quoted by the Korea Herald. The regulations ad

The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, has clarified how cryptocurrencies falling under security-based swaps are regulated. He affirmed that platforms operating in the centralized or decentralized finance space are implicated by the securities laws. SEC’s Regulatory Approach to Cryptocurrency SEC Chairman Gary Gensler talked about cryptocurrency regulation Wednesday before the American Bar Association Derivatives and Futures Law Committee Virtual Mid-Year Program. After discussing various topics, including security-based swaps, credit default swaps, and registration of their dealers and participants, he proceeded to talk about cryptocurrency. “I’d briefly like to discuss the intersection of security-based swaps and financial technology, including with respect to crypto assets,” he said. “There are initiatives by a number of platforms to offer crypto tokens or other products that are priced off of the value of securities and operate like de

Spacex and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that he personally owns bitcoin, ethereum, and dogecoin. Meanwhile, his companies, Spacex and Tesla, own bitcoin. He also said that bitcoin’s energy usage “is shifting a lot more toward renewables,” and Tesla will likely resume accepting the cryptocurrency after he does more due diligence. Elon’s Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin The Bitcoin event “B Word,” which took place Wednesday, featured a live discussion with Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon musk, Square and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood. The discussion was moderated by Steve Lee, head of Square Crypto. Responding to the question of what influenced his view on bitcoin, Musk began by outlining the benefits of the cryptocurrency. Tesla’s Technoking , who wore an evolution of money t-shirt during the live discussion, then said, “It’s got a lot of potential.” Emphasizing, “I’m not an investor,” Musk said that the only significant publicly traded stocks h

PRESS RELEASE. Bitcoin of America is one of the fastest growing BTM operators worldwide. GreatPlaceToWork.com recently certified the Illinois-based Bitcoin of America as an elite company to work for. A whopping 92 percent of BoA’s employees reported that they feel free to take time off from work, when necessary, while another 88 percent claim to have the necessary resources and equipment to do their jobs. Employees routinely cited “opportunities,” “teamwork,” “diversity” and “experience” as some of the strongest selling points of working at Bitcoin of America. To put those numbers into perspective, only 59 percent of employees at typical American companies consider their place of employment to be “a great place to work.” Bitcoin of America, which is registered as a money services business with the United States Department of Treasury (FinCEN)(RegNum), instead offers its employees a vastly different experience, according to the annual survey. There’s a very good reason why employe

According to the latest data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), diaspora remittances inflows to the country surged to $1.75 billion in the first six months of 2021. This figure represents a nearly 20% increase from the $1.46 billion recorded in the same period last year. 2021 Inflows Set to Surpass 2020 Total At this growth rate, Kenya’s 2021 remittances inflows appear on course to surpass the 2020 total of just over $3 billion. However, the data shows that on a monthly basis, the inflows dropped slightly from the $315 million recorded in the fifth month to almost $306 million. This drop from what is so far the highest monthly total is the only time the diaspora inflows have tapered off in 2021. In the meantime, the latest data shows that North America has now cemented its position as the key source of remittances for the East African country. For instance, in the first month of 2020, the North American diaspora’s share of total remittances was about 48% or approximately $125 m

Europe’s digital currency project has made some progress recently, with the Eurozone’s central bank moving to its next stage. Critics point, however, to the continuing lack of clarity around the design and purpose of the digital euro after a decade-long delay, if cryptocurrency is taken as a benchmark. Digital Euro to ‘Feel Like a Prepaid Card of Sorts’ A week after the European Central Bank (ECB) decided to proceed with its plan to create a digital version of the euro, experts have voiced concerns about its unclear future. On July 14, the Governing Council of the ECB approved the launch of the project’s next, “investigation phase.” The stage is going to last 24 months during which key issues regarding design and distribution should be addressed. But according to Hugo Coelho, former chief of staff to Eurogroup President Mario Centeno and partner at Forefront, “the outcome is not clear yet and might not be for a long time.” The Eurogroup is the informal but politically important me

On Wednesday, the non-fungible token (NFT) platform called Autograph, co-founded by the Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady, announced a strategic partnership with the companies Draftkings and Lionsgate. Draftkings Inc. also revealed on Wednesday that the publicly listed company is launching an NFT marketplace dedicated to NFT digital collectibles. Tom Brady’s Autograph Brings Star-Studded Lineup, Signs Deal With Lionsgate and Draftkings The company Autograph is an NFT platform that aims to meld iconic brands and well-known names from sports, entertainment, and culture into digital collectible experiences. The seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady co-founded the project, based in Los Angeles, which was revealed in mid-April. Brady has recently shown his appreciation for bitcoin and he and his wife, Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen, recently signed a long-term deal with crypto exchange FTX. On July 21, Autograph revealed the company has partnered with the entertainment firm Lionsg

In another world-first for the non-fungible token (NFT) space, Steve Job’s handwritten job application letter in its physical form and an accompanying digital NFT of the same item will go head to head in respective auctions. Auction to Expose How Collectors Value Different Formats As NFTs continue to push the boundaries of possibilities, whether introducing new, novel use cases for tokenization or adding layers of value propositions to existing physical items, the question of collector preference is set to best tested. Today, at 9:41 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), Rarible and Snoofa will be hosting simultaneous auctions set to last for six days featuring Steve Job’s 1973 handwritten job application in two rival formats: the original physical copy and an NFT version. The written application highlights Job’s skills and interests, underlining his experience just a year before moving to Atari, which was then just a startup in the gaming space. Rarible, an NFT marketplace for creat

The Nigerian pop artist and celebrity, Davido, recently posted several tweets endorsing ‘rapdoge,’ the so-called “first deflationary meme token fully supported by celebrities & rappers.” In one of the tweets, Davido tells his 9.5 million followers to “buy $20, $100 or $1000 worth of rap doge tokens and be ready to make some money.” Pump and Dump In a subsequent tweet , Davido, who has previously said he was thinking about starting a bitcoin trading company, asks: “Who listened to me about RapDoge?” Following the artist’s shilling of the coin on July 19, 2021, the rap doge token price surged by more than 100% as interest in the crypto grew. However, at the time of writing, rapdoge, which promoters claim to be the next big meme coin, saw its value return to pre-shilling levels. In the meantime, it seems the pop artist’s latest endorsement of a crypto asset has not gone over well with some of his followers. As a Cryptotvplus report explains, Davido’s shilling of the rapdoge tok

Opensea has become the latest non-fungible token (NFT)-focused firm to raise funds this year as the company announced raising $100 million in a Series B this week. The venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz led the Opensea financing round alongside investors like Kevin Durant, Ashton Kutcher, and Tobi Lutke. NFT Marketplace Opensea Joins the Blockchain Unicorns, Project Now Supports Polygon One of the largest non-fungible token (NFT) marketplaces today, Opensea , has announced the company has raised $100 million in a Series B funding round. Additionally, the project also announced it was expanding its features to “cross-blockchain support” and Opensea will start supporting the Polygon blockchain. The funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) puts Opensea into the unicorn status of blockchain startups with a valuation of $1.5 billion after the Series B. “At Opensea, we believe NFTs are emerging as one of the first consumer-oriented killer applications for blockchains,” the

On Wednesday, following the drop below the $30,000 region, bitcoin’s price has rebounded more than 8% since Tuesday’s low. Meanwhile, the sentiment metric recorded by the Crypto Fear and Greed Index (CFGI) is extremely low, pointing to “extreme fear” in the market. Despite being a scary term, the time is usually the best time to obtain assets for a lower price. However, data from Tradingview’s technicals show bitcoin is still in the “sell” range, while bitcoin market oscillators are more “neutral.” CFGI Sentiment Metric Reaches ‘Extreme Fear’ The price of bitcoin (BTC) tapped a low of $29,300 on July 20, 2021, and since then the price has managed to jump back above the $32,000 handle. Despite the rebound, there’s a lot of uncertainty within the crypto space as far as short-term bitcoin price predictions are concerned. BTC /USD chart shows bitcoin managed to climb back above the $32K zone on Wednesday. Some believe the price may plunge to the $20,000 zone again and others believ

According to reports stemming from investigative journalist Matthew Russell Lee, from Inner City Press, former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith has violated the terms of his bail and has been taken into custody. According to the reports, the U.S. Attorney’s Office revoked Griffith’s bond because he allegedly tried to access the crypto exchange Coinbase. Report Says Virgil Griffith Violated His Bond Terms At the end of November 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) arrested the former Ethereum Foundation member Virgil Griffith for allegedly “assisting North Korea in evading sanctions.” After the Manhattan U.S. Attorney revealed the news, the cryptocurrency community erupted in outrage . A year and eight months later, Griffith was released on bail but reports from Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press note that he’s recently been taken into custody. Allegedly, Griffith violated the terms of his bail and the SDNY judge presiding o