Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Digital currency markets have been gathering gains again moving past the lows seen a few weeks ago. This week crypto traders have been discussing over-the-counter (OTC) desks bubbling with demand for bitcoin as the co-founder of 21st Paradigm explained, “high net worth individuals [and] institutions want your bitcoin.” Analyst Says Big Market Players ‘Want Your Bitcoin’ Most traders either use decentralized exchange (dex) platforms or centralized exchange (cex) operations to acquire bitcoin ( BTC ) and a myriad of other digital currencies. However, high-net-worth individuals and institutions usually don’t leverage dex or cex applications, as they choose to trade via over-the-counter (OTC) trading desks. OTC trading or off-exchange trading is trading between two parties directly and usually with help from the OTC desk’s representative. In contrast to trades that take place on cex or dex platforms, these trades are not recorded on order books. Although, transfers from crypto OTC desks

Born four years ago as a result of the disagreement between two groups over scaling issues, Bitcoin Cash has grown to be so much more. Offering a full suite of solutions for cryptocurrency users, having support from thousands of merchants at a worldwide level, and recently introducing Smartbch, a project that aims to tether smart contracts functions to the protocol, Bitcoin Cash is now more mature than ever. However, mishaps have also happened along the way. Welcome to the World, Shuya Yang! On August 1, 2017, in the midst of a big scaling debate that shook the cryptocurrency world to its core, Bitcoin Cash (BCH) was the result of a series of disagreements among developers and Bitcoin influencers about how to achieve blockchain scaling in the best way possible. Some supporters opted to scale onchain by increasing the block size, and that idea transformed into what Bitcoin Cash is today. Welcome to the world, Shuya Yang! And Bitcoin cash! https://t.co/ymh4Ciwypb — ViaBTC (@ViaBTC

Polish police have uncovered a secret crypto mining operation at their headquarters in Warsaw, local media reported. An IT specialist accused of minting digital coins on police computers has been dismissed and the case has been handed over to the Prosecutor’s Office. Polish Police Force Fires IT Specialist for Crypto Mining at Work Officers from the Polish National Police have found what local media described as a crypto mining farm at the Policja headquarters in Warsaw. The mining operation was allegedly organized by an IT technician, a civilian employee of the law enforcement agency, tvn24.pl news portal reported quoting two independent sources. The crypto miner used police computers that he upgraded with video cards and specialized software. Although the mining equipment has probably consumed a serious amount of electricity due to the energy-intensive coin minting process, the biggest worry is that records from the police database might have been leaked, one of the sources no

The hedge fund Goldentree, a firm with $41 billion in assets under management (AUM) has reportedly added the leading crypto asset bitcoin to its balance sheet. Unnamed sources detail that the American asset management firm leveraged bitcoin to diversify from traditional debt investment strategies. The wealth management firm allegedly has been looking for staff that understands blockchain technology and it’s possible Goldentree is circling distressed businesses within the crypto industry. Goldentree Asset Management Invests in Bitcoin: Report A recent report stemming from the financial publication The Street, says the mega-hedge fund Goldentree has purchased bitcoin (BTC) . The author of the report, Michael Bodly did not reveal the unknown source who explained that Goldentree invested in bitcoin. A source disclosed that executives at Goldentree are looking into employing staff that understands crypto solutions and blockchain tech. Despite looking for help, the undisclosed source t

Nigeria’s proposed digital currency, the e-naira, is likely to be a welcome boost to ongoing efforts to reduce the number of Nigerians that are financially excluded, a leader of a stakeholders’ body has said. However, according to Senator Ihenyen, the president of Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SIBAN), the success of such a digital currency will depend on its design. A Hybrid CBDC As per reports, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s proposed digital currency, whose piloting phase is set to commence on October 1, will be a hybrid central bank digital currency (CBDC). This means the e-naira will be combining both the retail and wholesale capabilities. This according to the SIBAN boss means the issuing of the e-naira will not disruptive to the operations of intermediaries such as banks and other financial institutions. Meanwhile, Ihenyen told Bitcoin.com News that he does not think the e-naira, which will be a digital version of the fiat currency, “comes

It has been more than six months since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed banks to stop serving customers from the cryptocurrency industry. While the measure appears to have succeeded in removing crypto entities from the banking ecosystem, the policy has however led to the growth of peer-to-peer trading. ‘Central Bank of Nigeria’s Actions Led to an Increase in Activity on the Black Market’ As some reports have shown, Nigeria’s position as the biggest cryptocurrency market in Africa remains unchallenged. For its part, the CBN has complemented its regular arguments against cryptocurrencies with the now routine assurances that Nigeria will have its own digital currency. To understand these dynamics and the impact they have had on the Nigerian crypto space, Bitcoin.com News reached out to Chiagozie Iwu, the CEO and Co-founder of Naijacrypto, a Nigeria crypto exchange. Below are Iwu’s responses to written questions. Bitcoin.com News (BCN): Can you briefly explain how the CBN

President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a law that will allow the National Bank of Ukraine to issue its own digital currency. The new legislation, which aligns Ukrainian regulations with EU rules, will also stiffen authentication requirements for clients of payment service providers. New Legislation Allows Ukrainian Central Bank to Issue Digital Currency The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has signed the law “On Payment Services” which was adopted by the Ukrainian parliament on June 30, the president’s administration announced this week. The legislation aims to “modernize and further develop” the payment services market and promote the introduction of innovations in the financial sector, a press release explains. One of the provisions in the bill grants the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) powers to issue its own central bank digital currency ( CBDC ). Authorities in Kyiv have been mulling over a project to create a digital hryvnia for quite a while. A recently conducted su

PRESS RELEASE. Antier Solutions, a blockchain development company recognized for its end-to-end solutions, is offering crypto exchange script to expedite the development and deployment of crypto exchange platforms by 50%. Given the cut-throat competition to tap into the billion-dollar crypto market, Antier’s cryptocurrency exchange script solutions help start-ups and enterprises to quickly launch their exchange platforms and take the lead. “The crypto market is highly volatile; businesses need solutions that can help them quickly enter the market, especially when the market is favorable. This has catapulted the demand for cryptocurrency exchange clone or script solutions.”, said Parvinder Singh, Chief Technical Officer at Antier Solutions . The company receives several requests from start-ups and established organizations to create a clone of popular exchange platforms. “Out of all the queries we get, the majority ask for a Binance clone script . This is because they strive t

Indian authorities are reportedly investigating cryptocurrency exchange Binance in connection with an ongoing Chinese money laundering case that raked in more than 10 billion rupees ($134 million). Binance’s Regulatory Troubles Continue India is reportedly investigating whether the global cryptocurrency exchange Binance had any role in a Chinese money laundering scheme involving betting apps, local media reported Friday, citing people with knowledge on the matter. The country’s Enforcement Directorate (ED), a law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Finance, has summoned Binance’s executives for questioning, according to the people who asked not to be identified as the matter is still under investigation. The case centers around betting apps run by Chinese operators. They allegedly raked in more than 10 billion rupees over the past 10 months. They were suspected of laundering part of the money through local Indian crypto exchange Wazirx , which was acquired by Binance in 2019.

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, says he does not consider dogecoin an investment. “I don’t participate in that kind of thing. I don’t understand why anybody would,” he said. Kevin O’Leary Won’t Invest in Dogecoin Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary talked about the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin in an interview with CNBC last week. The chairman of O’Shares ETFs said: I don’t participate in that kind of thing. I don’t understand why anybody would, but that’s their own choice. He explained that investing in dogecoin is like gambling in Las Vegas, noting that he might not even call it “investing” at all. The Shark Tank star explained that when someone invests in a stock, they are betting on the company’s ability to execute its business plan and achieve its goals. In contrast, he said that there is no informed decision making with dogecoin as buyers are simply hoping that the price of the cryptocurrency will increase. In addition, dogecoin has an unlimited supply, unlike

Venture capital firms and large investors are driving up the prices of crypto startups. Boutique investment firms and family offices are being elbowed out by big venture capital firms, private equity funds, and even some pension funds. VC Firms Driving Up Prices of Crypto Startups Cryptocurrency firms are seeing high valuations due to large investors entering the space, according to Henri Arslanian, Crypto Leader at professional accounting and financial services firm PWC, also known as Pricewaterhousecooper. In an interview with Bloomberg Thursday, the executive explained that boutique investment firms and family offices are being elbowed out by big venture capitalists, private equity funds, and even some pension funds. He noted that smaller venture capital firms are unhappy about this trend. Arslanian described: Let’s say they’re looking at a deal and they believe it’s worth $10 million, and you’re seeing large VCs come in and put a bid in for a higher valuation. This is happeni

The day before the fourth Bitcoin Cash anniversary, the Smart Bitcoin Cash team (Smartbch), announced the project has launched three nodes as genesis validators. Smartbch disclosed that Btc.com, Viabtc, and Matrixport are participating and the project has officially started its voting period. Smartbch Fires up Smart Chain’s Genesis Validators For quite some time now, the Bitcoin Cash ( BCH ) community has been patiently waiting on the development of the Smartbch project . The reason for this is because Smartbch could unlock massive potential between Ethereum (ETH) and Bitcoin Cash. The protocol could bolster decentralized finance (defi) on Bitcoin Cash and be compatible with the second largest crypto asset in terms of market capitalization. Bitcoin.com News first reported on Smartbch during the first week of April and interviewed the project’s lead developer 15 days later. By the end of the month, Smartbch launched the testnet publicly and which gives developers and decentral

The crypto lender Blockfi is now dealing with regulators from five states as Kentucky has joined the fray against the firm’s Blockfi Interest Accounts (BIAs). On July 30, Blockfi shared a statement on Twitter that explained the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) has sent the company an order that aims to ban new BIA accounts. Blockfi Now Has Problems With Regulators From 5 States The New York City-based cryptocurrency finance company Blockfi was founded in 2017 by co-founders Zac Prince and Lori Marquez. The firm is a cryptocurrency lending firm that offers interest-bearing accounts called “BIAs” and also provides customers with a cryptocurrency-denominated credit card. Since January 2018, the company has allowed lending services that leverage crypto collateral. Bitcoin.com News reported on Blockfi’s initial issues with New Jersey regulators which was followed by problems with Texas, Alabama , and Vermont . The regulators from all of the states take issue with th

South African Reserve Bank (SARB) governor, Lesetja Kganyago, has once again confirmed that the central bank is presently studying the feasibility of issuing a digital currency. In his remarks at the SARB’s annual general meeting, governor Kganyago suggested his organization has embarked on this study to keep abreast with the growing trend of central banks that are studying CBDCs. Retail CBDC In the past few years, several central banks including a few in Africa have similarly announced their CBDC studies. Already, the central banks of Ghana and Nigeria have both revealed they will start piloting their respective digital currencies in the second half of 2021. However, as the recent Mybroadband report quotes Kganyago explaining, the SARB’s e-rand study will also seek to understand the feasibility of issuing the CBDC for retail purposes. Kganyago explained: The objective of the study is to investigate if it would be feasible, appropriate and desirable for the SARB to issue a CBD

Pointing to a number of reasons why a digital version of the U.S. dollar should be created, Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard insisted that not having one wouldn’t lead to a sustainable future. The central bank official believes a digital dollar will have both international and domestic applications. US Fed’s Lael Brainard Can’t Wrap Head Around Not Issuing CBDC With other nations, most notably China , moving forward with their own digital currency projects, Lael Brainard, member of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board of Governors, has highlighted the urgency around the development of a digital dollar. Speaking to the Aspen Institute Economic Strategy Group on Friday, Brainard stated: The dollar is very dominant in international payments, and if you have the other major jurisdictions in the world with a digital currency, a CBDC offering, and the U.S. doesn’t have one, I just, I can’t wrap my head around that. “That just doesn’t sound like a sustainable future to me,” Lael Braina

Crypto assets have climbed in value during the last 24 hours as the price of bitcoin tapped a high on Friday, reaching $42,411 per unit at 8:00 p.m. (EDT). The entire market capitalization of all 10,000+ crypto assets is $1.64 trillion on Saturday, up over 6% during the last day. Bitcoin Climbs Over 20% This Week The price of bitcoin (BTC) and a number of other digital assets have climbed higher in value during the last few days. Five days ago, a massive short squeeze propelled the price of bitcoin higher as it jumped just below the $40K handle from a low of $34,500 per unit. Bybit.com’s Liquidation Data. Similarly, there was also a large derivatives expiry on Friday ending the month of July and at around 8:00 p.m. (EDT) a swathe of short positions were liquidated. During the course of the last day, $284.7 million worth of positions were liquidated according to bybt.com’s Liquidation Data . After 8:00 p.m., the price of bitcoin (BTC) quickly spiked to $42,411 per unit and h

On Tuesday, the New York Knickerbockers, in partnership with Sweet, launched the NBA team’s first-ever non-fungible token (NFT) collection. The NFTs feature limited edition digitally designed 3D game tickets made specifically for the Atlantic Division basketball team. With less than 24 hours left on the auction, the Knicks’ NFT sale has sold out a number of tickets. 3D NFT Tickets from 5 Classic New York Knicks’ Games A number of NBA teams are getting in on blockchain technology and many American professional basketball teams have engaged in all types of crypto concepts like NFTs and partnerships aimed at elevating cryptocurrency adoption. The NBA has its own Blockchain Advisory Committee and teams like the Portland Trail Blazers , Boston Celtics , and Cleveland Cavaliers have recently stepped into the blockchain fray. This week the New York Knicks launched its first-ever NFT collection as the professional team recently partnered with the NFT marketplace Sweet to auction the col

On Thursday, the Palo Alto-based automated investment service firm, Wealthfront Inc., announced that customers can now get exposure to crypto assets via the company’s platform. The firm revealed that clients can choose from two Grayscale investment trusts, as the company now offers investments in the Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) and the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC). Wealthfront Connects Customers to Two Grayscale Trusts This week Wealthfront has added two Grayscale crypto trusts to the firm’s menu of investments. Wealthfront is an automated investment operation sometimes referred to as a robo-advisor that offers wealth management services. The company was co-founded in 2008 by Andy Rachleff and Dan Carroll and as of 2020, Wealthfront had $15.85 billion assets under management (AUM). The announcement on Wednesday notes that Wealthfront customers can now gain exposure to crypto assets via the platform’s Grayscale bitcoin and ethereum trusts. The news follows the firm’s decision